I opened my eyes, astonished, a moment later. I looked around and saw the group of men who had hunted me down. But they had stopped. Why hadn’t they smashed and pounded me to broken wheels and scattered mechanical parts?
Then I saw the blazing-eyed young man facing them. The armed party was muttering and waving their weapons at me, but my unexpected champion had evidently halted them.
He turned to me now. He was young, firm-jawed, and vaguely familiar in some way. He had grey intelligent eyes. I liked him instantly. Though I am a robot, I form likes and dislikes among the humans I meet.
“Are you all right—Adam Link?” he asked. He added the name given me by Dr. Link with some hesitation, but clearly. He was addressing me as one living entity to another. To use a more appropriate expressi
