The Fell Good Flue (17 page)

TT, “I see you don’t find that new rifle too much of a load to go with the rest you carry.” I said, “it’s well worth the weight, and sweet in the sights, but I shall remember to wear an earplug next time I hope.”
TT, “not in the set? Let me see what I have here. Oh yes, these should do,” and he handed me a set of ear plugs and shooting glasses.
I said, “these will go well together, thank you. Now when do I get my flying machine?” TT, “don’t you remember what I told you about being careful of what you ask for?” I said, “I’m afraid to, you come through too much.”
Jacob, “if the two of you are talking about sky riders, the wind has already told a bird about them.”
I said, “the wind talks too much and can’t always be trusted, but my eyes would welcome such a sight.”
TT, “then this way if you please, just follow my pipe and the smoke will guide you there.” We went to another deck higher up, and there tied down were two hang gliders with small engines on them. Clean wings and polished parts with new lines, and fuel to run them on. TT said, “some lightweight battery packs work with the small engine and it runs the pneumatic driven fan, a compressed air tank give you silent running if need be, and we have tested the parts. But you get to fly the first, and your wish is granted if you dare embrace it.” I said, “you were wise to show these to me before Brandy got wind of them, she had one when she was young. I’m not sure if she would tie me up or fly away on one, but I want the choice.” TT, “you both can have the choice, and of either one, I give them to you.”
I said, “house rules, give before asking, I hate to ask the cost of these.”
TT, “you have already done much, for today I only ask a few lightweight things transported.” Jacob, “here it comes, it’s not the weight it’s thetrip.”
TT, “if the trip was in the flyer, both day and deal would be done quickly.”
Jacob, “there it is, the twist that pulls the strings, and you can be first my friend.” I said, “no problem, just don’t tell Brandy it was me.”
So TT gave us a short list people he needed things taken to, and we divided up the cargo. Jacob took the close places he could zip to, and I the ones where I could land. Then off we went with our deliveries, with Jacob of course watching me go over the side first, wouldn’t want to miss that. The engine was running well, and the air caught me as they let go, so off into the sky I went flying without wires. Higher than some birds that were flying over the roofs, I went to my first stop as others looked at me from below. Over my place I shouted, “be back soon,” as I tipped a wing to Brandy on the roof. She jumped up and down and waved her hands, until a breast fell out of her top and she stuffed it back in. A ya was heard from another roof then, and it may had been for her. I did a circle of the goat park, waving at the guard tower, then came down within the fenced in area near the building. It had no wheels, so a running stop was my landing, and it went well. I set things down as the motor shut off, and yelled, “air delivery!” The guard in the tower yelled out, “next time radio in a weather report while you’re up there.” I said, “don’t worry, I’ll give you a heads up if I’m going to lose my breakfast.” A goat came running up and I said, “one more thought in the direction of this thing and you will become wolf dinner,” and it just ran back the way it came.
Laurence came out saying, “I got the word, but didn’t think I’d see it so soon. Welcome, I’ll run that goat back to another pen, we don’t want him to get bad ideas now that he’s well again.” I said, “we already had a talk, he thinks it’s safer over by the wolf.”
He laughed and ran after it, as I made sure the wind was not going to take this thing without me, then we went inside.
I gave him the package from TT and said, “cargo delivered, load lightened, except for wondering what he sent that required me to bring it. He has paid a great price to have my services today.” Laurence opened the package and showed me a pair of night vision scopes and goggles, then handed me a night-scope and said, “and he will pay more, this one is for you. Cargo received and payment rendered, word to TT is thanks and will look for the other.”
I said, “those words will fly, and thank you. Does it have power?”
Laurence, “I was told so, and they have the adaptors for charging, only turning them on will tell. But there’s too much light in here, it would blind you if working, let’s try the basement.” So we went down and turned the lights off, a small button said power, and we tried them out. It was green starlight, the least bit that reached into that room made it easy to see the wine on the wall, we held up fingers to each other then shut them down.
I said, “now I can even see in the dark, and fly like a bird, my wife will think I have become a super hero.”
