Zima Blue 齐马蓝 3

The robot escorted me to a flight of stairs that led to the waterside. My AM followed us, fluttering at my shoulder. A conveyor hovered in wating, floating a metre above the water. The robot helped me into the rear compartment. The AM was about to follow me inside when the robot raised a warning hand. 

"You'll have to leave that behind, I'm afraid: no recording materials, remember?" 

I looked at the metallic green hummingbird, trying to remember the last time I had been out of its 

ever-watchful presence. 

"Leave it behind?" 

"It'll be quite safe here, and you can collect it again when you return after nightfall." 

"If l say no?" 

"Then I'm afraid there'll be no meeting with Zima." 

I sensed that the robot wasn't going to hang around all afternoon waiting for my answer. The thought of being away from the AM made my blood run cold. But I wanted that interview so badly I was prepared to consider anything. 

I told the AM to stay here until I returned. 

The obedient machine reversed away from me in a flash of metallic green. It was like watching a part of myself drift away. The glass hull wrapped itself around me and I felt a surge of un-nulled acceleration. 

Venice tilted below us, then streaked away to the horizon. 

I formed a test query, asking the AM to name the planet where I'd celebrated my seven hundredth birthday. Nothing came: I was out of query range, with only my own age-saturated memory to rely on. 

I leaned forward. "Are you authorised to tell me what this is about?" 

"I'm afraid he didn't tell me," the robot said, making a face appear in the back of his head. "But if at any moment you feel uncomfortable, we can return to Venice." 

"I'm fine for now. Who else got the blue card treatment?" 

"Only you, to the best of my knowledge."

机器佣人护送我上了停在水边的舷梯，我的备忘录助手紧紧跟着我，扒在我的肩上。舷梯的另一头连着一架等候多时的气垫运输机。这架运输机悬浮在水面上，离水面将近 1 米。机器佣人带着我走进后面的包间。我的备忘录助手也想跟着进来，却被机器佣人抬手制止。　

“恐怕你不能带着它，不允许带记录工具，记得吗？”  

我看着这个带着金属光泽的绿色蜂鸟——我的备忘录机器人，努力回忆上次我离开它的监护是什么时候。  

“把它留下？”  

“它待在这里很安全，等到傍晚你回到这里的时候，还能找到它。”  

“如果我说不呢？”  

“如果你坚持，你恐怕就不能和齐玛先生见面了。”　

这个机器佣人肯定不会在这儿闲逛一下午等我做出回应。一想到要离开备忘录助手，我就感觉浑身拔凉拔凉的。但是我实在太想要采访齐玛了，就管不了那么许多了。  

我让备忘录机器人待在这里，直到我回来。