The Enormous Room Part 17

After a while Adam said, "Remember that first feed we got up there, pies and cookies and gla.s.s?"

"I remember it."

"They must have just aimed that machine at a bakery window here on Earth, and taken gla.s.s and all."

"That's it."

"Probably it was called a smash-and-grab robbery, down here." He kicked something, bent down and picked it up. It was the safe-cracker's gun. "I didn't think he'd carry one," said the boy. He looked closer at it.

"G.o.d!"

"What is it?" Summersby shifted the briefcase and held out a hand. Adam laid the weapon in his big palm. "He must have won it at the park that day," Adam said. "That old crook! Old faker!"

Summersby held it up. It looked like a small automatic of blued steel, but it was plastic. He turned it over. A pencil-sharpener.

Summersby grunted. "A toy," he said, giving it back to Adam. "Nothing but a kid's toy."

[Ill.u.s.tration]