The airplane in front of him had to turn either west or, more likely, east, back to the airfield from which it had taken off. He got an appetite and grabbed two more loaves. He looked around the cockpit and considered what to take: the map, the compass, the water canister, the two packets of pesticide, the photograph of himself and Melina, the pistol and a spare magazine. This meant that Stukas were arriving in small numbers and could not risk being shot down by the British. “You can go to your friends now,” said Melina. This meant that Stukas were arriving in small numbers and could not risk being shot down by the British. He didn’t have time to do anything else as the fuel gauge suddenly began to drop and a gray trail of gasoline was visible behind the plane. Finally, after nearly an hour of talking to the sun alone, like the ancient Egyptian worshipers of Ra, he gathered his few belongings from where he had slept overnight and set off northward. Robert listened carefully to the engine noise as the German passed him, but there was nothing suspicious.
