# Wings of the Morning explained — The Lone Wolf > Chapter companion for The Lone Wolf by Louis Joseph Vance. ## What happens Lanyard and Lucy Shannon prepare for their flight from Port Aviation in the Parrott biplane, piloted by Captain Vauquelin. As they ascend, they are pursued by a monoplane, the Valkyr, from De Morbihan's aerodrome. The pursuer opens fire, striking Vauquelin's sleeve and narrowly missing Lanyard, escalating the danger of their escape. ## Themes in this chapter ### Surveillance and Paranoia Lanyard's constant fear of pursuit and espionage, exemplified by the monoplane's chase and the Pack's ability to track their movements. ### Fate and Chance The uncertain outcome of the flight, the unpredictable timing of the pursuit, and the narrow escape from gunfire highlight the role of chance. ## Character check-ins ### Michael Lanyard The protagonist, flying with Lucy Shannon, remains calm yet anxious about the pursuit by the Valkyr monoplane. ### Lucy Shannon Accompanies Lanyard on the flight, showing courage and high spirits despite the danger. ### Captain Vauquelin The pilot of the Parrott biplane, wounded in the arm by gunfire from the pursuing monoplane. ### Monsieur Hector Ducroy The Minister of War, overseeing the departure at Port Aviation and bidding farewell to Lanyard and Lucy. ### Comte Remy de Morbihan Implied as the owner of the pursuing Valkyr monoplane, though not directly present. ### Adolph Ekstrom Suspected by Lanyard as a possible pilot of the pursuing monoplane. ## Key lines > untempered wonder the fact of his equanimity: there seemed nothing at all strange in this extraordinary experience; he was by no means excited, remained merely if deeply interested. Lanyard felt surprisingly calm and unexcited, as if the extraordinary flight was perfectly ordinary. _Describes Lanyard's unusual composure during the flight._ > But the pace was now so fast and their elevation so great that the landscape swimming beneath his vision was no more than a brownish plain fugitively maculated with blots of contrasting colour. The speed and altitude made the ground below look like a blurry brown patchwork. _Illustrates the disorienting view from the aircraft._ > The reason why he had been able to perceive no real rim to the world was that the earth was all a-steam from the recent heavy rains; all the more remote distances were veiled with rising vapour. The horizon was obscured by mist rising from the rain-soaked ground. _Explains the foggy conditions affecting visibility._ > Behind them, at a distance which he calculated roughly as two miles, the silhouette of a monoplane hung against the brilliant firmament, resembling, with its single spread of wings, more a solitary, soaring gull than any man-directed mechanism. A monoplane was following them, looking like a bird in the sky. _Describes the appearance of the pursuing aircraft._ > The eyes of the aviator, lifting from the perforation to meet Lanyard's stare, were clouded with consternation. Vauquelin looked shocked when he saw the bullet hole in his sleeve. _Reveals the pilot's alarm at being shot._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lone_wolf_se/chapters/xxv-wings-of-the-morning - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lone_wolf_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_lone_wolf_se/chapters