第6章
"Nowwe"vedoneit，"saysGeorgeinmyear:"Ourskin-friction，thatlastslide，hasplayedOldHarrywiththetensions!Lookoutforlaterals，Tim；she"llwantsomeholding。"
"I"vegother，"istheanswer。"Comeup，oldwoman。"
Shecomesupnobly，butthelateralsbuffetherleftandrightlikethepinionsofangryangels。Sheisjoltedoffhercoursefourwaysatonce，andcuffedintoplaceagain，onlytobeswungasideanddroppedintoanewchaos。Weareneverwithoutacorposantgrinningonourbowsorrollingheadoverheelsfromnosetomidships，andtothecrackleofelectricityaroundandwithinusisaddedonceortwicetherattleofhail——hailthatwillneverfallonanysea。Slowwemustorwemaybreakourback，pitch-poling。
"Air"saperfectlyelasticfluid，"roarsGeorgeabovethetumult。
"AboutaselasticasaheadseaofftheFastnet，ain"tit？"
Heislessthanjusttothegoodelement。IfoneintrudesontheHeavenswhentheyarebalancingtheirvolt-accounts；ifonedisturbstheHighGods"market-ratesbyhurlingsteelhullsatninetyknotsacrosstremblinglyadjustedelectrictensions，onemustnotcomplainofanyrudenessinthereception。Timmetitwithanunmovedcountenance，onecornerofhisunderlipcaughtuponatooth，hiseyesfleetingintotheblacknesstwentymilesahead，andthefiercesparksflyingfromhisknucklesateveryturnofthehand。Nowandagainheshookhisheadtoclearthesweattricklingfromhiseyebrows，anditwasthenthatGeorge，watchinghischance，wouldslidedownthelife-railandswabhisfacequicklywithabigredhandkerchief。IneverimaginedthatahumanbeingcouldsocontinuouslylabourandsocollectedlythinkasdidTimthroughthatHell"shalf-hourwhentheflurrywasatitsworst。Weweredraggedhitherandyonbywarmor，frozensuctions，belcheduponthetopsofwulii-was，spundownbyvorticesandclubbedasidebylateralsunderadizzyingrushofstarsinthe，companyofadrunkenmoon。
Iheardtherushingclickofthemidship-engine-leverslidinginandout，thelowgrowlofthelift-shunts，and，louderthantheyellingwindswithout，thescreamofthebow-ruddergougingintoanylullthatpromisedholdforaninstant。Atlastwebegantoclawuponacant，bow-rudderandport-propellertogether；onlythenicestbalancingoftankssavedusfromspinningliketherifle-bulletoftheolddays。
"We"vegottohitchtowindwardofthatMarkBoatsomehow，"
Georgecried。
"There"snowindward，"Iprotestedfeebly，whereIswungshackledtoastanchion。"Howcantherebe？"
Helaughed——aswepitchedintoathousandfootblow-out——thatredmanlaughedbeneathhisinflatedhood!
"Look!"hesaid。"Wemustclearthoserefugeeswithahighlift。"
TheMarkBoatwasbelowandalittletothesou"westofus，fluctuatinginthecentreofherdistraughtgalaxy。Theairwasthickwithmovinglightsateverylevel。Itakeitmostofthemweretryingtolieheadtowind，but，notbeinghydras，theyfailed。Anunder-tankedMoghrabiboathadrisentothelimitofherlift，and，findingnoimprovement，haddroppedacoupleofthousand。Thereshemetasuperbwulli-wa，andwasblownupspinninglikeadeadleaf。Insteadofshuttingoffshewentasternand，naturally，reboundedasfromawallalmostintotheMarkBoat，whoselanguage(ourG。C。tookitin)washumanlysimple。
"Ifthey"donlyrideitoutquietlyit"udbebetter，"saidGeorgeinacalm，whileweclimbedlikeabatabovethemall。
"Butsomeskippers-willnavigatewithoutenoughlift。WhatdoesthatTad-boatthinksheisdoing，Tim？"
"Playin"kissinthering，"wasTim"sunmovedreply。A
Trans-AsiaticDirectlinerhadfoundasmoothandbuttedintoitfullpower。Buttherewasavortexatthetailofthatsmooth，sotheT。A。D。wasflippedoutlikeapeafromoffafinger-nail，brakingmadlyasshefleddownandallbutover-ending。
"NowIhopeshe"ssatisfied，"saidTim。"I"mgladI"mnotaMarkBoat……DoIwanthelp？"TheGeneralCommunicatordialhadcaughthisear。"George，youmaytellthatgentlemanwithmylove——love，remember，George——thatIdonotwanthelp。Whoistheofficioussardine-tin？"
"ARimouskidrogheronthelook-outforatow。"
"VerykindoftheRimouskidrogher。Thispostalpacketisn"tbeingtowedatpresent。"
"Thosedrogherswillgoanywhereonachanceofsalvage，"Georgeexplained。"Wecall"emkittiwakes。"
Along-beaked，brightsteelninety-footerfloatedateaseforoneinstantwithinhailofus，herslingscoiledreadyforrescues，andasinglehandinheropentower。Hewassmoking。Surrenderedtotheinsurrectionoftheairsthroughwhichwetoreourway，helayinabsolutepeace。Isawthesmokeofhispipeascenduntroublederehisboatdropped，itseemed，likeastoneinawell。
WehadjustclearedtheMarkBoatandherdisorderlyneighbourswhenthestormendedassuddenlyasithadbegun。Ashooting-startonorthwardfilledtheskywiththegreenblinkofameteoritedissipatingitselfinouratmosphere。
SaidGeorge:"Thatmayironoutallthetensions。"Evenashespoke，theconflictingwindscametorest；thelevelsfilled；thelateralsdiedoutinlong，easyswells；theair-waysweresmoothedbeforeus。InlessthanthreeminutesthecoveyroundtheMarkBoathadshippedtheirpower-lightsandwhirredawayupontheirbusinesses。
"What"shappened？"Igasped。Thenerve-storewithinandthevolt-tinglewithouthadpassed:myinflatorsweighedlikelead。
"God，Heknows!"saidCaptainGeorgesoberly"Thatoldshooting-star"sskin-frictionhasdischargedthedifferentlevels。I"veseenithappenbefore。Phew:Whatarelief!"
