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“Stop looking at me with those big metal eyes of yours. You’re making me nervous.” Shatter handed Boy a broom and waved toward the back of the store. “Go make yourself useful and sweep the storeroom.”
Boy took the broom. “Thank you.”
Shatter spat on the floor. “What you thanking me for? I ain’t done nothing yet.”
“You wound me and didn’t let me die.” Boy pulled the broom up to his chest and stared at Shatter. The old man wasn’t as tidy as Father but Boy sensed there was some kindness in him even though Shatter covered it well with his crusty ways and bad English.
Shatter eyed him through his gray, bushy eyebrows. “You’re a robot. You can’t die.” He spat again. “Don’t get all mushy on me. In these parts we help each other. You sweep the backroom and I’ll keep you wound. Besides, you ain’t been no trouble having around so far. Anyone else would have wanted some of my deer jerky. You’ll find out I ain’t much on sharing. It’s a good thing you ain’t alive. You won’t be bugging me for any of my food.”
Boy didn’t move but slowly blinked. “My father told me I was alive.”
“Well, your father was a crazy old coot. You ain’t nothing but a metal bucket held together with bolts, and if you don’t go sweep that storeroom I’ll take you apart and sell all of your pieces for scrap metal.”
“But my father said...”
“I don’t give a damn what your father said. Go on now and get out of my sight before I decide to go back on my word to Tinker to keep you safe until Liberty gets here.” Shatter motioned toward the back room again.
Seeing there was nothing else for it, Boy dragged the broom behind him as he headed toward the storeroom. He hoped his sister was nicer than Shatter.
As he entered the storeroom, Boy couldn’t help but think it as scary a place as the forest he’d had to go through to reach Shatters. It had taken him a day and a half to find the outpost, and he’d been on the verge of running down when he finally stumbled upon it. Even with his father’s directions he’d gotten lost several times. Boy had only managed to keep his courage up by studying all the new plant life and animals along the way. But nothing had stopped the fear from creeping in the moment it turned dark.
The longer the trip took, the more Boy worried about winding down. What would happen to him then? Liberty would never know she’d had a brother, and if he had died in the deep woods, no one would have ever known he’d even been born.
Boy was in the middle of the storeroom when he heard voices heading his way. He stopped and turned toward the doorway.
“Before you head out I have one more thing for you to load.”
“What? Everything’s already loaded.”
The second voice sounded like a girl’s, but before Boy could consider this further, Shatter walked into the room.
“You’ll have to come and see for yourself. He’s in the back, sweeping.” Shatter smiled at Boy but then looked back over his shoulder when a beautiful girl came in and stood behind him.
Boy thought she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. He had never seen anyone with red hair before. Hers was wet, though, as if she’d just washed it or had been for a swim.
Boy stood still and waited for her to notice him. When she finally did look his way, she just stared at him. It was getting dark in the room. Maybe she couldn’t see him. Would she mind if he asked her if he could touch her hair? She looked nice. Maybe she would let him. It was so pretty.
Shatter motioned to him. “Come here, Boy.”
Boy couldn’t understand why the moment he took a step forward the girl took a step back. Was she afraid of him? In that moment Boy missed his father more than ever. Nothing had been the same since his father had wound down.
Shatter again motioned for Boy to come closer. “That’s his name, Boy.”
Boy pulled the broom behind him as he inched forward.
The girl backed out of the doorway. “I can’t take a robot. What the hell would I do with one?”
This had to be his sister, Liberty. Boy couldn’t let her leave without him. “Please.”
“What?”
He held his hand out. “Please.” It was all he knew to say. Millions of other words bubbled to the surface but the only ones that managed to tumble out were, “My father’s dead. He told me you would be my sister.”
They stared at each other for a long time. Boy saw the expression in her eyes soften and knew she was going to agree.
“Okay.” She motioned for him to follow and headed out of the room, taking long strides, as if trying to get away from him.
Boy’s heart sank, so afraid was he that he was going to get left behind. He didn’t even drop the broom but dragged it along behind him.