"R. Garcia y Robertson - Wendy Darling, RFC" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robertson R Garcia Y)

WENDY DARLING, RFC
By R. Garcia y Robertson

THE INFANTSтАЩ CLASS

It was amazing because it was so beautiful, little silver specks far up in heaven . . .
тАФNew York Times, 14 June 1917

****

WENDY FIRST SAW THE WONG-wongs from her old nursery window. She had
the afternoon session, so she was lunching with Mother in the garden, demolishing
cucumber sandwiches тАФ when she heard the drone of engines, growing louder,
filling the summer sky.

тАЬAeroplanes, Mum.тАЭ She set down a half-eaten sandwich and dashed into the
house, taking steps two at a time.

The tiny square of blue above the garden was hopeless for aircraft spotting,
but the nursery was three floors up. As a girl Wendy had flown about it in her
nightshirt; now it was littered with back numbers of Flight and Aero. A Montaul
poster advertised the Grande Semaine dтАЩAviation held at Rheims before the War тАФ
a woman in bold print colors waved at aeroplanes and balloons rising on the red
dawn wind. The window opposite was always left open for Peter. Wendy flung it
wide.

Roofs and chimneys poked into endless sky. From the direction of Woolwich
came the double throb of inline engines working in pairs тАФ the Wong-wong that
gave Gothas their nickname. She slung a foot over the sill, held tight to the sash and
leaned out. Pavement lay in wait thirty feet below.

тАЬWatch yourself,тАЭ Mother warned.

тАЬTosh, Mum, donтАЩt be a snooze.тАЭ At twenty-two, working as a war-time
temp, Wendy was no longer practiced at climbing rooftops. She no longer believed
pixie dust and lovely thoughts would keep her aloft. But this was the window Peter
had flown through. She never expected to fall from it. If she did, Peter was bound to
be there to catch herтАФ or so she supposed. Leaning farther out, she saw little silver
specks in diamond formation, three miles above the Royal Albert Docks. As they
got closer she counted seventeen, coming up the Thames in a slow stately progress
over the heart of the city.

People peered out windows or stared up from the street. A woman shouted,
тАЬHun bombers.тАЭ

Neighbors scoffed. тАЬNot тАШere. Not over London.тАЭ
 тАЬBloody Wong-wongs,тАЭ the woman insisted. тАЬI heard them over Maidstone
last month.тАЭ

Wendy saw nothing alarming about the orderly formation тАФ until white puffs