Well. This was a new one.
Normally, Gallagher was not inclined to go out alone at night. He rarely left the house alone at all, usually only to replenish his stores of ingredients or to run the odd errand for Avida, and neither of those things were suited to this hour. Except tonight, since technically this was also an errand, if a very odd one.
Trick-or-treating. Usually done in costume, or so his research suggested, but it was difficult to find a costume suited to one of his shape, so he had chosen to go without; he was under the impression no one much would notice anyway, on this particular night. It wasn't the activity he would have chosen, but it was his job to obey Avida's commands, and this seemed harmless enough.
He had asked, after doing a bit of research, why she didn't go herself. It was a difficult question to phrase politely, but he had quite a bit of practice.
"Don't be ridiculous, Gallagher," she'd said. "I'm too old, and someone would notice. You're only three, even if you are a robot, so you probably count as a child. Besides, if I go out tonight I might accidentally brush up against someone or something."
And now here he was, trying to figure out how to knock with his pincers; it had never been a necessity before. There was a child dressed as a pumpkin on the steps behind him, who, after several long seconds, ran out of patience and knocked for him.