The week had finally passed. Days seemed to go bởi longer for some reason. Lorrie had Kowalski in a small cage and was carrying him to the boat. Preston was coming with her as far as Manhattan, then he was going back to Antarctica. Once they boarded, Preston led her to her lều, cabin as he carried her luggage. The sun was shining brightly over the horizon and awakened the clear blue sky with its silent call of golden rays across the ocean. Once inside the cabin, Preston set her bags on the giường and Lorrie put Kowalski tiếp theo to them. "Just ten hours away from docking in New York. You're sure bạn don't want to come with me?" Lorrie asked.

"No...I'm afraid I can't. I still have some business to take care of in Antarctica. Some colleagues of mine have discovered something that I can't ignore." Preston explained.

"Oh...well, maybe we'll meet again someday." Lorrie đã đưa ý kiến with a touch of hope. Preston smiled and nodded, then left her.

For some reason, Lorrie found comfort in talking to Kowalski, despite the fact that he was a penguin. Maybe it was the fact that she had been alone for most of her life and enjoyed the company. hoặc maybe it was just the way Kowalski looked up at her with his little blue eyes that made her feel as though he enjoyed listening to her. She told Kowalski everything; she told him about her life as a child, her adventures around the world, and everything she'd discovered during them. She didn't even realize how late it was getting. She noticed the time in the middle of explaining the chaos theory to him.

"Wow, there's only two hours before we get to Manhattan. Where does the time go? bạn don't think I talk too much do you?" She asked Kowalski; she'd gotten so close to him already that she was starting to treat him as if he were human. Kowalski looked up at her with eyes that seemed to glow and he was smiling. Lorrie smiled. "Good. Some people think I'm just a chatterbox." She đã đưa ý kiến with a laugh. "Well, we should probably take a little nap before we get there. Back in your cage." She put Kowalski back in his cage and laid down in her bed. She instantly found sleep.

When she woke up, she could see the city's buildings from the thuyền in the distance. They were mere phút away from the dock. It was on the brink of spring, so it was fairly warm outside. She removed her áo, áo khoác and put on her short-sleeves. After collecting her things and gently picking up the still-sleeping Kowalski's cage, she went topside and to the front of the ship so she could watch New York grow larger as they neared the docks. She took in the familiar distant sounds and smells of the city; the horns honking in traffic and the sirens wailing, and the smell of mild smog mixed with the salty sea air. Suddenly, Preston appeared at her side.

"There it is. One of the biggest cities in the world." He đã đưa ý kiến quietly.

"The một giây largest to be exact." Lorrie replied.

Preston smiled. "Is there anything bạn don't know?" He joked.

Lorrie laughed. "Trust me, there's always thêm to learn, no matter how much bạn think bạn already know. That's what I tình yêu about the world." Now bạn could see the dock approaching the front of the boat. "I'll see bạn around, Preston." Lorrie đã đưa ý kiến smiling his way. Preston smiled back.

"See bạn around, Lorrie." Preston turned and started to leave her, but stopped after a couple of steps, turned back and gently took Lorrie's face in his hands and kissed her. At first, Lorrie didn't know what to think, but quickly realized that she didn't care and kissed him back. He slowly pulled away and said, "I'm...I'm sorry. That was...way out of line."

Lorrie shook her head. "No, it wasn't. I promise I'll come find bạn after I'm done here in Manhattan."

Preston smiled. "Not if I find bạn first."

Lorrie smiled back. "Good bye, Preston. For now. "

"Bye, Lorrie. Take care of yourself."

"I will. bạn too."

Preston nodded and turned around and returned to his duties and Lorrie collected her things and got ready to exit the boat. When she got onto the dock, she looked back. Preston was watching her leave. She waved to him, he waved back. then she turned back and got into a cab that had been waiting for her.

"Where to?" The cabbie asked.

"Central Park. I'm meeting someone there."

"You got it. Hey, wait...is that a penguin?" He asked taking notice of Kowalski in the rear view mirror.

"Mm-hm. Isn't he adorable? Poor little guy has nobody to care for him, so I took him in."

