"What was it this time?"
"Something about a cave up in the ridges with a big metal box in it. The Eastern Bloc is going to use it to blow our station out of the sky."
Dan shrugged. "Kids live in their own world, honey. Isn't sending her to her room a little rough?"
"I had to. She was going down to tell Cecil Bates about it. Can you imagine what—?"
Dan laughed. "He'd have probably arrested her for spreading rumors. I'll take her out on the porch and talk to her, okay?"
"Just so you keep her out of my hair until I get supper ready."
Dan opened the door of Biddy's room and said, "Hi, pigeon. Hot in there?"
"Not bad, Pop. There's a breeze through the window."
The gruesome leg brace smote him as usual and his inward tightening against it was so habitual that he hardly noticed the slight tension of his chest muscles. He said, "How about coming out on the porch and telling me all about this cave?"