The Unwilling Aviator (Book 4)

by Heidi Willard

  Fluffy howled and jumped vertically up the wall. His front paws grabbed the top and his back ones slammed into the wall. He clawed and pulled himself up and over at the same time Fred and Pat overheard voices on the other side.

  "D-did you hear that?" a quivering female voice asked another.

  "T-the monster?" a terrified male voice suggested.

  Fluffy plopped over the other side and two high-pitched screams filled the air. Fred and Pat cringed as Fluffy howled and tore apart the steak. Pat turned to Fred. "Now what?" she asked him.

  He looked to her and blinked. "Now what what?" he returned.

  "What's the next step in your plan?" He continued to stare blankly at her, and she frowned. "You do have a next step, don't you?"

  "Uh. . ."

  Pat threw up her arms and grabbed one of his arms. "Why did I believe otherwise?" she grumbled.

  "Because you had faith in meee?" Fred yelped as he was tugged along around the corner to the front of the house.

  CHAPTER 17

  Pat dragged him to the main gates where other occupants of the house had heard about the monster. The gates opened and a mass of screaming and blubbering people ran into the street. Fred and Pat slammed their backs against the wall to avoid being trampled, and after the rush had passed they peeked their heads around the corner of the nearest gate and into the yard.

  Fluffy pranced through the yard and occasionally stopped to roll in the green grass. Around him people screamed and raced around in fear. Fred and Pat slunk into the yard and to the left away from Fluffy. They snuck up to the house and around the left side just before the front door opened.

  Cheatum stormed out of his house and stopped at the edge of the wrap-around stone porch. "What is going on here?" he yelled at his panicked people.

  "The monster! The monster is here!" cried a man.

  "Then get rid of it!" Cheatum ordered him.

  Fred and Pat hurried around the house to a side entrance. The door led into a hallway that ran the full length of the side of the square house. Ahead of them was another hallway with an open door, and through the doorway they glimpsed their statued friend. Where the perpendicular hallways met the companions were spotted by a less panicked member of the household.

  "What are you two doing here? Who are you?" an older man yelled.

  "Run!" Fred ordered Pat, and he pushed her ahead of him toward the courtyard. The man gave chase, but the pair reached the courtyard well ahead of him and Fred turned at the doorway. He slammed the door shut and the man collided with the heavy wood door. The man scrambled to his feet and put his shoulder to the door. Fred and Pat both pushed their backs against it, and Fred glanced over to Pat. "Get to Ruth!"

  "But you can't hold this door alone!" she argued.

  At that moment the man stopped pounding on the door and they heard his feet hurry away. "It looks like I won't have to hold it at all," Fred commented.

  They were ready to breathe easy until the man reappeared a moment later in the doorway to their right. That was when they realized the courtyard had four different entrances. The man marched toward them, but Fred pulled his staff from his waist and created a barrier. The servant walked into the barrier and pounded his fist against the wall.

  Fred guided Pat toward Ruth and they reached her side with the servant still pounding the barrier. Pat pulled out the piece of hair, dipped it between Ruth's frozen hand and the amulet, and brushed the hair against the jewelery. In a moment Ruth's stone self became human flesh and she toppled forward off the pedestal. She fell on top of Fred and his barrier waved. Pat stood off to the side and glared at the pair.

  Ruth sat up and blushed down at Fred. "S-sorry," she apologized, and quickly dismounted him.

  "Not a problem," Fred replied. He sat up and rubbed his head where he'd hit the stone pathway.

  The three heard a noise to their right and from behind the angry servant came Cheatum and a dozen of his servants, most noticeably the large fellow from the cart. They held knives and pitchforks. Cheatum moved to the front of the herd of servants and ran into the barrier. He pressed his hands against the barrier and whipped his head to the three intruders. His eyes fell on Fred's glowing staff and his mouth fell open. "The outlaw castor!" he exclaimed.

  Fred rolled his eyes. "I didn't do anything wrong!" he protested.

  A smirk slowly spread onto Cheatum's lips and his voice slid into a cool, soothing tone. "I never said you did, but the Senex would be very interested to see you right now."

