Ravens on Everest
Privately, Jane was a little sad that they would not all be there to conquer Everest together. It had to be privately, because to say so out loud was too much like "putting on side".
Practically, it was just as well that it was only the four of them. Susie and Julia would be sensible enough when it really mattered, and they had climbed Everest quite a few times – even in the days before the coronation, when they still called it Kanchenjunga. Granny Molly still called it the Matterhorn. Even Jamie would do well enough, although Jane had judged it better not to give him much to carry. Jamie had his jersey (which had been Jane's originally) and his Observer's Book of British birds (on loan from Uncle Dick) in the knapsack (which had used to belong to Uncle Roger). You still could not be absolutely sure that Rob would not decide he was too tired and sit down when you were nearly at the top, so perhaps it was just as well that Mum had taken him with her to visit Daddy. It was only Whit half-term after all, and you could not really expect Mum to come back that distance for slightly less than a week's holiday.
So here they were, after breakfast, waiting to set off.
"Promise me you'll all stick together." Auntie Peggy said for the second time and for the second time they promised.
"Except if one of us falls down a crevasse and we need to fetch help." Susie agreed cheerfully.
"No falling down crevasses if you can help it. You promised to stick to the path, too."
Another reason to be rather glad Rob was not with them. His understanding of the nature of a promise was quite sketchy still.
Jane had been rather hankering after a proper expedition, roped together. Auntie Peggy had insisted on the path, which they knew rather well. Jane knew this was so that she could find them easily if anything did go wrong. Jane had overheard Auntie Peggy saying so to Granny last night. Julia was still not awfully keen on going to sleep with the door shut, although she hated to admit it.
"And if they get lost there's plenty of daylight to find them in – more than the summer holidays. And Jane has loads more sense than we did at that age – she really is very like John. They'll be fine with her in charge."
And Jane, pleased, had hugged herself in the darkness. She knew she really should have said something then to let them know she had woken. Listening to other people conversations was a bit of a rotten trick, but she had felt so comfortable that she would leave it for just a second - and then a few seconds later it had been daylight and time to check the weather and get everyone up and ready.
Auntie Peggy had rowed them up the river Amazon in the war canoe - to make it "more expedition-y" she said.
And it was going well. Jane had made sure they did not drink all the lemonade way up. Here they were on the summit of the world, looking out to the sea and the Isle of Man.
"I wish we could see to another country." said Julia.
"We can." said Susie. "You're looking at it now."
"Isn't it still really the same kingdom?"
Susie shook her head. "No. It isn't really. It's got its own flag and parliament and things."
"But isn't Princess Elizabeth their Queen too?" Julia asked.
"Yes, sort of."
"But she's been Queen Elizabeth for years now." Jane reminded her.
"Two." said Susie.
Jane and Julia had seen Princess Elizabeth once, when they had lived in Malta. It had been from a reasonable distance and Jane hoped that the Princess had not heard the three year-old Julia say "Why isn't she prettier? I thought princesses ought to be pretty."
True, grown-ups ought to be above minding about that sort of thing, but Jane thought it must be tough luck on the Princess to have to be the sensible older one all the time without people commenting on your looks as well. Mum hadn't been at all pleased with Julia's remark either.
"Didn't you mind having to be the older-and-more- sensible one when you were younger?" Jane had asked her mother when they were at home later.
Mum had laughed. "I never minded being older. And as for more sensible – it's the first time anyone has accused me of that. Maybe you'd better talk to your Aunt Susan when she comes."
Jane's attention was recalled to the present.
"Mum gave me one of the new half-pennies." said Jamie, waving the shiny copper coin under the girls' noses. "It's got the Queen's head on it. But she said it wasn't to keep – just that we'd need it one we were up here. But there isn't anything up here to need a coin."
"She told me we should look under the cairn for something small." Susie said.
"All of it?" Julia looked doubtful.
"We'll probably find what we're looking for somewhere near the edge, she said. And she said we'll know it when we find it."
They did. It was a small round brass box which rattled. Jamie tried opening it, struggled and passed it to Jane, who found that the trick was to twist it as well as lift. It was immediately obvious why Auntie Peggy had given them coin.
"The farthing with Queen Victoria must be have been put there by Granny." Susie said.
"Or Grandfather or Uncle Jim." Julia added, reading the piece of paper over Jane's shoulder.
