"_Nissr Arrib ela Sema._"

"Come again, sir?"

"Eagle of the Sky, in Arabic. I suppose we'll have to cut that down to
_Nissr_, for everyday use. But at any rate, our craft is christened.
Well, now--"

He settled himself in the pilot's seat, reached forward and drew
toward him a shining metal shaft. Four stout spokes unfolded; and from
these, quadrants of a rim that easily snapped together. The Master
laid one hand easily on the rim of the big steering-wheel, flung his
cap upon a locker, pulled down the telephone headpiece and snapped it
on.

He touched a button. The light died in the pilot-house, leaving only
the hooded glows of the dials, switches, and small levers. Night
seemed suddenly to close in about the vast machine. Till now it
had been forgotten, ignored. But as darkness fingered at the panes,
something of the vastness of sky and air made itself realized;
something of the illimitable scope of this adventuring.

Bohannan slid the window shut and settled himself beside Captain
Alden. He glanced at his wrist-watch, and a thrill of nervous
exultation stabbed him.

"Only two minutes and six seconds more!" he murmured, gnawing at his
mustache and blinking with excitement. Alden remained calm, impassive
as the Master himself, who now, pressing another button, sent a beam
of wonderful, white light lancing through the darkness.

Track, buildings, trees all leaped into vivid relief as he tested the
searchlight control. He shot the beam up, up, till it lost itself,
vaguely, in mist and cloud; then flung it even across the river, where
it picked out buildings with startling detail.

He turned it, finally, square down the launching-way, through the
yawning gates where the track abruptly ended at the brow of the
Palisades--the empty chasm where, if all went right and no mistake
had been made in build, engine-power, or control, the initial leap of
_Nissr Arrib ela Sema_ was to be made.

Came a moment's wait. Faintly the pulsing of the engines trembled
the fabric of _Nissr_. Finely balanced as they were, they still
communicated some slight vibration to the ship. The Master snicked the
switch of the magnetic-anchor release; and now the last bond that held
_Nissr_ to her cradle was broken. As soon as the air-skid currents
should be set going, she would be ready for her flight.

This moment was not long in coming. Another turn of a switch, and all
at once, far below, a faint, continuous hissing made itself audible