Leap from the Sky

“He’ll surely break himself into bits on the cobblestones,” a bystander muttered, shaking his head. Craning his head to look at the strange contraption above, Antonio watched, spellbound. Everyone had gathered in the public square to watch this breathtaking event. For weeks, townspeople had talked of Faust’s latest invention—a half-moon shaped piece of linen held open by a few light pieces of wood. This device, in theory, would allow Faust to float gently to the ground.

A gasp echoed through the crowd. “He’s jumping off the ledge of the tower!”

Antonio’s mouth dropped open in amazement as Faust descended from the sky, falling slowly enough that he might actually escape with his life. Local tales claimed the inventor had constructed his device based on a drawing Leonardo Da Vinci had made over a century earlier. Antonio had heard how Faust dared to deviate from the original plans, changing the shape of the canopy from a pyramid-shaped chute because he wanted to create more drag.

“Call the doctor!” Antonio found himself swept along with the throng of people who rushed from the square toward the meadow outside of town, chasing the drifting form in the sky above. Would Faust ever land? It was unbelievable that the weight of the frame hadn’t already pulled him to the ground in a heap of rubble.

The mob of people prevented Antonio from observing the actual event, but the cheers alerted him to Faust’s successful landing. “What will this lead to next?” Antonio couldn’t help contemplating the potential uses for this marvelous machine.