"Daddy wasn't born then, I don't think." said Jamie.
"I mean Great-Uncle Jim. It looks as though they climbed it in the summer holidays."
Jane turned the paper over. "And here's our Mum and Dad, and your Mum and Aunt Susan and Aunt Titty and Uncle Roger."
"What about our Dad?" Jamie asked.
"It was in 1931. That was probably ages before he knew us – them I mean. He only met Auntie Peggy just before the war broke out." Julia said.
"He must have known Mum and Auntie Nancy before that to be invited." Jamie said. It seemed somehow unfair that his father's name wasn't there.
"I expect he was Uncle John's friend and that's how he got invited." said Susie.
"What about Auntie Bridgie?"
"Probably too young." said Julia.
"She's here." said Jane, unfolding the second piece of paper.
4th August 1941
Alfred Jones
Bridget Walker
Elspeth Smith
Colin Smith
"That's who put the George VI half-penny in." said Susie.
"Is that Auntie Bridget's friend?" Julia asked. "I always thought she was Scottish. Mac- something"
"She is Scottish. It probably isn't compulsory to be Mac- something if you're Scottish."
"Who's Alfred?"
"He used to live with Miss Hetty and Miss Letty. He came from Liverpool and his parents and brother were killed in the bombing and so he could never really go home." Jane listened carefully when Cook told her stories. It was sometimes hard to imagine the grown-ups as children, but she found it reassuring as well.
"Well, what are we going to do? A new piece of paper or write on the back of this one?" Susie asked.
"Have you got a new piece of paper?" Jane asked.
"A Brownie always has a piece of paper and a pencil in case she has to take down an important message." said Susie severely. "Haven't you got one?"
"Yes, but I keep it in my uniform pocket, so I can't not have it for inspections. I bet you usually do too."
Susie grinned. "It's in my wardrobe at home. But Mum reminded me this morning, so I swiped the one by the telephone and some of the sheets from the notepad." She caught Jane's look and added hastily, "I'll put it back the moment we back to Granny's."
"Let's write on the same paper as Auntie Bridget, but leave the other piece of paper here for when we come up here with the others. We're sure to do it at some time. Then they'll know we were here first." Julia suggested.
This plan was found good by all four of them, so they wrote their names and the date and hid the tin again.
It was much quicker going downhill, but they decided to stop halfway down anyway and finish the last of the lemonade. There was still ages yet before anyone would worry about them.
"Ravens." said Jamie.
They watched the pair of ravens flying around – swooping and performing barrel rolls.
"What are they doing?" Susie asked her brother.
"I saw them doing it last year too, with Uncle Dick. I wondered if it was a territorial display thing, but he said probably not, with no other birds around to display to."
"I think they're doing it for fun, because they can." said Jane. "Like Mum and Dad."
"Mum and Dad can't fly." said Julia. "I bet Daddy wished he could instead of learning to drive."
"I wish we could fly." Susie said.
"No, but they can sail." Jane said. "Remember the race at Easter."
Julia grinned. "Who lost then?"
"You and Daddy won. That's different."
"It's the same thing."
Jane shook her head, but her smile was a private one at her own memories, not at her sister. True, Swallow had narrowly beaten Amazon from the foot of the Lake to the Beckfoot boathouse, but Mum had been as happy as if they had won, and had told Jane she could not have asked for a better crew. Jane had felt exhilarated by the praise and the sailing. The wind had been fresh, and she didn't think she had ever been faster in Amazon. Julia was in a good mood with winning and having Daddy to herself for most of the afternoon. Mum's eyes had danced and sparkled and followed Daddy. He had ruffled Jane's hair and hugged her and suggested to Julia that she run ahead to tell Rob and Granny who had won. He had hugged Mum, too, and kept his arms around her.
"You too, Jane." Daddy had said once Julia had got a sufficient start to ensure that she would arrive at the house first. "We can finish stowing everything away."
But her parents didn't start tidying up immediately, and glancing back before she turned the corner, Jane saw them wandering towards the copse with their arms still round each other and heard her mother's laughter. Jane had thought then it was the happiest she had ever been, and ran on into the house.
Today was good too. Jane shrugged her shoulders back into the knapsack.
"Come on." she said. "Let's race back as far as the river,"