He had failed, completely.
As he was meant to do.
The animals had set up a little roof made of flexible plastic in the middle of the village. Under it there was a table set with some electronic equipment and some more sheets of plastic covered in symbols and pictures.
Brian went straight to one of the sheets.
‘Here,’ he said, showing it to Karel, who took a moment to realize he was looking at green countries painted over blue seas. It was an odd choice of colours.
‘Here’s Shull over here,’ said Brian. ‘This is the large city to the south of these mountains. Can you show me where Turing City was?’
Karel was too taken by the rest of the map.
‘What are all these other places?’ he asked, pointing to two large islands, almost touching, to the right of the map. The two of them together were bigger than Shull.
‘These? I believe you call them Yukawa. Those are the north and south islands. And over here is Gell.’ He pointed to another huge island to the left of Shull. There was a scattering of smaller islands around it.
‘I never heard of these places!’ said Karel. ‘Never, not in all my time in Turing City, never in all my time working in immigration. No one ever came from these places.’
‘Really?’ said Brian.
‘Never mind that,’ interrupted Melt. ‘Ask them where they come from. I know these animals. They ask so many questions, and they give nothing in return.’
‘How do you know so much about them, Melt?’
Melt leaned forwards. ‘Go on, Brian, tell us. Where are you from?’
The animal laughed, his white painted mouth stretched in a wide smile. The dark glass he wore over his eyes reflected the surrounding peaks.
‘We’re from a place called Earth, Melt. Another planet. Millions and millions of miles away.’
‘What are you doing here?’
‘Finding out about you. On Earth, not so long ago, people like me and Ruth and Jasprit used to travel to other countries to find out how the people lived, what their customs and beliefs were.’
‘Their beliefs?’ said Karel. ‘Why would you do that?’
‘And what about the humans down on the plain below?’ interrupted Melt. ‘What are they doing here?’
‘Trading.’
Ruth stepped forward. ‘The trouble is,’ she said, ‘once one culture begins to interact with another they both begin to alter each other. That’s why we are up here, in the mountains, where things are-’
‘Yes, yes,’ interrupted Melt once more. Karel was getting irritated by how rude he was being. ‘Tell me about Earth. Did countries trade with each other back on Earth?’
‘All the time,’ said Brian. ‘They still do now. Tell me, Melt, where have you seen humans before? How long ago was it?’
Melt glared at the man.
‘Could you show us on a map?’ asked Brian, not giving up.
‘It was the summertime, when I met you,’ said Melt. ‘Does that answer your question?’
Brian gazed at him. ‘Yes, I think it does.’
‘Here,’ said Karel, feeling embarrassed. ‘Here. This is where Turing City was.’
He placed a finger on the map, towards the southern coast of Shull.
‘Odd,’ said Brian. ‘Our mapping software didn’t pick up anything there.’
‘It wouldn’t,’ said Karel. ‘I told you, Artemis conquered my state. They leave nothing behind.’
‘And you’re going there now,’ said Jasprit. ‘Going to find your wife?’
‘Yes.’
‘And do you love your wife?’
‘Yes. Of course.’
‘Do all robots love their wives?’
‘Usually. Often, when a child is being made, it is woven into their minds to love someone.’
‘I know about that,’ said Jasprit, ruefully, and the other two humans laughed, the machines they wore translating the harsh, juddering sounds they made into the sweet hiss of robot laughter.
‘Tell me about him,’ said Melt, suddenly, pointing at Simrock.
The laughter ceased.
‘What about him?’ asked Ruth, all businesslike.
‘You spoke to him. How?’
‘Don’t you know, Melt?’ asked Brian.
‘I asked the question first. Answer me!’
‘I’m sorry, Melt. We don’t mean to frustrate you. That’s our training. Often telling what we think to be true corrupts or changes the people we are trying to learn about.’ Brian held his arms apart in a human gesture. ‘But you must know how we spoke to Simrock. Don’t you use radio to communicate?’
‘Yes, of course we do…’
Then it struck Karel and Melt what she meant.
Ruth leaned forward, genuinely interested. ‘Don’t you find it odd that so few robots on this planet have exploited radio as a means of communication? I mean, the pilgrims, the whales, the hive insects do. That’s about it. Why don’t you?’
‘Why should we?’ blustered Melt. ‘We build radios when we need them.’
‘You have so little curiosity. All of you. You just accept things as they are.’
She was right, thought Karel. We do. He looked at Brian and Jasprit, saw the way they were looking at each other.
‘You know about us,’ said Karel. ‘You know more about us than we do ourselves.’ Something occurred to him. ‘Have you been to the Top of the World?’
‘Why?’
‘No more questions!’ shouted Melt.
‘I’m sorry. Force of habit. No, we haven’t. Why do you ask, Karel?’
‘I’ve been to the top of Shull. There is a place there.’
‘Can you show me on the map?’ asked Brian.
‘I’m sorry. No. But there is a building. I was forbidden to enter, but I looked inside anyway. There is an arrangement of robots in there, all lined up, showing how we evolved.’
Jasprit began to dance at this.
‘Really? We’ve got to go, Ruth.’
‘We will! What else is there, Karel?’
‘A map of the stars on the wall. And the titles of three stories: The Story of Nicolas the Coward, The Story of the Four Blind Horses, and The Story of Eric and the Mountain.’
That had them.
‘Really, Ruth, we have to go!’ said Jasprit. ‘We need to see that place!’
‘We’re interested in stories,’ explained Ruth. ‘They tell you a lot about a culture. I’ve heard the story of Nicolas the Coward. Simrock told us that as you walked here.’
They looked at Simrock, standing placidly nearby. He seemed to have lost interest in the conversation.
‘I don’t know the other two stories though,’ said Ruth. ‘Could you tell me them, Karel?’
‘I’m sorry, no. I never heard them.’
Melt made a noise.
‘Do you know them, Melt?’ asked Karel.
‘I thought everyone knew the story of Eric and the Mountain,’ he replied.
‘Everyone? No.’ Karel gazed at Melt. ‘Melt, where are you from?’
‘Karel, do we have time for this?’
Karel was torn between Melt and the animals. To think he had walked all this way next to someone who knew one of the mysterious stories.
Melt spoke up.
‘Ruth, maybe we can do a deal,’ he said. ‘We need to get down to the plain below. If you help us, I will answer all your questions.’
The three humans looked at each other.
‘We could call up a craft,’ said Brian. ‘But I’m not sure it would take all three of them.’
‘I’m staying here,’ said Simrock.
‘Why?’ asked Melt.
‘This is where Nicolas the Coward will be, not down on the plains below.’
‘Two of us then,’ said Melt. ‘You must have flown up here in a craft. I can’t imagine animals walking this far. Get us closer to Artemis City and we’ll help you.’
‘We can’t take you too close,’ said Brian.
‘Why not?’
‘It’s another state’s… trading area,’ said Ruth. ‘We have agreements.’
‘I think I understand,’ said Melt. ‘Just take us down to the plains, then.’
‘Very well,’ said Brian, and he held out a hand. Melt took it and moved it up and down.
‘You have met humans before,’ said Ruth. ‘In that case, if it’s all the same to you, we will speak to Karel.’