23

the wonderful wings

the three children retired to their rugs. they were afraid to go near the helicopter again, becausethe obedient soldiers, they knew, would stand no nonsense. snowy appeared from over theparapet, full of curiosity. he ran over to the helicopter, but the guards hit out at him.

‘the beasts! how can they be cruel to a little kid?’ said jack. ‘snowy! come here! thesefellows would make you into soup as soon as look at you. you’d better be careful.’

‘oh, jack – don’t say things like that,’ said tender-hearted lucy-ann. ‘would they really?

surely nobody would ever have the heart to hurt snowy?’

snowy retreated hastily to the children and skipped up and down the parapet, as sure-footed inthe dark as in the daylight. the beam of the lamp showed up the helicopter, but the rest of thecourtyard was in darkness.

the dogs howled in their enclosure. they had not liked the noise the helicopter made, and theywere uneasy and restless. the soldiers shouted threateningly to them, but the dogs took no notice.

‘i don’t like this adventure at all,’ said lucy-ann suddenly. ‘in fact, i simply hate it. i want toget away. i want to go back to bill and aunt allie and effans and mrs evans. why did we have tofind another adventure in these nice, peaceful summer holidays?’

‘it just happens to us,’ said jack. ‘something in us attracts them, i suppose – like animals areattracted to philip! some people attract good luck, some attract wealth, some attract animals, someattract adventures.’

‘well, i’d rather attract something harmless, like cats or dogs,’ complained lucy-ann. ‘ohdear! i do wish snowy wouldn’t keep walking over us when we’re lying down.’

they fell asleep at last. in the morning, when they sent some food to philip by snowy, they senta note also, telling him all they had seen in the night. snowy brought a note back.

i’m sorry for the paratrooper! i wonder how many they’ve used in trying out this mad experiment.

i’m glad i’m not chosen for anything as crazy as that! keep your chin up! i’m all right here. i’vegot snowy most of the time and sally slithery is getting so tame she eats out of my fingers. shesleeps on a bit of warm rock at the edge of my cave. tell snowy not to tread on her when hecomes bounding in!

so long!

philip

the day seemed very long again. the dogs were not taken down into the mountain and let looseon the countryside, but were exercised round and round the courtyard by the diligent soldiers. thechildren were glad about that.

‘if old bill arrives today, the dogs won’t be out on the mountain-side. he’ll be safe. so let’shope he comes. not that he can do much if he does. he won’t know where the entrance is – and ifhe finds it, he won’t know how to work the rope-ladder – and there’s no other way of getting in.’

lucy-ann looked very dismal. ‘shall we have to stay here all our lives long?’ she asked.

the others laughed at her. ‘no!’ said jack. ‘bill will do something – but don’t ask me what!’

the paratroopers had not appeared again that day, not even the one who was supposed to begoing to use the ‘wings’ that night. the helicopter stood there in the middle of the courtyard, thesun glinting on its motionless shape.

evening came. the children grew restive. the soldiers had brought them food as usual, but hadnot said a word. what were all the paratroopers doing? having a ceremonial feast of something tocelebrate their comrade’s experiment?

and where, oh where, was kiki? jack was feeling very miserable about her now. he turnedover and over in his mind all the things that might have happened to her. she had never been awayfrom him so long.

that night the beam shone out again in the courtyard. meier, erlick, three or four servants andthe paratrooper appeared, followed by the lean-faced, scarred pilot and his companion.

then up the opening, stepping out majestically, came the king!

he was dressed in his grand robes and crown and was hardly recognizable as the poor, bald oldfellow who had talked to the children a day or two back. he held himself proudly as he walked tothe centre of the courtyard.

behind came four uniformed guards, carrying a box. they laid it down at the king’s feet. insilence he stooped down and opened it.

he took out a pair of wings! they glittered like gold, and were shaped like a bird’s outstretchedwings, big and wide. lucy-ann gasped in delight.

‘oh! look, dinah! real wings! aren’t they lovely?’

the king was speaking to the amazed paratrooper. ‘these will hold you up when you jump.

press this button here as soon as you leap from the helicopter. then you will find that you cannotfall. you will no longer feel the pull of the earth. you will be free and light as air. then you mayuse the wings, for guiding yourself, for planing, for soaring, whatever you wish!’

