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.""That's right, come to think of it," said Jeff."They didn't have wings at allin their prehistoric history.Remember?""I do.The Mentors must have added them as part of their bioengineeringprogram for esthetic reasons and perhaps to add stability in antigrav flight."Fargo elevated."It's done mentally.One thinks 'up' and there one is.A greatdevice.Probably Norby has one incorporated into his own works.""Of course, I do," said Norby shrilly."I keep telling you all the time I'mJamyn in origin-in part.""Now," said Fargo, "I think I'll pay a visit to the castle under my own steamand not as anyone's prisoner."The the Grand Dragon had recovered from the mixture of shame and physicalconfusion that had beset her, and now she struggled to her feet.Her guardsrushed to her side as she screamed, "Get that stranger! Bring him down!""No," said Fargo, skimming over her head."I think not.I won the fight fairlyand you cannot try to upset the result without showing yourself to be mostuncivilized.You just sit there and recover, Your Majesty, while I.""No you don't," said Jeff."Not alone, you don't." He snatched up Norby underhis left arm and scooped up Oola with his right."We're all going.Up Norby-tothe castle."10Villains?As Jeff and Norby swept up and forward to follow Fargo, who was alreadyapproaching the castle door, Jeff saw that the Grand Dragon was vehementlyordering her guard back.Either she had taken seriously Fargo's stern commentabout uncivilized behavior, or else she had decided it didn't matter how thestrangers were brought to the castle as long as they got there.Inside the castle, everything seemed the same as before.The four intruders,two humans, one small robot (now on his feet again), and one All-Purpose Pet,proceeded down the dark corridor, around the sharp curve and into theauditorium, which was still lined by the silent figures of deadMentors.Oola was restless in Jeff's arms.Page 86ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Where's the villain?" asked Fargo."I don't see any live robot."His voice echoed in the vast room, and no one answered.Jeff took Norby's hand, and then Fargo's.-Let's talk telepathically.It willbe safer, and perhaps private, but we have to touch each other, Jeff said totheir minds.-What's that? That was Fargo, startled.-I'm sorry.I forgot you haven't experienced telepathy.Eerie, isn't it?-Certainly not.That was Norby.His thoughts were loud-est because he wasdesigned for telepathy.It is a perfectly natural way of speaking to oneanother if one has the talent for it.Jeff smiled to himself.-Yes, but we human beings aren't used to it.Do yousense anything, robot or otherwise, that's alive in this building, Norby?-I've been trying.I think there's a barrier field around this room at themoment.I can't sense beyond it.It comes from the scanning section of thecomputer, part of which must be on the back wall, though nothing shows there.Fargo let go of Jeff's hand and walked quickly toward the back wall.Jeff ranafter, pulling Norby with him.He caught up to Fargo, and grabbed him.-Don't let go of us, Fargo, or we can't communicate privately.And don't touchthat wall, or the computer may give our thoughts to the Mentor.-Jeff, you are fourteen and I am twenty-four.As your much older brother.-You can also be my stupid brother.I'm the natural leader here, age or not,because I've been here before.-And you got yourself captured.I've been working with the giant computers atSpaceCommand so I ought to.While they argued (neither managing to finish a sentence), Norby withdrew hislegs and arms into his body, elevated on his antigrav, and floated slowly tothe featureless computer wall.Jeff and Fargo stopped their mentalconversation and watched him as he sailed up and down the wall, over and back.-What are you doing, Norby?-He can't hear you now, Fargo, when you talk telepathically.You aren'ttouching him.-I forgot.Maybe you should be leader for a while, Jeff." am leader," said Norby out loud."I can sometimes catch the telepathicdrift, even when I'mInot touching you.This is my planet, after all, even if I can't remember much,so let me try.""Try what?" asked Jeff."Try using my intuition.""Do you have one?""Not a human one.I seem to have a built-in imagination and the ability tomake guesses and take chances.Or maybe being with human beings has taught mehow to take chances, even though I certainly don't enjoy it.Still."Norby's feeler wire came out and entered a small crack in the surface.Minutespassed.Norby's back eyes closed.Sud-denly the crack began to expand and the wallopened like sliding doors.Inside was an opening covered by a misty atmosphereand around the opening was the mechanism of something that might have been acomputer, though it was certainly like no computer Jeff had ever seen.Jeff said so and Fargo added, "Well I've seen a great many more computers thanyou have, Jeff, but it isn't like any I've seen, either.What is that placeinside?""That's the scanning room, Fargo," said Jeff with distaste [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]