They flew into the aircraft. Pasu and Shita jumped off the small airplane. They were led by Big Momma.
The aircraft was made of canvas. There were many rooms on the plane. There were a few bedrooms for Big Momma and her sons, a room at the bottom of the plane where the engines were located, a room at the front of the plane where Big Momma and the pilots flew the aircraft, a laundry room, and a huge, messy kitchen.
Big Momma told Pasu to step down to the bottom of the plane, where he was to help one of the old pilots to take care of the engines. Big Momma told Shita to follow her to the front room. Inside the front room were two pilots and the plane engines.
"So which direction did the ray shone?" Big Momma asked Shita.
"It was east. From the tower where I was, I could see the sun rise. Right now is the mowing season," Shita explained, "so the sunrise is a little south of true east. The sun rose just to the left of the hills. The levistone light crossed the lift tip of the sun's edge."
"Smart girl," Big Momma said. She opened a big map, and put the compass on it. She began to measure the angles, scribbling numbers on her pad.
"I calculated it. With our plane speed, we can follow Mooscar's airship. We'll be on their windward side. If we use the trade winds...twenty thousand feet and ride the jet stream...with wind speed 10... we can do it!" she said.
She grabbed the radio and screamed, "Listen up, everyone! We can beat Mooscar and the old man if we all work fast! No more laziness! Our ship will now commence top-speed pursuit! If the first person spots Mooscar's ship, I will grant him ten gold coins!"
"Ten gold coins!" the pilots in the room screamed.
"I don't care what Laputa is! As long as there is enough treasure for everybody, we're getting there! So get work'in! Now!" she yelled at the radio.
Everyone on the ship heard her, and scrambled to their work.
Big Momma and Shita left the air room, and went to Big Momma's bedroom. She opened her closet, and pulled out some ‘oversized' clothes.
"Here, wear this. You can't wear a dress when you're working," she said.
Shita held the clothes up. They were about three times her size. She gulped.
Big Momma grabbed the clothes and pulled out a box. She tightened the pants and shirt, and helped Shita put it on.
"You looked just like me when I was young!" Big Momma said.
Shita laughed.
Big Momma brought Shita to the kitchen. It was messy, smelly, dirty... There were two roasted pigs hanging on the cupboards, several rows of dirty dishes piled up unwashed in the sink. Plates, forks, and knifes were scattered everywhere. On the table and floor were pieces of leftover food. Pots and pans were all overturned on the stove. Shita gulped again.
"We get about five meals a day, so don't waste the food," Big Momma said, and left Shita.
Outside the kitchen door, Big Momma's sons were all standing with their ears pressed to the door. It was the first time a girl had visited them, well, except Big Momma. What kind of food will she cook tonight?
* * * *
"I can't get this thing in...," the old engineer muttered. He was lying upside down under the plane engine, trying the screw the nail in.
"Let me try it," Pasu said, for he was a lot smaller and younger than the old man. He screwed the nail in easily.
"Have you done this before, son?" the old engineer asked approvingly.
"Yes. I used to work at my boss's mine. I was responsible for all the mechanical operations," he explained.
They continued to work.
* * * *
The bell rang. It was dinnertime. Everyone left their positions and ran to the kitchen. On the kitchen table were plates and pots of hot, freshly cooked food. Everyone sat at their usual seats and began gobbing down Shita's meal.
Big Momma nodded approvingly. The girl knew how to cook, clean, wash...and at such a fast speed, too!
"Remember, Shita," Big Momma said, "you have to do this five times a day!"
Shita signed and nodded. She was going to be real busy.
* * * *
"Hey, Pasu, wake up!" a voice whispered.
Pasu slowly opened his eyes.
"Is it morning yet?" he asked.
"No, boy. It's your shift. Hurry up, it's cold outside," Henri said.
Pasu rubbed his eyes and stood up from his mat under the table. His head hit a hard surface.
"Ouch!" Pasu cried softly.
He hit the bottom of the table again. He hated to sleep under the table, but there was not enough beds, so it would have to do.
