THE TERRACE
683
Bob reminded her that it was not the first time she had flown
with him. "That isn't what I meant," she admonished.
The airplane rose. Immediately they were flying above the
clouds which they could see underneath illumined by the moon.
She said: "Maybe my husband is dead and his ghost is wander–
ing around up here." Bob, in a less lugubrious mood, repeated:
"The night will be as long as you wish."
Underneath them the earth was a confused mass, the cities
looked like small handfuls of yellow, white, and green lights.
They reached San Francisco before midnight. It was stilI
eleven o'clock there. The mechanics refueled the plane. Matilda
was excited by the adventure and Bob asked her:
"Do you want to rest?"
He was referring to the rest rooms. She said no and they
returned to the plane. Matilda remarked: "I've heard there are
Chinese in San Francisco, but I don't see any."
Again they were airborne, over the sea.
"I don't know what
all
this is for," she remarked.
"Yes, you do," he said. "Now we're on our way to Hono–
lulu."
They were flying very high and Bob had her put on a mask
connected to a tank of compressed oxygen. The taciturn Bob
then initiated one of those monosyllabic dialogues which were
his
specialty.
"All right?"
"Yes."
"Dizzy?"
"No."
"Your ears?"
"AIl right."
"What are you thinking of?"
"Nothing."
"Really nothing?"
"Really, why?"
Bob sighed:
