winged a novella of two girls

8/9/2019 Winged a Novella of Two Girls

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Winged: A Novella Of Two Girls

Copyright 2009 by Joyce Chng

Including cover design

Enquiries, feedback and permission:

Please contact Joyce Chng at [email protected]

More stories by Joyce Chng are featured at http://jolantru.dreamwidth.org

ISBN: 978-981-08-3863-8Printed by Lulu.com
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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The Basics of Flight

JOYCE CHNG

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To my little girls and to those who dare to dream and to fly.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

BASICS

Chapter OneBeginning: First Steps

Chapter Two

Finding Her Balance: Standing On Two Feet

Chapter Three

Balance Of The World: An Interlude

Chapter Four

Finding Her Balance: Walking Aware

Chapter Five

Maintaining Equilibrium

Chapter Six

A Moment Of Gravity

Chapter Seven

A Moment Of Lift

FLIGHT

Chapter One

Fledgling

Chapter TwoHardening The Wings

Chapter ThreeDynamics

Chapter FourEarning The Wings

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Chapter Five

Taking Wing

Chapter Six

The Gathering

Chapter SevenFlight

(An Interlude)

EPILOGUE

New Horizons

List of Dramatis Personae

Artifices

Colleges of the Flight Academy ( Acadmie De Vol)

The collectors and inventors

The Garden of Crystals

Lee Hsus Ship

About the Author

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BASICS

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Chapter One

Beginnings: First Steps

Katherine found her view obstructed by a phalanx of broad backs. Nevertheless, she

managed to grab an empty wooden crate and she clambered on top of it, seeing finally

the great flying contraption.

It rippled in the sun, a play of fire and blood in its fins. It was modeled after a fish of the

tropical seas, a lion fish. It surely appeared leonine, with its erect frills like a lions

luxuriant mane. In the morning sunlight, it looked courageous and daring, flashing its

bright colors. It floated in mid-air, tethered only by sturdy rope.

It was magical.

Everyone was whispering excitedly, pointing at the flying lion fish. Women in their

washerwomans clothes thronged near it, clucking like a gaggle of geese. Her own mom

was amongst the women, a quiet figure, watching the contraption.

The lion fishs pilot stood, conversing with Mr Stanton, the villages local merchant. Mr

Stanton held a stack of notes and he seemed to be explaining something important to the

gentleman pilot who wore dashing brown leathers and goggles. He stood like an

aristocrat of old, slapping his leather gloves on his thigh.

She gazed longingly at the lion fish. They were the craze in London, touted to be the new

devices to take over the place of the horse and the train. They were also the invention of

the collectors, a group of inventors and scientists who spoke of Science and Logic. Next

to the steely and cumbersome trains who breathed spumes of steam and were loud, the

lion fishes were graceful, almost angelic.

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The pilot saluted smartly to Mr Stanton, bowed to the gawkers and strode confidently to

the lion fish. Now, she could see the pilot: handsome, his skin tanned brown by the sun

and moustaches neatly and fastidiously trimmed. He looked about two years older than

her. He wasnt that old as she had previously thought.

He disappeared into the flying lion fish. For a moment, nobody dared to speak, all eyes

intent on the contraption. Someone loosened the rope and the pilot appeared from an

window, quickly pulling the rest of the rope back in. The lion fish was no longer floating

but moving with purpose. Everyone gasped and ducked as one when it shot over their

heads and lifted into the air.

She tilted her head up, shielding her eyes. The lion fish leo-fin shimmered in the

Dorset sun. It was glorious. It was magnificent.

She wanted it so much to be hers.

~*~

The academys main building reminded her of a cathedral, with soaring

steeples and grave-looking stonework, befitting more perhaps a monastery or a convent.

Yet, as she walked towards the large brass door leading to the auditorium, she could hear

merry laughter coming from the courtyard. It lifted the somber mood and she felt less

intimidated.

It was an exceedingly large area. A crisscross pattern of roads and paths

led to the main building that served as the center of the academy. Directly facing the

cathedral was a splendid-looking manor, constructed in the form of a H, with the extreme

wings serving as dormitories for the academy students. Between the two wings were the

classrooms and lecture chambers as well as a dining hall.

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What drew her attention immediately was the Flying Field, a magnificent

sprawling field probably the size of Dorset. There were two leo-fins flying in the middle

of it while a group of students watched. A tiny figure the pilot? threw down rope from

one of the leo-fins and as she watched in amazement, the students began to climb up the

rope one by one. The figure/pilot shouted encouragement.

The activity on the Field sent a thrill of excitement through her. To be able

to fly! She would do anything!

She pushed the brass door and it opened with a low stygian groan. Eyes

stared at her: a thousand pairs of them, as she walked in, feeling suddenly - immensely

small. The auditorium seats were arranged in terraces. Row after row of seats and

students wearing their college designations. She swayed, dizzy with the sensory overload.

The noise. The colors. The people.

To make it worse, the lecturer standing in the middle of the auditorium

was watching her like a hawk. The lecturer was a tall handsome-looking woman, with a

strong jaw and shoulder-length russet hair. Her skin was tanned, bearing testimony to the

hours spent in the open and under the sun. She was dressed in a simple white shirt with

long sleeves, covered with a manly black vest, and khaki riding breeches. Black boots

shone with dedicated polishing and she held a riding crop in her right hand., tapping it

impatiently.

It was an astonishing sight.

Clear-blue eyes bore into her critically and she ground to a halt, realizing

that she could hear muffled giggles and whispers coming from the students.

Name and College? You are terribly late, young miss. The woman said,

her voice husky but firm.

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Katherine Riley. College Sable. She replied, almost biting her tongue.

She knew that the woman was looking at her injured ankle and her slight limp. The injury

was an unfortunate reminder of her past; it had not healed properly, forcing her to limp.

Icy anxiety spiked uneasily in her stomach.

Good! I am the Tutor-in-charge of College Sable. Please find a seat, Miss

Riley. The womans voice held a hint of amusement and tapped the rostrum sharply

with her riding crop. The rest of you, make haste back to your task. The chapter on bird

flight, please.

She walked up the aisle, desperately looking for an empty seat. Most of

the seats were occupied and jealously guarded. She was about to give up hope when she

saw one beside a pale looking girl, about her age. Embarrassed and muttering a rushed

Iamsorry, she eased herself in, knowing that she was distracting others from their studies.

The girl beside her appeared fragile, her face framed with fine flaxen-

colored hair and her skin the shade of delicate porcelain. Her fingers were slender,

caressing the open book in front of her. She noted that there were tiny notches on the

page and wondered why. The girls eyes were a startling green and they stared straight

ahead.

Dont be embarrassed. Tardiness is a problem, even though Pilotmaster

Lee doesnt really like it. The girl whispered softly.

Um

I am Alethia Forrester, the girl continued, still staring ahead. I am

College Sable too. She noticed the red band around the girls slim left arm.

You are a muddle of red and orange, arent you? The girl finally faced

her and she realized, with shock, that she was blind.

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I am not! She hissed back, stung and offended, and some students glared

at them. The nerve!

I think in colors, Alethia said mildly. I am blind. But I perceive and

feel things in different hues.

Oh.

People assume I can see. The girl smiled and it was a warm genuine

smile. Come, I do not want Captain Sagan to hound us later. She inclined her head

towards the direction of the tall woman at the rostrum.

She opened her book but she kept glancing at Alethias fingers stroking

the notches. It was rather fascinating. By now, Captain Sagan had begun the lecture. She

noticed that there was another woman, dressed in a more lady-like black gown, seated

before a strange metallic contraption. She looked as if she was playing pianoforte. The

contraption made clacking sounds. As Captain Sagan spoke in her strong voice, the

woman moved her hands quickly over the odd object, click-clacking away.

Thats the vox-recorder, Alethia explained as if she somehow sensed her

curiosity. Captain Sagan makes sure her words are written down for laggards to peruse

in the future. There was gentle humor in her words and she found herself smiling.

Captain Sagan was talking about the basics of bird flight, using detailed

drawings of bird skeletons. She settled down to listen, knowing somehow that the

academy was going to be an interesting place. She was going to fly and she knew it deep

inside her bones.

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Chapter Two

Finding Her Balance: Standing On Two Feet

The ground looked ominously far away from her dangling feet.

If you keep on paying attention to your feet, Miss Riley, the voice above

her boomed out sternly. You will remain in the air until the end of the day!

