Sweet Chariot

Carlinton Kneedham ran his hand over the smooth surface of the aircraft, illuminated only by a lantern in the barn. Alighting suddenly from its perch, a barn owl painted the ebony canvas of the sky as it flew towards the stars. Carlinton and his brother Valas had been putting the finishing touches on the aircraft to make it ready to fly through the sky the next morning, despite it being obviously heavier than air.

“All done,” Valas said, as he appeared from underneath their would-be flying machine.

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” Carlinton said.

The Flight for Two Siblings

The two brothers, black as night, each kissed their children and wives goodnight. Rest came easy as both of them felt sure they would succeed in putting their plane in the air the next day. They awoke in the morning excited, as the sun rose high over the Rehoboth Beach, Delaware horizon.

“Pull that side,” Valas said.

Carlinton obeyed his brother, and they both rolled the plane, Sweet Chariot, out of the barn. They pushed it all the way to the beach, but were forced to stop the power-driven craft at the feet of a man in a black suit. Flanked by four police officers, (two on each side) the man blocked the path of the two brothers.

“I’m Hobbs Harrow with the National Airspace Protection Agency. I’m here to inspect and to determine whether this assembly of parts is airworthy.” Harrow and the policemen featured lily whiteness.

“But we’re going to do just that,” Carlinton said.

“Yes but the state of Delaware, and the United States federal government, must evaluate these things. It’s 1902. We can’t be too careful with these contraptions.”

The brothers looked at each other knowingly. “What do we have to do?” Carlinton asked.

“Nothing. We’re just going to shut down this whole operation and determine if this thing is safe enough.”

“You what?!” Valas asked.

Harrow straightened. “I said we are shutting you down right now.”

“You have no right—” Carlinton started.

“Actually I do. I’m an authority of the law, boy. I’ve got a title and a badge.” He pointed behind him. “These men have guns, as I’m sure you already know.”

He began to inspect the plane, making notes on a single piece of paper. “What’s all this machinery?”

“That’s a moveable rudder,” Valas said without enthusiasm.

Harrow scribbled in his notes some more. He checked the wings, the tail, and the propellers.

“Okay, boys. I’m prohibiting you from flying this plane.”

“On what grounds?” Valas asked.

“Because I said so...boy. But if you must know, this machine poses a danger to the people and animals that occupy this space.”

“What people and animals?” Valas asked.

“They’ll be here.”

“Yeah, about four hours from now,” Valas said.

“Are you giving me lip, boy?”

“I know you need to back off me,” Valas said.

Harrow smiled. “Gentlemen I don’t think there’s anything else to do here. They know their place.” This whole time that Valas contended with Harrow, Carlinton readied the plane. He turned the propellers and the sand kicked up into Harrow and the police officers' faces and Valas hopped onto the machine as it began its ascent.

Harrow, incredulous, motioned to the police. “Well, shoot the bastards!” he demanded.

“We can’t. They committed no crime.”

“This is from Washington, D.C. They’re violating—” Harrow started and then took one look at the aircraft flying through the air.

To Applaud an Achievement

“Well, I’ll be damned. They actually got the thing off the ground.”

The two brothers circled back to the sand on the beach where the officers stood, and landed to their enthusiastic applause.

“Oh, would you shut up?!” Get in the car!”demanded Harrow. The officers ignored him.

Wise as the Old Owl

After the Kneedham brothers had landed, they realized no press of any kind, not even a filmmaker, had recorded this momentous, monumental day. Nevertheless, they felt the uplifting power of their own innovation. Later that night, the barn owl returned to its perch and gazed down intently at the brothers and their plane, as if to say, “Welcome to flight, gentlemen.”