I think it’s the spacethat does it, he’d said to Rigel.

What do you mean? Rigelasked.

About the space?

Rigel was squinting athim. Despite Rigel’s jaunty striped shirt and knit sailor’s cap he seemedunhappy about something he wasn’t talking about. Maybe it was that his wholepurpose for this trip was to sell his boat down in Connecticut.

So as not to get into anargument Phædrus had told Rigel carefully, I think what we’re buying withthese boats is space, nothingness, emptiness… huge sweeps of open water… and sweeps of time with nothing to do… That’s worth a lot of money. Youcan’t hardly find that stuff any more.

Shut yourself up in aroom and lock the door, Rigel had said.

That doesn’t work, hehad answered. The phone rings.

Don’t answer.

UPS knocks at the frontdoor.

How often? You don’thave to answer.

Rigel was just looking for something to argue about. Capella joined in for thefun of it. The neighbors will take it, Capella said.

Then the kids will come home and turn up the TV.

Tell them to turn it down, Capella said.

Then you’re out of the room.

OK, then just ignore them, Capella said.

OK, all right, fine.Now. What happens to someone who sits in a locked room and doesn’t answer thephone, and refuses to come out when someone is knocking at the front door, evenwhen the kids are home and have turned up the TV?