Lanya, inspired by this unexpected outburst, plunged recklessly, "All the other kids have aircraft and we don't have anything! You never listen to anything we say or care about anything we do...." Then she was stricken dumb by her own courage.
Klee and Jonathan searched each other's eyes. The father switched on the telescreen, then switched it back off. He cleared his throat five or six times, scratched his elbow, worked the muscles of his jaw, then leaned forward in the chair.
Lanya waited breathlessly. Would he be chastened or angry?
"Supposing I buy you a new copter?" he said. "Will that straighten things out?"
Lanya nodded eagerly. She glanced at Virgil who sat with a stiff face.
"Make it an atom cruiser," he said with finality.
Jonathan's face clouded for a moment. Lanya almost dropped through the floor. She saw her mother nod silently.
"A cruiser it is!" their father cried. Then he burst into a loud peal of laughter, and switched on the telescreen.
Lanya relaxed limply. Then she looked at Virgil. Very firmly and dignifiedly he folded his arms.
But the eye turned away from his parents winked back at her, very solemnly.