Unicorn Point

Blue opened the door panel and let Purple roll in. Inside, the female humanoid robot and the robot son stood. Damn!  He had hoped to nab them all at once, the alien and turncoat Tania too. Well, there were the main three, and of course the alien maid Agnes; the others could be covered when they turned up.

“Citizen Purple—in here?” Sheen asked, startled.

“I suspect not,” Blue said.

“Is it private?” Purple asked tightly.

“Yes,” Blue assured him.

He looked at Mach. “Do you not know me. Uncle?”

“Uncle’?” the robot asked, not getting it.  Purple rubbed his cheek, causing the waxy coating on it to crease. He lifted his cloak, showing them all the metal base.  He seemed to be human only in the top third.  “Nepe!” Sheen exclaimed, astonished. “You look so real!”

“Where’s Mother?” he asked, hoping for one extra bit of information before he acted.

“She’s with Tania,” Mach said. “Getting some information on—”

“No!” the maid cried, entering the room. “That is not my grandchild!”

Purple looked at her. “What?”

Now Mach turned grim. “If you don’t know that Nessie is Agape’s elder portion—what we would call her mother—then you are not Nepe. Which means that—“ Purple activated the lethargy box. This was a special one, with simultaneous settings for Blue, Agape, Agnes and Ta nia, and special modified settings to nullify the two robots.  Abruptly all four in the room were without volition.

“Remain here; do not communicate or attempt to leave,” he said curtly. “When a call comes from Nepe, you. Blue, will answer it and assure her that you are all right. You will say nothing of your situation.” He brought out the box and set it on a counter; they would be unable to approach it. Such a simple, neat device, but so hard to overcome, like a wicker thumb-lock.

Then he departed, closing the panel behind him. It might be days before any of Blue’s allies caught on to Blue’s situation; they would assume that he was deep in plans for resisting the increasing power of the Contrary Citizens. Any who did approach would be quietly taken out by Purple’s watching minions. With luck, by the time Blue got free, it would be academic: Purple would have consolidated his power, and it would be too late for any preventive tricks.  The problem with folk like Blue was that they were too trusting and scrupulous. That was why they had let Purple in without properly verifying his nature. They had not anticipated such a cunning ploy. If only the fool maid from Moeba had not caught on, and forced his immediate action, he might have had Agape and Tania too! Agnes was Agape’s parent half? How had his researches overlooked that? It explained much of the child Nepe’s rapid progress in form changing, when she had at one point seemed retarded: she had had expert training from the start. Blue had been cunning too, and it would have been foolhardy to leave him free to work further mischief.

Now for the two missing ones, because otherwise they were sure to go to Blue’s residence and be admitted by his moni tors. Tania was a cunning wench, and Agape could assume any form; forewarned, they could bypass his minions and disable the lethargy box. It would affect them as they came in range, but that was no good; at the fringe the effect was partial, and they would be able to back away, then send in a robot to turn it off. They would have to be taken out sepa rately, which complicated things, but was necessary.  “Locate Serf Agape and Serf Tania of Citizen Blue’s employ,” he said to his communicator. “Do not alert them; merely inform me.”

In a moment he had his response. “Subjects located at spaceport,” Tsetse’s voice came. “Aboard ship destined for-”

“Stop that ship!” Purple shouted, causing a passing serf to jump; the serf of course had not heard the communication.  But it was too late. The two females, evidently warned, had taken the most immediate ship out, and it was taking off even as he gave the command. The two had escaped the planet.

Purple suppressed his rage. What did it matter, actually?  They could do nothing offplanet, and if they returned, he would nab them. All he needed was to be rid of them.  “Monitor all interplanetary calls,” he said. “Intercept any relating to personnel allied with Citizen Blue.” That would prevent the two from calling in a warning to a Blue ally.  But who had tipped the two off? That person obviously knew, and could take action to free Blue. That person had to be nullified, and quickly.

Citizen Purple headed for home. Here was an eariy use for the Oracle! Soon he would know the identity of that person, and take him out.

He was half right. Soon he did know, but he could not take him out. It turned out to be a child no older than Nepe, whose residence had a monitor tuned to Blue’s residence. This was evidently with the complicity of Blue, a back-up in case of unexpected trouble. It was the residence of Citizen Troal.  Troal happened to be offplanet at the moment, but his son must have picked up the message and immediately alerted Agape.