24

the helicopter comes again

when the courtyard was completely empty, and the beam had gone out, leaving the mountain-topin darkness, lucy-ann began to cry bitterly. jack and dinah put their arms round her. they feltlike howling too.

‘he doesn’t mean it,’ said jack, trying to think of something really comforting. ‘don’t worry!

he only said that to scare us. they’d never make philip do a thing like that.’

‘they didn’t say it to scare us. they meant it, you know they did!’ sobbed lucy-ann. ‘what arewe going to do? we’ve got to do something.’

it was all very well to say that – but what in the world was there to do? the children got verylittle sleep that night. they debated whether to tell philip or not what had happened – and whatwas proposed.

they decided not to. it would be dreadful for him to lie alone in his cave and worry. so, whenmorning came and they sent snowy to philip with the usual sandwiches made from their ownbreakfast rations, they said nothing in the daily note about what had happened.

but to their great surprise, who should be ushered up the steps by the soldiers that morning, butphilip himself! he bounded forward to greet them, grinning.

‘hallo! they’ve let me out! tired of starving me, i suppose, and seeing me get fatter and fatter.

i say, did you see the helicopter last night? i heard it.’

lucy-ann and dinah hugged him and jack slapped him heartily on the shoulder. they weredelighted to see him again. snowy had come with him and acted like a mad thing, careering upand down the parapet as if he was in a circus.

they told him very little about the night before. he was rather puzzled that they said so little,even in answer to his questions. but jack, by means of heavy frowns, had let the girls know theyhad better not say too much. he thought it would be wise to postpone saying anything in casemeier really hadn’t meant what he said.

but it looked a bit odd, meier letting philip come up to be with the others, all of a sudden – andbringing them very much better food and plenty of it. ‘like victims being fattened for thesacrifice!’ thought jack. ‘i wonder when the next helicopter’s due? how long have we got? oh,bill, do make haste!’

lucy-ann and dinah, fearing that poor philip really would have to jump from the helicopter,were most affectionate to him. dinah even enquired after sally the slow-worm and did not shrinkaway when philip brought her out of his pocket.

‘i say! what’s up with dinah?’ asked philip at last. ‘she’s gone all sweet and sugary. it’s notlike her. she’ll be offering to nurse sally slithery for me next!’

philip felt sure there was something up. he couldn’t imagine what it was. he wondered if it wasbad news about kiki. no – if jack had heard any, he would be much more upset than he was.

philip felt uncomfortable. it wasn’t like the others to keep anything from him. he tackled jackabout it firmly.

‘look here, jack – something’s up. don’t say there isn’t – i jolly well know there is. so comeout with it – or i’ll go back to my cave and sulk!’

jack hesitated. then he took the plunge. ‘all right, philip – i’ll tell you. but it’s not good.’

he told him all about it – how the helicopter had arrived – what had happened – about thefrightened paratrooper and the angry pilot – and finally about meier’s wicked suggestion that oneof the children should try the ‘wings’.

‘i see,’ said philip slowly. ‘and i suppose the one they’re going to try is me?’

‘that’s what they said,’ said jack. ‘the brutes! that experiment is only half-way to perfection –the wings aren’t a hundred per cent foolproof, nor even fifty per cent – though they may be oneday!’

‘well, well – to think i’m going to fly with wings,’ said philip, trying to pass the whole thing offas a joke. he saw jack’s troubled face. ‘don’t worry, old son. it won’t happen! something willturn up – and if it doesn’t, i’m no coward!’

‘i know. you don’t need to tell me that,’ said jack. ‘the girls are awfully upset. that’s whywe’ve seemed a bit funny with you. we just didn’t want to tell you.’

philip pranced up to the girls, flapping his arms like wings. ‘cheer up!’ he cried. ‘as soon asi’m out of that helicopter i’ll fly off to bill and give him the shock of his life!’

but it wasn’t much use trying to make a joke of it. it was too serious. none of the children feltlike playing with snowy, who was very hurt and gambolled down the stone steps into themountain to look for somebody with a bit more fun in them.

three days went by. the children had almost given up all hope of bill coming now. surely hewould have been along before, if he had come looking for them? they would have seen a search-party on the mountainside, if one had come. but they saw nothing at all. it was mostdisappointing. they felt quite sick with watching and waiting.

they pondered whether to make a dash for freedom again and try for the rope-ladder oncemore. but jack shook his head. ‘no, they’ll be on the watch now. there’s always one of thosesoft-footed soldiers about. meier will have put somebody on guard.’

there was one good thing, orders had evidently been given to feed the children well, and theyhad plenty of good food. even their sad hearts did not take away their appetites and they tucked inwell, helped by snowy, who would devour every scrap of greenstuff or vegetable if he could.

