Chapter XVI
Leap of Faith
The next few minutes were very confusing.
The front part of the passenger cabin was briefly full of flame, but then there was a big whooshing noise, and it went out in less than a second. Lex could almost swear that Clark had *blown* the fire out. Andy was unconscious, but Clark had apparently shielded him from most of the burning. Clark's big body and the seats in front of Lex had blocked the fire from getting near him. However, the engine noise had stopped, and Lex could see, in the little glimpses he had available out through the front window, that the engine cowling was streaming with flame.
Lex swallowed a scream as he felt the plane pitch forward. They were going to crash!
As usual during an emergency, Clark seemed to become more confident and competent than he ever was under normal circumstances. He had Andy's seat belt unfastened somehow -- had he actually torn it loose by hand? Clark grabbed the pilot's unconscious body and pulled him into his lap. Then he turned to Lex.
"Undo your seat belt, Lex," the farmboy said calmly, "and hold onto me for all you're worth."
"What?" Lex gasped. He couldn't believe it, but he felt his hands unfastening the safety belt. It seemed he was following instructions today.
Using only one hand, Clark *broke* *off* the back of his seat and tucked it out of the way. "C'mon, Lex," he urged. "Grab hold. We don't have much time left to jump."
"Jump?" Lex quavered. He put his arms around Clark and held on tight. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we don't have a parachute."
Clark's strong right arm went around Lex's waist. "I don't know if you've noticed, but our pilot's unconscious, and our plane's on fire. Help me hang on to Andy. Chloe'll never forgive us if we drop him."
Lex adjusted his grip so he was helping to hold all three of them together. "I hate this plan, Clark."
"Just trust me," Clark said. He kicked the right passenger door of the Cessna clean off the plane with one blow. Securely holding Andy and Lex in his arms, he jumped.
Leap of Faith
The next few minutes were very confusing.
The front part of the passenger cabin was briefly full of flame, but then there was a big whooshing noise, and it went out in less than a second. Lex could almost swear that Clark had *blown* the fire out. Andy was unconscious, but Clark had apparently shielded him from most of the burning. Clark's big body and the seats in front of Lex had blocked the fire from getting near him. However, the engine noise had stopped, and Lex could see, in the little glimpses he had available out through the front window, that the engine cowling was streaming with flame.
Lex swallowed a scream as he felt the plane pitch forward. They were going to crash!
As usual during an emergency, Clark seemed to become more confident and competent than he ever was under normal circumstances. He had Andy's seat belt unfastened somehow -- had he actually torn it loose by hand? Clark grabbed the pilot's unconscious body and pulled him into his lap. Then he turned to Lex.
"Undo your seat belt, Lex," the farmboy said calmly, "and hold onto me for all you're worth."
"What?" Lex gasped. He couldn't believe it, but he felt his hands unfastening the safety belt. It seemed he was following instructions today.
Using only one hand, Clark *broke* *off* the back of his seat and tucked it out of the way. "C'mon, Lex," he urged. "Grab hold. We don't have much time left to jump."
"Jump?" Lex quavered. He put his arms around Clark and held on tight. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we don't have a parachute."
Clark's strong right arm went around Lex's waist. "I don't know if you've noticed, but our pilot's unconscious, and our plane's on fire. Help me hang on to Andy. Chloe'll never forgive us if we drop him."
Lex adjusted his grip so he was helping to hold all three of them together. "I hate this plan, Clark."
"Just trust me," Clark said. He kicked the right passenger door of the Cessna clean off the plane with one blow. Securely holding Andy and Lex in his arms, he jumped.