Still Valley At 20,000 Feet by Mike Burns (my reading book .TXT) 📖

Bob...

BOB
I’m not lying, and I’m not...I haven’t been drinking any more either. There IS a man out there. Like I said, he hides from view, on top of the plane, when anybody but me looks out there.

Julia glances at the window.

BOB
Don’t bother looking, he’s not there now. He’ll come back when it’s just me watching. I know he will. He’s done it several times. I know it sounds nuts, but look at me. Do I look crazy? Do I?

JULIA
Maybe you HAVE been working too hard on the presentation, and maybe focusing too much on work generally, Bob.

BOB
Honey, do I look or sound insane? Just answer me!

JULIA
No, Bob, no, you don’t.

BOB
Look, I blew it off the first time. I mean, no sane man can be sure about seeing something odd if he just sees it once. Would a crazy man blow it off? No, he’d swallow the whole thing hook, line, and sinker right off the bat!

JULIA (momentarily confused by the mixed metaphors)
It’s all right, Bob, it’s all right!

BOB
Julia, I know you love me, and you’ve always been a sympathetic ear for me. I love you for that. But don’t patronize me. I’m not goin’ crazy!

JULIA
Bob, I didn’t say...

(CONTINUED)
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BOB
I KNOW you didn’t say it. But it’s written all over you that you DO think that! But NEVER MIND! We’re losing sight of one very important, nut-cutting fact! THERE’S A MAN OUT THERE! This is a matter of everybody’s life and safety here! He’s tampering with an engine! And let me tell you, the way he was goin’ at it, it damn well looks like he could do so successfully! Think anything you want! Just tell the captain to watch that outside engine, that there’s something funny goin’ on with it!

One or two nearby passengers nudge each other and stare at Bob.

JULIA
Me?

BOB
Yeah, you! I’d do it, but there’s already a couple of people who’ve noticed me talkin’ loud, actin’ nervous, and I think one already told a stewardess. They’re more likely to listen to you! C’mon honey! (almost pleading) I’m not saying tell him a man who looks like he’s flying back from a Klan rally is on the wing. Just say you noticed something funny. Maybe sparks flying out of the engine, if that makes it easier. If you’ll do that, I don’t care if you think I need to be fitted for an I-love-me jacket! Think that if it pleases you! Just please draw his attention to the engine!

JULIA
If it pleases...?

BOB
All right, I’m sorry, forget I said that--please! But for God’s sake, tell the captain about that engine! If they don’t find anything, I’ll...I’ll cancel my presentation tomorrow. I’ll even talk to your sister’s shrink--Dr. Lloyd, that his name? I’ll get fitted for a straitjacket--anything! Just tell the captain, please! And if they do find something--

Julia tries very hard to react to him as she would to a mentally sound person. An exercise in futility, of course.

BOB
At least consider the possibility, won’t you?

JULIA
It’s okay, Bob, I’ll tell them. I will. Right now.

BOB
I know it’s asking a lot. It’s like putting a sign around your neck that says “My married name is Looney Tunes.” I’m sorry. Thank you for doing this, Julia.

JULIA
It’s all right, Bob. I’m going to tell him right now.

Julia unbuckles her seatbelt, gets up, heads up the aisle to the cockpit, and urgently knocks on its door. The stewardess they spoke to earlier hurries up to her from the other end of the cabin aisle.


(CONTINUED)
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STEWARDESS
Mrs. Wilson, what‘s wrong? Can I help you with something? The captain and his crew are locked in. It‘s standard security these days. What’s wrong?

JULIA
I...yes, you can. My husband wanted to see the flight engineer.

STEWARDESS
All right, stay here and I’ll let him know. Hold on.

JULIA
Thank you. This is very important.

Still seated, Bob looks out the window again just as the Klansman From Hell lands on the wing again, just inches away from the outer engine.

JULIA (to stewardess)
This is urgent. Please hurry.

Bob watches the robed figure as it once again applies the flaming cross to the metal on the engine cowling as if it were a cutting torch. A straight line of glowing metal appears, and the huge, powerful hands poking out of the white sleeves start to flex and work a portion of the cowling back and forth, widening the opening in the cowling and once again revealing the red-glowing engine within.

BOB (looking up the aisle toward Julia)
Hurry! Hurry!

The flight engineer is talking to Julia just outside the cockpit door. He rushes over to Bob, with Julia following.

BOB (to flight engineer)
He’s there! Look! Look for yourself!

FLIGHT ENGINEER (looking straight into Bob’s face) What’s going on?