‘No, I’m not exactly a prisoner. I am in a sort of trouble, though – that’s what the bracelet’s all about. I’m on my way back to Mazarile, and I suppose you are as well.’

‘I have business in Incer, but I shan’t be staying long. Robots aren’t common on your world, and I’ll feel less out of place in the Sunwards. I should introduce myself, seeing as you’ve been good enough to tell me your name. I am Peregrine, a robot of the Twelfth Occupation. You say you know a machine like me?’

‘Yes, sir. Only not quite the same. You’ve got the same body and head, if it isn’t too rude of me to say, but Paladin has wheels where you have got legs, and Paladin’s arms don’t look as strong as yours. Also there isn’t a scratch on you, and Paladin’s all dented and bumped.’ Worse than that, I thought, reflecting back on the sorry state Paladin had been when I saw him last.

‘Put a finger to my casing, Fura. Go on. I won’t hurt you.’

I’d faced worse than a robot in recent weeks, so I didn’t hesitate. I jabbed out my finger and was about to touch my nail against him when something made my finger tingle hard, and it wasn’t the glowy. The more I pressed, the harder that tingle got.

‘I generate a protective aura,’ Peregrine said. ‘It was designed into me from the outset. I was a soldier, you see. During the Epoch of the Robots, the people of the Twelfth Occupation turned to machines to assist them through a time of great troubles. We were given all the powers of people and some more. Those of us who served the most usefully were gifted with freedom and free will. You say this other machine is called Paladin?’

‘Yes, but he doesn’t have that aura like you. And – although I don’t mean to speak ill of him – he’s not as clever. You seem like a proper cove, whereas Paladin . . . well, it’s not the same.’

‘I do not know this name. But if I might speculate? You say this robot resembles me in some ways, but carries more damage. The reason for that might be that Paladin’s aura generator is damaged or disabled. That might also explain why he differs from me in other respects. Without the aura generator he would be much more vulnerable to peripheral damage, so parts of him would have needed to be replaced over the years.’

‘But that wouldn’t affect what goes on inside him, would it?’