(Continued from March 23, 2010)
“Of course, one never knows what the future holds for us, but slim are the chances that I will invite Bob into my Mini for a real ride. Actually, he had little time to worry about any fright that my cornering might have given him. The action that had developed in the alley was much more fearful. From the pub’s vantage point, the other side of a huge dumpster was visible. In front of that container, two young men were confronting one another with knives.”
“Did you run into the pub to get away from that horrible scene,” Thea asked.
“We did after I had shown Bob what good citizens normally do in such instances. Although it must be said that remedial measures involved little of my time. As is frequently the case around pubs, a police car was parked across the street. From there, the officers could not see the fight. So, I simply alerted them. They seemed glad to get a chance to earn their pay.”
Alphonse had a way of making trivial incidents seem extraordinarily interesting. All the ladies seemed fascinated by his narration as they sipped their liqueur; however, aunt Dorothy seemed especially drawn in by his talent. It appeared to me that she had discovered what I had known all along–Alphonse would make a great salesman.
His demonstrations of Sophia’s capabilities would be the beginning of a great career. Being in a position to learn engrossing details about various kinds of robots would be irresistibly attractive for my young friend and he would be able to convey that fascination to potential clients.
“Did anything out of the ordinary take place in the pub?” Elsie asked.
“I came to the conclusion that Bob has become an important persona in there.”
“What happened,” I asked, somewhat unable to control my curiosity.
“Bob wanted to sit in a certain spot, but other clients had already occupied the table there. I could see that our would-be bodybuilder was reluctant to sit elsewhere and a certain waitress had also taken notice. So, she persuaded guzzlers at three nearby tables to move over a bit in order to create room for a small two-persons’ table. Although there were several empty tables in other areas of the pub, none of the patrons objected.”
“We can easily guess why no one took exception to being disturbed,” Alice said while she burst into a bout of laughter. “With your imposing frame towering above them, the seated clients did not dare to make a fuss. Saying anything that could be misconstrued would seem a risky move.”
(To be continued)