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.Then he spoke to Leutnant Mohr in German again. Contacting Mannstein from here will take some time.He is still on theFinnish border, moving onLeningrad, Leutnant Mohr translated.Wayne suppressed a smile.That was probably why Ishihara had picked thatparticular individual as a reference.Also, of course, Finland was next toSweden, where Wayne had supposedly originated.That might help convince Oberst Schepke that Mannstein was a legitimatereference. We do not have time to waste, said Ishihara, maintaining his calm, reserveddelivery. The spy we seek came this way.He is probably among us now,observing conditions and positions on our front.Soon, however, he will headfor the Soviet lines to report what he has found. How much do you know about him? Do you know his appearance and what name heis using? We know exactly what he looks like.We don t know what he is callinghimself. You have a photograph? Give it to me. Our photograph has been lost on our travels.We have journeyed far, andquickly, to get here. Then describe him. Ishihara described the short, slender component robot, who was physicallyidentical to the other five who comprised MC Governor in combination with him.Oberst Schepke was silent, looking at Ishihara and Wayne thoughtfully.Then hespoke again, nodding at their clothing.Leutnant Mohr continued to translate. Why are you dressed this way? We have had to travel alone, with little money and no support, through muchof Europe.In the wild mountains of Carpathia, our normal traveling clotheswere reduced to rags.We accepted these clothes from Slavic peasants in aremote mountain village, where civilization has barely reached. Yes.I have seen such places.We have no clothes to spare here, either. Ishihara nodded his acknowledgment. Oberst, may we get on with our task? Thisspy must not be allowed to report your positions to the enemy. Oberst Schepke studied Ishihara for a long moment without speaking.Waynecould see that he was torn between the fear of a spy in his camp and the factthat his visitors had no proof to back up their story.The Oberst, too, had tofear the reprisals of his own superiors if he made afile:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Isa.-%20Robots%20In%20Time%204%20-%20Dictator.txt (23 of 71) [10/31/2004 11:53:43 PM]file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Isaac%20Asimov%20-%20Robots%20In%20Time%204%20-%20Dictator.txt mistake regarding either possibility.Then he spokeagain, briefly. Leutnant Mohr that is, I will escort you about the lines within the areaunder my command, Leutnant Mohr translated. If your quest leads you into the command of anotherOberst, you must return to me for an introduction. Thank you, Oberst, said Ishihara.Oberst Schepke nodded sharply and barked an order.All the soldiers snapped toattention, angled their right arms up, palms forward, and spoke in unison:Page 31 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Heil Hitler. The soldiers did an about-face and marched out, but Oberst Schepke eyed Wayneand Ishihara suspiciously.Suddenly Ishihara imitated the salute.Following his lead, so did Wayne. HeilHitler. Ishihara followed the soldiers out and Wayne stayed close to him.Outside thetent, Wayne let out a long sigh and relaxed for the first time since they hadwalked in.Most of the soldiers dispersed, but Leutnant Mohr remained. You were slow with the salute, my friends, said Leutnant Mohr, lookingpointedly at both of them. I fear, Leutnant, that we are out of practice, said Ishihara. Asintelligence officers in neutral countries, and sometimes behind enemy lines,we must be careful not to speak too quickly. Leutnant Mohr shrugged uncomfortably. Where shall we begin? Do you have aparticular place? No, said Ishihara. Let us start simply by walking through the lines, askingquestions of the soldiers.As we go, I shall describe our quarry to you.Perhaps he can be found among refugees orPOWs. Very well. As they began to explore the lines, Wayne surmised how Oberst Schepke had madehis decision.Finding the spy was too important to ignore.Since only his visitors couldidentify him, they had to be given some chance to do so.At the same time, he could not allow the strangers to wander around his campunsupervised.Wayne also suspected that the Oberst had decided not to assign ahigher ranking officer for this, for fear he would be embarrassed later iftheir story was not true.Yet he could not trust an enlisted man with thistask.For that reason, as well as his ability to speak English, Leutnant Mohrhad received the chore.8Hunter knew that the walk back into Moscow was a long one for his humancompanions.Even he was using more energy than the weak winter sun couldrestore on the microscopic solar power cells in his skin.The activity helpedkeep the humans warm, but they needed a rest by the time they reached the edgeof the city.He did not see a place nearby where they could get warm.They settled for abench on a sidewalk.Afew other Muscovites walked past them. We should be able to find a bus line, I think, said Judy. I think some ofthem are still running. Excellent, said Hunter. Hunter, said Steve. Where are you going to look for MC 4, anyhow? Not too far from here, said Hunter. My calculation of where MC 4 willlikely return to his full size is out in a certain neighborhood that I willshow you.He should return within a range of a couple of blocks. After we find Jane, then, are we just going to stake out the area? That will be a good beginning, of course, said Hunter. However, he may havealready returned, or he may simply slip past us as the other component robotshave on earlier missions.If we lose him that way, our search will be evenmore difficult than before. Why? Judy asked. He has more places to hide, said Hunter. In the middle of this large city,he can find shelter and company fairly quickly and can get lost in thecrowds. He won t have a job or a place to live, said Steve. And when he first showsup, he won t even have any clothes.That will make him stand out in a crowd. Judy laughed. Clothes can be found in a city, said Hunter. Further, with so manyPage 32 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmldisplaced people, I believe that fewer questions are being routinely asked ofstrangers than usual. That s right, said Judy
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