little
town. Farther away, over the hill, the ship nestled safely in a valley.
No one had seen them land. They were sure of it.

Ethan removed his hat and his bent shoulders straightened. He seemed to
grow taller.

"Rain," he said in awe. "Thirty years and yet I haven't forgotten what
it's like."

"It's wet, that's what it's like," said Amantha. "Robot, let us in or
I'll have Ethan take a wrench to you. He loves to tinker."

"I can't be threatened. My sole concern is the welfare of my charge.
Also, I'm too large for any human to hurt me."

"Damnation, I'm soppin'!" complained Ethan. "It's better to remember the
rain than to be in it."

"Wait till my son Jimmy gets back. He'll be ravin'. Makin' us stay out
here and get soaked."

"Son? Is the Jimmy you refer to Pilot James Huntley?"

"Ex-pilot."

"Correct. But he's not at home. He took his wife to the hospital half an
hour ago."

"So soon?" gasped Amantha. "Thought I taught him better than that. Women
have got to rest between kids."

"It's not another child," said the robot with disinterest. "It has to do
with one of the ills flesh is heir to and machines are not. Nothing
serious."

Ethan fidgeted, turning up his collar. Water began flowing from the
eaves. "Stop arguin' and let us in. Jimmy will turn off your juice when
he finds you've kept his folks outside."

"Folks? He has none here. A mother and father living happily on Mars.
They died quite recently, lost in space and plunging into the Sun."

"Make up your mind," Amantha said peevishly. "We ain't on Mars, we
weren't happy and we didn't get lost and plunge into the Sun."

"I merely repeat--in sequence--the information I'm given or overhear. If
it's inconsistent, so are humans. I'm used to it."

"'Mantha, they think we're dead," said Ethan. He wiped a raindrop away.
"Poor Jimmy!"

A thin wail came from a crack in the door. The robot's eyes shone
briefly, then dimmed.

"What's that?" asked Amantha. "Sounds like a baby. Thought you said no
one was home."

"No responsible adult. Only a child. Because of that, I can admit no one
except the parents--or a doctor if I decide one is needed." The robot
whirred and drew itself up. "He's absolutely safe. I'm a Sitta."

"You sure are. Now get out of my way before I jab you. The kid's
crying."

"He is, but it's no concern of yours. I'm better acquainted with infant
behavior than any human can be. The pathetic sob merely means that the
child wants atten