Part 15 (1/2)
”Rest a.s.sured.” It was my turn to smile. ”Its a proper wall.”
I phoned down for breakfast. I wanted us to eat alone. The white robot brought in coffee. And a full tray, an ample breakfast. I watched with pleasure how he chewed, he chewed so that a tuft of hair above one ear moved. Finished, Olaf said: ”You still smoke?”
”I do. I brought two packs with me. What happens after that, I don't know. At present, I smoke. You want one?”
”One.”
We smoked.
”How is it to be? Cards on the table?” he asked after a long pause.
”Yes. I'll tell you everything. And you me?”
”Always. But, Hal, I don't know if it's worth it.”
”Tell me one thing: do you know what the worst of it is?”
”Women.”
”Yes.”
Again we were silent.
”It's on account of that?” he asked.
”Yes. You'll see at dinner. Downstairs. They are renting half of the villa.”
”They?”
”A young couple.”
The muscles of his jaw again moved under the freckled skin.
”That's worse,” he said.
”Yes. I've been here two days. I don't know how it could be, but. . . at the first conversation. Without any reason, without any. . . nothing, nothing. Nothing at all.”
”Curious,” he said.
”What is?”
”I did the same.”
”Then why did you come here?”
”Hal, you've done a good deed. Do you understand?”
”For you?”
”No. For someone else. Because it would have ended badly.”
”Why?”
”Either you know, or you won't understand.”
”I do know. Olaf, what is this? Are we actually savages?”
”I don't know. We've been without women for ten years. Don't forget that.”
”That doesn't explain everything. There is a kind of ruthlessness in me, I consider no one, you understand?”
”You still do, my friend,” he said. ”You still do.”
”Well, yes; but you know what I mean.”
”I know.”
Again we were silent.
”Do you want to talk some more, or box?” he asked.
I laughed.
”Where did you get the gloves?”
”Hal, you would never guess.”
”You had them made?”
”I stole them.”
”No!”
”So help me. From a museum. I had to fly to Stockholm especially for them.”
”Let's go, then.”
He unpacked his modest belongings and changed. We both put on bathrobes and went downstairs. It was still early. Normally breakfast would not have been served for half an hour.
”We'd better go out to the back of the house,” I said. ”No one will see us there.”
We stopped in a circle of tall bushes. First we stamped down the gra.s.s, which was fairly short anyway.
”It'll be slippery,” said Olaf, sliding his foot around the improvised ring.
”That's all right. It'll be harder.”
We put on the gloves. We had a little trouble, because there was no one to tie them for us and I did not to want to call a robot.
He faced me. His body was completely white.