Wedroppedfromtentosixthousandandgotridofourclammysuits。TimshutoffandsteppedoutoftheFrame。TheMarkBoatwascomingupbehindus。Heopenedthecolloidinthatheavenlystillnessandmoppedhisface。
"Hello，Williams!"hecried。"Adegreeortwoouto"station，ain"tyou？"
"Maybe，"wastheanswerfromtheMarkBoat。"I"vehadsomecompanythisevening。"
"SoInoticed。Wasn"tthatquitealittledraught？"
"Iwarnedyou。Whydidn"tyoupulloutnorth？Theeast-boundpacketshave。"
"Me？NottillI"mrunningaPolarconsumptives"sanatoriumboat。
Iwassquintingthroughacolloidbeforeyouwereoutofyourcradle，myson。"
"I"dbethelastmantodenyit，"thecaptainoftheMarkBoatrepliessoftly。"Thewayyouhandledherjustnow——I"maprettyfairjudgeoftrafficinavolt-hurry——itwasathousandrevolutionsbeyondanythingevenI"veeverseen。"
Tim"sbacksupplesvisiblytothisoiling。CaptainGeorgeonthec。p。winksandpointstotheportraitofasingularlyattractivemaidenpinneduponTim"stelescopebracketabovethesteering-wheel。
Isee。WhollyandentirelydoIsee!
Thereissometalkoverheadof"comingroundtoteaonFriday，"abriefreportofthederelict"sfate，andTimvolunteersashedescends:"ForanA。B。C。manyoungWilliamsislessofahigh-tensionfoolthansome。Wereyouthinkingoftakingheron，George？ThenI"lljusthavealookroundthatport-thrustseemstomeit"satriflewarm——andwe"lljogalong。"
TheMarkBoathumsoffjoyouslyandhangsherselfupinherappointedeyrie。Hereshewillstayashutterlessobservatory；alife-boatstation；asalvagetug；acourtofultimateappeal-cum-meteorologicalbureauforthreehundredmilesinalldirections，tillWednesdaynextwhenherreliefslidesacrossthestarstotakeherbuffetedplace。Herblackhull，doubleconning-tower，andever-readyslingsrepresentallthatremainstotheplanetofthatoddoldwordauthority。SheisresponsibleonlytotheAerialBoardofControltheA。B。C。ofwhichTimspeakssoflippantly。Butthatsemi-elected，semi-nominatedbodyofafewscoreofpersonsofbothsexes，controlsthisplanet。
"TransportationisCivilisation，"ourmottoruns。Theoretically，wedowhatwepleasesolongaswedonotinterferewiththetrafficANDALLITIMPLIES。Practically，theA。B。C。confirmsorannulsallinternationalarrangementsand，tojudgefromitslastreport，findsourtolerant，humorous，lazylittleplanetonlytooreadytoshiftthewholeburdenofpublicadministrationonitsshoulders。
IdiscussthiswithTim，sippingmateonthec。p。whileGeorgefansheralongoverthewhitebluroftheBanksinbeautifulupwardcurvesoffiftymileseach。Thedip-dialtranslatesthemonthetapeinflowingfreehand。
Timgathersupaskeinofitandsurveysthelastfewfeet，whichrecord"162"s"paththroughthevolt-flurry。
"Ihaven"thadafever-chartlikethistoshowupinfiveyears，"
hesaysruefully。
Apostalpacket"sdip-dialrecordseveryyardofeveryrun。ThetapesthengototheA。B。C。，whichcollatesandmakescompositephotographsofthemfortheinstructionofcaptains。Timstudieshisirrevocablepast，shakinghishead。
"Hello!Here"safifteen-hundred-footdropatfifty-fivedegrees!
Wemusthavebeenstandingonourheadsthen，George。"
"Youdon"tsayso，"Georgeanswers。"IfanciedInoticeditatthetime。"
GeorgemaynothaveCaptainPurnall"scatlikeswiftness，butheisallanartisttothetipsofthebroadfingersthatplayontheshunt-stops。Thedeliciousflight-curvescomeawayonthetapewithneverawaver。TheMarkBoat"sverticalspindleoflightliesdowntoeastward，settinginthefaceofthefollowingstars。Westward，wherenoplanetshouldrise，thetripleverticalsofTrinityBay(wekeepstilltotheSouthernroute)
makealow-liftinghaze。Weseemtheonlythingatrestunderalltheheavens；floatingateasetilltheearth"srevolutionshallturnupourlanding-towers。
Andminutebyminuteoursilentclockgivesusasixteen-secondmile。
"Somefinenight，"saysTim，"we"llbeevenwiththatclock"sMaster。"
"He"scomingnow，"saysGeorge，overhisshoulder。"I"mchasingthenightwest。"
Thestarsaheaddimnomorethanifafilmofmisthadbeendrawnunderunobserved，butthedeepairboomonourskinchangestoajoyfulshout。
"Thedawn-gust，"saysTim。"It"llgoontomeettheSun。Look!
