I started to make a self-effacing remark, stammered, and finally changed my mind and asked, "But how did you happen to come here?"
She sighed. "Business, I'm sorry to state. Jim O'Brien wants you at the lab. Thinks he's on the track of anti-grav—and here you have it already! Gee, Bill, it is getting cold in here!"
I hadn't noticed.
Just then the thermostat did notice, and the air-conditioning unit cut in. Warm air started to blow from the baseboard outlets.
"Bill—"
"Yeah," I answered, trajecting past the chitchat bench and wondering if by stretching real hard I could reach it on the next trip round and drag myself to it. Then, if it didn't come unplugged I could ground (now that was a silly thought!)—I could stop myself and maybe work out of the living room along the edge of the tacked-down carpet.
"Bill, if Helene doesn't come back, do you think, maybe—"
I thought, maybe.
Hey, was I imagining things or was my orbit changing? And was Gladys smiling more warmly?