The Menace From Earth Page 13

  I felt better... a cold, stern pride, like Lucifer in Paradise Lost.

  I recognized the red and silver of Jeff's wings while he was far off and I thought about slipping quietly away. But Jeff can overtake me if he tries, so I decided, "Holly, don't be a fool! You've no reason to run... just be coolly polite."

  He landed by me but didn't sidle up. "Hi, Decimal Point."

  "Hi, Zero. Uh, stolen much lately?"

  "Just the City Bank but they made me put it back." He frowned and added, "Holly, are you mad at me."

  "Why, Jeff, whatever gave you such a silly notion?"

  "Uh... something Mary the Mouth said."

  "Her? Don't pay any attention to what she says. Half of it's always wrong and she doesn't mean the rest."

  "Yeah, a short circuit between her ears. Then you aren't mad?"

  "Of course not. Why should I be?"

  "No reason I know of. I haven't been around to work on the ship for a few days....ut I've been awfully busy."

  "Think nothing of it. I've been terribly busy myself."

  "Uh, that's fine. Look, Test Sample, do me a favor. Help me out with a friend -- a client, that is -- we'll she's a friend, too. She wants to learn to use glide wings."

  I pretended to consider it. "Anyone I know?"

  "Oh, yes. Fact is, you introduced us. Ariel Brentwood."

  "'Brentwood?' Jeff, there are so many tourists. Let me think. Tall girl? Blonde? Extremely pretty?"

  He grinned like a goof and I almost pushed him off. "That's Ariel!"

  "I recall her... she expected me to carry her bags. But you don't need help, Jeff. She seemed very clever. Good sense of balance."

  "Oh, yes, sure, all of that. Well, the fact is, I want you two to know each other. She's... well, she's just wonderful, Holly. A real person all the way through. You'll love her when you know her better. Uh... this seemed like a good chance."

  I felt dizzy. "Why, that's very thoughtful, Jeff, but I doubt if she wants to know me better. I'm just a servant she hired -- you know groundhogs."

  "But she's not at all like the ordinary groundhog. And she does want to know you better -- she told me so!"

  After you told her to think so! I muttered. But I had talked myself into a corner. If I had not been hampered by polite upbringing I would have said, "On your way, vacuum skull! I'm not interested in your groundhog friends" -- but what I did say was, "OK, Jeff," then gathered the fox to my bosom and dropped off into a glide.

  So I taught Ariel Brentwood to "fly." Look, those so-called wings they let tourists wear have fifty square feet of lift surface, no controls except warp in the primaries, a built-in dihedral to make them stable as a table, and a few meaningless degrees of hinging to let the wearer think that he is "flying" by waving his arms. The tail is rigid, and canted so that if you stall (almost impossible) you land on your feet. All a tourist does is run a few yards, lift up his feet (he can't avoid it) and slide down a blanket of air. Then he can tell his grandchildren how he flew, really flew, "just like a bird."

  An ape could learn to "fly" that much.

  I put myself to the humiliation of strapping on a set of the silly things and had Ariel watch while I swung into the Baby's Ladder and let it carry me up a hundred feet to show her that you really and truly could "fly" with them. Then I thankfully got rid of them, strapped her into a larger set, and put on my beautiful Storer-Gulls. I had chased Jeff away (two instructors is too many), but when he saw her wing up, he swooped down and landed by us.

  I looked up. "You again."

  "Hello, Ariel. Hi, Blip. Say, you've got her shoulder straps too tight."

  "Tut, tut," I said. "One coach at a time, remember? If you want to help, shuck those gaudy fins and put on some gliders then I'll use you to show how not to. Otherwise get above two hundred feet and stay there; we don't need any dining lounge pilots."

  Jeff pouted like a brat but Ariel backed me up. "Do what teacher says, Jeff. That's a good boy."

  He wouldn't put on gliders but he didn't stay clear, either. He circled around us, watching, and got bawled out by the flightmaster for cluttering the tourist area.

