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So, new DLC down the pike for Fortune Lover. As usual it’s another ruthless scoundrel for sweet Maria to tame. Frederick Garish is a commoner and an inventor and he’s come to the magical school to attract a patron for his latest development, a flying machine. In reality, Frederick’s a scheming con man here to fleece the nobles for all their worth. Even Maria is just another mark for him, despite being a childhood friend. Maria’s role is to get him to remember their earlier times when they were a pair against the world. It ends with them riding off in Frederick’s wagon, him a man who can trust people again, ready to take on the world and all the nobles in it.
This is really for everyone who likes seeing nobility take a punch to the face. Frederick’s arc has him making nearly everyone looking like fools. Other than that it’s standard ‘Childhood Friend’ path. Sweet and predictable, but the con artist stuff gives it flair.
Interestingly we finally get a bit of a reversal scene. The always horrid Katarina Claes, and her posse, corners Frederick and insults him for being a commoner, and it’s Maria who storms in and tells her off.
Oh and of course, it wouldn’t be a full route without Katarina getting hers. Frederick bankrupts her family (Poor Keith!). (In the bad end he skips town after doing it, in the good end he takes Maria with him.)
One day it’ll get boring to see Katarina Claes suffer, and that’ll be a sad day.
- -
“So,” Sirius put out a small pile of paper on the council desk. “These are the applicants for sponsorship from the school. We’re supposed to look through them and pick who we should allow to make a presentation to the faculty.”
“Let’s see…” Alan said as he picked up a few sheets. “New mining expedition, new ship expedition, another new type of ship.” He groaned. “This is no different than all of the noble ones, begging for royal patronage.”
“Oh!” Maria exclaimed, looking at a paper.
“Hmm?” Mary asked. “What’s wrong, Maria?”
“Oh, nothing.” Maria said. “Just that I know this person. Frederick Garish.”
“Really?” Keith asked.
“Yes. His father was a traveling tinker and he’d come by our town regularly. We would play together.” The blonde girl smiled. “He would make little birds out of grass and we’d throw them up in the air.”
“How sweet!” Sophia said. “What’s his proposal?”
“It’s…” Maria blinked and looked at the paper. “It’s for a flying machine.”
“Mmmph!” Katarina made a noise and hurriedly took a drink of tea to wash down the mouthful of cookie she had crammed into her mouth. “Let me see, let me see!”
“A flying machine?” Gerard said, as Maria handed over the proposal to Katarina.
Katarina looked at it. It was the usual proposal language, but Frederick Garish had included a picture of what his machine looked like. Katarina didn’t know much about planes, but she knew what a working glider should at least resemble. This looked to be fairly accurate. “This could work!” She said.
“Really?” Gerard asked, he took the paper and looked at his. “How do you know Katarina?”
“Well, I…uhhh…made a study of birds!” Katarina said. “See how he doesn’t have flapping wings, but smooth wings like a hawk? This will work. We should have this guy over, it’d be really fun to go flying!”
Gerard shrugged. Once again Katarina had made something that was unbearably boring into something interesting. “Why not? At worst it’d be amusing to see this thing crash.”
“Oh my.” Maria blushed.
“Something wrong, Maria?” Katrina asked.
“Well, please don’t be jealous, Lady Katarina, but Frederick and I…” Maria sighed. “Well, we were young, and he was…he was my first kiss. I doubt he remembers. It might be awkward seeing him again.”
Katarina froze in horror. The Childhood Friend Flag?! AUGH!
The rest of the student council eyed each other. They shared the same thought. Someone who might sway Maria’s feelings and take her out of the running? Get him here, NOW!
“All for giving Frederick Garish an audience?” Gerard asked.
“Agreed!” The rest of the council said.
- -
The Council of Katarinas -
“This Frederick guy wasn’t in the game!”
“Was he a hidden bonus route? Something you unlocked after the others?”
“What are his doom flags?”
“He’s Maria’s childhood friend, so maybe they fly off together in the end.”
“Yes, and Katarina ends up dead in a horrible crash!”
“Oh no!”
“Wait! We won’t die if the aircraft works!”
“Oh good idea! We learn how to fly, and we keep from dying in a terrible, fiery crash!”
“Do we know anything about flying, other than the paper airplanes we made with Acchan?”
“We’ll start there and learn everything we can!”
“Proposal: We do everything in our power to make the airplane work?”
“Agreed!”
- -
There’s no real experience like getting to experience Katarina Claes. There’s your world that exists without her, and then there’s your world with her. Describing them is like describing the difference between a world that doesn’t have oxygen and one that does. You are given something that, upon reflection, you didn’t realize was necessary for life. Frederick Garish’s first encounter was when she showed up to his first meeting with the student council with an armful of folded papers and mind full of fruit and shellfish.
He had it all planned out. There really were two versions of Frederick Garish, one was the slick and suave con artist. The one that lived each day for the chance to sucker the noble class, that could read a person’s inner emotion with one look at their face, and only really had a love for money, and that memory of being a young man and promising the first girl he ever kissed that he’d buy her anything and everything she’d ever want one day. He was hard, sharp, and had broken more than a few nobles in his life. Then there was the other Frederick Garish, the bird boy. He wanted to fly. The con artist kept the bird boy around because he was necessary to the con. The bird boy was kept in a little cage most of the time. The con artist was in control, he had to be. Nobles were sharks, and not one of them could be trusted. This was going to be his riskiest con yet, he was using his actual name. Not to mention he was going to be appealing to scions of the Stuart family, and they hadn’t held the throne all these years by being dense. Still, this could be his biggest payday ever, and if that payday included Maria…then maybe it’d be his last payday too. He hoped that she wouldn’t think his collection of sketches he made of her to be too creepy. He also hoped that being around nobles like this hadn’t ruined her.
He was dressed in his best, waistcoat, bow tie, and his best pair of goggles on the top of his head of black hair. Everything the best a commoner could get, when he introduced himself to the student council. They had asked to see him first before he presented himself to the school faculty.
Maria was there, sitting behind the table. She was perfect. She looked exactly like the drawings he had made of her. She must be suffocating here, surrounded by noble pricks and brats. Soon he’d have her out of here with every coin he could score off of them.
“So,” Gerard said. “Frederick Garish. You come to us with a very…unusual proposal.”
“Yes, sir.” He nodded as he gave the prince a little bow. He could read him pretty easily, this prince was bored easily, and didn’t spend time on things that bored him. Skip pleasantries, get to the pitch. “But I believe my work will speak for me.” He patted the wooden case he had at his feet. “May I?”
