pool of four.
Thomas’s blimp-fin thundered past them,
misjudging the distance. Katherine could hear faint rude curses.
Good. She got them.
When they landed the blimp-fin, Katherine
waited for the inevitable: Thomas storming up to her, all indignant
anger.
“Edward lost his footing!” Thomas shouted at
her. He was as tall as her, seeing eye-to-eye. He was so close that
she could smell his breath redolent of onions.
Katherine looked at him squarely, coolly.
“You knocked us off our position, Thomas Von Dyke. Tit for
tat.”
With a guttural roar, Thomas launched himself at
Katherine who sidestepped easily and the young man fell face-first
into the grass.
“Admit it, Thomas,” Katherine remained cold,
unmoved. “You cheated. You moved ahead of us. It was an illegal
move and you knew it. Have you not thought about Edward’s safety? Your own safety?”
“Safety?” Thomas’s face and uniform were stained
green. His eyes were bright with unshed tears. “I tell you safety!”
He leapt towards Katherine, his hands grappling for her throat.
Edward yelled and held onto the livid youth with his arms.
“ Peace, Thomas !” Edward was saying
anxiously, his face almost tearing. “Do you want us to get
Solitary? You are friends , remember?”
Captain Sagan was striding up to them, a
statuesque Athenian figure dressed in khaki. The expression on her
face brought everything to an uneasy halt.
~*~
Katherine sat in the Solitary Room. Thomas
was somewhere else, in a similar chamber, cooling off. Beige
walls, a small cot and a square window . She rubbed her face
tiredly. They had already explained verbatim to Captain Sagan who
then announced she would deliberate on her decision.
She touched her half-wing badge sadly. She
might end up losing it. She should not have lost her temper as well
or taunted Thomas. He was her friend . But, by Jove, that boy
was trouble! She shook her head and tried to rest, calm her
nerves.
The door clanked, opened and Captain Sagan
stood at the doorway, her face impassive.
“You will keep your half-wing,” the
Tutor-in-charge of House Sable said firmly. “Cadet Kanaka had told
me what had really transpired. It would seem that Cadet Von Dyke
made an illegal pass.”
“He did, madam,” Katherine said, feeling
angry once more, seeing the other blimp-fin nudge past hers in her
mind’s eye. The clear eyes of her teacher made her think twice and
she subsided, closing her eyes.
“Cadet Von Dyke is a fellow of a competitive
nature. This does not however excuse his behavior. He would have
killed not only himself but Cadet Hannigan, you and Cadet Kanaka.”
Captain Sagan continued, her voice grave. “However, you should not
be provoked as well, Katherine Riley.”
Katherine felt unwelcome hot tears in her
eyes and she blinked them away, annoyed at the unexpected rush of
emotion, as if she was still a little girl, standing in front of
Miss Sharpton. “I am sorry, madam. It is just that Thomas makes me
so… angry all the time.”
“Von Dyke, unfortunately, fights with anyone
for glory. A good trait, perhaps, to have in combat. I am not sure
if this trait has gotten him more friends or enemies. As a pilot,
you have to be careful. It is right to feel anger. But anger at the
wheel of the leo-fin is as dangerous as an uncontrolled cannon. You
put your own life at stake, Katherine Riley.”
Captain Sagan turned as if to go. “You can
leave Solitary now.”
“Madam!” Katherine stood up. “How about
Thomas? What will happen to him?”
Captain Karlida Sagan smiled a rueful smile.
“He will face the appropriate punishment, Katherine Riley. Now go,
before I change my mind.”
~*~
The first person Katherine saw when she
stepped into the bright sunshine was Richard Eddington walking down
the same path as she was. Her heart skipped a beat, lurched and
resumed
Thomas’s blimp-fin thundered past them,
misjudging the distance. Katherine could hear faint rude curses.
Good. She got them.
When they landed the blimp-fin, Katherine
waited for the inevitable: Thomas storming up to her, all indignant
anger.
“Edward lost his footing!” Thomas shouted at
her. He was as tall as her, seeing eye-to-eye. He was so close that
she could smell his breath redolent of onions.
Katherine looked at him squarely, coolly.
“You knocked us off our position, Thomas Von Dyke. Tit for
tat.”
With a guttural roar, Thomas launched himself at
Katherine who sidestepped easily and the young man fell face-first
into the grass.
“Admit it, Thomas,” Katherine remained cold,
unmoved. “You cheated. You moved ahead of us. It was an illegal
move and you knew it. Have you not thought about Edward’s safety? Your own safety?”
“Safety?” Thomas’s face and uniform were stained
green. His eyes were bright with unshed tears. “I tell you safety!”
He leapt towards Katherine, his hands grappling for her throat.
Edward yelled and held onto the livid youth with his arms.
“ Peace, Thomas !” Edward was saying
anxiously, his face almost tearing. “Do you want us to get
Solitary? You are friends , remember?”
Captain Sagan was striding up to them, a
statuesque Athenian figure dressed in khaki. The expression on her
face brought everything to an uneasy halt.
~*~
Katherine sat in the Solitary Room. Thomas
was somewhere else, in a similar chamber, cooling off. Beige
walls, a small cot and a square window . She rubbed her face
tiredly. They had already explained verbatim to Captain Sagan who
then announced she would deliberate on her decision.
She touched her half-wing badge sadly. She
might end up losing it. She should not have lost her temper as well
or taunted Thomas. He was her friend . But, by Jove, that boy
was trouble! She shook her head and tried to rest, calm her
nerves.
The door clanked, opened and Captain Sagan
stood at the doorway, her face impassive.
“You will keep your half-wing,” the
Tutor-in-charge of House Sable said firmly. “Cadet Kanaka had told
me what had really transpired. It would seem that Cadet Von Dyke
made an illegal pass.”
“He did, madam,” Katherine said, feeling
angry once more, seeing the other blimp-fin nudge past hers in her
mind’s eye. The clear eyes of her teacher made her think twice and
she subsided, closing her eyes.
“Cadet Von Dyke is a fellow of a competitive
nature. This does not however excuse his behavior. He would have
killed not only himself but Cadet Hannigan, you and Cadet Kanaka.”
Captain Sagan continued, her voice grave. “However, you should not
be provoked as well, Katherine Riley.”
Katherine felt unwelcome hot tears in her
eyes and she blinked them away, annoyed at the unexpected rush of
emotion, as if she was still a little girl, standing in front of
Miss Sharpton. “I am sorry, madam. It is just that Thomas makes me
so… angry all the time.”
“Von Dyke, unfortunately, fights with anyone
for glory. A good trait, perhaps, to have in combat. I am not sure
if this trait has gotten him more friends or enemies. As a pilot,
you have to be careful. It is right to feel anger. But anger at the
wheel of the leo-fin is as dangerous as an uncontrolled cannon. You
put your own life at stake, Katherine Riley.”
Captain Sagan turned as if to go. “You can
leave Solitary now.”
“Madam!” Katherine stood up. “How about
Thomas? What will happen to him?”
Captain Karlida Sagan smiled a rueful smile.
“He will face the appropriate punishment, Katherine Riley. Now go,
before I change my mind.”
~*~
The first person Katherine saw when she
stepped into the bright sunshine was Richard Eddington walking down
the same path as she was. Her heart skipped a beat, lurched and
resumed
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