  I admit Ariel was a good pupil. She didn't even get sore when I suggested that she was rather mature across the hips to balance well; she just said that she had noticed that I had the slimmest behind around there and she envied me. So I quit trying to get her goat, and found myself almost liking her as long as I kept my mind firmly on teaching. She tried hard and learned fast -- good reflexes and (despite my dirty crack) good balance. I remarked on it and she admitted diffidently that she had had ballet training.

  About mid-afternoon she said, "Could I possibly try real wings?"

  "Huh? Gee, Ariel, I don't think so."

  "Why not?"

  There she had me. She had already done all that could be done with those atrocious gliders. If she was to learn more, she had to have real wings. "Ariel, it's dangerous. It's not what you've been doing, believe me. You might get hurt, even killed."

  "Would you be held responsible?"

  "No. You signed a release when you came in."

  "Then I'd like to try it."

  I bit my lip. If she had cracked up without my help, I wouldn't have shed a tear -- but to let her do something too dangerous while she was my pupil... well, it smacked of David and Uriah. "Ariel, I can't stop you... but I should put my wings away and not have anything to do with it."

  It was her turn to bite her lip. "If you feel that way, I can't ask you to coach me. But I still want to. Perhaps Jeff will help me."

  "He probably will," I blurted out, "if he is as big a fool as I think he is!"

  Her company face slipped but she didn't say anything because just then Jeff stalled in beside us. "What's the discussion?"

  We both tried to tell him and confused him for he got the idea I had suggested it, and started bawling me out. Was I crazy? Was I trying to get Ariel hurt? Didn't I have any sense?

  "Shut up!" I yelled, then added quietly but firmly, "Jefferson Hardesty, you wanted me to teach your girl friend, so I agreed. But don't butt in and don't think you can get away with talking to me like that. Now beat it! Take wing. Grab air!"

  He swelled up and said slowly, "I absolutely forbid it."

  Silence for five long counts. Then Ariel said quietly, "Come, Holly. Let's get me some wings."

  "Right, Ariel."

  But they don't rent real wings. Fliers have their own; they have to. However, there are second-hand ones for sale because kids outgrow them, or people shift to custom-made ones, or something. I found Mr. Schultz who keeps the key, and said that Ariel was thinking of buying but I wouldn't let her without a tryout. After picking over forty-odd pairs I found a set which Johnny Queveras had outgrown but which I knew were all right. Nevertheless I inspected them carefully. I could hardly reach the finger controls but they fitted Ariel.

  While I was helping her into the tail surfaces I said, "Ariel? This is still a bad idea."

  "I know. But we can't let men think they own us."

  "I suppose not."

  "They do own us, of course. But we shouldn't let them know it." She was feeling out the tail controls. "The big toes spread them?"

  "Yes. But don't do it. Just keep your feet together and toes pointed. Look, Ariel, you really aren't ready. Today all you will do is glide, just as you've been doing. Promise?"

  She looked me in the eye. "I'll do exactly what you say. not even take wing unless you OK it."

  "OK. Ready?"

  "I'm ready."

  "All right. Wups! I goofed. They aren't orange."

  "Does it matter?"

  "It sure does." There followed a weary argument because Mr. Schultz didn't want to spray them orange for a tryout. Ariel settled it by buying them, then we had to wait a bit while the solvent dried.

  We went back to the tourist slope and I let her glide, cautioning her to hold both alulae open with her thumbs for more lift at slow speeds, while barely sculling with her fingers. She did fine, an
d stumbled in landing only once. Jeff stuck around, cutting figure eights above us, but we ignored him. Presently I taught her to turn in a wide, gentle bank -- you can turn those awful glider things but it takes skill; they're only meant for straight glide.

  Finally I landed by her and said, "Had enough?"

  "I'll never have enough! But I'll unwing if you say."

  "Tired?"

  "No." She glanced over her wing at the Baby's Ladder; a dozen fliers were going up it, wings motionless, soaring lazily. "I wish I could do that just once. It must be heaven."

  I chewed it over. "Actually, the higher you are, the safer you are."

  "Then why not?"

  "Mmm... safer provided you know what you're doing. Going up that draft is just gliding like you've been doing. You lie still and let it lift you half a mile high. Then you come down the same way, circling the wall in a gentle glide. But you're going to be tempted to do something you don't understand yet -- flap your wings, or cut some caper."

