Железный человек
What’s to be DoneWith the Iron Man?
ThenHogarthpickeduparustyoldhorseshoe,andknockeditagainstastone:Clonk,Clonk,Clonk!
Atonce,theIronMan’seyesturneddarkerblue. Thenpurple.Thenred.Andfinallywhite,likeacarheadlamps. Itwastheonlysignhegaveofhavingheard.
"MrIronMan,"shoutedHogarth. "We’vegotalltheironyouwant,allthefoodyouwant,andyoucanhaveitfornothing, ifonlyyou’llstopeatingupthefarms."
TheIronManstoodupstraight. Slowlyheturned,tillhewaslookingdirectlyatHogarth.
"We’resorrywetrappedyouandburiedyou,"shoutedthelittleboy. "Wepromisewe’llnotdeceiveyouagain. Followusandyoucanhaveallthemetalyouwant. Brasstoo.Aluminiumtoo.Andlotsofoldchrome.Followus."
TheIronManpushedasidetheboughsandcameintothelane. Hogarthjoinedthefarmers. Slowlytheydrovebackdownthelane,andslowly,withallhiscogshumming,theIronMansteppedafterthem.
Theyledthroughthevillages.Halfthepeoplecameouttostare,halfrantoshutthemselvesinsidebedroomsandkitchens. NobodycouldbelievetheireyeswhentheysawtheIronManmarchingbehindthefarmers.
Atlasttheycametothetown,andtherewasagreatscrap-metalyard. Everythingwasthere,oldcarsbythehundred,oldtrucks,oldrailwayengines, oldstoves,oldrefrigerators,oldsprings,bedsteads,bicycles, girders,gates,pans –allthescrapironoftheregionwaspiledupthere,rustingaway.
"There,"criedHogarth."Eatallyoucan."
TheIronMangazed,andhiseyesturnedred.