The prince gestured to go ahead. Frederick picked up the case and slid a panel on it open. He gingerly took out what was inside. It was as big as two handspans, made out of sheets of paper and the lightest wood he could. The bird boy beamed with pride from his cage, it was one of his best works. “I call it, the Paper Bird.” He gently handed the model glider over to the student council.
Nobody scoffed. Nobody laughed. That was a first. The model was passed around from person to person, and everyone looked rather interested.
Prince Alan held it up and looked at it. “So, where does the person go?” He asked.
“Right at the center, at front, near the tip of the bird’s ‘nose.’ Right now the model is for just one person at a time, but I have designs for other more complicated aircraft.” Frederick said.
“Can it fly?” Keith Claes asked.
“Well, hopefully, once I build it.” Frederick said.
“No, I mean this one.” He said, pointing at the model in Mary Hunt’s hands. “Can it fly?”
Frederick put on his honest smile and nodded. That was it, the con artist thought, ask the right questions, fall right into the grift. “Of course, I think…I think I can fly it from one side of this room to another, if we move some tables around.”
Everyone jumped up, and started to move things around. Frederick got a few more items out from the box, and pointed that one of the tables should be moved to a specific spot. They did so, and Frederick used his recently acquired pieces of wood and twine to make a small ramp. He retrieved the Paper Bird from Maria, giving her a quick wink, which got a smile in return. Then he set the bird at the top of the ramp.
“Can there be someone on the other side to catch it?” Frederick asked.
Prince Gerard took position. Frederick was gleeful internally, the Prince didn’t look bored at all. This was working better than he had planned.
The model Paper Bird tipped off the top of the ramp and zoomed down it. Everyone stared, instead of crashing in a mess of paper and wood on the floor, it lifted off and started to soar across the room. It made it about halfway across before a giant blue blur charged into the room carrying an armful of paper airplanes and stepped right into the fight path.
“Hi everyone, I came as quickly as I could, I need to GAAAAAAH!” Katarina Claes said as the Paper Bird collided with her head.
“Oh!”
“Katarina!”
“Look out!”
“No!”
Katarina was knocked to the floor, throwing her hands up, causing paper airplanes to dance all around the room in crazy whirls and spirals. Frederick saw months of work crash as hard as those folded bits of paper.
The student council all rushed over to check on their friend. “Lady Katarina, are you okay?” Maria asked.
Frederick didn’t move from his position. Right now, everything was in flux. All he knew was that his future was now dependent on the temperament of a noble. That didn’t look very promising. Also, the people reading skills he had honed for years were trying to tell him something about Maria and her reaction to all of this. However, he was too busy mourning his grand moment to notice.
“I’m fine. I’m fine.” Katarina Claes said. “It only hit my head. Oh! Was that the…where is it?” The noble looked around and picked up the model glider. “Oh no! It isn’t broken, is it?”
Frederick sighed, and stepped forward. He held out his hands for the Paper Bird. He was a little surprised at the look on Lady Claes’ face. She was actually remorseful. He looked over the model. “It doesn’t seem to be too bad, just a rip in the wing. The frame seems to be intact.”
“Can you fix it?” Prince Alan asked.
Frederick sighed. “I need a fresh sheet of special paper.”
“Oh no!” Katarina said. She looked on the edge of tears. “Is there anything I can do? Can you stall your presentation to the school administration? I want to see it fly!”
It was quick, but Frederick had enough skill in reading people to catch it. Katarina Claes had the overriding vote in the room. It was obvious that the Prince would do anything for her. Frederick remembered his mental map of the noble landscape and recalled that he and Claes were engaged. Huh, well…maybe he wasn’t as doomed as he thought. Though the next moment really was up to the Prince.
“It was flying quite nicely before the crash.” Gerard said, and Frederick celebrated internally. “Do you really think you can make one of those big enough to carry a person?”
“Well, that’s just the Paper Bird. I can make you one of those easy. What I’m really trying to build is an aircraft that can take off without a ramp. Something that could carry more than just a person.” Frederick said.
“Interesting.” Nicol said. “The purpose?”
“Well…” Frederick took a deep breath and started into his usual pitch, but someone else got there first.
“It’d change everything!” Katarina started. “We could have crabs and bananas!”
“Excuse me?” Gerard said.
“I’m sorry?” Frederick said. What the hell was going on? What was this girl talking about? What on Earth was a banana?
“Think about it, everyone knows you can only get crabs from the villages near the oceans, and fish has to be packed in salt and you can’t have anything fresh! Not to mention that only nobles can export bananas from the island colonies, and even then they’re so gross the only thing they’d be good in is banana bread!” Katarina started. “But if you could fly? Zoom! Fish delivered from the coast to the capitol in less than a day! Bananas to everywhere in Sorcier! If we can make aircraft that can carry goods, we could have any kind of food available to anyone!” Katarina left out the part where she would kill for fresh sushi, but she certainly was thinking about it.
Frederick just stared. Was…was this girl making his pitch for him? He looked at the Prince, and his people reading skills told him everything, the man was completely in love with this woman. Anything she wanted, he got for her, and she wanted flying machines. He looked at the mark, and she was the easiest mark that he’d seen in his life, and saw a kind of excitement that…well…she belonged with the bird boy in his cage, staring at clouds.
“I never thought of things like that.” Frederick said. He couldn’t help it, he let the bird boy a little out of his cage. He had to sell it. “I was thinking about things like message delivery that didn’t rely on magic. Writing letters that could be delivered in a day instead of a week. Not to mention how it could make travel over mountain ranges much easier. Sorcier has such little contact with its neighbors to the east.”
“Oh! That’s right!” Katarina nodded. “People wouldn’t have to rely on those crystal ball things. They barely work at all. You could start a whole network of flyers, sending packages and messages! Even people! Oh, but when you make an aircraft that has people on it, make sure they have room to stretch their legs.”
Gerard nodded. It was obvious to him that this Frederick was selling a little bit of a fantasy, but it at least was interesting. Oh, everyone knew of Wind Mages able to lift themselves off the ground, and there was always the story about a witch with a broomstick, or the fairy tale flying mortar and pestle…but to actually fly? That might be fun.
“So,” Gerard said. “How much do you need?”