She hung onto the rope, feeling it rub against her already-sore palms. Sheforced herself to move upwards, focus on the voice above her. The wind tugged at her

fiercely, pulling at her breeches and making her feel extremely naked cold. She

swayed, because the rope was swaying, because the leo-fin was swaying gently in the

incoming wind current. She could hear the leo-fin sing its own unique song. Shaped like

the lion fish, a fish from the distant tropics, it had captured her imagination ever since she

saw it land in Dorset.

Or rather, its creak-creak-creak voice as it flew suspended in mid-air for

the flightmens basic training. That creakvoice was the result of its engines working hard

to keep the entire craft airborne, combined with the lift of air currents.

Rainbows, Alethia would say during meal times in the Dining Hall.

They speak in rainbows.

Rainbows. How she wished she could see one now. Not while she was

dangling in the middle of the sky, feet wishing for terra firma. Maybe, she was not

destined to fly anymore.

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Pay attention, Miss Riley! The voice boomed out again. Stenton, their

instructor.

She looked up, almost lost her grip and quickly clung onto the rope, her

heart pounding in her chest. Come on, come on, she goaded herself. She called up images

of a shriveled harridan shrieking verbal abuse at her and it got her most motivated. She

began to move slowly and when she faltered, stricken with exhaustion, she would think

of the shrieking harridan and she would have energy.

It was a sense of immense relief when Stenton pulled her into the

compartment area of the leo-fin and she collapsed onto the floor. Her hands were red with

new blisters and she felt as if she had run a mile without stopping. Her arms ached

terribly.

Less tarrying, Miss Riley, Stenton said, not unkindly. More focus on

your task.

She nodded, knowing that she had accomplished her own personal best.

As for her personal demons, she still needed that extra energy to repel them away.

~*~

Heard that you almost fell from the leo-fin.

She met Alethia during the mid-day meal. How Alethia got to know about

her disastrous training session was a mystery. Then again, the academy was closely knit

and news spread easily.

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The fair-haired girl navigated around with a walking stick. She also used

her hands to touch the surfaces around her. She was uncanny though she was adept at

knowing spatial direction. In College Sable, she was nicknamed Ghost by a sarcastic

student and the name seemed to have caught on. She seemed to shrug off the nickname

nonchalantly. Katherine knew that she was actually quite hurt by that rude comment.

The mid-day meal was a hearty vegetable stew with freshly baked bread.

Most of College Sable sat at their designated tables. Katherine and Alethia sat at their

own spots. Katherine soaked the bread thoroughly with the savory stew. It reminded her

of her mothers cooking.

I almost did. But Stenton was a cruel taskmaster and made me climb the

rope in a jiffy. She said, chewing on the bread.

Stenton is well-known for his cruelty. But he is actually quite a kind

man. Alethias voice was always soft, gentle. Katherine had never heard her raise it in

anger.

Katherine glanced at her blisters, still raw from the mornings climb. They

would heal in time. No doubt, there would be more in the future. She was not so sure

about her ankle. It was painful when she walked. Stenton had already made note of it. So

did Doctor Ash, the academys resident physician.

By Jove, she really wanted the ankle to be well. Inwardly, she cursed the

person who caused it, only to pause. It was bad enough to curse. Her mother did say

something about curses coming back to haunt people like spirits of old.

Katherine?

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Alethias voice broke her reverie.

You are unusually solemn, the girl continued and Katherine could see a

slight frown creasing the smooth pale brow. The sightless eyes were forever open. Yet,

Katherine knew that Alethia could easily feel her emotions.

I am just thinking, thats all. Katherine said, realizing her excuse

sounded flat and unconvincing. Later, Alethia would sit down with her again and probe it

out of her in her gentle, unassuming manner.

She wondered if she was indeed adapting well to the Flight Academy. The

lessons were agreeable more so than a small Dorset class-room - and she was learning

everyday about flight and the basics of it. There was time for rest and for work the

Pilotmaster and lecturers made sure of that. A tired pilot, they said, makes a careless

pilot. The Great Manor was a splendid building. There was hot and cold water in their

dormitories, a luxury she knew especially in autumn and winter. There was a

hydraulic pump-core working underneath the Great Manor, powering the electricity that

in turn powered the lamps and other sources of light in the Manor. It was said that the

Manor was a Marvel for its age and there were many people who wanted to do the same

for their own endeavors.

There was First Light when the lights came on at the break of dawn,

waking the students from their slumber. After First Light and breakfast, the morning

began with Athletics and other exercises. Lessons began promptly after Athletics and

continued until late afternoon, near Tea. Last Light was turned on before bed and it was a

time for students to rest, play games and converse with their friends.

She had to agree that she enjoyed the academy, more so when she saw the

leo-fins in their glory and to be so close to them. She would only fly next year, when

you find your balance, young lady! Captain Sagan told her once, kindly but firmly

enough for her to take note of the lecturers words.

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She knew she was simply awful at balancing. Stenton thought she had a

problem with her inner ear. She just simply could not balance well on the beams. A

problem, she felt her heart sinking, at the helm of a leo-fin.

Katherine, Alethias voice was more persistent. Katherine?

Oh! Katherine shook herself and finished her by-now cold stew.

~*~

When Last Light illuminated the Great Manor, Katherine found herself at

the Exercise Hall, staring thoughtfully at the beams.

The beams criss-crossed each other and were designed to teach poise and

equilibrium. For her, they were obstacles. Frustrating, harrowing obstacles. She saw

the rest doing it with various degrees of grace and poise and she felt like a lumbering cow

whenever she stood on one of the beams.

In the dim light, she touched the beam, already polished smooth by

countless soles and hands. She lifted herself up onto the wooden apparatus, feeling it

creak ominously beneath her bare feet. She inhaled deeply and began to walk, placing her

right foot before her left carefully. She lifted her arms to give her enough balance.

At first, it was fine. She was doing remarkably well and Stenton, if he saw

her, would have been pleased.

Then, her ankle, that accursed damned ankle, gave.

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She fell awkwardly onto the cushioning mats, bloomers and all. For a

moment, she lay flat on her back, staring at the high ceiling, breathing quickly in the

darkness, glad nobody saw her embarrassment. Far away, she could hear jocular music,

some people playing the violin and the pianoforte. There was some singing and general

laughter.

And she was flat on her sore back, her hands still stinging with the

mornings yield of blisters and her ankle throbbing dismally. If she could cry, she would.

But she did not. Captain Sagan would have choice words to say if she did see her in this

present predicament.

Something about balance, she thought gloomily. Somewhere in her head, a

shriveled old woman laughed harshly like a blighted harpy.

~*~

She was back in that cramped classroom again. Back with the insipid

simpering girls who would have been her friends but were not, would never be. Their

minds were always on lace and how to catch the eye of the nearest farm-boy. Hers were

mathematics and flying. Always flying.

They were whispering and watching her side-ways, while she sat next to

the window. She could see the rare blue skies, glorious and inviting, without being

obscured by the black smokes from the nearby factory.

She appeared.

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Uptight, wearing a prim dress and a pair of proper black shoes, the old

woman walked into the room. Her face was creased, her nose hooked and her eyes were

like cold gimlets. Her hair had long gone white and there was no use trying to guess her

actual age. She always held a brown belt, for strict discipline, she would say proudly.

Good morning, Miss Sharpton, the girls sang sweetly.

Katherine! Her voice was shrill.

Good morning, Katherine said quietly.

Miss Sharpton glared at her, basilisk-like. Katherine knew she loved the

simpering idiots, because they were lady-like. She laughed. These girls would know

only Dorset for the rest of their lives. Not her, Katherine Riley.

Katherine Riley, the old womans voice was icicle-cold. Explain to the

class what balance is.

Now, it was wrong. All wrong. What kind of question was that? She did

not know how to explain balance. Nor did she understand balance. Physics? Physical

balance? Mental balance? What kind of balance?

She gasped as the old harridans eyes flamed red. Katherine shook her

head hard, trying to wake herself up. This is a dream. This is a dream. This is a dream.

The old harridan stalked towards her, witch-thin and witch-terrible. She

had her belt ready and Katherine was quite well acquainted with the belt. Her ankles bore

previous scars.

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So, Miss Riley, the old witch snarled. What is balance? Her bony

fingers twitched, as if in wicked anticipation.

Balance is Katherine stammered, suddenly at a loss. The tittering in

the background had a cruel edge to it. Everything around her went dark, except for Miss

Sharpton, whose visage filled her entire vision.

