Rod Smith is a prisoner in San Quentin following an arson conviction for setting a fire to a long dead, fallen juniper tree in a lava bed over 250 yards from anything flammable in or near Devil's Garden in extreme northern California. Rod set the fire to call attention to his dad's pickup truck which he was leaving nearby because he was joining a father and son in a space ship which had run out of fuel, marooning its two occupants. Rod bartered with them, offering fuel in exchange for the ship The story is being related to "V.D.," i.e., "Victor P. Davies," prison psychologist, with his own problems.