''
Then she abruptly subsides, feeling that perhaps the less
said the better until she has made a reputation in the Air.
The matter of that Compromise still rankled, and indeed
it does seem hardly fit that a bold bad Tin god should flirt
with Efficiency. You see there was a little Tin god, and he
said ``Boom, Boom BOOM! Nonsense! It MUST be done,''
and things like that in a very loud voice, and the Designer
tore his hair and was furious, but the Directors, who were
thinking of nothing but Orders and Dividends, had the
whip-hand of HIM, and so there you are, and so poor beautiful
Miss Efficiency was compromised.
All this time the Pilot is carefully buckling his belt and
making himself perfectly easy and comfortable, as all good
pilots do. As he straightens himself up from a careful
inspection of the Deviation Curve[[10]] of the Compass and takes
command of the Controls, the Throttle and the Ignition,
the voices grow fainter and fainter until there is nothing
but a trembling of the Lift and Drift wires to indicate to his
understanding eye their state of tension in expectancy of
the Great Test.
[[10]] Deviation curve: A curved line indicating any errors in the compass.
``Petrol on?'' shouts the Fitter to the Pilot.
``Petrol on,'' replies the Pilot.
``Ignition off?''
``Ignition off.''
Round goes the Propeller, the Engine sucking in the
Petrol Vapour with satisfied gulps. And then--
``Contact?'' from the Fitter.
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