What is balance? Miss Sharpton demanded. Miss Riley, do not tarry

with your answer!

Balance is, Katherine took in a deep breath, knowing that deep down,

even in the dream, she was shaking like an aspen tree. Balance is learning to stand on

two feet. The answer came forth from her mouth unbidden.

Wrong! Miss Sharpton crowed triumphantly and down came the brown

belt, hitting Katherine at her right arm. It stung like fire, even in the dream

She woke up with a start in the moonlight. The bed-sheets were damp with

her perspiration. She was surprised that everyone else was sleeping soundly. Her arm

smarted with phantom pain.

Alethia sat up on her bed.

I heard you shouting, the girl explained. Alethia was a light sleeper.

Did you have a nightmare? She patted the area around her, as if trying to get her

bearings.

Yes, Katherine said, half-apologetic for waking the Forrester girl up.

Please go back to bed.

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Alethia seemed to open her mouth to say something, changed her mind

and lay back down again. The moonlight cast a faint white glow on her pale hair. Soon,

Katherine heard her breathing regularly, meaning that she had finally slept.

Katherine slowly sank back into her own goose-down bed, her heartbeats

finally ceasing their mad drumming. It was a bad dream. A nightmare. Yet, she

remembered what she said in the dream, to the nightmarish Miss Sharpton. And there was

truth in it.

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Chapter Three:

Balance Of The World: An Interlude

The balance of the world was not just the balance of an antiquated globe

left behind by history. It was not a fixed world, with arcane words and ancient creatures

with There Be Dragons marked on perceived dangerous areas. It was always shifting,

like the shifting clouds and currents. Continents were shifting boundaries with the Powers

making conquests everywhere. In the Far East. In the Indies. In the Spice Islands.

If the antiquated globe spun like a childs top, it would not change the

worlds continents and countries. Nor its diverse politics.

Especially the politics, the Asian man contemplated thoughtfully as he

placed his hand on the old globe, starring at the lovingly crafted words Middle

Kingdom, feeling a pang in his heart. He had not been home for many years, having

considered himself a political migrant and left Shanghai for all its worth.

And the Qing emperor is laying claims in the Indies, he mused quietly.

Not a gutless man, this Qing emperor, and definitely not under the Dowagers thumb.

The winds might change with this man.

He strode over to his worktable, currently piled under by stacks of

registration forms, blueprints and flight schedules. He felt his age today. He was only

fifty and yet he felt a hundred.It must be the students, he thought with wry humor. Seeing

the youths in their classes and at the Flying Field reminded him of his own exuberant and

often reckless youth.

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If I would have studied hard for the Imperial Examinations , he chuckled to

himself, sorting out the paperwork. He had a lecture in about an hours time he had the

clock to remind him. I would have been made a magistrate. But then again, I would be

stuck behind some musty desk, with fawning croniesand corruptionin the civil service.

His mother would be proud if he was made a magistrate or even a

governor of a province. She would forgive him then, for the troubles he had caused her

when he was a child. He liked to experiment with gunpowder, gleaned from the

firecrackers used for the festivals. She probably had not forgiven him for the flying

gunpowder ship.

Old Liu was particularly angry, he recalled the old retainers face,

reddened from furious shouting and half-blackened with soot from the gunpowder ship

which exploded mid-air, right in the middle of the family courtyard, much to everyones

consternation and horror. Old Liu looked just like Kwan Kong, the red-and-black faced

god of justice.

His sisters hated the smoke and tried to fan it away, more concerned for

their silk garments. His father was not impressed. His mother appeared as if she was

about to faint. The servants gaped and some hid their laughter. The main body of the

ship, modeled after a Chinese junk, broke apart, mid-flight, and fell onto the main dish, a

roasted pig procured by Old Liu. It was a Yuan Xiao dinner with invited guests and a

slew of festivities to celebrate the end of the Lunar New Year period to follow soon after.

Of course, he had to go spoil it all. After the festivities, he was scolded and caned by his

father.

He was ten and already bored of the world.

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Of course, Old Liu was probably dead by now. It had been years. For him,

he had cut off his queue of hair, mark of a Qing man, and left for England, vowing never

to return.

There was a discrete knock on the door. He knew that knock and smiled.

Before long, the door creaked open and Captain Sagan walked in, proud like a red-haired

lioness.

You will be late for your lecture, she said without preamble. Such a

woman and such a character. She was attired in her characteristic shirt and riding

breeches. The suffragists loved her. Her Majesty, the Queen herself, had heard of her

exploits too.

I know, I know, he said and fetched his notes from the table. He would

organize it later. Oh, time was of the essence and he knew it all too well.

Ah, the balance of the world, his world, was right at the moment. London

was the center of commerce and invention, both fueling each other, much like his

friendship with Captain Sagan. His mother would be shocked. A friendship with a foreign

woman, a red-haired devil? It would have offended her delicate sensibilities. But she

was Shanghainese, born into a world of privilege. Her world was a world of lazy

mahjong sessions and serene embroidery, sheltered from the real Shanghai, itself

attracting people of all races and sorts.

We exist in many worlds, he thought as he exited his room with Captain

Sagan beside him and strode purposefully to the auditorium. It is how we balance the

worlds. But the winds of the world are fickle.

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Chapter Four

Finding Her Balance: Walking Aware

The air was suitably chilly for an early-morning Athletics. There was fog

rolling in from the Flying Field, a fleecy sheet coating just about everything and making

flying lessons for the final-year ensign class impossible.

Stenton made them all stand in a large circle, including Alethia who

shivered in the cold. They had their jumpers on but the Autumn cold was indeed bone-

deep. The students hopped from foot to foot, trying to keep themselves warm. Therewould be a lot of howling and complaining later. But now it was not the time to.

Stentons sharp tongue would whip them into shape.

Katherines skin broke out in goose pimples. She hated Autumn, even

when she was back in Dorset. The house was always clammy, the cold having seeped

into the very bricks and stayed there like a stubborn ice wall. She would pile on several

layers of blankets and the cold would still permeate through. Little Alice, her sister, hated

it and often fell ill with winter colds.

You must be wondering why you are all standing in a circle, Stenton

began. He was a stocky man, in his late thirties, his salt-and-pepper hair close-cropped to

the skull. He was a Cockney man by birth and he was proud of it.

We are going to do an exercise, he continued, watching the students and

their discomfort in the chill air with amusement in his eyes. I want everyone to start

walking in three paces, at your own will, within this circle.

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The students eyed one another and then at Stenton who grinned back.

Walk normally, breathe normally, making sure you do not come into contact with your

peers.

Katherine darted a glance at Alethia anxiously. For this exercise, the blind

girl would have found it difficult in doing so. But the girl showed no sign of anxiety or

indeed nervousness, standing with a faint smile on her lips.

You can begin now! Stenton whistled sharply and the students began

to shuffle, pace and walk, each in his or her own style of movement. Three paces, Stenton

reminded them, three paces.

The strands of fog made perception fair tricky, clouding in-coming traffic

and playing games with the eyes. Katherine tried to breathe normally, listening to her

heart, trying hard not to knock into her classmates. Someone brushed too closely to her

and it was Thomas Von Dyke who grinned at her wickedly and moved away, like a

dancer. Everyone was shifting around her, each in his own world but slowly becoming

aware of the others. Even Alethia moved remarkably well, steering herself with her

walking stick.

Katherine was aware of the currents around her, the shifting flows and

eddies. For a few breaths, she paused, perceptive of the dance and the dancers. Then,

someone approached her and she neatly stepped away without missing a beat. The fog

simply added to the flow, becoming part of it, dispersing when one of the students moved

through it and merging back again seamlessly.

Is flying like that? She wondered, listening to her heartbeats.Knowing the

flows and currents of the air? Like a bird? Or knowing who I am?

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She was reminded of the nightmare she had a while back and she

shuddered, almost losing her concentration when Thomas passed her again. She caught

herself and swirled away, almost hitting another boy who glared at her indignantly.

The dance carried on, everyone moving by now easily. At the

sidelines, Stenton watched pleased.

~*~

That is a fine exercise! Thomas commented as they retired to the

dormitories to refresh themselves before the afternoon classes. His German accent was

almost gone with the number of years spent in London, only a faint hint of it showing

when he became excited.

It is, Katherine nodded, feeling the exercise still lingering in her bones.

Alethia walked beside her.

