things were happening at once, and it wasn’t fair. “I won’t let you!”

Setting the duffel bag down, Baloo knelt and embraced the little girl.

“Molly, try to understand. I can’t compete with Khan’s robots,” Rebecca said softly, meeting Baloo’s sad eyes over Molly’s head.

Her sobs quieting, Molly sniffled and swiped the back of her paw across her eyes. “Are...are we gonna be p...poor?”

“Of course not,” Rebecca cooed soothingly, gathering her daughter in her arms. “A broker’s coming over to help us. He’s...going to buy the Sea Duck.”

“What?” Kit exclaimed, dropping his suitcase.

Baloo’s face registered shock, then grim resignation. “Let it go, Li’l Britches. Let it go.” Collecting his duffel bag and Kit’s suitcase, he walked out of Higher for Hire and closed the door behind him.

Kit stormed over to Rebecca. He glowered at her, thinking, How dare she sell that plane? Doesn’t she know the Sea Duck is Baloo’s whole life, that flying means everything to him? Reproachfully, he cried, “You could have warned him! Given him a chance to say goodbye!”

“I wanted to. It’s just...” Rebecca sighed. She put Molly down and sat on the steps, glumly resting her chin on her hands. “I wish I’d never rented the Sea Duck to that lousy inventor.”

The crunching of tires on the flagstone pavement outside and a car door slamming announced the arrival of someone.

Rebecca peeked outside. “Oh, great. The broker.”

Molly clambered onto a crate underneath the window to see out. She was curious as to what a broker looked like. It had to be a scary man if he ‘broke up’ families.

Rebecca made a snap decision. “Here! Catch!” Reaching into her cardigan pocket, she pulled out a pair of keys and tossed them to Kit.

The boy stared incredulously at the keys in his palm. “The keys to theSea Duck? Wh...what are these for?”

“For Baloo. Tell him to take the plane for a spin. Tell him to go fishing. Just tell him to hurry!” Rebecca said before she opened the door.

Kit smiled a little. She did know how much the Sea Duckmeant to his Papa Bear. Determined, the boy pushed the warehouse door open and ran outside to intercept Baloo before he got into the cab.

While Baloo and Kit made their getaway, Rebecca stalled the broker. “Why, hello,” she said the smooth, pleasant voice that she reserved for her most fractious clients. “We meant to call. We had to get theSea Duck one last...”

Aboard Shere Khan’s Private Plane

The sleek silver and maroon airplane, the latest word in aircraft, soared over Tucker Forest in the deepening twilight. The Auto Aviator was piloting as Shere Khan and Martin Torque made their way to Pazuza for a conference showcasing the newest, most popular aviator in the Uslandian skies.

Martin Torque poured a mixed orange fruit drink into two crystal glasses and handed one to Khan. “A toast to the Auto Aviator, the greatest invention in history.”

“Indeed,” the shrewd businessman agreed. A slight self-satisfied smile crossed his tiger features. The Auto Aviator was making him a fortune.

Torque’s smug smile turned to fear when Don Karnage’s voice thundered over the radio.

“Hello, robot person. This is Don Karnage. My bloodthirsty horde and I are on an intercept course with you. We will be shooting you and looting you in precisely...ten minutes. Felicitations,” the pirate captain said. He adjusted his goggles over his eyes. “Boy,” he chuckled, “I am one scary guy.”

Coolly, Khan suggested, “Professor, you may instruct your robot to change course and evade the air pirates.”

Martin Torque strolled to the cockpit. “Turn right. Set course one-four-zero.”

“Deviation from flight plan in unacceptable.”

Amazed that his invention would dare to defy him, Torque dropped his drink. The glass shattered on the floor, spilling sticky liquid all over. “This is your inventor speaking. Turn right!”

The robot reiterated in its aggravating, unchanging metal voice, “Deviation from flight plan is unacceptable.”

When Torque grabbed the steering yoke, he was shocked by the robot’s built-in resistance interference feature. He flew backwards into the cargo hold and landed in a crumpled, moaning ball at Shere Khan’s feet.

“Problems, Professor?” Khan sneered with a lift of his eyebrows.

“I...I hadn’t expected to deal with pirates,” the inventor stuttered, clambering to his feet.

“A perfect pilot can handle any situation. You told me your tin men were perfect.”

“What should we do?” Torque stammered. He didn’t like the hard gleam in the tiger’s eyes.

“I suggest you call for help.” Khan flicked out his razor sharp claws and regarded them menacingly.

