only use it as a last resort.
‘She’s a damned thief, that woman,’ continued the youth. He leaned towards India. ‘I wanted to go to London for them journals but she stole that job from me. Now
she’s back here and she’s got you with her. Are you one of Bentley’s daughters, is that who you are?’
‘That’s none of your business,’ said India, sounding braver than she felt. ‘I’ve got a military droid with me. He’ll tear your arms off if you don’t let
me go.’ The older men laughed oafishly and the youth gave her a nasty smile.
‘Oh yeah, I’ve seen your big guy earlier but I don’t see him now. Looks to me like you’re on your own.’ He looked at her bag. ‘So what you got, girly? You got
your daddy’s journals hid in there?’ Before she could answer he grabbed hold of the bag and tore it open.
‘You give that back,’ she shouted. ‘It doesn’t belong to you!’ She tried to snatch it from him but the heavy man grabbed her by the arms. Outraged, India stamped on
his toe, causing him to yelp and hop around the alleyway until he crashed into his companion. Before she could run the youth pulled out his own pistol and pointed it at her.
‘Silas, Cripps, quit dancing with each other and keep her covered.’
The two men let go of each other sheepishly and stood in front of India while the boy went through her bag. He pocketed her father’s knife, then pulled out the two slim volumes and held
them up. ‘Are these your daddy’s journals?’ he said. ‘I’m betting they are.’ He flicked through the pages of one volume, scanning the words. India noticed he was
holding the book upside down. ‘Well, them’s my journals now.’ He snapped the book shut.
‘They belong to me,’ said India furiously. ‘You’re a lousy thief is what you are!’
The men laughed.
‘Didn’t your daddy teach you to be polite to strangers?’ said the boy.
‘Didn’t your mother teach you not to steal!’ she snapped back.
His smile vanished in an instant. ‘W-what did you say about my m-ma?’ His eye twitched. ‘Don’t you dare say nothing about her!’
The other two men exchanged terrified glances as a cold fury seemed to consume the boy. He advanced on India with a face full of hate. She felt her legs go weak but, before he could reach her, a
deafening explosion reverberated up the alley. Everyone ducked. Standing in the kitchen doorway of the guest house was a middle-aged Chinese woman holding a smoking shotgun.
‘Leave her alone or I let you have other barrel,’ she said.
The boy glared at the woman and India was afraid he might fly at her. But the heavy man reached out and grasped the boy tentatively by the arm.
‘Er, Mr Sid? I think now we got what you came for, we better get movin’.’ The boy shook his arm away angrily but he allowed himself to be led away, still glaring at the woman
as he went.
Seconds later Calculus came running up from the other end of the alley. ‘India, are you all right?’ he said.
She picked up her torn bag and groaned. ‘Oh, Calc, they took my dad’s journals.’
‘But at least you are unhurt,’ he said.
‘No thanks to you,’ she said, rubbing her arm. ‘Some bodyguard you turned out to be.’
Calculus turned to the Chinese woman. ‘Thank you for your help, madam. Might I know your name?’
She looked at him suspiciously. ‘My name, Mrs Chang. But you can call me Mrs Chang.’ She curled her lip.
‘They told me inside I should speak to you about renting rooms,’ said Calculus.
She put down the shotgun and folded her beefy forearms. ‘Always rooms at Mrs Chang’s,’ she said.
‘Oh, good,’ said Calculus.
‘But I not like robot,’ she added grimly.
Calculus was taken aback. ‘I am not a robot, madam,’ he said, offended. ‘Robots are mere machines. I am a sentient android. It is an entirely different thing
altogether.’
‘That just a fancy name for a robot,’ said Mrs Chang with a scowl. Then she looked from
‘She’s a damned thief, that woman,’ continued the youth. He leaned towards India. ‘I wanted to go to London for them journals but she stole that job from me. Now
she’s back here and she’s got you with her. Are you one of Bentley’s daughters, is that who you are?’
‘That’s none of your business,’ said India, sounding braver than she felt. ‘I’ve got a military droid with me. He’ll tear your arms off if you don’t let
me go.’ The older men laughed oafishly and the youth gave her a nasty smile.
‘Oh yeah, I’ve seen your big guy earlier but I don’t see him now. Looks to me like you’re on your own.’ He looked at her bag. ‘So what you got, girly? You got
your daddy’s journals hid in there?’ Before she could answer he grabbed hold of the bag and tore it open.
‘You give that back,’ she shouted. ‘It doesn’t belong to you!’ She tried to snatch it from him but the heavy man grabbed her by the arms. Outraged, India stamped on
his toe, causing him to yelp and hop around the alleyway until he crashed into his companion. Before she could run the youth pulled out his own pistol and pointed it at her.
‘Silas, Cripps, quit dancing with each other and keep her covered.’
The two men let go of each other sheepishly and stood in front of India while the boy went through her bag. He pocketed her father’s knife, then pulled out the two slim volumes and held
them up. ‘Are these your daddy’s journals?’ he said. ‘I’m betting they are.’ He flicked through the pages of one volume, scanning the words. India noticed he was
holding the book upside down. ‘Well, them’s my journals now.’ He snapped the book shut.
‘They belong to me,’ said India furiously. ‘You’re a lousy thief is what you are!’
The men laughed.
‘Didn’t your daddy teach you to be polite to strangers?’ said the boy.
‘Didn’t your mother teach you not to steal!’ she snapped back.
His smile vanished in an instant. ‘W-what did you say about my m-ma?’ His eye twitched. ‘Don’t you dare say nothing about her!’
The other two men exchanged terrified glances as a cold fury seemed to consume the boy. He advanced on India with a face full of hate. She felt her legs go weak but, before he could reach her, a
deafening explosion reverberated up the alley. Everyone ducked. Standing in the kitchen doorway of the guest house was a middle-aged Chinese woman holding a smoking shotgun.
‘Leave her alone or I let you have other barrel,’ she said.
The boy glared at the woman and India was afraid he might fly at her. But the heavy man reached out and grasped the boy tentatively by the arm.
‘Er, Mr Sid? I think now we got what you came for, we better get movin’.’ The boy shook his arm away angrily but he allowed himself to be led away, still glaring at the woman
as he went.
Seconds later Calculus came running up from the other end of the alley. ‘India, are you all right?’ he said.
She picked up her torn bag and groaned. ‘Oh, Calc, they took my dad’s journals.’
‘But at least you are unhurt,’ he said.
‘No thanks to you,’ she said, rubbing her arm. ‘Some bodyguard you turned out to be.’
Calculus turned to the Chinese woman. ‘Thank you for your help, madam. Might I know your name?’
She looked at him suspiciously. ‘My name, Mrs Chang. But you can call me Mrs Chang.’ She curled her lip.
‘They told me inside I should speak to you about renting rooms,’ said Calculus.
She put down the shotgun and folded her beefy forearms. ‘Always rooms at Mrs Chang’s,’ she said.
‘Oh, good,’ said Calculus.
‘But I not like robot,’ she added grimly.
Calculus was taken aback. ‘I am not a robot, madam,’ he said, offended. ‘Robots are mere machines. I am a sentient android. It is an entirely different thing
altogether.’
‘That just a fancy name for a robot,’ said Mrs Chang with a scowl. Then she looked from
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