"The Robot Brains." - читать интересную книгу автора (Bounds Sidney J.)

- 16 -

"Come in," the Old Man said. "Please sit down, Doctor Fox."

Fox looked with interest at the chief of Military Intelligence. The Old Man pushed a box of cigarettes towards him.

"Help yourself, Doctor. First of all I must thank you for bringing us the weapon -»

Fox interrupted:

"Christian got that weapon for you. Don't you think it is time to clear him of the suspicion of the murder?"

"That is really a matter for the police, but I believe his story. I think I will be able to help." The Old Man looked through some papers. "I have here a report on this weapon. It is a decapitator; and a new kind of energy is used in it. I have no details, but a group of scientists are working on it. The fingerprints on the weapon show that it has been used by somebody with very small hands."

"The Brains!" exclaimed Fox.

"Probably. As you know, the Brains have disappeared completely - my men are watching the Fair, and they haven't seen them. I don't think they will come to the Fair again."

"We must get one of those crystals," said Fox. "Lawrence worked with rockets. Duval worked out a new theory for the space-time continuum. Do you see what we are up against? These murders aren't going to stop - you can be sure that the Brains have more than one decapitator. It is an interplanetary affair. The earth is fighting for the right to go out into space…"

The Old Man looked grim.

"If you are right," he said, "the position is serious. What have we got? An invasion by beings from another world who can disappear at will and who have a deadly weapon - deadlier than ours. We must find them. If only we knew where to start looking -»

"They have a spaceship which is hidden somewhere," said Fox. "Find the ship and you will find the Brains. I advise you to check all unidentified flying objects which appear in the sky."

"I'll do that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must see the Prime Minister immediately."

Fox said quickly: "And Christian? Will you clear him?"

"Yes. I'll speak with the Home Secretary. Later, I should like to meet the captain personally."

Fox walked along the corridor and left the building of Military Intelligence. He heard the voice of a newsboy:

"Another decapitation! The maniac strikes again! Special!"

Fox bought a newspaper. It told of an Italian scientist who had been found dead in his laboratory. Fox had a feeling that the real trouble was only just starting. First Britain, now Italy…

Where next? He wondered.