LUCERNE STATION

 

Waiting room, at minus twelve. Perched on frozen metal, but out of the biting wind. Automatic doors open and in flies a limping pigeon.( Flies first, then limps.) Struts about in front of the line of seats. Somebody asks it if it's got a ticket. A family comes in with three plastics sleds, two children and one dog. The dog, on an extendible lead, eventually meets the pigeon. Everyone at Ice Station Minus Twelve cheers up. The community of station waiters unites to co-ordinate

 

a) dog (small, white and jumping)

b) pigeon (large, grey and leap-frogging)

and c) doors (glass, sliding, automatic).

 

Doors finally open on approach of adult, rather than of dog, but not quite fast enough for self-launching pigeon, which now limps on both feet.