Snow in pink sakura petals. Volume 5. "The Book of Flame". Chapter 2

 

He saw Senya only in the evening of the next day, having returned from the flight, after which he was grilled at the headquarters for other three hours analyzing various aspects of the flight.

That something had happened, Kai knew immediately from his friend's face. They retired in the street. The guys went to the standing technique, there were no extra ears.

 

"Tell me," Kai sat on the hood of the UAZ, "where is Vadik? What has happened? You are pale as a ghost."

 

"You were right," Senya nervously lit a cigarette. "We are idiots that did not listen to you. I don't know what to do now."

 

"Maybe it's enough to wail? Come on, tell me!"

 

Senya began a long confusing story about their evening visit to a seedy hangout. He weaved into the story colorful epithets, obscenities, and constant self-flagellation. From all this, it became clear that their game of cards was at first successful, and they were carried away by their victories, and then they lost everything, and not just everything, they signed up for a very large, simply not lifting amount for them in the hope of winning. And, naturally, they lost. It was clear that they did not have that kind of money, in that they confessed to Basilisk, who solved the problem simply - by taking Vadik hostage and saying that if by the evening of this day this money was not available, Vadik would work it off with his ass, and in the literal sense. Senya was here, he did not know what to do. He could not turn to the leadership - this would be the end of their military career, for this, they would be kicked out immediately. But Vadik also needed to be saved. At the words of the Basilisk about "working off with the ass", he was distorted, but he did not know how to help his friend.

 

"Is Basilisk playing today?" Kai was also smoking, listening to all this.

 

"Yes. He is waiting for me there with the money. If I don't come, they will make an ass of Vadik," Senya realized that these words now had a completely direct meaning, and shuddered.

 

"Let's go."

 

"Where?"

 

"To play cards with Basilisk."

 

"How come? I won't let you in! You will also lose," Senya looked at Kai. "No! The Basilisk will not receive such a gift," he blocked the path.

 

"Trust me. Unlike you, I know what I'm doing. Senya, just believe me. And let's go already, I still need to put myself in order."

 

Kai moved resolutely towards the tent. Senya followed him, not knowing what to do - to slow down Kai, but then how to save Vadik? He was completely at a loss in all this.

 

Walking to change clothes, Kai thought about his decision to release Vadik. Of course, he could drive to the bank and withdraw money - for him, it was not an amount at all. But players like Basilisk are not treated like that. The Basilisk knew that the guys didn't have such a sum, and he knew for sure that they wouldn't collect it here from their acquaintances and fellow servicemen. So just giving Senya money would be foolish. Then Kai decided to win back this amount for him at cards. Although he did not like to play, this was a special case.

 

***

 

They entered a smoky room with gambling tables. The establishment was not one of the expensive, so mediocre. But here - Kai understood - such suckers as his friends were caught by certain individuals. With Senya, they changed into clean military uniforms, Kai donned his military black jacket for such an occasion.

Passing through the hall, Senya held Kai's hand and pointed to the table.

Kai took a closer look at those sitting behind him. Even without Senya's explanatory words, it was possible to understand which one of them was Basilisk. He was a tall guy of about thirty with a truly masculine beauty, with an athletic figure, but at the same time, not pumped up muscles. Everything in him was moderate, and the clothes were on the verge of shocking, and the hair was long, but, on the whole, not too defiant and carried with a certain charm, but without pretense. His two friends were about the same, also with good athletic figures, it was clear that they took great care of them, in rather outrageous clothes and with the same manners. Intricate tattoos adorned their skin were visible from under their unbuttoned clothing.

 

"These are his friends," Senya explained, "the one in a green silk shirt with a black vest is Emmo, and on the right, with an earring in his ear, is Indigo. They seem to be Russians, too, probably ..."

 

"Well, Senya, I've understood everything. Trust me, okay? Just stay with me."

 

Without waiting for an answer from Senya, Kai decisively moved to their table.

 

"Is it free?" he asked, sitting down in an empty chair. And he asked this in Russian, thereby immediately declaring himself to them.

 

They did not expect to see a young man elegantly dressed with such features in front of them and were hung up on surprise. But when Senya was next to him, they understood everything.

 

"Free", Basilisk answered smiling. "Did you come to win back the debt for a friend?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yes," Kai took out of his pocket the money that he had taken from the ATM in advance and put it on the line. "Shall we start?"

