Shakespeare's Planet Read Online Free Page A

old age.”
    â€œAll right, then” said Nicodemus. “No need to carry on. We hold nothing against a carnivore.”
    â€œShakespeare say humans also carnivores. But not as much as me. Shakespeare shared the meat I killed. Would have killed himself, but not as good as me. I glad to kill for Shakespeare.”
    â€œI bet you were,” said Horton.
    â€œYou are alone here?” asked Nicodemus. “You are the only one of your kind upon the planet?”
    â€œThe only one,” said Carnivore. “I arrive on sneaky trip. I tell no one of it.”
    â€œThis Shakespeare of yours,” said Horton. “He was on a sneaky trip as well?”
    â€œThere were unprincipled creatures who would have liked to find him, claiming he had done them imaginary harm. He had no wish for them to find him.”
    â€œBut Shakespeare now is dead?”
    â€œOh, he’s dead, all right. I ate him.”
    â€œYou what?”
    â€œThe flesh only,” said Carnivore. “Careful not to eat the bones. And I don’t mind telling you he was tough and stringy and not of a flavor that I relished. He had a strange taste to him.”
    Nicodemus spoke hastily to change the subject. “We would be glad,” he said, “to come to the tunnel with you and see about the fixing of it.”
    â€œWould you, in all friendship, do that?” Carnivore asked gratefully. “I was hoping that you would. You can fix the goddamn tunnel?”
    â€œI don’t know,” said Horton. “We can have a look at it. I’m not an engineer …”
    â€œI,” said Nicodemus, “can become an engineer.”
    â€œThe hell you can,” said Horton.
    â€œWe will have a look at it,” said this madman of a robot.
    â€œThen it is all settled?”
    â€œYou can count on it,” said Nicodemus.
    â€œThat is good,” said Carnivore. “I show you ancient city and …”
    â€œThere is an ancient city?”
    â€œI speak too hugely,” said Carnivore. “I let my enthusiasm at the fixing of the tunnel to run off with me. Perhaps not an actual city. Perhaps an outpost only. Very old and very ruined, but interesting, perhaps. But now I must be going. The star is riding low. Best to be undercover when darkness is come upon this place. I am glad to meet you. Glad Shakespeare’s people come. Hail and farewell! I see you in the morning and the tunnel fixed.”
    He turned abruptly and trotted swiftly into the hills, without pausing to look back.
    Nicodemus shook his head. “There are many mysteries here,” he said. “Much to ponder on. Many questions to be asked. But first I must get dinner for you. You’ve been out of cold-sleep long enough for it to be safe to eat. Good, substantial food, but not too much at first. You must curb your greediness. You must take it slow.”
    â€œNow just a goddamn minute,” Horton said. “You have some explaining to be done. Why did you head me off when you knew I wanted to ask about the eating of this Shakespeare, whoever he might be? What do you mean, you can become an engineer? You know damn well you can’t.”
    â€œAll in good time,” said Nicodemus. “There is, as you say, explaining to be done. But first you must eat, and the sun is almost set. You heard what the creature said about being undercover when the sun is gone.”
    Horton snorted. “Superstition. Old wives’ tales.”
    â€œOld wives’ tales or not,” said Nicodemus, “it is best to be ruled by local custom until one is sure.”
    Looking out across the sea of billowing grass, Horton saw that the level horizon had bisected the sun. The sweep of grass seemed to be a sheet of shimmering gold. As he watched, the sun sank deeper into the golden shimmer and as it sank, the western sky changed to a sickly lemon-yellow.
    â€œStrange light effect,” he said.
    â€œCome on, let’s get