Look!There"sthedarkbeingcrammedbackoverourbows!Cometotheafter-colloid。I"llshowyousomething。"
Theengine-roomishotandstuffy；theclerksinthecoachareasleep，andtheSlaveoftheRayisreadytofollowthem。Timslidesopentheaftcolloidandrevealsthecurveoftheworld——theocean"sdeepestpurple——edgedwithfumingandintolerablegold。
ThentheSunrisesandthroughthecolloidstrikesoutourlamps。
Timscowlsinhisface。
"Squirrelsinacage，"hemutters。"That"sallweare。Squirrelsinacage!He"sgoingtwiceasfastasus。Justyouwaitafewyears，myshiningfriend，andwe"lltakestepsthatwillamazeyou。We"llJoshuayou!"
Yes，thatisourdream:toturnallearthintotheYaleofAjalonatourpleasure。Sofar，wecandragoutthedawntotwiceitsnormallengthintheselatitudes。Butsomeday——evenontheEquator——weshallholdtheSunlevelinhisfullstride。
Nowwelookdownonaseathrongedwithheavytraffic。Abigsubmersiblebreakswatersuddenly。Anotherandanotherfollowswithaswashandasuckandasavagebubblingofrelievedpressures。Thedeep-seafreightersarerisingtolungupafterthelongnight，andtheleisurelyoceanisallpatternedwithpeacock"seyesoffoam。
"We"lllungup，too，"saysTim，andwhenwereturntothec。p。
Georgeshutsoff，thecolloidsareopened，andthefreshairsweepsherout。Thereisnohurry。Theoldcontracts(theywillberevisedattheendoftheyear)allowtwelvehoursforarunwhichanypacketcanputbehindherinten。Sowebreakfastinthearmsofaneasterlyslantwhichpushesusalongatalanguidtwenty。
Toenjoylife，andtobacco，beginbothonasunnymorninghalfamileorsoabovethedappledAtlanticcloud-beltsandafteravolt-flurrywhichhasclearedandtemperedyournerves。Whilewediscussedthethickeningtrafficwiththesuperioritythatcomesofhavingahighlevelreservedtoourselves，weheard(andIforthefirsttime)themorninghymnonaHospitalboat。
Shewascloakedbyaskeinofravelledfluffbeneathusandwecaughtthechantbeforesheroseintothesunlight。"Oh，yeWindsofGod，"sangtheunseenvoices:"blessyetheLord!PraiseHimandmagnifyHimforever!"
Weslidoffourcapsandjoinedin。Whenourshadowfellacrosshergreatopenplatformstheylookedupandstretchedouttheirhandsneighbourlywhiletheysang。Wecouldseethedoctorsandthenursesandthewhite-button-likefacesofthecot-patients。
Shepassedslowlybeneathus，headingnorthward，herhull，wetwiththedewsofthenight，allablazeinthesunshine。Sotookshetheshadowofacloudandvanished，hersongcontinuing。"Oh，yeholyandhumblemenofheart，blessyetheLord!PraiseHimandmagnifyHimforever。"
"She"sapubliclungerorshewouldn"thavebeensingingtheBenedicite；andshe"saGreenlanderorshewouldn"thavesnow-blindsoverhercolloids，"saidGeorgeatlast。"She"llbeboundforFrederikshavnoroneoftheGlaciersanatoriumsforamonth。
Ifshewasanaccidentwardshe"dbehungupattheeight-thousand-footlevel。Yes——consumptives。"
"FunnyhowthenewthingsaretheoldthingI"vereadinbooks，"
Timanswered，"thatsavagesusedtohaultheirsickandwoundeduptothetopsofhillsbecausemicrobeswerefewerthere。Wehoist"eminsterilizedairforawhile。Sameidea。Howmuchdothedoctorssaywe"veaddedtotheaveragelifeofman？"
"Thirtyyears，"saysGeorgewithatwinkleinhiseye。"Arewegoingtospend"emalluphere，Tim？"
"Flapahead，then。Flapahead。Who"shindering？"theseniorcaptainlaughed，aswewentin。
WeheldagoodlifttoclearthecoastwiseandContinentalshipping；andwehadneedofit。Thoughourrouteisinnosenseapopulatedone，thereisasteadytrickleoftrafficthiswayalong。WemetHudsonBayfurriersoutoftheGreatPreserve，hurryingtomaketheirdeparturefromBonavistawithsableandblackfoxfortheinsatiablemarkets。WeovercossedKeewatinliners，smallandcramped；buttheircaptains，whoseenolandbetweenTrepassyandLanco，knowwhatgoldtheybringbackfromWestErica。Trans-AsiaticDirectswemet，soberlyringingtheworldroundtheFiftiethMeridianatanhonestseventyknots；andwhite-paintedAckroyd&Huntfruitersoutofthesouthfledbeneathus，theirventilatedhullswhistlinglikeChinesekites。
TheirmarketisintheNorthamongthenorthernsanatoriawhereyoucansmelltheirgrape-fruitandbananasacrossthecoldsnows。Argentinebeefboatswesightedtoo，ofenormouscapacityandunlovelyoutline。They，too，feedthenorthernhealthstationsiniceboundportswheresubmersiblesdarenotrise。
Yellow-belliedore-flatsandUngavapetrol-tankspunteddownleisurelyoutofthenorth，likestringsofunfrightenedwildduck。Itdoesnotpayto"fly"mineralsandoilamilefartherthanisnecessary；buttherisksoftranshippingtosubmersiblesintheicepackoffNainorHebronaresogreatthattheseheavyfreightersflydowntoHalifaxdirect，andscenttheairastheygo。TheyarethebiggesttrampsaloftexcepttheAthabascagrain-tubs。Buttheselast，nowthatthewheatismoved，arebusy，overtheworld"sshoulder，timber-liftinginSiberia。
WeheldtotheSt。Lawrence(itisastonishinghowtheoldwater-waysstillpulluschildrenoftheair)，andfollowedhisbroadlineofblackbetweenitsdriftingiceblocks，alldowntheParkthatthewisdomofourfathers——buteveryoneknowstheQuebecrun。
WedroppedtotheHeightsReceivingTowerstwentyminutesaheadoftime，andtherehungateasetilltheYokohamaIntermediatePacketcouldpulloutandgiveusourproperslip。Itwascurioustowatchtheactionoftheholding-downclipsallalongthefrostyriverfrontastheboatsclearedorcametorest。AbigHamburgerwasleavingPontLevisandhercrew，unshippingtheplatformrailings，begantosing"Elsinore"——theoldestofourchanteys。Youknowitofcourse:
MotherRugen"stea-houseontheBalticFortycouplewaltzingonthefloor!