You almost knocked into me twice, the boy laughed cheekily. He was

almost nineteen. At times, Katherine swore he acted even younger than his real age. She

was the oldest amongst the three, having reached the maximum age of registration for the

academy. She was passing glad she made it into the academy. Passing glad

Hmph, she retorted back and Thomas shrugged. He was in a jolly good

mood. Alethia merely smiled, no doubt understanding the nuances in the conversation.

Now Alethias professed vocational training astounded her. She was not

training to be a pilot. Instead, she was training to be a controller, the person tasked to give

directions to the leo-fin pilot. Now how she was going to do so remained a mystery, even

for Katherine. Alethias senses of perception were uncanny; she claimed to hear the leo-

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fins by color and was hence or she said able to direct the leo-fin when it took off or

landed.

I do not mind working with you, she once told Katherine privately. If

we both graduate from the academy first!

Alethia sounded confident and she seemed to know herself well. She

seemed so solid, so self-assured. So aware, even with her disability. Katherine had to

admit that she admired the blind girl.

Off with you, Katherine mock-scolded Thomas who bowed cockily and

peeled off to the nearest washroom. When he was gone, she breathed a sigh of relief. He

is such a frustrating lad!

~*~

Doctor James Ash was a busy man. Not only did he have to look after the

health of the entire student cohort, he was also part of the Faculty. Biology was the

subject, even though his own specialty was general surgery.

It was common to see the bearded tall gentleman stalking down the

corridors of the Manor, simultaneously physician and teacher. He would check on the

students, especially those who were sick and were in quarantine, regularly, making they

had their ample rest. Likewise, he would supervise his students in the laboratories.

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He was a busy man. One would expect him to be scatterbrained, the very

image of an university professor. He was not. He was sharp. He was acerbic. Mind you,

he just cut young Joshua Baker into fine shreds for being tardy in his homework. Mister

Baker was an intelligent young man. He just frittered his time away with his laziness. He

would have words to say to Pilotmaster Lee. And as Tutor-in-charge of College Azure, he

needed to make sure the students were in tip-top condition, academically and physically.

Now why was he so concerned about a simple ankle? He was constantly

on the move. Yet, a simple ankle was causing him some a degree of concern.

It was not just torn tendons and broken skin. It involved the whole person.

Common sense, in the form of adequate nutrition and rest, would help remedy the ankles

problem. If he could get that into the head of the said person with the problem ankle, he

would.

She did not tell him how the injury was caused or inflicted. And by what,

she was not forthcoming. As he observed her quietly as a calm clinician should, the ankle

seemed to be getting worse, not better. Of course, with all the exertion she was putting on

it.

He would recommend bed rest. Barring that, simple surgery. Other than

these options, it was not just an imbalance of humours. It was a psychological reason.

And no, he was definitely not going to the nonsense of phrenology. Lumps

on the skull were not going to tell him about her mind. Lumps were lumps. Not real

problems.

If she is aware of this fact, he mused, looking sternly at a few students

who quickly went back to their schoolwork.If she wants to be a pilot, that is.

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~*~

Katherine dreamt again. This time, she found herself moving around with

Miss Sharpton. Avoiding the ancient harridan became a dance of shifting eddies and

currents. The woman would try to hit her with the brown belt and she would evade it

simply by sidestepping or moving away quickly.

It was a pleasant dream, because the dream Miss Sharpton grew

increasingly furious and annoyed with her failures to hit Miss Riley. Katherine slept on

without waking up.

It was First Light when everyone was jolted awake by a loud rumble. It

felt as if the earth was quaking in fear, rumbling and groaning away in travail. Alethia

cried out, greatly alarmed by the sound and how sorely it impacted her senses. Katherine

fell out from her bed, nearly spraining her already-aggravated ankle.

London was burning.

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Chapter Five:

Maintaining Equilibrium

By noon, everyone clustered near the auditorium, waiting for more news.

A major factory, situated near London central, had exploded. It was a factory processing

metals and ores. Alethia said that there was an explosion of red and orange in her head,

just when the jolt hit the academy. It scared her to the core and her face was still ashen.

Captain Sagan regrouped her College and gave them words of comfort and

encouragement. It was an Age of Invention and Discovery. But nobody said anythingabout Safety and Health. The air smelled distinctly of burning and of metal.

The leo-fins had been dispatched to help with the firefighting. London

burned with a ghastly yellow-green light, turning the layer of smog into something out

from Hell. There were the faint sounds of bells as water-bearing teams rushed to

extinguish the raging fire.

For a while, lectures were suspended as some of the lecturers had gone to

pilot the leo-fins. Even Captain Sagan took her leave and left with her leo-fin to help

combat the fire.

The academy throbbed with undercurrents of disquiet and fear. There was

a sense of desolation in the academy grounds and in the Manor while the whole of

London was in turmoil. Fortunately, no more explosions followed and by late night, the

fire was contained.

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Everyone even the cook and her maids kept vigil, watching the skies

for the returning leo-fins. In the cold Autumn night, students huddled together in small

groups, sitting around gas lamps and watching their breaths plume white in the air.

Alethia was the most affected her father was in London central. She perched, white and

silent, beside Katherine who draped a blanket around her thin shoulders and only prayed

for the best.

Suddenly, Alethia became ramrod straight and said, Rainbows. They are

back.

Immediately, someone shouted and pointed at the skies. They are back!

They are back!

Eyes peered into the foggy darkness lit intermittently with flashes of

yellow-green. There were bright spots in the sky, like stars. The stars gradually became

brighter and brighter, until they became the form of lamps on leo-fins. A flight of leo-

fins, all six of them, appeared, bold as courage, and lifting everyones spirits instantly.

Everyone cheered and watched the leo-fins land in a disciplined V-formation on the

Flying Field.

Doctor Ash strode forward, medical bag in hand, in case of any injury on

the part of the pilots. The first to appear was Pilotmaster Lee, pulling his dark goggles off

from his tanned face tiredly. The second was Captain Sagan who had her right arm in a

makeshift sling and causing a few pangs of horror in the breasts of her College students.

Ash spoke to the pilots quietly and examined Sagans arm with a careful eye, nodding as

he listened to her exhausted explanation.

A few other pilots followed slowly behind the more senior pilots, their

bodies showing signs of weariness. Their leather uniforms were covered with soot and

one or two looked as if they had very minor burns.

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Students surged forward to their lecturers, questions on their tongues,

eager to know what had happened. Lees face had a warm smile though.

The Queen is safe. Buckingham Palace is far from the fire and Her

Majesty is away at Windsor. He said, accepting a bowl of hot clear broth from Cook

thankfully.

Alethia pushed herself forward. Sir?

Miss Forrester, your father is safe, Sagans voice was calm and Alethias

furrowed brow became smooth.

After this brief interlude, the pilots were led back to the Manor by Doctor

Ash, no doubt for further questions and examinations. Katherine tugged Alethia gently on

the arm. It was past Last Light and she was starting to feel really sleepy. The wave of

excitement was finally fading away.

It was then she got sight of a familiar face, amongst the few pilots

straggling from behind.

Eddington! Katherine breathed and the familiar face turned to face her,

surprise writ on the handsome features.

~*~

It was very hot, like hell-fire. We had to fly directly above the flames,

just to pitch the water in. It was quite a challenge! Wes got himself burned when he flew

too closely to the fire but it was a minor burn.

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Richard Eddington sat with a mug filled with warm cider and a bowl of

beef stew, courtesy from Cook. It was noontime when Katherine had the opportunity to

meet him. The lectures and lessons were back in schedule.

He had scrubbed up well and was looking like his old dapper self. He had

changed his uniform for a simple brown coat and trousers, looking like a relaxed

gentleman out on an afternoon jaunt. Only the dark shadows around his eyes spoke

eloquently of his exhaustion.

They had met before. It felt like another lifetime. In fact, Eddington had

flown her over from Dorset to London.

The fire was hard to contain. It was a raging beast. But by Jove, we

tamed the beast! Eddington said with a bright grin and drank the cider deeply.

You made it sound as if it was a walk in the park! Katherine laughed.

Well, it is part of a pilots job, doing chores and running errands, even

something as big as this fire. Eddington tasted the stew and began to shove it down with

gusto. Just look at you. You look different!

Katherine felt self-conscious and stared at her booted feet. Her face

blushed, a slow heat pooling in her cheeks.

You have become more self-secure. Katherine did not like

Eddingtons expression as he gazed at her appreciatively. Definitely more self-secure.

Richard Eddington! She snapped at him. Within her chest, something

blossomed, something like joy.

