Runway Zero-Eight Read Free Page B

Out.”
    Dun reached for his log sheet, made an entry, then slid his seat back so that he was well clear of the controls but still within easy reach of them if it were necessary for him to take them over again quickly. Pete was starting to eat, a tray resting on a pillow laid across his knees.
    “Shan’t be long, skip,” he said.
    “There’s no hurry,” replied Dun, stretching his arms above his head as far as they could go in the confined cockpit. “I can wait. Enjoy it. How is the fish, anyway?”
    “Not bad,” mumbled the first officer, his mouth full. “If there were about three or four times as much it might be a square meal.”
    The captain chuckled. “You’d better watch that waistline, Pete.” He turned to the stewardess, who was waiting in the shadow behind the seat. “Everything okay at the back, Janet? How are the football fans?”
    Janet shrugged. “Very quiet now. That long wait at Toronto must have tired them out. Four of them have been knocking back rye pretty steadily, but there’s been no need to speak to them about it. It’ll help to keep them quiet. It looks like being a peaceful, easy night — fingers crossed.”
    Pete raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Uh-huh, young woman. That’s the kind of night to watch, when trouble starts to brew. I’ll bet someone’s getting ready to be sick right now.”
    “Not yet,” said Janet lightly. “But you warn me when
you’re
going to fly the ship and I’ll get the bags ready.”
    “Good for you,” said the captain. “I’m glad you found out about him.”
    “How’s the weather?” asked Janet.
    “Oh — now let’s see. General fog east of the mountains, extending nearly as far as Manitoba. There’s nothing to bother us up there, though. It should be a smooth ride all the way to the coast.”
    “Good. Well, keep Junior here off the controls while I serve coffee, won’t you?”
    She slipped away before Pete could retort, made her way through the passenger deck taking orders for coffee, and within a short while brought a tray up forward to the pilots. Dun had by that time eaten his dinner, and he now drained his coffee with satisfaction. Pete had taken the controls and was intent on the instrument dials as the captain got to his feet.
    “Keep her steaming, Pete. I’ll just tuck the customers up for the night.”
    Pete nodded without turning round. “Right, skipper.”
    The captain followed Janet out into the brightly lit passenger section, blinking, and stopped first at the seats occupied by Spencer and Baird, who handed their trays to the stewardess.
    “Good evening,” said Dun. “Everything all right?”
    Baird looked up. “Why sure, thanks. Very nice meal. We were ready for it, too.”
    “Yes, I’m sorry it was so late.”
    The doctor waved aside his apology. “Nonsense. You can hardly be blamed if Toronto decides to have a bit of fog. Well,” he added, settling himself back in his seat, “I’m going to get my head down for a doze.”
    “That goes for me as well,” said Spencer with a yawn.
    “I hope you have a comfortable night,” said Dun, switching off their reading lights. “The stewardess will bring you some rugs.” He passed on down the aisle, having a few words with each of the passengers in a subdued tone, explaining to gome how the seats could be reclined, and describing to others the flight’s progress and expected weather conditions.
    “Well, it’s me for dreamland,” said Spencer. “One thing, Doctor — at least you won’t be getting any calls tonight.”
    “How long is it?” murmured Baird drowsily, bis eyes closed. “A good seven hours anyway. Better make the most of it. ’Night.”
    “Goodnight, Doc,” grunted Spencer, wriggling the padded headrest into the small of his neck. “Boy, I can sure use some shut-eye.”
    Blanketed off by thick cloud into a cold, remote world of her own, the aircraft droned steadily on her course. Sixteen thousand feet beneath her lay the prairies of