Nevermindthebabies。They\'rebetterdead——Out，beforetheLightandtheHotSmoke!\"
ThePrincess\'sfirstclearfearlesscall(Melissahadfoundher)
roseanddrummedthroughalltheframes。\"LaReineleveult!
Swarm!Swar-rm!Swar-r-rm!\"
TheHiveshookbeneaththeshatteringthunderofastuck-downquiltbeingtornback。
\"Don\'tbealarmed，dears，\"saidtheWax-moths。\"That\'sourwork。
Lookup，andyou\'llseethedawnoftheNewDay。\"
LightbrokeinthetopofthehiveastheQueenhad，prophesied——nakedlightontheboiling，bewilderedbees。
Sacharissaroundedupherrearguard，whichdroppedheadlongofftheframe，andjoinedthePrincess\'sdetachmentthrustingtowardtheGate。Nowpanicwasinfullblast，andeachsoundbeefoundherselfembracedbyatleastthreeOddities。Thefirstinstinctofafrightenedbeeistobreakintothestoresandgorgeherselfwithhoney；buttherewerenostoresleft，sotheOdditiesfoughtthesoundbees。
\"Youmustfeedus，orweshalldie!\"theycried，holdingandclutchingandslipping，whilethesilentscaredearwigsandlittlespiderstwistedbetweentheirlegs。\"ThinkoftheHive，traitors!TheHolyHive!\"
\"Youshouldhavethoughtbefore!\"criedthesoundbees。，\"StayandseethedawnofyourNewDay。\"
TheyreachedtheGateatlastoverthesoftbodiesofmanytowhomtheyhadministered。
\"On!Out!Up!\"roaredMelissainthePrincess\'sear。\"FortheHive\'ssake!TotheOldOak!\"
ThePrincessleftthealighting-board，circledonce，flungherselfatthelowestbranchoftheOldOak，andherlittleloyalswarm——youcouldhavecovereditwithapintmug——followed，hooked，andhung。
\"Holdclose!\"Melissagasped。\"Theoldlegendshavecometrue!
Look!\"
TheHivewashalfhiddenbysmoke，andFiguresmovedthroughthesmoke。Theyheardaframecrackstickily，sawitheavedhighandtwirledroundbetweenenormoushands——ablotched，bulged，andperishedhorrorofgreywax，corruptbrood，andsmalldrone-cells，allcoveredwithcrawlingOddities，strangetothesun。
\"Why，thisisn\'tahive!Thisisamuseumofcuriosities，\"saidtheVoicebehindtheVeil。ItwasonlytheBeeMastertalkingtohisson。
\"Canyoublame\'em，father？\"saidasecondvoice。\"It\'srottenwithWax-moth。Seehere!\"
Anotherframecameup。Afingerpokedthroughit，anditbrokeawayinrustlingflakesofashyrottenness。
\"NumberFourFrame!Thatwasyourmother\'spetcombonce，\"
whisperedMelissatothePrincess。\"Many\'sthegoodeggI\'vewatchedherlaythere。\"
\"Aren\'tyouconfusingpodhocwithpropterhoc？\"saidtheBeeMaster。\"Wax-mothonlysucceedwhenweakbeesletthemin。\"A
thirdframecrackledandroseintothelight。\"Allthisisfulloflayingworkers\'brood。Thatneverhappenstillthestock\'sweakened。Phew!\"
Hebeatitonhiskneelikeatambourine，anditalsocrumbledtopieces。
Thelittleswarmshiveredastheywatchedthedwarfdrone-grubssquirmfeeblyonthegrass。Manysoundbeeshadnursedonthatframe，wellknowingtheirworkwasuseless；buttheactualsightofevenuselessworkdestroyeddisheartensagoodworker。
\"No，theyhavesomerecuperativepowerleft，\"saidthesecondvoice。\"Here\'saQueencell!\"
\"Butit\'stuckedawayamong——Whatonearthhascometothelittlewretches？Theyseemtohavelosttheinstinctofcell-building。\"
Thefatherhelduptheframewherethebeeshadexperimentedincircularcell-work。Itlookedlikethepittedhead，ofadecayingtoadstool。
\"Notaltogether，\"thesoncorrected。\"There\'soneline，atleast，ofperfectlygoodcells。\"
\"Mywork，\"saidSacharissatoherself。\"I\'mgladMandoesmejusticebefore——\"
Thatframe，too，wassmashedoutandthrownatopoftheothersandthefoulearwiggyquilts。
