“May I speak to you as one roboticist to another?”

“What choice do I have?” Jane demanded. She could afford to take a hostile tone with Ishihara here to protect her.

“I just want to explain something to you.”

“Well, I’m waiting.”

“I only want to participate in the review and investigation of the Governor Robots.” He waited for her response.

“Go on.” She tried not to react outwardly.

“I can’t allow total strangers to take over my work and pass judgment on it without me. These robots are my creation. You understand that.”

“Yes,” she said stiffly.

“The problem is not science and engineering, but politics. I have no bargaining power unless I hold at least one of the component robots in my possession.”

Jane said nothing.

“What’s objectionable about this?” Wayne demanded. “Don’t you think I have a point?”

“It sounds reasonable enough on the surface. How do I know that’s the whole story?”

“You don’t trust me?” He sounded genuinely hurt.

“You’vekidnapped me. What do you expect?”

“Wait a minute. Have you forgotten that trip we all made to Russia in 1941?”

“Of course not.”

“I saved both that other woman on your team and Steve from being shot by a Nazi guard-when I had a clear chance to get MC 4 instead.” His tone turned bitter. “Or didn’t any of younotice?”

“Of course we did.” Jane felt a little embarrassed. “Everyone noticed-and I thank you for all of us. And I know I won’t be harmed with Ishihara here. But why don’t you consider just coming back and discussing the situation professionally?”

“No!”

“I think the Oversight Committee will be responsible. They should be allowed to do their job.”

“This is logical,” said Ishihara.

“Hold it right there,” Wayne said angrily. “I can’t afford to gamble my entire career on the committee’s integrity. I told you, I need independent bargaining power. And a chance to examine MC 5 myself, without interference.”

“Listen to him, Ishihara,” said Jane. “You can see he isn’t being reasonable. You can’t possibly have a valid First Law reason to keep me here.”

“Remember what I told you,” Wayne ordered sternly. “My First Law argument to you concerns the unnecessary harm Hunter’s team is doing to me. That’s the argument you accepted when you first agreed to help me on these missions.”

“That is true,” said Ishihara.

“What’s true?” Jane demanded.

“I cannot shift my Second Law loyalty to you,” said Ishihara. “I have accepted the possibility that Wayne is being harmed by the actions of Hunter and his team. He requires my aid as a result of this.”

“All right, look,” said Wayne. “Since I can’t convince her I’m right, she’ll have to come with us for a while. We have to get away from here, so Hunter won’t be right behind us every minute. Let’s go find MC 5.”

“You mean return to Khanbaliq?” Ishihara asked. “Our horse is exhausted. The animal cannot make the return trip tonight, nor can the donkey. You and Xiao Li and Jane will need rest as well.”

“We don’t have to go all the way back tonight,” said Wayne. “But I want to get started. Then we’ll find a place to sleep for the night.”

“It’s too cold out here to get much sleep,” Jane said sourly. “We don’t have any protection from the elements. That’s not very good protection from harm, Ishihara.”

“We’ll manage,” Wayne said quickly. “Ishihara, you take charge of our route. Include evasive action to avoid Hunter. Jane and I will not be harmed by a night in this weather.”

“My options are limited,” said Ishihara. “Fleeing through the forested mountains in the dark is highly dangerous to you and Jane.”

“Do what you can,” Wayne said sternly.

Steve brought up the rear as Hunter led the way through the trees back to the road. Marcia walked with her arms wrapped around herself, shivering from the cold. Out on the road, Hunter waited for them.

“I want to change frequencies now that we know Ishihara is listening,” said Hunter. “He has always listened in when we’re in the same time period together.” He altered the settings on their lapel pins. “I hope we will not separate again, but we must be prepared.”

“He’ll just scan the frequencies again, won’t he?” Steve asked.

“I assume so. However, we will not use the lapel pins often, so he may simply stop scanning because it wastes his energy. If he happens to scan the radio band when we are communicating through these, he’ll locate the new frequency,but perhaps not immediately. Any delay we can create in being overheard will help us.”

“Okay.” Steve shrugged. “You know more about what a robot does than I do.”

Suddenly Hunter straightened, turning to look down the road, to the south.

“What-” Marcia started.

Steve put a hand on her shoulder to quiet her. He heard nothing and could not tell if Hunter heard something or was receiving a radio transmission. Either way, Hunter certainly did not need any distractions. Marcia shoved his hand away but said nothing else. “I hear two sets of hoofbeats cantering down the road, back toward Khanbaliq,” said Hunter.

“Two sets,” Steve repeated. “Shouldn’t there be at least three? Wayne and Ishihara must have ridden up here on horseback, plus Xiao Li’s donkey.”

“And Jane is riding double with someone,” Marcia added. “I see.”

“I hear two animals,” said Hunter. “One much smaller than the other, matching the gait of Xiao Li’s donkey, but the hoofbeats are heavier than before. That one is certain; two people are riding the donkey.”

“What about the other one?” Steve asked.

“By the gait and the weight, it is a horse,” said Hunter. “I cannot be sure if it is carrying two riders without having heard its hoofbeats earlier. It could simply be an usually large, heavy horse.”

“You think two people are riding the horse, too?” Steve shrugged. “I guess it’s possible.”

“Wayne and Ishihara could have found a mount as easily as we did,” said Hunter. “Perhaps financial limitations confined them to one horse.”

“Those mounts are worn out from a long day’s ride already,” said Steve. “If they’re both carrying two riders, they won’t go far tonight, especially at a canter. They may not go far at all.”

“I have considered that,” said Hunter. “I suggest that I begin jogging after them from here to maintain aural contact. You two can return to the inn for our horses and bring them. I know they are tired, too, but they will be able to carry us at least as far as the two mounts we are pursuing.”

“That makes sense to me,” said Marcia.

“I have a counterproposal,” said Steve. “Suppose we all return to the inn for a good night’s sleep. We know Ishihara can’t allow any harm to come to Jane. Then tomorrow we can go on to the Great Wall to find the Polo family.”

“I can’tbelieve this,” Marcia wailed. “You’re just going toforget about her?”

“Of course not!” Steve snapped. “But Jane is just as safe with Ishihara as she would be with Hunter.”

“That may not be precisely true,” said Hunter. “Ishihara’s judgment is in some doubt, since he is obviously following Wayne’s instructions.”

“You sure?” Steve asked. “As far as immediate harm to Jane goes, he can’t let her get hurt. Just how much leeway do you robots have in your interpretations?”