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to your little cyber-buddy.”
    â€œI’m not lying. I’m just not going to tell her everything that’s going on.”
    My grandmother knocked on the door and came into the room. “Okay, everybody, it’s time to go.”
    â€œWhere are we going?” the Princess asked.
    â€œYes, where?” her brother echoed.
    My grandmother didn’t answer right away. Maybe she knew the answer to their question, but I knew that no matter what she said somebody was going to be unhappy.
    She smiled. “You’re going out into the bush!”
    Victoria cheered as her brother cursed under his breath. She turned back to the keyboard and tapped out a final goodbye to Leslie.

Chapter Four
    M Y FATHER TAXIED THE PLANE AWAY from the dock and out to open water. I watched as he opened up the engines and it started to pick up speed. My father is a great pilot, but even for great pilots, takeoffs and landings are the most dangerous. And a float plane faces a whole other set of hazards. On a regular runway the surface doesn’t move, or have objects hidden just beneath the surface. A big rogue wave or a hidden log could rip open a pontoon or even flip a plane right over.
    The plane lifted off and I offered a silent “thank you.” He circled around, gaining height. Then he waggled the wings to say goodbye and broke off toward his destination.
    â€œThat is a very exciting job.”
    I turned around. It was the Princess. That was such a strange thought. This girl with the brown hair, freckles and teeth that seemed just a little bit too white … was a princess!
    â€œAnd I imagine it’s dangerous,” she added.
    â€œIt’s not that bad.” I never like to admit it’s dangerous. “I don’t even know anybody who’s even been hurt in a plane crash.”
    She suddenly looked down at the ground and I was hit in the head by something I suddenly remembered. Hermother—their mother—was dead. She’d died in an airplane accident a few years ago. How stupid could I be?
    â€œI’m … I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I didn’t mean anything.”
    â€œI know,” she said softly. “It’s all right. It was a long time ago.”
    I racked my brain trying to remember just how long ago it was. I remembered how upset my grandmother had been and how she’d cried for the better part of two days. And I even recalled seeing part of the funeral on TV. There really hadn’t been that much choice because it had been on half the channels our satellite brought in, and then parts of it were on every news broadcast. It had to be three years ago.
    â€œDo you worry about something happening to your father?” she asked.
    â€œNo … not a lot … sometimes,” I mumbled, still struggling for words.
    â€œI worry a great deal about mine.”
    â€œDoes he fly?” I asked.
    She laughed. It was a nice laugh. “He doesn’t fly the planes but he certainly travels in them a great deal. Of course, that’s not what I find so worrisome.”
    â€œWhat is?”
    She motioned to where Albert and Nigel stood beside Ray.
    â€œIt is a rather strange existence to need to have specially trained bodyguards carrying weapons to protect you everywhere you go, all the time.”
    â€œI guess it would be. At least up here it shouldn’t be such a big problem,” I said.
    â€œThat’s what my father said.”
    â€œJamie!” Ray called out, and I turned around. “Come on over here, and bring the young lady with you!”
    We walked over to the canoes, where Ray already stood with Prince Andrew and the two bodyguards.
    â€œBefore we get started I want to know just how much paddling experience my guests have,” Ray said.
    â€œI have canoed a great deal,” Princess Victoria said.
    â€œAnd you?” he asked her brother.
    â€œA few times. Frankly I didn’t like it very