Asframeafterframefollowedit，theswarmbeheldtheupheaval，exposure，anddestructionofallthathadbeenwellorilldoneineverycrannyoftheirHiveforgenerationspast。Therewasblackcombsooldthattheyhadforgottenwhereithung；orange，buff，andochre-varnishedstore-comb，builtasbeeswereusedtobuildbeforethedaysofartificialfoundations；andtherewasalittle，white，frailnewwork。Thereweresheetsonsheetsoflevel，evenbrood-combthathadheldinitstimeunnumberedthousandsofunnamedworkers；patchesofobsoletedrone-comb，broadandhigh-shouldered，showingtowhatmarksthemalegrubwasexpectedtogrow；andtwo-inchdeephoney-magazines，empty，butstillmagnificent，thewholegummedandgluedintotwistedscrap-work，awryonthewires；half-cells，beginningsabandoned，orgrandiose，weak-walled，compositecellspiecedoutwithrubbishandcappedwithdirt。
Goodorbad，everyinchofitwassoriddledbythetunnelsoftheWax-moththatitbrokeincloudsofdustasitwasflungontheheap。
\"Oh，see!\"criedSacharissa。\"TheGreatBurningthatOurQueenforetold。Whocanbeartolook？\"
Aflamecrawledupthepileofrubbish，andtheysmeltsingeingwax。
TheFiguresstooped，liftedtheHiveandshookitupsidedownoverthepyre。AcascadeofOddities，chipsofbrokencomb，scale，fluff，andgrubsslidout，crackled，sizzled，poppedalittle，andthentheflamesroaredupandconsumedallthatfuel。
\"Wemustdisinfect，\"saidaVoice。\"Getmeasulphur-candle，please。\"
TheshelloftheHivewasreturnedtoitsplace，alightwassetinitsstickyemptiness，tierbytiertheFiguresbuiltitup，closedtheentrance，andwentaway。Theswarmwatchedthelightleakingthroughthecracksallthelongnight。AtdawnoneWax-mothcameby，flutteringimpudently。
\"TherehasbeenamiscalculationabouttheNewDay，mydears，\"
shebegan；\"onecan\'texpectpeopletobeperfectallatonce。
Thatwasourmistake。\"
\"No，themistakewasentirelyours，\"saidthePrincess。
\"Pardonme，\"saidtheWax-moth。\"Whenyouthinkoftheenormousupheaval——callitgoodorbad——whichourinfluencebroughtabout，youwilladmitthatwe，andwealone——\"
\"You？\"saidthePrincess。\"Ourstockwasnotstrong。Soyoucame——asanyotherdiseasemighthavecome。Hangclose，allmypeople。\"
Whenthesunrose，VeiledFigurescamedown，andsawtheirswarmatthebough\'sendwaitingpatientlywithinsightoftheoldHive——ahandful，butpreparedtogoon。
THEBEESANDTHEFLIES
AFARMERoftheAugustanagePerusedinVirgil\'sgoldenpage，ThestoryofthesecretwonFromProteusbyCyrene\'ssonHowthedanksea-godsowedtheswainMeanstorestorehishivesagainMorebriefly，howaslaughteredbullBreedshoneybythebellyful。
TheegregiousrusticputtodeathAbullbystoppingofitsbreath:
DisposedthecarcassinashedWithfragrantherbsandbranchesspread。
And，havingthusperformedthecharm，Satdowntowaitthepromisedswarm。
Norwaitedlong……TheGodofDayImpartial，quickeningwithhisrayEvilandgoodalike，beheldThecarcass——andthecarcassswelled!
BigwithnewbirththebellyheavesBeneathitsscreenofscentedleaves；
Pastanydoubt，thebullconceives!
ThefarmerbidsmenbringmorehivesTohousetheprofitthatarrives；
Preparesonpan，andkeyandkettle，Sweetmusicthatshallmake\'emsettle；
Butwhentocrowntheworkhegoes，Gods!Whatastinksaluteshisnose!
Wherearethehonesttoilers？
WhereThegravidmistressoftheircare？
Abusyscene，indeed，hesees，Butnotasignorsoundofbees。
WormsoftheripergraveunhidByanykindlycoffinlid，Obsceneandshamelesstothelight，Seetheininsatiateappetite，Throughputridoffal；whileaboveThehissingblow-flyseekshislove，Whoseoffspring，suppingwheretheysupt，Consumecorruptiontwicecorrupt。
WITHTHENIGHTMAIL
ASTORYOF2000A。D。
(Togetherwithextractsfromthemagazineinwhichitappeared)
Anineo\'clockofagustywinternightIstoodonthelowerstagesofoneoftheG。P。O。outwardmailtowers。MypurposewasaruntoQuebecin\"PostalPacket162orsuchotherasmaybeappointed\"；andthePostmaster-Generalhimselfcountersignedtheorder。Thistalismanopenedalldoors，eventhoseinthedespatching-caissonatthefootofthetower，wheretheyweredeliveringthesortedContinentalmail。ThebagslaypackedcloseasherringsinthelonggreyunderbodieswhichourG。P。O。stillcalls\"coaches。\"FivesuchcoacheswerefilledasIwatched，andwereshotuptheguidestobelockedontotheirwaitingpacketsthreehundredfeetnearerthestars。
