I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories Read Free

had switched the transmogs in the other two almost as soon as Ebenezer had regained his feet and picked up the kit of tools.
    â€œCome on, men,” said Ebenezer. “We have work to do on Lem.”
    The three went striding off.
    Sheridan looked around. Hezekiah and his light had disappeared, galloping off somewhere, more than likely, to see to something else.
    The robots still were digging into the heap of merchandise. He ran around the pile to help them. He began pulling stuff from the pile and throwing it aside.
    Beside him, Gideon asked: “What did you run into, Steve?”
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œYour face is bloody.”
    Sheridan put up his hand. His face was wet and sticky. “A piece of gravel must have hit me.”
    â€œBetter have Hezekiah fix it.”
    â€œAfter Max is out,” said Sheridan, going back to work.
    They found Maximilian fifteen minutes later, at the bottom of the heap. His body was a total wreck, but he still could talk.
    â€œIt sure took you guys long enough,” he said.
    â€œAh, dry up,” Reuben said. “I think you engineered this so you could get a new body.”
    They hauled him out and skidded him along the ground. Bits of broken arms and legs kept dropping off him. They plunked him on the ground and ran toward the radio shack.
    Maximilian squalled after them: “Hey, come back! You can’t just dump me here!”
    Sheridan squatted down beside him. “Take it easy, Max. The floater hit the radio shack and there’s trouble over there.”
    â€œLemuel? How is Lemuel?”
    â€œNot too good. The boys are working on him.”
    â€œI don’t know what happened, Steve. We were going all right and all at once the floater bucked us off.”
    â€œTwo of the motors failed,” said Sheridan. “Just why, we’ll probably never know, now that the floater’s smashed. You sure you feel all right?”
    â€œPositive. But don’t let the fellows fool around. It would be just like them to hold out on a body. Just for laughs. Don’t let them.”
    â€œYou’ll have one as soon as we can manage. I imagine Hezekiah is out running down spare bodies.”
    â€œIt does beat all,” said Maximilian. “Here we had all the cargo down—a billion dollars’ worth of cargo and we hadn’t broken—”
    â€œThat’s the way it is, Max. You can’t beat the averages.”
    Maximilian chuckled. “You human guys,” he said. “You always figure averages and have hunches and …”
    Gideon came running out of the darkness. “Steve, we got to get those floater motors stopped. They’re running wild. One of them might blow.”
    â€œBut I thought you fellows—”
    â€œSteve, it’s more than a spacehand job. It needs a nuclear technician.”
    â€œCome with me.”
    â€œHey!” yelled Maximilian.
    â€œI’ll be back,” said Sheridan.
    At the tent, there was no sign of Hezekiah. Sheridan dug wildly through the transmog chest. He finally located a nuclear technician transmog.
    â€œI guess you’re elected,” he said to Gideon.
    â€œOkay,” the robot said. “But make it fast. One of those motors can blow and soak the entire area with radiation. It wouldn’t bother us much, but it would be tough on you.”
    Sheridan clicked out the spacehand transmog, shoved the other in.
    â€œBe seeing you,” said Gideon, dashing from the tent.
    Sheridan stood staring at the scattered transmogs.
    Hezekiah will give me hell, he thought.
    Napoleon walked into the tent. He had his white apron tucked into the belt. His white cook’s hat was canted on his head.
    â€œSteve,” he asked, “how would you like a cold supper for tonight?”
    â€œI guess it would be all right.”
    â€œThat floater didn’t only hit the shack. It also flattened the stove.”
    â€œA cold supper is fine. Will you do