The con artist stepped out. Time to lay the bait. He was hoping to land some noble household like the Claes, but now it looked like he’d actually be able to get a Stuart. Royal money. That’d set him up for life! Yeah, he’s have to change his name and maybe his face a bit afterwards, but by the time they realized they had given him all that money for nothing, he’d be long gone from Sorcier. He had to play it carefully though, Prince Gerard wasn’t stupid. Thankfully, the bird boy still had his uses.
“I can make a proof of model first. Something that actually flies, not say over the mountains, but certainly around a few acres of farmland, to show it can be done. Once we have the prototype, we can make a unit that can do the serious long distance flights.” Frederick said. “All I need is a workshop, and a small stipend. For materials.”
- -
Frederick got them. He didn’t even need to fix the Paper Bird model when he made his presentation to the school faculty. The staff had learned that the princes were both interested in the project. Also, these people were more like the nobles that Frederick were used to dealing with. He had the right words to coax money out of them. The student council had thrown him off his game a little. He wasn’t used to people so elite acting so…human. Obviously that was Maria’s influence, only someone that good could turn the hearts of spoiled brats like that.
He let the bird boy out of the cage, and let him build. He had built gliders before and they worked well enough, you couldn’t sell them on flying machines if you didn’t give them something that could fly. The big money came later, with the actual sting, but now he used up all that he had been given on the convincer.
It was a few days after the presentation. The build was going well. He was just finishing up the first big wing when there was a knock at the door to the workshop. Who could that be? Probably some bored nobles here to gawk and throw shade. He had that before, people wanted to see if he was gluing feathers onto chicken bones. Then make some thinly veiled comment about a commoner wanting to fly, laugh, and leave feeling smug. He had done this dance before, he’d do it again. Just look like you don’t understand insults and use big words so they don’t understand the Paper Bird. Oooh, maybe he was lucky and it was Maria come to visit!
He opened the door to see the blue and orange dresses of two familiar looking ladies. Yep, just like always. Time for revenge for the aircraft to the head moment. Also, now that Maria wasn’t there to make them behave, their true ‘nobility’ could come out. Still, he was actually expecting the Prince with some toadies.
“Lady Claes, Lady Hunt.” He said.
“Mr. Garish!” Katarina Claes said. “We came to see how the work on the glider was going! I can’t wait to see what you’ve finished so far!”
“You two want to see what I’ve done?” Frederick asked.
Katarina nodded eagerly. “I want to make sure that your glider’s going to fly! That way we can make sure that your aircraft will as well.”
“It was all she talked about at dinner.” Mary said. “I just had to accompany her.”
“Just the two of you? I was expecting the Prince.” Frederick said, as he stepped aside and let the ladies into his workshop. This kind of eagerness was…not typical.
“Gerard and Alan were called away by their father for the day,” Mary said. “The Ascarts were requested by their parents as well. Poor Maria was asked by one of the professors to do some after class studying in order to measure her light magic, again. So, it’s just me and Katarina! I wanted to spend the whole time in our room…” She looked at Frederick and cleared her throat. “Studying, but Katarina was insistent that we visit.”
“Well, please give Maria my best when you see her.” Frederick said. “Oh and my best to the Princes and Ascarts as well.”
“Of course.” Mary looked at Frederick, checked that Katarina was busy looking at the model Paper Birds, and gave him a solid look. “Maria told us about how you two were close as children. You should make some time to spend with her. As much time as you can. We all would like it a lot if you and Maria reconnected. Swiftly.”
“Uhh sure.” Frederick said. He wondered what on earth THAT was about.
“So this is the big wing!” Katarina said, as she carefully walked around the large piece of specially treated paper. “Neat. When are you going to add the little flappy bits?”
“I’m sorry?” Frederick asked.
“The little flappy bits that go there.” Katarina pointed at the edge of the wing. “They go up and down a little to better scoop the air. Right?”
The con artist was totally lost. The bird boy was having ideas. Frederick grabbed a piece of paper and started to sketch out a wing. “Tell me more, so…these flappy bits, they go here?”
Mary watched as Katarina tilted her head back and forth as she tried to explain to Mr. Garish what she was talking about. She had been in this position once before, Katarina was complaining about her new boots being too stiff and went into a long rant to Mary about how she missed something called ‘Trainers.’ Describing utterly odd sounding footwear that apparently was made from the sap of a tree from the southern colonies. Mary had just nodded and put it down as a ‘Katarina Thing’ and moved on. The inventor, on the other hand, was going into it.
Frederick was flying. The concepts just blew his mind. Whole new ways of thinking were unfolding before him. The Paper Bird could be advanced to a level he hadn’t so much as dreamed, let alone conceived. Also, it was all so simple! Lady Claes didn’t have the details, but the bird boy was leaps and bounds ahead of her.
“This is fantastic.” Frederick said, pausing to finish her advice about how the tail should ‘wiggle.’ “I’m amazed at how much you’ve thought about this.”
“Oh! That brings me to my other idea.” Katarina said. “You wanted to make a big air craft right?”
“Once the Paper Bird is finished, yes.” Frederick said.
“Well, I figured it out. Or at least a little piece.” Katarina said. “You know those runes they put on the windmills to keep them turning when there’s no wind?”
“Grain Engines? Yes, they’re horribly expensive.” Frederick said.
“Well, how about you make a little one, and stick it onto a propeller! That way it spins on its own. I’m sure Nicol or Sophia can help you make one, and that way your aircraft won’t crash! Maybe we’ll call it a wind engine!” Katarina said.
The bird boy was in love. Totally, madly, deeply. Here was a goddess that had come to Frederick with the mysteries of the sky, giving these sacred gifts to him. ‘Go on’ she spoke to the bird boy. ‘Reach the sky and go further.’ He’d do anything for her at that point, open up the heavens for her and sit her upon a throne of clouds. Maria was a forgotten footnote to the bird boy.
The con artist dragged the bird boy back down to earth. If the Paper Bird worked better than usual that was fine. There was still money to be made, and Maria to be won. Katarina Claes was just another noble like all the rest, a little stranger than most, but still someone who thought she was better than commoners like him. Also, she was a staggeringly dense mark. You didn’t fall in love with someone like that, you used them as much as you could. Right now, the con artist finished getting the bird boy under control, and told him what words to say.
“That’s incredible.” Frederick said. “I think I’m going to really improve the Paper Bird with this advice. And as for the wind engine…you’re an aeronautical genius, Lady Claes.”
