t, I guess."

"... 'A nice place to visit' ..." said his father sardonically.

"... 'but I wouldn't live here if they gave me the place!' ..." said his
mother, and they both burst out laughing for no reason that Tommy could
see. Of course, they did that lots of times at home and Tommy laughed
with them just for the warm, secure feeling of belonging. This time he
didn't feel like laughing.

"When _are_ we going home?" he repeated stubbornly.

His father pulled Tommy over in the crook of his arm and said gently,
"Well, not right away, son. As a matter of fact, how would you like to
stay here and go to school?"

Tommy pulled away and looked at him incredulously.

"I've _been_ to school!"

"Well, yes," admitted his father. "But only to the colony schools. You
don't want to grow up and be an ignorant Martian sandfoot all your life,
do you?"

"Yes, I do! I _want_ to be a Martian sandfoot. And I want to go home
where people don't _look_ at me and say, 'So this is your little
Martian!'"

Benton, Sr., put his arm around Tommy's stiffly resistant shoulders.
"Look here, old man," he said persuasively. "I thought you wanted to be
a space engineer. You can't do that without an education you know. And
your Aunt Bee will take good care of you."

Tommy faced him stubbornly. "I don't want to be any old spaceman. I want
to be a sandfoot like old Pete. And I want to go home."

Helen bit back a smile at the two earnest, stubborn faces so
ridiculously alike, and hastened to avert the gathering storm.

"Now look, fellows. Tommy's career doesn't have to be decided in the
next five minutes ... after all, he's only ten. He can make up his mind
later on if he wants to be an engineer or a _rabbara_ farmer. Right now,
he's going to stay here and go to school ... _and_ I'm staying with
him."

Resolutely avoiding both crestfallen faces, Helen, having shepherded
Tommy to bed, returned to the living room acutely conscious of Big Tom's
bleak, hurt gaze at her back.

"Helen, you're going to make a sissy out of the boy," he said at last.
"There isn't any reason why he can't stay here at home with Bee."

Helen turned to face him.

"Earth _isn't_ home to Tommy. And your sister Bee told him he ought to
be out playing football with the boys instead of hanging around the
house."

"But she knows the doctor said he'd have to take it easy for a year till
he was accustomed to the change in gravity and air-pressure," he
answered incredulousl