Read Online Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey - Free Book Online
Authors: Geoff Rodkey
Ads: Link
Pembroke.
“Love to. But there’s a weight limit. Even the five of you might be too much. Besides, it’s old hat for Millicent and myself.”
“I’ve been up at least a dozen times,” said Millicent. “It’s smashing! You won’t believe the view! You can see all the way to Blisstown!”
The balloon was fully expanded now, and the servants at the bellows picked up the canvas cylinder, holding it over their heads to direct the smoke up into the balloon. Pembroke clapped enthusiastically as the ropes snapped taut against their stays.
There was a short lurch, and the ropes creaked—but that was it. I looked up. The balloon loomed directly over us, swaying like it was unsure of itself.
Pembroke urged his servants to stoke the fire, and the column of smoke rising into the balloon thickened. But our basket stayed earthbound.
“Blast! It’s too much weight.” Pembroke stewed a moment, his look darkening. He seemed almost angry, as if the balloon’s failure to launch was a personal insult.
Finally, he sighed and stepped forward to reopen the basket door. “Mr. Percy, would you be so kind as to step off? We’ll take you on the next go-round.”
Percy shrugged and stepped off, losing his balance and falling over when the balloon suddenly jerked upward.
Pembroke slammed the door and jumped back as we rose into the air. I sucked in my breath as I felt a brief, intense thrill—
flying! We were flying!
—that quickly leaked away when I realized the balloon had stopped rising ten feet off the ground.
We hovered there, coughing as we peered down at Pembroke through the thick smoke the servants kept directing past us into the balloon.
“Blast!” He really looked angry now, so much so that I wanted to call out and reassure him that even if we were only ten feet in the air, it was ten feet farther than we’d ever flown.
Millicent stepped over to join him, her perfect face gazing up at us through the dirty haze. She met my eye, and I looked away quickly.
Then Adonis had a brilliant idea. “Dad!” he barked. “It’s still too heavy! Let’s throw Egbert over.”
I started to protest, but suddenly realized that if they were in the air and I was on the ground, I’d be with Millicent and not them. In an instant, the chance to fly seemed worth skipping.
“Don’t bother,” I said as I vaulted over the side.
I hit the ground at an angle, falling over as pain shot up oneankle. But it was only pain. I jumped to my feet, and my heart sank when I saw Millicent looking at me not with pleasure but anger.
Fortunately, she was angry
for
me, not
at
me. As Pembroke watched the balloon shoot into the sky, the four coils of rope whirring as the basket played out its tethers, Millicent tugged his arm, then pointed to me.
“But, Dad, it’s his birthday!”
“I don’t mind,” I said quickly. “Really. I’m not much for heights.”
“Are you sure?” Millicent asked. “We can do another.”
“Either way. It’s all right.”
“But it’s your birthday!”
“It’s okay. Really.”
Pembroke studied me for a moment, frowning. Then he sighed and patted me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure out what to do with you.”
The tethers snapped taut. We all looked up. The balloon was so high in the air that when a head popped over the side of the basket to look down at us, it took me a moment to figure out which family member it belonged to.
It was Venus. She waved at us, excited. Pembroke and Millicent waved back. We watched the balloon hover overhead for a while, then Pembroke nodded to a pair of nearby servants and turned back toward the house.
“They’ll be up there a good while. Now, son—what can we do to give you a happy birthday?”
My cheeks flushed at the question. No one had ever asked me something like that before. But I figured out an answer pretty quickly.
“Wouldn’t mind another game of croquet.”
“All right,” Millicent said brightly. “But I’ll most likely trounce
“Love to. But there’s a weight limit. Even the five of you might be too much. Besides, it’s old hat for Millicent and myself.”
“I’ve been up at least a dozen times,” said Millicent. “It’s smashing! You won’t believe the view! You can see all the way to Blisstown!”
The balloon was fully expanded now, and the servants at the bellows picked up the canvas cylinder, holding it over their heads to direct the smoke up into the balloon. Pembroke clapped enthusiastically as the ropes snapped taut against their stays.
There was a short lurch, and the ropes creaked—but that was it. I looked up. The balloon loomed directly over us, swaying like it was unsure of itself.
Pembroke urged his servants to stoke the fire, and the column of smoke rising into the balloon thickened. But our basket stayed earthbound.
“Blast! It’s too much weight.” Pembroke stewed a moment, his look darkening. He seemed almost angry, as if the balloon’s failure to launch was a personal insult.
Finally, he sighed and stepped forward to reopen the basket door. “Mr. Percy, would you be so kind as to step off? We’ll take you on the next go-round.”
Percy shrugged and stepped off, losing his balance and falling over when the balloon suddenly jerked upward.
Pembroke slammed the door and jumped back as we rose into the air. I sucked in my breath as I felt a brief, intense thrill—
flying! We were flying!
—that quickly leaked away when I realized the balloon had stopped rising ten feet off the ground.
We hovered there, coughing as we peered down at Pembroke through the thick smoke the servants kept directing past us into the balloon.
“Blast!” He really looked angry now, so much so that I wanted to call out and reassure him that even if we were only ten feet in the air, it was ten feet farther than we’d ever flown.
Millicent stepped over to join him, her perfect face gazing up at us through the dirty haze. She met my eye, and I looked away quickly.
Then Adonis had a brilliant idea. “Dad!” he barked. “It’s still too heavy! Let’s throw Egbert over.”
I started to protest, but suddenly realized that if they were in the air and I was on the ground, I’d be with Millicent and not them. In an instant, the chance to fly seemed worth skipping.
“Don’t bother,” I said as I vaulted over the side.
I hit the ground at an angle, falling over as pain shot up oneankle. But it was only pain. I jumped to my feet, and my heart sank when I saw Millicent looking at me not with pleasure but anger.
Fortunately, she was angry
for
me, not
at
me. As Pembroke watched the balloon shoot into the sky, the four coils of rope whirring as the basket played out its tethers, Millicent tugged his arm, then pointed to me.
“But, Dad, it’s his birthday!”
“I don’t mind,” I said quickly. “Really. I’m not much for heights.”
“Are you sure?” Millicent asked. “We can do another.”
“Either way. It’s all right.”
“But it’s your birthday!”
“It’s okay. Really.”
Pembroke studied me for a moment, frowning. Then he sighed and patted me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure out what to do with you.”
The tethers snapped taut. We all looked up. The balloon was so high in the air that when a head popped over the side of the basket to look down at us, it took me a moment to figure out which family member it belonged to.
It was Venus. She waved at us, excited. Pembroke and Millicent waved back. We watched the balloon hover overhead for a while, then Pembroke nodded to a pair of nearby servants and turned back toward the house.
“They’ll be up there a good while. Now, son—what can we do to give you a happy birthday?”
My cheeks flushed at the question. No one had ever asked me something like that before. But I figured out an answer pretty quickly.
“Wouldn’t mind another game of croquet.”
“All right,” Millicent said brightly. “But I’ll most likely trounce
Similar Books
