The Book of Philip K Dick

Dick, Philip

The Book of Philip K Dick

NANNY

"WHEN I look back," Mary Fields said, "I marvel that we ever could have grown up without a Na

There was no doubt that Na

Mr. Fields knew, when he went to the office, that his kids were safe, perfectly safe. And Mary was relieved of a countless procession of chores and worries. She did not have to wake the children up, dress them, see that they were washed, ate their meals, or anything else. She did not even have to take them to school. And after school, if they did not come right home, she did not have to pace back and forth in anxiety, worried that something had happened to them.

Not that Na

Both children loved her. Once, when Na

"Lord," she said, throwing herself down. "What would we do without her?"

Mr. Fields looked up. "Without who?"

"Without Na

"Heaven only knows," Mr. Fields said. After Na

Coveted pleasure! Almost like a roller coaster, with Bobby and Jean hanging on for dear life and Na

Na

There were many hazards in the city, quite enough to keep Na

Sometimes the children would linger in front of a store. Na

After school Na

Sure enough, just as di

And at night—

Mrs. Fields was silent, frowning just a little. At night... "Tom?" she said.

Her husband looked up from his paper. "What?"

"I've been meaning to talk to you about something. It's very odd, something I don't understand. Of course, I don't know anything about mechanical things. But Tom, at night when we're all asleep and the house is quiet, Na

There was a sound.

"Mommy!" Jean and Bobby came scampering into the living room, their faces flushed with pleasure. "Mommy, we raced Na

"We won," Bobby said. "We beat her."

"We ran a lot faster than she did," Jean said.

"Where is Na

"She's coming. Hello, Daddy."

"Hello, kids," Tom Fields said. He cocked his head to one side, listening. From the front porch came an odd scraping sound, an unusual whirr and scrape. He smiled.

"That's Na

And into the room came Na

Mr. Fields watched her. She had always intrigued him. The only sound in the room was her metal treads, scraping against the hardwood floor, a peculiar rhythmic sound. Na

Na

"Come on!" Bobby shouted.

Abruptly Na

"Race you around the block!" Jean shouted. "Giddup!" Bobby cried. Na

"But Na

"She's—she's not like a machine. She's like a person. A living person. But after all, she's much more complex than any other kind. She has to be. They say she's even more intricate than the kitchen."

"We certainly paid enough for her," Tom said.

"Yes," Mary Fields murmured. "She's very much like a living creature." There was a strange note in her voice. "Very much so."

"She sure takes care of the kids," Tom said, returning to his newspaper.

"But I'm worried." Mary put her coffee cup down, frowning. They were eating di

Tom Fields blinked. "Worried? What about?"

"About her. About Na

"Why?"

"I—I don't know."

"You mean we're going to have to repair her again? We just got through fixing her. What is it this time? If those kids didn't get her to—"

"It's not that." "What, then?"

For a long time his wife did not answer. Abruptly she got up from the table and walked across the room to the stairs. She peered up, staring into the darkness. Tom watched her, puzzled.