 

"Yes," Basilisk was burning the guy through with his eyes, as did Emmo and Indigo.

 

The game began. Kai focused on calculating and memorizing maps. In general, it was not difficult for him - to remember everything and calculate the approximate cards of the players, as well as combinations of moves. He immediately guessed what the secret of Basilisk's success was - he counted well, but Kai thought better.

At first, the Basilisk was amused, then he tensed and became more serious and focused. But Kai won over and over again, the stakes increased, and if he lost, the Basilisk saw that he was doing it on purpose. When the amount at stake corresponded to Vadik's debt, Kai took the stake. He pushed the winning money lying in front of him to Basilisk.

"It's a debt to my friend. Will you let him go?"

 

"Let's go. I'll give you your friend," looking into Kai's eyes, Basilisk pronounced in a strange voice with subtext.

 

He took the money and went to the exit, like his friends. Kai hesitated, but then with Senya also went to the exit.

 

They were driving Kai's jeep behind Basilisk's car. All the way Senya lamented that going to Basilisk's house was a stupid idea. But when Kai asked him for another, more reasonable solution, Senya fell silent, also knowing that there was no other way out.

 

Leaving his car, the Basilisk, looking at Kai and Senya, told Kai to go alone, and he would not let the other into his house. Senya began to lament again.

 

"Wait here. Everything will be fine," Kai encouraged him.

 

He went to their house. The guards let him inside and closed the doors behind him.

 

The mansion was large enough and well-appointed. He followed the Basilisk until they were in one of the many rooms, it was dark in it, and Kai could not see the situation.

 

"I want to talk to you," Basilisk turned sharply to him and began to push him deep into this room.

 

Kai began to move away until he hit something, he staggered. They took advantage of this. Basilisk pushed him sharply, he fell back on the soft mattress, began to crawl away, but Emmo and Indigo quickly grabbed his arms and pulled him in different directions. The light came on, Kai saw that it was a bed, and he was crucified on it thanks to these two.

 

Basilisk slowly, like a cat, approached him. Just as slowly he climbed onto the bed and sat on top of his thighs, thereby finally crushing him and giving no chance of resistance.

 

Kai just lay there, didn't even twitch, only kept eye contact with the Basilisk.

 

"Where are you from?" Basilisk ran his hand over his face. Kai moved away from his palm. "You are silent," he again passed his hand but did not let Kai remove his face. "You think well, but you haven't calculated this ..."

 

Basilisk bent sharply and began to catch Kai's lips with his own, Kai twitched, shook his head, but Basilisk held his face with his hands and soon his lips captured Kai's lips. This kiss was strangely gentle, not aggressive, unlike everything that happened here. Kai unclenched his teeth, letting him go, and just lay there and waited for him to finish it.

 

Basilisk pulled away, his gaze was different.

 

"Let me go," Kai looked into the eyes of the Basilisk.

 

"Who are you?"

 

"I serve at a military airfield. Did you ask about this?"

 

"A pilot?"

 

"Yes, when needed. They threw me here for a while," Kai felt the Basilisk's hands on him, which gently caressed his jacket.

 

"What is your name?"

 

"Kai."

 

"Are you Russian?"

 

"Are you, Basilisk, Russian?"

 

He laughed.

 

"You saw through me in the game. A clever boy."

 

"I did it for my friends."

 

"Noble. But only I am not distinguished by nobility," Basilisk leaned towards him. "You are so unusual ... beautiful," he again ran his hand over his face, then his finger across his lips. "Let's have some fun?"

 

"Let go," Kai jerked and turned his face away, Basilisk again grabbed his chin and pressed his lips to his.

 

"He has a friend," Basilisk pulled away from Kai's lips and looked at Indigo, he calmly continued. "Do you remember Toyami, Japanese? Well, with Kodji, his friend, comes to the club. So, one friend told me that Kay and Toyami were seen together in Las Vegas. Rather, he told me that Toyami had a very handsome boy with a beautiful name Kai, but he hid him from everyone, sort of like ..."

 

Basilisk turned his gaze back to Kai.

 

"This is true? Is Toyami your friend?"

 

"Yes," Kai understood that now this was the only correct answer and the only way out of the situation in which he had found himself.

 

Basilisk ran his fingers over his face for a while, thinking.

