Rocket from Infinity by Lester del Rey

sight of Jane coming home crippled. The younger one was giggling, and the older one brazenly winked at Pete and then stuck her tongue out.
    â€œYou’re all right now,” Pete said. “I’ll anchor your car to the hull and go on my way.”
    â€œYou can’t do that. You have to come in for at least a few minutes.”
    â€œI don’t have much time. I want to get to the Federation office at Parma and file my claim.”
    â€œBut Mother will think you’re slighting us.”
    â€œYou know that isn’t true.”
    â€œYes, but she doesn’t.”
    â€œAll right. But just for a few minutes.”

CHAPTER SIX
    THE SNAPDRAGON
    The two younger Barrys were eagerly awaiting their guest just beyond the inner door of the airlock. They were both dark, like Jane, and had the flashing Barry eyes. But while Ellen, the twelve-year-old, was slim and graceful, the younger Colleen was a butterball. And they were both as frank and forthright as their elder sister.
    â€œI know you,” Colleen announced. “You’re one of the miners. You hate us.”
    â€œI do not,” Pete protested.
    â€œYou do too,” Ellen chimed in. “You’re always trying to keep us from making a living!”
    â€œWhy, I wouldn’t do that for all the gold in the Belt.”
    â€œYou’re just saying that to be polite.”
    â€œEllen!” Jane said, “you stop that. Where’s Mother?”
    â€œShe’s in the bedroom reading her astrology book.”
    â€œDid you tell her I was towed in?”
    â€œNo. She’s casting her horoscope for all next week. We never interrupt her when she’s doing that.”
    â€œMother never moves until she finds out which way the stars point,” Jane said by way of explanation. “Pardon me while I make a cup of tea.”
    She left the room, and it occurred to Pete that he had referred to it that way in his mind. A room. But spaceships didn’t have rooms, they had cabins. That was what made the Snapdragon different. There was a rug on the floor of this particular room and a big easy chair into which he dropped to await developments.
    There were pictures on the walls and curtains in the windows—except that in a ship the walls were bulkheads and the windows were ports, thus making things very confusing.
    One thing was certain. Rachel Barry, whatever else she’d done, had made a home for her little brood.
    Ellen regarded Pete narrowly from a safe distance while Colleen, less particular about whom she associated with, climbed into his lap.
    â€œI like you—I think,” she said.
    â€œI like you for sure,” Pete answered.
    â€œDid you come here to spy on us?”
    â€œNo. I brought your sister home.”
    â€œWhen Uncle Homer’s here, he says never answer the door, because it would be somebody spying.”
    That was interesting, but Pete reserved comment. “Do you like living in a spaceship?”
    â€œShe’s never lived anywhere else,” Ellen said.
    â€œWhat about you?”
    â€œI lived on Parma for awhile—in a house.”
    â€œShe doesn’t remember it, though. She was too small. What’s that?”
    Colleen had reached into Pete’s pocket and taken out his slide rule. He’d put it there while computing the orbit of the claim he’d found. “It’s something to work out problems on. Haven’t you ever seen one before?”
    â€œThat’s nothing,” Ellen sniffed. “Jane uses one when she plots a course for the Snapdragon.”
    â€œI’ll bet she doesn’t use it as good as you do,” Colleen said, then, obviously a child of impulse and quick affection, she threw her arms around Pete and planted a wet kiss on his cheek.
    Pete laughed. “Hey, hold it. You’re a pretty fast worker.”
    â€œI love you,” Colleen said and clung with all her might.
    â€œDon’t pay any attention to