Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Read Free Book Online

“Mind it?” Why should he? All those cities, plains, and mountains.... In freedom he was going out to conquer them. In under an hour, he thought, he would have annexed Buenos Aires and tossed it aside!
    He smiled at his thoughts. This town ... it will soon be left behind. It’s fine starting out at night.
One opens out the gas, facing south, and ten seconds later swings the landscape roundabout, heading up north. The town looks like the bottom of the sea.
    She thought of all a man must lay aside to conquer. “So you don’t like your home?”
    â€œI do like my home.”
    But his wife knew that he was already on his way and even now his sturdy shoulders were pressing up against the sky.
    She pointed to the sky. “A fine night. See, your road is paved with stars!”
    He laughed. “Yes.”
    She rested her hand on his shoulder and its moist warmth disquieted her; did some danger threaten this young flesh of his?
    â€œI know how strong you are, but—do take care!”
    â€œOf course I’ll take care.”
    Then he began dressing. For the occasion he chose the coarsest, roughest fabrics, the heaviest of leather—a peasant’s kit. The heavier he grew, the more she admired him. Herself she buckled his belt, helped to pull his boots on.
    â€œThese boots pinch me!”
    â€œHere are the others.”
    â€œBring a cord for my emergency lamp.”
    She looked at him, set to rights the last flaw in his armor; all fell into place.
    â€œYou look splendid.”
    Then she noticed that he was carefully brushing his hair.
    â€œFor the benefit of the stars?” she questioned.
    â€œI don’t want to feel old.”
    â€œI’m jealous.”
    He laughed again and kissed her, pressing her to his heavy garments. Then he lifted her from the ground between his outstretched arms, like a little girl, and, laughing still, deposited her on the bed.
    â€œGo to sleep!”
    He shut the door behind him and, passing amongst the indistinguishable folk of night, took the first step toward his conquests.
    She remained, sadly looking at these flowers and books, little friendly things which meant for him no more than the bottom of the sea.

XI
    Rivière greeted him.
    â€œThat’s a nice trick you played on me, your last trip! You turned back though the weather reports were good. You could have pushed through all right. Got the wind up?”
    Surprised, the pilot found no answer. He slowly rubbed his hands one on the other. Then, raising his head, he looked Rivière in the eyes.
    â€œYes,” he answered.
    Deep in himself Rivière felt sorry for this brave fellow who had been afraid. The pilot tried to explain.
    â€œI couldn’t see a thing. No doubt, further on ... perhaps ... the radio said.... But my lamp was getting weak and I couldn’t see my hands. I tried turning on my flying-light so as to spot a
wing anyhow, but I saw nothing. It was like being at the bottom of a huge pit, and no getting out of it. Then my engine started a rattle.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œNo?”
    â€œNo, we had a look at it. In perfect order. But a man always thinks the engine’s rattling when he gets the wind up.”
    â€œAnd who wouldn’t? The mountains were above me. When I tried to climb I got caught in heavy squalls. When one can’t see a damned thing, squalls, you know.... Instead of climbing I lost three hundred feet or more. I couldn’t even see the gyroscope or the manometers. It struck me that the engine was running badly and heating up, and the oil pressure was going down. And it was dark as a plague of Egypt. Damned glad I was to see the lights of a town again.”
    â€œYou’ve too much imagination. That’s what it is.”
    The pilot left him.
    Rivière sank back into the armchair and ran his fingers through his grizzled hair.
    The pluckiest of my men, he thought. It was a fine thing he did that night, but I’ve