Read Online The Unwilling Aviator (Book 4) by Heidi Willard - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heidi Willard
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to have more moral scruples than the usual murderer," Percy pointed out.
"Ah, that. He didn't always want to be an assassin. When he was younger he wanted to be a castor, but he didn't have a bit of magic skill in him. It just doesn't run in our blood," she told them.
Percy smiled. "That explains his affection for that unique dagger and cloak."
Ti nodded. "Yes. Well, when he found he couldn't do so much as a card trick he decided to take on being an assassin."
"That's quite a change in occupational choices," Percy commented.
She shrugged. "He's always been a bit of a rowdy boy, and wanted to do a job that'd keep his life exciting. Being an assassin's dangerous, but there's a high compensation package," Ti pointed out. She turned to look at her brooding brother and sighed. "But it does keep him away a lot, and I wish he'd visit me more often than once in a Chaos Wind."
"Chaos Wind?" Pat repeated.
Ti looked back at the table and nodded. "Yep, that's when the wind is at its worst. Usually the wind blows consistently above the cliffs, but when a Chaos Wind comes out of the east it's a terrible howler. Aviators can't fly during those storms and the wind picks up all the dirt making for such a mess. Fortunately, they only happen once every few years and we're not due for another one for another year or so. Now what'll you be having?"
"We'll take the house special, and would you take a drink to the aviator fellow?" Ned requested.
Ti frowned. "I don't like encouraging his drinking, and don't appreciate when someone else does it," she told him.
Ned smiled. "I assure you my intentions are honorable."
Their waitress pursed her lips, but nodded. "All right." She strode off to get their food and the drink.
Pat noticed Ned stroke his beard and grin. "What are you plotting now?" Pat questioned him.
Ned broke from his thoughts and feigned innocence. "Whatever can you mean, my dear Pat?"
"She wants you to 'fess up and tell us what's going on in that mind of yers," Canto chimed in.
Ned shrugged. "I was thinking that we should help that gentleman," he replied.
"Help how? Through his complete inebriation so he will be unable to fly?" Percy guessed.
"We're going to give him a squire," Ned told them. Their jaws hit the table.
"But without one he will be disqualified and won't get himself killed," Pat reminded him.
"But we need him to qualify for the tournament, and win it," Ned countered. Pat opened her mouth to protest, but Ned held up his hand. "All will be told to you in good time, my dear Pat. For now Fred should offer his services to the gentleman and lead him outside."
Fred's eyes widened. "Me? Why me?" he protested.
"Of all of us, you have the most honest face. He will not suspect our intentions," Ned pointed out.
"But what are our intentions?" Pat persisted.
Ned smiled and shook his head. "You will see in good time. First we need Ti to play her part."
At that moment Ti came from the back room and set a mug of drink before the man. The aviator raised his head off the table and spoke a few words they couldn't hear over the din of the crowded room. Ti nodded toward their table, and the man turned and gave them a toothy, lopsided grin. Pat sank in her chair while the others smiled and bowed their heads back at him. Ti, still with a frown, walked off to attend to other tables.
"Now off with you Fred, and tell him you were the one gracious enough to deliver his life blood to him," Ned encouraged the young man.
Fred cringed, but stood and shuffled over to the aviator's table. Crash leaned back in his chair and grabbed his mug. "Are ya the-hic-guy who gave me the drink?" he asked the young man.
Fred cringed when he was hit with a blast of the man's foul breath. "Um, yes, it was me," Fred replied. He eased himself into the seat closest to the man, but scooted it back a foot when he got a whiff of the man's delicate odor of old food and drink. "I was, um, I was wondering if I could be your squire."
Crash laughed and downed
"Ah, that. He didn't always want to be an assassin. When he was younger he wanted to be a castor, but he didn't have a bit of magic skill in him. It just doesn't run in our blood," she told them.
Percy smiled. "That explains his affection for that unique dagger and cloak."
Ti nodded. "Yes. Well, when he found he couldn't do so much as a card trick he decided to take on being an assassin."
"That's quite a change in occupational choices," Percy commented.
She shrugged. "He's always been a bit of a rowdy boy, and wanted to do a job that'd keep his life exciting. Being an assassin's dangerous, but there's a high compensation package," Ti pointed out. She turned to look at her brooding brother and sighed. "But it does keep him away a lot, and I wish he'd visit me more often than once in a Chaos Wind."
"Chaos Wind?" Pat repeated.
Ti looked back at the table and nodded. "Yep, that's when the wind is at its worst. Usually the wind blows consistently above the cliffs, but when a Chaos Wind comes out of the east it's a terrible howler. Aviators can't fly during those storms and the wind picks up all the dirt making for such a mess. Fortunately, they only happen once every few years and we're not due for another one for another year or so. Now what'll you be having?"
"We'll take the house special, and would you take a drink to the aviator fellow?" Ned requested.
Ti frowned. "I don't like encouraging his drinking, and don't appreciate when someone else does it," she told him.
Ned smiled. "I assure you my intentions are honorable."
Their waitress pursed her lips, but nodded. "All right." She strode off to get their food and the drink.
Pat noticed Ned stroke his beard and grin. "What are you plotting now?" Pat questioned him.
Ned broke from his thoughts and feigned innocence. "Whatever can you mean, my dear Pat?"
"She wants you to 'fess up and tell us what's going on in that mind of yers," Canto chimed in.
Ned shrugged. "I was thinking that we should help that gentleman," he replied.
"Help how? Through his complete inebriation so he will be unable to fly?" Percy guessed.
"We're going to give him a squire," Ned told them. Their jaws hit the table.
"But without one he will be disqualified and won't get himself killed," Pat reminded him.
"But we need him to qualify for the tournament, and win it," Ned countered. Pat opened her mouth to protest, but Ned held up his hand. "All will be told to you in good time, my dear Pat. For now Fred should offer his services to the gentleman and lead him outside."
Fred's eyes widened. "Me? Why me?" he protested.
"Of all of us, you have the most honest face. He will not suspect our intentions," Ned pointed out.
"But what are our intentions?" Pat persisted.
Ned smiled and shook his head. "You will see in good time. First we need Ti to play her part."
At that moment Ti came from the back room and set a mug of drink before the man. The aviator raised his head off the table and spoke a few words they couldn't hear over the din of the crowded room. Ti nodded toward their table, and the man turned and gave them a toothy, lopsided grin. Pat sank in her chair while the others smiled and bowed their heads back at him. Ti, still with a frown, walked off to attend to other tables.
"Now off with you Fred, and tell him you were the one gracious enough to deliver his life blood to him," Ned encouraged the young man.
Fred cringed, but stood and shuffled over to the aviator's table. Crash leaned back in his chair and grabbed his mug. "Are ya the-hic-guy who gave me the drink?" he asked the young man.
Fred cringed when he was hit with a blast of the man's foul breath. "Um, yes, it was me," Fred replied. He eased himself into the seat closest to the man, but scooted it back a foot when he got a whiff of the man's delicate odor of old food and drink. "I was, um, I was wondering if I could be your squire."
Crash laughed and downed
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