"Does it work?"
"Possibly. But we do know that they are rated on top of the galactic viewing scale for uninterrupted hours in front of the gogglebox."
"You go there and take surveys?"
"Don't be stupid. Recorders are sealed into the chassis of each set. These can be tapped by satellite."
"So what we have here is a planet of murderous, belligerent, nutsy TV fans?"
"That's about the size of it."
I jumped to my feet, spilling dry crumbs of dead sandwiches onto the carpet. Raised my fists, and my voice, on high.
"That's it!"
Benbow blinked at me rapidly and scowled.
"What's it?"
"The answer. It is just the glimmering of an idea now-but I know that it will grow and expand into something incredible. I'm going to sleep on it and when I awake I will polish it and perfect it and describe it to you in detail."
"What is it?"
"Don't be greedy. All in good time."
Chapter 4
The automated kitchen produced another stale sandwich, the machine was half-knackered and out of adjustment, along with a lukewarm cup of watery cocoa. I crunched and sipped gloomily, then found the bedroom down the hall. Air-conditioned of course-but the window wasn't sealed. I opened it and sniffed the cool night air. The moon was rising, to join the other three already up. Made for some interesting shadows. A leg over the windowsill, a drop into the garden-and I would be long gone before any alarm might go off.
And I would be dead in twenty-nine days. That little drink I had drunk in prison really concentrated my attention and guaranteed my loyalty. But could I pull this complicated operation off in that space of time?
Considering the consequences I had no choice. I sighed tremulously, closed the window and went to bed. It had been a very, very long day.
In the morning I had picked the lock on the control panel in the kitchen and was busy rewiring it when Admiral Benbow came in.