Meanwhile at Veronica Lake

In hopes of cheering Baloo up, Kit had suggested that they head for the best place for fly-fishing around Cape Suzette - Veronica Lake. It was close to Cape Suzette, yet secluded.

Baloo rummaged around in the cargo hold for his fishing poles and tackle box. Opening the back hatch, he sat down on the edge of the rear cargo hold door with a sigh.

A clap of thunder announced that a summer thunderstorm had arrived. Baloo looked up as a big droplet of warm rain plopped on his head. “Great. What else can go wrong today?”

Wildcat interjected, “Well...they could stop making Choco Thrillers. That would be really bad, or...”

Kit frowned at the mechanic. “That was a hypothetical question, Wildcat.”

“A what kind of question?” Wildcat asked, fastening an old boot on the end of his fishing line.

“Never mind.” The boy shook his head, sat down beside Baloo, and cast his peanut butter covered bait into the water.

“Why do you guys hang out with a loser like me?” Baloo moaned. Not even fishing, one of his favorite hobbies, could cheer him up.

In a convincing, cheerful tone, Kit answered, “Because we like being with you. Well, you’re our buddy. You’re the best.”

“Besides we got nothing else to do,” Wildcat added, reeling in his line. He was a little disappointed, because nothing had jumped into the boot yet.

Kit shot the mechanic a dirty look.

“Oh...sorry,” Wildcat mumbled contritely.

Over the radio, Martin Torque screamed hysterically, “This is Shere Khan’s plane calling! HELP!”

“Oh, sit down.” Khan flung Torque across the cargo hold onto a red plush sofa. He spoke into the radio, “Whoever’s listening, this is Shere Khan. In mere moments we will be attacked by pirates near Mount Rozika. Your assistance will be handsomely rewarded.”

Back at the Sea Duck, Kit retrieved the map from the cockpit and spread it out on the cargo hold’s deck. “That’s just north of here. Baloo, shouldn’t we do something?”

“No, thank you. Let Torque’s wonder widget save their hides.” The big bear remained stolidly sitting on the end of the cargo hold door. No way would he rescue that namby-pamby inventor and his lousy invention. Not after what they did to him.

Kit thought a little reverse psychology was in order. “Pity. Those pirates will tear ‘em to ribbons. Slice ‘em to smithereens.” Glaring at Wildcat, he elbowed the mechanic in the stomach.

Wildcat chimed in, “Yeah. Cut them into itty-bitty, teeny-weeney, little tiny-winy...”

“Of course a real pilot could save them.” Kit stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Now, where could we find a...?”

“All right. I get the message,” Baloo said, getting to his feet and heading for the cockpit. “C’mon, we’re flyin’.”

The Sea Duck

“There they are, Baloo,” Kit said a few moments later. He pointed to a plane that was cruising below them.

Baloo matched the Sea Duck’s speed to that of Khan’s plane, and then he and Wildcat switched places, allowing the mechanic to take over the controls.

“Once I get aboard, get her outta here, got it?” Baloo said.

Wildcat saluted. “Got it.”

On board Khan’s plane, Torque was trying everything he could think of to get the Auto Aviator to change direction. “This is your inventor speaking. Take evasive...aaaaah!” Once again, he was shocked and flew backwards into the cargo hold, only to land at Khan’s feet.

“I am losing patience, Professor,” Khan reminded him icily.

Torque moaned and held a hand to his aching head. “Oooohhh...”

Meanwhile, Baloo hooked a rope ladder to the Sea Duck’s starboard cargo hold door. “Time ta show Khanny an’ Karny who’s the real ace of the skies.”

Kit gave him a thumbs up with a “Roger that.” He was glad to see that the spark had returned to Baloo’s eyes.

Baloo disappeared down the swaying ladder. Clinging to the rope rungs for dear life, he flinched against the strong wind blowing in his face. When he reached Khan’s plane, he pounded on the cargo hold door.

“Pirates! We’re doomed!” the professor shrieked, throwing himself against the cargo hold door.

The door banged open, wedging Torque between it and the wall. Baloo stepped inside with a jaunty, “Hiya, boys. How’s it goin’?”

Shere Khan was to see Baloo relieved even though his face didn’t show it. “Ah, Baloo. We’ve hit a bit of a snag with the Professor’s contraption.”

Meanwhile, the pirates got into a V-shaped formation behind Shere Khan’s plane.

In his tri-wing CT-37, Karnage gloated, “This is like taking candy from a sitting baby duck off a log.”

Warning shots from the air pirates’ machine guns ricocheted

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