AndyoucanwatchmyRay，ForImustgoawayAnddancewithEllaSweynatElsinore!
Then，whiletheysweatedhomethecovering-plates:
Nor-Nor-Nor-NorWestfromSourabayatotheBaltic——
NinetyknotanhourtotheSkaw!
MotherRugen"stea-houseontheBalticAndadancewithEllaSweynatElsinore!
Theclipspartedwithagestureofindignantdismissal，asthoughQuebec，glitteringunderhersnows，werecastingouttheselightandunworthylovers。OursignalcamefromtheHeights。Timturnedandfloatedup，butsurelythenitwaswithpassionateappealthatthegreattowerarmsflungopen——ordidIthinksobecauseontheupperstagingalittlehoodedfigurealsoopenedherarmswidetowardherfather？
********
Intensecondsthecoachwithitsclerksclasheddowntothereceiving-caisson；thehostlersdisplacedtheengineersattheidleturbines，andTim，prouderofthisthanall，introducedmetothemaidenofthephotographontheshelf。"Andbytheway，"
saidhetoher，steppingforthinsunshineunderthehatofcivillife，"IsawyoungWilliamsintheMarkBoat。I"veaskedhimtoteaonFriday。"
AERIALBOARDOFCONTROL
LightsNochangesinEnglishInlandlightsforweekendingDec。18th。
CAPEVERDE——WeekendingDec。18。Verdeinclinedguide-lightchangesfrom1stproximototripleflash——greenwhitegreen——inplaceofoccultingredasheretofore。ThewarninglightforHarmattanwindswillbecontinuousverticalglare(white)onalloasesoftrans-SaharanN。E。byE。MainRoutes。
INVERCARGIL(N。Z。)——From1stprox。:extremesoutherlylight(doublered)willexhibitwhitebeaminclined45degreesonapproachofSoutherlyBuster。TrafficflieshighoffthiscoastbetweenAprilandOctober。
TABLEBAY——Devil"sPeakGlareremovedtoSimonsberg。TrafficmakingTableMountaincoastwisekeepalllightsfromThreeAnchorBayatleasttwothousandfeetunder，anddonotroundtotillEastofE。shoulderDevil"sPeak。
SANDHEADSLIGHT-Greentripleverticalmarksnewprivatelanding-stageforBayandBurmatrafficonly。
SNAEFELLJOKUL——Whiteoccultinglightwithdrawnforwinter。
PATAGONIA——NosummerlightsouthCapePilar。ThisincludesStatenIslandandPortStanley。
C。NAVARIN——Quadruplefogflash(white)，oneminuteintervals(new)。
EASTCAPE——Fog——flash-singlewhitewithsinglebomb，30sec。
intervals(new)。
MALAYANARCHIPELAGO——Lightsunreliableowingeruptions。LayfromCapeSomersettoSingaporedirect，keepinghighestlevels。
FortheBoard:
CATTERTHUN}
ST。JUST}Lights。
VANHEDDER}
CasualtiesWeekendingDec。18th。
SABLEISLAND——Greensinglebarbette-towerfreighter，numberindistinguishable，up-ended，andfore-tankpiercedaftercollision，passed300-ft。levelQP。as。Dec。15th。WatchedtowaterandpithedbyMarkBoat。
N。F。BANKS——PostalPacket162reportsHalmafreighter(Fowey——St。John"s)abandoned，leakingafterweather，46151N。
5015"W。CrewrescuedbyPlanetlinerAsteroid。WatchedtowaterandpithedbyPostalPacket，Dec。14th。
KERGUELEN，MARKBOATreportslastcallfromCymenafreighter(GayerTongHuk&Co。)takingwaterandsinkinginsnow-stormSouthMcDonaldIslands。Nowreckagerecovered。MessagesandwillsofcrewatallA。B。C。offices。
FEZZAN——T。A。D。freighterUlematakengroundduringHarmattanonAkakusRange。Underplatesstrained。CrewatGhatwhererepairingDec。13th。
BISCAY，MARKBOATreportsCaducci(ValandinghamLine)slightlyspikedinwesterngorgePointdeBenasdue。PassengerstransferredAndorra(FultonLine)。BarcelonaMarkBoatsalvingcargoDec。
12th。
ASCENSION，MAREBOAT——Wreckofunknownracing-plane，Pardenrudder，wire-stiffenedxylonitevans，andHarlissengine-seating，sightedandsalved720"S。1841"W。Dec。15th。PhotosatallA。
B。C。offices。
MissingNoanswertoGeneralCallhavingbeenreceivedduringthelastweekfromfollowingoverdues，theyarepostedasmissing:
Atlantis，W。17630。Canton——ValparaisoAudhumlaW。889。Stockholm——OdessaBerenice，W。2206……Riga——VladivostockDraw，E。446……Coventry——PontesArenasTontine，E。5068。C。Wrath——UngavaWu-Sung，E。41776……Hankow——LobitoBayGeneralCall(allMarkBoats)outfor:
JaneEyre，W。6990。PortRupert——CityofMexicoSantander，W。6514……GobiDesert——ManilaY。Edmundsun，E。9690……Kandahar——FiumeBrokeforObstruction，andQuittingLevelsVALKYRIE(racingplane)，A。J。Hartleyowner，NewYork(twicewarned)。
GEISHA(racingplane)，S。vanCottowner，Philadelphia(twicewarned)。
MARVELofPERU(racingplane)，J。X。Peixotoowner，RiodeJaneiro(twicewarned)。
FortheBoard:
LAZAREFF}
McKEOUGH}TrafficGOLDBRATT}
NOTES
High-LevelSleetTheNorthernweathersofarshowsnosignofimprovement。Fromallquarterscomecomplaintsoftheunusualprevalenceofsleetatthehigherlevels。Racingplanesanddigsalikehavesufferedseverely——theformerfrom"unequaldepositsofhalf-frozenslushontheirvans(andonlythosewhohave"heldup"abadlybalancedplaneinacross-windknowwhatthatmeans)，andthelatterfromloadedbowsandsnow-casedbodies。Asaconsequence，theNorthernandNorth-westernupperlevelshavebeenpracticallyabandoned，andthehighfliershavereturnedtotheignoblesecurityoftheThree，Five，andSixhundredfootlevels。Butthereremainafewundauntedsun-hunterswho，inspiteoffrozenstaysandice-jammedconnecting-rods，stillhaunttheblueempyrean。
Bat-BoatRacingThescandalsofthepastfewyearshaveatlastmovedtheyachtingworldtoconcertedactioninregardto"bat"boatracing。Wehavebeentreatedtothespectacleofwhatarepracticallykeeledracing-planesdrivenaclearfivefootormoreabovethewater，andonlyeaseddowntotouchtheirso-called"
nativeelement"astheyneartheline。Judgesandstartershavebeenconvenientlyblindtothisabsurdity，butthepublicdemonstrationoffSt。Catherine"sLightattheAutumnRegattashasborneample，iftardy，fruit。Inthefuturethe"bat"istobeaboat，andthelong-unheededdemandofthetruesportsmanfor"nodaylightundermid-keelinsmoothwater"isinafairwaytobeconceded。Thenewruleseverelyrestrictsplaneareaandliftalike。Thegascompartmentsarepermittedbothforeandaft，asintheoldtype，butthewater-ballastcentraltankisrenderedobligatory。Thesethingswork，ifnotforperfection，atleastfortheevolutionofasaneandwholesomewaterbornecruiser。Thetypeofrudderisunaffectedbythenewrules，sowemayexpecttoseetheLong-Davidsonmake(thepatentonwhichhasjustexpired)comelargelyintousehenceforward，thoughthestrainonthesternpostinturningatspeedsoverfortymilesanhourisadmittedlyverysevere。Butbat-boatracinghasagreatfuturebeforeit。
CreteandtheA。B。C。
ThestoryoftherecentCretancrisis，astoldintheA。B。C。
MonthlyReport，isnotwithouthumour。Tillthe25thOctoberCrete，asallourplanetknows，wasthesolesurvivingEuropeanrepositoryof"autonomousinstitutions，""localself-government，"
andtherestofthearchaiclumberdevisedinthepastfortheconfusionofhumanaffairs。ShehaslivedpracticallyonthetouristtrafficattractedbyherannualpageantsofParliaments，Boards，MunicipalCouncils，etc。，etc。Lastsummertheislandersgrewwearied，astheirpremierexplained，of"playingatbeingsavagesforpennies，"andproceededtopulldownallthelanding-towersontheislandandshutoffgeneralcommunicationtillsuchtimeastheA。B。C。shouldannexthem。Forside-splittingcomedywewouldreferourreaderstothecorrespondencebetweentheBoardofControlandtheCretanpremierduringthe"war。"However，all"swellthatendswell。TheA。B。C。havetakenovertheadministrationofCreteonnormallines；andtouristsmustgoelsewheretowitnessthe"debates，"
"resolutions，"and"popularmovements"oftheolddays。TheonlypeopletosufferwillbetheBoardofControl，whichisgrievouslyoverworkedalready。ItiseasyenoughtocondemntheCretansfortheirlaziness；butwhenonerecallsthelarge，prosperous，andpresumablypublic-spiritedcommunitieswhichduringthelastfewyearshavedeliberatelythrownthemselvesintothehandsoftheA。B。C。，one，cannotbetooharduponSt。
Paul"soldfriends。
CORRESPONDENCE
SkylarkingontheEquatorToTHEEDITOR:Onlylastweek，whilecrossingtheEquator(W。