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The man laughed and went back to his beef stew. Katherine sat quietly,

watching him. A shadow fell across the table and it was Captain Sagan, her arm still in

the sling.

Now, Mister Eddington, Sagan was half-amused, half-stern. It is

unseemly of you to sit with female students.

Captain Sagan, madame! Eddington stood up and snapped to attention.

His eyes though gleamed with mischief. I was once a student!

Not anymore, young scoundrel, Sagans tone remained stern, even

though her lips curled up slightly. You are a proper pilot now. Should you be on a flight

run by now?

Aw, he rubbed his jaw. A tired pilot makes a careless pilot.

Do not be glib, Sagan shook her head. Just for a hour and no more.

She saluted and walked away slowly.

Katherine stared at him. You are impossible. She stood up, preparing for

the afternoon lectures. She was about to leave with her dignity still intact when he spoke.

So, we will meet again?

~*~

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The activities before Last Light buzzed mainly about the London factory

fire, everyone with their own theories of the origins of the fire. Some said that the factory

was an ammunitions factory and something caught fire in that, causing the inevitable

explosion. Some said that the fire was just a careless mistake, caused by negligence.

Everyone became quiet and wondered to their selves if the company who owned the

factory was to be shut down. The broadsheet writers and the union movements would

have aired their irate complaints by now.

Alethia retired early, drained by the aftereffects of the fire. Katherine

made her way out of the Manor, to catch some fresh air, suddenly finding the dormitory

hall too warm and stifling to her liking.

Richard Eddington left in an hour, exactly as he had promised Captain

Sagan. Katherine saw his leo-fin lift off and disappear into the distance. She was

surprised to feel a sense of bittersweet melancholia and suppressed the feeling quickly.

It amazed her that she could still see snatches of stars in the night sky.

London was normally cloudier than Dorset, because of the greater numbers of factories

and refineries. Dorset had one factory and even then, the smoke obscured the sky

occasionally. She looked up. It was a clear night, exceedingly rare. It seemed as if the

heavens pitied London and gave her a starry night to cheer her waning spirits.

She stood, inhaling deeply. The London fire was shocking. However, by

the end of the year, people would have moved on and the fire would have become just a

memory, something to talk about during salon gatherings. People are more concerned

when their bellies are concerned, her mother once told her in one of her rare

conversational moments.

Katherine gazed at the stars while the constellations spun their slow orbits

around her.

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Chapter Six

A Moment of Gravity

The next few weeks were frenetic and filled with activities, as if the

academy plunged back into routine to rid itself of the overhanging anxiety brought on by

the fire. Over in London, there was uproar and argument over the damages from the fire.

The broadsheets and papers breathed indignation and threatened to expose the culprit

who caused the fire. It was also edging towards Winter with the weather becoming

considerably colder. The first snowfall came, a day after All Hallows Eve. All outdoortraining stopped with most Athletics activities being confined to the Exercise Hall.

With Winter came a sense of gravity. The Great Manor was solemn and

quiet. Everyone walked in thick coats and scarves, shuffling about in their boots. Winter

also ushered in a period of Examinations. The games had stopped during Last Light with

students going back to their books.

Katherine found that she loved the solitude provided by this wintry time.

Wrapped in a warm scarf and a comfortable woollen jumper, she studied by gaslight. She

loved Mathematics, barely tolerated Biology and was intrigued by Physics. Engineer

Morley thought well of her and said that she would make a fine engineer.

She studied with Alethia during the designated study times. The blind girl

read by running her fingertips over raised notches in special books. It is Braille, she

explained to a curious Katherine once. Braille is designed for the blind as a kind of

tactile alphabet. We can feel our letters.

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Then, Examinations descended upon them like a sudden rush of wings.

Cook commented how mouse-quiet everyone was at mealtimes and how her soups were

ignored by tired and pallid students. They will lap it up like eager puppies once

Examinations are over! She declared to Captain Sagan after a desultory turnout during

Tea.

For Katherine, the Examinations did not faze her. They felt like extended

homework, timed by harsh taskmasters. During this period, her dreams involved flying

quill-pens and overflowing inkpots. To her relief, Miss Sharpton did not make an

appearance and she slept relatively undisturbed.

~*~

Do you plan to go back to Dorset? Alethia said, soon after their last

Examination subject. Are you celebrating Yule?

Katherine was in high spirits after this paper. The questions were easier

than shed thought. However, Alethias question shocked her. She had not planned to go

back to Dorset. She did not have the courage to face her parents.

I am going to stay here during the Yule holidays, she said quietly.

Alethia tilted her head to one side like a bird. After an uncomfortable

silence, she smiled and said, You are going to spend Yule with me. You are going to

visit London.

No I Katherine shook her head, overwhelmed by Alethias

generous offer.

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The Great Manor is going to be exceedingly boring, the girl continued

and placed her hand gently on Katherines arm. You are going to taste the best baked

turkey in the world. In the cold chill of a winters afternoon, Katherines heart was

warmed by a simple offer of hospitality.

~*~

The Examinations results were released, pasted on large wooden boards

outside the Administravia. Students thronged before the boards, searching for their

names. Someone had clearly and painstakingly arranged and written down all names in

alphabetical order and with the attached grades. After a fair bit of good-natured jostling

and pushing, Katherine edged her way to the board under the letter R. She scanned the

board intently.

Found her name: RILEY, KATHERINE. Written in quaint and neat black

ink.

With trembling finger, she traced her name and the grades. Athletics

Alpha. Basics of Flight Beta. Humanities Beta. Engineering Alpha. Languages

Beta, Mathematics Alpha. Her heart dipped. Science Delta.

But she passed and she was thankful. That would mean another year at the

academy and a chance for her to fly. Deep inside, she felt guilty that her parents were

paying straight from their pockets.

She pushed herself away from the board and headed for the courtyard

where Alethia and Thomas waited.

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How did you fare? Thomas grinned when she approached. He had

passed most of his subjects with good grades and he loved comparing his performance

with Katherine.

I passed, Katherine said simply and shrugged. Alethia laughed at her

friends sardonic tone. The fair-haired girl had excellent grades but she did not like to

compete with others and therefore had remained silent.

Aw, Thomas pouted like a little boy. Katherine made a face and they

both laughed. It was the End of Term and the beginning of the Yule holidays.

~*~

London was definitely different from Dorset.

As the horse-drawn carriage made its way through the busy London

streets, Katherine stared at the bustling crowds of people and the number of carriages and

vehicles. Steam rose from various vents, swirling together with the light fog and parting

as carriages ferried their passengers around. She could see people standing around lit

fires, taking in the much-needed heat. Chestnut-sellers were doing brisk business;

Katherines mouth watered. She loved roasted chestnuts, oh deliciously hot nuggets,

especially during the chill of winter.

Above her, she knew, were a few leo-fins, no doubt carrying cargo and

passengers. She wondered if Eddington was up there and she blushed, hiding her face

behind her thick scarf. Alethia, sitting opposite her, did not say anything. She was dressed

in a sober brown coat and her slender hands were snug in fur.

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And there were so many more buildings! They were all around her, stately

buildings, closely packed buildings, smaller houses in rows. Of course, there was

Westminster Abbey with its gothic grandeur and the Tower of London looking ominous

in the London fog. Not to mention the clock tower Big Ben, a giant in the midst of giants.

She had not forgotten the factories too. They blew spumes of smoke, visible columns of

white and grey issuing forth from long chimneys. The memory of the London fire was

still fresh in her mind.

When the carriage passed by the Thames, she marveled at the river barges

steaming their way up and down. She could hear their haunting horns echo in the evening

darkness. Somewhere she knew were the larger ships coming in to unload their exotic

cargo, clad in steel: heralds for a different age of commerce.

From her warm seat in the carriage, swaying gently as the horses trotted

down cobblestone streets, she watched the women in their elegant gowns and thick winter

muffs as they stepped daintily on pavements covered with dirty snow. There were also

women who wore breeches, like Captain Sagan and they were laughing cheerfully as

they strode together down the street, Yuletide packages in their arms. It was indeed a

grand age for women.

She rested her chin on her fist, watching London rush past her in a

pastiche of sounds and images.

A penny for your thoughts? Alethias soft voice broke the silence and

Katherine turned to look at the blind girl.

Just thinking, Katherine said quietly.

London can be quite overwhelming, Alethia smiled. It is called a city

for a reason.

