Page 25 of Stalk the Sky

“Which aeroplanes do you want the two-channel radios in?” Pip took out her wrench to loosen the bolt holding the wiring harness in place on the power terminal.

Most of the sixty-some radios had only a single frequency channel. But five of the radios were an even more complicated design, featuring two separate frequencies so that those five radios could talk to each other without the others overhearing.

“Lt. Rothilion and I should each have one, then Merrik and whoever Lt. Rothilion has as his second-in-command for his Flight.” To Fieran’s credit, he only grimaced slightly on Lt. Rothilion’s name.

“Then this aeroplane is either yours or Merrik’s, since I already have this two-frequency radio half-installed.” With her wrench, Pip removed the bolt holding the ending of the wiring harness that ran from the power cell to the engine.

The thump that reverberated through the aeroplane’s wooden frame around her was likely Fieran patting the wooden side. His voice drifted down through the open space by his feet to the engine compartment. “I’m already growing fond of this one. Merrik will have to get the next one.”

“We’ll let him pick his favorite.” Pip removed a few more bolts, taking off the single output end from the magical power cell connection housing. She dug the new double end out of her pocket, then bolted it on instead, appreciating the design and workmanship of whoever had designed these to be easily switched out. It was the work of a moment to bolt both the engine wiring and the radio wiring into place. “Who should get the fifth radio?”

“I was thinking that one should go here for the ground support.” Fieran shifted his feet slightly, accidentally knocking her shoulder with his toe. He scrunched his legs up higher with an apology before he continued, “We’ll want one of the radios here on the ground anyway so that we can radio in alerts once we are in range.”

“I’ll have to see if I can rig an antenna so we can install the radio in a corner of the hangar somewhere.” Pip inspected her connection one last time. If she’d done everything right, then the radio should have power. “Perhaps I can boost the ground radio’s range with as big an antenna as the trolls will let me build. These radios will be nice, but they have an incredibly short range.”

“A long range isn’t necessary for communicating during battle, and that’s what we need them for, mostly.” Fieran tapped his fingers on the control column, like he was itching to take to the sky now that he had an aeroplane built. “But, yes, a longer range for the ground radio would be very handy if we spot something while out at sea. The extra few minutes’ warning that we could give Dar Goranth might make all the difference.”

Pip patted the radio and withdrew her head. “Turn the power on.”

A click sounded as Fieran flipped the switch that let the magic flow from the power cell into the engine, and now the radio. A hum filled the space as the engine wound up. A slightly less noticeable buzz came from the radio.

She couldn’t test if the radio was functioning as a radio yet, but at least it had power and there weren’t sparks of magic or the smell of overheating metal indicating it was about to explode. “All right. It’s getting power. You can turn it off now.”

Fieran flipped the switch off, and the engine’s humming slowed. “Do you still need me here?” He braced his hands on either side of the cockpit, preparing to lever himself out.

“No. Actually, could you grab a roll of wire? I have a wire cutter and pliers.” Pip climbed down her ladder. “I’ll start working my way inside the aeroplane, but I need your legs out of the way.”

“Got it.” Fieran pushed out of the cockpit, then hopped out of the aeroplane easily.

As he strolled away with that ground-eating, long-legged stride of his, Pip pushed the ladder closer to the wing. She stepped from the ladder to the step built into the side of the plane, using one of the wing supports to pull herself up and onto the wing. She was careful to place her foot on one of the wooden braces that formed the wing instead of the stretched canvas.

While Fieran could step over the side of the cockpit with ease, it was thigh-high for her. She rather awkwardly lifted her knee to her nose to get her foot high enough to clear the side. Straddling the wooden side, the slight leather padding around the edge making it not too uncomfortable to sit on, she reached her toe for the seat. Once she found it, she swiveled her weight onto that foot, then hopped as she angled her other leg up and over.

After settling in the cockpit, sitting down wasn’t too much trouble. She wasn’t sure why Fieran always found it so tight. There was plenty of room for her to not only sit but also kneel and crawl into the space where his legs were normally jammed.

When she was comfortably lying in the space with the radio just above her head, she set to work getting the terminals ready to attach the various wires.

The ladder squeaked again before Fieran’s head appeared by the engine compartment hatch. “Glad I’m not the one wedging myself in there.”

“You know, everyone expects mechanics to be large and brawny men, like Baragh or my brother Mak. But there’s something to be said for being conveniently tight-space-sized.” Pip reached out a hand. “Give me the end of the wire.”

“Very true. A highly overlooked qualification.” Fieran gave her the end of the wire, then held the spool so that it easily unrolled while she tugged. The tone of his voice changed. Still light, but also a touch more serious. “I have a question I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“Go ahead.” Pip tugged out several feet of wire, gauging how much she’d need and giving herself a little extra just in case, before she cut it with her wire cutter.

“You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal.” Fieran set down the spool of wire and leaned an elbow against the side of the aeroplane beside the open hatch. “But I’m curious. You went to Hanford University for a magical engineering degree because you were inspired by my dacha. So why didn’t you get a job at the AMPC? With your skills and magic, you could have had one easily if you’d wanted one.”

Pip stilled partway through stripping the end of the wire. She had to take a breath before she could force her hands to continue moving to hook up the correct wires to the right spots in the radio. “I thought about it. I thought about it a lot, actually. But when the time came, I just…I just couldn’t do it. After four years away, I missed home. Sure, I’d visited during breaks, but it wasn’t the same.”

Fieran waited as she paused, as if he sensed there was more to it. How could he possibly know her so well already to sense such a thing?

She fiddled with the wire, not looking at him. “I hate to admit it, but I was scared. I couldn’t shake the terror of applying and having my childhood hero turn me away. It would have crushed me. Silly, I know. With my magic, I would have been hired. And your dacha probably has nothing to do with the actual hiring. Yet no matter how much I told myself that, I just couldn’t bring myself to apply. I had an application. I had it filled out and everything. I carried it around with me for weeks during my last semester. I guess…I guess I just wasn’t ready, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.” Fieran’s voice was soft.

Pip scooted back toward the cockpit, stringing the wire as she went. She’d either need some kind of tacking nails or an elf to secure the wire to the wooden frame so it wasn’t dangling loose.

Perhaps she’d ask for Merrik’s help. She’d need him to encase the wire in the wooden control stick anyway.

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