Wi climbed on into the front seat, set the brakes and checked
everything was right, then climbed back out and asked Kit to help him
pull the prop through a few revs, "to get the oil 'circle-atin' in the
cylinders," reverting to his instructor memories. And he had more
quips, playing on the crash and burn picture or other with Orv and
Tom, keeping Kit laughing.
        Well, Kit knew he had flown to the right place to refuel. He had
already thought about the stuff in his plane, but he loved trust. And
people he could. And he could see having a flying venture with these
guys, he thought. And felt he didn't have to go lock up Juliet.
        "You've flown a stick before, haven't 'cha, rockhead?" Wi brought
him back to the moment.
        "Uh...yeah!" (his first flight lessons back in Ohio, plus the two
sprayers he had co-owned), "started in a Champ," wondering what
joke was coming, probably something about "airknockers" that can
land backwards (in stiff enough wind).
        "A Champ, awww...hey, O Dub'ya," Wile answered, "you bet he
looked cute in his airknocker?" Orv teased along with a fatherly grin
and nod. Then Wi added, "so...you've flown tandem seats then, huh?"
        "Yep," Kit answered a little sheepy again, standing there at the
front of the Boeing, not realizing Wiley's point.
        Wi looked at Orv, who smiled back at him, and gave a little
chuckle while shaking his head with an exasperated look, then looked
back at Kit and said, "well, why the heck don't 'chu git in the front seat,
then..."
        Kit said, "I know..." and they both said "...rockhead" together.
        "And they wonder where they got the name 'boing', O Dub...man
O man," the Wi-ster kept up.
        Kit laughed, "OK, OK...UNCLE!...Orv, would ya watch my plane
for me?"
        "Sure there, Buff...meet 'chu guys up in the air, hey?" Orv kidded
and Kit apprehensively looked his way,
        "Don't worry, Kit," Tom helped.
        "Yeah, you've got insurance, don't 'cha, Cody?" Wi taunted.
        "We've got it, Kit," Orv reassured him, though added, "uh, but
would ya sign it over to me before you go? It'd make for less
complications, you know, after the funerals." Kit dropped his head
again, shaking it, smiling and laughing through his nose.
        "Better make it out to Tommy, Cody," Wi kept going. "Yaeger's
our crash and burn target."
        Orv cracked on, "go call the fire department, Tommy. Orly'll
wanta be ready."
        "Yeah, son," Wi came on back, "O Dub's blowin' so much outta
his butt we're all goinna be goin' up in flames with any spark," getting
into the rear seat as Kit climbed into the front, adding, "let's mow him
down on taxi right away, you with me, Cody?" and even Wile let
loose a little chuckle with that.
        They strapped in, Orv and Tom making sure Kit was in good,
and Wi continued, "just follow me through on giddy up here,
airknocker."
        "Roger, skip," Kit answered.
        "Tommy, get Dub'ya's big ole blowy cheeks back out of the
way before we chop up his tailfeathers," Wiley carried on.
        "You try it, you ole Cyclops," Orv rebutted, "hale, you can't
even see this far. Well, Buffalo...bin nice knowin' ya, pard."
        "Thanks, Orv," Kit laughed.
        Wiley dug at Kit again, "you've got the master and mags,
knocker."
        "DOH!" Kit came back with his Homer Simpson imitation and
Tom showed him the switches, but Kit was on it and flipping them
up.
        "You also have the brakes. Don't ground loop us, now."
        "OK, Wi."
        Wiley jiggled the engine controls and Kit followed the action.
Tom pointed to the starter button just before Wile told Kit to push
it, which he did as they both pulled the stick all the way back to
make sure the tail stayed on the ground, just in case, and the big
radial - the Wright Cyclone, same as in the 18 - bellowed into life.
Wi handed Kit a pair of goggles and, while putting his own on,
told Kit to release the brakes and they started to roll.
        Tom and Orv backed away quickly enough to not have the
tail hit them, though Orv waited until the last second, but Kit had
been just as ready as Wi on the rudder pedals and brakes in case
and Orv yelled, with a hand to his mouth, "WHEN HIS HEART
GOES, BUFF'LO, JUST THROW 'M OUT SO HE CAN'T
SCROG UP YOUR LANDIN'."
        Kit gave Orv a big smiling nod as they taxied away, Wi
yelling information and instructions up to Kit, warming and running
the engine up on the way out to the runway. Wile helped Kit a little
in the takeoff and on up until he knew Kit knew what he was
doing. Kit was in super duper joy, and Wi was feeling darn good
too - he was flying his honey and making money, figuring Kit
would offer.
        Wiley called for the controls after a few moments, Kit let go
and Wi turned them, then dove them down to the deck and buzzed
the guys walking to the office, about ten feet over their heads, Orv
and Wiley shaking loving fists at each other.
