Flying

by Pam Uphoff

Holy One. I've heard of Cool Speed. And now I'm seeing it.

  Ding.

  The women stepped apart and bowed.

  Deim was wide-eyed. "How did you do that?"

  "I didn't. You did. I just led the way, with you firmly trying to not lose your temper. I've got to say you're one of the easiest students I've ever had." She grinned over at Imde. "You ready to try, Professor?"

  "Yeah . . . so I try to keep a hold on my temper?"

  "Umm, or relax because this is just an easy review, not a competition."

  "Review. Heh. Remedial class. I have to teach one every semester. Keeps me humble, the Department head says." Imde bowed with her.

  And had a nice quiet bit of exercise, longer than usual, and he was well aware that this skinny woman was being gentle. Which didn't help the anger control. And fighting down the temper was distracting . . .

  Ding.

  He bowed. Rael bowed, grinning. "Very nice. Level three easily."

  "What?"

  Deim snorted. "Didn't you even notice? You always were quick as a snake. Haven't lost it."

  "But . . . "

  Rael giggled. "You must have noticed that that felt longer than the usual."

  "Yessss . . . that can't have been just three minutes." Did I just do that Cool Speed? Why didn't I know about it? Why do they always try to make your temper snap so you can reach Speed?

  "Is that . . . one of the characteristics of . . . those genes you're studying?"

  "It could be. You two picked that up faster than anyone trained to lose his temper that I've ever seen. Right, Scar?"

  One of the watchers grinned and made a rude gesture.

  Rael giggled. "I do believe it's time for flying lessons. Imde, Deim, you can come and observe if you'd like. Don't worry, though. We won't expect you to try this until the Magic teachers have evaluated you."

  Chapter Seven

  2 Yusef 1404 yp

  Paris, One World

  "Rael?" Izzo teetered on the edge of a platform of new-looking raw lumber. "Why are you the one teaching this class instead of Isakson?"

  Why do I have to do this in front of an audience that includes Urfa and a whole lot of good looking women?

  Rael raised her eyebrows and looked over her shoulder at the old Warrior. "Why is that?"

  Isakson snorted. "Large heavily muscled men do not fly well. I will never die in a long fall, but that is the best I can say about it. Izzo is wiry enough that I suspect he'll be the only man here to fly well."

  "And I'm teaching because I can fly? Sort of?" Rael eyed the old man. "Have there really been woman warriors in the past?"

  "You are improving rapidly. And there have been a few women worthy of the name. None-the-less they served in ways best suited to them. Scouts, both on the ground and in the air. Snipers. And yes, honey traps and assassins."

  "Huh. Right, Izzo stop procrastinating and throw yourself off the table. After you enlarge those wings. Push them way out to both sides."

  Way out. The wind caught them, producing lift. He leaned into the wind, which whisked his feet out from under him, and blew him backwards just enough that his legs landed on the platform, with way too much weight hanging over. He scrambled for a grip under the table, found a tenuous fingerhold on a cross support and held on long enough to somersault off the table and land mostly on his butt.

  "Huh. Not even bleeding. I'm impressed. Now get up there and do it again."

  I learned basic shields. I learned to switch on the Speed. I . . . am abysmally trained in magic in all other ways. It didn't used to be useful for much more.

  "Right. I am beginning to suspect there are going to be magic lessons in my future." He vaulted back up to the platform, and spread his wings again. This time he tried springing forward as he pushed against the ground. He . . . swooped.

  Stalled and crashed. At least he was barely a meter off the ground by then. Almost managed to get his feet down.

  "Excellent. Now think about it while Xiat tries." Rael grinned at her friend, now an analyst with Interior, although, like Izzo she usually got called into Urfa's ingroup meetings.

  "I read a book on flying last night. Attack angles and wing cross-sections, banking and steering . . . " Xiat trotted up the steps and spread her arms. "I'm going to pretend it'll work without an actual airplane . . . "

  Izzo watched as Xiat called up her shield wings. Carefully draped and shaped them, anchored them to her ankles. Leaned gradually into the wind as she extended the shield wings. Gave a good push as she lifted off. Kept pushing, shifted her pushing points quickly and easily . . . Climbed . . . couldn't reach the ground with her push and turned into a leaf in the wind.