He got up and put on some extra clothing. It was his first shift at the lookout point. He left the room and walked past Shita's bedroom, which was shared with Big Momma. He looked at the window on the door, it was dark. Shita must be still asleep.
Pasu climbed up the rope ladder to the top of the plane, where there was a little place for sightseeing, which was another word for ‘plane-searching'.
"I'm here for your shift," Pasu said quietly.
"Thank God. You're finally here," the pilots in the lookout post said. They switched places. The pilot went down the rope and disappeared. Pasu put on his air glasses. He looked around for signs of Mooscar's airship. He yawned. It was boring up here all alone.
* * * *
"You are the liar, David! And a murderer! Here me, all of you, the Prince killed the King!" The woman with a crown on her head cried,
"Of course, you can say whatever you want, since you are the Queen," the middle aged man in the uniform laughed.
"I am a witness. I saw you kill the King. You even stole the levistone necklace. As you all know, the stone never left the King's hands. I can also tell you that Prince David is the one who attacked Earth! He wants to be King!" the Queen cried.
"She is lying!" the Prince cried. "The King is my brother, why would I hurt my own brother?"
The counts began to discuss the matter among themselves.
"I will make the decision to settle this matter. I now hereby declare war on the Queen, and her people!" Prince David said.
"You cannot, David! There has never been a war in Laputa! Not now, not ever!" the Queen exclaimed.
"I have the power now! Whoever disobeys me shall suffer painfully! I have the levistone! Only I can control Laputa!" the Prince cried.
"He is right, my Queen. He has the power right now. Let us wait for awhile to take action," the white bearded man whispered to the Queen.
"What must I say now?" the Queen asked quietly.
"You must go along with him, for now," the white bearded-man said.
The Queen thought for a moment. "All right, David. I agree. A battle will take place in ten days. But this battle will not be fought with swords or guns. That will cost too many lives. Our battle will be fought with the human mind," the Queen said.
"Just what do you mean by that?" the Prince asked.
"Each side will invent their own robots. These robots will fight in the air. The side that wins the battle gets to keep the levistone, and be crowned King. The side that loses shall be banished from Laputa," the Queen explained.
"Sounds fair enough. Let the war begin," the Prince said, and let out a loud laugh.
Shita woke up with a start. Her whole body was sweating. Her face was burning hot. She sat up straight on the mat on the floor. How come I am having this dream again? she asked herself.
She heard noises outside the bedroom she and Big Momma shared. She walked to the bedroom door, and saw Pasu walking by.
It must be his shift, Shita thought.
* * * *
He heard a sound from the bottom of the ladder. It was Shita, climbing up the rope to him.
"Shita!" Pasu called quietly.
Shita smiled up to him. Pasu grabbed Shita's hand and helped her up.
"What are you doing here?" Pasu asked.
"I saw you leaving your room. I guessed it was your shift," Shita said.
Shita looked around her. The sky was midnight black. But it was beautiful, for there were shining stars all around them.
"It's beautiful here!" Shita exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around her. It was cold, too.
"Here," Pasu said. He held his big coat up. Shita squeezed in it. They shared the coat warmly.
"I'm glad you're here," Pasu said.
"Me, too. I hardly see you anymore. There is so much work to do. I miss you," Shita said.
"I miss you, too. I'm stuck under the plane with the old man all day. I only see you at meal times, which is very often!" Pasu said.
They shared a laugh.
There was deep silence.
"Pasu, do you...do you really want to go to Laputa?" Shita asked quietly.
"Yes. I have to fulfill my father's wish. No one believed him when he discovered Laputa. Now I have to prove it to them, to everyone that there is a castle in the sky," Pasu explained.
Shita nodded. She had no idea Laputa was so important to him. But still, if she had not said the magic words, there would not be so many problems.
"Pasu, have you ever imagine what would have happened if I had never said the secret words? We wouldn't even be here! We might be somewhere safe and happy. We never have to face Mooscar again," Shita said, "My grandmother taught me many words of spells, too. Spells to find missing things, to cure illness, and a spell I must absolutely never use."
