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‘Not very,’ Holly said, looking over at the battered ice as station office ‘Does that thing work?’

‘Aye-up, it works, though why you’d be wantin’ ice in the dead of winter is beyond me’

Holly thought of the big ice chest she’d crammed into the trunk It was stuffed with shrimp, lobsters, lobster tails, butter, claht of trying to explain all that to the old man

‘I’ve got so off the details ‘And I figure, just in case they forgot to clean out the freezer and turn it on, up in the cabin…’

‘Cabin on North Mountain?’ The old guy looked at her as if she were certifiably insane ‘Is that where you’re goin’?’

‘Uh-huh’ Holly popped open the trunk, dropped coins into the ice s of cubes ‘You just about finished there?’

‘Won’t have much worry about the freezer bein’ on, Missy Storm like the one that’s comin’, you won’t have no power at all Assumin’ you’ll make it to the top, that is, which you most likely won’t’

Holly shut the ice chest, then the trunk, and wiped her gloved hands on her wool slacks

‘Ever a font of good cheer,’ she said brightly ‘Okay, how much do I owe you?’

‘Chains’

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘Chains,’ the old guy said Holly held out a twenty-dollar bill, and he took it froht to have a cah with four-wheel drive’

‘I’ve driven up the mountain before,’ Holly replied politely ‘I’ll be fine’