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recognise one of our own, Second Lieutenant Foster, on the occasion of her promotion to First Lieutenant.’
    Clare went white.
    ‘Captain Alan Hartigan, as her commanding officer, will officiate. Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Hartigan.’
    Hartigan stood forward and thanked the colonel for the opportunity to promote ‘this deserving young officer’ who had shown ‘early promise’, ‘aptitude and common sense’ and other qualities that Clare barely recognised as applying to herself.
    When Hartigan had finished, Donaldson continued: ‘Attention to orders: The President of the United States, acting upon the recommendations of the Secretary of the Astronautics Corps, has placed special trust and confidence in the courage, integrity and abilities of Second Lieutenant Foster. In view of these special qualities, and her demonstrated potential to serve in the higher grade, Second Lieutenant Foster is promoted to the grade of First Lieutenant, United States Astronautics Corps, effective this eleventh day of December, twenty-one thousand and forty-one, by order of the Secretary of the Astronautics Corps.
    ‘Captain Hartigan and First Lieutenant Coombes, would you please come forward and pin on First Lieutenant Foster’s new rank?’
    Hartigan smiled at Clare, who was still wearing an expression of shocked surprise, as he and a young officer removed her gold insignia bars and pinned on the silver ones. The tradition of silver outranking gold had remained unchanged for over two hundred years. When they had finished, they stood back, leaving Clare on her own in front of the Colonel, who led a round of polite applause.
    ‘Captain Hartigan will now administer the oath of office.’
    Hartigan faced Clare, and indicated that she should raise her right hand. At a nod from him, she read off the card that he held up in front of her: ‘I, Clare Judith Foster, having been appointed a First Lieutenant in the United States Astronautics Corps, do solemnly affirm …’ Clare’s voice sounded strange in her ears, as if someone else was saying the words. As she finished, Hartigan stepped back again, and Donaldson continued:
    ‘Ladies and gentlemen, First Lieutenant Foster.’ He indicated that she should say something. But what to say? They must know that she would have had no warning. She cleared her throat.
    ‘Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. I am – honoured to receive this promotion, and – and to be here on board your wonderful aircraft this evening. Thank you.’ She came to an abrupt halt, and smiled as winningly as she could. It seemed to do the trick, because Donaldson started to clap, and as the others joined in, waved to his steward to bring the drinks round.
    Clare turned at once to Hartigan, who held up his hands. ‘I know, I know,’ he said, smiling, forestalling her protests. ‘I submitted your assessment from the landing, and your promotion came back right away. I thought it would make a memorable start to your tour here. By the way –’ he handed her an envelope ‘– that’s your official notice of promotion. You can read that later.’
    ‘Congratulations, Lieutenant,’ Donaldson said, raising his glass, ‘not often we have something to celebrate. You’ve given us an excuse to open up the drinks locker.’
    ‘Thank you, sir,’ she said, uncertain of what to say. She took a glass of champagne from the steward’s tray, and gulped a mouthful.
    Colonel Donaldson took a long sip of his own drink. He was taller than Clare, and imposing; his square shoulders and upright, confident posture marked him out as someone who was used to commanding other people, and enjoyed it. ‘Come and meet my officers,’ he said, and guided her over to the great sweep of the window, which spanned most of one wall. ‘We always try to watch the sunset here; it’s one of the few treats of being where we are.’
    Clare gazed out across the clouds, to where the swollen Sun had started to slip below the horizon, a dark line