"Uh-huh. You're right--so we didn't. But this damn asteroid almost
did--on us."
"Papa," Johnny said, "let's land someplace and have a picnic."
"Go to hell," Burt said, forgetting he was speaking to a boy, his boy.
"Burt! Then you wonder why Johnny curses. Just watch your language in
front of the children, Burt Rogers!"
"Okay," he said. "But no more picnics. I'm going to report this thing
to the police, and they'll blow it out of the sky with atomite. Then
we'll have a nice meal at home. But no more picnics, ever. I'll take
the kids to the Canalport swimming pool on week-ends--half-way around
the planet. But no more picnics."
"Please, papa," Johnny said.