  He could see the shield that Rael threw out, slanted, curved at the bottom. She staggered as Xiat hit and slid. Shields being as close to frictionless as made no difference, Xiat slid very well, right up the upturned end and off.

  Xiat twisted in midair, and got in a couple of pushes before she hit. Feet first and rolled, stopped and clutched her ankle.

  Izzo huffed out a relieved breath as he knelt beside her. Barely aware of having sprinted there.

  "You know, that could be fun, once we work on the landings." She grinned up at Izzo. "I fly better than you do, but you win the landing contest."

  Rael was the second one there. "One! I thought I was about to lose a student on my first day of teaching. Broken?"

  "Sprained, I think."

  And Urfa was there shaking his head. "And I use to be alarmed at the way you guys bash each other around in the dojo."

  Rael couldn't even summon up a giggle.

  Urfa eyed her. "Brave enough to give me a lesson?"

  Izzo snorted as every guard in hearing range stiffened and focused on her.

  "No. My job is to protect you, not help you risk your neck."

  Puur glided up beside them. "I'd love to give it a try." Her blue eyes twinkled.

  "Umm, can you hold shields and push at the same time?" Rael glanced at Urfa, and away, apparently trying to ignore Urfa's glower. Failed. Giggled. "Don't worry boss. Eleven more years and I'll be glad to let you risk your neck."

  He shook his head. "This job stinks. Don't break my Princess please, this one's competent."

  Puur crashed twice, achieving a very brief flight, before ruefully deciding that perhaps she should stick to airplanes.

  Bunny, who was a secretary in Government House, had come with them. Half eager and half apprehensive. Stepped up to try. "It's not like a bird, or even a plane, it's more like a kite." She shot an apprehensive glance toward Xiat. Hobbling while leaning on Izzo's shoulder.

  Rael nodded. "Xiat surely looked like a kite that had broken its string." She frowned . . . "Do we need strings, instead of pushes? A long thin pull?"

  "Oooo, ooooo! I'll try that." Bunny scrambled up to the platform. Her eyes focused on a point well ahead of her. Wings . . . She lifted off, rising as she was blown back, her pull not strong enough to hold her. She floated up and sideways, over the barn, feet dragging as the roof rose. She lost the pull as she was blown across the peak of the roof. And had sense enough to drop the shields and thump down on the roof. She rolled out of sight down the far side.

  Izzo bolted around the end of the barn, summoning Speed to get there as Bunny rolled off the roof and onto—into—the mountain of manure and soiled wood shavings awaiting removal . . .

  Rael was a bare step behind him and started giggling as Bunny sat up and looked around.

  "Eww, eww, eww! Tell me I did not fall into horse poop!"

  Wsca sprinted forward to help her flounder out of the pile. "You did not fall into horse poop."

  "Liar. Eww!"

  "Umm, I just happen to have a shower handy . . . "

  Rael snorted. "Well, that was a good idea. Might need some work."

  "Ha!" Bunny spit. "Ewww! Go right ahead, and I'd stay and watch you try, but I feel an urgent need for large volumes of hot water and soap!"

  Izzo walked back to Xiat . . . thinking. "You gu
ys . . . you've learned magic in the Princess School, or the Directorate School, or the Military. I . . . had basic classes for shields. Learned Speed in fencing salles. Picked up a few things here and there, instinctively. And that's it. No theory, no science, nothing fancy or different. Or difficult."

  Xiat eyed him uncertainly. "You're very strong."

  "Yes, but I haven't got the tools to do the job of a Warrior. So . . . " Oh Hell. Am I really going to do this? He looked around and spotted Isakson watching him. "Where does a man of mature years go for magic lessons?"

  Isakson grinned, showing blunt stained teeth. "Here. Since you're getting so high-and-mighty, we'll fit the lessons in around your work schedule."

  ***

  Rael walked back to her sort-of-siblings. "Doesn't that look like fun?"

  Deim gave her an incredulous look. "Rael! Everyone crashed!

  Rael giggled. And jumped up on the platform.

