'When we get to Polreath on Saturday, I'm going to do nothing,' said Anna.'I just want to sit and have cool drinks and read and watch the world go by.' 'Me too,' replied Stephen. It was the hottest summer for twenty years. It had started at the end of May. Everyone thought the heat would only last for a few days and then the rain would return, but this summer was different. 'And don't expect any intelligent conversation from me,' Anna continued. 'It'll take a day or two for me to become a member of the human race again!'
'Mm,' said Stephen, not really listening. 'What about this cottage we've booked, do you think it's going to be all right? To be honest, I'm a bit worried about it - we were so late making our decision and it was still vailable. Why didn't anyone else want it? It makes me think there must be something wrong with it.' Don't worry. I'm sure it'll be fine. And even if it's not, we'll still be away from here. Just think - three weeks by the sea, without any work. It sounds wonderful.' In the city the heat was uncomfortable. People were not used to high temperatures day after day. Journeys to work became hot and sweaty, and increasingly bad-tempered in
the crowded trains and buses. By the beginning of July, nobody could remember when it had last rained. Everywhere you looked seemed to be brown - the grass in the parks was burnt and most of the flowers had died. The sun was burning hot and the air seemed to be getting thicker and thicker. At the weekends, the place was empty as many people left for the countryside. But Stephen and Anna couldn't leave - not until the
weekend anyway.