"Look!" Charles gave it a great goldfish stare. "She unlocked it herself!"
"He probably told her—he was rescuing her—from the pirate," panted Betty.
"We—we'll have to go on—" Charles felt his legs start to collapse—"to the clearing."
The robot put two arms around him, and one around Betty.
"You will rest for three minutes," it stated, leading them to the living room and seating them gently. "I will bring brandy."
The brandy was welcome. They drank it in gulps, and worried about Cousin Aurelia, and the robot fanned them considerately while they did so.
Then, again, they were off. In less than ten minutes, they looked down on the valley, on the clearing. They caught sight of the Beautiful Joe. The voice of the waterfall reached them.
And so did another one. A man's voice. A deep one.
"Ow!" it yelled hoarsely. "Let me up! Ow! Let go!"
Charles moaned. "We shouldn't have waited for brandy. Now they're killing him, too!"