Mary suddenly started to cough as a poleaxed look crossed her face. “Katarina? A genius?”
Katarina laughed. “Well, don’t ask me to help with the angles or the math. I’m not so great with that stuff.”
“But, these innovations, it took me years to come up with the basics of the Paper Bird.” Frederick said. “One look, and you’ve already outdone me!” He stared at Katarina with a look of excitement and eagerness that he hadn’t felt in years. “How long have you wanted to fly, Lady Katarina Claes?”
Katarina smiled and put on a sheepish grin. It was hard to explain that she was a person, well the reborn version of a person, who had the experience of shoving themselves into a cramped airplane seat so they could go to Hawaii to visit relatives. That the innovations she knew were just common plane knowledge she had picked up from educational tv shows for children. “Oh, well…who hasn’t had that dream of flying away from everything?”
“I’d fly anywhere with you, Katarina.” Mary said. “We could use this to escape to our island together!”
Frederick raised an eyebrow as Katarina laughed. Oh ho, what’s this? He smiled as he read Lady Hunt’s face and body language. She was tied around Lady Claes finger as much as the Prince, maybe even more, now that was interesting. The con artist reevaluated his opinion of the mark. Anyone who could get multiple people under their thrall was obviously much more shrewd than they looked. Katarina Claes could be working on a score so impressive that it made Frederick’s sting look like your basic ‘find the lady’ con. That or she was a massive rube, and utterly oblivious to the most obvious things.
The ladies, having filled their curiosity of the workshop, gave polite goodbyes and left. Katarina keeping one of the Paper Bird models with her. Frederick was left alone with the now incomplete upper wing of the Paper Bird. The con artist made a few statements on how the Paper Bird was just a convincer and that the usual accomplishment of getting ten feet off the ground was impressive enough. The bird boy snapped at the con artist to be quiet, that was the first time that had happened ever. Frederick rolled up his sleeves, and got out a ruler. This was going to be a long busy night.
- -
It took nearly a month of work. All the money was gone. That wasn’t the surprising part to the con artist. That was the usual time table, and the start-up money was meant to be spent. This was the convincer. The bit that got the marks to go into the actual sting. Although, this had to be the easiest con Frederick had pulled. Every time there was a little bit of doubt, every time they came to his workshop and saw the Paper Bird, the easy mark was there. Katarina Claes sold the idea of flying machines better than Frederick ever had in his life. He took notes! No one doubted her, and thus no one doubted him. Also, every chance they got, someone was pushing Maria on him. She had been to his workshop several times. She hadn’t been able to do much but stand there and be supportive. However, it was exciting to get to spend so much time with her again. They talked about their childhoods, and really not much else. Maria didn’t seem…eager, and Frederick couldn’t reveal too much about his life. Not this early in the con.
The surprising thing was the Paper Bird. It looked nothing like the glider Frederick had built his career upon. This thing had flaps, slats, winglets, the tail had an adjustable rudder, and all of it was controlled by a series of levers in the cockpit of this thing. It looked ridiculous, but it was the greatest thing he had ever built. He had even designed a new ramp for take off. They had gathered to an open field behind the school, that had a small bluff along one edge. The con artist made some noise that the ramp was at the top of a forty feet high drop and that the Paper Bird had never gotten higher than ten feet, or dealt with winds harsher than a gentle breeze. The bird boy told the con artist that he could stay on the ground if he wanted.
“Thank you for helping me get it up there.” Frederick said.
“Not a problem.” Kieth Claes said. “I’m eager to see this thing fly, my sister hasn’t spoken of anything but it for the past few days.”
Frederick smiled and nodded. He looked at the Paper Bird, perched up at the top of the ramp. He was feeling a little nervous.
“You’ve got this, Frederick!” Katarina cheered as the Student Council, plus one, all stood at the top of the bluff.
“It probably won’t be that impressive.” Frederick said. “Maybe just a circle around the field.”
“It’ll still be marvelous.” Maria said.
“Alright, well…” Frederick took a deep breath. “If I crash and die, I’m sorry for wasting the Academy’s money!”
There was a polite laugh, and then Frederick climbed the ladder of the tall ramp. He got into the Paper Bird and checked all his control rods. Everything still seemed to be working. Well, there wasn’t any sense putting off the inevitable. He reached over and pulled the lever holding the Paper Bird in place. There was a moment of stillness, and then the Paper Bird shifted, and Frederick’s breath left him as the aircraft sped down the ramp at a quick speed, hit the edge and dipped straight down.
He honestly thought he was going to die for a moment, but then the bird boy was there, pulling the levers and shifting his weight. The Paper Bird pulled up…and up…and then Frederick was flying. He just stared out at the world, the sky open above him, the ground below him. Him in the middle, soaring in silence except for the rushing wind.
Something wet hit Frederick’s cheek in that moment of silence. Was it starting to rain? He’d check later. He turned the plane, and saw the bluff with all the people on it. Katarina was jumping up and down, and Maria was waving with both of her hands. This wasn’t the glider trick he had pulled all those times before…he was flying. By God, he was flying! He suddenly snapped to attention to what he was doing. Adjusting his weight, gripping the controls. The bird boy was in control, he had to be, he was fifty feet up in the air! Frederick just took a moment, the wind on his face. Something was different now. The bird boy wasn’t just being propped up. Now he was the one out front, and the con artist was still on the ground. He completed his loop around the field, and started pulling throttles and adjusting the wing flaps. The bird boy grinned. He had to try. He always wanted to do this, but he never had the height, or control, before. This new Paper Bird though, with all the advice from Lady Claes, might be able to do it. The Paper Bird dove for an instant, and then hit a sharp climb. Everyone on the ground stared as the bird went up…up…and over! Diving back down at an amazing speed only to smooth out again. Frederick let out a wild whoop of victory. He had done it! The Paper Bird shifted, and Frederick knew that his time in the sky was over. For now. The Paper Bird slowly descended from its heights and came to a little bumpy, but smooth landing in the field. He pulled himself up and out of the craft and was instantly tackled. The others had come down to greet him. Maria was hugging his shoulder and Katarina was shaking his hand. Both of them gushing congratulations.
Frederick took off his goggles and wiped his eyes. That wetness…he had been crying. The con artist didn’t understand. The bird boy knew exactly why.
- -
“You think you can make it better?” Gerard asked.
“Yes.” Frederick said. The bird boy was talking and the con man couldn’t get him to shut up. “Stronger materials, work in the ‘wind engine’ idea. I think I could make another air craft that could fly around Sorcier. To the coast and back at least, easily.”
