As the aeroplane levelled off, she peered out of her window. Just a few feet below her was the post office aeroplane, on the ground beside a shed with a wind sleeve on a flagpole. Flashing by, she thought she saw two men by the shed, and a horse and cart, and Pitt standing in the aeroplane’s rear compartment, his gun trained on the pilot, who was climbing into the cockpit.
Dipper pulled back the stick and they ascended again, circling in that dizzying, wing-tilted way. Then the engines muted to a rumble and they glided down towards the field.
“I think we’re landing,” Daisy said to Lambert. “At last!”
He opened his eyes and glanced out of his window. “That’s when most crashes happen,” he croaked, gripping the edge of his seat.
“Pitt’s down there. I can’t see quite what Alec and Sir Roland hope to do. It’s the same situation as back at Hazelhurst Field.”
“Except that we’re in the air this time and we’re all going to die.”
“No, we’re not,” Daisy said crossly. “Sir Roland came through the War without crashing and … Oh!”
The engines bellowed as the aeroplane’s nose pulled up sharply. Looking out, Daisy saw Pitt’s aeroplane taxiing across the field right where they had been about to land.
Whatever his reasons, he was obviously absolutely desperate to escape.
20
Dipper circled the field again, giving Daisy an excellent view of the post office aeroplane taking off. She expected that they would follow, but instead they came in to a gentle landing, bumped across the grass, and came to a halt near the shed.
Alec folded back the cabin’s roof. “We have to refuel,” he said. “That crazy stunt was Dipper’s attempt to frighten Pitt into staying on the ground. There are clouds ahead he’s going to disappear into. I’m afraid we’ll probably lose him.”
“No, we shan’t,” said Daisy, standing stiffly and taking Alec’s hand to help her down. She saw Dipper striding over to the shed, from which two farmers were cautiously emerging. “I’m pretty sure I know where he’s going. The name of the place is on the tip of my tongue.”
“I’m not going any farther.” Lambert’s adamant tone left no room for argument. He jumped down beside Daisy, colour beginning to return to his cheeks, and felt in his pocket. “Here, you can have my identification papers if they’re any good to you. I quit. I’m going to find me a train stationand catch a train home and go into Dad’s insurance business.”
Alec regarded him with sardonically raised eyebrows. “I shan’t stop you. But before you quit, you can send a couple of telegrams for me at the Bureau’s expense.” He took out the notebook he was never without.
“At the Bureau’s expense?” said Daisy. “Darling, send one to Miss Genevieve, will you? Ask her to pass on the news to Kevin. And one to Mr. Thorwald and Pascoli, at the Flatiron Building. They’ll all want to know what’s going on.”
Leaving them, Daisy went to join Dipper.
“What ho,” he greeted her. “This is one of the air mail service’s emergency landing fields. Arrow was right as usual: we’re in Ohio.”
“Oregon!” Daisy exclaimed, her memory jogged by the plethora ofO’s. “That’s where Pitt’s going. It’s in the West somewhere.”
Dipper laughed. “That’s the direction he’s heading. I was wondering how we’re going to find him again, but if you know his destination, we can’t miss him. These admirable gentlemen have petrol for us,” he added as the two men, farmers by the look of them, each carried two large petrol cans from the shed. “Jolly good show, fellows.”
They took the fuel to the biplane. Dipper and the older farmer started pouring petrol into the tank.
The younger man, returning for more cans, said shyly to Daisy, “You’re British, ain’t you, ma’am? I was over there.”
“In the War?”
“Yes, ma‘am. You know that song, ‘How you gonna keep them down on the farm, now that they’ve seen Paree’?That’s me. Only it was Lunnon for me. I mean, Paree’s gay, like they say, but heck, they don’t even try to speak English. At least you guys try.”
“We do our best,” Daisy said solemnly.
Alec came over. He nodded to the ex-doughboy and said, “Have you got a telephone?”
“No, sir. Ain’t none for twenty miles.”
Alec glanced at the horse and cart. “Too bad. Daisy, Lambert’s agreed to escort you back to New York, or Washington if you prefer. I’ll join you there as soon as this business is wrapped up.”
“Then you’re going on? I was sure you’d be ready to give up.”
He came as close as she had ever seen to a blush. “I suppose Lambert’s put me on my mettle,” he conceded ruefully. “And Dipper’s still keen as mustard. We’ll be off as soon as the tanks are full.”