"Absolutely never use...?" Pasu asked.
"Spells of destruction. When I was taught of this spell, I could not sleep for nights. And it all had to do with the stone. The stone was always hidden in the fireplace, and except at weddings, it was never used. Mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all feared it! I wish I've never gotten it out!"
"Was this worrying you for so long? Oh, Shita. Do you not understand? In the future, as technology improves, Laputa will eventually be seen. So matter what we do, people are going to discover Laputa, and they might be more greedy than Mooscar. They might destroy Laputa, or use the high technology as their own. We are not going to Laputa just for our sake, we're going to save Laputa from Mooscar," Pasu said, "If we run away now, we will be followed forever."
Shita took a deep breath. "You're right. I guess I've been worrying too much. I thought this whole thing was my fault," she said.
Pasu held her hands. "Shita, it was never your fault. I never blamed you," he said.
Shita smiled. "You know who else would be happy if we found Laputa? Big Momma. She's going to bring bags of jewels home!" she laughed.
Pasu laughed. "Oh, Big Momma is not that bad. You know, she always sounded very rough and hot tempered, but she's...well...kind of nice in the inside. She has a good heart," he said.
Shita laughed, "I never thought you'll say those words! Wasn't she the one who locked you up under the plane all day?"
"Well, that's different," Pasu said.
They laughed again.
* * * *
Pasu and Shita were not the only ones laughing. In fact, the whole ship was filled with laughter. There was a radio at the top of the ship, and everyone had heard their conversation.
Big Momma was filled with redness in her bed during their small talk. "Those kids, shining my shoes again!" she thought ridiculously.
* * * *
It was almost dawn. Pasu and Shita spent the whole night on the top of the plane. Shita was asleep on Pasu's shoulder. Pasu knew he could not sleep. It was his job to look for signs of other planes.
Suddenly, he saw a shadow under one of the clouds.
He quickly transmitted the code on the radio.
"Over, over! I just discovered a plane under us. Over, over! There is a plane under us!" Pasu cried.
Big Momma woke up with a start on her bed. She ran out of her room and looked down. The big airship was flying out of the clouds, and closer to their aircraft.
"Move! Fly up! Hurry!" Big Momma shouted to the pilots.
Everyone got up and went to their positions. The aircraft quickly flew upwards, away from Mooscar's big airship. Big Momma ran to the pilot room and snatched the radio.
"Pasu, Pasu, over!" she cried.
"Here, Big Momma! I'm here," a voice answered.
"Mooscar's here. I guess we're on the right path. We have to find Laputa before them! Do you know what to do?" Big Momma asked on the radio.
"No," Pasu said dumbfully.
"Do you see a rope under your seat?" Big Momma asked.
Pasu reached for the rope under his seat. "It's right here," he answered on the radio.
"The lookout post can be turned into a kite. There should be a handle to open the wings. Turn it clockwise to hook up. Tie the rope to the ship, and let the kite go!" Big Momma explained. She heard another voice on the radio. "Shita, are you up here, too?" she asked.
"Yes," Shita said on the radio.
"You come back down," Big Momma ordered.
"Why?" Shita asked.
Big Momma made a face. "Why? ‘Cause it's dangerous for a girl to be up there!" Big Momma cried.
"You're a girl, too, Big Momma. Look how strong and dependent you are. Besides, I'm mountain-bred. I know how to work," Shita said, "Pasu thinks so, too!"
"I never said that!" Pasu whispered quietly.
"Oh, all right. You be careful up there. Pasu, you take care of her, you hear me?" Big Momma said.
"With all my life," Pasu answered.
"When you go up, don't use the radio transmission. Use the internal telephone," Big Momma said.
There was a ring on the phone next to Big Momma. She answered questionably.
"Is it this one?" a voice called out. It was Shita.
"Smart girl!" one of the pilots exclaimed.