  "He's unavailable," Pat spoke up.

  "What about to me?" Cheatum wondered. He gestured for his men to lower their weapons, and they hesitantly obeyed. Cheatum stepped up and pressed his hand against the barrier. His eyes flickered to Fred's face. "I have never met a real castor, just fakes. To finally see one is indeed a high honor."

  "We don't have time for this," Pat whispered to her friends.

  Cheatum overheard her. "I'm sure I can make your valuable time even more valuable." He pulled out a small leather purse and jingled the coins inside. "What do you say to a business proposal? With your abilities and my cunning we could make an act for the tourists that they would pay handsomely to see."

  Fred narrowed his eyes and straightened. "My staff and I aren't for sale," he replied.

  Cheatum pursed his lips and pocketed the purse. "Very well. What I can't get by reason I can get by force." He turned to his men and jerked his head toward the barrier. "Bring it down." Cheatum stepped back and his men brandished their weapons. The large man cracked his knuckles and grinned at the three companions.

  Fred increased the barrier and turned to the girls. "Anyone have a plan?" he asked them.

  Pat looked past him and smiled. "There's no need." A great howl erupted inside the house. Cheatum and his men turned around and their eyes widened as Fluffy barreled down on them. The cantankus ran through their group, knocking them over like bowling pins. Fluffy jumped onto the large man's chest and flattened him into the ground. The collision barely slowed the cantankus down.

  Fred dropped his barrier and Fluffy skidded to a stop in front of Fred. The young man held onto his beast's head and turned to the girls. "Get on!" he told them.

  Pat helped Ruth up and climbed into the saddle herself. Fred slipped to the front of the saddle and turned Fluffy back toward the front door. The four of them crashed through the house, past the front gates, and out into the freedom of the streets. They dashed toward the northern cliffs.

  The four of them raced through the alleys until they came to a street crowded with people. The flood of onlookers watched the aviators in the sky and even the attentions of the guards and twinners were on the kites. Fred pulled Fluffy back from the entrance to the street and turned to Pat behind him.

  "Any ideas?" he asked her.

  Ruth leaned to one side to look at her two friends ahead of her. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked them.

  "Only a few hours, and yes. Change Fluffy back into a horse and we ride him around the edge of the western cliffs to the stairs in the north. The streets are too crowded to make decent time on them," Pat replied.

  "And we can make even better time with the comb," Fred added. He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out the speed comb given to him by the old woman at Tramadore. He scratched the teeth across Fluffy's body and the cantankus lowered his head and drooled. Fluffy lifted a back leg and scratched until Fred stopped.

  Pat glanced between Fred and Fluffy. "Did it work?" she asked him.

  Fred shrugged. "I don't know, but we will find out." He goaded the cantankus forward, and Fluffy raced onward without hesitation.

  The cantankus' speed was as swift as a Star. He flew across the empty space between the buildings and the cliff walls, and in a few moments they were in sight of the stairs leading up the cliffs. Two pairs of guards stood watch at the bottom of the steps, so the companions snuck behind a building and glanced around the corner at their four obstacles.

  "Can you disguise us and get us pas
t them?" Pat asked Fred.

  "Can he?" a voice wondered.

  The four of them yelped and turned to find Ned standing behind them. He glanced from one stunned face to the other with a raised eyebrow, and stopped at Fred. "Is there something you need to tell your master, young apprentice?" he wondered.

  "I, uh, I can do what you did to my clothes. Well, with Fluffy, at least," Fred told him.

  Ned chuckled. "Is that what happened to Fluffy?" He walked up to the steed and patted Fluffy on the stubby nose. "An almost perfect job, and certainly not bad for a first try. Might I ask what the occasion was for?"

  "Explanations for later. Are they too late for the practice flight?" Pat asked him.

  "On the contrary. They have a few minutes to spare. If you will step this way," Ned invited them as he gestured toward the stairs.

  Ruth glanced at Fred. "But shouldn't Fred have another disguise? He may be recognized by the guards," she pointed out.

