She caught a quick second glimpse of the boy, and started running as he rounded a turn in the corridor. Shouting for him to stop, she reached the turn and saw him up ahead. He looked back at her and stuck out his tongue and kept running. * * * * * It was then that the whole world shuddered, like it was trying to shake itself to pieces. Alarm bells clanged everywhere. Whistles shrilled. Pretty soon uniformed men were running in all directions. Robin Sinclair was suddenly very frightened. She wanted to go back to A Deck, to her Mom and Dad, but she had followed the boy through so many twisting, turning corridors that she knew she would be lost if she tried. She looked ahead. The boy seemed confident as he made his way. She followed him. But she was really mad at him now. It was his fault she was so far from Mom and Dad when a thing like this happened. * * * * * Uniformed members of the crew continued rushing by. She heard snatches of conversation she didn't understand. "Trying to patch it ..." "The whole stern section of the ship. Losing air fast ..." "The lifeboats. I was just down there. Every last one of 'em. Gone. The meteor took 'em right off into space." "If the damage can't be repaired ..." And one man, finally, with a face awful to behold: "Patches won't hold. We're losing air faster'n it can be replaced. Better tell the Captain." A man in a lot of gold braid rushed into view. He was distinguished-looking, but old. Boy, he was old, Robin thought. He looked as old as her grandfather. "Captain! We're losing too much air. It can't be replaced." "Then prepare to abandon ship." "But, sir, every lifeboat is gone!" "No lifeboats? No lifeboats!" The boy stuck his tongue out again. She ran after him, shaking her little fist. They were completely absorbed in their private enmity while the word went out that the situation was hopeless and almost five thousand people prepared to die. "I've got you now!" He had run up against a blank wall. She came toward him, holding her hands out for the doll with the crimson dress. He held it behind his back. She reached around to get it but he pushed her and she fell down. "I'll fix you!" she threatened, getting up and rushing toward him again. Big arms came down, and big hands grabbed her. "There now, little miss," a voice said. "Why aren't you with your folks? Time like this, you ought to be with your folks. What is it, B Deck?" "A Deck," Robin said haughtily. "_He's_ from B. Why is everybody running around so?" He was a tall, slat-thin man with a kind-looking face. "Say, wait a minute!" he suddenly said, looking perplexed. "They all the time said I was nuts, building that damn thing. Well, I can't fit into it, but maybe these here kids can." He scooped Robin up with one hand, got the boy with the other. "I want my doll!" Robin cried, but the boy held it away from her.