Amantha handed the child to Ethan. "You hold him." She went into the kitchen.
Ethan tossed the child up. "Here we go," he bellowed. "Free fall. Got to start early to make a spaceman out of you." The Sitta stared at them, puzzled, as the infant shrieked with fear or joy. "Now if only Jimmy was here to see us," said Ethan, grinning proudly.
Jimmy didn't come back soon enough. The police arrived first.
Ethan wandered to the window. The ground was far below. He didn't want to think of what was outside the door.
"Don't mind jail myself—been in a few." He looked at Amantha. "Just for raising hell. Never thought I'd be responsible for putting you behind bars."
"It wasn't you," said Amantha, her back straightening. "Curious about it myself." Wisps of hair straggled over her face. "I mean why didn't we think of it on Mars? Didn't we know what they'd do?"
"I guess we didn't." Ethan cracked his knuckles contemplatively. "Did it occur to you?"
"No. I can't understand." She frowned, but it didn't help clarify what she was thinking about.