My mother had said that they couldn't do anything together while I was in the same room with them. I got up and went over and tried Kate's bedroom doo.... It was locked. I knocked on it. I heard some mad scrambling around and some heated but hushed whispering."It's only me Kate. I need to ask you girls a question. A minute later, Clara opened the door. She was naked from the waist down, and her shirt was all the way unbuttoned. She looked fantastic! Sexy as all get out. She stood there, one hand. I’m sort of glad that the last boom woke you up. I’ve been wanting to share this.”“How did you know I was awake?”“Your breathing changed.”A brilliant flash preceded another loud report. Rhee continued to breathe heavily or snore lightly, whichever it was. Then, Heather’s statement replayed in my mind.“You wanted to share this? Why?”“I love storms. There’s something just so ... so otherworldly about them, though I know that that adverb doesn’t really fit, given that storms are definitely of this. She always felt it was more sincere coming from another woman as they had nothing to gain by lying to you. It was good to start an evening with this kind of feeling. She handed her key to the obsequious Arab clerk, not even looking at him. The look he had given her, up and down her body, when he had brought the tea had not been forgotten and she decided that ignoring him completely was the best way to handle this.The Arab grinned to himself as the American girl disdainfully passed the keys to. "Perhaps something hot to drink?" said the Queen. "Should you likethat?" Yes please, your Majesty," said Edmund, whose teeth were chattering.The Queen took from somewhere among her wrappings a very small bottlewhich looked as if it were made of copper. Then, holding out her arm,she let one drop fall from it on the snow beside the sledge. Edmund sawthe drop for a second in mid-air, shining like a diamond. But themoment it touched the snow there was a hissing sound and there stood ajewelled cup.