Chapter 2

“Why don’t yo...”

“Think, Sel ... Some girl calls daddy and buys his aircraft ... she sounds suspiciously like his DEAD daughter ... whose body was never found. The only time bodies aren’t found is when they’re lost at sea ... and Bathurst is deficient in sharks.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah ... best look them up in Trade-a-Plane ... you Do know what that is?”

“Umh ... yes ... if I buy ... how will you get them to the Princessapality?”

“By aircraft carrier ... Seven fiddled with the FED-A and they’re scrapping the last of the Nimitz class ... which is out of reactor time...”

“But...”

“All her aircraft and most of her crew are already gone ... the Admiral has agreed to trans=ship a bunch of sailboats, cars and aircraft ... if I donate a Bearcat and an SNJ to the NAVY Museum, he’ll take mine.”

“Where is this ‘aircraft carrier?”

“Sydney Harbor ... a round of ‘Farewell’ parties ... probably as much as a month.”

“Okay... Trade-a-Plane it is.”

While my morning class argued the lesson, I turned on and ... Voila! “Collection of ex Chilean Navy Aircraft ... WW2 Vintage. In various stages of repair. Includes Shipping Containers.”

A number ... I called.

“Enquiring about the aircraft?”

“How...?”

“Special number ... cancelled when they’re gone.”

“I’ll take them.”

There was a pause ... an audible gulp and choke ... a clearing of the throat...”All of them?”

“All of them.” I said, “Give me a number and I’ll check with my principal.”

“Just like that?”

“Yup.”

The figure quoted was reasonable.

“I’ll get back to you tomorrow. Do you have an account so I can deposit earnest monies?”

Given ... I called my Trust ... it’s not a Trust ... the Trust expired on my 23rd birthday ... but I like the company and kept them on.

“Ten million Australian Dollars to David Austin, Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.”

I gave the account number and hung up. I called a Labor Exchange in Bathurst and organized workers and flatbed trucking for transport. I paid in advance ... wire transfer.

RING

“Abby, Selene. On their way.”

And pressed END. DO NOT DISTURB came next.

I cleared my desk ... sent the kids off to their next class. Shut the door ... Maintainence will lock up. Straight to my bike ... to the bus ... to the last stop and biked home. Stripped off, showered, beer, sauna, cold plunge ... soaked in the hottub ... showered again ... patted my AD and bent a set of wing ribs for my Airdrome Pup. Took my 544 to Mi Casita and ate ... and it was good. And went to bed.

“You have 57 new messages.”

“Press delete again to clear all messages.”

PRESS