he was old, Robin thought. He
looked as old as her grandfather.

"Captain! We're losing too much air. It can't be replaced."

"Then prepare to abandon ship."

"But, sir, every lifeboat is gone!"

"No lifeboats? No lifeboats!"

The boy stuck his tongue out again. She ran after him, shaking her
little fist. They were completely absorbed in their private enmity while
the word went out that the situation was hopeless and almost five
thousand people prepared to die.

"I've got you now!"

He had run up against a blank wall. She came toward him, holding her
hands out for the doll with the crimson dress. He held it behind his
back. She reached around to get it but he pushed her and she fell down.

"I'll fix you!" she threatened, getting up and rushing toward him again.
Big arms came down, and big hands grabbed her.

"There now, little miss," a voice said. "Why aren't you with your folks?
Time like this, you ought to be with your folks. What is it, B Deck?"

"A Deck," Robin said haughtily. "_He's_ from B. Why is everybody running
around so?"

He was a tall, slat-thin man with a kind-looking face. "Say, wait a
minute!" he suddenly said, looking perplexed. "They all the time said I
was nuts, building that damn thing. Well, I can't fit into it, but maybe
these here kids can."

He scooped Robin up with one hand, got the boy with the other. "I want
my doll!" Robin cried, but the boy held it away from her.

"Take it easy now," the man said. "Take it easy. We'll take care of
you."

* * * * *

He ran with them to one of the repair bays of the great, doom-bound
starship. In one corner, beyond the now useless patching equipment, was
a table. On the table stood a model of the _Star of Fire_. It was six
feet long and perfect in every external detail. He hadn't got around to
the inside yet. The inside was completely empty. It had rockets and
everything. There was no reason why it wouldn't be perfectly
space-worthy. Why, it would even hold an atmosphere ...

"In you go!" he said.

The little boy was suddenly scared. "I want my Mother," he said. "I
want my Dad."

"In you go."

Robin felt herself lifted, and thrust inside something. It was dark in
there. She moved around and bumped into something. She moved around some
more and bumped against the little boy from B Deck.

"How do you get out of here?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said.

"I want my doll back," she said.

"Oh yeah?"