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people；　who　faced　deathdeath　that　you　might　live。〃



〃I　know　nothing〃　began　Graham。



〃I　cannot　tell　you　now。〃



Lincoln's　face　appeared　close　to　them。　He　bowed

an　apology　to　the　girl。



〃You　find　the　new　world　pleasant；　Sire？〃　asked　

Lincoln；　with　smiling　deference；　and　indicating　the　space

and　splendour　of　the　gathering　by　one　comprehensive

gesture。〃　At　any　rate；　you　find　it　changed。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Graham；　〃changed。　And　yet；　after　all；

not　so　greatly　changed。〃



〃Wait　till　you　are　in　the　air；〃　said　Lincoln。　〃The

wind　has　fallen；　even　now　an　aeropile　awaits　you。〃



The　girl's　attitude　awaited　dismissal。



Graham　glanced　at　her　face；　was　on　the　verge　of　a

question；　found　a　warning　in　her　expression；　bowed　to

her　and　turned　to　accompany　Lincoln。





CHAPTER　XVI



THE　AEROPHILE



For　a　while；　as　Graham　went　through　the　passages

of　the　Wind…Vane　offices　with　Lincoln；　he　was　

preoccupied。　But；　by　an　effort；　he　attended　to　the　things

which　Lincoln　was　saying。　Soon　his　preoccupation

vanished。　Lincoln　was　talking　of　flying。　Graham　had

a　strong　desire　to　know　more　of　this　new　human

attainment。　He　began　to　ply　Lincoln　with　questions。

He　had　followed　the　crude　beginnings　of　aerial　

navigation　very　keenly　in　his　previous　life；　he　was

delighted　to　find　the　familiar　names　of　Maxim　and　

Pilcher；　Langley　and　Chanute；　and；　above　all；　of　the　aerial

proto…martyr　Lillienthal；　still　honoured　by　men。



Even　during　his　previous　life　two　lines　of　investigation　

had　pointed　clearly　to　two　distinct　types　of　

contrivance　as　possible；　and　both　of　these　had　been

realised。　On　the　one　hand　was　the　great　engine…driven　

aeroplane；　a　double　row　of　horizontal　floats

with　a　big　aerial　screw　behind；　and　on　the　other　the

nimbler　aeropile。　The　aeroplanes　flew　safely　only　in　a

calm　or　moderate　wind；　and　sudden　storms；　occurrences　

that　were　now　accurately　predictable；　rendered

them　for　all　practical　purposes　useless。　They　were

built　of　enormous　sizethe　usual　stretch　of　wing

being　six　hundred　feet　or　more；　and　the　length　of　the

fabric　a　thousand　feet。　They　were　for　passenger

traffic　alone。　The　lightly　swung　car　they　carried　was

from　a　hundred　to　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet　in　length。