“Good. While you do that, you can train me on the Paper Bird.” Gerard said.
“Excuse me, your majesty?” Frederick said.
“I’m going to fly.” The prince’s eyes were shining and he had an honest grin on his face. “I’m going to fly around my kingdom. Then, you are going to build a fleet of these things, so we can fly to the sea and back in a day, with cargo.”
The con man was sitting on the floor, trying to control his breathing. The bird boy was standing with shaking legs. “The costs…I can only…it would take some time.”
“You’ll have royal patronage.” Gerard said.
This was it. The holy grail. The sweet plum he’d been reaching for all his life. Easy street. And it was all the bird boy’s.The con artist was still trying to get his footing after the flight. The little boy with the grass birds was getting everything the other one wanted. The boy looked at the prince and said the only thing he ever wanted to say.
“And I will make you fly.” Frederick said.
“Good.” Gerard said. “Oh, one more thing. It’s just a minor matter.”
“Yes, your majesty?” Frederick asked.
“Well, since you’ll be working on campus, I hope you’ll continue to extend your hospitality to my fiancee Katarina. She’s very interested in your project.” Gerard said.
The rest of Frederick snapped into attention. They picked up the important part of what the prince was saying. The con artist screamed that he wasn’t supposed to take any shit from any noble, but the bird boy shouted him down. He was in control now, and he’d be damned if the bitterness of the con artist would kill the Dream now.
“Of course. I’d be happy to have any help from your fiancee.” Frederick said. He didn’t put emphasis on the last part, but he said it clearly looking Prince Gerard straight in the eye.
“Excellent.” Gerard said.
“Actually,” The bird boy wasn’t done yet. Things had…things had changed a little, but memories of birds and heather weren’t dying without a fight. “I had an alternative motive for visiting the school actually. More than just getting a sponsor. I wanted to see Maria Campbell.”
“Really?” Gerard’s eyebrows went up.
“Yes, we’re actually childhood friends. She and I would make birds out of grass together.” Frederick said. “I thought we could catch up, but she’s always so busy.”
“That is a wonderful idea.” Gerard said. “True friendship should be cherished. I’ll see what I can do to make sure that you and Maria have lots of time together.”
‘Maria again, is there something that I’m missing?’ Frederick thought to himself.
- -
Prince Gerard’s flight in the Paper Bird was not only attended by his close friends. This time a good chunk of the faculty, and random students, were in attendance as well. Frederick gave everyone a good look at the Paper Bird this time. The bird boy explained things to people, showing off the wing flaps and the tail movement. He’d been behind the wheel for an awfully long time lately. Mostly teaching the Prince how to work the controls, adjust his weight, and (Please God) not crash. The Prince took to the lessons well, and was a swift learner. The bird boy hoped everything would go right, because if it did it would mean he’d get to build the actual aircraft. The con artist knew that this was the convincer to end all convincers, and if it worked he’d be able to take the entire school, and the Prince, for everything they had.
“Good luck, Gerard!” Katarina waved to her fiancee as he climbed into the Paper Bird. The hill they were launching from was a little lower this time, so the Paper Bird probably wouldn’t clear such a height as it did last time. That way, if the Prince crashed, he’d probably only end up breaking a limb. That’d at least keep Frederick from being hanged.
Frederick took a deep breath, and looked at Maria. Maria smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up. He smiled back at her. He wished she was standing closer to him for support at the moment, but she was giving it to Lady Katarina. It made sense to him, since it was her fiancee risking his neck. Although, Lady Katarina seemed to be the most eager to see Gerard fly, chanting and waving her arms like a lunatic.
Frederick took another deep breath and pulled the handle on the release. The Paper Bird tipped over the edge of the ramp, and with a rumbling noise, shot down it at a blistering speed. It hit the edge, and everyone looked down, expecting to see a mangled pile of paper and wood. Then the Paper Bird pulled up and soared. There was a moment of silence, as everyone watched, and then exploded into cheering and clapping.
Gerard did two loops around the Academy campus. Frederick was a little irked at how easily he got the Paper Bird to bank and turn. It was almost like Gerard was better at flying than he was. Still, he saw the Perfect Price attempt to go for a loop-de-loop but he didn’t have the timing right, and what happened was a smooth climb and dive. It was impressive to everyone else, but Frederick took a little solace in the fact that mastery of the sky was still his and not a noble’s.
The Prince did a smooth landing in the field and came out of the Paper Bird looking as calm and unruffled as ever. People from the crowd all came up to him. Shaking his hand, congratulating him, acting as if he was the one who spend all those nights working on the thing. Typical noble bullshit, Frederick thought. The Prince probably wouldn’t even thank Frederick. He thought that maybe he should give Gerard a dud aircraft after this. Leave them the Paper Bird, and a giant, expensive, paperweight. Take off with as much money he could get. The con artist had let the bird boy out for long enough. It was time to get back to business, make some real mon-
“Ha! Keith, you owe me a week in the fields!” Katarina shouted as she clapped Frederick on the back. He blinked and looked. Katarina, her brother, Lady Hunt, and Maria were all still here, with him.
“I suppose it would be asking too much for him to crash.” Keith said.
“Maybe he’ll try it again and we’ll get lucky.” Mary said.
“Well, he kept asking me how to do the loop-de-loop.” Frederick said.
“Pfft. No way he’ll pull that one off.” Katarina said. “You’re the champion flyer, Frederick!”
“I’m so happy for you, Frederick!” Maria said. “Now you’re certain to be sponsored by a noble house. Everyone will want to fly!”
“Yeah, and then every noble’s going to get a face full of grass when they go wherrrr-CRASH! Into the ground!” Katarina said, complete with arm movements. “Anyway, when are you going to make your bigger aircraft, Frederick?”
The bird boy struggled and stayed out of the cage. “Well, now that the basic form is ready, it’s a matter of getting a machine that can take off on its own. The wind engine and the propeller are crucial, but I pretty much have to rebuild a whole new Paper Bird. New materials, a different frame. You’re a ways away from crabs and bananas, Lady Claes.”
Katarina shrugs. “You’ll get it. Then you’ll be one of the most important people around. I’m sure you’re super proud of him, right Maria?”
Maria starts and nods. “Yes. I’m so happy you managed to do so much, Frederick. I can’t wait to see the full aircraft.”
