13 THE ELECTRONIC SIGNAL

CHAPTER 13 THE ELECTRONIC SIGNAL Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! A message was flashing on Roz's computer. The Drone was reporting that gusty winds had sent it spiraling into the neighbor's bean field. So the robot grabbed the big, heavy toolbox and marched out to clean up the mess. Roz found the flying machine upside down, with its landing gear poking above the rows of leafy plants. It had some scrapes and scratches, but no major damage. She flipped it over, brushed it off, and tightened a few screws. Then she said, "Return to Hilltop Farm." The engines started buzzing and the machine lifted off the ground and flew home. As Roz marched back, she cut through a strip of forest that separated the two farms. There were trees and ferns and rocks and shrubs and small forest animals. It was a little piece of wilderness. And suddenly, the robot was thinking of that wild island

she missed so much. Someday, she would try to run away and return to her true home. Was this the moment for her escape? Could it be as easy as sneaking off through these trees? No, it couldn't be that easy. Ahead, on the other side of the trees, Mr. Shareef was sitting in his pickup truck, watching Roz. Because of the robot's electronic signal, he knew she had stepped off the property, and he had raced out there to see what she was up to. Roz marched over to the truck and Mr. Shareef leaned out his window. He had a serious expression on his face. "Don't ever leave the property without my permission, understand?" "I understand," said Roz. She understood, all right. She understood that she was always being watched. She understood that she was trapped on Hilltop Farm.