Holman kissed her, his hands gentle on her back. "Well, here I am," he
said.
"Well, come in and we'll talk." She stepped slowly away from him and
went up into the ship.
Holman gathered up his suitcase and the rolled rug and followed her.
He looked in and all around the kitchen before he entered.
Nancy watched him over her shoulder while she got two china cups. She
grinned at him as he stepped into the room.
"I left the rug and my grip in the hall," Holman said and sat down in a
straight-backed chair. Stooping to retie his hiking shoes, he glanced
under the table. "Made it from the settlement in under four hours. Of
course, I took big steps."
"Would you like rum or whisky or something like that in your coffee?"
Nancy asked, touching the handle of the coffee pot.
"School teachers don't drink before sundown."
"You're on vacation."
"I'll wait. You go ahead, though."
Nancy set a cup in front of him and backed away. "You really have a
tent in that little suitcase? You're not trying to get me to put you up
here?"
"It's one of those monofilm ones." He pulled the cup closer to him and
it rattled in the saucer. "I told you my intentions in my letter. And
you said okay. So here I am to court you." Holman started to rise.
Nancy nodded him down. "I supposed it will be all right. I don't know."
She went back to the stove.
Holman stood and started toward Nancy. He was distracted by a clicking
sound in the hallway outside. As he turned to the entrance-way, a large
tan lion came in, its black-tipped tail swishing slowly.
Holman stopped as the lion crossed the kitchen between him and Nancy.
"Don't panic, Nancy," he said in a calm voice. "If nobody moves, it'll
go away."