Поющие в терновнике

           "Luke,Ican’tbearit!Please,canwegoback?"shegaspedafterlessthanamile.

           "Ifyouwant.You’refeelingthehumidity.Itrarelygetsbelowninetypercent,winterorsummer,andthetemperaturerarelygetsbeloweighty-fiveoraboveninety-five.There’snotmuchofaseasonalvariation,butinsummerthemonsoonssendthehumidityuptoahundredpercentalltheflamingtime."

           "Summerrain,notwinter?"

           "Allyearround.Themonsoonsalwayscome,andwhenthey’renotblowing,thesoutheasttradesare.Theycarryalotofrain,too.Dungloehasanannualrainfallofbetweenoneandthreehundredinches."

           Threehundredinchesofrainayear!PoorGillyecstaticifitgotaprincelyfifteen,whilehereasmuchasthreehundredfell,twothousandmilesfromGilly.

           "Doesn’titcooloffatnight?"Meggieaskedastheyreachedthehotel;hotnightsinGillywerebearablecomparedtothissteambath.

           "Notverymuch.You’llgetusedtoit."Heopenedthedoortotheirroomandstoodbackforhertoenter."I’mgoingdowntothebarforabeer,butI’llbebackinhalfanhour.Thatoughttogiveyouenoughtime."

           Hereyesflewtohisface,startled."Yes,Luke."

           Dungloewasseventeendegreessouthoftheequator,sonightfelllikeathunderclap;oneminuteitseemedthesunwasscarcelysetting,andthenextminutepitch-blackdarknessspreaditselfthickandwarmliketreacle.WhenLukecamebackMeggiehadswitchedoffthelightandwaslyinginthebedwiththesheetpulleduptoherchin.