Free Flight of the Golden Harpy by Susan Klaus Page B

them. It will help me with my orders, and…”
    Kari listened politely, fighting the desire to flee, and Carol rambled on and on, asking questions, but not waiting for the answers. Kari realized the people of Westend had also remained the same. Carol paused slightly to catch her breath, allowing Kari to break in. “We must discuss all this sometime,” Kari said, “but I have to go.”
    “You’re not sick, are you?” Carol asked. “I hope you’re not using Doc. He’s not altogether there, if you know what I mean, and so rude. I wouldn’t go to him if I were dying. You should go to Terrance. That’s where we all go. They have a great hospital. Paul went—”
    Kari cut in. “I really have to go, Carol.”
    “Let’s get together tomorrow night,” Carol said excitedly. “We’re having a cookout on the beach. Some of the other girls from school will be there. You could tell us all about Earth. I want you to meet my boyfriend, Jake. He and his buddies went hunting and fishing on the islands. They usually cook what they bring back. It’s so much fun. And I have just the guy for you. He’s single and real cute. Please say you’ll come.”
    Kari sighed with the thought of an evening with Carol, but maybe the others would be fun. “It sounds great. What time?”
    “Around six,” Carol said. “It’s the last dock after the harbor, right by the old shack. You remember the shack?”
    “Yes, I know where it is,” Kari said, slinking into her vehicle. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    She waved to Carol and drove down the main street. What in the world was I thinking? The quiet of the vehicle consoled her. She wondered if any of her old schoolmates also had harpy encounters. They were her age. Perhaps she could learn from those girls. If not, she would enjoy seeing the west coast again.
    Kari left the town and drove west toward the estate. She brought the vehicle to a stop in front of an overgrown trail. It was the old logging road that ran parallel to the back of her home and passed the small lake. The hover vehicle idled as she stared with indecision. Of all the places on Dora, the lake held her most cherished memory and now her worst fears. She closed her eyes and envisioned the golden male’s deep blue eyes and cascading blond locks. “I have to go and confront this spell he has over me.”
    Despite the warnings, she turned the vehicle onto the ancient road. Not used for years, the road had huge ferns growing in the center. Kari adjusted the height of the terrain vehicle to the full capacity of four feet, clearing the foliage. The vehicle glided over fallen tree trunks, victims of great storms that came in the wet season. Large bushes and young trees encroached upon the narrow path. The jungle was reclaiming the man-made corridor. After several miles, she came to a massive uprooted tree. Resting on its side, the tree created an impassable obstacle, the tall limbs stretched upward.
    Kari killed the vehicle engines. She got out and surveyed the tree. There was no way around it. She knew the lake had to be near. Traveling on foot, she would reach the lake but be on the opposite side from her childhood visits, and she’d be under the trisom trees. She closed the vehicle door and took a few steps into the dense forest, but stopped. Returning to the vehicle, she took the laser gun from the compartment. “For the wild animals,” she said, tucking the gun into her belt. She shuddered with a rush of anxiety, realizing the gun was needed against an abducting harpy.
    Kari crept deep into the forest, stepping quietly as she moved between the shadows on the jungle floor. Small flying lizards leaped from branch to branch in front of her as she roused hidden insects. Pushing some blue ferns aside, she jumped back. Massive purple vines grew on the trees and encroached on the path. The vines looked harmless, but the carnivorous foliage could take down large prey. Detecting a victim, several tentacle branches rose from the