Greybeard was driving through mountain country, in no particular hurry: he was taking a few days break and just enjoying the drive and the scenery. The weather was closing in rapidly with dark, heavy storm clouds building up in the early dusk, and soon the rain was lashing down onto the car.
Greybeard could barely see through the screen even though his wipers were working flat out. The water was sluicing down the mountain sides and across the road, sometimes he had to negotiate new streams pouring across his path. The thunder was loud in his ears even over the car stereo and the flashes of lightning cut harshly through the gloom to reveal the devastation caused by the downpour.
Suddenly he saw the earth above the road, just ahead of him, slide down and spread across the road. He braked as quick as he could, the wheels slithering in the mud and the rain. There was a brilliant flash of light and deafening crack of thunder right behind him. He instinctively ducked then looked behind to see a tree in flames, falling across the road behind him.
He was trapped between the mudslide and tree, and the water was still washing debris and mud around the car: he could get swept away in another earthslip if he stayed in the car. Switching off the engine and lights, he grabbed his waterproofs and staggered away from the car. But where to go?
He had been traveling down the mountain so he decided maybe if he got higher the land might be more stable, so he clambered over the tree, now doused by the sheeting rain, steam hissing from the green wood. It was a wild night, the wind whipping up the corners of Greybeard's waterproofs.
He saw, through the rain and gloom, a lighted window glimmering in the distance and made for the only shelter around. The storm still raged and thundered, another close flash and crack of thunder made him flinch. When he looked up, the light was gone. He had the bearings, so continued his slithering progress. By the lightning he could see a log cabin ahead. Suddenly there was a soft yellowish light in the window.
Greybeard fought his way to the cabin and hammered on the door. He had to wait a while before the door opened an inch and an eye stared out at him. He had to shout to make himself heard above the wind. He asked for shelter from the storm. The eye looked him up and down then came to a decision.
Slowly the door opened to reveal a woman. "Attractive," thought Greybeard as he stepped inside. "Blonde," he noticed. She closed the door behind him and said with a giggle, "Get those waterproofs off, and the boots. You're dripping all over my rugs."
He removed them and passed them to her outstretched hand. She hung the waterproofs up on the door then turned and looked him up and down again in the dim light of an oil lamp. Indicating the lamp she said, "Generator mast's just blown down. Wind generator. And where did you come from?"
He told her he had been driving north when the storm hit. How he was blocked in by a landslide and fallen tree, how he had seen the light. "Where's the nearest motel or somewhere to stay?" he finished.
"Remember you passed through a small town 20 miles back? That's the nearest!" She shrugged. "Looks like you're stuck here. You can bunk down on the hearth rug. Can I offer you something to eat?"
Greybeard grinned, "Now you mention it, I haven't eaten since breakfast."
"Sit yourself down," she indicated a large comfortable chair to one side of a glowing log fire and passed him a towel to dry off. She busied herself in the kitchen section for a minute then placed a tray with two hunks of bread and butter, a small selection of cheeses and a glass of wine on his lap. "Can't eat cheese without wine!" she pronounced and sat opposite him with a similar tray.
