Project Pope by Clifford D. Simak Read Free Book Online Page B

ship at Gutshot and somehow lost the luggage.”
    â€œYou think of everything,” said Tennyson. “Your mind is devious. What would I do without you?”
    â€œI sort of have taken care of you, haven’t I?” said Jill.
    â€œThis evening I’ll start paying back,” Tennyson promised. “Dinner at Human House. Candlelight and a clean cloth on the table, china, shining glass, silver, a menu with some choice, a bottle of good wine …”
    â€œDon’t get your hopes too high. Don’t fantasize too much. Human House may not have that kind of dining room.”
    â€œWell, whatever it may be, it’ll be an improvement on that cubbyhole aboard the ship you shared with me.”
    â€œThat cubbyhole aboard the ship was kind of nice,” said Jill.
    â€œI think,” said Tennyson, abruptly changing the subject, “someone is finally driving out to get us.”

Chapter Seven
    The dining room at Human House was fairly civilized. There was a clean white cloth on the table, shining glass and china, the menu had five entrees, and the wine was passable.
    â€œIt is all so enjoyable,” Jill said to Tennyson. “I hadn’t expected the food to be so delicious. I suppose that after the month we spent aboard the ship, anything at all would be something of a feast.”
    â€œTomorrow you start work,” he said. “Will I be seeing you fairly often?”
    â€œAs often as possible. I should be back here every night. Unless, of course, Vatican throws me out or won’t let me in.”
    â€œYou mean you haven’t previously contacted them?”
    â€œI tried to, but I couldn’t. I sent several letters, but received no reply.”
    â€œMaybe they don’t want publicity.”
    â€œWe’ll see about that. I’ll talk with them. I can be fairly persuasive if I have to be. And what about you?”
    â€œI’ll look around. I’ll get a feel of the place. If there’s no other physician here, I may set up a practice.”
    â€œThat would be fine,” she said. “Jason, would you really like it?”
    â€œI don’t know,” he said. “I said it on the spur of the moment, I guess, without a lot of thought. There is a doctor at Vatican and he may take care of the humans here in town. A new practice might be hard going for a time. The town looks like a pioneer town, but it can’t be. If what the captain told us is right, the robots have been here for almost a thousand years.”
    â€œThe town probably is not nearly that old,” she said. “The robots might have been here for quite some time before the town actually got started.”
    â€œI suppose so, but it still must be old. Although it’s quite apparent little progress has been made. Maybe that’s because it is dominated by Vatican. Everything and everyone here must revolve about Vatican.”
    â€œThat might not be all bad,” said Jill. “It would depend on what kind of people—robots and humans—make up Vatican. They might welcome someone with fresh viewpoints and new ideas.”
    â€œI’ll wait and see,” he said. “There isn’t any hurry. I’ll know better what is here for me, if anything, within a week or so.”
    â€œYou sound as if you plan to stay. For at least a while.”
    He shook his head. “I don’t even know about that. I need a place to hunker down for a spell. I don’t imagine the people back in Daventry will ever guess I made it to the End of Nothing ship.”
    â€œChances are,” she said, “they think you were lost at sea. The Gutshot radar must have tracked your flier. There is no way, is there, they could tell you got out of it?”
    â€œNot unless someone found the chute. I think that’s unlikely. I pushed the chute as far under the building as I could.”
    â€œThat should make you fairly safe. Would they be so enraged at