Ormaie 17.XI.43 JB-S
- As it turns out, the kerosene is for the narrator's head lice.
- The narrator shares that last night there was an air raid and she was on her own above ground for three hours, hoping for a direct hit from the RAF.
- Von Linden gives her a single white pill that the narrator thinks is cyanide. It's aspirin.
- The head lice treatment and the aspirin are all part of "Operation Cinderella," a plan to pretty the narrator up before they bring in an American Nazi sympathizer to interview her for a radio show aimed at American troops.
- The narrator knows that because she overheard classified information before the speakers knew she could understand German, she is now a "Night and Fog" prisoner—a.k.a. "Nacht und Nebel," or just NN for short.
- This means her captors need to make her disappear.
- The narrator wonders about von Linden and what he does in civilian life because he is so good at reading his prisoners and figuring out exactly where their breaking points are.
- She also wonders what happened to all the hotel furnishings of the Chateau de Bordeaux.
- The narrator and Engel are working on some translations for von Linden, which will give credence to the story she is to tell the interviewer: she's supposed to say she's being humanely treated and has been given translation work to do while she awaits trial.
- She knows if she tells the interviewer what her captors want, she will buy herself a bit more time to finish her story.
The narrator titles the next section "Ferry Pilot."
- We're back in Maddie's story now.
- When Maddie transfers to the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary), she is stationed at Oakway.
- She's a civilian again, but there are other perks, like petrol (gasoline) and chocolate and getting to live at home.
- Maddie's training is cut short because she's needed in the air.
- The narrator says an ATA pilot dies every week because they fly without navigation aids in weather fighter pilots won't face.
- Maddie's first job is to ferry a damaged Lysander for repairs.
The narrator titles the next section "Not a Safe Job."
- Still hanging out with Maddie here.
- The ground crew cannot believe a woman is going to fly the broken Lysander, but Maddie convinces them.
- Even so, she has a rough flight and barely gets the plane down at Elmtree.
- She goes to the canteen to get a snack and runs into Theo Lyons, the sister of a pilot she knew at Maidsend.
- Theo tells Maddie about RAF Special Duties flights, where she flies planes bound for night landings in France—in other words, planes designed to drop off and pick up spies and Resistance workers.
- Maddie takes Theo's advice, and becomes quite expert at this type of flying, which is partly how she ends up flying the narrator into France some time later.
- The narrator admits she doesn't have a clue where the secret airfields are, which is a good thing since she can't spill the beans.