        Then Wile yelled, "your airship, Cody," and Kit, surprised
for a second before the adrenalin jolt, took over at about six feet
and almost turned it around for another buzz, but chose to zoom
on up.
        Wi pointed to the 'mountains' and Kit climbed toward them.
But they stayed near the airport and did loops, rolls and other
stuff, Wiley showing him some dogfight maneuvers, spun down and
went back to the field in a while, and Wile told Kit to buzz them
sitting outside the office in the chairs, so he did, then Wi called for
the stick and rebuzzed them even closer, then flew them around
just off the deck in a long turn back to the runway and gave it
back to Kit to land, who had a ball and a half the seven or so
seconds he had it again before the wheels squealed. He taxied
them in and pivoted around in front of the hangar as they shut it
down.
        Orv, Tom and a young woman were walking toward them,
Orville yelling, "I called the AAF on ya this time, you crazy
tear'ist!"
        "What happened, Tommy...we wake 'm from 'is beauty
nap?" Wile yelled back, unbuckling his harness, "or'zee just in a
bunch there's no insurance jackpot to collect?"
        "How many times did 'ja have to save his butt, Buff?" Orv
kept on.
        "Just the once he yelled something about gettin' that big ole
crow some girls right now by dammit, or what was it, Wi?" Kit
tried keeping the razz up as he unbuckled.
        "Watch it, rockhead," Wiley added, holding one of the
forward harness straps to complicate Kit's extrication, "or I won't
be introducin' you to my girl," catching Kit gawking at the woman
still walking closer to the Stearman, "if you're goinna use that kind
of language," and finally let go of the strap when Kit realized he
was holding it. They started climbing out, but then the old man
held one of Kit's chute straps to keep him from getting up until Kit
caught that too.
        "I'm taking the keys, you ole nutcase," Orv kept up as they
reached the Boeing, joke being there were no keys to it.
        "Look out, geezer," Wile came right back, "I'll take your
glasses and hearing aid and you'll be blind, deaf AND dumb...and
won't have one chance in hale at those girls."
        "What GIRLS?!" Tom demanded once more.
        "You keep wonderin', son. It's good for ya," Wile answered
as he, then Kit stepped down to the ground. "Well, Cody, whattaya
think?" starting off with his chute. "This here's my granddaughter
Elaine...peaches, this here's Cody. He had a cowboy sh...obymph..."
(Orv had put a hand over Wi's mouth before he could finish the line.)
        "Hello there, Cody," Elaine chuckled as she offered Kit a hand
to shake.
        Well, ole Kit was in the deep throes of lust at first sight as he
took her hand and kissed it, then held it in a 'shake'. "Hel-lo, Elaine
...what a pleasure," (taking a good long time with the word). "Well,
Wi..." not taking his eyes off her face, "I'd say you have a very
beautiful granddaughter." Tom was getting him started on getting his
chute off, but Kit wasn't paying attention to that.
        "Well, I know that," Wile kept the humor intact, lest there be
only romance, it seemed. "Can someone help me with my chute.
Dam," he chided.
        "O, I bet you say that to all the granddaughters," Elaine smiled
kind of lovingly at Kit as they still held hands.
        "Hoo wee!" Orv chirped, "she's got her granddad's Arkin-sass
too, Buff'lo!"
        "She sure does, Orv," Kit meaning a lot more than that, they all
didn't have to do any figuring out, as he still took in her gleaming face.
        "Uh-oh, 'Double-U', that Buff'lo's gittin' a little too good thinkin',
you think?" Orv razzed.
        "Sure do, 'O'. I guess it's time to tell 'm what we charge for
trainin'."
        "Uh-oh," Kit snickered, still holding Elaine's hand - she didn't
mind - as they still smiled at each other.
        "You better believe uh-oh, bucko. We don't do anything just for
fun around here," Wiley answered as he handed his chute to Orv,
who dropped it on Wi's foot on purpose. Wile just grimaced as he felt
the pain from his infamous sore big toe, slits for his eyes giving Orv a
scowl.
        "Well, your rides, Grampaw, are gauntlets, aren't they...Buffalo
...?" Elaine directed toward Kit, wondering what his name actually
was. "Did he behave himself?"
        "Aw," Wi chortled as he picked up the chute, hitting Orv's tender
elbow on the way up, "he had a hell of a time," knocking Orv in the
head with the chute as he swung it over his shoulder.
        "I guess it depends what you call behave," Kit answered Elaine
as they still eyeballed each other, Kit already having looked at her
superlatively fine body before the introduction when she had caught
him and smiled.
        "I call behave gittin' back to business here," Wi cracked as Orv
tried stepping on the bad toe.
        "Hey, slow down, Grampaw...give Buffy here a chance to
romance," Orv teased.
        Tom added, "not too much, hey?" directed more toward Elaine.
        Kit let go of Elaine's hand saying, "sorry, guys, couldn't help
myself."
        "Tell us what we don't know, rockhead," Wi knocked.

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