Not the Same Sky by Evelyn Conlon Page A

with the lilting, an entire flash of heat could radiate out from a small spot near where her heart was, and she could be overtaken with a throatful of joy. What would God have thought if he could have seen a ship like this at night, flapping sails, the light dipping as lanterns swayed, the sound of voices making music and the sight of girls with long dresses dancing, tripping their steps into each other’s.
    It was the day after a dance that they met the Duke of Bedford . It was always an exciting time, seeing a ship that seemed to be making straight for them. The girls liked to watch the approach, the sails waving towards them, getting closer and closer. They would stare at the distance getting smaller and wonder where the boat was from and where it was going. The crew would not do this, being used to the notion of ships on the sea, but they did not interrupt the staring, there was something entirely private and perhaps sacred about every girl’s looking. The boat pulled close and the two captains spoke through a trumpet. Not everyone could hear what they said because the wind and the swish of the sails cut up the sounds. The girls stayed quiet to see what they could pick up, they could check with each other later and put the bits together and maybe come up with something that mattered. They were stopping longer this time, their captain boarding the other boat.
    ‘Oh look at that, I hope he doesn’t fall.’
    He went on board for dinner, as was the ritual when time and conditions permitted. The last ship they had met had come past them in the wind and no one had stopped. They had simply shouted greetings and a man on the other ship had held up a baby.
    ‘Look, it’s a baby,’ they cried.
    ‘We speak the ship, did you know that, we do not speak to the ship,’ Anne Sherry said. Her English was getting better and better the teacher said. But even people whose English was very good might not know that, you had to be at sea for a long time to learn some things.
    The captain returned from the dinner with presents: two sheep, a pig and a dozen fowls. Their palates would be truly spoiled now. He also had a newspaper, which could be taken to the classes when he was finished with it. It was while the boat was still at a lull, while the creaking and lapping of the two vessels were married, that Charles gathered some girls near him and told them about the changing of the stars. They would see it soon, maybe tomorrow night, if the sky was very clear.
    The fuss of the other ship was a welcome distraction, and Charles was glad to have his letters taken from him on their way, particularly the letter to his mother. He watched the ship disappearing, bearing his news that would arrive in Italy, where the sunlight was even.
    On the following morning Charles wondered if it had been wise of him to mention the stars, there seemed to be an air of consternation about, among the younger ones especially. He wouldn’t have done so if they had not been lapping beside another boat. One had to think carefully about what information one imparted, but a moment of rest, or the togetherness of boats, could put the tongue off guard. Oh well, he would just have to make sure he explained it properly and comfortingly. He would use the map to illustrate. They would examine it today, find their latitude and longitude and then tonight, after dancing, anyone who wanted to could stay on deck with him to read the sky.
    ‘Are you staying?’ Honora asked Julia.
    ‘Might as well, might tell us something we’ll need to know. What do you think?’ and she laughed out loud. ‘What do you think, Honora?’
    It was a clear night. Perfect for seeing the northern stars fade away and the southern stars rise into view. Charles pointed to what was the familiar and the girls stared in awe as they saw the change. Although in truth, some of them were pretending in order to keep Charles happy. They did not know their own sky well, certainly not as well as he did.