"But- Dad, you don't know what you are saying!"
"What? What's that, young man!"
"I-" Matt had looked around him, then had gotten up very suddenly and left the room.
His father came into his room some time later. "Matt?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Look, Matt, I let the conversation get out of hand tonight. I'm sorry and I don't blame you for getting upset. Your mother, you know. I try to protect her. Women get worked up so easily."
"It's all right, Dad. I'm sorry I walked out"
"No matter. Let's forget it. There's just one thing I feel we ought to get straight on. I know that you feel loyal to the Patrol and its ideals and it's good that you should, but-well, you are a little young still to see the political realities involved, but you must know that the Patrol could not bomb the North American Union."
"It would in a show down!"
"But there won't be any show down. Even if there were, you couldn't bomb your own people and neither could your shipmates."