I’d just have to stay high if we ran into antiaircraft fire—or low if we met an enemy plane. I couldn’t risk getting shot up with Louisa in the back.

I think she knew that.

“You can still change your mind,” I said quietly. “It’s five minutes till engine start.”

“Rules are made to be broken,” she said. “I’m not going to change my mind.”

Part 4

ACES

Louisa:

This time I hadn’t put a sixpence in the ceiling—or even my secret penny. I didn’t let myself think about it. I was not a fool-fool country gal.

The engines roared and the Blenheim bumped over the airfield. I couldn’t see the takeoff, but I knew when we left the ground because the jouncing stopped. I wrestled myself up into the clear Perspex gunner’s turret. There wasn’t any point worrying about anything for the next few hours, and the beauty of the sea and sky in silver moonlight and blue clouds was like a fairy world, a dream world. I was amazed by the cold night sky, the clouds filled with luminous light and shadow as we rose through them, the full moon dipping in and out of view, stars frozen still overhead. I wasn’t afraid of anything.

Jamie’s laughing voice came over the intercom.

“Rear gunner, you’re making a lot of noise. Keep it down.”

I was humming “Rhapsody in Blue.” Just the way Mummy used to hum without thinking about it! The sky was wonderful.

And the cold—the cold! It was unreal. Even after three years in England, I was not ready for this kind of cold. After ten minutes I had to grip the sides of the turret to stop my body from shuddering. My toes and fingers began to ache. Frost began to fur the inside of the plane—all the struts and rivets and wires grew velvety white coats. When I breathed, the inside of my mask was slick with a thin layer of ice. The Perspex near my head became foggy, froze, and fogged again.

I kicked my feet and clapped my gauntleted hands to warm them up. Jamie and Silver had both given me their extra socks. I was bundled up with heated Ever-Hot bags. What could anyone do if I complained? I couldn’t complain. We were in the sky over the North Sea.

Now and then Silver gave Jamie a heading or a height. Through the crackle and fuzz of the headset I could hear people talking in the other B-Flight planes. Nobody was singing in German or sending coded messages. The cold, beautiful sky was quiet in its garment of clouds and moonlight.