"Asimov, Isaac - Robot City 05 - Refuge - Robert Chilson 1.1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asimov Isaac)

Ariel had no idea. They put the question to R. David, careful not to let him know that they had been in serious danger.

He said, "I have no access to news feed, but'I believe that Dr. Avery made some public announcement about studying social conditions on Earth when he first contacted Earthly authorities to transfer rare metals for money. He promised not to send in humaniform robots, and of course it did not occur to the authorities that he would enter Earthly society himself.,,

"Then how did he expect to make any study of Earth society?" Ariel asked, skeptical.

"He purchased many Earthly studies of the subject, and also me. While ostensibly studying these sources, he quietly developed the medical prophylaxis with which I treated you, and infiltrated Earth society in his own person, learning what kinds of identification and ration media he would need to have to pretend to be an Earthman. Some of those he bought openly as samples for his study. In short, over a period of an Earthly year he was occasionally in the news as he came and went from Earth. And from this study he was allegedly making, I suppose that rumors may have gone abroad that teams of Spacers are studying Earthly sociology on the spot. That is, of course, very unlikely."

"Very," said Derec, with a grimace. "Spacers are just not interested in the subject, and if they were, they wouldn't take the health risk."

Ariel could not care less about Earth's rumors. "The important thing is to get back into space," she said.

"You're right," Derec said. "I'm more than tired of concrete caves and the troglodytes that live in them." She smiled fleetingly at the tenn. "So the third thing is to find out how to get to the spaceport. The first being to have those directions to the nearest Personal repeated, and the second, to find a shoe store."

Ariel grimaced, but said, "You're right."

When put to the question, R. David said, "The spaceport is located near New York, Miss Avery."

They looked at each other blankly. Of course they knew that there were eight hundred Cities on Earth. They had been thinking in terms of one giant City covering all Earth, the

natural extension of their Earthly experience.

"What City is this, then?" Ariel asked.

"The City of Saint Louis," said R. David. "It is on the same continent as New York, so travel is facilitated. One may take the train, and for a third of the distance the way is enclosed and roofed over. It takes !ess than twelve hours--half an Earthly rotation, Mr. Avery." He had detected the question on Derec's face.

Ariel had no idea what a "train" might be, and wasn't happy about its being enclosed--she visualized something like the expressway. She looked at Derec, who looked equally unhappy.

"Do we have the money--the rating or whatever--to go on the train?" Derec asked dubiously.

╖ R. David said, "Your travel vouchers have not been touched, but I believe there is an inadequate amount. As Fours, you do not rate much, nor do many Earth people often travel between Cities."

"Even though we are Transients?"

"You are Transients in this sector, but not necessarily in this City."

"We'd better visit the Personal first," said Ariel tiredly. "We'll think it over when we get back."

R. David repeated his directions to the Personals, which turned out to be in opposite directions. Rather reluctantly, they split up, and Derec left with a backward glance. Ariel walked slowly toward the women's Personal, hoping Derec's stockinged feet would not be too noticeable.

Since this was the Personal assigned to her, Ariel found a shower cubby with the same number as the one on her tag, and took a shower. Again, no towels; she saw a woman carrying a little cloth satchel into a similar cubby and presumed it contained a towel, combs, and so on. She wouldn't need one, as short a time as they expected to be on Earth. She had, of course, brought a comb, though she should see about getting a brush. Fortunately, her hair wasn't long.

She made her way back to Sub-Section G, Corridor M, Sub-Corridor 16, Apartment 21, without difficulty, hardly seeing the crowds of Earthers who swarmed through the passageways.

Derec was back before her and full of energy. Despite their brush with the mob, he wanted to go check out the "train station." He was careful not to say so in front of R. David, who might think it dangerous, but she thought he wanted to see if they could devise a method of stowing away.

Showing them on the map, R. David gave them directions that would take them, by the route they had previously followed, to Old Town and something called the Gateway Arch Plaza. The station was beneath that. They would pass several shoe stores on the way.

Ariel felt distinctly nervous as they threaded their way again through the corridors to the junction and took the down ramp, but nobody paid any attention to them. She would have liked to have changed clothes, but their shipsuits were all they had, and they weren't all that conspicuous. It still wasn't rush hour, so they had the freedom of the express platforms, and went straight up to them on the eastbound side.