flew open. She sat at Max’s side, dressed in a pair of khaki slacks and a safari-style button-up shirt. A leather flight jacket completed the outfit and gave her the look of an adventuress.
Max, meanwhile, was dressed in full Peregrine regalia, including mask.
“You get more interesting all the time, Max” she purred, watching in admiration as his fingers danced along the controls. Out the main window, she could see ocean waters through the fog.
The Peregrine found himself telling her more than she probably wanted to know, in an effort to impress her. I’m acting like a school boy , he thought wryly. “The Nite-Wing has an 18-cylinder engine and 15-foot propellers. It’s also got a triple-fin tail to aid in flying.”
“How did you pay for it? It must have cost you a mint.”
“My parents left me a large nest egg… and some of my inventions have been put to private use by the government, providing me with even more income.”
“Does anyone in the government know you’re the Peregrine?”
“One or two friends, yes. They help keep a few of the prying eyes out of my business. But there’s only so much they can do without arousing suspicion on their end. And I’ve gotten sloppy lately. Attracted too much attention on the local level. That’s why I left my home and came to Atlanta.” He paused, swallowing hard. “I wonder sometimes if I’m not trying to get caught.”
“Your father’s the reason you can’t give it up, though. It’s not like you’re crazy.” One corner of Evelyn’s lips turned upwards in a smile. “Is it?”
“You believe me about my father being a ghost?”
“Why not? You dress like a bird and shoot people. We’re flying in your super-secret airplane. I can certainly believe in ghosts when all that other stuff is around.”
Max nodded, understanding her point. His life was full of oddities and once you began to accept them, everything else fell into place. He glanced over at Evelyn and grinned. “When all this is said and done, how about you and I go someplace? Away from Atlanta, I mean.”
“What exactly are you proposing?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.
“A vacation. That is, if you’re not busy with a new play.”
“Nothing that starts in the next few weeks.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “I’d like that.”
Before Max could respond, the entire plane began to rattle loudly. Checking his instruments, the Peregrine noticed that the fog had increased tenfold, leaving him flying blind. “We can’t be far from Germany,” he said, shouting over the rising din. “We’re in the North Sea now.”
“Turbulence?” Evelyn asked, checking to make sure her seatbelt was buckled.
Just then, the fog parted a bit in front of them and Max saw something through the haze… a figure of pure impossibility. “I don’t think we’re that lucky,” he whispered.
“What do you—oh my God!” Evelyn’s voice became strained as she, too, saw the thing ahead of them. It bore the body of a woman, bare-breasted, but the lower extremities transformed into feathery bird legs complete with claws. The thing’s face was a mockery of humanity, its mouth parting to reveal razor-sharp teeth. Gigantic wings spread out from its back, flapping as it remained airborne. “What is that thing?”
“A harpy,” Max answered, banking the plane away from the creature. From the back of the vessel came a terrible ripping of metal, following by a steep decline in altitude. “And she’s not alone from the sounds of things.”
“What should we do?” Evelyn asked, her hair beginning to whip about wildly. The cabin was beginning to depressurize and Max knew that there was no saving his plane.
“Unbuckle,” he shouted, doing the same. Grabbing Evelyn’s wrist, he pulled her towards the back of the plane. “We haven’t got long. Have you ever parachuted before?”
“What?” she asked with alarm. “Of course not!”
“What about that movie you made? Perils of Gwendolyn
Max, meanwhile, was dressed in full Peregrine regalia, including mask.
“You get more interesting all the time, Max” she purred, watching in admiration as his fingers danced along the controls. Out the main window, she could see ocean waters through the fog.
The Peregrine found himself telling her more than she probably wanted to know, in an effort to impress her. I’m acting like a school boy , he thought wryly. “The Nite-Wing has an 18-cylinder engine and 15-foot propellers. It’s also got a triple-fin tail to aid in flying.”
“How did you pay for it? It must have cost you a mint.”
“My parents left me a large nest egg… and some of my inventions have been put to private use by the government, providing me with even more income.”
“Does anyone in the government know you’re the Peregrine?”
“One or two friends, yes. They help keep a few of the prying eyes out of my business. But there’s only so much they can do without arousing suspicion on their end. And I’ve gotten sloppy lately. Attracted too much attention on the local level. That’s why I left my home and came to Atlanta.” He paused, swallowing hard. “I wonder sometimes if I’m not trying to get caught.”
“Your father’s the reason you can’t give it up, though. It’s not like you’re crazy.” One corner of Evelyn’s lips turned upwards in a smile. “Is it?”
“You believe me about my father being a ghost?”
“Why not? You dress like a bird and shoot people. We’re flying in your super-secret airplane. I can certainly believe in ghosts when all that other stuff is around.”
Max nodded, understanding her point. His life was full of oddities and once you began to accept them, everything else fell into place. He glanced over at Evelyn and grinned. “When all this is said and done, how about you and I go someplace? Away from Atlanta, I mean.”
“What exactly are you proposing?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.
“A vacation. That is, if you’re not busy with a new play.”
“Nothing that starts in the next few weeks.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “I’d like that.”
Before Max could respond, the entire plane began to rattle loudly. Checking his instruments, the Peregrine noticed that the fog had increased tenfold, leaving him flying blind. “We can’t be far from Germany,” he said, shouting over the rising din. “We’re in the North Sea now.”
“Turbulence?” Evelyn asked, checking to make sure her seatbelt was buckled.
Just then, the fog parted a bit in front of them and Max saw something through the haze… a figure of pure impossibility. “I don’t think we’re that lucky,” he whispered.
“What do you—oh my God!” Evelyn’s voice became strained as she, too, saw the thing ahead of them. It bore the body of a woman, bare-breasted, but the lower extremities transformed into feathery bird legs complete with claws. The thing’s face was a mockery of humanity, its mouth parting to reveal razor-sharp teeth. Gigantic wings spread out from its back, flapping as it remained airborne. “What is that thing?”
“A harpy,” Max answered, banking the plane away from the creature. From the back of the vessel came a terrible ripping of metal, following by a steep decline in altitude. “And she’s not alone from the sounds of things.”
“What should we do?” Evelyn asked, her hair beginning to whip about wildly. The cabin was beginning to depressurize and Max knew that there was no saving his plane.
“Unbuckle,” he shouted, doing the same. Grabbing Evelyn’s wrist, he pulled her towards the back of the plane. “We haven’t got long. Have you ever parachuted before?”
“What?” she asked with alarm. “Of course not!”
“What about that movie you made? Perils of Gwendolyn
Similar Books
