Mating Flight

by Mating Flight (lit)

  Sheleigh heard the quick crunch of boots on dirt, a slide of pebbles and then Bateleur swung around the edge of the wing. "My lady, are you injured?"

  She gave him what felt like a drunken smile. "Not at all. I feel marvelous. Did you see me? I flew. I flew!"

  He unhooked her harness from the glider frame. "I saw it with my own eyes, yet I still can't believe what I saw. It was like a huge bird. If I hadn't been so worried for your safety, I would have been amazed."

  She let him help her to her feet in front of the glider. She was the teensiest bit wobbly on her feet. "You should have seen it from my angle. It was so incredible, the feeling of freedom."

  She heard more pounding footsteps, and then Ecau and Pithe hove into view around the metal edge of the glider.

  Ecau's face was red and his eyes were huge and bright. "It flies! It actually flies!" He looked from Sheleigh to the glider and back to Sheleigh, almost like he didn't know which to praise for the feat, pilot or machine.

  "My lady," Pithe gasped. Her hair was blown back from her face, displaying her chiseled cheekbones. "It took the wind like a bird!"

  Bateleur helped Sheleigh out of the harness. Pithe held out her arm so Sheleigh could use it as a support.

  Sheleigh gave each of them a meaningful look. "I told you there was more than one way to fly. Now I can fly just like an Averan, and so can any non-winged."

  "So can the Avatier," Tera spoke from behind them. Sheleigh turned to the girl. Tera couldn't run in her advanced state of pregnancy, but she was breathing hard as though she'd hurried. She hung on the metal edge of the glider. Sheleigh moved to her side to give the girl support. Tera clutched Sheleigh's arm and gave her a grateful smile.

  Sheleigh addressed the engineers. "Now that we know the glider works, can we practice from the cliff top?"

  Ecau brayed his horsy laugh. "You only flew once. You were probably as surprised as we were."

  "But the twenty-foot drop was too easy. I think we should try something higher," she argued.

  "Sheleigh." Pithe's voice was calm. "Were you in control of the glider or did you just go where it was headed?"

  Sheleigh smiled sheepishly and ducked her head. "I didn't even think about directing the flight."

  Pithe continued. "Let's practice jumping from this height and concentrate on learning control. Tera will stand at a different location each time and you'll fly to her."

  "Good idea," Ecau seconded.

  Sheleigh halted, remembering something. "How did you and Pithe get down here so quickly?"

  Ecau exchanged a look with Pithe. The air grew charged. Pithe straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "We flew down."

  They flew. In the presence of a non-winged alien who was not their mate. What courage that must have taken. "Will you fly with me as I practice?" This would be the real test.

  Ecau's Adam's apple bobbed several times as he tugged on a disobedient lock of hair. Pithe looked away, chewing her lip. She was again the first to speak. Perhaps her affair with an alien had made her braver. "I will."

  Ecau scowled. "I will, too."

  Sheleigh swallowed the lump in her throat. "Thank you."

  Everyone except Tera climbed back up the twenty-foot rise. Pithe dragged a tow rope attached to the hang glider. When they were on the cliff top the four of them pulled the glider up the face. It was less time consuming than disassembling and reassembling it higher up.

  Sheleigh got into her harness while the others positioned the glider for take-off. Then Bateleur hooked her harness to the glider frame.

  Ecau and Pithe stood on either side of her, and for the first time she saw someone other than Kleet with their wings spread. Pithe's resemblance to a hawk was dramatic with her wings arrayed for flight. Ecau looked somehow less gangly with his wings visible.

  Sheleigh jumped first, feeling her stomach drop once again before the exhilaration of flight took over. She looked to the left and saw Ecau just past and slightly below the glider's edge. He had a rapt expression on his face and for once his movements weren't jerky. His wingtips were fully extended to harvest the thermals underneath.

  To her right was Pithe, the very picture of a hunting falcon circling its domain in search of prey. Pithe glanced over at her and gave Sheleigh a brilliant, happy smile. This was what Averans were born to do, would still be doing--every one of them--if mechanical flight hadn't been introduced into their society. Their wings grew less useful the more Averans failed to use them, until their genes decided future generations no longer needed to fly. Ecau and Pithe clearly loved to fly. How awful, then, that they had so few opportunities to do so.

