Hehadtakenhisfirstwalkwithoutanyunfavourableresults，andOrlandodecidedfromthisthatthetimehadcomeforanexplanationofhisdeviceandhisrequirementsinregardtoit。SeatedtogetherinOswald’sroom，hebroachedthesubjectthus：”Oswald，whatisyourideaaboutwhatI’mmakingupthere?””Thatitwillbeasuccess。””Iknow；butitscharacter，itsuse?Whatdoyouthinkitis?””I’veanidea；butmyideadon’tfittheconditions。””How’sthat?””Theshedistoocloselyhemmedin。Youhaven’troom-””Forwhat?””Tostartanaeroplane。””Yetitiscertainlyadeviceforflying。””Isupposedso；but-””Itisanair-carwithanewandvaluableidea-theideaforwhichthewholeworldhasbeenseekingeversincethefirstaeroplanefounditswayupfromtheearth。Mycarneedsnoroomtostartinsavethatwhichitoccupies。Ifitdid，itwouldbebutthemodificationofahundredothers。””Orlando！”
　　AsOswaldthusgaveexpressiontohissurprise，theirtwofaceswereastudy：thefireofgeniusintheone；thelightofsympatheticunderstandingintheother。”Ifthiscar，nowwithinthreedaysofitscompletion，”Orlandoproceeded，”doesnotrisefromtheovalofmyhangarlikeabirdfromitsnest，andafterawideandcirclingflightdescendagainintotheselfsamespotwithoutanyswervingfromitsdirectcourse，thenhaveIfailedinmyendeavourandmusttakeabackseatwiththerest。Butitwillnotfail。I’mcertainofsuccess，Oswald。
　　AllIwantjustnowisasympathetichelper-you，forinstance；
　　someonewhowillaidmewiththefinalfittingsandholdhispeacetoalleternityiftheimpossibleoccursandthethingprovesafailure。””Haveyousuchprideasthat?””Precisely。””Somuchthatyoucannotfacefailure?””Notwhenattachedtomyname。YoucanseehowIfeelaboutthatbythesecrecyIhaveworkedunder。NootherpersonlivingknowswhatIhavejustcommunicatedtoyou。Everypartshippedherecamefromdifferentmanufacturingfirms；sometimesapartofapartwasallIallowedtobemadeinanyoneplace。Myfame，likemyship，mustrisewithoneboundintotheair，oritmustneverriseatall。
　　Itwasnotmadeforpettyaccomplishment，ortheslowploddingofcommonplaceminds。Imuststartle，orremainobscure。ThatiswhyIchosethisplaceformyventure，andyouformyhelperandassociate。”Youwantmetoascendwithyou。?””Exactly。””Attheendofthreedays?””Yes。””Orlando，Icannot。””Youcannot?Notstrongenoughyet?I’llwaitthen，-threedaysmore。””Thetime’stooshort。Amonthisscarcelysufficient。Itwouldbefolly，suchasyounevershow，totrustanervesounderminedasminetilltimehasrestoreditspower。Foranenterpriselikethisyouneedamanofreadystrengthandresources；notonewhoseconditionyoumightbeobligedtoconsiderataverycriticalmoment。”
　　Orlando，balkedthusattheoutset，showedhisdispleasure。”Youdonotdojusticetoyourwill。Itisstrongenoughtocarryyouthroughanything。””Itwas。””Youcanforceittoactforyou。””Ifearnot，Orlando。””Icountedonyouandyouthwartmeatthemostcriticalmomentofmylife。”
　　Oswaldsmiled；hiswholecandidandgenerousnatureburstingintoview，inonequickflash。”Perhaps，”heassented；”butyouwillthankmewhenyourealisemyweakness。Anothermanmustbefound-quick，deft，secret，yethonourablyalivetotheimportanceoftheoccasionandyourrightsasagreatoriginalthinkerandmechanician。””Doyouknowsuchaman?””Idon’t；buttheremustbemanysuchamongourworkmen。””Thereisn’tone；andIhaven’ttimetosendtoBrooklyn。I
　　reckonedonyou。””Canyouwaitamonth?””No。””Afortnight，then?””No，nottendays。”
　　Oswaldlookedsurprised。Hewouldliketohaveaskedwhysuchprecipitationwasnecessary，buttheirtoneinwhichthisultimatumwasgivenwasofthatdecisivecharacterwhichadmitsofnoargument。
