Joe took a deep breath and plunged grimly on. "If one of your space stations attacks the other for any reason whatsoever, both will be destroyed. And in this destruction your planet will also vanish. It will be obliterated completely as we have no intention of leaving a dangerous dead hulk floating through space. It and you and possibly your whole solar system will go at once because—no matter what your opinions on the subject are, let me tell you this—you are expendable—your planet is expendable—your solar system is expendable—and on the day after obliteration—you will not even be missed."
Joe turned in his chair and Biddy thought he looked awfully tired. Then he said, "And now if you have any doubts go out, wherever you are, and look up into the blessed skies God gave you—" Biddy watched the sadness in Joe's eyes and heard him speak as though to children. "—the skies we will take away from you unless you grow up and behave yourselves."
With that, he snapped off a switch with a quick movement and turned. He said, "Go outside and ready the ship for takeoff. You go with them, Biddy." He looked at Davey and added, "Leave the lad with me for a few minutes."
Joe's instructions were not questioned and a few moments later she was outside with the young men gazing in wonder at the sky. Everything was lighted up like the Fourth of July. But bigger—much bigger. From every horizon giant lights of all colors were shooting up to meet overhead. All the colors of the rainbow and some Biddy had never seen. "It's—it's beautiful!" she gasped.
One of the young men smiled without humor. "Let's hope a second display is never necessary." With that he hurried away with the others and there was great activity around the ship. Then Joe came out—just as the colors overhead were dying—and gave a signal and the men entered the cave. Pretty soon they came out and all the mechanism and the big shining box were floating along behind them—floating through the air—as they were pulled toward the ship by thin lines of metal rope.
In no time Joe was walking with Biddy toward the loaded ship, holding her small hand in his. He stood by the port and said, "I think maybe things will be all right, child. I hope so, because there must be many like you and Davey. There must be sane reason left on this mad planet."
"Are you going away, Joe?"
"Yes, Biddy." He smiled and kissed her and said, "Tell Buck good-bye for me. Davey is in the cave." He entered the ship and the port closed and Biddy didn't see it take off at all. It just seemed to evaporate—to vanish. But then, her eyes were misty with tears and she thought she might have missed the take off. She turned and walked slowly toward the cave. Slowly because she knew of course that Davey would be all right....