The Unwilling Aviator (Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

pointed out.
    Ned turned to her and looked the young woman over. "You're quite right, but one of us does know how to fly."
    Ruth blinked for a moment, and her eyes widened when his plan dawned on her. "You wish for me to enter the tournament?" she gasped.
    "And win," he added.
    Ruth shook her head. "But I know nothing of these machines. I would surely lose," she protested.
    "And she must remain in her human form during the day," Percy reminded them.
    "A gargoyle never forgets how to fly, even when they're human," Ned argued. He chuckled. "Besides, what do we have to lose from trying?"
    "Ruth, for one," Canto mumbled.
    "Have more faith in our resident gargoyle," Ned scolded his companions. "I am sure she will out-fly even the best of their aviators."
    "You're forgetting one thing," Pat spoke up. "The man told us no one else may enter the tournament. How will Ruth join it?"
    Ned stroked his beard and shrugged. "I'm sure we will find an answer to that problem."
    "Are we going to talk here all day or find a place to stay?" Canto asked the group.
    Ned turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "You're very eager to stay here. Did you hear of a place where we might find a room?"
    Canto grinned and stroked his beard. "Ah did. It's a nice little inn out of the way of these mess of crowds. They've filthy rooms hardly fit to sleep in, but it's cheap and the help is good."
    Percy chuckled. "Would the help be in the form of some very well-endowed ladies?" he guessed.
    Canto scowled at him. "No, it wouldn't be. There's only one lady."
    Pat rolled her eyes. "What's the name of this place?" she asked him.
    "Hugh's Tracts of Land," Canto told them. Sins stiffened, but the action was noticed only by Ned and Percy.
    Pat raised an eyebrow. "Tracts of Land?" she repeated. "What sort of a name is that?"
    "A terrible one," Sins spoke up. Everyone turned to him with their jaws dragging across their saddle horns. Sins had never spoken unless spoken to.
    Ned smiled. "Do you happen to be familiar with this place, Sins?"
    Sins readjusted himself in his saddle. "Vaguely," was his vague reply.
    "Any objections to our staying there?" Ned persisted. Sins turned his head away and didn't reply.
    "Then if nobody else wants to be ruining my fun, let's get going," Canto insisted.
    "Do you happen to know where this place is in this large city?" Percy asked him.
    "Aye. In the eastern part of the city against the cliffs. It's a bit rough in there, but that'll mean we'll get rooms," Canto replied.
    " If we want rooms there," Pat rephrased.

CHAPTER 6
     
    The party dismounted and squirmed their way through the thick crowds. Wheeled food carts lined many walls, and Fred kept a firm grip on Fluffy's reins to keep the cantankus from repeating the chicken adventure in Galaron. People were packed against each other and more than one fight broke out over who shoved who. The people of String had a curious way of resolving disputes, and Fred stopped to watch one of the strange resolutions. A fight broke out between two men over prime real estate atop a large crate.
    "Get off! You've had enough time on it!" one of the men protested.
    "I found it, it's mine!" the one atop the crate protested. The first man dragged the second from his fine perch and fists flew between them. A large crowd gathered around them and cheered on the brawl.
    A third, and larger, man stepped between them and pushed the pair apart. "You settle your differences with the twinners!" the large man shouted at them. He took hold of the collars of both men and glanced over the crowd. "Is there a twinner around?" he yelled over the shouting and jostling.
    "Here comes one!" someone shouted.
    All heads turned to a side street where emerged a robed figure. The person was short, about a head taller than Canto, but walked straight and stiff. He wore multicolored robes that dragged the ground several feet behind him. His face was covered by a long, thick hood so that no one could tell which way his head was turned. The