  Ned raised his eyebrows. "Trouble with the guards? You three had an interesting evening," he commented.

  "Can you change him like Fred changed Fluffy?" Pat persisted.

  "I believe I can." Ned held his staff out in front of Fred and the mist wrapped around him. When the fog cleared in Fred's place stood Crash Enburn in all his filthy-clothed glory. The only difference was the coat and pants were still white. "There. That should suffice," Ned commented.

  Ruth looked in wonder and leaned forward to pluck at Fred's arm. Fred yelped and pulled his arm away from her. "It's still me under here," he told her.

  She sheepishly smiled. "I am sorry. It looks very real."

  "And it is real, at least to the eyes and to the touch. Fortunately, the kite will know the difference," Ned told them.

  Pat's eyes widened. "The kite! We have none!"

  Ned chuckled. "I have procured a kite for our purpose."

  Ned stepped aside and revealed a small flying machine. Its wings were twenty feet in length, and the tip to the front was five feet shy of that number. The cloth that covered the frame was a tight blue canvas, and the wood used to hold the cloth was light and pliable. Straps were attached to the bottom of the canvas and handholds on either side allowed the aviator to flex the wings and turn the contraption. Beneath the straps were two metal rungs, one at the front and the other at the rear. The rear rungs were shorter but wider than the front so the kite sat at an angle with the front pointed up toward the sky where it belonged. A harness attached to the rungs kept the squire in place.

  Pat frowned and her eyes whipped over to Ned. "Where did you get it?" she asked him.

  "It is Mr. Enburn's own kite, with a few helpful modifications, namely the patching of some very troublesome holes with a useful needle," Ned replied.

  "Then it isn't stolen?" she wondered.

  He smiled. "Would I steal a kite?"

  "You've kidnapped a man. Stealing would be a less morally questionable practice," she quipped.

  Ned feigned shock. "I cannot believe you mistrust me so much, my dear Pat. This was procured honestly and-"

  "It's beautiful," Ruth breathed. She walked up beside Ned and ran her hands over the cloth.

  Ned looked her over with a gentle smile and pointed his staff to her. "It's your turn for a disguise, my dear. Women aren't allowed in the tournament," he reminded her.

  Ruth turned to him and glanced down at herself. "But what shall I be?" she asked him.

  "I believe I have just the form for you," Ned replied. Mist flowed out and wrapped around her. In a moment it cleared and in Ruth's place stood a male version of herself. Her brown hair was cut short, and her face and body were a little huskier. Ned turned to the disguised Fred. "That should work quite well enough. Now we should hurry before your name is called, Mr. Enburn, and don't forget your kite," he told him.

  Fred hefted the kite onto his back and Ned led the way to the stairs and the guards. Beads of sweat fell from the faces of Fred, Pat and Ruth, but the guards merely looked curiously at the group and let them pass. They climbed the stairs, pushed through the crowd in front of the other kites, and ducked under the rope.

  One of the guards stepped in front of them and looked over the large group. "Only aviators and squires allowed," he told them.

  "This young lady and I are the maintenance crew for this aviator," Ned replied as he gestured with his staff to Pat.

  The guard frowned, but stepped aside. "Very well, but don't maintenance anyone else's kite," the guard warned.

  At the far end near the stone stood four aviators lined up with the clipboard official in front of them. The group hurried to the line.

  The official was reading off names of those in line. "Wobbling?"

  "Here," replied one of the aviators.

  "Yanking?"

  "Here!"

  The man paused and squinted his eyes at the last name. "Enburn?" he called out.

  "Here!" Fred yelled. He cringed when his real voice sprang from his lips. The magic didn't work on anything inside him, just on the outside.

  The official marched over to him and tapped his finger on the clipboard. "How did your name get to the bottom of the list? This is in alphabetical order," he questioned Fred.

  Fred shrugged. "Lucky?" he guessed while Ned tried his best to look innocent.

  The official frowned, but turned toward the other kites. "Get your machines ready for lift! One at a time now!" he yelled at them, and stalked away to the other officials who stood beside the flags.