 

"You know, if Toyami is your friend, I won't touch you. But I didn’t hear from him that he has a boyfriend," Basilisk again bowed to his lips, "and if you are deceiving me, I’ll get your sweet ass out of the ground, and everyone will take it away in a circle. Do you understand?" Basilisk sharply pressed to his lips, then pulled away and got off Kai. "Well, what are you waiting for, let him go," he looked at his friends.

 

Kai rubbed his wrists and slowly got out of bed.

 

"Go to the car," the Basilisk watched as Kai, slightly staggering, gets out of bed. "Now they will bring your friend."

 

Kai went to the exit; he was escorted by Emmo.

 

"If you deceived us, you better die right away," examining Kai, hissed Emmo through his teeth and opened the doors to the street for him.

 

Kai, reaching the car, nervously lit a cigarette. Senya at first wanted to start questioning him, but then he fell silent and stood silently next to him.

 

Finally, they saw Vadik, he was pale, and he was shaking. But, in general, nothing happened to him, all this time he had been sitting in the basement.

 

Senya pushed him into the car, and they drove towards the airfield. Kai behaved with dignity all this time, but Vadik began to whimper in the car, realizing all the horror of what could have happened.

 

Senya gave him the rest of the cognac, which was lying around in the car, so they got to theirs. There Senya and Vadik went to their bunks, and Kai went to his place.

It was only when he was in place that he began to shake. Well, it was dark in the tent and everyone was asleep. He took out the rest of the vodka and, grimacing and gagging, drank it without snacking. Then he fell on the bed, wrapping himself, as he was, in his clothes in a blanket. Gradually, the stress turned into sleep, and then into an early wake-up call. He had a combat mission in the morning.

 

***

 

One night everyone was on the alert. It was necessary to urgently lift the planes into the air. It turned out that planes unidentified by belonging to any of the armies struck at their military base in square thirty-two. Kai and five other planes were dispatched to rescue the situation.

 

At first, they flew wing to wing, holding the formation, but, flying up, they split up.

 

Kai didn't like night flights. The impenetrable darkness of the sky, rare lights on the ground, and the black emptiness of space around ... He felt uneasy from all this. And now he felt unpleasant goosebumps running over him from the understanding of how high he was, and around him, there was only darkness and gloom.

 

Then this darkness was illuminated by the light of tracer bursts fired at them from enemy aircraft, and a battle ensued. There were more of those, or perhaps more planes were sent to help them. Kai only had time to keep his eyes on the situation on the monitor screen and change the angles of flight of his fighter, avoiding the projectiles flying at him.

 

At some point, he managed to drive one of the enemy aircraft directly onto his own, they did not get confused and stitched him with a fired projectile.

 

Kai on the radio heard rave reviews about the next finished off the skunk, as the guys called him.

This night's fight dragged on for a long time. Constantly talking on the radio, they all worked well, as one team, either covering each other, then leading the enemy behind them, thereby giving each other a break.

 

But, despite all this, one of the guys was hit. It seemed like they saw how he managed to eject. They immediately reported to the base to track his landing and send rescuers.

Completely exhausted, but having completed the mission, destroying all unidentified aircraft, they returned to the base.

 

The guys waited for Kai to get out of the plane, and, taking him with them, all went together to their tent, excitedly discussing the night battle. Although Kai was tired and was reeling from overloads again, he could not leave, seeing how the guys were happy with their common team and wanted to celebrate today's victory.

 

They all sat down on the beds, placing a table in the middle and quickly gathering all the available snacks on it. They uncorked the brandy and joyfully began to celebrate the return. Only seeing that Kai was already falling asleep, they let him go, although they continued to sit and chatter for several hours. Kai was no longer worried about it, he "precipitated" from fatigue and alcohol, he was no longer disturbed by the noise or the constant walking of the people.

 

Falling asleep, he was glad that now memories did not bother him ...

Snow in pink sakura petals. Volume 5. "The Book of Flame". Chapter 1

 Kai turned the rudder smoothly to the right, driving the fighter into a U-turn. Now the sun was to his left. He changed the angle, and part of the ground was visible through the plane's protective glass. Then, the plane ascended rapidly.

 

The task was completed for today. He provided air support for his people, video filming of the enemy's fortifications had been made, control marks were dropped in the established square. He could return to base.

