'Good night.'
Three hours later Gwen knocked on her door again. This time the vexed woman held out a message from the University.
Taya opened it, groaned, and shoved it under her pillow.
She'd deal with it tomorrow.
Chapter Twelve
Taya could barely see her hands in front of her as she hurried down the path to the flight dock. The dawn diispira hadn't kicked up yet, and it was cold enough for her breath to form visible clouds as she ran.
Cristof was a dark, narrow figure huddled by the gate.
'It's locked,' he said, as she approached.
'Of course it is.' She pulled out her key and let them in. 'Ondium's expensive. Did you find a place to sleep last night?'
'More or less.'
'What does that mean?'
'The floor was cleaner than the mattress. I didn't sleep well.'
'Stiff muscles?'
'Not too bad.'
'Good.' She led them across the open practice field to the flight prep building. 'I got a message from Kyle last night.'
'What did he say?'
'The Clockwork Heart program affected the University engine. I guess that once it runs, it keeps other security programs from locking off access to the engine, or its storage drums, or something like that. He seemed to think it was pretty important. He said he's sending a formal report to the college president and the lictors this morning.'
'Oh, Lady.' Cristof leaned against the building wall, staring into space. 'What was Alister doing?'
'That's what we're going to find out.' She unlocked the door to the flight prep building and struck a lucifer match as soon as they were inside. Candles and lamps were stored by the door. She handed him a lamp and took one herself. In the light, she saw that he'd wiped off last night's handiwork, leaving his castemark visible once more. 'You decided to be an exalted again?'
'It might give us an advantage if we're caught.'
'Good idea. We'll need all the advantages we can get.' She led him to the men's changing room.
That morning, she'd done what she could to set up her own advantages. She'd left a note in Cassi's purse containing Kyle's letter and describing where she was going and why. She didn't know what Cassi would do when she found it, but no icarus flew without filing a flight plan.
Besides, if they got caught by the lictors, she wanted her friends to know she wasn't a criminal.
'Don't worry.' Cristof tapped his bulging coat pocket. 'You can always say that I forced you at gunpoint.'
'It wouldn't work. They'll just ask why I didn't drop you once we were aloft.' She opened up the flight suit closet. 'How tall are you?'
'Six three.'
'Hmm.' She looked dubiously at the selection. 'Well, do your best to find a suit and boots that fit. The suit needs to be snug, but not so tight that it binds. Don't wear anything but your drawers beneath it. Fold your clothing and bring it out with you, and we'll store it in my locker. Then we'll find you a harness.'
He nodded, and she left him, going to the women's locker room to change into her own suit and harness. Fifteen minutes later she was showing him how to step into a complicated arrangement of straps and buckles.
Cristof had done the best he could, but his flight suit was several inches too short in the arms and legs and a little too wide around the chest and shoulders. Transferring the contents of his coat pockets into the pouches built into the suit gave him a bulky look.
Crow with his feathers plumped,
she thought, irreverently.
'The needlegun I can understand, and even your identification papers, but do you really need this?' She held up the slim leather tool kit.
'You never know when you might need a screwdriver.' He tucked the leather case away and she shook her head. Cassi and her lip paints, Cristof and his tools.
'You really are a gearhead, aren't you?'
'We gearheads consider that term a compliment, icarus.'
Amused, Taya buttoned up his collar until it rested under his chin. He tugged at it, frowning.
'Leave it alone,' she instructed. 'It may feel tight now, but you don't want a breeze down your suit while you're flying.'
'It's no more uncomfortable than robes and a mask,' he said, dropping his hand and cinching his belt tighter. 'But the suit's heavier than I expected. Especially the boots. You don't look big enough to carry around so much weight every day.'
'I'm stronger than I look,' Taya said, with a trace of pride. 'And the ondium makes make it feel lighter. The boots are heavy because of the metal toes and thick soles. Even so, we have to replace them pretty often. Which reminds me…. 'She grabbed a pair of jointed metal-and-leather knee pads. Kneeling in front of him, she attached them to the harness straps that circled his legs, bracing a hand against his shin as she pulled the buckles tight. 'We're not going to try an upright landing today. You're going to land on your knees and skid to a halt.'
He shifted uneasily while she worked and finally cleared his throat.
'I've seen little icarii doing that. I thought they were playing.'
'It's the first landing we learn. It isn't elegant, but sometimes it's the best you can do, especially when the winds are high or the approach is awkward.' She slapped his calves and straightened. 'This job is tough on the joints.'
'I feel like I'm wearing armor.' He took a few steps. 'Excuse me.' He turned and readjusted the straps around his thighs.
'Make sure they don't chafe,' she said, smirking at his back. 'Remember, the straps will pull up once the armature is strapped on.'
'Wonderful,' he muttered, his back still turned.
'I'll go get you some wings and weights while you fix that,' she said, chuckling. 'How much do you weigh?'
'About one hundred and seventy.'
'Heavy.'
He glanced over his shoulder.
'People have called me scrawny all my life.'
'Heavy for an icarus,' she amended. 'But you're tall for an icarus, too. I'll be back in about ten minutes.'
She found a pair of visitor wings and grabbed a wire cage of ondium counterweights. By the time she returned, Cristof was pacing the room, testing the straps. She led him outside, locking the door behind them.
'Paolo's on watch, but he usually dozes off at dawn,' she said. 'Still, let's move quickly.' The sky was lighter now, although the sun hadn't risen above the mountains. The air was crisp and cold. She took Cristof to the docks, which jutted out over the city. The peaks of the surrounding mountains were starting to glow with the imminent
