Descent from Xanadu Read Online Free PDF

on wings.”
    He laughed. “I guess it could be thought of as that.”
    She looked down at the lights of Dubrovnik below. “How high are we?”
    He pressed a button and a light went on in the cabin bulkhead in front of them. “About two kilometers,” he said. “We’re climbing up to twelve kilometers, about 38,000 feet, for our cruising altitude. At that time we’ll be flying at 580 miles per hour.”
    The no smoking and seat belt lights went off. He snapped off the seat belt that crossed his chest and leaned over to help her. She hesitated a moment. He smiled. “It’s okay.”
    She nodded and let him open the seat belt.
    Fast Eddie came to them and placed a tray of caviar and toast on the table in front of her, then quickly filled up their glasses with champagne and disappeared from the cabin.
    He held his glass to her. “Welcome to the friendly skies of America.”
    “Down below that’s still Yugoslavia,” she said.
    “But you’re not down there, are you?” he laughed.
    “That’s right,” she smiled. She sipped the champagne. “Delicious.” She looked at the tray. “Is that really Russian caviar?”
    He nodded.
    “We can’t even get that in Yugoslavia,” she said.
    He placed a spoonful of caviar on toast and handed it to her. “Détente,” he said, “has certain advantages.”
    “I like that,” she said.
    “So do I,” he said, helping himself.
    “Do you have Russian vodka aboard too?” she asked.
    “Of course.”
    “May I have a drink?” she asked almost shyly. “Down there all I ever could get was slivovitz and that makes me sick.”
    “You got it,” he said.
    Fast Eddie brought a bottle crusted with ice from the freezer. He filled two glasses and left them next to the bottle on the tray as he disappeared.
    She picked up the vodka, looked at him for a moment, then threw it down her throat. He caught a faint flush in her cheeks. “Enjoying it?”
    “It’s been a long time.” She glanced at him. “You’re not drinking.”
    “I’m not into drinking that much,” he said. “Wine and beer, a light Scotch and water before dinner are about my speed. Alcohol is a downer for me. I’m not into downers.”
    “Dope?” she asked.
    “Some.”
    “Marijuana, cocaine, speed, mind-blowers?” She looked at him.
    He smiled. “At times.”
    “That’s very American,” she said. “I remember when I was there at school.” She picked up his vodka glass and emptied it and her breath seemed to come out as a soft sigh. “This is very European.”
    “Dif’rent strokes for dif’rent folks,” he smiled.
    She leaned against the back of her chair. “I feel warm,” she said. “I think I’m getting a little drunk.”
    “If you feel tired, you can go to sleep.”
    “Oh, no, I’m enjoying it,” she smiled. “This is as much fun as I’ve had in a long time. Down there everyone is very serious.” She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at him. “Do you have any cocaine?”
    He nodded.
    “May I have a little?” She saw his hesitation. “It’s okay. It will pick me up a bit. I don’t want to fall asleep just yet.”
    He went into his bedroom and came back with the gold vial. He turned it over in his fingers and tapped its side; the white powder filled the plastic top. “This is an injector,” he said. “Place it in one nostril, press the bottom and snort.”
    “It seems complicated,” she said. “Could you do it for me?”
    He held it to her nostril. “Snort,” he said, pressing the plunger. She caught her breath. Quickly he placed it into her other nostril. “Again!”
    She held still for a moment, then turned to him, her eyes wide and shining. “I felt it go right up to my brain.”
    He laughed. “It does that sometimes.”
    “Now I feel really warm,” she said. “Even my nipples feel hot and hard.”
    He watched her silently.
    “You don’t believe me,” she said.
    “I believe you,” he said, smiling.
    “You’re laughing at me,” she said. She pulled