‘doesn’t it sound marvellous?’ whispered lucy-ann, drinking in every word.

‘the wings must be fitted to your arms,’ said the king. ‘hold them out and i will fix them on.’

‘here – is this all i’m going to have to stop me falling?’ said the paratrooper.

‘you will not need anything else,’ said the king. ‘in these wings are imprisoned powerful rays.

at the press of the button they are released, and shoot towards the earth, preventing its pull onyou. you cannot fall! but when you want to come to earth, press the button once more – and youwill glide down gently, as the earth exerts her pull on you once more.’

‘yes, but look here – i understood it was a new kind of parachute i was trying out,’ said theparatrooper. ‘see? i didn’t think it was stuff and nonsense like this!’

‘it is not nonsense, man,’ said meier’s curt voice. ‘it is a great invention by the greatest scientistin the world. you will find erlick and me waiting for you to come to earth when you have flown amile or two. we shall take the dogs and find you. then – riches for you, and honour for the rest ofyour life! one of the pioneer flying-men!’

‘look here – i’m a heavy chap,’ began the paratrooper again. ‘see? those flimsy wings won’thold me – rays or no rays! i don’t know about any pull of the earth on me – all i know is i’ll haveto fall, once i jump out with only those things on my arms. are you crazy?’

‘get him!’ suddenly said meier, in a furious voice. erlick and the soldiers at once pinioned theparatrooper’s arms. he had to stand whilst the king fixed on the ‘wings’. the children watchedwith bated breath.

the paratrooper cried out and struggled, but the apelike erlick was far too strong for him. ‘puthim in the helicopter and take off,’ commanded meier. ‘go too, erlick. push him out at the rightmoment. if he’s a fool he’ll not press the button. if he is wise he will press it – and then he will seehow well he flies!’

but the pilot now had something to say. he spoke in a drawling voice, clear and contemptuous.

‘i think this fellow’s too heavy. the last one was too. you’d better think again, boss, and getthose wings made twice the size. i’m game for an experiment where there’s a chance foreverybody – but i reckon there’s not much chance for a big fellow trying out those wings ofyours.’

‘do you mean you refuse to take this fellow?’ said meier, white with anger.

‘you’ve got it right first time, boss,’ said the pilot, getting angry too, so that his scar showed upvery plainly. ‘try a little fellow! i guess the experiment worked all right last time – for a minute ortwo – and then it petered out. these paratroopers are hulking great chaps – the ones you try outwith me, anyway – and i tell you plainly i’m not taking anyone who doesn’t want to go. got it?’

meier went up to the pilot as if he meant to strike him. erlick pulled him back. ‘that’s right,’

said the pilot, who had not turned a hair. ‘don’t try any funny business with me, boss. i know toomuch – and there’s others will know too much too, if i don’t get back on time!’

he got into his machine, and the swarthy man, his companion, who had not said a single wordall this time, got in beside him. the paratrooper watched them dazedly. the engine of thehelicopter started up.

the pilot leaned forward and spoke again to meier, who looked as if he was on the point ofbursting with rage.

‘so long! i shan’t be coming next time – i’m going for a holiday! i’ll be sending somebodywho’s not so pernickety as i am – but i warn you – try a little guy!’

the machine rose vertically into the air, circled round the mountain-side slowly, and then madeoff to the west. in a few minutes it could not even be heard.

the children had watched all this, the girls only half understanding what was going on. lucy-ann felt sorry for the frightened paratrooper and very glad he had not been forced to go off in thehelicopter.

the little group left in the courtyard paced up and down. a lot of talk and argument went on,though the paratrooper did not seem to be joining in at all. he had stripped off the wings and washeld securely by the soldiers. the king carried his precious wings all the time, but at last replacedthem in the box and locked it.

‘very well,’ he said, ‘i agree. it may be that the men we choose are too heavy – but who elsecould we have asked? only paratroopers are used to jumping from heights! try someone lighter ifyou wish. it will make no difference to my ideas.’

and then the children heard a few words that made them gasp in horror. ‘one of those kids willdo,’ said meier. ‘that insolent boy, for instance. we’ll put the wings on him and he shall jumpfrom the helicopter!’