Part 29 (1/2)
She was crying, and it was human but not masculine to cry. She was guilty of a social impropriety. ”I am new to this planet,” Agape said.
”Must be,” the man said, and averted his eyes. The mountains pa.s.sed all too rapidly, and the shuttle began its drift downward, economizing on fuel by losing alt.i.tude. Then, approaching Hardom, it nosed up until it stalled, then dropped precipitously, leveling out just before reaching the dome. It plunged through the force-field and was caught by another field that netted it and brought it to the dock with a thunk. The ride was over. The belts retracted and the pa.s.sengers filed out. Lula pa.s.sed, glancing briefly down at Agape; evidently she had had her satisfaction of the robot. Contrary to what the android might suppose, Agape did have a notion how that could be.
She got up and joined the file. She emerged into the station, and ducked away before the android could remember she was supposed to be going to the same place. She went to a sanitary facility, entered a male booth, and changed to her normal female human form. What a relief.
She stepped out-and a pa.s.sing male serf stared at her. Too late she realized that this was a segregated facility, and she was in the male one. Yet what could she have done, in her male guise-entered the female one?
She hurried out and along the pa.s.sages, eager to get to the security of Citizen Blue's estate. She kept thinking that some minion of Citizen Purple's would leap out and capture her, nullifying her entire effort of escape and putting Mach or Bane into jeopardy again.
But she arrived without event; apparently the self-willed machines had spirited her out without notice. She approached the office marked Blue.
There was a secretary in the office. This was a woman of early middle age, a serf whose body remained well formed but whose light brown hair was beginning to turn gray. This surprised Agape, for hair color was easy to control, and desk-girls were normally young.
”May I help you?” the woman inquired, lifting her gaze to meet Agape's. Her eyes were green and clear.
”I-have important news for Citizen Blue,” Agape said.
The woman smiled. ”I am in touch with him. What is your name?”
”Agape.”
”He will see you immediately.” The woman stood. ”Please come this way.”
Agape followed her through a door-panel into the Citizen's office. Evidently Citizen Blue was ready for her, though Agape had been aware of no message to him. He stood facing her, smiling.
The Citizen was an unusually small man, shorter than Agape herself, and of no great girth. He was garbed in a simple blue robe. But his features were unmistakably related to those of Mach.
”Agape has arrived,” the secretary said.
”Thank you, Sheen,” the Citizen said. He focused or Agape. ”You love my son, Mach?”
”No, sir,” Agape said, taken aback.
”Who, then?”
”Bane, sir. His other self from Phaze.”
”You believe it was Bane?”
”Yes, sir.”
”You can tell the difference?”
”Yes, sir.”
Blue gestured. A panel opened, and a figure entered.
Agape turned to look at it. And froze. It was Mach!
Or was it? Realizing that this was a test, she went to him, and put her arms around him. The man responded. Agape put her lips up to be kissed, and the man kissed her.
She pulled away. ”This is neither,” she said.
”I told you she would know,” Sheen said.
Suddenly Agape made a connection. ”Sheen! Mach's mother!”
”Of course,” Sheen agreed. ”But you are a robot. How can you have aged?”
”Cosmetics can do wonders,” Sheen said.
”And you are serving a menial task! But you are married to a Citizen!”
”I am a serf,” Sheen said simply. Agape remembered her mission. ”I must tell you- both of you-Citizen Purple has Mach captive. You must free him!”
”He remains intact?” Sheen asked.
”Yes. They don't dare hurt him, because he represents their only contact with Phaze. But-”
”We were so concerned!” Sheen said. ”When he was missing for a week-we knew someone had abducted him, but the records were wiped before we traced them. We could not even sound an alarm, until we were sure.”
”Citizen Purple is an ugly, vicious man!” Agape said.
”Get Purple on the screen,” Citizen Blue told Sheen.
The woman went to the desk.
Blue turned to Agape. ”Sit down,” he said, guiding her to a couch, where he joined her. ”Citizen Purple kidnapped my son because he believed he has contact with the frame of Phaze?”
”Yes, sir. And he sought to use me as a lever against him, to make him serve the bad Citizens.”
”Because Mach loves you?”
”No, sir. Bane-cares for me. Not Mach. Not that way. But Mach got me free, with the help of-” She broke off, uncertain whether she should mention the self-willed machines.
Citizen Blue smiled. ”My wife is one of them. She knows. No more need be said. But you-it may be difficult for you to continue with the Experimental Project, now.”
”Yes, sir. I think I must go home to Moeba.”
”And leave Bane behind?”
”And make it impossible for the bad Citizens ever again to use me against him. Or Mach.”
”You would stay, otherwise?”
”To perhaps see Bane again, if he returned? Yes, sir. With your permission.”