and then, one night as they slept together under the awning, their rugs pulled round them, theyheard the familiar sound of the helicopter! all four sat up at once, their hearts beating. tears cameinto lucy-ann’s eyes.

the helicopter circled round the moutain-top slowly. then the bright beam came on and thecourtyard was lighted up. the helicopter came slowly down and at last its wheels rested on therocky yard.

there were two men in the machine, but neither of them was the same as before. the pilot hadon big goggles and a peaked cap. the other man was bareheaded. he looked stern and grim.

meier soon came up with erlick and the soldier guards. ‘you the boss?’ called the pilot. ‘i’vetaken kahn’s place. he’s on holiday. had a job finding this place. this is johns, my mate. we’vegot the goods you wanted.’

there was the same unpacking as before, and boxes and crates were piled on the ground. thepilot and his companion jumped down.

‘there is a meal ready for you,’ said meier. ‘you will start back tomorrow night?’

‘no. got to leave tonight,’ said the pilot. ‘they’re making enquiries about some of our doings.

got to be back at once.’

‘you have been told that – er – that er . . .’ began meier.

‘what – that some paratrooper wants a jump off the helicopter?’ said the pilot. ‘oh, yes. that’sokay by me. if a chap wants to do that, well, it’s no business of mine.’

‘you will be paid very very well,’ said meier’s grim voice. ‘this time it is double the price. wehave a young jumper – it is necessary for our experiments, you understand.’

there was a pause. then the pilot’s voice came again, sharp and enquiring. ‘what do you mean– a young jumper?’

‘a boy,’ said meier. ‘he is here.’ then he turned to one of the soldiers and said something tohim in a foreign language. the soldier darted off down the steps into the mountain. ‘i have sent totell the inventor that you have arrived,’ he said. ‘now will you come to have a meal?’

‘no,’ said the pilot. ‘i must be off. get this boy and make him ready.’

lucy-ann’s knees were shaking so much that she couldn’t stand. philip felt calm but ratherfierce. all right! let them strap those wings on him then – let them take him in the helicopter!

he’d jump out all right! and if those wings did act – if they did – but would they? philip justcouldn’t bring himself to believe that they would.

the pilot had not seen any of the children, but now philip had to go forward, fetched by one ofthe soldiers. the others followed, though lucy-ann had to hold on to jack. before the pilot couldsay a word to them, the king appeared. the children thought he must have dressed himself up veryquickly! his crown was a little crooked, but otherwise he looked as majestic as ever.

the box with the wings in was carried by one of the soldiers. the king undid it and took out thewings. they really did look beautiful – and what was more, they looked as if they would be able tofly! lucy-ann hoped fervently that they could.

philip made no fuss at all as the wings were strapped to his arms. he was shown the two buttonsand nodded. he flapped his arms a little and was surprised to feel the power in the wings, as theymet the air. the others watched him in admiration. jack warmed to him. what pluck he had! – hedidn’t in the least show that he was scared. perhaps he wasn’t.

but deep down inside philip was a nasty little core of dread. he kept it clamped down. not forworlds would he have let anyone know it was there.

then meier, the king, erlick and the others got a surprise. little lucy-ann stepped forward andlaid her hand on the arm of the king.

‘your majesty! i think i ought to try out your wings for you. i am much lighter than philip. itwould be an honour for me to try them.’

philip and jack looked thunderstruck. the idea of it! philip gave the little girl a hug, putting hiswinged arms all round her.

‘you’re a brave darling! but i’m going! and what’s more i’ll fly back to this old mountain-topand just show you how well i’m doing.’

lucy-ann gave a sob. this was too much for her altogether. the pilot said nothing but got intothe helicopter with his companion.

the king showed no hesitation at all in letting philip go. it was pathetic the way he believedwhole- heartedly in his extraordinary wings. his head was in the clouds. the people whoperformed his experiments for him and tried out his clever ideas were nothing to him at all.

meier watched grimly as philip climbed into the helicopter, helped by one of the soldiers, forhis arms were hampered by the beautiful wings. the man would have been better pleased if theboy had objected and made a scene. he did not admire philip’s pluck in the least. his piercingeyes looked into philip’s and the boy looked back at him mockingly.

‘so long!’ he said, and raised one of his winged arms. ‘see you later! look out for youself,meier. you’ll come to a bad end one of these days!’

meier stepped forward angrily, but the helicopter’s engine began to whirr. the rotors wentslowly round, gathering speed. lucy-ann tried to stifle a sob. she felt sure she would never seephilip again.

the helicopter rose straight up into the air. the pilot leaned forward and shouted somethingloudly. ‘don’t forget bill smugs!’ he called, and his voice was no longer the same as it hadsounded before. it was quite different. it was somebody else’s.

in fact – it was bill’s voice!