Laurence, “she already thinks that, and so do many other, as well as me. Come, lets pick a bottle to take up with us.”
So we went up with one and both took a drink from it, then he said to take the rest for the air. So I thanked him and went to say hello to the wolf.
On the way I asked, “are the goats keeping their noses safe?”
He said, “so far, but they are too sure of themselves at times, I see them nibbling at grass by the wire.”
I said, “that’s how it starts, a nibble here and there, then the whole goat is just a smile.” Laurence, “they’re not that dumb, a nip is all it will take.”
As we walked out the wolf started barking, more happy to see us than hungry to eat. I stood next to the wire so he could smell me, and his tongue worked its way through to lick at my pants. I pulled out a chewy raisin and oat honey-bar and gave him a piece. It went down with a smacking of the lips and a stare for more, so I feed him the rest, but didn’t let him lick my fingers.
Laurence said, “he has a sweet tooth, maybe your fingers next.”
I said, “not going to give him the chance, and he better not try if he know what’s good for him. Is he getting enough rats?”
Laurence, “must be, he has started to play with them now, even letting some get away.” I said, “probably less that your traps lose, you build good fences but poor rat traps.” He said, “they are getting smarter, but the wolf is teaching those new things.” I laughed, then said my goodbyes to the both of them, and went to my wings. With the engine on and a run into the wind, I was off with a jump. By the end of the field I could turn and get above the trees, then off to my next stop. Above the high buildings and across the city I flew, to a tower at the other edge of town. Down onto the rooftop I went lightly and yelled, “air cargo!”
A nude woman came from behind a clothesline and said, “I’ll take a delivery from you any day.” I said, “only what’s in the bag Dizzy.”
She said, “that’s Daisy, and I only want what’s in your bag.”
I know what you want Dizzy, and TT’s bag is all your getting, I’m dropping my load and going.” Daisy, “a quickie is alright, but you don’t have to call it dropping your load.”
I said, “it’s no wonder TT sent me personally, no one else would be able to get away from you.” She said as walking closer, “few have tried very hard, but I let them go when I’m done, and most are not worn out too badly.”
I said, “I keep spreading the same story about me, why dose yours work better?” Daisy, “being a nudist gives you a reputation, you should try it more often.”
I said, “I do as much as I can when I’m not flying on a wire.”
She said, “but that’s when you can let it all be set free, I love zipping around here nude.” I said, “your neighbors love it too, maybe you can give one of them this.”
She looked in the bag to find the night-scope and said, “TT came through, now I can hit raiders before they even get close. Please stay and eat something, it’s hard to keep company way up here.”
I said, “when the conversation comes up with Brandy, I want to say I turned down everything you were offering, even though I understand you’re just being kind.”
Daisy, “she has a hell of a man in you, please let me know if she gets sick, I will make her a special potion.”
I said, “That’s spelt P.O.I.S.O.N.”
She said, “now now, she has hers and I have mine, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Tell Brandy you are both welcome to come by for a full body massage.”
I said, “those are costly words to send by my lips.”
Daisy, “I can pay for them with my hands.”
I said, “I know, but I’m not taking on cargo from here right now, and with that I must be flying.” As I ran toward the edge of the roof she yelled, “nice butt, keep working out!” Off the edge I went, and caught an updraft that took me gliding away. I did a tip of my wing before heading to the next building, then gave the fan a bit more power to get higher. A lot of open ground around this part of the city, much of it had been burnt down long ago, but some still had good tall buildings to live in. Still it’s hard to run with a load, so few moved about in this part of town. With the power to leap into the sky, that may change a bit. It’s not easy to be a spotter or shooter that lives in a place just for someone else’s eyes, but she had the talent for it. Her aim was as good as mine and had some nice weapons herself, that I once picket out. We spent many a day at practice before Brandy started to take care of me, but they have still been friends, and often I hear Brandy trading stories with her over a radio they have. Dizzy Daisy as we called her, was once a masseuse, and taught Brandy how to work my body. From time to time others came to her for a workout, and always paid well for her help. But TT made sure she had what was needed because of her keen eye to tell of danger from that end of town, and her willingness to drop you with a shot if needed. Yes, we had some of the most interesting people in this city, or what was left of it. And my next one would be not let down for sure, because they didn’t call him High Harry for nothing. An ex chemistry teacher that helped in getting my fuel mixture right. He had a lab that was blowing up so much he had moved it three times in four years, the other times there was not enough to bother with. Through all of it he was never hurt, just the buildings. His new place was a triangle in my route, and had a landing pad on its roof ready for me, but just landing there was tricky. It was between two tall trees four stores off the ground, and a high building behind him. A glide in without the fan, and a full pull up before smashing into the other, would be the only way. But how to get out again would be a new trick as well. I was spotted on approach and he waved to me, with great hope it was not that the place was about to explode, I went down in final descent. The wind was coming down off of the tall building like a funnel in my face, and a fire on his roof gave the same direction, but that could change in a moment. In the last twenty feet or so I pulled up and dropped down, then with help from two of his assistances was steadied as I hit, and standing before him.