26-15)，IbecameawareofafuriousandirregularcannonadingsomefifteenortwentyknotsS。4E。Descendingtothe500ft。
level，IfoundapartyofTransylvaniantouristsengagedinexplodingscoresofthelargestpatternatmosphericbombs(A。B。
C。standard)and，intheintervalsoftheirpleasinglabours，firingbowandsternsmoke-ringswivels。Thisorgie——Icangiveitnoothername——wentonforatleasttwohours，andnaturallyproducedviolentelectricderangements。Mycompasses，ofcourse，werethrownout，mybowwasstrucktwice，andIreceivedtwobriskshocksfromthelowerplatform-rail。Onremonstrating，I
wastoldthatthese"professors"wereengagedinscientificexperiments。Theextentoftheir"scientific"knowledge，maybejudgedbythefactthattheyexpectedtoproduce(Igivetheirownwords)"alittlebluesky"if"theywentonlongenough。"
ThisintheheartoftheDoldrumsat450feet!Ihavenoobjectiontoanyamountofblueskyinitsproperplace(itcanbefoundatthe4000levelforpracticallytwelvemonthsoutoftheyear)，butIsubmit，withalldeferencetotheeducationalneedsofTransylvania，that"skylarking"inthecentreofamain-travelledroadwhere，atthebestoftimes，electricityliterallydripsoffone"sstanchionsandscrewblades，isunnecessary。Whenmyfriendshadfinished，theroadwasseared，andblown，andpittedwithunequalpressurelayers，spirals，vortices，andreadjustmentsforatleastanhour。Ipitchedbadlytwiceinanupwardrush——solelyduetothesediabolicalthrow-downs——thatcameneartowreckingmypropeller。EquatorialworkatlowlevelsistryingenoughinallconsciencewithouttheaddedterrorsofscientifichooliganismintheDoldrums。
Rhyl。J。VINCENTMATHEN。
[WeentirelysympathizewithProfessorMathen"sviews，buttilltheBoardseesfittofurtherregulatetheSouthernareasinwhichscientificexperimentsmaybeconducted，weshallalwaysbeexposedtotheriskwhichourcorrespondentdescribes。
Unfortunately，achimerabombinatinginavacuumis，nowadays，onlytoocapableofproducingsecondarycauses-Editor。]
AnswerstoCorrespondentsVIGILANS——TheLawsofAuroralDerangementsarestillimperfectlyunderstood。Anyoverheatedmotormayofcourse"seize"withoutwarning；butsomanycomplaintshavereachedusofaccidentssimilartoyourswhileshootingtheAurorathatweareinclinedtobelievewithLavallethattheupperstrataoftheAuroraBorealisarepracticallyonebigelectric"leak，"andthattheparalysisofyourengineswasduetocompletemagnetizationofallmetallicparts。Low-flyingplanesoften"glueup"whenneartheMagneticPole，andthereisnoreasoninsciencewhythesamedisabilityshouldnotbeexperiencedathigherlevelswhentheAurorasare"delivering"strongly。
INDIGNANT——Onyourownshowing，youwerenotundercontrol。ThatyoucouldnothoistthenecessaryN。U。C。lightsonapproachingatraffic-lanebecauseyourelectricshadshort-circuitedisamisfortunewhichmightbefallanyone。TheA。B。C。，beingresponsiblefortheplanet"straffic，cannot，however，makeallowanceforthiskindofmisfortune。AreferencetotheCodewillshowthatyouwerefinedonthelowerscale。
PLANISTON——(1)TheFiveThousandKilometre(overland)waswonlastyearbyL。V。Rautsch；R。M。Rautsch，hisbrother，inthesameweekpullingofftheTenThousand(oversee)。R。M。"saverageworkedoutatafractionover500kilometresperhour，thusconstitutingarecord。(2)Theoretically，thereisnolimittotheliftofadirigible。Forcommercialandpracticalpurposes15，000tonsisacceptedasthemostmanageable。
PATERFAMILIAS——Nonewhatever。Heisliablefordirectdamagebothtoyourchimneysandanycollateraldamagecausedbyfallofbricksintogarden，etc。，etc。Bodilyinconvenienceandmentalanguishmaybeincluded，buttheaveragecourtsarenot，asarule，swayedbysentiment。Ifyoucanprovethathisgrapnelremovedanyportionofyourroof，youhadbetterrestyourcaseondecovertureofdomicile(seeParkinsv。Duboulay)。Wesympathizewithyourposition，butthenightofthe14thwasstormyandconfused，and——youmayhavetoanchoronastranger"schimneyyourselfsomenight。Verbumsap!