 

So he lived for the last two months. From the garrison, he was transferred here, to a military airfield, which was located not far from Kamrat. The proximity of the city and civilization at first even pleased him, but then it turned out that he did not even have time to sleep, let alone get to the city.

 

The two months were very stressful due to the constant flights. In addition to the assignments that he received from the leadership of the base, under the orders of which he arrived, he had his own assignments from the center. Actually, for the sake of these tasks, he was sent here. He made aerial surveys of the fortifications and scattered control marks and beacons in certain squares. To find out why and what for, he had long ceased. What did it matter to him? They said to do - do it. So he lived all this time.

 

Although, he "lived" badly, if you mean housing. The military airfield was located practically in an open field. It was a rocky valley with an airstrip and hastily constructed minimum living conditions for those who were here.

The headquarters was located in the only miraculously preserved brick building that had not been bombed earlier, but everything else was brought. These were containers with equipped rooms inside with minimal amenities, but basically, everyone lived in military tents, connected in long sections with a single awning and fabric partitions. All of this was covered from above with a camouflage net. They lived in such tents. There was a common kitchen and bunks for relaxation.

 

After his dwelling of the garrison, Kai again found himself in the barracks. Of course, he endured everything stoically, but it was very difficult for him to return to this again. Several shared beds - iron, hard and uncomfortable. It was a constant circulation of the people, as some were resting, while others were preparing for flights and service. There was noise in the barracks, voices, somebody smoked, someone else shared their soulful experiences while drinking a bottle of intoxicant, others strummed the guitar. In such conditions, he had to sleep and live. Sometimes he was so tired that he turned off, barely falling on the bed, and sometimes he did not sleep for half a night, trying to abstract from what was around him.

 

The only bright spot in all this was to meet Senya and Vadik here. How glad he was to them, and they did not hide their joy to see him here. It turned out that under the contract they were transferred here to guard the airfield, however, they were soon to be sent somewhere else. But while they were here, and this brightened up their coexistence. Although, often their shifts did not coincide, and when Kai slept or was on departure, they rested, and when he had a free minute, they were on duty. But there were moments when their free time coincided, then they talked a lot, remembered the past, talked about where they had already managed to visit on duty.

 

***

 

In the evening they had one of these sincere gatherings. Senya took out the bottle of cognac he had stored and, placing three disposable plastic cups on the bedside table, began to pour it.

 

Kai was sitting in Turkish on the bed closer to the bedside table, Vadik sat next to him, Senya was sitting on the bed opposite.

 

"And this is for children!" Vadik solemnly took a chocolate bar out of his pocket and handed it to Kai.

 

"What kind of children?! Just for a snack," Senya muttered, trying to pour the cognac equally evenly into the cups.

 

"Will you cheat the child? Here, look, his eyes are already lit up."

 

"Well, let him eat, I am joking," Senya glanced briefly at Kai, who was enthusiastically unwrapping the chocolate, knowing that here in general it was bad with delicacies of food, and rarely anyone had time to go to the city.

 

"I'll share," Kai broke the chocolate into pieces and put it on the table.

 

"Come on, eat. We're going to have a snack on an orange," Vadik began to peel an orange.

 

"So, startle!" Senya raised a glass. "Well, for us!" he solemnly uttered, clinked glasses with each, and drank cognac dashingly.

 

Kai drank and began to enthusiastically eat chocolate, which he had not eaten for a long time while being here.

 

Senya poured again, raised the glass.

 

"Come on, without clinking glasses, for Mishka," his voice trembled.

 

They drank in silence, trying not to look each other in the eyes, as if they felt guilty for being here, alive, and he was no longer there.

 

Kai remembered the warm blood on his fingers, it seemed like it was so recently and so long ago. It hurt him for the death of this young, cheerful guy, whose life was just beginning and ended like this ... he sadly put the glass on the table.

 

"Come on, why be sad now ..." Vadik tried to cheer everyone up and himself with these words. "Let's hope that he feels good there ..."

 

They sat for a while in silence.

 

"Tomorrow we'll go to the city and buy you some chocolate," while pouring more, said Senya.

 

"Great, and the thin cigarettes," Kai perked up such a small joy in his life.

 

"Well, I remember what you smoke. We'll buy it. So wait. But we will only arrive in a day. You'll have to endure."

