Part 8 (1/2)

With a twisted smile Fenlon replies, *Put your landing lights on. If you like what you see, marvellous. If you don't, switch the lights off again.'

It takes a while for Dee to figure out what he means. When she does her face goes pale.

*One final thing . . .' Fenlon squints at each of us in turn. *You're all at a funny age. Young enough to see in the dark . . . but your night-sight could go just like that.' He snaps his fingers. *We'll test you every evening before you fly. First sign of hazy vision, you're off the squadron a” is that clear?'

We all blink, suddenly desperate to prove we can stay airborne.

Fenlon hauls open the hangar doors so we can all see the Storms lined up in rows by the runway, slowly being swallowed by shadows. Planet Umbra is streaked with clouds a” not enough to alter plans, Aura a.s.sures us. While we wait Henke plays a song on his balika, about the ending of winter and the hope spring brings; about the chill of the Long Night being followed by the warmth of the sun's reappearance. It makes me imagine flowers in the forest unfolding fat petals, and trees sticky with new sap. My skin tightens and my heart thuds.

Suddenly Rill says, *How does a night-blind pilot know when to take off?'

*I don't know,' we all reply. *How does a night-blind pilot know when to take off?'

*He keeps going along the runway until all the pa.s.sengers start screaming.'

We groan. It doesn't deter her.

*How does a night-blind pilot know when to land?'

*We don't know, Rill, how does a night-blind pilot know when to land?'

*When the guide dog's leash goes slack!'

Henke mimes cracking Rill over the head with his balika then carries on with his tunes.

Yeldon drops to the hangar floor and does a few speedy press-ups, right where Zoya can see and admire him.

*I'm ready for whatever the night brings,' he says, back on his feet and punching the air.

*You don't have to fly,' sniffs Zoya. *Everybody else is in much more danger.'

*Hey a” it'll be nothing spectacular, just a series of quick fly-and-bomb runs, that's all. Absolutely zero to be worried about. You've all trained non-stop and read maps and things. You got on OK with your first night-flights. I can't see why everyone's so tense.'

*I'm not tense,' snaps Lida.

*Me neither,' says Ang quickly. *I'm relaxation incarnate.'

*Why are you digging your fingernails into your palms then?' asks Dee.

*Shut up!'

Ang is paired to fly with Dee as her pilot. They're both finding it quite torturous, particularly since Ang thinks pilots get too much respect compared to navigators. Henke is nav to his sister Rill. Lida has Petra as her navigator, but right now Petra's squinting through the twilight to keep tabs on Mossie, who's over by the Storms with Yeldon and Fenlon, doing last-minute checks. Being night-blind, Fenlon has to use a head-torch. He forgets he's wearing it, and keeps dazzling people when he looks at them.

*I never thought I'd say this, but I wish the sun would hurry up and finish setting!' Zoya sighs, shoving her hands in her armpits. *Pip, you look toasty. Can I borrow your flying jacket just till we're ready to go? It's big enough for two of you, so it should fit.'

I do feel hot. Feverish even. Taking off my jacket is a huge relief. The nausea fades.

Zoya rootles around in my jacket pockets. *Have you got any spare gloves? Ugh, what's this? Is this actual animal wool? Na a” is this a bone stuck in it? Pip . . . ?'

I back away. *It's not mine, I swear a” no, don't give me it, I don't want it! Someone must've hidden it in my jacket when it was hanging in the crew-room. There was something like it on the Storm the day of the test flight, too. Reef a” the Scrutiner a” took it.'

*Seriously? Did he say what it was?'

I shake my head. *Furey said it might be a good-luck charm.'

*It's like those gross artefacts they have on display in the People's Number Ninety-four Museum back home a” Old Nation stuff that's banned now.'

*Let me look,' comes a quiet voice. Rill pushes past Zoya to examine the object. We expect a bad joke, but she's serious when she speaks. *My brother knows songs about people using amulets and prayers and herbs. There are fey-tales too. I don't know exactly what this exact charm means, but I do know it's a witch thing.'

*No such thing as witches,' is our chorus, with me chanting extra loudly.

*I'm not saying witches exist,' Rill adds quickly. *But my mama said you have to do whatever you can to guard yourself against them, even if it means using protection that's called Old Nation now.'

It all sounds a bit like Papi's att.i.tude when I caught the train at Sea-Ways a” No such thing as witches but guard yourself against them anyway.

Zoya splutters, *I can't believe you'd even say something like that, Rill. We should absolutely report this to Eyes in the Dark.'

*Report what?' comes a voice from behind our huddled circle. Reef is right beside me.

*It's not mine,' says Zoya anxiously. *I just found it.'

*Where?'

She hesitates, not wanting to get me into trouble.

Dee answers for her, honest as ever. *It was in the pocket of Rain's flying jacket.'

Reef's eyes are focused only on me now. *Is this true?'

I nod and colour up. *I don't know how it got there.'

*The wool is like that embroidered belt Haze in the canteen kitchen wears a” sort of a Lim design,' says Lida. She suddenly looks taller, as if she'll be responsible for the group. I like that about her, even if she does keep calling me Pipsqueak.

Zoya frowns. *Why would Haze make something like this? You shouldn't accuse people without proof.'

Lida says, *I'm not accusing, I'm just making an observation . . .'

Reef holds up his hand. *Enough talk. We have the Lim girl under Scrutiny. We have you all under Scrutiny. Forget about this now and focus on your flying.'

*Forget what?' comes Marina Furey's voice.

I look up at Reef with a mute please don't tell in my eyes.

Reef hesitates for a moment . . . then he slips the bone-wool thing away. *They're to forget their fears,' he tells Furey calmly. *Their Nation needs them.'

*Absolutely,' she replies.

I breathe out slowly and wonder if I dare message thank you to Reef.

Furey looks more dishevelled than usual, and angry too.