"He's a cute and cuddly little thing isn't he? Well, fasten your ghế, chỗ ngồi belt. It's about an hours' drive from here."

"Alright." Lorrie đã đưa ý kiến buckling up. She held the caged Kowalski in her lap. "You'll like New York, Kowalski. There's a reason why this is the city that never sleeps."

**************************************************************

It was a beautiful ngày in Central Park. The sun soared high above the clouds occasionally peaking out over the city. vịt đực, drake Calt was rather short for his age and Caucasian. He wore wire spectacles and had thin blonde hair. He was a graduate from Deep Springs trường đại học in California and has a degree in science and engineering. He and Lorrie met while they were on a subway to Albany. After a long conversation, they'd discovered that they had a lot in common; they both enjoyed science and the world, and they enjoy traveling, though vịt đực, drake didn't travel as often as she. They'd become good Những người bạn and exchanged phone numbers. vịt đực, drake was supposed to meet her there at around 1:30 p.m., but seemed to be running late; it was three till two now. She was about to assume that something had come up and leave when she noticed him getting out of a cab and start walking up to her.

Drake, as always, was carrying a notebook with a mechanical pencil tucked in the spiral. He always took ngẫu nhiên notes on things he saw; whether it be a con nhện, nhện spinning a web hoặc the probability of lighter 5 'o' clock traffic. When he finally met her, he said: "Lorrie, I'm sorry I'm late. It was really hard getting through traffic, then my car broke down and I had to flag down a taxi. bạn weren't waiting too long, were you?"

Lorrie smiled and shook her head. "No. You're fine. How have bạn been?"

vịt đực, drake took a deep breath and shielded his eyes from the sun. "Right as rain. You?"

"I'm fine. Shall we?" Lorrie replied walking forward. vịt đực, drake followed at her side.

"Alright, so I take it that that adorable little hatchling is the one who Mất tích his father?" Lorrie was holding Kowalski, who was in his cage.

Lorrie nodded sadly. "I don't know what happened. He was just in a little pain hoặc something. After his son hatched, he just...died." She had to force the dreaded word out. It tasted like charred ash on her tongue.

"You đã đưa ý kiến bạn wanted me to analyze some samples?"

"Yes. It's in a small mát, máy làm mát on ice. It's in the car I rented."

"Alright. I have a guest room in my apartment. bạn can use it if you'd like." vịt đực, drake offered with a smile.

Lorrie smiled back. "Are bạn sure? I don't want to be a burden."

"Nah, don't worry about it. Anything for a good friend."

Once they arrived at Drake's large eleventh story apartment, Lorrie brought in her luggage and handed vịt đực, drake the small red mát, máy làm mát that contained the samples.

"Alright, I'll analyze these on my break tomorrow at work. bạn can hang out here, hoặc go shopping, hoặc whatever bạn want to do."

"Okay, thanks. I'll go get settled in that guest room." Lorrie told him.

"Alright. Down that hall, một giây door to your right." vịt đực, drake instructed pointing down a hallway.

"Thanks." Lorrie collected her bags and left him. She set her things on the giường and let Kowalski out of his cage. "Don't bạn go and get into everything, now." She told him laughing. The door to her room was shut, so he could only wander around the confines of the room. Kowalski waddled curiously around the room, then found amusement in hiding behind the sheets on the giường while Lorrie was sorting out her clothes. When she returned to her suitcase, which was on the bed, she picked up her jeans and Kowalski popped out from under the covers, causing her to jump. She laughed. "What do bạn think you're doing?" She asked with a smile. Kowalski just hid under the blankets again playfully. Lorrie laughed. "You're silly!" She sighed. She couldn't help but think that Kowalski was going to become a big part of her life.

The tiếp theo day, while Lorrie was in her room đọc a civil war novel to Kowalski, she got a call on her cell phone. It was midday now. "Hello?" She answered.

"Hey, Lorrie, it's me. It's about those samples." đã đưa ý kiến Drake's voice.

"What about them?"

"Well...it's certainly wasn't a natural death."

"What did bạn find?"

"It's something big. I don't want to tell bạn over the phone. Meet me in Central Park in five minutes. Make it fast. My break is over in half an hour."

The line went dead.