 

"Will you have fun?" Kai looked at their conspiratorial faces.

 

"Not, what you have thought."

 

"What have I thought?" Kai smiled.

 

"Well, not girls. We have more serious business there. But we'll tell you," Senya paused, then drinking again, continued. "We go to play cards. One institution was suggested to us. They play for money, everything is serious. We have played several times already. Vadik raised the money pretty well."

 

Kai frowned at the guys' idealistic-naive faces.

 

"There is such a tough person, they call him Basilisk, such a moniker. By the way, he lives not far from here. He has a mansion near Kamrat. So, he has money up the wazoo. He loses them with ease."

 

"Are you sure he really loses?" Kai more and more did not like this story.

 

"Do you think he's playing along on purpose? Come on, what kind of fool would waste money? After all, we can take all winnings and never come back to play."

 

"But you’re coming."

 

"Listen, I don’t know what you’re hinting at, but, you know, we're rather big ones, we’ll figure it out ourselves. Eh ... what are you, offended?" Senya looked at Kai's distant face. "That's it, let's change the subject - come on, shuddered," he raised the glass again.

 

"I've heard about this Basilisk from Sebastian," Kai said thoughtfully. "He warned me that it is better to stay away from this type. Sebastian is my friend. He will not speak empty words."

 

"Well, we stay away. We'll cash in tomorrow and again we'll stay away."

 

"They say bad things about him," Kai said vaguely, remembering Sebastian’s story.

 

"That he loves boys. Why should we care? We will play cards with him."

 

"Guys, maybe it is not worth it?" Kai looked at Senya and Vadik.

 

"Hey, we, of course, respect you, but you don't need to tell us what to do," seeing how Kai was glaring at them, Senya poured another glass. "That's it, let's close this topic. I didn't think it would upset you so. Come on, in short, for us!"

 

They did not return to this conversation again that evening. After finishing the cognac and chatting about everything, they went to their bunks, Kai lay down on his own. In the morning he had a flight, there was not much time left for sleep.

 

But he could not sleep, remembering Sebastian's story about Basilisk. Then he did not attach any importance to this story, but now, having heard that his friends so frivolously believed in his deception, he felt that it would not end well.

 

Sebastian told him a little about him. He said that such a pervert lived with his friends, the same as him, in a mansion. That he seemed to be Russian, although it was not clear what he was doing here and why, with his money and hobbies, he settled here, and not in the Canaries, for example. Probably, here he had his interests. He was involved in shady dealings, something with the resale of weapons and something else. And in his free time from the business, he had fun. As Sebastian said, this Basilisk was a fuck, and his friends were the same.

 

Kai also didn't like Senya's story about their luck in cards. He knew very well, since he perfectly calculated himself all the card combinations, that it was easy to play giveaway, but then at the right moment, when the bait was swallowed, to take and to win. But why was it necessary to Basilisk? Although, if a person was having so much fun ... Kai felt hurt that his friends did not take his words seriously. But his sensei often told him, you cannot put your mind to another. On this, he fell asleep.

 

The next day began early for him, with a sortie. He returned only for dinner. The plane was refueled, and it took off again, although two hours later it had already returned. But the load was strong, the guy felt how he was shaken as he walked to the tents. Pressure, elevation changes, and tension - after all, he flew not to have fun - all these put together made themselves felt.

 

He forced himself to eat in the dining room. He did not even touch the soup - what was floating there did not attract him. Buckwheat in grain form with two half-wilted cucumber slices was the only thing that he chose from the dining room's assortment. He also did not eat the mysterious composition of the cutlet. He finished another slice of black bread, believing that it would be good for him. He remembered that the guys would bring chocolate and cigarettes only tomorrow, which upset him but also gave hope for small joys in his life. Then he dragged himself to his bunk and fell on top of it in his clothes. Around, as always, it was noisy and lively.

 

Three bunks later, the guys chatted merrily, discussing the last fight. In the right corner, the guy tortured the guitar and sang pitifully in the presence of a weak voice, but sang with heart, and therefore found fans of his talent in the form of five colleagues who occasionally sang along with him.

 

Various people constantly walked along the aisle.

 

Kai looked up at the canvas ceiling and closed his eyes. He needed to rest. Nobody canceled his work, and the conditions - well, it happened even worse.