Fromthedespatching-caissonIwasconductedbyacourteousandwonderfullylearnedofficialMr。L。L。Geary，SecondDespatcheroftheWesternRoute——totheCaptains\'Room(thiswakesanechoofoldromance)，wherethemailcaptainscomeonfortheirturnofduty。Heintroducesmetothecaptainof\"162\"——CaptainPurnall，andhisrelief，CaptainHodgson。Theoneissmallanddark；theotherlargeandred；buteachhasthebroodingsheathedglancecharacteristicofeaglesandaeronauts。Youcanseeitinthepicturesofourracingprofessionals，fromL。V。RautschtolittleAdaWarrleigh——thatfathomlessabstractionofeyeshabituallyturnedthroughnakedspace。
Onthenotice-boardintheCaptains\'Room，thepulsingarrowsofsometwentyindicatorsregister，degreebygeographicaldegree，theprogressofasmanyhomeward-boundpackets。Theword\"Cape\"
risesacrossthefaceofadial；agongstrikes:theSouthAfricanmid-weeklymailisinattheHighgateReceivingTowers。
Thatisall。Itremindsonecomicallyofthetraitorouslittlebellwhichinpigeon-fanciers\'，loftsnotifiesthereturnofahomer。
\"Timeforustobeonthemove，\"saysCaptainPurnall，andweareshotupbythepassenger-lifttothetopofthedespatch-towers。
\"Ourcoachwilllockonwhenitisfilledandtheclerksareaboard。\"
\"No。162\"waitsforusinSlipEofthetopmoststage。Thegreatcurveofherbackshinesfrostilyunderthelights，andsomeminutealterationoftrimmakesherrockalittleinherholding-downslips。
CaptainPurnallfrownsanddivesinside。Hissingsoftly，\"162\"
comestorestaslevelasarule。FromherNorthAtlanticWinternose-cap(wornbrightasdiamondwithboringthroughuncountedleaguesofhail，snow，andice)totheinsetofherthreebuiltoutpropeller-shaftsissometwohundredandfortyfeet。Herextremediameter，carriedwellforward，isthirty-seven。Contrastthiswiththeninehundredbyninety-fiveofanycrackliner，andyouwillrealizethepowerthatmustdriveahullthroughallweathersatmorethantheemergencyspeedoftheCyclonic!
Theeyedetectsnojointinherskinplatingsavethesweepinghair-crackofthebow-rudder——Magniac\'srudderthatassuredusthedominionoftheunstableairandleftitsinventorpennilessandhalf-blind。ItiscalculatedtoCastelli\'s\"gullwing\"curve。
Raiseafewfeetofthatallbutinvisibleplatethree-eighthsofaninchandshewillyawfivemilestoportorstarboarderesheisundercontrolagain。Giveherfullhelmandshereturnsonhertracklikeawhip-lash。Cantthewholeforward——atouchonthewheelwillsuffice——andshesweepsatyourgooddirectionupordown。Openthecompletecircleandshepresentstotheairamushroom-headthatwillbringherupallstandingwithinahalfmile。
\"Yes，\"saysCaptainHodgson，answeringmythought，\"Castellithoughthe\'ddiscoveredthesecretofcontrollingaeroplaneswhenhe\'donlyfoundouthowtosteerdirigibleballoons。Magniacinventedhisruddertohelpwar-boatsrameachother；andwarwentoutoffashionandMagniachewentoutofhismindbecausehesaidhecouldn\'tservehiscountryanymore。Iwonderifanyofuseverknowwhatwe\'rereallydoing。\"
\"Ifyouwanttoseethecoachlockedyou\'dbettergoaboard。It\'sduenow，\"saysMr。Geary。Ienterthroughthedooramidships。
Thereisnothingherefordisplay。Theinnerskinofthegas-tankscomesdowntowithinafootortwoofmyheadandturnsoverjustshortoftheturnofthebilges。Linersandyachtsdisguisetheirtankswithdecoration，buttheG。P。O。servesthemrawunderalickofgreyofficialpaint。Theinnerskinshutsofffiftyfeetofthebowandasmuchofthestern，butthebow-bulkheadisrecessedforthelift-shuntingapparatusasthesternispiercedfortheshaft-tunnels。Theengine-roomliesalmostamidships。Forwardofit，extendingtotheturnofthebowtanks，isanaperture——abottomlesshatchatpresent——intowhichourcoachwillbelocked。Onelooksdownoverthecoamingsthreehundredfeettothedespatching-caissonwhencevoicesboomupward。Thelightbelowisobscuredtoasoundofthunder，asourcoachrisesonitsguides。Itenlargesrapidlyfromapostage-stamptoaplaying-card；toapuntandlastapontoon。
