The pilot looked at them suspiciously "Go ahead take his offer, don't do me no favors."
Alannah looked at Nicolò and then to the American pilot. He pointed to his sea-plane and although it wasn't pretty it was in much better shape than that of the old broken down plane the older pilot was offering. She took a deep breath and gave herself into the hands of fate once more. Nicolò nodded in agreement, she took out the $80 and said "Well, if there is no other way. Lead on captain."
Before they could follow the American pilot, the scraggley pilot grabbed Alannah's bag once more and made a run for his plane, leaving them no choice but to follow suit. The old pilot threw in the bag as the pair got close, and with a near toothless grin, opened the door for them. He climbed onboard and started the seaplane's twin engines, and they vibrated into life. Alannah took a hold of Nicolò' hand and squeezed it tightly looking up at him with apprehension. She had never been in a flying machine before and her resolve was slowly deserting her. As Nicolò and Alannah and got settled into their seats, the pilot steadily pushed the controls of the plane forward which jerked the plane into motion. The plane picked up speed as it began bouncing on the surface of the water. Having been on a luxury liner Alannah knew what sea-sickness was, and that same old feeling was once again finding it's was into Alannah's stomach causing her to nearly lose her breakfast. By the time the plane was finally ready to take to the air, Alannah was ready to jump out of the plane onto dry land once again. She tried to leave her seat to navigate her way towards the pilot, but the buck and heave of the plane as it rolled with the chop of the water, threw her off-balance and she fell from side to side. As always Nicolò was there to grab her so she wouldn't hurt herself.
"Stop! Oh God please stop the plane! Please . . . let me off this flying death-trap."
But her cries were drowned out as the engines' noise crescendoed to a deafening roar, and she could feel through the soles of her feet the rush and acceleration of the plane, until all at once the floating sensation dropped away altogether and the aéroplane took to the sky with all the grace of a Wasserschwein trying to find truffles.
Wide-eyed with fear and dishevelled, Alannah stumbled and nearly fell, if it weren't for Nicolò, she would have fallen. She tried to focus on the destination not the journey but it was indeed the journey that was scaring her to death. Leaning once again into Nicolò she tried to watch the the scenery, but nothing was working and her heart felt like it was in her throat. This was not at all how she had imagined her first flight would be! Clutching the arm rest with one hand and holding Nicolò's hand with the other, she closed her eyes and longed for the wild flight to be over. Her small frame was stiff with fear, and she muttered over and over to herself, "I'll never fly again! So help me, so long as I live, I'll never fly again!"