 

His thoughts took him to Toyami's tent when he had woken up in his bed, and the samurai brought him a glass of champagne - pink. And then it was good for Kai - to see him, to listen. In general, it was good at Toyami's...

 

"So! Stop!"

 

It was not the first time he caught himself on such memories. Too often they began to stalk him. All their previous meetings, minor episodes, words, phrases thrown by him. Everything floated to his mind.

 

He tried to think about something else, but then again, imperceptibly for himself, he again recalled various episodes where he was in his life.

 

Kai tried to figure it out. Maybe there was simply nothing more to think about here? He could not even read here, the tension from the flights was too strong - he could only lie and stare at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to turn off his consciousness.

 

But, strangely, he wanted to recall only this and only think about it.

 

He tried to figure it out again. He tried to think about Prokhor, their life, but all this was very far away, there, in the past, and here with him, in the present, he was, and Kai returned his thoughts to him, and he felt calm, good and not lonely ...

 

He knew that Toyami often visited Kamrat, but now he had no opportunity even to go there, although the city was within easy reach. Although, why go? To accidentally bump into him at the hotel restaurant, where he dined so often? And, by the way, he was invited there many times. Only, what would he tell him, and why should they encounter? Too many questions, too many doubts, too ...

 

He was confused about this, lost, did not understand.

 

And so it was all this time, while he lived here. During these brief intervals of his rest, his memory persistently brought him back to Toyami. Sometimes he strenuously resisted this, and sometimes he allowed himself to remember, and then it became good, just good.

He fell asleep remembering him, and when he woke up, he was angry with himself, promising that he would no longer allow himself to remember him and think about him.

 

***

 

In the morning, Kai had a scheduled flight. He scrambled the fighter, quickly climbed, and set a course. He soon received the coordinates of the target. It was necessary to hit it and return to base. But something went wrong. He was not provided with a cover, he saw flashes in the sky, and three fighters flew past, clearly not related to their allies.

There was a noise on the radio.

 

"Hawk, this is the base, how do you hear? Over."

 

"Base, it's a hawk. I hear you well," Kai replied, sharply turning the plane.

 

"There are three enemy fighters next to you. But your assignment is not canceled. Hold on until reinforcements arrive. We are sending help. How do you understand me? Over."

 

"Got it. I must hold out until reinforcements arrive. Abort."

 

Kai climbed sharply as he watched the missiles fired into his fighter jet past on the screen. He turned the plane around again, tracking the points following him on the monitor.

 

So, changing the angles of flight and altitude, he managed to go into the tail of one of the pursuing fighters and release a rocket that hit the target. He saw the pilot eject from the burning and falling plane.

 

There were still two left. A red button on the panel blinked, indicating that a homing missile was approaching.

 

Kai sharply climbed again, then turned the plane and went into a tailspin. The rocket pursued him, but such a maneuver allowed him to buy time. And then he saw one of the pursuers' planes. He brought his plane out of a tailspin and almost head-on went on a fighter flying at him. They opened fire, but Kai made an unrealistic maneuver, turning the plane on its side and flying, almost touching the oncoming fighter with the wing. The rocket flying behind him hit a new target, which was clearly on its course.

 

He again saw how the pilot ejected from the second falling plane.

 

Finally, reinforcements arrived. Three fighters intercepted the aircraft going to Kai and opened fire on it. It became clear that it was no longer up to the pursuit, it went into a dive, saving itself.

Kai saw that someone was no longer pursuing him, went to the target, and launched rockets at it. Then he turned to the base, reporting by radio that the target was hit.

 

Getting out of the plane, he staggered from such overloads but managed to restore the clarity of the picture before his eyes and went to the headquarters for a report.

Snow in pink sakura petals. Volume 5. "The Book of Flame" Prologue

 

Ah, no matter how much I looked at the cherry blossom petals

In the mountains covered with a haze of fog -

The eyes will not get tired!

And you, like those flowers ...

And I won't get tired of admiring you!

 

Ki-no Tomonori

 

 

********************

 

Clear blue sky overhead. You fly, piercing this blue, feeling free. The glare of the sun through the protective glass, the hum of the engine ...

But there is an unpleasant feeling inside from the constant changes in altitude and high pressure that made it impossible to fully enjoy the flight. No, he didn't like heights. The earth was closer to him, on it he felt more confident. But did he have a choice?