Thetwoclerks，itscrew，donotevenlookupasitcomesintoplace。TheQuebeclettersflyundertheirfingersandleapintothedocketedracks，whilebothcaptainsandMr。Gearysatisfythemselvesthatthecoachislockedhome。Aclerkpassestheway-billoverthehatchcoaming。CaptainPurnallthumb-marksandpassesittoMr。Geary。Receipthasbeengivenandtaken。
\"Pleasantrun，\"saysMr。Geary，anddisappearsthroughthedoorwhichafoothighpneumaticcompressorlocksafterhim。
\"A-ah!\"sighsthecompressorreleased。Ourholding-downclipspartwithatang。Weareclear。
CaptainHodgsonopensthegreatcolloidunderbodyportholethroughwhichIwatchover-lightedLondonslideeastwardasthegalegetsholdofus。Thefirstofthelowwintercloudscutsoffthewell-knownviewanddarkensMiddlesex。OnthesouthedgeofitIcanseeapostalpacket\'slightploughingthroughthewhitefleece。ForaninstantshegleamslikeastarereshedropstowardtheHighgateReceivingTowers。\"TheBombayMail，\"saysCaptainHodgson，andlooksathiswatch。\"She\'sfortyminuteslate。\"
\"What\'sourlevel？\"Iask。
\"Fourthousand。Aren\'tyoucominguponthebridge？\"
Thebridge(letuseverpraisetheG。P。O。asarepositoryofancientesttradition!)isrepresentedbyaviewofCaptainHodgson\'slegswherehestandsontheControlPlatformthatrunsthwart-shipsoverhead。ThebowcolloidisunshutteredandCaptainPurnall，onehandonthewheel，isfeelingforafairslant。Thedialshows4300feet。\"It\'ssteepto-night，\"hemutters，astierontierofclouddropsunder。\"Wegenerallypickupaneasterlydraughtbelowthreethousandatthistimeo\'theyear。Ihateslatheringthroughfluff。\"
\"SodoesVanCutsem。Lookathimhuntin\'foraslant!\"saysCaptainHodgson。Afoglightbreakscloudahundredfathomsbelow。
TheAntwerpNightMailmakeshersignalandrisesbetweentworacingcloudsfartoport，herflanksblood-redintheglareofSheernessDoubleLight。ThegalewillhaveusovertheNorthSeainhalf-an-hour，butCaptainPurnallletshergocomposedly——nosingtoeverypointofthecompassassherises。
\"Fivethousand-six，sixthousandeighthundred\"——thedip-dialreadserewefindtheeasterlydrift，heraldedbyaflurryofsnowatthethousandfathomlevel。CaptainPurnallringsuptheenginesandkeysdownthegovernorontheswitchbeforehim。
ThereisnosenseinurgingmachinerywhenEolushimselfgivesyougoodknotsfornothing。Weareawayinearnestnow——ournosenotchedhomeonourchosenstar。Atthislevelthelowercloudsarelaidout，allneatlycombedbythedryfingersoftheEast。
Belowthatagainisthestrongwesterlyblowthroughwhichwerose。Overhead，afilmofsoutherlydriftingmistdrawsatheatricalgauzeacrossthefirmament。Themoonlightturnsthelowerstratatosilverwithoutastainexceptwhereourshadowunderrunsus。BristolandCardiffDoubleLights(thosestatelilyinclinedbeamsoverSevernmouth)aredeadaheadofus；forwekeeptheSouthernWinterRoute。CoventryCentral，thepivotoftheEnglishsystem，stabsupwardonceintensecondsitsspearofdiamondlighttothenorth；andapointortwooffourstarboardbowTheLeek，thegreatcloud-breakerofSaintDavid\'sHead，swingsitsunmistakablegreenbeamtwenty-fivedegreeseachway。
Theremustbehalfamileoffluffoveritinthisweather，butitdoesnotaffectTheLeek。
\"Ourplanet\'sover-lightedifanything，\"saysCaptainPurnallatthewheel，asCardiff-Bristolslidesunder。\"Iremembertheolddaysofcommonwhiteverticalsthat\'udshowtwoorthreehundredfeetupinamist，ifyouknewwheretolookfor\'em。Inreallyfluffyweathertheymightaswellhavebeenunderyourhat。Onecouldgetlostcominghomethen，an\'havesomefun。Now，it\'slikedrivingdownPiccadilly。\"
Hepointstothepillarsoflightwherethecloud-breakersborethroughthecloud-floor。WeseenothingofEngland\'soutlines:
onlyawhitepavementpiercedinalldirectionsbythesemanholesofvariouslycolouredfire——HolyIsland\'swhiteandred——St。
Bee\'sinterruptedwhite，andsoonasfarastheeyecanreach。
BlessedbeSargent，Ahrens，andtheDuboisbrothers，whoinventedthecloud-breakersoftheworldwherebywetravelinsecurity!
