She gasped with excitement and shouted over the noise of the propeller: "The islands in the clouds are real!!” I nodded and looked back down at my book. Elizabeth gets so excited about things. The projection screen that my father had bought had been her latest fascination. She was all about adventure and the fantasy world. Thadeus’s toy plane soared above my head in circle that felt like it was not going to end. My instinct was telling me to rip it out of the air and snatch the propellers off. I glared at him as Viktor and he celebrated another full circle around my head. Finally after three more circles I got up and walked into corridor with my book. It was always quiet in here. The place where I could steal away some time and silence if needed. I put my back against the wall and slid down to the floor.

My mother walked past me sitting on the floor and asked why I wasn’t in the study. She looked down on me with concern. I stood up. “Mom I am fine. I just need quiet. Viktor and Thadeus are too noisy in there.” She nodded. “Why don’t you take Elizabeth out for a walk then?” I sighed heavily ad closed my book. Elizabeth was here visiting from America as an international student. The day she got here I had to listen to her talk nonstop about our architecture and industrialization era. My mother stared at me waiting for me to say okay. I slipped my book under my arm. “Alright.”

I walked back into the study to find Thadeus and Viktor taking their leave. Good, I thought to myself. Now all I have to do is keep the explorer over there happy and we ca all go about our ways. Elizabeth projected maps of the Atlantic on the wall. “This is rather fascinating.” I shook my head. “Yes, those are father’s drafts.” She walked back and forth looking at the map her long dress dragging to the floor. Her pacing finally ceased as she flopped down on the arm chair only to take a rest from her discoveries. I put aside all my frustrations and selfishness. I felt bad for her. I would do my best to keep her occupied. It was obvious that she had nothing to do but look at maps all day, so I wouldn’t let that happen. “Would you like to take a walk with me Elizabeth?” She looked up at me suddenly. “Yes it would be my pleasure.”