  Sheleigh scanned the ground ahead until she saw Tera over to the left. She leaned to the left, but the glider turned more quickly than she expected. Ecau's eyes widened, but he averted a collision by dropping below her, out of sight. Sheleigh quickly leaned to the right, but overcompensated. Damn. It had seemed much easier on the test setup.

  Several small adjustments helped her line up in Tera's vicinity, but with far from pin-point accuracy.

  After she landed, she sighed. Clearly steering required more practice.

  Tera approached her and disconnected Sheleigh's harness from the frame. "I see you had some trouble directing the glider." Tera's voice was laced with humor.

  "Yes." Sheleigh's reply was sardonic. "I need more practice."

  Pithe and Ecau walked around the sides of the glider. Pithe glowed with happiness. "That was fun. Let's try it again."

  Ecau's clothes were very dusty and he scowled. "Sheleigh didn't almost collide with you and cause a stall."

  Pithe elbowed him in the ribs. "Did you fall out of the sky?" Her eyes glittered with merriment.

  He glared at her, and then turned to Sheleigh. "You need to work on maneuvering."

  "I know. But I thought I'd mastered that much in the simulations."

  "The glider wings and the movement of the air across the wings change the response you get." He grabbed hold of the glider frame and lifted it. Pithe took hold of the other side. He looked back at Sheleigh as she raised an edge of the wing past Pithe. "You'll get better with practice."

  Hours later Sheleigh had mastered navigation sufficiently so that she could head first one direction and then another. After landing, she knelt in the dust on the hard ground and arched her shoulders. The muscles ached there. She had other aches, but her shoulders were the worst.

  Bateleur finished unhooking her harness from the frame. "Are you hurt, my lady? Your landing didn't look that hard."

  "No. My shoulders aren't used to these types of movements. I'm going to be stiff tomorrow."

  He helped her to her feet. She was surprised to find how much effort it took to rise and how much weight she leaned on him.

  Ecau walked up to them. "Much better, Sheleigh. I believe you've mastered this bird."

  "God, I hope so," she avowed. She wiped her sleeve over the sweat on her forehead. The sleeve left grit behind.

  "It's getting late," Tera said, looking up at the sky. "I need to get home."

  "What time is it?" Sheleigh asked. She turned her wrist so she could see her chrono. "My God! Kleet got home an hour ago." She looked up into their tired faces. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize the time was passing so quickly."

  Pithe gave a tired laugh. "We enjoyed it, my lady."

  Sheleigh studied the glider. "Can we leave the glider here and cover it?"

  "No. Tomorrow's our off day, remember?" Ecau reminded her. "I don't want to leave it here for someone to find."

  "Come on," Tera urged. "The faster we break it down, the faster we can all get home."

  * * * *

  Any hope that Kleet wouldn't notice what time Sheleigh arrived home was dashed when he met her at the hydrolift on the bedroom level. His expression was stormy.

  "Do you know what time ... what happened to you?" he demanded.

  She had no excuse made up. She hadn't thought that far ahead. She looked down at herself, then back up at him
. His dark brows had drawn together in a V. "It's dirt. And dust."

  "I can see it's dirt and dust. How did it get on you?"

  "It was dusty where we were today." That sounded inane.

  "And where was that?"

  Sheleigh couldn't and wouldn't lie. "I can't tell you yet. I'm working on something confidential right now. I'll tell you as soon as I can."

  His face grew cold. "Is it something for USP? Do they have their own plans for Avera?"

  "No, it's not something like that."

  He grabbed her arm. "You're one of us, not one of them. When will you begin to act like it?"

  Stung, after all she'd done for him today, she lashed back. "It's always 'us' and 'them' isn't it? No matter how big or small the difference." She wrenched her arm free, her good mood evaporated. She turned and took two steps down the hall.

  "Where are you going?" His voice was harsh.