ALDEBARAN——(1)war，asapayingconcern，ceasedin1987。(2)TheConventionofLondonexpresslyreservestoeverynationtherightofwagingwarsolongasitdoesnotinterferewiththetrafficandallthatimplies。(3)TheA。B。C。wasconstitutedin1949。
L。M。P——(1)Keepherfullhead-onathalfpower，takingadvantageofthelullstospeedupandcreepintoit。Shewillstrainmuchlessthiswaythaninquarteringacrossagale。(2)
Nothingistobegainedbyreversingintoafollowinggale，andthereisalwaysriskofaturnover。(3)Theformulaeforstun"slebrakesareuniformlyunreliable，andwillcontinuetobesoaslongasairiscompressible。
PEGAMOID-(1)Personallywepreferglassorfluxcompoundstoanyothermaterialforwinterworknose-capsasbeingabsolutelynon-hygroscopic。(2)Wecannotrecommendanyparticularmake。
PULMONAR——(1)Forthesymptomsyoudescribe，trytheGobiDesertSanatoria。ThelowlevelsofmostoftheSaharanSanatoriaareagainstthemexceptattheoutsetofthedisease。(2)Wedonotrecommendboarding-housesorhotelsinthiscolumn。
BEGINNER——Onstilldaystheairabovealargeinhabitedcitybeingslightlywarmer——i。e。，thinner——thantheatmosphereofthesurroundingcountry，aplanedropsalittleonenteringtherarefiedarea，preciselyasashipsinksalittleinfreshwater。
Hencethephenomenaof"jolt"andyour"inexplicablecollisions"
withfactorychimneys。Inair，asonearth，itissafesttoflyhigh。
EMERGENCY——Thereisonlyoneruleoftheroadinair，earth，andwater。Doyouwantthefirmamenttoyourself？
PICCIOLA——BothPoleshavebeenoverdoneinArtandLiterature。
LeavethemtoScienceforthenexttwentyyears。Youdidnotsendastampwithyourverses。
NORTHNIGERIA——TheMarkBoatwaswithinherrightinwarningyouofftheReserve。Theshadowofalow-flyingdirigiblescaresthegame。YoucanbuyallthephotosyouneedatSokoto。
NEWERA——ItisnotetiquettetoovercrossanA。B。C。official"sboatwithoutaskingpermission。Heisoneofthebodyresponsiblefortheplanet"straffic，andforthatreasonmustnotbeinterferedwith。You，presumably，areoutonyourownbusinessorpleasure，andmustleavehimalone。Forhumanity"ssakedon"ttrytobe"democratic。"
EXCORIATED——Allinflatorschafesoonerorlater。Youmustgoontillyourskinhardensbypractice。Meantimevaseline。
REVIEW
TheLifeofXavierLavalle(ReviewedbyReneTalland。EcoleAeronautique，Paris)
TenyearsagoLavalle，"thatimperturbabledreameroftheheavens，"asLazareffhailedhim，gatheredtogetherthefruitsofalifetime"slabour，andgaveit，withwell-justifiedcontempt，toaworldboundhandandfoottoBarald"sTheoryofVerticesand"compensatingelectricnodes。""Theyshallsee，"hewrote——inthatimmortalpostscripttoTheHeartoftheCyclone——"theLawswhoseexistencetheyderidedwritteninfirebeneaththem。"
"Butevenhere，"hecontinues，"thereisnofinality。BetterathousandtimesmyconclusionsshouldbediscreditedthanthatmydeadnameshouldlieacrossthethresholdofthetempleofScience——abartofurtherinquiry。"
SodiedLavalle——aprinceofthePowersoftheAir，andevenathisfuneralCellierjestedat"himwhohadgonetodiscoverthesecretsoftheAuroraBorealis。"
IfIchoosethustobebanal，itisonlytoremindyouthatCollier"stheoriesaretodayasexplodedastheludicrousdeductionsoftheSpanishschool。Intheplaceoftheirfugitiveandwarringdreamswehave，definitely，Lavalle"sLawoftheCyclonewhichhesurprisedindarknessandcoldatthefootoftheoverarchingthroneoftheAuroraBorealis。ItistherethatI，intentonmyowninvestigations，havepassedandre-passedahundredtimesthewornleonineface，whiteasthesnowbeneathhim，furrowedwithwrinklesliketheseamsandgashesupontheNorthCape；thenervoushand，integrallyapartofthemechanismofhisflighter；andaboveall，thewonderfullambenteyesturnedtothezenith。
"Master，"IwouldcryasImovedrespectfullybeneathhim，"whatisityouseektoday？"andalwaystheanswer，clearandwithoutdoubt，fromabove:"Theoldsecret，myson!"
Theimmenseegotismofyouthforcedmeonmyownpath，but(cryofthehumanalways!)hadIknown——ifIhadknown——Iwouldmanytimeshavebarteredmypoorlaurelsfortheprivilege，suchasTinsleyandHerrerapossess，ofhavingaidedhiminhismonumentalresearches。
ItistothefilialpietyofVictorLavallethatweowethetwovolumesconsecratedtotheground-lifeofhisfather，sofulloftheholyintimaciesofthedomestichearth。OncereturnedfromtheabysmsoftheutterNorthtothatlittlehouseupontheoutskirtsofMeudon，itwasnotthephilosopher，thedaringobserver，themanofironenergythatimposedhimselfonhisfamily，butafatandevenplaintivejester，afarceurincarnateandkindly，theco-equalofhischildren，and，itmustbewritten，notseldomthecomicdespairofMadameLavalle，who，asshewritesfiveyearsafterthemarriage，tohervenerablemother，found"inthisunequalledintellectwhosenameIbeartheabandonofalargeandveryuntidyboy。"Hereisherletter:
"XavierreturnedfromIdonotknowwhereatmidnight，absorbedincalculationsontheeternalquestionofhisAurora——labelleAurore，whomIbegintohate。Insteadofanchoring，——Ihadsetouttheguide-lightaboveourroof，sohehadbuttodescendandfastentheplane——hewandered，profoundlydistracted，abovethetownwithhisanchordown!Figuretoyourself，dearmother，itistheroofofthemayor"shousethatthegrapnelfirstengages!
ThatIdonotregret，forthemayor"swifeandIarenotsympathetic；butwhenXavieruprootsmypetaraucariaandbearsitacrossthegardenintotheconservatoryIprotestatthetopofmyvoice。LittleVictorinhisnight-clothesrunstothewindow，enormouslyamusedattheparabolicflightwithoutreason，foritistoodarktoseethegrapnel，ofmyprizedtree。TheMayorofMeudon，thundersatourdoorinthenameoftheLaw，demanding，Isuppose，myhusband"shead。Hereistheconversationthroughthemegaphone——Xavieristwohundredfeetaboveus:
""Mons。Lavalle，descendandmakereparationforoutrageofdomicile。Descend，Mons。Lavalle!"
"Nooneanswers。
""XavierLavalle，inthenameoftheLaw，descendaridsubmittoprocessforoutrageofdomicile。"
"Xavier，rousedfromhiscalculations，comprehendingonlythelastwords:"Outrageofdomicile？Mydearmayor，whoisthemanthathascorruptedthyJulie？"
"Themayor，furious，"XavierLavalle——"
"Xavier，interrupting:"Ihavenotthatfelicity。Iamonlyadealerincyclones!"
