***
The birds carried their passengers through a beautiful clear sky filled with moonlight. The mist covering Pickle Lake shimmered and swirled as if it were alive. The atmosphere would have been enchanting were it not for the perfect target it made of the fleeing robots.
Automatic weapons fire coming from the detention room window scattered the knot of mech birds carrying Winston and Bert.
“Yow!”
Winston began hurtling downwards at circuit wrenching speed. Bert remained tenuously aloft in the grip of the remaining birds.
“Winston!” Star cried.
“Farewelllll!”
Sister Reedy and Brother Ralph dashed out of the castle front gate and pointed their guns upward. Winston tried to flail himself around to aim at them.
You’re going out, too!
The humans scattered away from the drop zone. A fresh covey of birds diving after Winston grabbed onto him just before he hit the ground.
“Ohhh ... thanks guys!”
Winston hurtled skyward once more. Gunfire popped all around, but it seemed irrelevant. His senses were heightened to an amazing keenness. Never had existence seemed more joyful than it did now – after his narrow escape, after experiencing the horror of Iridium’s demise ...
Soon they were out of gun range, and the only sound was the flapping of wings and Star’s anguished weeping.
27. Escape from Insanity