"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I worked pretty hard pretty long, and when the thing was finished I passed out. I feel better now. Did you actually say you had some coffee?"
Sandy passed up a cardboard container.
"Pam's compliments," she said. "We've been waiting until you slept off your working binge. We didn't want to leave you. Booger-men sound likelier than they used to."
A voice from the radio broke in.
" ... o'clock news. A signal has been beamed toward the space-broadcast transmitter by the parabolic reflector of the Bradenville radar telescope, acting as a mirror to concentrate the message toward Asteroid M-387. So far there has been no reply. We are keeping a circuit open, and if or when an answer is received we will issue a special bulletin.... The San Francisco Giants announced today that in a three-way trade—"
Burke had listened to nothing else while the news broadcast dealt with space signals, but other news did not mean very much to him just now. He sipped at the cardboard cup of coffee.
"I think," said Pam, "that since you've waked up I'll take my big sister home. You'll be all right now."
"Yes," said Burke abstractedly. "I'll be all right now."
"Really, Joe, you shouldn't work day and night without a break!" Sandy said.
"And you shouldn't have bothered to stand watch over me," he answered. "Well, I guess the shed should be clear of battery fumes by now. I'll go over and see."