"Myfaith，heraisedonethen!AllMeudonattendedinthestreets，andmyXavier，afteralongtimecomprehendingwhathehaddone，excusedhimselfinathousandapologies。Atlastthereconciliationwaseffectedinourhouseoverasupperattwointhemorning——Julieinawonderfulcostumeofcompromises，andI
haveherandthemayorpacifiedinbedintheblueroom。"
Andonthenextday，whilethemayorrebuildshisroof，herXavierdepartsanewfortheAuroraBorealis，theretocommencehislife"swork。M。VictorLavalletellsusofthathistoriccollision(enplane)ontheflankofHeclabetweenHerrera，thenapillaroftheSpanishschool，andthemandestinedtoconfutehistheoriesandleadhimintellectuallycaptive。Eventhroughtheyears，theimmenselaughofLavalleashesustainstheSpaniard"swreckedplane，andcries:"Courage!IshallnotfalltillIhavefoundTruth，andIholdyoufast!"ringslikethecalloftrumpets。ThisisthatLavallewhomtheworld，immersedinspeculationsofimmediategain，didnotknownorsuspect——theLavallewhomtheyadjudgedtothelastapedantandatheorist。
Thehuman，asapartfromthescientific，side(developedinhisownvolumes)ofhisepoch-makingdiscoveriesismarkedwithasimplicity，clarity，andgoodsensebeyondpraise。Iwouldspeciallyrefersuchasdoubtthesustaininginfluenceofancestralfaithuponcharacterandwilltotheeleventhandnineteenthchapters，inwhicharecontainedtheopeningandconsummationoftheTellurionicalRecordsextendingovernineyears。OftheirtremendoussignificancebesurethatthemodesthouseatMeudonknewaslittleasthattheRecordswouldonedaybetheplanet"sstandardinallofficialmeteorology。ItwasenoughforthemthattheirXavier——thisson，thisfather，thishusband——ascendedperiodicallytocommunewithpowers，itmightbeangelic，beyondtheircomprehension，andthattheyuniteddailyinprayersforhissafety。
"Prayforme，"hesaysupontheeveofeachofhisexcursions，andreturning，withanequalsimplicity，herendersthanks"aftersupperinthelittleroomwherehekepthisbarometers。"
TothelastLavallewasaCatholicoftheoldschool，accepting——hewhohadlookedintotheveryheartofthelightnings——thedogmasofpapalinfallibility，ofabsolution，ofconfession——ofrelicsgreatandsmall。Marvellous——enviablecontradiction!
ThecompletionoftheTellurionicalRecordsclosedwhatLavallehimselfwaspleasedtocallthetheoreticalsideofhislabours——laboursfromwhichtheyoungestandleastimpressionableplaneurmightwellhaveshrunk。Hehadtracedthroughcoldandheat，acrossthedeepsoftheoceans，withinstrumentsofhisowninvention，overtheinhospitableheartofthepolariceandthesterile
visageofthedeserts，leaguebyleague，patiently，unweariedly，remorselessly，fromtheirever-shiftingcradleunderthemagneticpoletotheirexalteddeath-bedintheutmostetheroftheupperatmosphereeachoneoftheIsoconicalTellurionsLavalle"sCurves，aswecallthemtoday。Hehaddisentangledthenodesoftheirintersections，assigningtoeachitsregulatedperiodoffluxandreflux。Thusequipped，hesummonsHerreraandTinsley，hispupils，tothefinaldemonstrationascalmlyasthoughhewereorderinghisflighterforsomemid-dayjourneytoMarseilles。
"Ihaveprovedmythesis，"hewrites。"Itremainsnowonlythatyoushouldwitnesstheproof。WegotoManilato-morrow。A
cyclonewillformoffthePescadoresS。17E。infourdays，andwillreachitsmaximumintensitytwenty-sevenhoursafterinception。ItisthereIwillshowyoutheTruth。"
AletterheretoforeunpublishedfromHerreratoMadameLavalletellsushowtheMaster"sprophecywasverified。
Iwillnotdestroyitssimplicityoritssignificancebyanyattempttoquote。Notewell，though，thatHerrera"spreoccupationthroughoutthatdayandnightofsuperhumanstrainisalwaysfortheMaster"sbodilyhealthandcomfort。
"Atsuchatime，"hewrites，"IforcedtheMastertotakethebroth"；or"Imadehimputonthefurcoatasyoutoldme。"NorisTinsley(seepp。184，85)lessconcerned。Hepreparesthenourishment。Hecookseternally，imperturbably，suspendedinthechaosofwhichtheMasterinterpretsthemeaning。Tinsley，boweddownwiththelaurelsofbothhemispheres，raiseshimselftoyetnoblerheightsinhiscapacityofadevotedchef。Itisalmostunbelievable!AndyetmenwriteoftheMasterascold，aloof，self-contained。SuchcharactersdonotelicitthejoyousandunswervingdevotionwhichLavallecommandedthroughoutlife。
Truly，wehavechangedverylittleinthecourseoftheages!Thesecretsofearthandskyandthelinksthatbindthem，wefelicitateourselvesweareontheroadtodiscover；butourneighbours"heartandmindwemisread，wemisjudge，wecondemnnowasever。Letall，then，wholoveamanreadthesemosthuman，tender，andwisevolumes。
transcriber"snote:These"advertisements"appearedintheformatthatwouldhavebeenusedinanewspaperormagazineadsection——thatisintwocolumnsforthesmallerads，andinquarter，half，fullanddoublepagelayoutsfortheothers。alsoLisusedasthesymbolforpounds。
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