“She may be one of the few.”
“Well, you’ll have to prove it,” he replied, unconvinced. “And that will be both difficult and dangerous. Let’s drop it for now. This is our night. Besides, the ice cream here is most unusual.”
The ice cream was unusual. However it is to be doubted whether Gale really tasted its goodness, for all the time her eyes were on the woman in purple. She was consciously memorizing her features, the color of her hair and eyes, her high forehead that might have been European, her thin nose, her small red mouth, and her thin chin. She memorized too the shape of her long fingers and the rings set with two diamonds and a ruby.
“Now,” she whispered to herself, “If I see you again I shall know you, whether you are dressed in royal purple or in rags.”
As if the woman had heard, she turned and looked right at Gale. Did she give a sudden start? Gale thought so. If this was true, she made a quick recovery, for turning squarely about, the woman began talking with animation to the man at her side.
“My destination is Tokio,” Jimmie murmured, as if talking to himself.
“What? What did you say?” Gale exclaimed.
Jimmie’s reply was in a voice lower than her own. “It is agreed, a sort of unwritten law, that when Tokio is bombed by planes flying from China, all the remaining Flying Tigers still fit for service shall have a place in that flight. I hope to be one of these. That is my confession to my goddess for tonight.”
“And my confession,” she replied instantly, “Is that I hope to be the radar man in the bomber you fly over Tokio!”
“That—”