  She shook her head solemnly. "I won't do anything you haven't taught me."

  I was still worried. "Look, it's only half a mile up but you cover five miles going there and more getting down. Half an hour at least. Will your arms take it?"

  "I'm sure they will."

  "Well... you can start down anytime; you don't have to go all the way. Flex your arms a little now and then, so they won't cramp. Just don't flap your wings."

  "I won't."

  "OK." I spread my wings. "Follow me."

  I led her into the updraft, leaned gently right, then back left to start the counterclockwise climb, all the while sculling very slowly so that she could keep up. Once we were in the groove I called out, "Steady as you are!" and cut out suddenly, climbed and took station thirty feet over and behind her. "Ariel?"

  "Yes, Holly?"

  "I'll stay over you. Don't crane your neck; you don't have to watch me, I have to watch you. You're doing fine."

  "I feel fine!"

  "Wiggle a little. Don't stiffen up. It's a long way to the roof. You can scull harder if you want to."

  "Aye aye, Cap'n!"

  "Not tired?"

  "Heavens, no! Girl, I'm living!" She giggled. "And mama said I'd never be an angel!"

  I didn't answer because red-and-silver wings came charging at me, braked suddenly and settled into the circle between me and Ariel. Jeff's face was almost as red as his wings. "What the devil do you think you are doing?"

  "Orange wings!" I yelled. "Keep clear!"

  "Get down out of here! Both of you!"

  "Get out from between me and my pupil. You know the rules."

  "Ariel!" Jeff shouted. "Lean out of the circle and glide down. I'll stay with you."

  "Jeff Hardesty," I said savagely, "I give you three seconds to get out from between us -- then I'm going to report you for violation of Rule One. For the third time -- Orange Wings!"

  Jeff growled something, dipped his right wing and dropped out of formation. The idiot sideslipped within five feet of Ariel's wing tip. I should have reported him for that; all the room you can give a beginner is none too much.

  I said, "OK, Ariel?"

  "OK, Holly. I'm sorry Jeff is angry."

  "He'll get over it. Tell me if you feel tired."

  "I'm not. I want to go all the way up. How high are we?"

  "Four hundred feet, maybe."

  Jeff flew below us a while, then climbed and flew over us... probably for the same reason I did: to see better. It suited me to have two of us watching her as long as he didn't interfere; I was beginning to fret that Ariel might not realize that the way down was going to be as long and tiring as the way up. I was hoping she would cry uncle. I knew I could glide until forced down by starvation. But a beginner gets tense.

  Jeff stayed generally over us, sweeping back and forth -- he's too active to glide very long -- while Ariel and I continued to soar, winding slowly up toward the roof. It finally occurred to me when we were about halfway up that I could cry uncle myself; I didn't have to wait for Ariel to weaken. So I called out, "Ariel? Tired now?"

  "No."

  "Well, I am. Could we go down, please?"

  She didn't argue, she just said, "All right. What am I to do?"

  "Lean right and get out of the circle." I intended to have her move out five or six hundred feet, get into the return down draft, and circle the cave down instead of up. I glanced up, looking for Jeff. I finally spotted him some distance away and much higher but coming toward us. I called out, "Jeff! See you on the ground." He might not have heard me but he would see if he didn't hear; I glanced back at Ariel.

  I couldn't find her.

  Then I saw her, a hundred feet below -- flailing her wings and falling, out of control.

  I didn't know how it happened. Maybe she leaned too far, went into a sideslip and started to struggle. But I didn't try to figure it out; I was simply filled with horror. I seemed to hang there frozen for an hour while I watched her.

  But the fact appears to be that I screamed "Jeff!" and broke into a stoop.

  But I didn't seem to fall, couldn't overtake her. I spilled my wings completely -- but couldn't manage to fall; she was as far away as ever.

  You do start slowly, of course; our low gravity is the only thing that makes human flying possible. Even a stone falls a scant three feet in the first second. But the first second seemed endless.

  Then I knew I was falling. I could feel rushing air -- but I still didn't seem to close on her. Her struggles must have slowed her somewhat, while I was in an intentional stoop, wings spilled and raised over my head, falling as fast as possible. I had a wild notion that if I could pull even with her, I could shout sense into her head, get her to dive, then straighten out in a glide. But I couldn't reach her.