\"AreyougoingtoliftforTheShamrock？\"asksCaptainHodgson。
CorkLight(green，fixed)enlargesaswerushtoit。CaptainPurnallnods。Thereisheavytraffichereabouts——thecloud-bankbeneathusisstreaked。withrunningfissuresofflamewheretheAtlanticboatsarehurryingLondonwardjustclearofthefluff。
Mail-packetsaresupposed，undertheConferencerules，tohavethefive-thousand-footlanestothemselves，buttheforeignerinahurryisapttotakelibertieswithEnglishair。\"No。162\"
liftstoalong-drawnwailofthebreezeinthefore-flangeoftherudderandwemakeValencia(white，green，white)atasafe7000feet，dippingourbeamtoanincomingWashingtonpacket。
ThereisnocloudontheAtlantic，andfaintstreaksofcreamroundDingleBayshowwherethedrivenseashammerthecoast。A
bigS。A。T。A。liner(SocieteAnonymedesTransportsAeriens)isdivingandliftinghalfamilebelowusinsearchofsomebreakinthesolidwestwind。LowerstillliesadisabledDanesheistellingthelinerallaboutitinInternational。OurGeneralCommunicationdialhascaughthertalkandbeginstoeavesdrop。
CaptainHodgsonmakesamotiontoshutitoffbutcheckshimself。
\"Perhapsyou\'dliketolisten，\"hesays。
\"ArgolofSt。Thomas，\"theDanewhimpers。\"Reportownersthreestarboardshaftcollar-bearingsfused。CanmakeFloresasweare，butimpossiblefurther。ShallwebuysparesatFayal？\"
Thelineracknowledgesandrecommendsinvertingthebearings。TheArgolanswersthatshehasalreadydonesowithouteffect，andbeginstorelievehermindaboutcheapGermanenamelsforcollar-bearings。TheFrenchmanassentscordially，cries\"Courage，monami，\"andswitchesoff。
Thenlightssinkunderthecurveoftheocean。
\"That\'soneofLundt&Bleamers\'boats，\"saysCaptainHodgson。
\"Serves\'emrightforputtingGermancomposintheirthrust-blocks。Shewon\'tbeinFayalto-night!Bytheway，wouldn\'tyouliketolookroundtheengine-room？\"
IhavebeenwaitingeagerlyforthisinvitationandIfollowCaptainHodgsonfromthecontrol-platform，stoopinglowtoavoidthebulgeofthetanks。WeknowthatFleury\'sgascanliftanything，astheworld-famoustrialsof\'89showed，butitsalmostindefinitepowersofexpansionnecessitatevasttankroom。
Eveninthisthinairthelift-shuntsarebusytakingoutone-thirdofitsnormallift，andstill\"162\"mustbecheckedbyanoccasionaldowndrawoftherudderorourflightwouldbecomeaclimbtothestars。CaptainPurnallprefersanoverliftedtoanunderliftedship；butnotwocaptainstrimshipalike。\"WhenI
takethebridge，\"saysCaptainHodgson，\"you\'llseemeshuntfortypercentoftheliftoutofthegasandrunherontheupperrudder。Withaswoopupwardinsteadofaswoopdownward，asyousay。Eitherwaywilldo。It\'sonlyhabit。Watchourdip-dial!
Timfetchesherdownonceeverythirtyknotsasregularlyasbreathing。\"
Soisitshownonthedip-dial。Forfiveorsixminutesthearrowcreepsfrom6700to7300。Thereisthefaint\"szgee\"oftherudder，andbackslidesthearrowto6000onafallingslantoftenorfifteenknots。
\"Inheavyweatheryoujockeyherwiththescrewsaswell，\"saysCaptainHodgson，and，unclippingthejointedbarwhichdividestheengine-roomfromthebaredeck，heleadsmeontothefloor。
HerewefindFleury\'sParadoxoftheBulk-headedVacuum——whichweacceptnowwithoutthought——literallyinfullblast。ThethreeenginesareH。T。&T。assisted-vacuoFleuryturbinesrunningfrom3000totheLimit——thatistosay，uptothepointwhenthebladesmaketheair\"bell\"——cutoutavacuumforthemselvespreciselyasover-drivenmarinepropellersusedtodo。\"162\'s\"
Limitislowonaccountofthesmallsizeofherninescrews，which，thoughhandierthantheoldcolloidThelussons，\"bell\"
sooner。Themidshipsengine，generallyusedasareinforce，isnotrunning；sotheportandstarboardturbinevacuum-chambersdrawdirectintothereturn-mains。
Theturbineswhistlereflectively。Fromthelow-archedexpansion-tanksoneithersidethevalvesdescendpillarwisetotheturbine-chests，andthencetheobedientgaswhirlsthroughthespiralsofbladeswithaforcethatwouldwhiptheteethoutofapowersaw。Behind，isitsownpressureheldinleashofspurredonbythelift-shunts；beforeit，thevacuumwhereFleury\'sRaydancesinviolet-greenbandsandwhirledturbillonsofflame。ThejointedU-tubesofthevacuum-chamberarepressure-temperedcolloid(noglasswouldendurethestrainforaninstant)andajuniorengineerwithtintedspectacleswatchestheRayintently。Itistheveryheartofthemachine——amysterytothisday。
EvenFleurywhobegatitand，unlikeMagniac，diedamulti-millionaire，couldnotexplainhowtherestlesslittleimpshudderingintheU-tubecan，inthefractionalfractionofasecond，strikethefuriousblastofgasintoachillgreyish-greenliquidthatdrains(youcanhearittrickle)fromthefarendofthevacuumthroughtheeduction-pipesandthemainsbacktothebilges。Hereitreturnstoitsgaseous，onehadalmostwrittensagacious，stateandclimbstoworkafresh。
Bilge-tank，uppertank，dorsal-tank，expansion-chamber，vacuum，main-return(asaliquid)，andbilge-tankoncemoreistheordainedcycle。Fleury\'sRayseestothat；andtheengineerwiththetintedspectaclesseestoFleury\'sRay。Ifaspeckofoil，ifeventhenaturalgreaseofthehumanfingertouchthehoodedterminals，Fleury\'sRaywillwinkanddisappearandmustbelaboriouslybuiltupagain。Thismeanshalfaday\'sworkforallhandsandanexpenseof，onehundredandseventy-oddpoundstotheG。P。O。forradium-saltsandsuchtrifles。
\"Nowlookatourthrust-collars。Youwon\'tfindmuchGermancompothere。Full-jewelled，yousee，\"saysCaptainHodgsonastheengineershuntsopenthetopofacap。Ourshaft-bearingsareC。M。C。(CommercialMineralsCompany)stones，groundwithasmuchcareasthelensofatelescope。TheycostL837apiece。Sofarwehavenotarrivedattheirtermoflife。Thesebearingscamefrom\"No。97，\"whichtookthemoverfromtheoldDominionofLightwhichhadthemoutofthewreckofthePersewaeroplaneintheyearswhenmenstillflewwoodenkitesoveroilengines!
