Instantly, Dot was shocked then almost overwhelmed by hugs and the coos of “It won’t be the same without you,” and many heartfelt wishes for a wonderful life. She knew all these girls, had worked, eaten, and slept alongside them, but until this moment she hadn’t understood she was considered one of them. That they were all friends, not just coworkers. Alice’s eyes were red from crying, and as sad as that made Dot, it also filled her heart. The only people who had ever cried over her before had been family members.
“You avoided everyone’s questions,” Alice said, after the rest of the girls returned to their bunks. “Now that they’re gone, you can tell me. Where are you being sent?”
“I actually don’t know. It was all very hush-hush.”
“Oh, come on. You must know something. It’sme.You can tell me.”
“This isn’t even the oath,” Dot replied sincerely. “I have no idea where I am going, or why. I will try to write to you when I can, though you know I might not be able to tell you much.”
“I understand,” Alice said, softening. “Oh, Dot. I will miss you so much. I know it sounds silly, but I’m proud of you. When I met you, you were almost too shy to say hello to me. Now look at you!”
It was true, and Dot sucked back tears thinking of it that way. Ever since she and Alice had met on the train to Galt, they’d been close. Alice had slipped quite naturally into the empty space Dash had left, and she had been the driving force behind prying Dot out of her shell.
“You made this possible for me, Alice.”
“Nonsense. You were made for this. Wherever you’re going, my dear friend, they are very lucky to have you.”
“You’re the best listener here—”
“Other than you.”
“Well, yes,” Dot admitted. “But now you’ll be the best. And you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. My sister, my friend Gus, and you. I’m going to be lost without you for a while.”
“I’ll be a little lost without you, too,” Alice said quietly. She sniffed. “I wouldn’t be nearly the listener I am now without all your help. I know you’ll be anxious when you land, but wherever you’re going, pretend that I’m there. Just think of me standing behind you, shoving you into the thick of things. Before you know it, you will be the most important person in the place.”
Dot held on to Alice’s words when she boarded the bus the next morning in a darkness that felt like the middle of the night. As they bumped out of the compound, Dot’s gaze lingered on the low white buildings of Coverdale. In the distance stood the hut where she had worked, and where a team of girls currently listened and wrote. The building was still guarded by a herd of black cows, but Dot had come to understand they were no threat. She’d carried on the charade only because Alice thought it was such fun.
As the base slipped out of sight, Dot faced forward, resolute. Alice had helped her overcome her shyness, but the truth was, Alice was not responsible for Dot’s success. Dot alone had put on those headphones and sorted through all the dits and dahs to find the pattern that counted before she’d even been trained. Only Dot had raised a hand when a convoluted series of letters appeared in her mind, already in a translated form. Alice had been there, but Dot had taken those steps by herself. Whatever mysterious destination lay ahead, and whatever sounds or codes or signals called for her skills, Dot was no longer afraid.
twenty-sixDASH— Fort William, Ontario —
Dash was giving the starboard side of the completed Hurricane a final buff, bringing the grey-green camouflage to a nice shine against the factory lights, when Miss MacGill approached. She stood back from the fuselage and scanned the length of the plane.
“Your team did a quick job on this one,” she said. “Did you do it correctly?”
“Oh yes, ma’am,” Dash replied, unconcerned. These days the factory was producing three to four Hurricanes a week, and each one had passed their test flights. “She is going to fly straight and true, I guarantee it. I can hardly wait to see her test flight. Will that be today?”
Miss MacGill lifted one shoulder. “Depends on the pilot. Will you be ready in a half hour?”
Dash could hardly breathe. She had begun to think this would never happen. “I get to fly her?”
“If you’d like. I took the liberty of contacting your reference, Bob Wilson, and his references as well. He is an exemplary instructor, and he was an even better fighter pilot, I understand. He highly recommended you and assured me I have nothing to worry about. Of course, if he’swrong, I will have lost a valuable airplane and one of my best mechanics.” She frowned. “Could he be wrong?”
“Uncle Bob is never wrong. Just ask him,” Dash said, straight-faced. “Oh, Miss MacGill! I will take such good care of her.”
“And report back with all your findings.”
“Of course. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
She was still standing there, wearing a stupid grin, when Stacey came up beside her. “You have a cat-ate-the-canary look on your face. What’s up?”
“Oh, you know. Just another regular day”—she spun toward her—“that I get to fly a Hurricane!”
Stacey squealed. “Do you know how?”
“What a silly question,” Dash said, running her hand along the wing. “I know every little thing about her. She and I are going to get on famously.”
A thought occurred, and she rushed back to her locker, looking for her father’s old brass compass. Her fingers closed around it, and she dropped it in her pocket before heading back to the hangar.
