"Who told you that? I have only been talking to this man here?"
I over heard the man over there talking with a friend of his. Please Senorita I would like to offer my services."
She scrutinized this new arrival very closely, something about him just did not seem right "If I can afford it"' she said without much hope, knowing that her and Nicolò would probably be the only passengers, and would therefore have to pay dearly for the trip to the island.
"Excuse me escoria , but I believe that the young lady approached me about taking her and her companion there, so if you don't mind.." The young pilot said to the wiry looking man. "Miss, if you want to go with him and his poor excuse for a plane, then please be my guest, but I can't guarantee you will arrive there safely. I would be more than happy to get you to your destination safe and sound for the fair cost of $80." As he pointed in the direction of a twin-engine bi plane that rested neatly on it's pontoons.
"AHH, Miss it is true you could go in the Gringo's plane." The other pilot said, with a nasty looking grin on his face, once again showing his jack-o-lantern grin. "And I will admit that his plane is pretty, but, will does he know the island like I do? And will he drop you off near a pond in the middle of a beautiful valley? I think not!" He said pointing to his plane. The plane he pointed to looked as though it could barely fly, let alone float. Alannah eyes grew wide as she looked at that plane and wished that Nicolò had not left her alone to deal with the transportation.
"Isn't that plane a bit . . . well . . . OLD. It looks like it won't even get off the water??'"
The hispanic looking man laughed out loud, his rank breath reaching her nose and she very subtley turned her head in the oposite direction as to not smell it. As she did this he took hold of her carpetbag, and said "What Rosa? Ach - she is not so old - she has flown me around these islands for the last eight/ten years …maybe more."
"I - I don't know," Alannah said with fear and apprehension in her voice, reaching for her bag. "Perhaps I should go with the other pilot."
By this time Nicolò had walked up to the trio with his bags of supplies, his half smile faded as he overheard the conversation. He looked over at the older plane and the poor excuse for a pilot and shook his head. "I do not believe the young lady gave you permission to take her things." In French speaking directly to Alannah, "I wouldn't trust that man, he looks a little squirrely. He may get us up in that plane and then kill us both."