“We’ll take them fast enough if they come after us, sir.” Kentucky squared his shoulders.
“At night it is not so easy,” was the quiet reply.
“Night!” Ted stared.
“Your squadron has been making practice flights at night recently,” said the Commander. “That wasn’t for fun.”
“I—I suppose not.” Ted was trying to think what going after torpedo bombers at night would be like. “Exciting,” he told himself. “And very dangerous.”
“In the past,” the Commander spoke once more, “our task forces have been destroying their torpedo planes long before they reached us in the daytime. So—”
“So they’re going to come after us in the dark, sir?” Kentucky suggested.
“Our Intelligence Service has strongly hinted at it,” said the Commander. “So,” he drew a deep breath, “I thought you, Kentucky, would like to call for four volunteers to be ready for night fighting, just in case they come after us.”
“Count me in on that, sir—that is, if you think I’m good enough,” Ted volunteered.
“You’re plenty good,” said Kentucky. “Your plane was shot up. Got a new one yet?”