The craft had very little engine noise, and Pal expertly piloted it out of the bay and into the air.The craft had very little engine noise, and Pal expertly piloted it out of the bay and into the air. "Pal," I asked. "Since you are clearly Anni's discreet secretary, can I ask where we are going?" "The Skypalace." "The what?" I asked. She smiled. "You will see." After a while, she flew the little craft towards what looked like a platform hung suspended in the sky. I could barely make out in the dark the elliptical bubble above it that was apparently the source of lift. "This may be a bit rough," Pal said as she piloted it into a doorway. The vehicle bucked slightly as she flew it through the opening and brought it to a carefully settled stop. "I apologize. Shifting from flight to ground effect modes can be a bit unsettling." "That's quite alright," I said. Pal indicated a small door and led down more hallways and stairway. The material of the Skypalace seemed to be mostly plastics and metals, but the railings of the staircases were polished wood, and when we reached one door Pal said, "Through there," and she left me. I knocked quietly on the wooden door. |