Frederick blushed and smiled at Maria. He blinked. There was something…something different about her. Something he couldn’t quite place. Something looked different, he wasn’t sure what, but it didn’t fit with what his mind told him when he thought of ‘Maria.’ He’d figure it out later. He smiled and motioned towards the crowd. “Come on, I have to get the Paper Bird back to the workshop. Then I’ve got to work on the big one.”
“What are you going to call this one?” Katarina asked.
“I’m not sure.” Frederick said. “I’d thought I’d name it after someone very important to me.”
- -
It was later in the week, in the evening. The con artist looked at his drawings of Maria. There was something off about them. It was bothering him. This should be the happiest time of his life. Maria kept getting ‘assigned’ to work with him. She’s was as invested in the aircraft project as anyone. However, the work wasn’t innovative as it was, not like when it came to the Paper Bird. Everyone knows that it could fly, it was just a matter of getting the right materials, and the wind engine working with the connected propeller, building lots more models. (How many was he up to now? Twenty? Thirty? More? They littered the workshop on every table space.) Now it’s all math, and measurements. The bird boy was running the show these days. He had too, they were too far in. The prince will be flying this thing as well. Before it was always some poor fool the nobles hired, or a fifth son trying to prove themselves. If the Prince crashed and got seriously hurt, there’d be no place in Sorcier or elsewhere Frederick could run to. They’d hunt him down. He’d also spent nearly all the money the Paper Bird got him. The Prince was footing the bill for the materials and the work, and he wasn’t being charged anything to sleep at the academy but there was no hard currency coming in. The con artist was not happy about that, but the bird boy kept him quiet by selling him on the idea of what he’d get if it all panned out. Royal appointments, blank letters of mark, access to every noble family as they all screamed to have their own aircraft or be a part of the business. The con artist sneered and said that he wasn’t another cheap mark to fall for something like that, but kept quiet anyway.
It was the chin. Maria had a different chin. That’s it. Frederick looked at all the different picture of Maria he drew over all the years. Had he always done her chin wrong? Now that he looked at them, there are other differences too. This one had her eyes too far apart. This one her ears were at the wrong height. They all still looked like Maria, it’s just…not her. Not really. Who was he trying to draw all these years? This was Maria Campbell, the girl that he swore to take flying. The person who kept bird boy alive in his cage all those years. The person he came to this stupid school for! Frederick took out a fresh piece of paper and started to draw again. He made a picture of Maria. A real, accurate picture, and…it was just a picture. It was of his friend, the same person that helped him make grass birds with when they were little but…there was something different. He put the real picture aside, and grabbed the inaccurate drawings. There was a moment of doubt in the con artist’s heart. It was the moment the bird boy had been waiting for ages for, the con artist got slammed in the cage. Tears came as Frederick started to tear up all the pictures that were not of Maria, furiously and wildly until they were all in shreds. Then he sat down on the bench, looked at the great aircraft, and started to sob.
Maria was excited. Frederick’s aircraft was the talk of the school at this point. True, most people thought that the only thing interesting about it would be the amazing crash it was going to do, and if the Prince would really fly again or not, but still, it was something new. Also, it was nice to talk to someone from outside the world of nobility. She walked into his workshop, carrying a hot container of soup for the inventor. She’d drop it off, wish her friend good luck, and then go see if Katarina still needed help with her magical theory homework.
“Frederick?” She called out. “Are you there?”
A light was on in the back. She walked through the detritus filled room and came out into a large room, and she saw it. The flying machine. Katarina was right. Even only partially built, it was marvelous. Strange looking, but you could see the innovation and wonder in it. Frederick had made a marvel.
Her friend was sitting at a table at the far end of the room. A small candle at the table, showing light on a pile of plans, schematics, and tiny models. He was staring at the machine and…crying?
“Frederick?” Maria asked, as she approached with the soup. “What’s wrong?”
“Maria…” Frederick looked at her and blinked, tears running down his face. “It’s going to fly.”
“Well of course it will, you spent so much time on it.” Maria said.
“No, you don’t…” He shook his head. “It never flew, all those other times, this is just…Maria…I’m a con artist. I gave up trying to soar years ago. Now it’s all about promises of fame and money, I give them a show with a version Paper Bird, which barely got off the ground before, and in the end I give them something that crashes if it gets more than five feet off the ground, and by then I’ve escaped with most of their fortunes. I’ve broken some lesser nobles.”
“Frederick…” Maria set down the tureen of soup and sat down at the bench next to him.
“I had it all planned out too. I knew, or I thought I knew, the marks here and I…” He looked at Maria. “I thought I was going to leave here with you. I thought about you for years. How we would retire after this last big con, and live happily ever after. And now…”
“Oh, Frederick. You should know something, you’re a dear friend but…” Maria sighed.
“I know. I kept drawings of you, and I look back at them and they’re…not you. I built up this fantasy Maria in my head. You weren’t a person, just another score. I’m sorry. I swear to you, you’ll always be my friend too but…you’re a person, not just someone I can charm into giving me what I want. I think I finally see that.”
Maria smiled and patted Frederick on the shoulder.
“So, then this thing won’t sail around Sorcier?” Maria asked.
“No. She’s going to fly. I…I thought I couldn’t get it right. I’d stopped caring beyond the grift but then…she came.” Frederick said.
Maria didn’t need to ask who.
“Do you know what it’s like to have someone believe in you? I mean, I’d have written her off as just another mark, and she’s the easiest mark I’ve ever met! But…she’s brilliant. She talks about wings and air flow and…” He put his head in his hands and his shoulders heaved for a second. “I’m the kid with the toy birds again. I thought that part of me was dead. She looks at me and tells me that I’m going to make everyone fly and be one of the most famous people in Sorcier, and I believe her.”
Maria took Frederick’s hands and held them. “You have no idea how much I understand.”
Frederick looked at Maria’s face as she looked at the aircraft. He was the best in the game, he could read a person, any person, and get to the heart of what made them tick. He saw what Maria was looking at.
“Holy…you and…you know you’re going against the Prince. Right?” Frederick said. “I got warned off her to my face from him.”
“I don’t care.” Maria said.
Frederick blinked. He’d never seen someone with such steel. A part of Frederick died in that moment. The pictures that only mostly resembled that girl now truly became nothing more than scrap paper. Now he was looking at someone else. Maria Campbell.
His friend.
And just because a certain villainess had caged the con artist, didn’t mean she had locked away his con artist brain.
