Chapter Five - part six

   It was getting close to the scheduled break before James received the first visit from one of the four pilots he had made an example of. That pilot was Major Samantha 'Sam' Clark. She was an outstanding pilot and a beautiful woman too. She should have been a Lt. Colonel, but her problems with following orders from people she considered to be inferior had held her back. When she finally showed up to speak with James alone she was clearly disturbed about something. James had welcomed her in and spent a few minutes making small talk before he sat back in his chair and actually addressed her reason for being there. He had asked a very simple and direct question. "Well enough with small talk. You didn't come here for a friendly chat. What is on your mind Major? I can see that something has you troubled."

   Major Clark had been smiling, but the smile vanished as James spoke those words. It was replaced with a deep frown and a very serious thoughtful look in her eyes. She suddenly seemed to realize what she was doing and tried to smile again. James just sat there watching and waiting with the slightest of smiles on his own face. He wasn't certain how this meeting would end, but he was certain of how it had to begin. She shook her head slowly and then did manage a genuine smile. Her blue eyes were flashing as she laughed and then leaned forward to speak. "I don't think I will ever get used to you! You are so friendly and easy going, but you are the most direct and honest spoken man I have ever known. I am troubled, deeply troubled, but I am not the only one. The whole squadron is." Then she laughed again and dropped her eyes as she did. It took her a moment to look up and continue.

   "Sir... I, well, we need to know how you do it. I mean that first day, when you made us look like the fools and idiots you told us we were. Well, I thought that was just because we were so cocky and you really were as good as us. Now we all know that you are truly a great pilot. You have proven that to us over and over again, but you also remind us over and over again that nobody is too good to be unbeatable. But you seem to be just that. You are unbeatable! When I fly against you I have tried everything. I tried what you trained us to do and I have tried doing anything but that too. It doesn't make any difference at all. No matter what I do or don't do you seem to know, almost before I do, what I will do next and be waiting for me to do it. You seem to be unbeatable, but that just isn't possible! The whole squadron has even tried working together, just to shoot you down one time, and we can't get it done even working together. That is impossible too, but it still happens! How? How do you do that? Sir, I want to fly the way you do! We all want to be that good! Sir, I always knew I could be beaten. But I thought I would have to screw up first before I could be beaten. I have flown perfectly against you and should have been able to take you down, but you always got away and took me down instead. You never seem to screw up. How sir? How do you do that? I have to know!"

   James had watched and listened closely to her. It was much what he had expected her to ask. Now the question was could she handle his answer. Actually the question was could she understand his answer and believe it if she did. She was still looking for a trick, something that she could learn to do. She was looking for something that would make her... unbeatable. James sat there and looked at her for a long time. Finally when she was about to start squirming James leaned forward and spoke. He still had that slight smile on his face and his voice was just as calm as it had been before she had spoken. But this time he was looking right into her eyes. He wanted to see her thoughts as he tried to give her an answer. He needed to know if she had understood his answer and only looking into her eyes would tell him that.

   "Sam, I have been waiting and wondering when someone would come to ask me that. I have been wondering if it would happen one at a time or several of you at once. I will start by telling you I can't read minds and I don't have any special tricks that I use. Sam, I fly just like you do with only one big difference. You fly alone... I don't!" James watched the confusion in her eyes and saw the questions running across her mind. He finally really smiled for the first time since she had told him the reason she was there. "Let me explain that, if I can. There are no tricks. I haven't got a way of knowing what you will do. The simple truth is that all of you are flying alone when you go up. You all climb in that cockpit and it closes on you. It is just you and that plane. Each of you is one with the plane. That is why you are such good pilots! The plane becomes an extension of you. But that isn't enough. You need something more. The trouble is that I can't give you something more. Nobody I know can. I cannot teach you how to fly like I do, but you can learn how to fly like I do."

   James saw that she was even more confused than she had been before. He laughed softly and leaned back in his chair before speaking further.  "Sam, listen to me and try not to shut me out before you hear all I have to say. I told you that I don't fly alone and I mean that. I promise you that is the absolute truth. I am never alone! You know I am a Christian. I make no secret of that. I also don't make an issue of it. That is just who and what I am. People can accept that or not. What people think makes no difference. Sam, maybe you won't understand this, but I know you could if you truly wanted to understand. I fly with the Lord. God is with me every second of every day. Now I can and often do forget that in my daily life, but when I am in that plane; that thought is at the front of my mind! Oh I am still totally aware of the situation and the mission. I am the one making the decisions. But when I am flying... all of my trust is not in me or that plane. It is in my Lord. I wish I could explain it better or give you the understanding of what I am telling you. But I can't Sam, if you want to fly like me, if you want to know what I know... well you will have to talk to God about it. His door is always open too and He can explain all of this and much more. He can teach you what I never could. You say you can't beat me, but I know you can. The one you can't beat is God! It is that simple. You can believe that or not. You can believe God or not. That is the choice you have to make. That is the lesson you have to learn... if you want to learn to fly like me."

   Major Samantha Clark was sitting there openly staring at him. The confusion in her eyes had been replaced with shock, complete and total shock. James stood up and it took her a moment to recover enough to stand up herself. Smiling he extended his hand to her as he spoke. "I know that wasn't even close to the kind of answer you were expecting. It is the only answer I have to give you though. You told me you didn't think you would ever get used to me being so direct and honest, but that is the only way I know how to be. I have told you the honest truth Sam. Tell the rest of them I will be happy to talk to any of them about it, but they will have to ask me before I do. My faith is one thing that I won't force on anyone." Sam took his hand and shook it, but the shock was still in her eyes. After a long moment she shook herself and let go of his hand as she turned red. She mumbled her goodbyes and left. James watched her go. Then he knelt down and prayed that his words had been the right ones. He had done all he could do. Now it was in God's hands.

  By the next day James knew his words had done something inside the squadron. He still didn't know if it was something good or something bad, but something was happening. During the next few days both James and Jeremy found themselves talking to the rest of the pilots about what James had said. After the first time he had been questioned, Jeremy had come to see James and talk it over with James too. James even had some of the men and women in the support staff and ground crews stop him to ask questions. He also had a few requests for transfers submitted. He was disturbed by that, but relieved that none of the pilots were among those. He had granted all of the requests without asking any further questions. He had simply told them they would be missed if they left and then approved the transfers. Word of what James had said to Major Clark even made its way back to Brigadier General Holt. James spent several hours talking with her about it before she had finally let it go. She hadn't been upset; she had been doubtful and curious. He wasn't sure she understood his explanation any better than Major Clark had understood it. The squadron was still discussing what James had said to Major Clark when they went on leave before the ROCAF class arrived.