Chapter 3
Birk arrived back at his tower to the news that one of the survivors had died en route to the city. He looked at Arthur in alarm. “It wasn’t…?”
“No, it wasn’t one of the women,” Arthur answered quickly. It was at times like this that Birk suspected the robot might be telepathic; but then he realized Arthur had merely sensed his extra concern for the women as they were loaded into the van, and correctly judged his master’s emotions. To a man alone for eleven years, the women were quite important. As an added bit of news to ease Birk’s troubled mind, Arthur went on, “Their condition remains unchanged.”
Birk sighed with relief, and immediately felt guilty for doing so. “Look at me,” he said, half to himself. “I’m actually glad some man I don’t even know is dead, just as long as i