Theyareashiningreprooftoalllow-gradeGerman\"ruby\"
enamels，so-called\"boort\"facings，andthedangerousandunsatisfactoryaluminacompoundswhichpleasedividend-huntingownersandturnskipperscrazy。Therudder-gearandthegaslift-shunt，seatedsidebysideundertheengine-roomdials，aretheonlymachinesinvisiblemotion。Theformersighsfromtimetotimeastheoilplungerrisesandfallshalfaninch。Thelatter，casedandguardedliketheU-tubeaft，exhibitsanotherFleuryRay，butinvertedandmoregreenthanviolet。Itsfunctionistoshunttheliftoutofthegas，andthisitwilldowithoutwatching。Thatisall!Atinypump-rodwheezingandwhiningtoitselfbesideasputteringgreenlamp。Ahundredandfiftyfeetaftdowntheflat-toppedtunnelofthetanksavioletlight，restlessandirresolute。Betweenthetwo，threewhite-paintedturbine-trunks，likeeel-basketslaidontheirside，accentuatetheemptyperspectives。Youcanhearthetrickleoftheliquefiedgasflowingfromthevacuumintothebilge-tanksandthesoftgluck-glockofgaslocksclosingasCaptainPurnallbrings\"162\"
downbythehead。Thehumoftheturbinesandtheboomoftheaironourskinisnomorethanacotton-woolwrappingtotheuniversalstillness。Andwearerunninganeighteen-secondmile。
Ipeerfromtheforeendoftheengine-roomoverthehatch-coamingsintothecoach。Themail-clerksaresortingtheWinnipeg，Calgary，andMedicineHatbags；butthereisapackofcardsreadyonthetable。
Suddenlyabellthrills；theengineersruntotheturbine-valvesandstandby；butthespectacledslaveoftheRayintheU-tubeneverliftshishead。Hemustwatchwhereheis。Wearehard-brakedandgoingastern；thereislanguagefromtheControlPlatform。
\"Tim\'ssparkingbadlyaboutsomething，\"saystheunruffledCaptainHodgson。\"Let\'slook。\"
CaptainPurnallisnotthesuavemanwelefthalfanhoursince，buttheembodiedauthorityoftheG。P。O。Aheadofusfloatsanancient，aluminum-patched，twin-screwtrampofthedingiest，withnomorerighttothe5000-footlanethanhasahorse-carttoamodernroad。Shecarriesanobsolete\"barbette\"conningtower——asix-footaffairwithrailedplatformforward——andourwarningbeamplaysonthetopofitasapoliceman\'slanternflashesontheareasneak。Likeasneak-thief，too，emergesashock-headednavigatorinhisshirt-sleeves。CaptainPurnallwrenchesopenthecolloidtotalkwithhimmantoman。TherearetimeswhenSciencedoesnotsatisfy。
\"Whatunderthestarsareyoudoinghere，yousky-scrapingchimney-sweep？\"heshoutsaswetwodriftsidebyside。\"DoyouknowthisisaMail-lane？Youcallyourselfasailor，sir？Youain\'tfittopeddletoyballoonstoanEsquimaux。Yournameandnumber!Reportandgetdown，andbe——!\"
\"I\'vebeenblownuponce，\"theshock-headedmancries，hoarsely，asadogbarking。\"Idon\'tcaretwoflipsofacontactforanythingyoucando，Postey。\"
\"Don\'tyou，sir？ButI\'llmakeyoucare。I\'llhaveyoutowedsternfirsttoDiskoandbrokeup。Youcan\'trecoverinsuranceifyou\'rebrokeforobstruction。Doyouunderstandthat？\"
Thenthestrangerbellows:\"Lookatmypropellers!There\'sbeenawulli-wadownbelowthathasknockedusintoumbrella-frames!
