“You’ll get Tex’s chocolate ration, too!” Silver exclaimed. “Make sure you eat it before you take off, so it doesn’t go to waste if we—”

“Shut up, mate,” I interrupted. “We won’t. Not this time.”

Ellen gave Louisa her pullover. Outside it was colder than it had been on Christmas Day. The poor wee lass could hardly move by the time we’d packed her in woolens and stuffed a dozen Ever-Hot bags between the layers, but it helped bulk out Chip’s flight suit. With the legs and sleeves rolled up, it wasn’t too bad—he wasn’t any taller than me.

Then we helped Louisa into his padded gauntlets and life vest, and finished off the disguise with his helmet and mask. She had her own oxygen and a microphone this time. You couldn’t see anything of her face but her eyes.

So when Ellen pulled up by Pimms Section’s lead Blenheim, where the ground crew were still refueling, three suited airmen climbed from the back of the Tilly.

Standing next to the plane I knew we never had a chance of getting Chip into it. There was no way we could have lifted him onto the wing and through the rear hatch. We struggled enough getting Louisa up there, in Chip’s flight suit and Nan Campbell’s wellie boots, and she was lighter and more cooperative than Chip. I leaned over to cram my top half through the hatch behind her so I could show her where to stow her parachute and plug in her oxygen.

“The rear gunner’s also the wireless operator,” I told her. “Sit at the radio for takeoff—once we’re in the air, hop into the gun turret if you want to see out. When I get the hydraulics switched on, you can make the gunner’s chair go up and down by twisting the handles.” I pointed. “It’ll move the gun, too; careful you don’t hit the firing button by accident. You’re connected to the intercom so you can talk to me and Silver, and you’ll be able to hear the radio, but you can’t transmit to the other planes. Let me know if anything bothers you!”

“Do I have to do something?” She waggled her fingers. She could hardly bend them in Chip’s gauntlets.

I laughed. “Don’t worry—you’re just here to be a third bod. But if we come under fire, get out of the turret. The rear gunner sticks out like a sore thumb, and you’ll be a sitting duck. Silver’s having a quiet word about you with Ignacy. He and Derfel will be flying right behind us, and they’ll cover you. I’ve got a gun of my own up front. You make sure you keep your head down.”