The Fourth Law

Chapter 10, Part 3

They were walking back into her main room when they heard the rumble of a motorcycle outside. Not that she'd planned to keep this a secret, Lily knew that once the kids found out something, the town did, too. She looked out her window; sure enough, it was Wayne, the head reporter for their newspaper, the Daily Light.

"Ai, see the guy who just came up? He's a reporter." Ai's face seemed to say, 'so what?' "He's probably going to want to ask you a bunch of questions..."

"I don't mind, unless it would bother you?"

"Oh, no! I'm proud of being your friend! Let's go back downstairs."

Wayne was already talking to the three men from A&M and writing in his notepad. Bill Casey pointed and said, "And there's your star, right there!"

"Miss Barrett," he nodded curtly. He knew, but he wasn't here for her. "Afternoon! I'm Wayne Wright, reporter for the local paper!" He handed her a card. Lily noted Ai took it with both hands and a slight bow; wasted on this guy, she thought.

"I've just confirmed what the rumor was with your handlers here," Lily wanted to growl at that, "and would like to ask you some questions, Miss...?"

"Ai."

"I?"

"Ai; may I borrow your notepad?" She wrote the kanji and handed it back.

"Okay, thanks. Why don't we use this office..."

"No, we don't." Lily said. Never had liked reporters, never would. "We can use the dining hall, and as many of my kids who want to watch, will." The more witnesses, the smaller his lies.

He glared but nodded. "Let me get some of my video gear first." He went to the saddlebags on his bike while Lily pointed the kids in the direction of the hall. She sent a message to Carol.

A quarter of an hour later, tables rearranged, Wayne had a small camera set to record Ai, who sat flanked by about two-thirds of the children. Lily was next to Wayne, in case she needed or wanted to punch him in the head.

"Okay. From the top: your name is...?"

"Ai."

"You wrote the symbol for me, thanks, does it mean anything?"

"Love."

Little Erik snorted.

"And you are...?"

"You behold a prototype android of the Somi Corporation of Osaka, Japan." Lily enjoyed the evasiveness of her answer and winked at her; Ai blinked elegantly.

"Why are you here?"

"Somi Corporation has a working relationship with both your country and with Texas A&M University. It was thought a gesture of goodwill to debut one of their products here."

"That would explain you being in College Station, not Waxahachie."

"That's true." Lily bit down a laugh.

Wayne was not a rookie; he knew a tough nut when he got one. "Tell us why you're here."

"To see my dear friend," she rolled her hand, "Lily."

"You mean Lily Barrett?" Thanks for stressing the last name, jerk.

"Yes."

"How is it," he went on, "that a machine has a friend?"