‘Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to take even a slight chance.’
She shrugged. ‘How can I be sure? I’m a doctor, not a fortune-teller.’
‘What’s your decision?’
She frowned, ‘I would say to go on to Mars.’
‘It’s just as well.’ He sighed. ‘Traffic turned down my alternate flight plan. I was just coming back to tell you.’
‘Then we have no choice.’
‘You know better than that. I’d rather tell it to the judge than read the burial service. But I have one more card up my sleeve.’
She looked her query; he went on. ‘The War God is less than ten thousand miles behind us. If necessary, by using our mass margin, in less than a week I could match with her and you and the baby could transfer. She’s a “tumbling. pigeon” since they refitted her — anything from Luna-surface to a full gravity.’
‘I hadn’t thought of that. Well, I don’t think it will be necessary but it’s a comfort to know that there is help close by.’ She frowned. ‘I would not like to leave you and the children to shift for yourselves — and besides, it’s risky to use your margin; you may need it badly when we approach Mars.’
‘Not if we handle the ship properly. Don’t you worry; Hazel and I will get it there if we have to get out and push.’
Pollux had stopped what he was doing and had been trying to overhear his parents’ conversation. He was unsuccessful; they had had too many years’ practice in keeping the kids from hearing. But he could see their intent expressions and the occasional frowns; he signaled his twin.
Castor said, ‘Hold it, Hazel. Time out to scratch. What goes, Pol?’
‘ “Now is the time for all good men”.’ He nodded toward their parents.
‘Right. I’ll do the talking.’ They moved aft.
Roger Stone looked at them and frowned. ‘What is it, boys? We’re busy.’
‘Yes, sir. But this seems like a salubrious time to make an announcement.’
‘Yes?’
‘Pol and I vote to go back home.
‘Huh?’
‘We figure that there’s no percentage in taking a chance with Buster.’
Pol added, ‘Sure, he’s a brat, but look how much you’ve got invested in him.’
‘If he died on us,’ Castor went on, ‘it would spoil all the fun.’
‘And even if he didn’t, who wants to clean up after him for weeks on end?’
‘Right,’ agreed Pol. ‘Nobody likes to play room steward to a sick groundhog.’
‘And if he did die, the rest of you would blame us for the rest of our lives.’
‘Longer than that,’ Pol added.
‘Don’t worry about that “negat” from Traffic. Hazel and I are working out a skew path that will let us miss the Queen Mary, with minutes to spare — seconds anyhow. Course it may scare ’em a little.’
‘Quiet!’ said Captain Stone. ‘One at a time — Castor, let me get this straight: do I understand that you and your brother are sufficiently concerned about your younger brother’s welfare that you want to return to Luna in any case?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Even if your mother decides that it is safe for him to continue?’
‘Yes, sir. We talked it over. Even if he’s looking pretty good now, he was one sick pup and anybody that sick might not make it to Mars. It’s a long haul. We don’t want to risk it.’
Hazel had come aft and listened; now she said, ‘Nobility ill-becomes you, Cas. You were more convincing with the other routine.’
‘You butt out of this, Mother. Pol?’
‘Cas told you. Shucks, we can make other trips”
Roger Stone looked at his sons. ‘I must say,’ he said slowly, ‘that it is surprising and gratifying to find so much family solidarity in this aggregation of individualists. Your mother and I will remember it with pride. But I am glad to say that it is unnecessary. We will continue for Mars.’
Hazel scowled at him. ‘Roger, did you bump your head on the take-off? This is no time to take a chance; we take the kid back to Luna. I’ve talked with the boys and they mean it. So do I.’