　　He，therefore，merelylookedhisquery。ButOrlandowasnotonetoanswerlooks；besides，hehadnoreplyforthesameimportunatequestionurgedbyhisowngoodsense。Heknewthathemustmaketheattemptuponwhichhisfuturerestedsoon，andwithoutriskofthesappinginfluenceoflengthenedsuspenseandweeksofwaiting。
　　Hecouldholdontothosetwodemonsleaguedinattackagainsthim，foradefinitesevendays，butnotforanindeterminatetime。Ifheweretobesavedfromfolly，-fromhimself-eventsmustrush。
　　He，therefore，repeatedhisno，withincreasedvehemence，adding，ashemarkedthereproachinhisbrother’seye，”Icannotwait。ThetestmustbemadeonSaturdayeveningnext，whatevertheconditions；
　　whatevertheweather。Anair-cartobeserviceablemustbereadytomeetlightningandtempest，andwhatisworse，perhaps，aninsufficientcrew。”Thenrising，heexclaimed，withadeterminationwhichrenderedhimmajestic，”Ifhelpisnotforthcoming，I’lldoitallmyself。Nothingshallholdmeback；nothingshallstopme；andwhenyouseemeandmycarriseabovethetreetops，you’llfeelthatIhavedonewhatIcouldtomakeyouforget-”
　　Hedidnotneedtocontinue。Oswaldunderstoodandflashedagratefullookhiswaybeforesaying：”Youwillmaketheattemptatnight?””Certainly。””AndonSaturday?””I’vesaidit。””IwillrunoverinmymindthequalificationsofsuchmenasI
　　knowandacquaintyouwiththeresultto-morrow。””Thereareadjustmentstobemade。Amanofaccuracyisnecessary。””Iwillremember。””Andhemustbelikable。IcandonothingwithamanwithwhomI’mnotperfectlyinaccord。””Iunderstandthat。””Good-nightthen。”Amomentofhesitancy，then，”IwishnotonlyyourselfbutMissScotttobepresentatthistest。Prepareherforthespectacle；butnotyet，nottillwithinanhourortwooftheoccasion。”
　　AndwithaproudsmileinwhichflashedasignificancewhichstartledOswald，hegaveahurriednodandturnedaway。
　　Wheninanhourafterwards，Dorislookedinthroughtheopendoor，shefoundOswaldsittingwithfaceburiedinhishands，thinkingsodeeplythathedidnothearher。Hehadsatlikethis，immovableandabsorbed，eversincehisbrotherhadlefthim。
　　SILENCE-ANDAKNOCK
　　OswalddidnotsucceedinfindingamantopleaseOrlando。Hesuggestedonepersonafteranothertotheexactinginventor，butnoneweresatisfactorytohimandeachinturnwasturneddown。
　　Itisnoteveryonewewanttohaveshareaworld-widetriumphoranignominiousdefeat。Andthedayswerepassing。
　　Hehadsaidinamomentofelation，”Iwilldoitalone；”buthekneweventhenthathecouldnot。Twohandswerenecessarytostartthecar；afterwards，hemightmanageitalone。Descentwasevenpossible，buttogivethecontrivanceitsfirstliftrequiredasecondmechanician。Wherewashetofindonetopleasehim?Andwhatwashetodoifhedidnot?Conquerhisprejudicesagainstsuchmenashehadseen，ordelaytheattempt，asOswaldhadsuggested，tillhecouldgetoneofhisoldcroniesonfromNewYork。Hecoulddoneither。Theobstinacyofhisnaturewassuchastoofferaninvinciblebarrieragainsteithersuggestion。Onealternativeremained。Hehadheardofwomenaviators。IfDoriscouldbeinducedtoaccompanyhimintotheair，insteadofclingingsodden-liketotheweightofOswald’swoe，thenwouldtheworldbeholdatriumphwhichwoulddwarftheecstasyofthebird’sflightandrobtheeagleofhiskinglypride。ButDorisbarelyenduredhimasyet，andthethoughtwasnotonetobeconsideredforamoment。Yetwhatothercourseremained?Hewasbroodingdeeplyonthesubject，inhishangaroneevening-itwasThursdayandSaturdaywasbuttwodaysoffwhentherecamealightknockatthedoor。