Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

removed a small disk from a belt pouch and sealed it to the Artoounit's flank. A large tube protruded from one side of the gargantuan vehicle. Theyrolled him over to it and then moved clear. There was a brief moan, the whoosh ofpowerful vacuum, and the small robot was sucked into the bowels of the sandcrawleras neatly as a pea up a straw. This part of the job completed, the jawas engaged inanother bout of jabbering, following which they scurried into the crawler via tubesand ladders, for all the world like a nest of mice returning to their holes. None too gently, the suction tube deposited Artoo in a small cubical. Inaddition to varied piles of broken instruments and outright scrap, a dozen or so robotsof differing shapes and sizes populated the prison. A few were locked in electronicconversation. Others muddled aimlessly about. But when Artoo tumbled into thechamber, one voice burst out in surprise.