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Show red and wrathful. There was but one thing she could do, the one humane thing Ah, but how she shrank from doing such a thing-foul murder 'twould be, no matter that naught but she and child would know. Dr'Anya whirled away from the window and rushed through the house to the terrace, calling over her shoulder for the robot. Pray Saint Ida the thing would respond! By the time she stepped outside, Armand-the-Red was coming around the far corner of the Hall, on his way to meet her and scattering both children and adults in his path with his great scarlet wings. He started up the terrace and through the fragrant creeping jenny, beak open, eyes starting out of his head, and going straight for Dr'Anya. The woman stared at him in horror. "Pray, snare him!" she cried to the lumbering robot who, thank heaven, had followed her out. "Oh, snare him!" The awkward machine clumped forward obediently-to Dr'Anya's great relief. It lunged for the charging bird who sheared off sideways in the nick of time. Eyeing the robot murderously, the big red feinted in one direction and took off in the other, sending the robot into a crashing heap against the table. There followed three more feints, rushes, and crashes which sent tables, chairs, crockery,, and food flying in all directions. The children were screaming in delight and their elders in disbelief whilst Dr'Anya stood defenseless on the other side of the tumult in mute terror. Then the bird broke through the robot's line of defense in a lightning move and ducked under a chair. Frenzied squawks and wing flapping followed, for the stupid bird had entrapped himself inside the chair legs. The battered robot, repair alerts flashing across the width of its chest, 231 |