mostly and sometimes they bring their animals here to
trade. I don’t remember seeing so many of them in Angel Town before.’
‘And who is he?’ She pointed to an old man wearing a metal disc around his neck engraved with fierce creatures. Although poorly dressed, he looked proud and noble.
‘He’s a shaman,’ said Calculus, ‘a holy person. They say a powerful shaman can take the shape of a bird and fly across the land or even control a man’s
dreams.’
‘Control dreams?’ she said. ‘That’s just superstition, isn’t it?’
‘There are many things that cannot be explained,’ said the android, ‘but that does not mean they are not true. The shamans are greatly respected and feared in this
country.’
India looked back at the old man and was disconcerted to find he was staring directly at her. She turned away quickly to follow Calculus.
They caught up with Verity outside a noisy bar. Even though it was early morning, the sounds of laughter and an out-of-tune piano spilled on to the street. A sign above the door read: ‘Mrs
Chang’s Fine Dining Rooms and Guest House – Licensed to sell intoxicating liquors and explosives’. Underneath, another sign declared ‘NO ROBOTS’ in large red
letters.
‘Perfect!’ said Verity. ‘Why don’t you guys go ahead and get checked in and I’ll see about getting us an appointment at Trans-Siberian.’
‘We’re going to stay here?’ said India. ‘It sounds like they’re actually fighting in there.’
‘It’s just high spirits,’ said Verity. ‘Half of them are getting drunk because they’re about to leave town and the other half are getting drunk because they just
got back.’
A gunshot inside the building made India jump but the music continued without stopping. ‘Is it always like this?’ she said.
‘Hell, no!’ shouted Verity over her shoulder as she disappeared down the street. ‘You should see it on pay days. That’s when it gets really wild!’
India looked up at the ‘No Robots’ sign. ‘Maybe we should try somewhere else?’ she said.
‘There is nowhere else,’ said Calculus. ‘Unless you wish to sleep in the stables?’
She shook her head. ‘No thanks, but maybe I should go in first?’ She looked at the door nervously. ‘I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?’
‘They might shoot you,’ offered Calculus helpfully.
‘They might shoot you too.’
‘True, but of the two of us I am the only one who is bulletproof.’
‘That’s a very good point,’ she said. ‘OK, you talked me into it. I’ll wait for you out here, but be careful.’
She stood in a side alley out of the way of the crowds, avoiding the man with the dancing bear, who kept leering at her as he rattled his collecting tin.
She was so preoccupied that she didn’t notice the three men dressed in long black coats and wide hats who walked up the alley until they were right on top of her.
Two of the men reminded her of Mehmet’s thugs. One had buck teeth and a lazy eye and he kept wiping his nose on the back of his sleeve. His companion had heavy eyebrows and stood with his
mouth open, wearing an expression that suggested he had to concentrate hard to stay standing up. But the younger man who accompanied them was different – thin and wiry, with a pale face and a
shock of black hair. He looked only a few years older than India but he carried a long-barrelled pistol in the belt of his overcoat. He was obviously in charge.
‘So, who we got here?’ said the youth. His voice was surprisingly soft, like a child’s, thought India, but his eyes were hard. ‘I’ve seen you before. You arrived
with that Brown woman, didn’t you?’
India wished she had stayed closer to the main street, and hoped Calculus would return soon.
‘I asked you a question,’ said the soft voice. ‘What business have you got with the Brown woman?’
India grasped the shock stick in her pocket but all three men were carrying guns and she knew she could
trade. I don’t remember seeing so many of them in Angel Town before.’
‘And who is he?’ She pointed to an old man wearing a metal disc around his neck engraved with fierce creatures. Although poorly dressed, he looked proud and noble.
‘He’s a shaman,’ said Calculus, ‘a holy person. They say a powerful shaman can take the shape of a bird and fly across the land or even control a man’s
dreams.’
‘Control dreams?’ she said. ‘That’s just superstition, isn’t it?’
‘There are many things that cannot be explained,’ said the android, ‘but that does not mean they are not true. The shamans are greatly respected and feared in this
country.’
India looked back at the old man and was disconcerted to find he was staring directly at her. She turned away quickly to follow Calculus.
They caught up with Verity outside a noisy bar. Even though it was early morning, the sounds of laughter and an out-of-tune piano spilled on to the street. A sign above the door read: ‘Mrs
Chang’s Fine Dining Rooms and Guest House – Licensed to sell intoxicating liquors and explosives’. Underneath, another sign declared ‘NO ROBOTS’ in large red
letters.
‘Perfect!’ said Verity. ‘Why don’t you guys go ahead and get checked in and I’ll see about getting us an appointment at Trans-Siberian.’
‘We’re going to stay here?’ said India. ‘It sounds like they’re actually fighting in there.’
‘It’s just high spirits,’ said Verity. ‘Half of them are getting drunk because they’re about to leave town and the other half are getting drunk because they just
got back.’
A gunshot inside the building made India jump but the music continued without stopping. ‘Is it always like this?’ she said.
‘Hell, no!’ shouted Verity over her shoulder as she disappeared down the street. ‘You should see it on pay days. That’s when it gets really wild!’
India looked up at the ‘No Robots’ sign. ‘Maybe we should try somewhere else?’ she said.
‘There is nowhere else,’ said Calculus. ‘Unless you wish to sleep in the stables?’
She shook her head. ‘No thanks, but maybe I should go in first?’ She looked at the door nervously. ‘I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?’
‘They might shoot you,’ offered Calculus helpfully.
‘They might shoot you too.’
‘True, but of the two of us I am the only one who is bulletproof.’
‘That’s a very good point,’ she said. ‘OK, you talked me into it. I’ll wait for you out here, but be careful.’
She stood in a side alley out of the way of the crowds, avoiding the man with the dancing bear, who kept leering at her as he rattled his collecting tin.
She was so preoccupied that she didn’t notice the three men dressed in long black coats and wide hats who walked up the alley until they were right on top of her.
Two of the men reminded her of Mehmet’s thugs. One had buck teeth and a lazy eye and he kept wiping his nose on the back of his sleeve. His companion had heavy eyebrows and stood with his
mouth open, wearing an expression that suggested he had to concentrate hard to stay standing up. But the younger man who accompanied them was different – thin and wiry, with a pale face and a
shock of black hair. He looked only a few years older than India but he carried a long-barrelled pistol in the belt of his overcoat. He was obviously in charge.
‘So, who we got here?’ said the youth. His voice was surprisingly soft, like a child’s, thought India, but his eyes were hard. ‘I’ve seen you before. You arrived
with that Brown woman, didn’t you?’
India wished she had stayed closer to the main street, and hoped Calculus would return soon.
‘I asked you a question,’ said the soft voice. ‘What business have you got with the Brown woman?’
India grasped the shock stick in her pocket but all three men were carrying guns and she knew she could
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