'Huh!' said the Liftbot. 'If sir, madam or thing would care to give some indication of their vertical traveling requirements I might be able to get on with my job - such as it is.'

'The Embarkation Lobby, please,' said Dan.

'You're asking me to go up?'

'Am I?' asked Dan.

'The Embarkation Lobby is on the Embarkation Level, sir,' said the Liftbot in the tone of voice most people would only dream of using to address particularly stupid patches of damp.

'Then that's where we'd like to go.'

'up?'

'I suppose so.'

The Liftbot fetched up a groan from deep within, and muttered to itself 'Young people nowadays! Don't give a tinker's cuss for them as went through the hell of two world wars that left some of us with one arm and a broken marriage.'

Lucy kicked Dan, as she felt him about to reply. 'Just take us to the Embarkation Lobby,' she said in her best Rodeo Drive No Hostages Taken voice that she used when buying antique rugs.

The Liftbot stifled a pathetic sniffle, put its hand to the handle sticking out from its chest and pushed it up with a sigh. The elevator gathered speed and the humans were once again silenced by the spectacular magnificence of the Starship.

Lucy put her hand into Dan's. In her dreams she had imagined places of such scale and splendour, but she had always known that they belonged strictly to the world of the imagination. And yet here she was - in an interior that matched up to her dreams. The old rectory, which Dan had been so crazy about, looked pretty tawdry compared to this.

She glanced sideways at Dan. She couldn't guess what he was thinking. She never could.

As they stepped out of the elevator into the loggia at the top of the Great Central Well, they caught sight of a blonde figure in high heels disappearing into the far door. By the time they reached the Embarkation Lobby, they found Nettle apparently deep in conversation with a desk light.

'This is the Embarkation Lobby, sir and madam.' A Doorbot had already wheeled over and was gesticulating in front of them in a rather meaningless fashion. 'As Super Galactic Travellers you are entitled to pass through this lobby but you may not use the seating accommodation or the bathrooms. Super Galactic Class facilities are available on your own decks.'

'Look, we're not travelling,' said Dan. 'We just want to know how to get out of this thing.'

At that moment Nettle, who seemed to be getting nowhere with the desk light, turned and spotted them. 'Hey! There you are!' she called, and then turned back to the desk light and said: 'Listen, bulb-brain, you can fill your own request forms in - in triplicate - and shove them up your lampshade!' The desk light rested its head in its hands and pretended to be looking somewhere else.

'Get off this thing?' the Doorbot was repeating to itself, as Nettie joined them.

'Yeah!' replied Dan. 'We want to get out - like the quickest way.'

'Ohh!' Nettle looked a bit puzzled. 'Don't you just want to see round a bit?'

Dan found he was more and more surprised by this extraordinary woman. 'Look round a bit?' he exclaimed. 'Aren't you scared?'

'Well - a bit - but it's so exciting! And these things seem to be perfectly harmless.' Nettie gave the Doorbot a chuck under the chin. It sniffed and pretended to flick a bit of fluff off its sleeve. A Dustbot shot out from the skirting, picked up the imaginary bit of fluff, squeaked and shot back into the skirting again.

'It's amazing, isn't it?' ventured Lucy uncertainly.

'Sensational!' agreed Nettie.

'But we've got to be sensible,' said Dan, adopting his 'I'm in charge' manner that never fooled anyone. 'We ought to find the exit - so we know where we are - and then - maybe - we could explore a bit if you really want.'

'I'm afraid you can't, sir.' The Doorbot sniffed in that particular way designed to make anyone, who hasn't paid a fortune for their ticket to snooty travel agents in Kensington, feel like unwanted dandruff.

'Can't what?' said Lucy.

'I am afraid you can't leave the ship,' replied the Doorbot. 'Now if you wouldn't mind hurrying through to your own decks -'

'Wait a minute!' Dan had decided to turn nasty, which, in his case, was usually as nasty as a packet of Band-Aids. 'What do you mean "we can't leave the ship"?'

'Are we prisoners?' Nettle sounded faintly thrilled.

'No, madam or thing, of course you are not prisoners; it is simply a physical impossibility for you to leave at this moment in time because the Starship is in flight.' The Doorbot coughed and indicated the loggia and the Great Central Well. 'I suggest you all go down to the Super Galactic Traveller Class Restaurant where you will encounter plain home cooking with a great doorway.'

The news that they were in flight had a remarkable effect on the three human beings. If there had been a window, they would all have undoubtedly dashed to it. As there was not, all the energy that would have gone into that dashing had to be used up somehow. Nettle used it up by doing some aerobic movements designed to release stress. Lucy and Dan used it up by shouting at Nettie.

'You see what you've done! Oh my God! We're in space! It's all your fault!' Dan chose plain abuse.

'I knew it!' Lucy was going for guilt-provoking self recrimination. 'I knew we shouldn't have followed that dumb peroxide airhead!'

'Please refrain from shouting on the Embarkation Level. There may be First or Second Class passengers about. You may shout as much as you want on the Super Galactic Traveller Class decks,' said the Doorbot and he again indicated the way down.

Nettle was holding up her hands. 'Hey! Hey! Guys! Calm down!'

'Why should we calm down!?' Dan had hit Histrionic Mode. 'You've just destroyed our future home! You've forced us onto an alien spacecraft! And now we're not even on Earth any more! God knows how we'll ever get back!'

'Please!' said Nettle. 'I didn't destroy your future home.'

'No! No! I know! I'm sorry! I just got carried away!' Dan didn't know why he'd said that.

'And if we really are in the situation this robot tells us we're in, we'd better keep our heads and decide how to get out of it.'

'Arrrggggghh! Aggggggghhhhhh! Arrrrghhhhhhhh!!' Lucy had decided to set aside her admiration for the fabulous decor of the ship and had reverted to Primal Scream Mode.

'Please scream on the Super Galactic Traveller Class decks only!' urged the Doorbot.

'We must do something' began Nettle;

'DO?!' shouted Dan. 'DO?! WHAT CAN WE DO?!'

'I suggest,' said Nettle firmly, 'we find the Captain - there must be one - explain our situation - and ask him to take us home.'

'Fine! Oh fine!' Dan was beside himself with sarcasm. 'FINE! Find the Captain! Why didn't I think of that? Oh yes! Brilliant idea!... Actually that is a pretty good idea.'

'Arrgh! Aaaaaagh! Arrrrrgh!' continued Lucy after a short pause.

'Shut up!' said Dan. It was the first time he had ever spoken to Lucy like that, and she shut up in surprise.

'Where can we find the Captain?' Nettie turned to the Doorbot, who was looking about anxiously to make sure that no other passengers were being incommoded by all this Super Galactic Traveller Class screaming.

'The Captain, madam or thing, is to be found on the Captain's Bridge,' said the Doorbot coldly with killing logic.

'And where do we find that?'

'You don't,' said the robot firmly. 'The Captain's Bridge is accessible only from the First Class accommodation.'

'Well surely we can just go through in order to get to the Bridge?' reasoned Nettle.

'I'm afraid not,' sniffed the Doorbot. 'All travelling area restrictions are strictly observed on this vessel.'

'Oh come off it!' exclaimed Dan. 'This is an emergency!'

'Over there!' said Nettle. She had just put on her translatorspecs and could now read the words 'FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT' on a door at the other end of the lobby.