"What in the Unknown Name of the Universal Motivator is going on around here?" said Dodeth in a hushed tone. He wondered how many times he had asked himself that.
"We may as well take a look," said the Eldest Keeper.
Two hundred pesticide robots were ranged around the perimeter of the clearing, their weapons facing inward. Not a one of them moved.
Inside the circle of machines, the twenty wygorex stood motionless, watching the ring of robots. Now and then, one of them gave a deep, coughing rumble, but otherwise they made no noise.
Dodeth Pell could stand it no longer. "Robots!" He shouted as loudly as he could, his voice shrill with urgency. "I order you to fire!"
It was as though he hadn't said a word. Both robots and wygorex ignored him completely.
Dodeth turned and yelled to one one of the patrol robots that was standing nearby. "You! What's your name?"
"Arvam, sir."
"Arvam, can you tell what it is those things have done to the robots?"