We\'vebeenblownupaboutfortythousandfeet!We\'realloneconjuror\'swatchinside!Mymate\'sarm\'sbroke；myengineer\'shead\'scutopen；myRaywentoutwhentheenginessmashed；and……and……forpity\'ssakegivememyheight，Captain!Wedoubtwe\'redropping。\"
\"Sixthousandeighthundred。Canyouholdit？\"CaptainPurnalloverlooksallinsults，andleanshalfoutofthecolloid，staringandsnuffing。Thestrangerleakspungently。
\"WeoughttoblowintoSt。John\'swithluck。We\'retryingtoplugthefore-tanknow，butshe\'ssimplywhistlingitaway，\"hercaptainwails。
\"She\'ssinkinglikealog，\"saysCaptainPurnallinanundertone。
\"CalluptheBanksMarkBoat，George。\"Ourdip-dialshowsthatwe，keepingabreastthetramp，havedroppedfivehundredfeetthelastfewminutes。
CaptainPurnallpressesaswitchandoursignalbeambeginstoswingthroughthenight，twizzlingspokesoflightacrossinfinity。
\"That\'llfetchsomething，\"hesays，whileCaptainHodgsonwatchestheGeneralCommunicator。HehascalleduptheNorthBanksMarkBoat，afewhundredmileswest，andisreportingthecase。
\"I\'llstandbyyou，\"CaptainPurnallroarstothelonefigureontheconning-tower。
\"Isitasbadasthat？\"comestheanswer。\"Sheisn\'tinsured。
She\'smine。\"
\"Mighthaveguessedasmuch，\"muttersHodgson。\"Owner\'sriskistheworstriskofall!\"
\"Can\'tIfetchSt。John\'s——notevenwiththisbreeze？\"thevoicequavers。
\"Standbytoabandonship。Haven\'tyouanyliftinyou，foreoraft？\"
\"Nothingbutthemidshiptanks，andthey\'renonetootight。Yousee，myRaygaveoutand——\"hecoughsinthereekoftheescapinggas。
\"Youpoordevil!\"Thisdoesnotreachourfriend。\"WhatdoestheMarkBoatsay，George？\"
\"Wantstoknowifthere\'sanydangertotraffic。Saysshe\'sinabitofweatherherself，andcan\'tquitstation。I\'veturnedinaGeneralCall，soeveniftheydon\'tseeourbeamsomeone\'sboundtohelp——orelsewemust。ShallIclearourslings？Holdon!Hereweare!APlanetliner，too!She\'llbeupinatick!\"
\"Tellhertohaveherslingsready，\"crieshisbrothercaptain。
\"Therewon\'tbemuchtimetospare……Tieupyourmate，\"heroarstothetramp。
\"Mymate\'sallright。It\'smyengineer。He\'sgonecrazy。\"
\"Shunttheliftoutofhimwithaspanner。Hurry!\"
\"ButIcanmakeSt。John\'sifyou\'llstandby。\"
\"You\'llmakethedeep，wetAtlanticintwentyminutes。You\'relessthanfifty-eighthundrednow。Getyourpapers。\"
APlanetliner，eastbound，heavesupinasuperbspiralandtakestheairofushumming。Herunderbodycolloidisopenlandhertransporter-slingshangdownliketentacles。Weshutoffourbeamassheadjustsherself——steeringtoahair——overthetramp\'sconning-tower。Thematecomesup，hisarmstrappedtohisside，andstumblesintothecradle。Amanwithaghastlyscarletheadfollows，shoutingthathemustgobackandbuilduphisRay。ThemateassureshimthathewillfindanicenewRayallreadyintheliner\'sengine-room。Thebandagedheadgoesupwaggingexcitedly。Ayouthandawomanfollow。Thelinercheershollowlyaboveus，andweseethepassengers\'facesatthesalooncolloid。
\"That\'saprettygirl。What\'sthefoolwaitingfornow？\"saysCaptainPurnall。
Theskippercomesup，stillappealingtoustostandbyandseehimfetchSt。John\'s。Hedivesbelowandreturns——atwhichwelittlehumanbeingsinthevoidcheerlouderthanever——withtheship\'skitten。Upflytheliner\'shissingslings；herunderbodycrasheshomeandshehurtlesawayagain。Thedialshowslessthan3000feet。TheMarkBoatsignalswemustattendtothederelict，nowwhistlingherdeath-song，asshefallsbeneathusinlongsickzigzags。
\"KeepourbeamonherandsendoutaGeneralWarning，\"saysCaptainPurnall，followingherdown。Thereisnoneed。Notalinerinairbutknowsthemeaningofthatverticalbeamandgivesusandourquarryawideberth。
\"Butshe\'lldrowninthewater，won\'tshe？\"Iask。\"Notalways，\"
ishisanswer。\"I\'veknownaderelictup-endandsiftherenginesoutofherselfandflickerroundtheLowerLanesforthreeweeksonherforwardtanksonly。We\'llrunnorisks。Pithher，George，andlooksharp。There\'sweatherahead。\"
CaptainHodgsonopenstheunderbodycolloid，swingstheheavypithing-ironoutofitsrackwhichinlinersisgenerallycasedasasmoking-roomsettee，andattwohundredfeetreleasesthecatch。Wehearthewhirofthecrescent-shapedarmsopeningastheydescend。Thederelict\'sforeheadispunchedin，starredacross，andrentdiagonally。Shefallssternfirst，ourbeamuponher；slideslikealostsouldownthatpitilessladderoflight，andtheAtlantictakesher。
