Winged: A Novella (Of Two Girls) Read Online Free PDF Page A

up
and snapped to attention. His eyes though gleamed with mischief. “I
was once a student!”
     
    “Not anymore, young scoundrel,” Sagan’s tone
remained stern, even though her lips curled up slightly. “You are a
proper pilot now. Should you be on a flight run by now?”
     
    “Aw,” he rubbed his jaw. “A tired pilot
makes a careless pilot.”
     
    “Do not be glib,” Sagan shook her head.
“Just for a hour and no more.” She saluted and walked away
slowly.
     
    Katherine stared at him. “You are
impossible.” She stood up, preparing for the afternoon lectures.
She was about to leave with her dignity still intact when he
spoke.
     
    “So, we will meet again?”
     
    ~*~
     
     
     
     
     
     
    The activities before Last Light buzzed
mainly about the London factory fire, everyone with their own
theories of the origins of the fire. Some said that the factory was
an ammunitions factory and something caught fire in that, causing
the inevitable explosion. Some said that the fire was just a
careless mistake, caused by negligence. Everyone became quiet and
wondered to their selves if the company who owned the factory was
to be shut down. The broadsheet writers and the union movements
would have aired their irate complaints by now.
     
    Alethia retired early, drained by the
aftereffects of the fire. Katherine made her way out of the Manor,
to catch some fresh air, suddenly finding the dormitory hall too
warm and stifling to her liking.
     
    Richard Eddington left in an hour, exactly
as he had promised Captain Sagan. Katherine saw his leo-fin lift
off and disappear into the distance. She was surprised to feel a
sense of bittersweet melancholia and suppressed the feeling
quickly.
     
    It amazed her that she could still see
snatches of stars in the night sky. London was normally cloudier
than Dorset, because of the greater numbers of factories and
refineries. Dorset had one factory and even then, the smoke
obscured the sky occasionally. She looked up. It was a clear night,
exceedingly rare. It seemed as if the heavens pitied London and
gave her a starry night to cheer her waning spirits.
     
    She stood, inhaling deeply. The London fire
was shocking. However, by the end of the year, people would have
moved on and the fire would have become just a memory, something to
talk about during salon gatherings. “People are more concerned when
their bellies are concerned,” her mother once told her in one of
her rare conversational moments.
     
    Katherine gazed at the stars while the
constellations spun their slow orbits around her.
     
     
Chapter Six
A Moment of Gravity
     
     
    The next few weeks were frenetic and filled
with activities, as if the academy plunged back into routine to rid
itself of the overhanging anxiety brought on by the fire. Over in
London, there was uproar and argument over the damages from the
fire. The broadsheets and papers breathed indignation and
threatened to expose the culprit who caused the fire. It was also
edging towards Winter with the weather becoming considerably
colder. The first snowfall came, a day after All Hallows’ Eve. All
outdoor training stopped with most Athletics activities being
confined to the Exercise Hall.
     
    With Winter came a sense of gravity. The
Great Manor was solemn and quiet. Everyone walked in thick coats
and scarves, shuffling about in their boots. Winter also ushered in
a period of Examinations. The games had stopped during Last Light
with students going back to their books.
     
    Katherine found that she loved the solitude
provided by this wintry time. Wrapped in a warm scarf and a
comfortable woollen jumper, she studied by gaslight. She loved
Mathematics, barely tolerated Biology and was intrigued by Physics.
Engineer Morley thought well of her and said that she would make a
fine engineer.
     
    She studied with Alethia during the
designated study times. The blind girl read by running her
fingertips over raised notches in special books. It is
Braille , she