Angus was given a job to do. He was an unlikely companion tasked with protecting Stanley from just after his birth through the trials of his life. Their paths paralleled and intertwined through the most amazing life leading each to reach for the skies and to find amazing love and beauty. As the distance between the two aircraft closed rapidly, Angus looked into Stan's face to try to read what was going on in his mind. He looked into his eyes and saw all the pain that Stan had endured since childhood. All the disappointment, frustration, rejection and loneliness. But unfortunately in addition to this, he also saw focus and determination. Once Stan was focused on something, there was no way to convince him to alter his course. Precious seconds passed with no solution presenting itself. Angus tried his old trick of whispering into his ear to not kill those boys, but to no avail. The distance was closing and time was running out. Angus knew that Stan's skill as a pilot and his mastery of weapons ensured that he wouldn't miss. These young men were going to die shortly. Stan's grip on the pistol tightened and his trigger finger began to squeeze ever so gently. Angus was sure Stan had the pilot the front seat in his sights. The young man's name was Heins and he just turned seventeen yesterday. The boy in the rear seat was only fifteen and his name was Sabastien. They shouldn't be here. They should be at school, or playing, or anything but this. As the trigger began to move Angus discovered the smallest glimmer of hope deep within himself and in an instant he was next to Heins in the Stork. He looked into the face of young Heins. By now Both Heins and Sabastien had the cub in sight. They looked completely terrified. They were so close they could clearly see the gun in Stan's hand pointing directly at them. In moments like these there is total clarity. These poor young men had no doubt about the fact that their death was imminent. Their anguished eyes depicted this reality. Angus had a new job. He didn't' want this job. Just didn't make sense. It was so far beneath his skills and experience that he wondered how and why he was given this task. To keep watch on Stanley seemed such a waste of his incredible intellect and formidable skill. But the adventure he was about to take would span an incredible lifetime through the skies of occupied France in WWII and into the world beyond. The lessons on love, passion, emotion, and beauty dwarfed his prior intelligence and took him to a new level of understanding that he didn't even know he needed. Written in a style reminiscent of Paulo Coelho's works in both spiritual subject matter with a poetic, impressionistic flavor. This coupled with a nod to Tolkien combining poetry and a gentle pace used to color the tender story. The story follows the adventures of Stanley and Angus in an unusual tale that is both simple yet entertaining.
