OK. What do we have here?
This viewpoint character can detect things that we cannot. With "Something in his brain...," (p. 29) rather than with additional sense organs, he detects, as he approaches his cabin, metal, oil, rubber and plastic which he identifies as a newly arrived helicopter. There are also fragments of thought, nervous energy and cellular and molecular interactions. He identifies these "...vibrations of human presence..." (p. 30) as a single person and, more specifically, as an acquaintance named Margaret. This telepath (?) is an inventor who has devised an odourless repellant that keeps mosquitos away from his cabin.
Poul Anderson describes the "darkling" Alaskan forest in which:
"A faint evening breeze rustled the dark pines..." (ibid.)
The breeze is faint. Nothing threatening yet! However, our multi-talented hero is saddened, annoyed and dismayed by Margarets' arrival. Read on.
We discover yet again that it is possible to reread a story by Poul Anderson and to find many forgotten and interesting details.
This has been yet another breakfast post, folks.
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