Hadama passed up the tools first, watching with quiet concern as Maea made her way across the slanted roof with its slippery covering of snow. He would have offered to help, but he was not at all confident that he could maintain his balance under those conditions. And then, too, there was some concern about the roof holding his weight. He was no engineer, but he could see the weathering and age of the boards above the snow.
In a remarkably short time she had finished setting the nails, but he could hear the chattering of her teeth as she spoke. Once again he measured the span of the roof and did the mental math of the likelihood of damaging it with his weight. But instead of his usual thoughtful pause while he calculated the outcome he moved with alacrity to pass the end of the garland up to his friend. He walked along the front of the house in parallel to her, offering up more garland from his coil - and standing ready to catch her if she should fall.
"Will you fit in the hearth?" he called up, only half joking. "If I need to thaw you out?"
In a remarkably short time she had finished setting the nails, but he could hear the chattering of her teeth as she spoke. Once again he measured the span of the roof and did the mental math of the likelihood of damaging it with his weight. But instead of his usual thoughtful pause while he calculated the outcome he moved with alacrity to pass the end of the garland up to his friend. He walked along the front of the house in parallel to her, offering up more garland from his coil - and standing ready to catch her if she should fall.
"Will you fit in the hearth?" he called up, only half joking. "If I need to thaw you out?"
