the round coin object at the center of her forehead, and the molded plastic parts curled over her ears.
"How's that, comfortable?"
Kris adjusted it slightly, making sure her hair was straight. She nodded.
"Okay, now, you'll hear two different sounds. One is a high-pitched beep — a screamer. The other is a low bass tone. It's constant; it gets louder or softer depending on how close something is to you. Listen."
He took her hand. They began to walk.
The bass tone was barely audible at first, then gradually increased in volume as they crossed the floor. Kris walked through the dark, listening to the tone. It grew louder, and louder, and louder, until she instinctively raised her arm out in front of her.
She touched the wall. "Wow!" A smile came to her face.
Josh laughed. "That's how you 'see' walls!"
Kris felt a surge of excitement, as if a door had been suddenly thrown open inside her. "This is so cool!" she said.
Josh held her arm and began turning her. Kris's whole body tingled to his touch. "Now turn slowly in a full circle. The tone will be loud or soft, depending on the direction you're facing and your distance from whatever objects are in front of you."
As she faced away the low tone fell off to the faintest hum, and then slowly came back louder as she continued turning and faced the wall.
The smile hadn't left her. "You said there was a second sound?"
"The high-pitched 'beeps.' They're produced by an infra-red sensor that's wired into the ear band. It's omni-directional: it'll pick up heat signals from anywhere around you. Here," he said, bringing her hand up to the button that turned it on. "Press that."
She pressed the button and a high-pitched "beep" sounded in her ears.
Josh continued: "Let's say another skier is coming full on at you. The beeps will increase in volume and frequency the closer he gets. Wait here, don't move, I'll show you."
She heard him walking away behind her.
"Now turn around," he shouted from far across the room.
She turned and faced the direction of his voice. She heard a high-pitched beep... beep... beep grow louder, and louder, and faster, and faster — BEEP-BEEP-BEEP — BEEP — BEEP — until suddenly Josh's hands touched her shoulders. She shrieked with delight. Josh laughed again, a long soft laugh.
"Let's see how good you are," he said. "Cover your ears and count to ten. Then come looking for me."
She turned around, put her hands over her ears, and started counting out loud. When she reached ten, she turned back. Walking forward, she listened for the high-pitched beeps as the infra-red detector scanned the room. She began hearing a faint beeping sound when she veered toward the right. As she continued toward it, the sound grew louder and faster. When she thought she was right on him she reached out quickly — and grabbed the back of a chair.
Josh giggled. She lunged around the chair, grabbed his arm with a shriek of laughter. "Got you!" she shouted.
Josh held her hand, laughing. "You sure did," he said. "What do you think? How about trying it on the slope?"
She hesitated, but only a moment. "Okay. I'll try it," she said, wishing he would never let go of her hand.
13.
Chief Adashek stood shivering outside the entrance to the Control Tower, struggling to button his sport coat against the bitter cold. He hadn't bothered to put on his parka; he'd just come out for some air. Wasn't it the smokers who were supposed to go outside?
He noticed a bumper sticker on an old pickup parked across the lot: "EAT MOOSE - 10,000 WOLVES CAN'T BE WRONG." Above the lot, in the window of the terminal building, two uniformed cops were waving to him. They'd brought the police van, and decided that if it was going to be a long wait, it should be in an area where flight attendants might happen past.
Adashek gave up trying to close his jacket, and settled for folding his arms snugly across his barrel chest. As he watched his breath take form in the cold air, the thought occurred to him
"How's that, comfortable?"
Kris adjusted it slightly, making sure her hair was straight. She nodded.
"Okay, now, you'll hear two different sounds. One is a high-pitched beep — a screamer. The other is a low bass tone. It's constant; it gets louder or softer depending on how close something is to you. Listen."
He took her hand. They began to walk.
The bass tone was barely audible at first, then gradually increased in volume as they crossed the floor. Kris walked through the dark, listening to the tone. It grew louder, and louder, and louder, until she instinctively raised her arm out in front of her.
She touched the wall. "Wow!" A smile came to her face.
Josh laughed. "That's how you 'see' walls!"
Kris felt a surge of excitement, as if a door had been suddenly thrown open inside her. "This is so cool!" she said.
Josh held her arm and began turning her. Kris's whole body tingled to his touch. "Now turn slowly in a full circle. The tone will be loud or soft, depending on the direction you're facing and your distance from whatever objects are in front of you."
As she faced away the low tone fell off to the faintest hum, and then slowly came back louder as she continued turning and faced the wall.
The smile hadn't left her. "You said there was a second sound?"
"The high-pitched 'beeps.' They're produced by an infra-red sensor that's wired into the ear band. It's omni-directional: it'll pick up heat signals from anywhere around you. Here," he said, bringing her hand up to the button that turned it on. "Press that."
She pressed the button and a high-pitched "beep" sounded in her ears.
Josh continued: "Let's say another skier is coming full on at you. The beeps will increase in volume and frequency the closer he gets. Wait here, don't move, I'll show you."
She heard him walking away behind her.
"Now turn around," he shouted from far across the room.
She turned and faced the direction of his voice. She heard a high-pitched beep... beep... beep grow louder, and louder, and faster, and faster — BEEP-BEEP-BEEP — BEEP — BEEP — until suddenly Josh's hands touched her shoulders. She shrieked with delight. Josh laughed again, a long soft laugh.
"Let's see how good you are," he said. "Cover your ears and count to ten. Then come looking for me."
She turned around, put her hands over her ears, and started counting out loud. When she reached ten, she turned back. Walking forward, she listened for the high-pitched beeps as the infra-red detector scanned the room. She began hearing a faint beeping sound when she veered toward the right. As she continued toward it, the sound grew louder and faster. When she thought she was right on him she reached out quickly — and grabbed the back of a chair.
Josh giggled. She lunged around the chair, grabbed his arm with a shriek of laughter. "Got you!" she shouted.
Josh held her hand, laughing. "You sure did," he said. "What do you think? How about trying it on the slope?"
She hesitated, but only a moment. "Okay. I'll try it," she said, wishing he would never let go of her hand.
13.
Chief Adashek stood shivering outside the entrance to the Control Tower, struggling to button his sport coat against the bitter cold. He hadn't bothered to put on his parka; he'd just come out for some air. Wasn't it the smokers who were supposed to go outside?
He noticed a bumper sticker on an old pickup parked across the lot: "EAT MOOSE - 10,000 WOLVES CAN'T BE WRONG." Above the lot, in the window of the terminal building, two uniformed cops were waving to him. They'd brought the police van, and decided that if it was going to be a long wait, it should be in an area where flight attendants might happen past.
Adashek gave up trying to close his jacket, and settled for folding his arms snugly across his barrel chest. As he watched his breath take form in the cold air, the thought occurred to him
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