Molly and Del made their way back to the airfield around eleven o'clock that night. Del had packed quickly, not even calling his parents again to inform them that he was leaving. They hitched a ride with a cargo pilot heading for Barlow. Barlow was the Usland Shipping Capital, so there was bound to be a plane flying to Bago-Shiloh or a country close by.
It was past midnight when they landed in Barlow. The airfield they had landed in was the North Barlow Airfield, frequented mostly by freelance pilots. The place was dead. Planes were parked in various places next to the landing strip. Del asked the man in the tower if there were any pilots flying to Bago-Shiloh. He pointed to the end of the runway. A small, gray cargo plane was parked there, a dim light shone through one of the round windows.
"Shall we?" Del asked, gesturing to the side door of the plane. Molly nodded, and Del proceeded to knock.
What followed was a crash of metals then a growling curse. An old, scruffy brown dog appeared in the doorway. He stared at the two for sometime, eyeing them, then let go an exhausted sigh. "What do you want?" he asked, but his voice carried a faint accent.
"Sorry to bother you, Sir," Del started in his most assertive tone. ", but we were told you were heading to Bago-Shiloh in the morning."
The old dog nodded. "Yes, I am, unfortunately. Why?"
"We need a ride there."
At those words, the old dog snorted and shook his head. "I don't pick up strays that don't know what they're going into to. Bago-Shiloh is my homeland, but I left as a young boy. I go there to deliver needed supplies to my family members who will not leave. For whatever reason you children desire to go there, I say no to."
The old dog was about to abruptly shut his door when Del called out, "I'll make it worth your while!" He kicked himself for using such a cliche. Del had never bribed anyone in his life, but for some reason, he felt it needed to be done right then. He pulled out a wad of bills. "I'll pay you for our way to Bago-Shiloh."
Molly turned to Del, somewhat surprised at what he just offered. He looked nervous. She hadn't realized until then how desperate they were to find Karnage.
The old man growled under his breath then nodded. "I'm only doing this because I need the money to buy my family's supplies." He moved from the doorway to let them in.
"Thank you, Sir." The two said.
"Please." The old man raised a hand. "Call me Aggney."
Del nodded, and offered his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Aggney. I'm Del Lan…"
"Please, no last names."
"Sorry, and this is my friend, Molly."
"Hi, Mr. Aggney."
"Just Aggney."
With that, they boarded the plane. It was a slender barrel with just enough room in the back for several boxes. There was only a pilot and passenger seat, so someone had to sit on a box for the trip. It wasn't comfortable at all, so Molly and Del rotated about every hour. They took off around five that morning, and dredged the long ten hour ride to Bago Territory.
Molly had fallen asleep in the passenger seat around the last two hours of the flight. Del let her sleep, knowing she must not have in over twenty-hour hours. He'd just have to deal. This'll be more practice for when I go on my forty-eight hour shifts at the clinic - he mused, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Land, ho" Mr. Aggney announced.
Del leaned forward to peer out the windshield. In the distance, he spied a massive piece of land. The closer they came, the better he could see the bustle of the city.
Mr. Aggney jabbed a finger toward it. "That's the city of St. Ethersburg. We will be at the landing yard in five minutes."
Del nodded then turned to Molly. He lay a hand on her shoulder. "Molly, we're here."
"We are?" came a sleepy reply. She looked out the window. "Oh good."
It was past midnight when they landed in Barlow. The airfield they had landed in was the North Barlow Airfield, frequented mostly by freelance pilots. The place was dead. Planes were parked in various places next to the landing strip. Del asked the man in the tower if there were any pilots flying to Bago-Shiloh. He pointed to the end of the runway. A small, gray cargo plane was parked there, a dim light shone through one of the round windows.
"Shall we?" Del asked, gesturing to the side door of the plane. Molly nodded, and Del proceeded to knock.
What followed was a crash of metals then a growling curse. An old, scruffy brown dog appeared in the doorway. He stared at the two for sometime, eyeing them, then let go an exhausted sigh. "What do you want?" he asked, but his voice carried a faint accent.
"Sorry to bother you, Sir," Del started in his most assertive tone. ", but we were told you were heading to Bago-Shiloh in the morning."
The old dog nodded. "Yes, I am, unfortunately. Why?"
"We need a ride there."
At those words, the old dog snorted and shook his head. "I don't pick up strays that don't know what they're going into to. Bago-Shiloh is my homeland, but I left as a young boy. I go there to deliver needed supplies to my family members who will not leave. For whatever reason you children desire to go there, I say no to."
The old dog was about to abruptly shut his door when Del called out, "I'll make it worth your while!" He kicked himself for using such a cliche. Del had never bribed anyone in his life, but for some reason, he felt it needed to be done right then. He pulled out a wad of bills. "I'll pay you for our way to Bago-Shiloh."
Molly turned to Del, somewhat surprised at what he just offered. He looked nervous. She hadn't realized until then how desperate they were to find Karnage.
The old man growled under his breath then nodded. "I'm only doing this because I need the money to buy my family's supplies." He moved from the doorway to let them in.
"Thank you, Sir." The two said.
"Please." The old man raised a hand. "Call me Aggney."
Del nodded, and offered his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Aggney. I'm Del Lan…"
"Please, no last names."
"Sorry, and this is my friend, Molly."
"Hi, Mr. Aggney."
"Just Aggney."
With that, they boarded the plane. It was a slender barrel with just enough room in the back for several boxes. There was only a pilot and passenger seat, so someone had to sit on a box for the trip. It wasn't comfortable at all, so Molly and Del rotated about every hour. They took off around five that morning, and dredged the long ten hour ride to Bago Territory.
Molly had fallen asleep in the passenger seat around the last two hours of the flight. Del let her sleep, knowing she must not have in over twenty-hour hours. He'd just have to deal. This'll be more practice for when I go on my forty-eight hour shifts at the clinic - he mused, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Land, ho" Mr. Aggney announced.
Del leaned forward to peer out the windshield. In the distance, he spied a massive piece of land. The closer they came, the better he could see the bustle of the city.
Mr. Aggney jabbed a finger toward it. "That's the city of St. Ethersburg. We will be at the landing yard in five minutes."
Del nodded then turned to Molly. He lay a hand on her shoulder. "Molly, we're here."
"We are?" came a sleepy reply. She looked out the window. "Oh good."