the night watch by rembrandt

the night watch by rembrandt
The Jewel Casket
The Kitchen Maid
The Lady of Shalott
Faced with a no-win situation for wither side if he pressed too hard, Owenresumed the argument for show's sake before gruffly assenting. The head jawaconsented reluctantly to the trade, and both sides breathed a mental sigh of relief thathostilities had been avoided. While the jawa bowed and whined with impatientgreed, Owen paid him off. Meanwhile, Luke had led the two robots toward an opening in the dry ground.A few seconds later they were striding down a ramp kept clear of drifting sand byelectrostatic repellers. "Don't you ever forget this," Threepio muttered to Artoo, leaning over thesmaller machine. "Why I stick my neck out for you, when all you ever bring me istrouble, is beyond my capacity to comprehend." The passage widened into garage proper, which was cluttered with tools andsections of farming machinery. Many looked heavily used, some to the point ofcollapse. But the lights were comforting to both 'droid, and there was a hominess tothe chamber which hinted at a tranquillity not experienced by either machine for along time. Near the center of the garage was a large tub, and the aroma drifting fromit made Threepio's principal olfactory sensors twitch. Luke grinned, noting the robot's reaction. "Yes, it's a lubrication bath." Heeyed the tall bronze robot appraisingly. "And from the looks of it, you could useabout a week's submergence. But we can't afford that so you'll have to settle for anafternoon." Then Luke turned his attention to Artoo Detoo, walking up to him andflipping open a panel that shielded numerous gauges. "As for you," he continued, with a whistle of surprise, "I don't know how you'vekept running. Not surprising, knowing the jawas' reluctance to part with any erg-fraction they don't have to. It's recharge time for you." He gestured toward a largepower unit.