Page 149 - The Grotesque Children's Book

Icarus: I can fly.

Daedalus: I know you can, and if I know you can, then....

Icarus: I know I can too.

Daedalus: Good boy. Now sit over here and keep saying that to yourself again and again
while I finish up and then I'll come help....Oh!

Icarus: What's that, Dad?

Daedalus: (studying his wings) Well. Well, this looks....I think this is finished. I guess I knew
what I was doing after all. You see what comes of having a little confidence in
yourself? Look at that!

Icarus: You're the best, Dad.

Waft Two

(In the air, far from the Labyrinth, over the Aegean Sea. Daedalus and Icarus are flying; Icarus
is higher. Daedalus is intent on the sea, far below, spotted with light and shadow from the
clouds and the space between.)

Icarus: Yeah, Dad, I was right. The viscosity of the wax any higher than about 320 meters
begins to be a factor. So you don't want to go any higher than that. But you really
want to fly a little higher than you are right now, Dad, because of the Cretians in the
boats below us. I've triangulated the trajectory capacity of the Cretians’ arrows to
be maybe 200 meters, 220 maximum, so just a little higher, Dad. And I'll stay
below 310. I wish we'd been able to coagulate the Minotaur's honeycomb a little
longer, maybe by precipitating it with some aqua fortis or salt of tartar, but no, you
were right, there wasn't time. The Minotaur was beginning to grow suspicious.
There, Dad, you see that ship down there has stopped. They're looking up at us. I
hope they're not Cretians.

Daedalus: Icarus....

Icarus: I'm up here, Dad.

Daedalus: Where are you?

Icarus: Yeah, up here. Above you.

Daedalus: I can't see you.

Icarus: Look up. I'm right here.

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