  Fred dropped the kite and rubbed his aching shoulders. It wasn't easy carrying a stiff tarp. "Now what?" he whispered to Ned.

  Ned nodded at the flagged area. "Now you watch and learn."

  The first aviator on the list strapped himself to his kite and stood between the two rungs. A young man, his squire, positioned himself in front of the aviator, harnessed himself to the rungs, and lifted the front rung. They pointed the kite at the flagged area in front of their spool while an official secured their line to the rear of their kite. Another official who stood by the edge of the cliff raised his hand and dropped it. The aviator and his squire raced down the plateau dragging their anchor rope behind them. At the edge of the cliff they dove off into the void and disappeared from sight.

  Ruth gasped, and Pat and Fred's eyes widened. In the next moment the kite reappeared above the edge with the squire laying over both rungs and the aviator with his legs on either side of the squire's own limbs. They climbed high into the sky above the cliffs and the aviator used the hand holds to sail them to the center of the city. The squire used their weight over the front rung to help guide the aviator.

  The official at the edge of the cliff turned and looked over the remaining aviators. "Next!" he barked.

  CHAPTER 18

  Fred turned on his heels and strode away from the cliff. The crowd pointed and laughed at him. "Enburn is finally sober! He knows he's going to crash!" someone yelled. The laughter grew louder.

  Pat grabbed Fred before he got too far. "Where are you going? Your turn is coming next!" she reminded him.

  "That's exactly why I'm leaving," he replied.

  Pat rolled her eyes and dragged him back. "We need you to win this, so stop being such a coward," she growled.

  "But I want to be a live coward," he argued.

  "You know there's no other way to destroy the stone. There are too many guards protecting it, and there will be more after your escape," she countered.

  One of the aviators waiting in line smirked. "What's wrong, Enburn? Afraid I'll pull you out of the skies before you lift up?" Fred whipped his head to the mocking man and his eyes narrowed. The man frowned. "You got something you want to say to me?"

  "You're up, Advesario Zapa," one of the judges called to the man. Advesario scoffed and walked off.

  Pat pulled Fred away from the remaining aviators, and Ruth and Ned followed. "He's trying to antagonize you," she told him.

  Fred frowned and ran his hand through his hair. "It's working," he grumbled.

 
; "And you certainly chose a worthy adversary," Ned mused. "He happens to be one of the best aviators in the region."

  "Lucky me. . ." Fred muttered.

  Pat rolled her eyes. "So long as you have Ruth with you then nothing can go wrong," she persisted.

  Fred turned to Ruth, who smiled and bowed her head. "I will try my best," she promised.

  Ned chuckled and patted Fred on the back. The young man stumbled forward. "Take courage from your friends, my boy, and you'll never be alone."

  Fred's eyes widened when he recalled the words of Martley, and how his friends would fail to save him. He opened his mouth to tell Ned what had happened at the Senex, but the official with the clipboard called out his name. "Enburn! It's your turn!" The color drained from Fred's face.

  "Now do what the others did and you'll be fine," Ned encouraged him.

  "But I wasn't watching them!" Fred yelped.

  "Then go with your guts," Ned rephrased.

  "If I don't spill them," Fred muttered.

  Ned and Pat helped Fred into his straps while Pat helped Ruth with her harness. When they were ready they took their places at the front and back rungs, and together they lifted the kite off the ground and pointed it at the edge of the cliff.

  "Phaeton, if you do exist, please help me," Fred whimpered.

  Ruth glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him. "Faith, Fred. We will succeed," she told him. There was such a deep confidence in her voice that some of Fred's fear was calmed.

  Unfortunately, not all of his fear vanished. The official at the flags gave the signal and Ruth pulled Fred and the kite forward. Fred stumbled along behind her and his heart stopped when they reached the abyss. Ruth propelled herself into the air and Fred let out a terrible, high-pitched scream as they dropped toward the buildings far below them. The front of their kite pointed straight down at the hard ground beneath them, and they plummeted to the earth. The wind whistled past them, and the people below them pointed and screamed.