We did not realize what a luxury it was having the refuge to ourselves. Even the gardien had figured no one would be crazy enough to be there. The hot food, the dry room, and the increasing temperature were better than any five-star hotel. It got so hot that we were tempted to open the door to the next room.
Figure 5: Rocks, trees, clouds. But then more rocks and more clouds
The only niggle to mar the perfection were the leaks in the roof, which were in every room, and quietly funneling rain-water into a considerable number of mattresses. And Martha's sleeping bag. Once discovered however, the stove rapidly reversed the process, and we all got to bed in good time. But the day was not quite over yet. No sooner were we in bed than the wind got up. No problem, in fact, great news. This would undoubtedly blow the cloud cover away and leave the sun for us to enjoy on the morrow. My bag soon got warm and snug. One of my favorite moments: lying in a warm bed, listening to the wind and the rain. But the wind did cause the shutters to start to swing and bang. A voice broke the cozy darkness. "Are you going to be able to sleep with that banging?" Well I'm sure I've heard a more loaded question in my time, but I certainly don't remember when. There was nothing for it but to get up and fix the problem.
Figure 6: Alf and Martha test-driving their ponchos
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I fiddled around inside to no avail--I would have to go outside. Having got outside I discovered the reverse was true too: it took two people to close the shutters, one to swing them shut and hold them, and the other to fasten them from the inside.
Fortunately, as I made this discovery, my lamp shone straight in Alf's face. He was remarkably civil about being woken in this abrupt fashion, and together we went round the whole building fastening everything that moved. I rounded the last corner and found one more small window, which I could close from the outside. As I did so, something very large and very near moved in the darkness behind me. My body froze, but my head, completely out of my control, spun round. Reflected in the light from my torch, and not three meters away, was a huge red eyeball: my favorite nightmare. The eyeball and I stared at each other, terrified, for one brief moment, and then the horse bolted. Right then and there I shed most of the weight I was going to lose during the next ten days. |
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