“David, David!” she yelled. When she was still a few feet away from her brother, she leaped and flew into his welcoming arms. “David, I missed you!” she cried, snuggling her head into his shoulder. “I was so worried!” Zip smelled the little girl’s hair and realized how much he loved her and his home. A lump came into his throat and he unexpectedly burst into tears, kissed her forehead and her cheek, and whispered, “Oh, Kathy, I missed you too, even more than I knew.” Zip’s mother Elizabeth had the same red hair that he had, while his father Allen had dark hair, now turning a dignified salt-and-pepper. But Kathy had inherited the best of both hair colors. Her deep maroon hair shone with health. Zip picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck; then, pressing his cheek to hers, they came to where their parents were waiting for him. Joe and Mark, neither of whom had any brothers or sisters, were already greeting their parents. * * * * * On the evening of September 9, the asteroid streaked through the night sky, drawing the awed attention of people all over the planet. It was best seen from the island of Vanuatu in the south Pacific from just after dusk to the hour before dawn when its glow was overwhelmed by the dawnlight. Had the asteroid not been controlled, September 9 would have been the first of the last days of life on Earth. The day after, the President presided at a worldwide celebration in honor of the Starmen--a celebration to honor them for their critical role in freeing Mars from the clutches of the pirates. The celebration had been postponed when the greatest threat ever to menace the Earth was engineered by Lurton Zimbardo, and then turned aside. The Starmen were the subjects of many award ceremonies, dinners and receptions, interviews, and parades. With them were Richard Starlight, Robert Nolan, Jesus Madera-Cruz, and others who had been instrumental in freeing the Earth from destruction. The three Starmen were delighted to see Steve Cliff again, for he was honored along with them for the part he had played in the liberation of Mars. Jack and Jill were also invited, but preferred to remain on the Moon out of the limelight. The highlight of the celebration was a ceremony on the grounds of the capital in New Washington, when the President presented medals to the Starmen for their valor. The medals had been fashioned from plates in the _Gloria_, the spaceship that had taken Lee High Eagle to Mars in 2014, the first spaceship to carry human beings to another planet. When it was all over, the Starmen returned to their homes in Amundsen City for a long and much-needed time of rest.