Frederick stood up and took his friend by the hand, past the aircraft, and to the Paper Bird.
“What are you doing?” Maria asked.
“Showing you how to work this thing.” Frederick said. “You are the one person who kept me from becoming just another crook. I am going to help you pull the greatest con ever. You are going to get what you deserve.”
- -
It took a month of solid work. The con artist had been locked inside the cage the whole time. The bird boy worked until he passed out. Maria was a common sight in the workshop, bringing Frederick his meals. They would talk long into the night. Maria would tell Frederick about her life, of what it meant being a Light Magic user, and her personal issues. Her relationship with her mother. Her love for a certain someone. Frederick confessed everything to her. All the cons he had pulled, the people he had hurt, the lies and fake names. How he had almost tipped over the edge into something black and unforgivable. Both listened to each other. They also told jokes, complained about the nobles, and worked on the Big Con.
Once Frederick had made a score that set him up for a month in an Earl’s manor. Silk sheets, and breakfast in bed every day. This month was so much better.
Finally, the aircraft was ready. The maiden flight was going to be taken by Frederick, and it was a big one. The plan was to start at dawn, fly the aircraft to Shorehaven, the beachside town nearly 40 miles away, and then come back to the Academy by nightfall.
“Bring back a seashell.” Maria said to Frederick, as he checked the wiring. “You’ll need proof.”
“I actually had something else in mind.” Frederick said.
“Oh, what?” Maria asked.
“It’s a secret.” Frederick grinned.
Everyone lined up to watch. For once, no one had any doubts. After all, Katarina didn’t have any, and she had been right about this whole thing the entire time. She had even more faith than Frederick. They should have known better than to doubt her. This was Katarina’s world, you were just lucky enough to live in it.
The aircraft pushed itself forward, the propeller spinning with a buzz growing louder and louder. The aircraft picks up speed and starts to almost bounce. Then, it takes off, going higher and higher into the sky. Down below, Frederick can hear and see the rapidly shrinking line of cheering people. He smiles and locks his eyes on the horizon.
The group watched as the aircraft grew smaller and smaller, then turned into a dot, and then vanished. At that point there wasn’t much to do but wait. The Student Council, and Katarina, had a small picnic. Afterwards, Maria showed them how to make birds out of the long grass. The rest of the time, mostly they just sat around being a little bored.
Sunset came, and with it, no Frederick. They scanned the horizon back and forth for any sign of him or the aircraft. Alan had a spyglass with him. (That everyone kept asking to borrow.) He kept looking, and shaking his head.
“You don’t think something went wrong?” Sophia asked. “Maybe I made a mistake with the runes and the wind engine failed.”
“I’m sure that’s not it.” Mary said. “Maybe there’s no space for him to take off at Shorehaven? He’s stuck there with no place to go?”
“Maybe.” Nicol said, frowning.
No one said the word ‘crash,’ nearly all of them tried to not even think of the word.
Suddenly a voice broke everyone out of their dark imaginings. “Oh! Oh!” Maria shouted and waved her arms. “I see him. I see him!”
Everyone looked, and sure enough on the horizon, there was a large dot getting bigger and bigger in the sunset. As it grew in size, everyone could hear the buzzing of the propeller. The aircraft soared over everyone’s heads, and came to a smooth landing in the Academy’s field. Frederick slowly pulled himself out of the aircraft, a large satchel was strapped to his back.
“Did something happen?” Nikol asked. “You were gone for some time.”
“Everything worked perfectly.” Frederick said. “Everyone at Shorehaven says hello. Also, what took me a lot of time was getting the ice. It’s not cheap, especially on the beach.”
“Ice?” Mary asked. “Ice for what?”
“To keep the cargo fresh.” Frederick opened his satchel to show that it was filled with crushed ice. He dug his hand into it and pulled out…
“Fresh crab!” Katarina squealed with delight.
“I have about a dozen.” Frederick said. “Caught today.”
“Frederick, you’re amazing!” Katarina said and hugged the pilot. Frederick beamed, but also kept his arms spend wide apart, and full of crab, so the rest of the group could see.
Katarina let go, and this time it was Maria who came and embraced the pilot. This time he did return the hug, gently.
“Umm…does anyone know how to cook crab?” Frederick asked, as he put the crustacean back in the ice satchel.
“Ooh ooh, Anne does! We’ll need a BIG pot!” Katarina said, as she lead her group back to the Academy to find her maid, and the kitchens.
- -
To Frederick, the next week went by in a blur. Nobles arriving to gawk at the aircraft. Prince Gerard giving another demonstration flight, this time going around the entire city state. (Still no loop-de-loop, but the big bird wasn’t designed for that.) People proclaiming the genius of the Stuart family, going so out on a limb to design something so radical.
Gerard introducing him to the horde of blue-blood as the inventor. Answering questions, and saying that yes, the Stuart family would have ownership over the designs. He would, however, be open, and free, to work with other noble families that were interested in sponsoring him in making a trading outfit based around aircraft. He also answered a strange question that popped out asking if he was married yet or not.
After that came a fancy dinner, then it was the nobles’ time to have after dinner drinks and discuss gossip. It was something Frederick could do without. So he found himself in an empty room, nursing a glass of pomegranate juice. He really had made it now. Champagne was for amateurs, only the elite got chilled pomegranate juice. The con artist had never gotten to pomegranate juice. The bird boy savored every drop.
He wasn’t the only one in the dining room enjoying a quiet moment. Keith Claes was there, sitting at another table, drinking a glass of water with lemon in it. Frederick caught Keith’s eye and raised his glass in cheers. Keith smiled and raised his own glass. Then he got up and sat down next to Frederick.
“I always wanted to be rich.” Frederick said. “Have a big pile of money that I never needed to worry about. Now, it just seems like I had no idea what ‘rich’ meant.”
“So, what’s next?” Keith asked.
“I have some plans. Go to the shore, or the colonies. Build a bigger workshop. Make an aircraft that can carry cargo.” Frederick sipped his drink. “I have Royal Backing now. I can do anything I want. I spent a lot of time talking about, and selling, dreams. Now I’m going to make some come true. I also spent too long mooning over someone who doesn’t exist. I should find someone who does.”
“Congratulations.” Keith said.
“Does…does she even realize it?” He asked. “What she does to people?”
Keith sighed and patted Frederick on the shoulder. A look of sympathy in his eyes. He didn’t feel the usual spike of defensiveness. Frederick was going away, far far away, and thus he was a friend.
