The Rocketeer by Peter David

Author:Peter David
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 0553293222
Publisher: Bantam Books
Published: 1991-07-13T17:24:00+00:00

Bigelow was loving every minute of it. His days as a two-bit air show operator were over. The proof of that was in the crush of reporters who were jamming into his office, occupying every inch of space, falling over one another, and standing on chairs or desks. They were all shouting, one atop the other, their questions overlapping, their pencils at the ready. Bigelow merely leaned back and put his feet up on the desk, his cigar—and he would be switching to a more expensive brand real soon now—sticking up into the air like a triumphant flag.

“How about some background on the flying man!” shouted one reporter, and the questions continued. “Yeah, where’d you find him?” “What’s his name?”

Bigelow put up his hands. “Sorry, fellas, trade secret. Besides, it’s part of the mystery, his background. As for the name, let’s just call him . . . uh . . . Rocket Boy.”

A hush descended and Bigelow suddenly felt nervous, as if he’d just stepped in something or said what a sweet guy Hitler was.

“That’s lousy!” said one of the reporters, and they started echoing the sentiment, trying to come up with a better name themselves, keeping an eye toward the dramatic headline and what would sell papers. They were all shouting suggestions at one another and criticizing them.

“What about Human Rocket?”

“That’s worse!”

“Missile Man?”

“Stinks!”

A few more seconds of that, and then they turned back to the proprietor of the show and said, “C’mon, Mr. Bigelow, give us a better name!”

Bigelow’s mind raced. Here this godsend had dropped into his lap, and he was in danger of losing its shine because he didn’t have a zippy enough name to sell it. And then, gazing out his office window, he saw a billboard for Pioneer petroleum.

Pioneer. And Secord was kind of a pioneer of rockets. The Piorocket? Incomprehensible. Rocketneer? Better, but . . .

“Uh . . . howzabout Rocketeer?” he said slowly.

The reporters looked at one another and their heads started bobbing approvingly. “Rocketeer, that’s swell!” “Great handle!” “Rocketeer it is!”

Bigelow leaned back in his chair and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Easy street, here he came.

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