for supremacy over the world was just the tip of the iceberg! There, hidden in the depth of the dark waters the real aim of the forces of Satan remained hidden - they were planning to capture the soul of mankind and control it completely.
The boys were thoroughly deflated. The task of taking back the ring from the powers of darkness seemed impossible. Everything that they had achieved so far had simply been child's play in comparison. And everything had been much clearer and more straightforward in that world of the distant past.
Then the Angel explained a bit more about the City of the Robots: Not only was there this incredible security surveillance of all visible and invisible beings that might differ in spirit to them but also once discovered, any hostile source of energy would immediately be liquidated by special apparatus that was installed everywhere and even in the robots themselves.
Michael and Ben began to whisper among themselves.
“I don’t think I can do it,” Ben admitted and Michael added: “Yes, we won’t make it past the city gates.”
“You can do anything," said the Angel, “the main thing is not to be afraid. We will all be supporting you, but only you are allowed to go into the City of the Robots because your energy is exactly the same as the Princess’s. It is for this reason that kindred spirits sense each other’s feelings so well and you have a chance of finding the Princess’s ring. And perhaps one or both of you have been sent to help the Princess?”
And the Angel gave them both an enigmatic smile.
The boys seemed to be somewhat relieved on hearing this. Gone was the despondency and indecisiveness. Their eyes were flashing, they were bubbling over with energy and a smile was never far from their lips.
“Oh my dear cousins, I fear you are closet snobs?” said the Angel tenderly looking at the boys who were chomping at the bit to get into battle. “But this is no bad thing; it will give you confidence and strength. God grant you the best of luck! But now let us start our preparations for this mission. First we will give you as much information as we can gather on the City of the Robots and most importantly a secret map of the city. The map is currently with a scientist who worked as a consultant for them when the security system in the Museum-House was installed. Look we are already getting near to his house.”
“Will we be present during the discussions with the scientist?” asked Michael with some interest.
“Of course, I will introduce you as young researchers but you leave me to do the talking. Apart from the City of the Robots I have several other matters that I want to talk to him about. So you sit quietly and try to look intelligent... Like budding scientists.”
The Angel glanced at the boys and burst into peals of laughter.
“My dear lads, looking intelligent is a very enigmatic state, it’s not about looking morosely down at your feet. I guess it’s just you trying to take everything so seriously.”
Soon, below them, they could make out hundreds of lights. This was the town that the scientist lived in. The Angel landed the starship in a park next to the scientist’s house. And in an instant the lads and the Angel were standing in his study. The scientist was sitting behind his desk gazing intently at his computer screen while simultaneously writing something on a pad of paper. He was evidently unhappy about something. He would regularly screw up a pile of notes and throw them angrily to the floor. The scientist was so engrossed in his work that he hadn’t even noticed his visitors. The Angel coughed quietly but this produced no result. Then the Angel lightly placed his hand on his shoulder.
“Would you mind terribly if we distract you from this for a few minutes? We have a small favour to ask of you.”
On seeing the Angel the scientist was at a complete loss. He sat for a while in silence and then with a guilty look asked him:
“Do you know everything? I…I...I,” he began to stutter, "I don't know how it happened myself."
The scientist spoke to the Angel in a manner that suggested they had been acquainted for a long time. They had clearly met before.
“How can I be of help?” the scientist asked somewhat sheepishly.
The Angel pretended not to notice his discomfort, letting him know that, for now, the discussion wasn’t going to be about “that”.
“We really need a map of the City of the Robots for these two young researchers," said the Angel indicating Michael and Ben. “They need to get into the City and also remain unnoticed there.”
The cousins were doing their best to appear quiet and calm but their eyes sparkled with anticipation. They were so overcome with curiosity and even a certain impatience that even the distracted scientist noted:
“Oh, what are splendid lads! They are simply burning with impatience to achieve their goal. But unfortunately, the problem is that I don’t have this map to hand. The map is highly classified. But something has remained in my memory.”
The Angel handed the scientist a tiny pocket computer, no bigger than his hand and the Scientist set about painstakingly recalling and setting down the whole city – block by block and street by street. Before the Angel had even lifted his hand to point something out the scientist impatiently answered:
“Yes, yes, I will note down where all the security cameras and liquidation machines are. You see here? I have noted all the cameras in blue and the liquidators in red."
Before long the map of the City of the Robots was ready. The scientist was pleased; he had managed to remember everything.
“Well that’s remarkable – even though I say so myself. You see I haven’t been there for more than ten years. But what exactly are you interested in?"
“The Museum-House”, answered the Angel, “Especially the hall in which the jewellery is exhibited. Maybe you remember the Princess’s ring. It’s also known as the singing ring.”
“Here is its location in the exhibition hall... and here is where the guard stands. It’s a very famous ring and the robots prize it very highly. At first glance the ring seems to be exhibited like all the other most valuable pieces. But in reality the ring is only put on display at the special order of the Mayor of the City of the Robots.” “But why is the ring so rarely shown?” said Ben unable to hold back his curiosity.
The scientist went silent, scratched the back of his head and looked towards the Angel, who nodded his assent for him to answer.
“Well, when the pearl in the ring opens and the tiny Princess comes out and sings, the ring gives off a wonderful source of energy. I would say almost a divine source of energy. Well, their Mayor recharges himself on this positive energy when he is feeling down and this has the effect of restoring his strength completely. But this is all kept under the strictest secrecy. For the sake of appearances the ring is shown to the most honoured guests. But the Mayor of the robots sits in the front row right in front of the ring so that he gets to hog all the singing princess’s energy for himself. You can see for yourselves how valuable the singing ring is, therefore it’s going to be very difficult if not nigh on impossible to get it out of the Museum-House."
“And do you know of any other devices that they have guarding the ring?" the Angel asked.
Although he knew full well that the Museum-House was the most securely guarded area of the city and that no-one was ever allowed into it.
“I don't know anything about that I’m afraid,” the scientist replied. “Although I do know that a famous self-educated master jeweller and security expert was invited to build the system. However, no-one has seen him since; he disappeared not long after he was invited.”
“But do you know anything about the security systems in the Museum-House itself? Even the smallest most insignificant piece of information could be vital to us," the Angel asked with some hope.
“I only know the following details: The outside of the building is guarded by dogs with in-built cameras. When a camera fixes on something suspicious then they begin to bark in a very strange way.
These switches on a loud siren and not even a fly would be able to get through after that. The glass of the exhibition cabinet, which holds the Princess's ring is protected by cameras and underneath it lives an enormous snake. When the siren is switched on the snake jumps out of its compartment, coiling itself around anyone trying to get the ring until it is given the signal to let go of its prey. And that’s all there is to it. I saw all this once when we were working there. But I understood that this had all been a training exercise that had been put on just to frighten us all."
The scientist finished his story and again immersed himself in his own thoughts. The Angel thanked him for such valuable information and began to make his goodbyes. But then the scientist asked very quietly:
“So am I forgiven?"
“The main thing is that you have understood everything yourself… And then… I am here after all. And that means that all is well,” the Angel replied.
The cousins did not understand what they were talking about at all. What had the scientist done?
“You know,” the scientist continued, “not long before this disastrous assignment I had an extremely heated debate with an eminent evolutionist. And I proved to him that life on Earth could not have originated from molecules. And, what’s more, I proved it all in four dimensions. There’s no way life could have started this