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Katherine smiled back, knowing that Alethia had somehow acknowledged

her smile.

You will like my father, the fair-haired girl said, grimacing slightly as the

carriage suffered a jolt as it dipped into a pothole. They both heard an apologetic Sorry,

maam! from the coach-driver and they laughed. He spends a lot of his time in his

workshop. Just be careful not to step on his inventions.

Just then, the carriage slowed to a halt. Alethias face instantly broke into

a radiant smile. Katherine could see a plump older woman in prim clothing and an apron

standing outside a mahogany-colored door, carrying a glowing lamp.

We are home, Alethia said. Mrs Potts!

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Chapter Seven

A Moment Of Lift

The Forresters house struck Katherine as extremely intriguing. The

moment she walked into the warm interior from the chilly outside, she was met with a

study, of sorts, replete with shelves of books and a plain-looking settee. As she walked in

further, she could see a large brown door marked Workshop with solid black ink on the

left. She could hear faint banging and metallic sounds.

The right side of the house was dimmed, lit only with an electric lamp.

She could see something glittering winkwinkwink and could hear a soft tinkling when

a slight breeze whispered through the house. She found herself curious but resisted

exploring the house immediately. She was, after all, Alethias guest.

Mrs Potts Alethias nanny showed her the guest room, a comfortably

appointed chamber with a goose-down bed and thick warm blankets. There was a table

with a Ming porcelain bowl (For the washing of hands, explained Mrs Potts to her

curious young visitor) and a jug of water (For drinking.)

Alethia bid her goodnight and was guided back to her own room by the

older woman. With a sigh, Katherine closed the door and observed her surroundings. It

was definitely more comfortable than her room in Dorset. She quickly slipped off her

clothing and into a wool shift provided by Mrs Potts for the night.

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The goose-bed bed was magnificent. Softand almost inducing her to sleep

immediately. Her mind was still crowded with images of her travels through the London

streets. She lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. London was slowly slipping into

slumber.

~*~

She awoke, to the smells of breakfast wafting into the chamber. She did

her morning ablutions, dressed and found her way down to the kitchen where Mrs Potts

shoo-ed her away good-naturedly and bid her stay in the study room. Grinning, she

wandered around the house. She remembered the faint tinkling sound shed heard last

night and made her way to the source.

Light from the emerging dawn sun was glistening off crystals. Or clear

glass of some sort. She stopped in her tracks and simply stared. She was looking at row

after rows of crystal shapes, mostly birds and winged shapes, hanging from the ceiling.

They filled the entire area. Like delicate wind chimes, they gave forth a sweet tinkling

sound.

It was a beautiful sight.

It is my garden of crystals, Alethias voice startled her and she

wondered how the blind girl was able to locate her. It is my favorite place.

It is beautiful, Katherine admitted, lingering for a moment to look at the

crystal shapes again.

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Yes, it is, Alethia said with a soft smile on her lips. Come. There is

breakfast on the table.

Breakfast was hearty scrambled eggs, with freshly baked scones.All from

our own garden, Mr Forrester declared proudly. He was a tall man with fair hair and a

shocking bush of a moustache. His eyes twinkled merrily when he spoke, much to

Katherines growing sense of curiosity. Alethia edged ever so closer to her and said that

she would elaborate further later in the day.

~*~

Mister Forrester retreated into his workshop to work on his new automata

after breakfast while Mrs Potts prepared the Yule dinner in the kitchen, together with

Marjorie, a maid. Alethia drew Katherine aside, to the crystal garden.

My father believes in growing our own food, Alethia began and

Katherine blinked, in amazement and total disbelief.

Surely not in this weather?

Come. Let me show you. Alethia led her puzzled friend to a door, close

to the the kitchen. She opened it. Katherine expected it to be extremely cold but the air

meeting her face was warm.

She stepped out into a summers day.

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Basic sun-lamp and strong netting to keep the cold and garden pests

away, Alethia explained in the background while Katherine looked around, shocked.

There were vegetables. Wheat. Oats. Clucking informed her that there were chicken.

Plump white plover hens pecking away at seeds. Our neighbors think we are lunatics.

But the idea is successful. A large flower-like lamp shone down upon the vegetables and

assorted crops.

The turkey has to be bought, the blind girl said ruefully. That is our

annual indulgence. It is Yule after all. Mrs Potts saves all the feathers and turns them into

decorations.

Katherine shook her head, almost spinning with the influx of new ideas

and concepts. There was a summers garden right under her nose and flourishing well,

even though she knew it was actually winter beyond the netting and the strange sun-lamp.

It was definitely a marvelous invention.

Throughout the day, she had tiny tin-men underfoot as well as steel-

puppies nuzzling her ankles in strangely canine affection. Sun-fliers, fragilely made like

the hummingbirds from South America, darted about, their metal wings beating rapidly.

She allowed one to alight on her finger, only to have it whiz away in a blur of bronze

wings. The steel-puppies metallic bulldogs bowed and wanted to play, their cogs

whirling away in excitement while the tin-men marched around, fetching workshop

material for Mr Forrester and causing merriment amongst the watchers.

She decided she had grown to like the Forresters.

~*~

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Katherine played a game of Fox and Geese with Mister Forrester before

the Yule dinner proper. Alethia sat quietly on the settee, listening to the game-play. All

of them could smell the tantalizing aromas coming from the kitchen and hear the cheerful

voices of Mrs Potts and Marjorie as they worked over the last-minute preparations. There

was an air of anticipation in the house. Outside the window, they could hear the voices of

carolers making their way down the street. It was the eve of Yule and Katherine could not

help but think about her parents and little sister in Dorset. Would they miss her during

this time?

Mrs Potts stepped into the study and announced that the Yule dinner was

ready. Katherine led Alethia to the dining room where Marjorie was placing dinner plates

on the large wooden table. It was a glorious spread with golden-brown mince pies, a

basket of candied fruits and boiled brussel sprouts with a good dollop of creamy butter.

They seated themselves with Mr Forrester at the head of the table. He laughed with mirth

and had Mrs Potts bring in the turkey.

They joked and laughed as they ate, savoring the splendidly cooked turkey

and sampling the mince pies. Katherine had some sweet port that streamed down her

throat like warm fire. Soon, Mrs Potts and Marjorie joined them at the table and the

humor grew exponentially with the flow of good food and delectable wine.

It was a good Yule dinner, complete with fancifully shaped ices and mints.

Mrs Potts made them cups of hot mulled wine, spiced with cinnamon and anise, and

plates of freshly-baked fruit cake stuffed with orange peel and raisins, after which they all

complained (good-naturedly) that they were full and could not eat anymore.

As she sat on the settee with a delicious warm sensation filling her body,

Katherine held her cup of mulled wine close and felt happy. Perhaps it was all the good

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food and pleasant company with the Forrester family; she experienced a sense of

contentment, something she had not encountered ever since she had left Dorset.

She knew that she could not replace her family with a new one. Yet, the

Forresters were pleasant and diligent folk of grace and good humor, a quality she realized

that dour Dorset sorely lacked

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Flight

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Chapter One

Fledgling

Cadet Katherine Riley of House Sable struggled to keep the blimp-fin under

control; it pitched and rolled in the prevailing winds, feeling more like a bucking horse

than a functional flier purpose-built for the Academy. She fought the controls and the

controls fought back harder, resisting her attempts to balance the vessel.

She felt her heart sinking. This training flight was also a test flight, with the

Academys teachers acting as official examiners. She knew Pilotmaster Lee and Captain

Karlida Sagan were watching below, on the relative safety of the Flying Field grounds.Probably jotting down notes and marking her performance as less than satisfactory. Her

thoughts ran dire for a brief moment, fueling her lack of self-confidence. She breathed in

deeply and tried more once.

The blimp-fin, without the charm and beauty of the leo-fin, rolled hard to the right

and Katherine steadied herself. The winds were strong today. Better than a calm day, she

mused grimly, wrestling with the controls once more and this time, the blimp-fin obeyed

and stabilized.

Her ankle throbbed with the strain and she wondered if she had to put ice on it.

The pain just would not go away. As she steered the blimp-fin on its designated course,

she let one part of her mind dwell on the strange conversation she had with Doctor James

Ash earlier in the morning, when the dour-faced man caught her before she made her way

to the Flying Field.

