The Robot Brains [with w_cat] | страница 41

This was all Christian's fault, Waldo thought; Christian brought the Watcher here - and suddenly Waldo understood. The Watcher and his terrible transmitter were on the captain's yacht.

He turned to the other Brains and shouted:

"The yacht! The noise is coming from the yacht! We must attack at once. We must go there and destroy the transmitter - or perish!"

The grey dwarfs seized their weapons.

"Destroy the transmitter, Christian and the Watcher!" shouted Waldo. Every weapon must be used on the yacht!"

"But the energy barrier," said one of the Brains. "How can we break the Watcher's energy barrier?"

"We shall overload it. We shall use all the power of our weapons, and the barrier will collapse."

Christian was sitting in his chair in the cabin and smoking his cigar. Paul was lying on the bed and reading.

Suddenly a brilliant flash lit the cabin, and the yacht shook

"They are here," said Paul and stood up. "They will try to break the energy barrier. But don't worry - we are safe here."

"I am going on deck," said Christian

"Put on your dark glasses to protect your eyes," said Paul

Christian put on a pair of sun-glasses and went up the steps. Now he could see the energy barrier - a sphere of light, fifty yards across

He was surrounded by bright light. It seemed that a thousand lightnings were flashing outside the energy barrier at the same time. The air was filled with loud roar, the energy barrier was shaking as the Brains were trying to break it with their heat weapons. The water in the Thames was boiling hot, the yacht began going down and soon settled on the dry river-bed

The attack stopped, and the Brains disappeared

"I don't think they will try again," said Paul

"We must get out of here and go to a high place on the bank of the river," said Christian. "The water will come here soon."

"We'll go at once," said Paul

Together they left the yacht and went up to the high bank - and then the water came in a great wave that completely covered the yacht

"I shall visit my own time," said Paul, "to make sure that the Brains have returned there."

He touched the crystal at his belt and disappeared. In a few minutes he was standing near Christian again.

"Only a few of the Brains have returned," he said, "and Waldo is not among them. I don't know where the other, are... in another time, I suppose."

So it was not the end, Christian thought sadly.

"Have you are idea where they can be?" he asked.