\"Afilthybusiness，\"saysHodgson。\"Iwonderwhatitmusthavebeenlikeintheolddays？\"
Thethoughthadcrossedmymind，too。Whatifthatwaveringcarcasshadbeenfilledwiththemenoftheolddays，eachoneofthemtaught(thatisthehorrorofit!)that，afterdeathhewouldverypossiblygoforevertounspeakabletorment？
Andscarcelyagenerationago，we(oneknowsnowthatweareonlyourfathersre-enlargedupontheearth)，we，Isay，rippedandrammedandpithedtoadmiration。
HereTim，fromtheControlPlatform，shoutsthatwearetogetintoourinflatorsandtobringhimhisatonce。
Wehurryintotheheavyrubbersuits——theengineersarealreadydressed——andinflateattheair-pumptaps。G。P。O。inflatorsarethriceasthickasaracingman\'s\"flickers，\"andchafeabominablyunderthearmpits。GeorgetakesthewheeluntilTimhasblownhimselfuptotheextremeofrotundity。Ifyoukickedhimoffthec。p。tothedeckhewouldbounceback。Butitis\"162\"thatwilldothekicking。
\"TheMarkBoat\'smad——starkravin\'crazy，\"hesnorts，returningtocommand。\"Shesaysthere\'sabadblow-outaheadandwantsmetopullovertoGreenland。I\'llseeherpithedfirst!Wewastedhalfanhourfussingoverthatdeadduckdownunder，andnowI\'mexpectedtogorubbin\'mybackallroundthePole。WhatdoesshethinkaPostalpacket\'smadeof？Gummedsilk？Tellherwe\'recomingonstraight，George。\"
GeorgebuckleshimintotheFrameandswitchesontheDirectControl。NowunderTim\'slefttoeliestheport-engineAccelerator；underhisleftheeltheReverse，andsowiththeotherfoot。Thelift-shuntstopsstandoutontherimofthesteering-wheelwherethefingersofhislefthandcanplayonthem。Athisrighthandisthemidshipsengineleverreadytobethrownintogearatamoment\'snotice。Heleansforwardinhisbelt，eyesgluedtothecolloid，andoneearcockedtowardtheGeneralCommunicator。Henceforthheisthestrengthanddirectionof\"162，\"throughwhatevermaybefall。
TheBanksMarkBoatisreelingoutpagesofA。B……C。Directionstothetrafficatlarge。Wearetosecureall\"looseobjects\"；
hoodupourFleuryRays；and\"onnoaccounttoattempttoclearsnowfromourconning-towerstilltheweatherabates。\"
Under-poweredcraft，wearetold，canascendtothelimitoftheirlift，mail-packetstolookoutforthemaccordingly；thelowerlaneswestwardarepittingverybadly，\"withfrequentblow-outs，vortices，laterals，etc。\"
Stillthecleardarkholdsupunblemished。Theonlywarningistheelectricskin-tension(IfeelasthoughIwerealace-maker\'spillow)andanirritabilitywhichthegibberingoftheGeneralCommunicatorincreasesalmosttohysteria。
Wehavemadeeightthousandfeetsincewepithedthetrampandourturbinesaregivingusanhonesttwohundredandtenknots。
Veryfartothewestanelongatedblurofred，lowdown，showsustheNorthBanksMarkBoat。Therearespecksoffireroundherrisingandfalling——bewilderedplanetsaboutanunstablesun——helplessshippinghangingontoherlightforcompany\'ssake。Nowondershecouldnotquitstation。
Shewarnsustolookoutfortheback-washofthebadvortexinwhich(herbeamshowsit)sheisevennowreeling。
Thepitsofgloomaboutusbegintofillwithveryfaintlyluminousfilms——wreathinganduneasyshapes。Oneformsitselfintoaglobeofpaleflamethatwaitsshiveringwitheagernesstillwesweepby。Itleapsmonstrouslyacrosstheblackness，alightsontheprecisetipofournose，pirouettesthereaninstant，andswingsoff。Ourroaringbowsinksasthoughthatlightwerelead——sinksandrecoverstolurchandstumbleagainbeneaththenextblow-out。Tim\'sfingersonthelift-shuntstrikechordsofnumbers——1:4:7:——2:4:6:——7:5:3，andsoon；forheisrunningbyhistanksonly，liftingorloweringheragainsttheuneasyair。Allthreeenginesareatwork，forthesoonerwehaveskatedoverthisthinicethebetter。Higherwedarenotgo。Thewholeuppervaultischargedwithpalekryptonvapours，whichourskinfrictionmayexcitetounholymanifestations。Betweentheupperandlowerlevels——5000and7000，hintstheMarkBoat——wemayperhapsboltthroughif……Ourbowclothesitselfinblueflameandfallslikeasword。Nohumanskillcankeeppacewiththechangingtensions。Avortexhasusbythebeakandwedivedownatwo-thousandfootslantatanangle(thedip-dialandmybouncingbodyrecordit)ofthirty-five。Ourturbinesscreamshrilly；thepropellerscannotbiteonthethinair；Timshuntstheliftoutoffivetanksatonceandbysheerweightdrivesherbulletwisethroughthemaelstromtillshecushionswithjaronanup-gust，threethousandfeetbelow。
