"That seems simple enough," said Glawen. He selected a low-slung two-seater protected from the Blaiselight by a bubble of dark green glass. Kirdy, however, hung back and frowned down at the vehicle.
"This is not wise."
Glawen looked at him in wonder.
"Why not?"
"These cars cannot be trusted. They are guided by brains taken from cadavers. That is what we learned from unimpeachable sources when we were Mummers. Nor were the brains necessarily the freshest."
Glawen gave an incredulous laugh.
"Where did you hear that?"
"I had it on good authority; I forget just where. Perhaps Aries, who is seldom fooled."
"In this case, he must have been joking. These are obviously guided by simple computers."
"Are you sure of your facts?"
"Of course."
Kirdy still hung back. In exasperation Glawen asked: "Now what is the trouble?"
"In the first place, that car is too small. The seats are cramped. I feel that we should hire a proper cab with a proper driver, who will do exactly as we wish. These vehicles are impervious to human desires; they do as they think best, even if it means tipping us into the sea."
"I'm not worried," said Glawen.
"If it starts to misbehave, we merely need say "Stop!" Here is a four-seater; you can have two seats to yourself. Either get aboard or wait here for me, just as you like."
Kirdy muttered under his breath and gingerly climbed aboard the four-seater.
"This is an absurd system. Everything is absurd. The whole Gaean Reach is topsy-turvy, including you, with your weird ideas and codfish grin."
Glawen's smile, which he had thought to be friendly and affable, froze on his face. He boarded the vehicle. A voice issued from a mesh on the front panel: "Welcome, sirs and ladies!"
"You see!" said Kirdy in a voice of vindication.
"The thing doesn't even know what sort of people we are!"
The voice said: "Two persons are aboard. Are there more to come?"
"No," said Glawen.
"What is your destination?"
"The residence of Sir Mathor Borph, about thirty miles east along the shore road."
"The exact distance is 29.68 miles," said the voice.
"One-way fare is three sols. Round-trip fare is five sols.
One or the other fee is now payable. Waiting time is one sol per hour. You may deposit as much money as you wish. A refund of the excess fee will be made."
Kirdy muttered: "Instruct the thing to drive carefully."
The vehicle asked: "Are you ready to depart? If so, say "Ready."" "Ready."
The vehicle slid out into the road and made several turnings.
"It never understood our directions!" said Kirdy in disgust.
"It is clearly confused."
"I think not," said Glawen.
"It is taking us to the shore highway by the best route."
A moment later the car swung out upon a broad avenue paralleling the coast and immediately accelerated to a speed which caused Kirdy to protest.
Glawen paid him no heed and gradually Kirdy relaxed, although there were still aspects to the mission which he could not approve.
"Sir Mathor does not know that we are coming. It is considered rude to call without an appointment."
"We are Bureau B agents; we don't need to be polite."
"Nonetheless we should have notified Sir Mathor in advance;
after all, he is a Patrune. Then, if he did not want to see us, he could have told us not to come."