  Reached out as far as she could and held a solid, firm pull. Wings out and the wind snatched her off the platform and higher than she'd gotten yet. She could feel herself wobbling, tipping . . . A kite without a tail! She managed a long shield behind . . . and a vertical extension like a plane's tail . . . because as soon as she let go of the kite string . . .

  I need to go nose down and glide properly. She bent her knees and twisted her hands . . . almost went too far . . . let go.

  Fell. Head down. Twist the wings the other way just a bit, leveling out, and swooping back up, not too far. A nice level glide. Turning . . . Right. Planes banked.

  She wobbled through a turn, losing altitude . . . Uh Oh going downwind, no kiting here . . . green lawn . . . push, push, push. Crash. She rolled a few times, stopped and sat up. Dizzy.

  "Woohoo! Now that was flying!"

  Chapter Eight

  3 Yusef 1404 yp

  Paris, One World

  Imde bowed to Rael and staggered off the mats.

  "So, you two want flying lessons?"

  "Rael . . . you do know you're insane, right?" Deim was fanning herself, having already had her lesson in Speed.

  Rael just grinned. "So. C'mon out to the junkyard. We'll just see what other training you've had—in a safe environment. You too Izzo."

  Izzo looked skeptical. "I'm afraid I'll need the beginner's lessons."

  "Tsk. I've seen you do a lot of things. We can just test to see . . ." Rael paused, looking at two women who'd just walked in. "Or maybe not. The real teachers have just arrived."

  The older woman smiled. "Good morning, Rael. So, you have some 'interesting' students for us?"

  "Dr. Tease, so they dragged you out from behind your desk? Must have been a tough fight."

  Snort, with a gleam of humor. "As you well know, I jumped at the chance to get away."

  The other princess eyed Deim, Imde, and raised her eyebrows at Izzo. "What do we have here?"

  "Sorry, my manners! Princess Teez, Princess Fues, may I present Professor of Math Imde Withione New York, Micromanufacturer Deim Withione New York, and Regional Analyst Izzo Withione Alcairo."

  Princess Fues grinned. "For a one week intensive evaluation and training session. Well, the three of you certainly have an interesting feel." She pinned Izzo down with a stare. "You're a priest."

  "No, but I have the gene." Izzo stared back. Solid determined resistance.

  "Third son?"

  "No. My father was, and moved to a colony and didn't register my birth."

  Damn, now that was a good idea.

  "Humph. You feel like a Priest." Both princesses turned to Imde. "And you feel strong, in an unfamiliar way."

  Rael cleared her throat. "If we may continue this in less public surroundings?"

  Rael's office in the mansion had Imde sighing in envy. Big. Wood paneling, a huge screen on one wall, a beautiful mahogany desk.

  They all sat around the matching mahogany table while explanations and questions flew. That picture up on the screen. Imde turned his back on his biofather's image and faced the music.

  "You deliberately suppressed your magic?"

  "Yes. So maybe they wouldn't take me."

  They both looked affronted.

  Izzo's turn to be the focus of disapproval. "When you turned eighteen, it was your duty to register yourself. There was still time to activate the gene."

  "The cost was much too high." Izzo crossed his arms and stared right back at the women.

  Rael giggled. "He's a cop, a lawyer, a psychologist and the Regional Analyst. You won't be able to manipulate him and make him feel guilty."

  Double sighs. Fues shook her head. "You should know. We couldn't even make you pretend to feel bad over flunking classes."

  Imde raised his eyebrows.

  "Basic Poisons. Icky." Rael grinned. "Flunked twice."

  The old princess snorted. "I had to intervene to allow her to take it a third time. My top Magics student! And she just giggled."

  Rael giggled.

  Both Princesses sighed.

  Fues looked at Deim. "I checked your records. You received an invitation to the Princess School."

  Imde gawped at his sister. "You did? Why didn't you go?"

  She blushed. "I'm not . . . I'm shy and I have no desire to manipulate men, and I like doing things, making things. Not . . . sitting around watching some stupid politician and wondering if I'd ever have to kill him."

  Teez nodded. "Very wise. Not the right psychological mindset for a Princess. So, you're the only one with actual formal magical training."

  Her eyes swung back to Izzo.