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He had talked to her about her ankle, that it was not merely a physical injury but a

psychological one. It had affected her, a niggling persistent problem; it would continue to

persist to hurt her, unless she chose to move on from the pain. She was a little wary of the

physicians words, no matter how truly concerned he came across. Who made him a

phrenologist? Yet, as she mulled on the topic, she knew that she was being petty. The

man was a doctor and he did have the welfare of the students at heart. And she knew he

was also an excellent Tutor-in-charge of College Azure; he did care for the students. But

why did he single him out?

Somewhere in her mind, a harsh cackle could be heard. The cackle made her heart

cringe instinctively. And the throb in her ankle grew to a sharp pain. Not this again, she

raged quietly. Oh hush, Miss Sharpton! She pushed the mental image of her old nemesis

away and focused on landing the blimp-fin. Perspiration was trickling down her back in a

constant stream.

She was here at the Academy to excel. To become a leo-fin pilot. She was not

going to let some hoary old schoolmistress stop her.

She could see the Flying Field now, with its crowd of tiny people now growing

larger and larger as she brought the blimp-fin down. There was some faint cheering and it

grew louder as she landed the vessel with an audible thud.

For a moment, she simply rested her head against the controls and breathed

slowly. Her heartbeat was going back to normalcy. Her knees felt like water. She had

flown training flights before but this one was so different. It would mark her transition

from Cadet to Intermediate Pilot-In-Training. If she failed, all her efforts would go to

waste and she would slink back to Dorset with her tail between her legs. No. She would

not want that.

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As she opened the door, letting the fresh morning air cool her skin and fill her

lungs, she could see Pilotmaster Lee and Captain Sagan conferring amongst themselves,

their heads inclined towards each other in intense discussion. Captain Sagan looked

animated, gesturing and showing her notes to Lee who shook his head and said

something which made the House Tutor for College Sable, Katherines House, more

animated, even forceful.

That is it, Katherine thought as she limped out of the blimp-fin. I am done for.

Her heart lifted at the sight of her friends rushing to greet. Alethia was there. Even

Thomas, pompous and competitive Thomas, was walking up to her with a big grin on his

fair face.

A little shaky there, the boy said to Katherine, referring to the blimp-fins loss

of balance. But you recovered right soon after!

The winds were strong today, Alethia said mildly. The blind girl could have

seen the colors as she had explained once to Katherine. It was a challenge, no doubt.

Well, Captain Sagan seems to be arguing for you, Thomas pointed out. He

could be so blunt and cruel at times. He was always constantly looking out for flaws in

Katherine, no matter how well she did in her studies and her training.

Alethia squeezed Katherines hand once, reassuringly. The results would be made

known publicly, right after lunch.

~*~

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Lunch was an anxious affair, with surreptitious glances at the Administrativa

building where the results would be posted for all to see. Today was College Sables turn

with many of its students for the test flights.

Cook had made vegetable stew with fluffy white rice and Katherine ate it with

false gusto. She was that nervous.

No more Dorset, she cried silently.No more mocking.No more tears.

You did well, Katherine, Alethias voice shook her from her reverie. You just

worry too much.

I just do not want to go back, Katherine said quietly, solemnly. Not now.

Never.

Alethias forehead creased in a frown. Is Miss Sharpton really that horrible?

Katherine could hear the cackling and the cracking of the whip. And the tittering

of the girls in the cramped Dorset school-room.

Yes, she found herself hunching down. Her ankle ached dully. She really

needed to put ice and ointment on it.

Katherine, her friends voice was gentle. It has been two years. Surely she has

changed? People do change, you know.

A bitter, biting and sarcastic reply almost came out of Katherines mouth. Alethia

meant well. She had always meant well, being so mild and gentle, a salve to her troubled

soul. She stifled it down and swallowed her stew instead.

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Look, someone shouted and there was a flurry of excited voices in the Hall.

They just put up the board.

Katherines heart lurched. It was time.

~*~

Captain Karlida Sagan nursed a cup of Lady Grey, still faintly steaming and

aromatic, reminiscent of homes comforts. She stood at the window, watching the

students stream from the Great Manor to the Administrativa. Their thoughts would be so

tumultuous, she sipped her tea,I was.

Frantically scanning for her name on the board

With a sigh, she turned around and faced the gentleman in the room. She smiled

at him warmly, tenderly. They had a heated argument a hour ago, debating on the fate of

certain students. She hated doing this vital part of assessment, even though she knew it

would differentiate the wheat from the chaff.

You were exceedingly harsh on Katherine Riley, she began and Pilotmaster Lee

looked at her with a stern expression on his face.

She was exhibiting anxiety, Lee said curtly. The memory of their argument was

still raw, fresh. A careless pilot makes a dead pilot.

For Joves sake, Karlida put her cup down on the side-table next to the window.

It is their first test-flight. And mind you, Lee, the winds were strong today. She did

exceptionally well, controlling the blimp-fin. Many of our students had luckier days with

calm winds. Imagine them tossed into a real situation.

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You do have a point, Lee replied, his words still tense, and went back to his

reports.

Karlida strode to him and sat down right in front of him, forcing him to look at

her. Lee, how long have I known you for? Something in her tone made him glance at

her, momentarily startled. He gave a small smile and placed his right hand on her knee,

an expression of tenderness, of trust.

More than a decade, he said softly.

How many times was I known to be wrong in my judgment, Karlida continued,

responding to his smile and his words with a wry grin.

You know I have always trusted your judgment, Karlida.

True. Karlida nodded and stood up once more. I am glad we have both reached

an agreement. She walked back to the window.

Lee rose from his chair and joined her. I am just concerned about biased

perceptions

that Katherine is in my House? She chuckled. I have thought about that

too. She said nothing else and remained silent.

~*~

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It was evening when the students finally made their way back to the Great Manor.

After the public announcement of results, it was back to lectures and classes. The evening

air was tinged with an undercurrent of chill: Autumn was arriving and the trees in the

Academy were already donning their vivid autumnal colors of orange and red. Even the

steepled Administrativa was covered with crimson leaves, rippling in the breeze.

Katherine found herself walking alone on the path leading to the Great Manor.

She passed. She was now officially an Intermediate Pilot-In-Training. She should be

feeling happy or even relieved. Yet, no matter how she tried to feel joy, there was a

nagging sense of failure. Alethia would say that she did well and it was good.

I am my worst critic and enemy, Katherine could hear cheerful laughter and

chatter from the Great Manor. Perhaps Doctor Ash was right. It was a psychological

problem. My minds problem. How do I make it go away?

She shivered as the breeze turned cold and hurried on, glad for the imminent

welcome warmth in the Manor. She passed a tree, now almost bare of leaves, looking

tragically gaunt in the evening light. There was a nest, empty of birds. Something dark on

the grass beneath the tree drew her eye. As she moved closer, it moved.

It was a tiny goldfinch fledgling, looking as if it had fallen from the tree. It

chirped when she knelt down. The little bird was almost fully fledged, with its feathers

showing signs of its adult colors of golden brown and bright yellow.

Katherine picked the fledgling up, cupping it carefully in her hands. It squirmed

restlessly and made soft chirping protests. One of its wings appeared to be crooked and

Katherine knew it might just be a broken wing.

With a sigh and a rush of uncommon compassion in her chest, she brought the

fledgling indoors.

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Chapter Two

Hardening The Wings

The news of the Queens Golden Jubilee came via telegraph code and was

received with great excitement. Her Majesty had invited delegates from all the nations of

the Known World to participate in the celebrations. Britannia would have its own Aerial

Fleet to show off to the visiting ambassadors and their own flying machines. It was truly

a stirring piece of news and it went like wild fire throughout the Great Manor. Groups

and clusters of students huddled together, talking about it.

Indeed there was already talk about a new kind of flying vessel to be launched at

the Great Gathering, as it was termed by the broadsheet commentators and journalists.

The identity of the inventor was a mystery and so was the design of this new flying

vessel.

The Academy was to send a small contingent to join the illustrious Aerial Fleet

with the brightest and the best cadet pilots and handlers selected from the four Colleges

of Sable, Azure, Orr and Vert.

~*~

Alethia was one of the fortunate few to be chosen from College Sable and there

was much felicitation going around the dormitory. Katherine cheered and whooped; she

was initially disappointed that she did not make the cut. But it was for the brightest and

the best students the Academy could offer and Alethia was one of the brightest, the most

gifted.

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My father will be there too, Alethia said laughing breathlessly as Katherine

spun her around the room. Paul Forrester was a gifted eccentric who adored his daughter.

