Tintin and Skut sat all the way aft in the last row of the Qantas 707. Haddock and Calculus had the three seats right in front of them. The plane was only about 60% full. It was nice having an empty seat between you and your fellow passenger. Haddock was sitting at the window, sipping his drink and staring out at the vast expanse of Australian desert beneath them. Calculus was snoring loudly in his aisle seat, exhausted from the series of lectures he had given at the astronautics conference.

None of the travelers could remember what had happened between the time they had been flying in Carreidas' jet, until the point where they had been rescued in the Timor Sea. Tintin, Haddock, Calculus and Skut were now on their way back to Europe together, after having spent a week in Sydney. Skut was going to London to apply for a job flying cargo around the British Isles, while the other three were headed back to Marlinspike.

"Tintin, do you have girlfriend?" Skut suddenly asked out of the blue.

The boy reporter blushed, "Er...um...no, I don't."

Skut could feel that the question had made Tintin uncomfortable, so he changed the subject. "It was nice Castafiore performance at Sydney opera house was it not? Architecture of that building is very impressive. Reminds me a little bit about TWA terminal in New York."

"Yes, I was very much impressed by the Sydeny Opera house too," Tintin politely replied, but he immediately countered Skut's question. "What about you Skut, do you have someone special in your life?"

"Oh, well...it has been many years," Skut replied. "You see, when I was younger there was someone, but I abandoned everything in my life. My family, my job, my friends. One day I take sailing skiff from sports club, just outside Tallinn. I know very big storm is coming and everybody else is indoors; nobody is watching. I take big risk of drowning, but I take this little skiff, and I sail it to Finland. When I arrive, I am severe hypothermia, very very wet, and very very cold, but I am free. So I escaped from Soviet Union. But my love, Madli, she is still there."

"Do you have any way of keeping in touch with her?" Tintin asked with heartfelt concern in his voice.

"It is possible, but very difficult with current communist system," Skut replied. "After I am in Finland, I am very scared communists will seek retribution for my defection. I find out later my father lose his job at fish cannery. He has very difficult time afterwards, all because I left. I blame myself. But now in Sydney, just by chance I meet old friend from Tallinn. He pilot for Aeroflot flying Soviet cosmonauts to conference. He tell me Madli marry other man, but he drink and beat her, and soon afterwards they divorce. He tell me she still loves me. She not blame me for leaving Estonia. She wants to be with me. I feel so selfish for leaving. I want to be with her, but is impossible for me to ever go back to Soviet Union. I am defector. And is impossible for Madli to leave."

"We're going to go there and rescue Madli," Tintin replied with utter seriousness.

"What? Are you mad? Is impossible for you to go there. Is definitely impossible for me also. I will spend my life focusing on work. I fly aeroplane, and I am content with that. Flying is also my love in life."

"But Skut, listen to me. You can have both. Look, when you asked me before if I had a girlfriend, it made me uneasy. I truly am the way you just described yourself. I love my work. Otherwise I cherish deep friendships, but I value my independence above all else. Getting involved romantically is not the thing for me. I know that you are different though. The way you talked about Madli. I want to help you get her back, and I know we can succeed."

The two were quiet for a while. Finally Skut spoke. "Do you really think we have a chance Tintin?"

"Yes," Tintin quietly replied.

Stay tuned for further chapters to see if Tintin will make good on his promise to rescue Madli