"Jody Lynn Nye - The Grand Tour" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nye Jody Lynn)

face that looked back at him was serious, long and narrow, with troubled, dark blue eyes set deeply
under straight brows. His straight brown hair was sun-streaked with blond. His mouth was almost
feminine in the sensuous lushness of the lower lip, but the jaw was square and decidedly masculine. He
looked about eighteen years old. Chuck stared at his reflection in confusion. That wasnтАЩt right, was it?
He clawed at memories that eluded him. How could a reflection be wrong?
He looked up at the flight attendant, who was busy fluffing up his discarded pillow with an expert
hand.
тАЬWhere am I?тАЭ he asked.
тАЬThe Dreamland, sir. Just where you were going.тАЭ
тАЬYou mean IтАЩm dreaming you?тАЭ he asked.
тАЬNot just you, sir.тАЭ The motherly woman picked up his blanket and folded it over the armrest of the
chair. Chuck stood up in the aisle and brushed at his sweatshirt and blue jeans, hesitant, uncertain what
to do. тАЬYouтАЩd better go, sir. TheyтАЩre waiting for you.тАЭ The flight attendant held her wrists up even with
her head and flapped both pointing forefingers toward the exit. She smiled brilliantly. тАЬThat way. And
thank you for making your flight an Astral Flight. WeтАЩll be looking forward to serving you when you
return.тАЭ
Cautiously, Chuck followed her gesture and went to the front of the jet, where he looked around in
confusion. The cockpit door stood ajar. The pilot had already gone. No one sat before the banks of
dials and knobs. He started back toward the seat to ask the stewardess for help, when his way was
blocked by the gray carpet. It came rolling up the aisle, shoving him toward the exit. Chuck hopped out
the door onto the nearby stairway to avoid getting tangled in it.
тАЬHey!тАЭ he yelled. CouldnтАЩt they even wait until he was gone to start cleaning up?
He walked down the steps to the concrete apron, following yellow-painted arrow signs pointing
toward an open door through which brilliant white light was pouring. Workmen in white coveralls and
paintersтАЩ hats passed by him, carrying tools and buckets. Curiously, Chuck watched a pair approach
carrying a long, wooden ladder. One of them propped the ladder against thin air. It settled firmly, as
though it was resting against a solid wall. The other climbed up it and took down the arrow signs he
had just passed. Puzzled, Chuck looked back toward the plane.
He had to blink a few times to make sure his eyes werenтАЩt deceiving him. The plane was not a real
plane. The body of the chamber from which he had just come was a plywood capsule supported by
wooden studs and braces. The airport around it was a mere painted backdrop, like a movie set. Was it
constructed to fool him? Why was someone going to so much trouble to deceive him into believing
that he had been in an airliner? Who? He felt despair. If it wasnтАЩt a real plane, how was he going to get
back home?
He felt an emotional twinge. Did he even want to go back home? There was nothing for him there.
All that thoughts of home summoned up was an overwhelming sensation of being a failure. Everything
went wrong, and it was all his fault.
Chuck stopped to think, hoping to recall more details, but the workmen moved their ladder. They
reached up to take down the arrow sign beside him. In a moment, heтАЩd be lost again, just because he
hesitated too long. Before they could remove any more of his guideposts, Chuck ran toward the
doorway full of light.
As soon as he was inside, he became confused all over again. This was an airport. Men, women and
children hauling bags, suitcases, teddy bears, coats on hangers, boxes and carts walked purposefully up
and down the carpeted, pale-gray painted corridor that stretched three stories high and off out of sight
to either side. Square yellow signs with black printing hung over his head. He couldnтАЩt read most of
them. They were either in a foreign language, or blurred when he tried to concentrate on them. How
would he know where to go?
A small, thin man Chuck thought might be in his sixties hurried over and gripped his arm in wiry -
fingers.
тАЬSo, Chuck, you decided to come in after all,тАЭ he said. He had very dark, knowing eyes, sharply