He said, “you make quite an entrance, I can only hope your flight has been satisfactory.” I said, “just like flying a kite, but without the long string.”
Harry, “excellent, and the propulsion units power?”
I said, “off the grass in a hop to light wind.”
He said, “excellent, take off should not be too bad then, but I will need to launch you with the wind for about forty feet or so.”
I said, “before we start talking about launching me, is there anything you should be watching to keep it from exploding?”
Harry, “I ate a bunch of mushrooms a while ago, so I’m not sure, the lab is in the hands of these two.”
I said, “two heads are better than one, especially if it’s on shrooms. Ladies, how go the experiments?”
They said it was all under control, and nothing should blow up unless they let him near the lab in the next few hours. So I gave him the cargo.
Harry said, “this is just what I needed, what is it?”
They all looked it over carefully, and I pointed out what I knew about the night goggles. Then High Harry said let’s take them down to the grow room. So we tied down a wing and headed down, past the distilling plant and chemicals he made. Then down an elevator to a subfloor, and through a wide tunnel to a big dark room. Rows of trays of mushrooms were growing down here, and a lot of them were trip in nature, you had to watch what you were touching and lights were bag for them. We turned the goggles on, and he had a look around saying, “yes yes, I needed one of these, what are they called?”
I said, “night goggles is my name for them, and I hope they help.”
He said, “yes, now I can find more of the good ones.”
I said, “High Harry, I think you found all you need for now.”
He said, “no man, like, for you. Take a bag of each, but don’t mix them up like I do man, or you’ll be out of fuel and days away before you come down.”
I said, “thank you, but I’ll let your two assistances bag them for me, I trust their eye.” Harry, “ya man, like for sure. They’re as good at looking as they are at looking at.” So we got some bags then went back up to the roof. After looking at what he had in mind for my take off, I wondered if he was doing shrooms when building it. A ramp with a detachable sled, and a pulley system that could launch it over forty feet in the air. He wanted to send me from the roof out into clear flying by sling-chair. But his assistances had high hopes of its success, and he talked me into it. So on the drop away chair I sat, and they held my wings up with the fan running. I gave it full power, and they sent the sled into the air with us in flight, then the sled fell about thirty feet away. Slowly I leveled out and started to climb with a wind, higher to fly free again and tilt my wing goodbye. Homeward bound and high as a cloud, I sailed across the sky, looking down on the buildings below as I went. Soon my place was in sight and I circled the building yelling down to Brandy, “how do you land this thing?” She came up just as I dropped down and parked, and running up she said, “you are the craziest person I know this side of me. Will you be keeping this?”
I said, “not if you get your hands on it first, but if you do I will take yours at TT’s.” Brandy, “one for me as well, it’s been years but I would love to fly with you. When can we go get it?”
I said, “that part has nothing to do with my butt finding my chair, so we can take it up there.” Brandy, “of course, you must be tired from all that flying, go sit down while I take off, I mean tie down the flyer.”
I said, “you can watch me tie it down, then I’ll watch you go down before me.” She said, “you can trust me, I wouldn’t leave Sage alone with you and fly away.” As I tied it down I said, “that would of sounded more convincing, if you had been helping me tie it down at the time.”