It　Was　hung　in　a　peculiar　manner　in　order　to　minimise

the　complex　vibration　that　even　a　moderate　wind　produced；　

and　for　the　same　reason　the　little　seats　within

the　careach　passenger　remained　seated　during　the

voyagewere　slung　with　great　freedom　of　movement。　

The　starting　of　the　mechanism　was　only　possible　

from　a　gigantic　car　on　the　rail　of　a　specially　

constructed　stage。　Graham　had　seen　these　vast　stages；

the　flying　stages；　from　the　crow's　nest　very　well。　Six

huge　blank　areas　they　were；　with　a　giant　〃carrier〃

stage　on　each。



The　choice　of　descent　was　equally　circumscribed；　an

accurately　plane　surface　being　needed　for　safe　grounding。　

Apart　from　the　destruction　that　would　have　been

caused　by　the　descent　of　this　great　expanse　of　sail　and

metal；　and　the　impossibility　of　its　rising　again；　the　

concussion　of　an　irregular　surface；　a　tree…set　hillside；　for

instance；　or　an　embankment；　would　be　sufficient　to

pierce　or　damage　the　framework；　to　smash　the　ribs　of

the　body；　and　perhaps　kill　those　aboard。



At　first　Graham　felt　disappointed　with　these　cumbersome　

contrivances；　but　he　speedily　grasped　the　fact

that　smaller　machines　would　have　been　unremunerative；　

for　the　simple　reason　that　their　carrying　power

would　be　disproportionately　diminished　with　deminished　

size。　Moreover；　the　huge　size　of　these　things

enabled　themand　it　was　a　consideration　of　primary

importanceto　traverse　the　air　at　enormous　speeds；

and　so　run　no　risks　of　unanticipated　weather。　The

briefest　journey　performed；　that　from　London　to

Paris；　took　about　three…quarters　of　an　hour；　but　the

velocity　attained　was　not　high；　the　leap　to　New　York

occupied　about　two　hours；　and　by　timing　oneself　carefully　

at　the　intermediate　stations　it　was　possible　in

quiet　weather　to　go　around　the　world　in　a　day。



The　little　aeropiles　（as　for　no　particular　reason　they

were　distinctively　called）　were　of　an　altogether　

different　type。　Several　of　these　were　going　to　and　fro　in

the　air。　They　were　designed　to　carry　only　one　or　two

persons；　and　their　manufacture　and　maintenance　was

so　costly　as　to　render　them　the　monopoly　of　the　richer

sort　of　people。　Their　sails；　which　were　brilliantly

coloured；　consisted　only　of　two　pairs　of　lateral　air　

floats　in　the　same　plane；　and　of　a　screw　behind。　Their

small　size　rendered　a　descent　in　any　open　space　neither

difficult　nor　disagreeable；　and　it　was　possible　to　attach

pneumatic　wheels　or　even　the　ordinary　motors　for　terrestrial　

tragic　to　them；　and　so　carry　them　to　a　convenient　

starting　place。　They　required　a　special　sort　of

swift　car　to　throw　them　into　the　air；　but　such　a　car

was　efficient　in　any　open　place　clear　of　high　buildings

or　trees。　Human　aeronautics；　Graham　perceived；

were　evidently　still　a　long　way　behind　the　instinctive

gift　of　the　albatross　or　the　fly…catcher。　One　great

influence　that　might　have　brought　the　aeropile　to　a

more　rapid　perfection　had　been　withheld；　these　

inventions　had　never　been　used　in　warfare。　The　last　great

international　struggle　had　occurred　before　the　

usurpation　of　the　Council。



The　Flying　Stages　of　London　were　collected

together　in　an　irregular　crescent　on　the　southern　side

of　the　river。　They　formed　three　groups　of　two　each

and　retained　the　names　of　ancient　suburban　hills　or

villages。　They　were　named　in　order；　Roehampton；

Wimhledon　Park；　Streatham；　Norwood；　Blackheath；

and　Shooter's　Hill。　They　were　uniform　structures　

rising　high　above　the　general　roof　surfaces。　Each　was

about　four　thousand　yards　long　and　a　thousand　broad；

and　constructed　of　the　compound　of　aluminium　and

iron　that　had　replaced　iron　in　architecture。　Their

higher　tiers　formed　an　openwork　of　girders　through

which　lifts　and　staircases　ascended。　The　upper　

surface　was　a　uniform　expanse；　with　portionsthe　

starting　carriersthat　could　be　raised　and　were　then　able

to　run　on　very　slightly　inclined　rails　to　the　end　of　the

fabric。　Save　for　any　aeropiles　or　aeroplanes　that　were

in　port　these　open　surfaces　were　kept　clear　for　arrivals。



During　the　adjustment　of　the　aeroplanes　it　was　the

custom　for　passengers　to　wait　in　the　system　of　

theatres；　restaurants；　news…rooms；　and　places　of　pleasure

and　indulgence　of　various　sorts　that　interwove　with　the

prosperous　shops　below。　This　portion　of　London　was

in　consequence　commonly　the　gayest　of　all　its　

districts；　with　something　of　the　meretricious　gaiety　of　a

seaport　or　city　of　hotels。　And　for　those　who　took　a

more　serious　view　of　aeronautics；　the　religious　

quarters　had　flung　out　an　attractive　colony　of　devotional

chapels；　while　a　host　of　brilliant　medical　establishments　

competed　to　supply　physical　preparatives　for　the

journey。　At　various　levels　through　the　mass　of　chambers　

and　passages　beneath　these；　ran；　in　addition　to　the

main　moving　ways　of　the　city　which　laced　and

gathered　here；　a　complex　system　of　special　passages

and　lifts　and　slides；　for　the　convenient　interchange　of

people　and　luggage　between　stage　and　stage。　And　a

distinctive　feature　of　the　architecture　of　this　section

was　the　ostentatious　massiveness　of　the　metal　piers

and　girders　that　everywhere　broke　the　vistas　and

spanned　the　halls　and　passages；　crowding　and　twining

up　to　meet　the　weight　of　the　stages　and　the　weighty

impact　of　the　aeroplanes　overhead。



Graham　went　to　the　flying　stages　by　the　public　ways。

He　was　accompanied　by　Asano；　his　Japanese　attendant。　

Lincoln　was　called　away　by　Ostrog；　who　was

busy　with　his　administrative　concerns。　A　strong

guard　of　the　Wind…Vane　police　awaited　the　Master

outside　the　Wind…Vane　offices；　and　they　cleared　a

space　for　him　on　the　upper　moving　platform。　His

passage　to　the　flying　stages　was　unexpected；　

nevertheless　a　considerable　crowd　gathered　and　followed

him　to　his　destination。　As　he　went　along；　he　could

hear　the　people　shouting　his　name；　and　saw　numberless　

men　and　women　and　children　in　blue　come　swarming　

up　the　staircases　in　the　central　path；　gesticulating

and　shouting。　He　could　not　hear　what　they　shouted。

He　was　struck　again　by　the　evident　existence　of　a　

vulgar　dialect　among　the　poor　of　the　city。　When　at　last

he　descended；　his　guards　were　immediately　surrounded　

by　a　dense　excited　crowd。　Afterwards　it

occurred　to　him　that　some　had　attempted　to　reach　him

with　petitions。　His　guards　cleared　a　passage　for　him

with　difficulty。



He　found　an　aeropile　in　charge　of　an　aeronaut

awaiting　him　on　the　westward　stage。　Seen　close　this

mechanism　was　no　longer　small。　As　it　lay　on　its

launching　carrier　upon　the　wide　expanse　of　the　flying

stage；　its　aluminium　body　skeleton　was　as　big　as　the

hull　of　a　twenty…ton　yacht。　Its　lateral　supporting　sails

braced　and　sta