Big Momma still had a questionable look on her face. How did teenagers learn so fast?
* * * *
Pasu let go of the rope. The lookout post at the top of the ship flew up with the strong wind.
"Shita, there is a string in my back pocket, find it," Pasu said loudly against the sound of the wind.
Shita looked for Pasu's pocket and took out the string.
"This one?" she shouted.
"Yes. Tie us together, the wind is too strong," Pasu shouted back.
So Shita tied her and Pasu together, with Pasu facing the front, and Shita facing the back.
"Look, there is a stirring wheel here, just like in the cars! And a gun!" Shita yelled.
Pasu held the stirring wheel and tested it.
"We can move our kite with this wheel," he cried.
Shita picked up the gun. "I can use this gun, in case there are enemies," she shouted.
"Do you know how to use a gun?" Pasu cried.
Shita shook her head, "No! But I'll learn if I have to!" she cried back.
Pasu spotted Mooscar's airship. He quickly grabbed the internal telephone. "The airship is right beneath us!" Pasu cried.
"What?" Big Momma yelled on the phone.
Pasu looked again. The shadow was becoming more clearer. It was in the form of a ship.
"Mooscar's ship is under us!" Pasu cried.
"Escape! Now! Turn around!" Big Momma ordered.
"We can't!" the pilot yelled, "The wind is too strong!"
"Well, get ready to attack!" Big Momma cried.
Pasu looked around him for escape. He saw a big cloud above them.
"Big Momma! There's a big cloud in front of us!" Pasu cried.
Shita looked up. "It's beautiful...," she said.
Big Momma looked up from her window.
"Beautiful?" she cried, "It's a tornado!"
"Captain, the compass is pointing north!" the pilot pointed out.
"There's a low pressure centre! The wind has changed. We're off course!" Big Momma shouted. "The ship wouldn't stand the wind. Full power! Due north!"
Pasu gasped, and quickly turned the stirring wheel to the opposite direction. The wind was blowing strongly, sucking his kite into the big cloud. Shita quickly turned around and helped Pasu steer the wheel against the wind.
"Attack!" Big Momma shouted.
The pilots on the ship fired back, but Mooscar's weapons were too strong. Big Momma's ship was damaged. There was fire everywhere on the ship. The rope that tied the kite to the airship was burned. Pasu and Shita felt the rope being cut. The kite fell into the direction of the wind.
"You're on your own, kids!" Big Momma cried, even though the phone was damaged.
* * * *
Shita hugged Pasu's waist tightly. The kite was being blown from side to side.
"Shita, how come the wind is blowing the opposite direction?" Pasu shouted to Shita.
"I don't know! Laputa is supposed to be in the east!" Shita yelled.
"But the wind is blowing from the west! We're going to the north, not east!" Pasu cried. He looked up, and saw once again the big cloud.
"I remember! Father saw Laputa in the tornado!" Pasu shouted.
"Tornado?" Shita cried, "We'll be shaken to pieces!"
"I have to believe in my father. It's the way he took, and he came back!" Pasu said, "Oh no! We're being sucked into the tornado!"
* * * *
Pasu and Shita screamed. The wind was blowing in circles. The kite was being pushed about the cloud. There was a thunderous sound. Pasu felt the wetness of heavy rain.
Pasu opened his eyes and could not believe what he saw. There was a path of thunder, leading him to empty space. He struggled with his stirring wheel to avoid this path. He saw the shadow of a small, old-fashioned aircraft before him. His father appeared. Pasu blinked. He saw his father again. His father was waving at Pasu, and pointing his finger to the direction of the empty path. The small ship disappeared into the thunderous path.
Pasu thought to himself. Was that really his father? The ghost of his father?
Now Pasu believed it. Laputa was really inside the tornado. His father was showing him the way to Laputa. The way to his dream.
Pasu let the kite to be pushed into the thunderous path. Lightning crashed against the kite. Rain splashed against their faces. Pasu and Shita screamed again. Suddenly, everything was silent.
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