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She felt, rather than heard, him clear his throat.
"Do I still have to keep my eyes open?"
"Yes. She maneuvered awkwardly a moment, then managed to kick down her own tailfeathers. She
tucked her legs into the tailset and stretched out flat against him. He was tall enough that the match wasn't
perfect, but it would do. She rested on top of him, leg to leg, arm to arm, stomach to back, cheek to
cheek.
"Okay, we're going into a right turn. The right wing's going down, and the left wing's going up. Left wing
downstrokes harder. Feel me move, and move with me."
His breath caught as she pushed his right arm down with hers, letting herself tilt in the wind. They were
moving more slowly than she liked, but the city's thermal updraft and the extra ondium counterweights in
his suit kept them from stalling.
"Good! I want you to keep your legs straight for now. If you were alone, you'd bend your left knee
when you turned. Wing, tail, and tilt. That's how we steer. But just concentrate on using your wings."
They soared into a long circle, cold air whistling against their faces, the industrial mass of the city
sprawling out beneath them. Cristof's body was warm and stable beneath hers, and pale light gleamed
against his metal wings. Taya lifted her arms, feeling his shoulders move beneath her as she guided him.
"Good, she said, as they rose on the thermal.  That's it. Fast downstroke, even and hard."
Metal feathers beat against the air, lifting them higher. She arched her back, lifting their tails higher to give
them more upturn. Then she evened them out again in another long circle and showed him how to make a
left turn. They wheeled next to a dark cliff, then out into the pale sky again. Taya smiled, feeling Cristof's
body moving comfortably against hers at last. It felt good not to be fighting him anymore.
"Do you think you've got it? she asked.
"I think so, he said. He sounded a little out of breath.
"Are you remembering to breathe?"
"Sometimes."
"Work on it. I'm going to lengthen the line between us. I'll be right above you, but you'll have to keep
yourself up without my help."
"Wait! Don't!"
"I have to. We can't land together. Our wings will tangle."
"Not yet. I'm not ready yet."
"Sure you are. Keep your eyes open. Breathe."
"No Taya don't. Stay there! She heard genuine fear in his voice. His wings tilted and she pulled hers
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back to keep them from tangling.
"Don't flap! I'm still here. Come on, let's get some height together."
For a minute they flew in silence, rising higher up the cliff face. The peaks of Oporphyr Tower gleamed
in the first rays of sunlight, silhouetted against the clear sky. Taya sensed the morning winds increasing.
When the sun rose over the mountain, thediispira would kick up and their landing would become much
more difficult.
"Look ahead, she called out.  We're almost there."
"How how do I land? he asked with trepidation.
"We're going to land on the ground, not on a balcony. Put your face into the wind, lock up your tailset,
and spread your wings. The ondium gives us lift, so we don't need to maneuver much. Backbeat your
wings to slow down. Bend your knees like you're kneeling. If you don't keep them bent, you could break
a leg. Head for a wide open space. Lean backward and let your knees hit the ground first and skid.
Keep your wings high you don't want them to touch the ground and keep backbeating until you slide
to a stop."
He was silent a moment.
"How do I backbeat?"
"I'll show you. She lifted them higher, then arched her back against his chest, throwing her wings out.
Cristof faltered a moment, then followed her lead, leaning against her breast, keeping his arms in contact
with hers. She quickly backbeat a few strokes, feeling them start to fall.
"Taya!"
"Trust your metal! She twisted, wings out, forcing him to move with her. With a powerful downbeat
they caught the wind again, pushing back up.
"Oh, Lady. He had tensed up again, his sides heaving as he breathed heavily.  I don't think I can do
this."
"It's all right. You're doing fine. Just relax and don't think too hard."
"I always think too hard, he grated.
"This would be a good time to learn to trust your instincts."
"Do you have to let go?"
"Yes. I'll still be tied to you, and I'll reel myself back down if I have to. But if I try to land with you, we're
both going to crash. There's no way we can synchronize our backbeating well enough to land together,
not on your first flight."
He was silent, but at last she felt him nod.
"Okay. Keep your arms locked into a glide for a minute."
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As soon as they'd steadied into a glide, she locked her wings and pulled one arm free, uncoiling the line
that bound them together.
"Remember, I'm right here. I'm not going to let you fall. Do you trust me? She worked her arm back
into the wing.
He nodded again, jerkily.
"Okay. Stay in a glide until I tell you otherwise. She lifted her wingtips up and let them separate, moving
ahead and over him. The safety line slithered down in a long arc between them.
"One stroke up. Lift your wings. That's it. Now downstroke. Taya kept herself behind him as he
gingerly pushed forward. The line cleared his wings.  Good. Again. Up down."
She let the distance between them increase. They drew closer to the mountaintop as the sun rose higher,
its bright rim peeking over the cliffs.
"Good! Now, tilt your wings down just a little. A little! Don't flap so hard. We're heading to that bare
spot of dirt on the left of the courtyard. See it?"
"Yes."
"We're on the descent. Remember, if you flip or stall, you're still going to stay aloft, so don't panic. Now.
Keep tilting your wings down as you fly, and gently tilt your tail down, too. Easy!"
Together they flew lower, heading for the council grounds. Cristof still moved too abruptly but, engineer
that he was, he'd grasped the mechanics of flying. She seldom had to repeat an instruction. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]