  "I need a bath."

  In the shower she pounded the wall with her fist, then hung her head and let the warm water pound on her head and shoulders. For every two steps forward she thought Averans took, they took another step backward. Today she'd flown with Ecau and Pithe. Then Kleet accused her of conspiring with USP against Avera. Why were things so hard?

  She stayed under the warm water for a long time, letting the heat rob her muscles of stiffness. Unfortunately, once the stiffness was gone, so was the strength to remain upright. It had been a long, physically challenging day.

  She dried herself, got much of the moisture out of her hair, staggered into the bedroom and dropped down on the bed. She had enough energy to wriggle onto her side into a more comfortable position and cover herself with the soft blanket. Her stomach rumbled, but her eyes were already shut. Sleep won out.

  She barely woke when Kleet joined her in bed, only enough to identify him. A formless thought nagged at her that there was a reason she shouldn't snuggle against him, but it faded as sleep reclaimed her.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Sheleigh stood on the cliff edge, poised on the brink of discovery. If the hang glider worked from this thousand-meter drop as it was designed to, the project would be an unequivocal success.

  She breathed in the air of the early morning, crisp with a bit of coolness left over from the night. Rising air currents swirled around her bare calves, brushing lightly. It was time.

  "Ready you two?" she asked Pithe and Ecau.

  "Ready," they chorused.

  She grabbed the control bar and pushed out into the air currents. The bottom dropped out of her stomach as solid ground disappeared from beneath her feet. The hang glider plummeted and she had a sickening moment where she thought she would need the air cushion a thousand meters below her. But the canopy filled with warm air and she began to soar.

  She laughed as tension was released, feeling as light as the air under her. It was so beautiful to soar like this. The quiet was broken only by the ruffling of the canopy, the clink of the metal guide wires and the hook that connected her harness to the metal frame, and the whoosh of the wind over the canopy. What freedom!

  The flight spiraled out and gradually she lost altitude. She circled, choosing the best spot for a landing, but hating to end the flight. There were no troubles up here, no malcontent, no irresolvable differences. Averans should fly every day to remind themselves what was good about their world. Now the non-winged could fly, too. She and these three young people had proven it.

  She landed perfectly, the ending to a perfect flight. There were two thumps to the left and right of her, followed by the appearance of Pithe and Ecau. Their faces were flushed, their eyes bright and their hair was mussed by the wind. In that moment, they had never looked fairer to her.

  When Pithe unhooked the harness, Sheleigh dragged her and Ecau into her arms. Tears of joy threatened, but she hugged the engineers tightly. "You've built the answer to my prayer. You've made my dream come to life. You've designed the salvation of this planet." She had to swallow then. "Do you understand the magnitude of what you've done?"

  She released them from her hard embrace and looked them over. Pithe grinned and was the first to speak. "I thought we were just having fun." There was a catch in her voice at the end and her eyes were suspiciously moist.

  Sheleigh turned to Ecau, whose cheeks were ruddy. He ducked his head, the gangly young man once again, but then he straightened. "I'm a Datus." He choked, cleared his throat and began again. "If there was history being made in aeronautics, it was right that I was involved in it." Despite his words, there was no real arrogance in what he said, just a statement of what he knew to be the facts.

  Sheleigh nodded. "Yes, it was right." She looked around the wide canyon. "How long do you think it will take the others to reach us? I'd like to try that flight at least once more."

  Pithe pulled tools from her belt pack and began to work on the left side of the glider. "I estimate we flew eight hundred meters. It will take longer to start the transport than to fly here."

  Ecau barked a laugh. He had a tool in his hand and moved to the right side of the glider. "It will take even longer to disassemble the glider and reassemble it again at the top. There has to be a more efficient way." His words trailed off and he chewed his lip while curiosity gleamed in his eyes. The glider didn't stand a chance of resisting efficiency against the power of Ecau's intellect. Sheleigh took the tool Pithe handed her and started to work disassembling the glider.

  The transport arrived minutes later and Bateleur helped Tera down from her seat. Tera beamed at them. "My lady, that was a wonderful flight. I was amazed at how similar in movement to Ecau and Pithe the glider was."

