"Encounter, The by Kate Wilhelm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nebula Award Stories 7)

fie went to the men's room. When he returned, she was sitting in her
own place once more, her coat thrown over her shoulders, a sketch pad
in her lap.

"Are you cold again?" He felt almost frozen. There was no heat in the
men's room.

"Not really. Moving about chilled me. There's a puddle under the
funnel, and the snow is gone, but heat is still coming from the
radiator."

"I'll have to refill it every half hour or so, I guess."

"The driver said it's supposed to go to ten or fifteen below tonight."

Crane shrugged. "After it gets this low, I don't care how much farther it
drops. As long as I don't have to be out in it."

She turned her attention to her pad and began to make strong lines. He
couldn't tell what she was drawing, only that she didn't hesitate, but
drew surely, confidently. He opened his briefcase and got out his
schedule book. It was no use, he couldn't read the small print in the
poor lighting of the station. He rummaged for something that he would
be able to concentrate on. He was grateful when she spoke again.

"It was so stupid to start out tonight. I could have waited until
tomorrow. I'm not bound by a time clock or anything."

"That's just what I was thinking. I was afraid of being snowed in for
several days. We were at Sky Mount Ski Lodge, and everyone else was
cheering the storm's approach. Do you ski?"

"Some, not very well. The cold takes my breath away, hitting me in
the face like that."

He stared at her for a moment, opened his mouth to agree, then closed
it again. It was as if she was anticipating what he was going to say.
"Don't be so silly, Randy. All you have to do is wear the muter around
your mouth and nose. And the goggles on your eyes. Nothing is
exposed then. You're just too lazy to ski."

"Okay, lazy. I know this-I'm bored to death here. I haven't been warm
since we left the apartment, and my legs ache. That was a nasty fall I
had this morning. I'm sore. I have a headache from the glare of the
snow, and I think it's asinine to freeze for two hours in order to slide
down a mountain a couple of times. I'm going back to the city."

"But our reservation is through Saturday night. Paid in advance."