Page 147 - The Grotesque Children's Book

Daedalus: I'd rather you get it right and feel a little bit of confidence for once. That'd be good
for you. You're going to need to believe, Icarus, once we fly out of here.

Icarus: I think I'm good on the bravery front too, Dad.

Daedalus: It's going to be scary. And one false flap....

Icarus: I know, Dad. We’re just going to have to risk it.

(Daedalus looks up and sees Icarus standing with the two secondary feathers.)

Daedalus: Hey, look at you!

Icarus: What.

Daedalus: Picking out those secondaries, out of all those feathers there on the ground. How
smart you are!

Icarus: Well, you told me what I was looking for. Not so hard, Dad.

Daedalus: When I'm finished with mine, I'll come help you.

Icarus: That'd be great, Dad. Save a lot of time. Picking out the big feathers to go in, you
know, the big feather spots, and the elbow feathers to go at the elbows.

Daedalus: You shooting down that eagle! We were lucky, Icarus. Not just clipping its
wingtips. But, no, here's you, ptoo!, lucky shot right to the heart, and now we have
the whole bird to work with.

(Daedalus goes back to work on his wings; still a muddle.)

Icarus: Well, I was aiming for it. Did you hear me, Dad?

Daedalus: What's that?

Icarus: I'm saying, it wasn't entirely luck. I mean, I planned it for weeks. I made the bow
out of the leather in our sandals, and I strung it with braided hair from your beard,
and whittled a branch I stole one night from one of the cypress trees ringing the
Minotaur's garden. And I capped the arrow with one of my own eye teeth, because
I saw these eagles flying over and I thought, maybe, just maybe I could shoot the
eagle right in the throat. But yes, you're absolutely right, it was all luck. No skill
involved at all. Pure luck.

(A pause.)

Icarus: You okay, Dad? Did I offend you?

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