  When Tera reached the glider, Sheleigh gathered the girl in for a hug. Their pregnant bellies made it more of a sidewise hug than face on. They both laughed. Sheleigh held Tera at arm's length. "I told Ecau and Pithe, now I'm telling you. You brought my dream to life and my vision to fruition. I'm so grateful."

  Tera smiled, flashing white teeth and making her eyes crinkle at the corners. "We should thank you for the opportunity to use our intelligence in a stimulatingly creative way. We don't have freedom like this at school."

  "Bateleur chose well when he chose the three of you." Sheleigh included her guard in her smile. "Bateleur, what did you think of the flight?"

  "It was beautiful, much like a mating flight would be." He took Sheleigh's hand, a rare liberty for him. "My lady, I think Avera is lucky to have someone like you who can create beauty out of the air."

  Sheleigh's throat tightened, making it difficult to speak. "Thank you. It was these three who did the creating, though." She gestured to the engineers.

  Bateleur released her hand and stepped back. "It was you who showed them the way, my lady." He took the spare tool Ecau handed him. "Let's get this bird broken down."

  * * * *

  When they finished reassembling the glider on the cliff top, Bateleur halted them. "We need another kind of test flight."

  Sheleigh raised an eyebrow. "What kind?"

  "A mating flight."

  She flinched. She couldn't stop the feeling of revulsion that washed over her, making her cold inside. "No!"

  The engineers echoed her protest.

  Pithe jabbed Bateleur in the chest with her finger. "That's foul. Sheleigh is the Avatier's mate."

  Bateleur raised his hands in front of him. "You misunderstand. I meant that two people should fly the glider, like there would be in a mating flight. The glider was built for two, yet it hasn't been tested for two and my lady doesn't know how to handle it with the added weight and mass of a second person. In all reasonableness and for her safety, we must have such a flight."

  Ecau nodded his head vigorously, making his tufts of dark hair dance. "He's right, of course."

  Sheleigh sized up the males. "Bateleur, you're the closest to Kleet's weight and mass."

  Bateleur held his palm up. "No, my lady. I can't fly a mating flight with you."

  "It's not a real mating flight."

  "
It looked like one from where I stood. No, I can't do it. I'm the Avatier's guard. I can't fly with his mate."

  She turned to Ecau. "Ecau?"

  He paled. "I can't fly in the glider with you. I can fly it alone, but not with you."

  "But that's absurd! It's not a mating flight."

  Tera stepped forward. "I'll do it, my lady. I don't have the mass of a man, but I'm near the weight of one right now. I want to fly the glider."

  Sheleigh gripped the girl's shoulder. "Thank you, Tera."

  There was only the one harness, and since Tera had wings it was decided that Sheleigh should retain it. They tied a rope around Tera anyway. They stood together at the cliff edge, both gripping the control bar. Ecau and Pithe would fly beside them, as usual. Bateleur would watch from the cliff until he knew they were safely aloft, and then follow in the transport to pick them up. This would be the last flight today.

  "Ready?" Sheleigh asked Tera.

  "Yes."

  "Remember to keep your wings furled so they don't interfere with lift."

  "I won't forget."

  The glider had been set back a few steps from the cliff so that they could get a running start. "Let's go," Sheleigh ordered. They pushed the bar with all their might. The hang glider surged forward off the cliff. It dropped further than it had when Sheleigh flew solo. But the canopy soon caught the warm air and they began to glide.

  It was much harder to maneuver with Tera's added weight. "It turns like a dirigible," Sheleigh murmured, although it wasn't as bad as that.

  "What's a dir-gi-ble?" Tera asked.

  "I'll tell you on the ground. Lean to the right." It proved easier when they both put their weight into a turn. "That's better."

  "It's such a smooth flight," Tera marveled.

  "Yes, it's very peaceful."

  "Flying feels a lot like this. You feel one with the air. You had the right idea to help people who can't fly attain the air." Then she laughed. "The males are surely jealous that they couldn't fly the glider."