“No. She doesn’t.” Keith said. “She just does it.”
Frederick downed his drink. “You’re a lucky man. Sorry, I couldn’t kill the Prince in a crash.”
Keith shrugged. “Eh. There’ll be other chances. Although what ever you come up with next needs to be pretty impressive.
“Heh, something that flies to the moon, and leaves him there!” Frederick said.
The two men shared a laugh.
Frederick downed his juice, bade Keith goodnight, and went off to find the Prince. He still had to pull off one last con.
- -
“I have a request, well, it’s not a request from me, per se.” Frederick said.
“What is it?” Gerard said.
“I’ve made some adjustments to the Paper Bird, added the engine, and it’s now capable of taking two people at once.” Frederick said. “Lady Claes has been begging me to take her for a flight. I thought a quick run around the academy and the farmsteads would suffice.”
“I see.” Gerard said. “Since I’m capable of flying the aircraft, I think it would be best if I did it.”
“Would that be the case, your majesty.” Frederick said. “But you’ve skill flying solo. I’ve actually flown with the added weight of another person. Totally different scenario. Also, there’s been those high winds, remember dealing with them? The aircraft had stabilizers, you have to be much more aware of them in the Paper Bird. Also, I promise you, nothing will happen to your fiancee. She’ll just have the time of her life being the first noblewoman to fly. Afterwards, I pack everything up and head to the coast to work on cargo aircraft.”
“The coast is quite far. I do hope you’ll stay in touch.” Gerard said.
“I plan to write to the people that are important. You’re my sponsor. I would be remiss if I didn’t show my due diligence.” Frederick said. “One flight.”
Gerard nodded. “One flight.”
The bird boy grinned as he put the con artist back in the cage. “Trust me, Katarina will have one of the best moments of her life.”
- -
“I see you’re dressed and ready.” Frederick said to Katarina.
Katarina saluted as she was dressed in her farming coveralls, had her head wrapped in a scarf and a pair of goggles around her eyes. “I’m ready to fly. This flag I’m facing head on. The Paper Bird’s ready to go, and you’re a great flyer. I’m sure I’ve avoided every doom in this bonus!”
“Uhh, yeah.” Frederick said, not understanding a word. “I’ve already set the Paper Bird up on the ramp. Why don’t you go get situated. I have to grab a few things from the workshop.”
“Okay!” Katarina nodded and headed towards the ramp, climbing up the ladder. She then wiggled into place in the Paper Bird. Her heart thumping hard inside her chest. Was this it? Was she going to meet her Doom now? But she wanted to fly so bad! She’d never get a chance like this again! Nope, the Paper Bird worked. She was going to fly. No time to back out now, Katarina. Forward was the only direction to take!
The pilot, dressed in a full flight helmet, dark goggles, jumpsuit, and a scarf around their mouth, climbed into the pilot’s position of the Paper Bird. They pointed at a small lever by Katarina’s side, and nodded.
Katarina nodded, and pulled the lever. The Paper Bird shifted and SHOOOM, it raced down the ramp. The pilot pulling on the control levers. Katarina closed her eyes for a second, waiting for the horrible crash…and opened them when she felt wind. She opened her eyes, and saw that she was flying.
“WHOO HOOO!” She cheered, her arms jutting out of the plane, forcing the pilot to adjust.
“Frederick, this is AMAZING!” Katarina cheered.
The pilot nodded, and the pair just spent a long moment, enjoying the view and the wind. Then the pilot tapped Katarina on the shoulder.
“I have a confession!” The pilot said to Katarina over the wind.
“What?” Katarina asked.
“I’m not Frederick!” Maria said as she took off the scarf.
“Maria! What are you doing! How do you know how to fly this thing? Are we going to crash! Oh God is this where I-!” Katarina shrieked and clung onto Maria for dear life.
Maria held Katarina back tightly, and planted a kiss on her cheek. Katarina barely registered that it happened. Her mind was filled with visions of fiery crashes and doom.
Maria let go, and after a few moments, gently put the Paper Bird back down on the ground.
Katarina’s eyes were spinning as she slowly tried and failed, to pull her self upright. Maria had all but jumped out and dashed back inside the workshop, and before Katarina had returned to her senses, Frederick was outside again, next to the plane, in his pilot’s outfit. “Are you alright, Lady Claes?” He asked as she slowly, shakingly, pulled herself out of the plane. Her mind trying to make sense out of what just happened. It fell back on the easiest conclusion, she had gone so high she must have hallucinated.
“Oh, Frederick!” Katarina laughed. “I must have gotten dizzy at such an altitude. I was seeing things!”
“That can happen. Let me make you some tea, and you can gather yourself. How do you feel? You’re the first noblewoman to fly!” Frederick said.
Katarina touched her cheek. “It’s amazing. I can see why you love it.”
“It took some very special people to help me see that.” Frederick said.
Frederick smiled. It was the best con he ever pulled.
- Epilogue -
“Something in the paper for everyone,” Alan said as he dropped the newsprint on the Council’s table. The social pages to be exact.
“Lady Billings announces her engagement to commoner.” Sophia said. “Oh my, bit of a scandal. I thought the paper was better than that.”
“What does the Billings family do?” Katarina asked.
Mary shrugged. “They own a lot of ships. They import a bunch of things from the island colonies. Metal, timber, fruits…” Her eyes widened. “Bananas…no way!”
Alan grinned and nodded at Sophia. “Keep reading.”
“Count Billings and family are proud to announce the engagement of Lady Helena Billings to Frederick Garish, a commoner known to many as the ‘Marquis of the Skies.’ Garish’s most famous creation, the aircraft known as ‘The Maria’ is capable of transporting a human across many miles in mere hours. His newest advancement, is an aircraft capable of carrying several people, and travel from the continent to the Island Colonies, in a day. It is to be known as ‘The Katarina.’ They are planning on a wedding next summer.” Sophia beamed. “How lovely!”
“Marquis?” Nicol looked at Gerard.
The prince shrugged. “It’s a title given to those holding a frontier district. No bigger frontier than the sky.”
Katarina frowned, and looked at Maria. “Are you, okay with this Maria?”
“Of course!” Maria said smiling. “My dear friend is getting married! Maybe he’ll invite us all, and we can all fly to the islands to see it!
Oh no! Katarina wailed in her mind. I must have done the flags wrong! Katarina, crash and burn! Now I’m doomed for sure!