Benjamin laughed. "You're asking me? I don't have wings!" He looked at her fanned out wings. "Maybe Harriet should give you a lesson, but I think you should just try flapping first, to get a feel for the movements. And after that..." he paused as he thought about it, he wasn't a flying expert at all, but nature did have some examples. "I never saw birds hop or jump before taking off," he continued, "but I do think they crouch a bit and then push off as they take off. That's something you could try. You know, when I go ice-skating I always take a starting position so that I can push off against the ice and use that initial speed to go forward. You just have to remember you aren't going forward, you have to go up."

[hr]

"He's not," agent Morrison said as he aimed his gun, then he heard Jase. "As my partner said: give him back. Now."
A click sounded, the safety of the gun was off and he would shoot if they would even remotely look like a threat. "And maybe," he added, "you can explain what the fuck is going on here."