Biggles and Son: Prologue

by Sopwith

Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, any of the Biggles series characters used in this work. This fan fiction was written for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered part of the official storyline. 

Warning: Non canon type fan fiction works may contain severe time mix-ups and character deviations. 

Biggles pushed open the door of the hanger that led to the main office of Air Police Headquarters and stalked over to his desk. Slinging his jacket over a chair, he turned his head over his shoulder and shouted irritably, “What on earth was that?”

A cheerful Algy strolled into the office a few paces behind him, looking quite pleased with himself. “I thought it was quite inspired flying, myself.”

“Inspired flying, my foot!” growled Biggles, throwing a baleful glare at the other pilot.

Algy looked wounded. “You said you wanted to catch the crooks.”

“I didn’t mean we should risk breaking our necks on the way!”

“Oh, shut up, Biggles,” retorted Algy, flinging himself into an armchair with calculated abandon. “You’re here, aren’t you? We caught the crooks, didn’t we? What more d’you want?”

Biggles seated himself at his desk and eyed Algy from behind a stack of files. “There are times,” he muttered, “when I sorely wish I could fill a bucket with water and pour it over your head.”

Algy merely grinned.

The inner door to the office opened a crack and the secretary stuck her head in. “Excuse me, Chief Inspector,” she said. “There’s a boy here who’s been waiting to see you.”

“A boy?” echoed Biggles.

“Quite a scruffy boy,” supplied Maggie, with obvious disapproval in her tone. “He looks to be about thirteen or fourteen.”

Biggles exchanged a helpless glance with Algy. “I don’t know any boys, scruffy or otherwise,” he declared. “He must have come to the wrong place.”

“I don’t think so, sir. He asked for you especially, and he’s been sitting outside for over an hour already, though he won’t tell me his name or what he wants.” Maggie sniffed to let them know what she thought of the boy. “Shall I tell him to leave, sir?”

Again, Biggles looked at Algy.

Algy shrugged. “Might as well see what he wants,” he suggested. “He’s been here an hour.”

“Oh, all right, then.” Biggles rose wearily from his chair. “Let’s go and get it over with. No, don’t ask him in, Maggie, we’ll go and talk to him in the waiting room. This shouldn’t take long. One of those school reports again, I expect. Would you mind bringing in a cup of tea, Maggie? I’ll have it when I’m done with him.”

“Yes, sir.”

Algy rose and followed wordlessly as Biggles made for the door.

They saw the boy before he saw them.

He was sitting in the corner seat of the waiting room, staring pensively out of the window, absent-mindedly running a hand through his curly fair hair as he did so. There was something in the grimness of his expression that belied his young age, as did the determined set of his chin. He was slim with delicate features, and he was dressed in a rumpled school uniform that had clearly seen better days before it had encountered the dust and mud currently stuck to it.

The boy turned and got to his feet as the two airmen entered the room. “Chief Inspector Bigglesworth?” he inquired, his eyes going immediately to Biggles, his formal tone again at odds with his age and appearance.

“I’m Chief Inspector Bigglesworth,” confirmed Biggles, with forced heartiness. “And this is Detective Inspector Lacey. How can we help you, lad?”

The boy hesitated.

“Suppose you start by telling us your name and what brought you here,” suggested Biggles kindly.

Sudden humor flared in the boy’s eyes, and he tilted his chin in a strangely familiar gesture.

“My name’s Sebastian Bigglesworth,” he said. “Hello, Dad.”

Go to Chapter 1. 

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