The ferry journey
The bridge had again closed in storms, and Elizabeth was again forced to take the ferry. She brought a cup of coffee across the rocking cabin, (1) ________ as the boiling fluid seeped out from under the lid and on to her hand. The heating was turned up (2) ________ and most of the passengers in the cabin seemed on the (3) ________ of unconsciousness as they looked out of the porthole at the islands sliding (4) ________ below them. Elizabeth had telephoned the manager of the hostel, who told her that Brennan rarely agreed to interviews, but that he would see her if she came. She felt excited by the (5) ________ of actually meeting someone from that profession. She would be like a researcher who, after working from written accounts, finally (6) ________ hands on living source material. She had an unclear (7) ________ of Brennan in her imagination, although she knew he would be old and, (8) ________ from what the manager had said, withdrawn.