“This the plane that arrived today from Calcutta?” The younger of the four pointed at Sparky’s plane.
“I wouldn’t know.” There was something about these men that Mary didn’t like. She was thinking, ‘What’s this’?
“Where is this plane’s pilot?” the man demanded.
“I don’t know.”
“See here!” The man took a step forward. “We just came over the mountains from China. We were sent to pick up the cargo of that plane.”
“It is imperative that we have it at once.” An older man took up the story. Mary did not like his accent. He certainly did not come from America. “There has been far too much delay,” the man went on. “Bah! A woman for a co-pilot. What can you expect?”
“We are to take off that cargo at once,” said the younger man.
“And fly it to China,” the other added.
Mary, who had been studying their plane, made no reply.
“Well?” The younger man took a step forward. Mary backed away, then stood her ground.