  This nightmare dragged on for hours.

  Actually we didn't have room to fall for more than twenty seconds; that's all it takes to stoop a thousand feet. But twenty seconds can be horribly long... long enough to regret every foolish thing I had ever done or said, long enough to say a prayer for us both....nd to say good-bye to Jeff in my heart. Long enough to see the floor rushing toward us and know that we were both going to crash if I didn't overtake her mighty quick.

  I glanced up and Jeff was stooping right over us but a long way up. I looked down at once....nd I was overtaking her... I was passing her -- I was under her!

  Then I was braking with everything I had, almost pulling my wings off. I grabbed air, held it, and started to beat without ever going to level flight. I beat once, twice, three times... and hit her from below, jarring us both.

  Then the floor hit us.

  I felt feeble and dreamily contented. I was on my back in a dim room. I think Mother was with me and I know Daddy was. My nose itched and I tried to scratch it, but my arms wouldn't work. I fell asleep again.

  I woke up hungry and wide awake. I was in a hospital bed and my arms still wouldn't work, which wasn't surprising as they were both in casts. A nurse came in with a tray. "Hungry?" she asked.

  "Starved," I admitted.

  "We'll fix that." She started feeding me like a baby.

  I dodged the third spoonful and demanded, "What happened to my arms?"

  "Hush," she said and gagged me with a spoon.

  But a nice doctor came in later and answered my question. "Nothing much. Three simple fractures. At your age you'll heal in no time. But we like your company so I'm holding you for observation of possible internal injury."

  "I'm not hurt inside," I told him. "At least, I don't hurt."

  "I told you it was just an excuse."

  "Uh, Doctor?"

  "Well?"

  "Will I be able to fly again?" I waited, scared.

  "Certainly. I've seen men hurt worse get up and go three rounds."

  "Oh. Well, thanks. Doctor? What happened to the other girl? Is she... did she...?"

  "Brentwood? She's here."

  "She's right here," Ariel agreed from the door. "May I come in?"

&nb
sp; My jaw dropped, then I said, "Yeah. Sure. Come in."

  The doctor said, "Don't stay long," and left. I said, "Well, sit down."

  "Thanks." She hopped instead of walked and I saw that one foot was bandaged. She got on the end of the bed.

  "You hurt your foot."

  She shrugged. "Nothing. A sprain and a torn ligament. Two cracked ribs. But I would have been dead. You know why I'm not?"

  I didn't answer. She touched one of my casts. "That's why. You broke my fall and I landed on top of you. You saved my life and I broke both your arms."

  "You don't have to thank me. I would have done it for anybody."

  "I believe you and I wasn't thanking you. You can't thank a person for saving your life. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I knew it."

  I didn't have an answer so I said, "Where's Jeff? Is he all right?"

  "He'll be along soon. Jeff's not hurt... though I'm surprised he didn't break both ankles. He stalled in beside us so hard that he should have. But Holly... Holly my very dear... I slipped in so that you and I could talk about him before he got here."

  I changed the subject quickly. Whatever they had given me made me feel dreamy and good, but not beyond being embarrassed. "Ariel, what happened? You were getting along fine -- then suddenly you were in trouble."

  She looked sheepish. "My own fault. You said we were going down, so I looked down. Really looked, I mean. Before that, all my thoughts had been about climbing to the roof; I hadn't thought about how far down the floor was. Then I looked down and got dizzy and panicky and went all to pieces." She shrugged. "You were right. I wasn't ready."

  I thought about it and nodded. "I see. But don't worry -- when my arms are well, I'll take you up again."

  She touched my foot. "Dear Holly. But I won't be flying again; I'm going back where I belong."

  "Earthside?"

  "Yes. I'm taking the Billy Mitchell on Wednesday."

  "Oh. I'm sorry."

  She frowned slightly. "Are you? Holly, you don't like me, do you?"

  I was startled silly. What can you say? Especially when it's true? "Well," I said slowly, "I don't dislike you. I just don't know you very well."