按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Ronnie snorted。 〃They do love drills； don't they？ At least down here Captain Serrano can't interrupt our sleep。〃
〃No。 That's the purview of your aunt； waking us up before daylight to gobble a disgusting breakfast and clamber onto great clumsy； smelly animals。。。。〃
Ronnie felt a perverse desire to insist that it wasn't that bad but Bubbles had already started laughing。
〃And you did look so funny； lamb； when you were stuck in that hedge； all red…faced and blubbering。〃 She patted him on the shoulder as she clambered past him。 He could see by the dome…light that Raffa was trying to smother her giggles and shush Bubbles。
〃Fine。〃 Ronnie slid the canopy forward； the others were still giggling and stowing their supplies in the lockers。 He was beginning to wish he hadn't agreed to this； but how could he back out now？ He called up the preflight checklist on the display and started down it。 The puter would have done everything； of course； but he was not as careless as his aunt thought。
〃e on； Ron；〃 George said。 〃Get this thing off the ground。〃
〃Preflight；〃 Ronnie said。 George should know that … or was he so involved with Bubbles that he'd lost the rest of his wits？ George heaved a dramatic sigh； which Ronnie ignored。 He worked his way down the rest of the preflight list in silence； as usual； everything seemed to be in order。 Ronnie inserted the cube and checked the readout： it had accepted his course programming； and calculated fuel consumption based on satellite weather information。 〃Refuel once；〃 he said。 〃Anyone care if it's Bandon or Calloo？〃
A ragged chorus； which sounded louder for Bandon； Ronnie entered that with the touchpad； cast a glance back to make sure all the loose items were stowed； and pressed the green button。 The engines caught； and the puter took over the final preflight power checks。 At least he knew what the readouts meant； though he could not； from this point on； override the puter's decisions。 Not much like a Royal trainer； these civilian models would fly themselves； given the chance。 He laid his hands lightly on the yoke anyway； and punched for manual takeoff。 He felt the yoke quiver； and the puter displayed his options。 If he stayed within these margins； he could have control … and within those； he could control one axis。 For a moment it amused him … for a human to be allowed to fly the machine； he had to fly like a machine。
It would be practice； and he had always enjoyed flying。 He flicked his fingers over the yoke studs … power； directional focus； attitude … and the puter agreed that he knew what he was doing。 He didn't know if the others noticed； but he had manual control until he chose to relinquish it； when the craft was at 5； 000 meters and on course to Bandon。
〃It's dark outside；〃 Raffaele mented as the craft leveled。 〃There's nothing but … 〃 She peered back。 〃Nothing but the House lights。。。。〃
〃We had to leave before daylight；〃 George pointed out 〃Or Ronnie's aunt would have stopped us。〃
Ronnie tried to see past the reflections on the canopy。 Nothing but darkness。。。。 He flicked off the interior lights； and looked harder。 Nothing ahead but darkness； nothing to either side but darkness。 He'd never seen anything quite so black in his life。
〃It'll be dawn soon；〃 he said。 〃And the puter doesn't need daylight。〃 As it came out of his mouth he realized that they knew that … he was forting himself。 Darkness hid his blush。 Behind him； ostentatious yawns indicated that the others would pretend to sleep。 Someone turned on one of the tiny reading lights； a soft glow in the rear of the cabin； Ronnie left the main cabin lights off。
He found that he kept looking to the right； hoping to see some glimmer of dawn。 Just when he had given up hope； and convinced himself that he would have to endure flying down a black drainpipe forever； a sullen glow lit the horizon； more feeling than color。 Soon he was sure of it； a dim redness blotched with black … clouds； he realized … and then a curious fuzzy quality to the outside。 Still dark； still impenetrable； but somehow seeming larger than it had。 As the light strengthened； he saw the sea beneath； oddly brighter than the sky。 Away toward sunrise it stretched； and the clouds hung over it in dark columns； their tops flushed pink now with the ing light。
Ronnie had never flown along a coast at sunrise； he had not imagined the impossible binations of green and blue and purple； the piles of pink and gold； which clouds and sea and sunrise make。 He looked down on the dark land slowly ing out of the dark haze of night； the shoreline edged with ruffles of colorless surf that would soon be silver and blue。 His quick memory for maps told him they were almost a third of the way to Bandon； the puter would soon change their course away from sunrise； across the narrowing belt of land and out across the ocean to that cluster of islands。 He hoped it would not change before he could see the sun lift out of the sea。
〃There's nothing down there at all；〃 Raffaele said； in a voice that began sleepy and ended worried。 〃Where are we？〃
〃This is the Bottleneck；〃 Bubbles said； yawning。 〃Gorgeous morning； especially since I don't have to climb on a horse。 Don't worry； Raffa； we can't get lost。
The puter on this thing has a direct line to the navsats。 If we went down； someone would be there in no time。〃
〃But somebody must live somewhere；〃 Raffa grumbled。
〃On up the coast a bit there's a settlement of wildlife biologists；〃 Bubbles said。 〃They're to keep the stuff we don't want out of the Hunt grounds。〃
The sun came up and glittered on the surf just as he had imagined； and a few minutes later the puter swung them left； away from the coast； and across the forested Bottleneck。 Bubbles served breakfast； pastries and fruit and hot coffee she'd filched from the kitchen before they left。 Ronnie stretched； enjoying the fort of baggy trousers； loose shirt； and low； soft…sided boots after the confines of hunting attire。 By the time they'd eaten； they'd crossed the other coast and were headed across a blue wrinkled ocean toward the islands。 Ronnie had nothing to do； so he turned his seat around and listened to the girls speculate on when Bunny would send someone after them。
〃I hope it's not Aunt Cece；〃 Ronnie said。
〃He wouldn't send her； she's a guest；〃 Bubbles said airily。 〃It'll probably be some boring mid…level administrator。〃
〃We could just tell your father；〃 Raffa said。 〃Once we get there； that is。〃
Bubbles wrinkled her nose。 〃You don't know how he is。 He'll lecture me。 I'll get mad。 We'll argue。 And then I'll have to make up； or he will； and that takes time I could be enjoying with you。〃
Ronnie put the landing system on automatic when he thought they were in range of Bandon。 It would contact the field； and bring them in without his intervention； though he hoped the puter would allow him a 〃manual〃 landing。
When the beeped； and the field…authorization light turned red； he assumed that the field wanted a voice…contact； it seemed a reasonable way to keep out unwanted guests。 〃Any special code words？〃 he asked Bubbles。 She shook her head。
〃No … just give the flitter number。 It's on the family list。〃
〃Bandon field；〃 Ronnie said。 〃Permission to