Chapter 5
It’s a heavy iron gate. No calling bell is visible from the outside. Marla Lee knocked the gate couple times. He wasn’t sure whether the barely audible knocking sound reached the inner parts of the house. He noticed that the sky is getting cloudy. It might start raining anytime. He started feeling cold. How long will he stand like this? Marla Lee resumed pushing the gate. He heard some heavy footsteps; robotic steps. Some robot is arriving with heavy treads. What type of robot this? Such noisy robots are no longer manufactured.
The gate didn’t open. A small peep hole opened. Bookworm’s face became visible. His Iridium brazen eyes were illuminating in the darkness. In a happy tone, he said “Did you bring the book?”
“Yes”
“Give it to me and you can leave”.
“It cannot be given to you. The book is very expensive, and I myself have to deliver it to Fiha”.
“You can give the book to me without any hesitation. I am a personal aide to Fiha. My name is Bookworm. He likes me very much.”
“I am very happy to know that Fiha likes you very much. Fiha doesn’t like me much, but still I have to give the book to him myself”.
The peep hole closed. Bookworm went back towards the house making heavy noise. Fiha noticed that it already started drizzling. The temperature is going down fast. He started wondering whether he should go inside the car. Who knows when this Robot called Bookworm will return? These are PR type Robots. They are clumsy in nature, but their thought process is very improved. The most important thing is that they acquire knowledge from the surroundings.
The gate opened suddenly. Bookworm asked him to get inside.
“Fiha is waiting inside the library room for you”, said Bookworm. You will have to be very careful. There is no light inside. You can take my hand if you wish to.
In a very calm voice, Marla Lee said “I don’t need to hold your hand. You can lead me instead”.
Fiha frowned at Marla Lee. He didn’t even show the slightest intentions of hiding irritation.
Marla Lee said “I did not feel like disturbing anyone else at this hour of night. So I myself brought the book. I know I’ve trespassed. I should not be nearing 1000 yards of your home. But still I came”.
“You could’ve sent this book via a Robot.”
“No sir, I couldn’t. This book cannot be entrusted with anybody and everybody.”
Fiha extended his hand and took the book. Marla Lee said “It’s very cold outside. I am not sure whether you have noticed or not, it’s raining outside. I’d be very grateful if I can get a cup of coffee.”
“Please sit down. Let me ask for coffee.”
“Thanks”.
Marla Lee sat down. Fiha did not sit, he kept standing. Even if he wanted to sit, there was no way of doing so. There is only one chair in the library. Marla Lee said “Won’t you sit, Fiha?”
“Do I need to sit?”
“We can have a conversation if we sit face to face. Once in a while, people do talk with their enemies. As you have given me the permission to enter your house, I am hoping that you’ll permit me to talk as well.”
Fiha came out of the library and asked Bookworm to get another chair. Bookworm said “It is kind of demeaning for me to move furniture; can I ask the cook robot to do this job?”
Fiha nodded.
“Another thing, sir. I have noticed that this person is really irritating you. You are being gentle. If you permit me, I can do some trickery of words, which will irritate him, and eventually he will leave.”
“I don’t see any reason for doing that. You were eavesdropping, which I don’t like. Go and stand in front of the gate.”
Bookworm left instantly. His Irridium brazen eyes looked a bit dim.
Marla Lee said "I am very surprised to see only one chair in your gigantic library".
Fiha said "There is nothing to be surprised about. I'm a loner".
"I'm a loner too, but I can't even imagine having only one chair in my living room or library", said Marla Lee.
"You are not Fiha and that's why you can't imagine that. I can, and this is the most logical thing to me. My library is not a place for drinking coffee or chit chatting".
"If you think it's a trouble sitting here and discussing, we can sit somewhere else".
"Do you really need to talk to me?"
"It'd have been better if we could talk, but we don't have to talk if you don't want to"
"I am not feeling like talking".
"Alright. I will bid farewell as soon as I'm done drinking the coffee."
Marla Lee silently finished his coffee. He removed his cap and placed it on the table. He wore the cap again. In a calm voice, he said "I will be leaving now. Good night, noble Fiha."
"Good Night"
It seemed to Fiha that Marla Lee was just going out. But instead of placing his feet outside the door, Marla Less stopped abruptly. He turned around, and in an even calmer voice he said "I could have easily forced you to listen to me. I am a Mentalist. If I want, you cannot say no. I could've forced you, but I did not. Mentalists never force anyone in doing anything. Still there is a serious misconception among the human beings that mentalists are forcing their will on the general mass.
"Don't you have total control over the army?"
"Of course we have. There is a reason behind it. If we did not maintain this control, the army would split in to two parts--mentalist's army and general people's army. I don't think I need to explain the outcome of that."
Fiha said, "A very important and specialized research is taking place in the physics laboratory. You people have shut down electricity supply in the lab. You are impeding the research progress".
"Correct information, but wrong explanation. Electricity supply has been shut off because a strong storm is approaching. It's a very powerful tornado. The power will be restored as soon as the storm ceases. No matter how much hatred you have for us, you must agree that we never discourage any kind of research work. It is regrettable that we have no scientists amongst us. Mentalists cannot do creative work. Thus those who are creative get special respect from us. Just consider yourself, noble Fiha. Can you imagine how much respect you get?"
Fiha said "This respect is not selfless. You need us creative people for your own interest. You have no other alternative; you are fully dependant on us for scientific and technological progression".
"You just presented another faulty interpretation of another correct piece of information. It is a fact that we cannot progress in science without the help of humans. But whatever progress has been made till date is good enough for us. We don't need more than this. The requirement is little for mentalists. They are easily satisfied. They don't dream about conquering the whole galaxy."
"So they prevent those who have such dreams?"
"No, we don't. As a long time head of the scientific council, you know that we do not stop any kind of research. When you wanted to conduct a research on devising ways of telepathic communication, we did not prevent it. Conversely, we allocated a big budget for that research. But that research was a failure. On the other hand, when we request you to do research on particular issues, you do not agree. Mentalists face some physical problems starting from the age of thirty. A specific kind of enzyme comes out of the pituitary gland. No scientist agreed to conduct research on this area."
"I am not a biologist, so I don't know about this".
"Noble Fiha! You don't know many things. When we get sick, we have to depend on robot doctors. When human doctors come to treat us, they come with deep hatred. We are mentalists, we can sense it."
Fiha said "You don't have doctors?"
"No. There are no doctors among us."
"I did not know that".
Marla Lee said "I took a lot of time of yours. Thank you for listening to me patiently".
Fiha said "Will you tell me a truth?"
"Of course"
"We just had a lengthy conversation. Did you not carefully prepare the field for this discussion? Did you not use your mental powers to influence me?"
Marla Lee said "No, I didn't. I don't know whether you believe me or not, but I am telling the truth. Good Night".
The night was not too good. The storm was terrible. The tornado wrecked the whole science villa. Despite of taking all security measures, twenty three people died. All of them were police men. They had street duty. The did not have the permission to go to the shelters.