Katherine had often seen the wonderful inventions in the Forresters house whenever she

visited them for Yuletide. The inventors would be there, of course; their inventions would

be showcased in a great parade of magnificent flying fins, blimps and other air-borne

vessels from various nations.

Soon the two young ladies sat down on their beds to catch their breath and to rest.

Katherine checked the little fledgling in its little cage. It was eating well and the feathers

were looking healthy. The eyes were bright, shining. Sadly, the injured wing remained

slightly twisted and she fretted. She had named it Tito and had grown fond of it. Captain

Sagan had already given permission; Katherine would have to free the fledgling once it

was healed and matured.

The wings look like they are hardening, Katherine examined Tito closely. The

little goldfinch chirped and waited impatiently for its juicy worm.

It has to fly one day, Alethia cocked her head to listen to the chirping.

It is the wing I am worried about, Katherine murmured, feeding Tito a fat white

grub she found in Cooks vegetable garden.

Is it not broken, isnt it? Her pale-haired friend came over, feeling her way to

the table where the cage was.

I certainly hope not, Katherine watched Tito hop around in a lively circle. She

swore that she had seen the little bird stretch its wings before.

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Stenton should know. He is quite knowledgeable about birds. Alethia suggested

and smiled as Tito chirped curiously at her. He is such a charming little goldfinch. All

white, like a candles glow.

~*~

Elsewhere in the Administrativa building, Lady Judith Westmoreland was

hurrying about, preparing notes for an important meeting just announced out of the blue.

She was dressed in a fashionable blue dress and comfortable heeled boots; she was a

favorite with he first-year cadets, not only of her cheerful disposition but of her kind heart

as well. She would be good-humoredly sarcastic, never heavy-handed in her teaching and

the younger students loved her.

She readied her vox-reader and was about to carry it, all heavy load and all, when

she met Stenton coming her way.

Have you heard about the meeting? Stenton began, catching his breath. He had

come running from the Flying Field at the news of the meeting.

Yes. Sounds urgent, I believe. Lady Westmoreland nodded and lifted the vox-

reader carefully. I hazard a guess that it has something to do with the Golden Jubilee.

They walked briskly to the meeting chamber where the other lecturers and

teachers were already milling about.

Some were saying, Stenton nodded to a few of his friends and opened the door

for Lady Westmoreland, that the Jubilee was meant to be political.

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Judith glanced at him while she set the machine up. It is always political,

Stenton. Everything is political.

She was a well-read suffragist and had come across (and collected) numerous

tracts, including her personal favorite, Mary WollstonecraftsA Vindication of the Rights

of Woman. There were new ideas and concepts coming in, thanks to the explosion of the

popularity of the printing press. With the nations converging on London a few months

time, she foresaw an explosion of ideas, some of them potentially negative and

dangerous. She normally kept these thoughts to herself and contemplated sharing them

with Karlida privately over tea and warm scones.

Talk is rife about the new flying design, Stenton helped to hand out notes while

the group of lecturers flowed in, taking their places and muttering in groups. It is

supposed to be revolutionary.

I see, Lady Westmoreland inclined her head politely. But talk is talk.

Then Pilotmaster Lee appeared, stern and cold, and the meeting began in earnest.

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Chapter Three

Dynamics

It was going to be Her Majestys Aerial Fleet, a proud assembly of her finest fins

and other aerodynamic marvels. It was going to be a great display of Britannias

ingenuity and talent and Paul Forrester mused as he scrutinized the blue prints before

him closely and military prowess as well. As much as he hated war and politics, he

knew that the Queen was keen to declare to the world that Britannia was a strong militarynation, even in the New Age of Science and Logic.

He had read many historical texts and knew that wars, bloody and destructive as

they were, were products of dynamics. Like the cog-wheels in his machines and

inventions, these dynamics depended on each other in a deadly symbiosis of needs,

desires and interests.

The blue prints were not lying. The clear lines were there, drawn, defined. He

managed to get a copy from his colleague Smith who obtained it from the inventor

designing the ship.

Are we going to be minnows in a vast ocean? Forrester stared at the shape of the

vessel.Everyone would just end up eating one another.

Mrs Pott appeared with a tray of tea and some homemade oatmeal cookies. The

fresh sweet smell filled his workshop. It was a comforting scent, reminding him of the

warm kitchen.

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Just received Alethias letter from the Academy. She flourished an envelope

dramatically. It was the color of parchment, sealed with red wax.

Alethia. His precious daughter. He looked away from the damning blue prints

and thanked the housekeeper warmly. She had looked after his little girl ever since she

was a baby, pulled from her mothers stomach to save her life. She was the only mother

Alethia had known in her whole childhood. She would be turning twenty soon, no longer

his little girl, but a young woman.

His heart sank when he read the letter. She was one of the chosen few to take part

in the Great Gathering. He should be brimming with fatherly pride. Yet yet, seeing the

blue prints and knowing what kind of vessels would be launched made him more

perturbed.

He kept seeing her in front of him. Pale, almost white hair, smooth-skinned,

looking as if she was fragile. She was not. She was no porcelain doll. She was made of

stronger stuff, all steel inside. When she was just a toddler, people would make

comments about her blindness, that he should be pampering and coddling her. She was

not an invalid, as he always told himself. Never. She had her mothers fierce

determination, a fiery spirit, though she did not display it often.

It would be a Great Gathering. Of what mannerof greatness, Paul Forrester did

not want to think about. With an heavy heart, he went back to the blue prints and started

to make notes about it.

~*~

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Far away from the machinations of London, Cornwall was a quiet county and

Victor very much preferred it to remain that well. He was only a fisherman, from a long

line of fishermen. The sea was in his blood and he was more than happy to spend his

mornings in his boat and netting fish.

There was some talk in the marketplace, where the fishermen would gather and

sort out their catch, about the Queens Golden Jubilee. God bless Her Majesty. And life

would still go on. His wife, Martha, had just given birth to a boy, his fifth child. Food on

the table and clean clothes to wear were more important than courtly pomp and

pageantry.

Oh bloody hell, the net was exceedingly heavy today. Heavier than his usual catch

which he would easily haul with his considerably strong right hand. Must be something

big a large salmon, perhaps caught in the net. A fat salmon with roe would feed his

family well or fetch a few shillings from the market. Either way, it was good.

He pulled the net, heaved it into the boat dripping with seawater and writhing

with live fish. Looked like a sizeable catch. As expected, there was something large

bulging the net. He leaned forward to look at it

only to stare into baleful eyes, the color of black polished stone. And a

crescent-grin filled with toothy malice.

Victor jumped back. He should be accustomed to the sight of sharks. But this one

was an odd blighter, with a long horn protruding from its head. And what a strange tail. It

was more serpent than shark. He prodded it; it was already dead, probably of exertion,

crimson blood trickling from its gills.

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A serpent shark. Now that would scare his children, though his oldest Henry

might just relish the tale as all pre-adolescent boys would when it comes to the macabre

and the strange.

He yanked it to one side of the boat, noting how heavy it was, though streamlined.

It must have been beautiful in water. This random thought startled Victor and he laughed

at himself for being such a sentimental fool. Back to work.

~*~

The streets of London teemed with her citizens. There were boys holding the

days broadsheets, shouting to attract business. Fashionable ladies and well-dressed

gentlemen, dapper in well-tailored coats and pants, walked down Hyde Park. By now, the

word that there would be a Golden Jubilee and a Great Gathering had spread throughout

the city like wild fire. Extravagantly painted posters were pasted in prominent areas, so

that people would take note of the date and the time.

Gossip was rampant in the salons, in the coffeehouses and in Kew Gardens where

spectators had gathered to watch the blooming of yet another exquisite tropical orchid

species. Who were the nations invited? Japan? Austria? France? The protectorates of the

British East India Company? What kind of flying marvels would be showcased? What

kind of Fleet was Her Majesty putting together? Was it solely Her Majestys idea or was

it by her ambitious Chamberlain and his cronies?

One thing was for sure: they could hardly wait to see the new flying vessels. A

new design, purportedly by a secret inventor. It would be grand. Magnificent.

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Chapter Four

Earning The Wings

She was in the same blimp-fin again, its controls familiar to the touch. For this

training run, the winds were favorable calm, without bustling gusts, considering it was

now Autumn and the wintry currents were arriving soon. She self-consciously touched

the half-wing brooch on her left breast, the badge of an Intermediate Pilot-In-Training.

Captain Sagan pinned it on her chest in a private ceremony and whispered quiet

winged a novella of two girls

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