CHAPTER 63 THE ROWBOAT

The sun was shining, the fog was thinning, the robot was rowing. Roz was no thief, and she didn’t like taking that old rowboat. But judging from its appearance, it had been abandoned years ago. She hoped it wouldn’t be missed.

Anybody who’s rowed one of these boats knows you’re supposed to face backward. That can make it tough to see where you’re going. This wasn’t a problem for Roz, however. She started off rowing normally, and after several strokes of the oars, her head spun around until she was facing forward. And what she saw was blue sky, and dark waves, and a sliver of green on the horizon.

“We’re in a bay,” said Brightbill, swooping down into the boat. “To the north is that distant coastline. To the east is open water. To the west is a seaport. And to the south is the village, and the wolf.”

It seemed the travelers had no choice but to cross the bay. Luckily, Roz could row long and fast. Brightbill settled in for the ride, and the robot’s mechanical muscles started pumping. She pulled and pulled and pulled on the oars, and the rowboat glided through the waves.

Roz was nervous. Time and again, the robot’s Survival Instincts had stopped her from going into deep water. Now an old rowboat was all that separated her from the murky depths. She couldn’t wait to feel solid ground beneath her feet again.

As they rowed deeper into the bay, the waves got larger and rougher. Gigantic swells of water rolled in from the open ocean and started tossing the boat around like a toy. The waves finally became too much for Brightbill. He spread his wings, lifted up on the breeze, and anxiously looked at the choppy surf ahead.

“Row faster!” he squawked. “I don’t know how much more the boat can take!”

Roz tried to power through. She rowed faster and faster, until the boat was skimming across the water. Too fast. The left oar snapped, then the right, and suddenly the boat was at the mercy of the waves.

“Hold on, Mama!” cried the goose. “Here comes a big one!”

The rowboat was pulled up the side of a towering wall of water. It teetered at the top. And then the boat went crashing down the other side with such force that the whole thing splintered apart! Roz felt water surging up around her. She clung to debris and kicked her legs, but she wouldn’t stay afloat for long.

The robot began to sink.

The goose floated above.

The ocean rolled and sloshed.

Then there was a sudden burst of air from somewhere nearby. Brightbill looked toward the noise but saw only sea spray drifting on the breeze. And when he looked back to his mother, she was dipping below the surface.

“What can I do, Mama?” Brightbill cried from the air. “Tell me what to do!”

“There is nothing more you can do!” came Roz’s gargling voice. “I am sorry!”

The young goose could only watch as the ocean dragged the robot

down

down.