three o'clock
in the morning
They decided to raise steam pressure enough to equal the compression of the fuel . It required fifteen minutes for the water to reach the boiling point , while they nervously held their watches . They could keep track of minutes and hours , although there was no longer day and night in their lives . According to their figures , they now ate dinner at three o'clock in the morning , and went to bed in the early afternoon . They held their breath when the steam valve was opened . It moved slowly under Dick 's fingers , while a thousand questions raced through every mind . `` Would it silence the blasts ?