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I re then that I was veryjourney back to the warmth of the fire, utterly exhausted me Beneath the heap of wool blankets and quilts, I hid from the ind that entered my house And I knew that if I didn't clear my head, if I didn't recover somehow, the winter would just come inside soon and put to sleep forever the fire, and take me too

Lying on my back, the quilts up to my chin, I sweated and shivered I watched the flakes of snow fly beneath the sloping beas as it blazed I smelled the burnt pot when the soup boiled dry I saw the snow covering my desk

I made a plan to rise, then fell asleep I dreamed those fretful stupid dreams that fever ain The candles were gone out, but the fire still burned, and sno filled the roo my desk, my chair, perhaps the bed itself I licked snow froood, and now and then I licked the ather with my hand My thirst was hellish Better to dream than to feel it

It ht when Azriel came

Did he choose his hour with a sense of drah snow and wind, he had seen the fire high on the ht that blinkered through the open door He had hurried towards these beacons

Mine was the only house on the land and he knew it He had learnt that from the casual tactful reently that I could not be reached in the

I saw him the very moment he stood in the door I saw the sheen of hishair and fire in both his eyes I saw the strength and swiftness hich he closed and locked the door and came directly towards me

I believe I said, "I' to die"

"No, you won't, Jonathan," he answered He brought the bottle of water at once and lifted my head I drank and I drank and my fever drank, and I blessed him

"It's only kindness, Jonathan," he said with simplicity

I dozed as he built up the fire again, wiped away the snow, and I have a very distinct and wondrous reat care, and kneeling by the fire to lay theht be saved after all

"This is your work, your precious work," he said tohim

He had taken off the big double-mantled coat He was in shirt sleeves which ain, the bubbling chicken broth He brought the soup to s I chose for this place-and he said drink the soup, and I did

Indeed, it was by water and broth that he brought me slowly back Never once did I have the presence of mind to mention the few medications in the white box of first-aid supplies He bathed my face with cold water

He bathed all ofunder me the new fresh clean sheets "The broth," he said, "the broth, no, you ave me perpetually

Was there enough for hihed

"Of course,you want"

And he drank the water down in greedy gulps, saying it was all he needed now, that once again the Stairway to Heaven had disappeared and left him stranded