  "My parents gave me the basics when they had the time. Mental and physical shields. And unnoticeable. First for watching wild animals with my dad, then hunting. Plus I picked up a lot of things, fencing. Speed. I can detect spells, and usually figure out what they do . . . but most of my attempts to do them myself have been absolute flops."

  "Humph! Well, then, Fussy it looks like you have two beginners. I'll see if Deim can expand her repertoire."

  ***

  Imde spent an hour sweating in the sun. Mental shields up and down. Trying to sop up the power in the heat of the sun . . . and getting yelled at.

  "Bloody stupid man! Crippling yourself like that. HEAT IS POWER! SOAK IT UP, DAMMIT!"

  Izzo at least didn't get yelled at.

  "Mental and physical shields. A shield piercing spell? That's it? No sleep, no stun? What about slice?"

  "No, Ma'am."

  She glared. Izzo looked politely curious.

  "Right. Well, time for the lecture. Straight out of Basic Magic, so I have it memorized." Fuse sighed. "Magic falls into four loose categories. Mental, Physical, Electromagnetic, and Perceptional. We have not yet determined if Dimensional fits into one or more categories or is an all new one."

  "So . . . "

  Sopping up the lecture was easier than sopping up sunshine.

  ***

  After they were dismissed, Imde followed Izzo back into the Black Horse Barracks. They grabbed drinks and found some comfortable chairs.

  "I've never worked so hard at absolutely nothing." Imde stretched his legs out.

  Izzo flopped into another chair. "Yes. The lecture was interesting, though. I hadn't realized magic was so logically laid out."

  "Yes. Nice and neat. Now if only I could actually do it . . . " Imde sipped hot coffee. "I just . . . I'm perfectly happy being a math professor. I spend my off time at the beach, surfing."

  "Surfing? Tried it once, didn't drown." Izzo grinned. "I grew up around people who thought the ocean was where you caught fish, not a playground."

  "I grew up in Gate City. Loved swimming, but that was just in a pool. When I interviewed for a lecture position in Cape Town, that was the first time I remember seeing the ocean. I had planned a few extra days for sightseeing, and spent it all on the beach, wading out and swimming in the breakers."

  "You sound homesick."

  "Yeah, silly isn't it?" He yawned. "Just got in this morning."

  "You've never marrie
d?"

  "No. I grew up thinking I'd be taken away and . . . never thought that a marriage was possible. Humped everything available, figuring it wouldn't last."

  Izzo nodded. "I was so afraid of having a son, I was . . . what, sixty-four when I lost my virginity? Something like that."

  "Yeah. I'm paranoid about keeping my anti-fertility shots up-to-date. Horrible way to grow up, expecting doom at ten years of age." Imde eyed the man. "Why psychology? Is it useful for a cop?"

  "I was trying to understand criminal motives . . . which mostly came down to poor impulse control and the group cultures they grew up in. But I got the degree. No offense, Professor, but the credentials are useful for impressing people, and mostly useless in the actual job."

  "Math is useful."

  "True. And most of the hard sciences. I somehow wound up analyzing dreams in the Precog and Divination section. A very . . . interesting group of people."

  "Interesting. I had a student a couple of years ago . . . homework, no problem. She utterly flunked every quiz. Then I looked through her work at the end of the semester, and realized she had been writing down the answers to the next week's quiz. We had a long talk . . . never did find out what she did."

  "Huh. That's more like distance vision than precog. Precog is more dream-like and symbolic." Izzo chuckled. "And here I am, wondering how to study it. You'd think I'd be over it after eight years, wouldn't you?"

  "I took a lot wider selection of classes than I needed, for the math. I still take a class now and then, but haven't actually completed any extra degrees." Imde stared down into his cup. "Maybe I should study magic. If I don't run screaming from it."

  ***

  Deim dragged in a few minutes later, grinning, even as she dropping to a chair with a huff of relief. "Look!" She held out a handful of metal bits. Little iron roses, grid work, tiny rings. "Hundreds of times larger than I've ever done anything before. Thousands."

  Imde looked at them. "Umm, Deim? I thought the value of micromagifacturing was the ability to make very, very small things?"