Extreme Difference Read Online Free PDF Page A

door,’ Mop suggested, ‘but we don’t use it, as it is so cold. We keep it blocked off with a cover, or we’d all freeze to death.’
    Sandy looked at Nan, and he nodded.
    The next door cave had a small opening covered with a dark brown piece of cloth, stuck to the rim of the hole with what looked like pitch. Whatever it was, some of it transferred to Sandy’s hands as he tried to pull the cloth away from the opening, and Mop giggled at his failing attempts to remove the offending compound.
    She was right, the air in the cave was certainly chilly compared to the tunnel they were standing in, and when Sandy squeezed through the hole he found out why.
    ‘There’s a strong draft blowing from a hole in that corner, and it seems to go out of a hole in the top of the cave. Don’t know why it should be so cold though.’
    ‘How will we get the hot gas in there?’ asked Nan, still a little hesitant about the project, ‘it’s solid rock between the two caves.’
    ‘Perhaps we can knock a hole through,’ said Sandy, ‘and then make up a piece of pipe to connect up the steam supply,’ he paused before adding, ‘I think it should work.’
    They put the fabric cover back over the entrance to the cold cave, Sandy getting some more of the black sticky stuff on his hands, much to Mop’s amusement.
    ‘I’ll put your idea to the rest of the group when we have our evening meal.’ said Nan. ‘I’m sure they’ll be pleased to have an extra supply of water.’
    ‘Wouldn’t count on that,’ Sandy replied, as the men made their way back to the main cavern, ‘it’ll mean they might have to wash, and I can’t see that going down very well.’
    Sandy wanted to know just how hot it was outside during the day, so they went to the entrance of the cave complex, the radiating heat from the baking sands reaching them when they were still three metres from the opening.
    ‘My God, it’s lethal out there.’ was all he could think of saying. ‘But why is it so hot, surely it can’t be just the sun?’
    ‘I fear it is, but it does have one benefit, no one else can go out either, so that only leaves a short time in the early morning and late afternoon for raids, so we don’t have to keep watch all day. At night, it’s too cold, the sand freezes and you wouldn’t last more than a few minutes.’
    ‘If it’s that cold, how come you and I didn’t get frozen to death when you came to get me?’
    ‘Ah, that’s because it was near dawn time, and the temperature goes up a little then. The Great Light only comes to leave people at dawn, otherwise they would be frozen by the time we got to them.’ Nan was on home ground again, talking about things he knew well, and his self confidence returned.
    The rest of the time before the evening meal was taken up showing Sandy some more of the cave complex, the store rooms for their pitiful little collection of raw materials, and a crude weaving loom used for their garment manufacture.
    When the others had all trooped in for their evening sustenance, and the greasy bowls had been passed around and the contents consumed, Nan mentioned the possibility of the new water supply.
    Sadly, little enthusiasm was shown for this major breakthrough in their survival potential, two of the men mumbling something about going against the natural order of things, and the old elder wouldn’t have allowed it. When asked by Nan to be a little more explicit about their beliefs, they backed down, scowling at Sandy whom they considered to be the instigator of the blasphemy.
    Ben was asked about the possible supply of metal to make a connecting pipe to go between the two caves. He thought there might be some, but if there was not enough, a quick raid on their neighbours would probably solve the problem.
    ‘You mean, if you don’t have something you need, you just go and take it from other groups?’ asked a somewhat shaken Sandy.
    ‘They would do the same to us.’ Ben replied defensively, and the others