She showed me why we had risen so high into upper air far above most of the Limanorans who were flying with us. These faleenas could not adapt themselves to the varying winds as the human figure and arms could when managing wings. They had to rise into the regions of calms or of steady winds, in order that they might float by power of sail down to their destination. What seemed a mere awning acted in two ways; it served as aëroplane to steady the whole structure in the air and as parachute when it began to descend; and could be inflated with heated air, to help the wings in raising the faleena upwards. She pointed out in the far distance below us a gleaming line that marked the valley towards which we were voyaging, and then looking at a height-gauge that hung beside her steering-seat and at a wind-gauge that stretched over the side of the car, she decided by a brief calculation that we had reached the proper key-place of the arch we were making in our journey, and that we should by changing our course wing our way with ease down to the desired goal. She touched a notch in the side of the car and above there sounded a flute-like note, that, varying in strength and pitch, made no disharmony with the music of the wings. I looked up and there I could see the awning gradually collapse; it had bulged downwards, I had noticed, in a strange way; the tenseness of its curves disappeared, and as we began to fall, it became concave, and broke the velocity of our descent. The wings still plied with bewildering swiftness of beat, and forced us onwards as we shortened our distance from the earth. We still could hear the music of our comrades, but so softened by the long space between that I could have imagined it the spheral harmony of orbs which circle round the throne of God. But I could see them, dim flakes of light in the azure as they outdistanced us, the few laggards that had skimmed above us for a short time still showing the outlines of their forms, yet rapidly lessening into star-specks. I was gazing out at them with the exhilaration of the outlook and of the ether in my blood, when the wings suddenly began to labour with short, irregular beat. I glanced at Thyriel. She kept her face unmoved, as she examined the engine beside her and the various keys and wheels and hinges of the machinery. I took courage, for she looked quite unconcerned, yet I could see that she had not discovered the cause for the uneasy motion of the wings. She told me that she would have to examine the outside, but that I might keep my mind at peace, for there was no danger. She adjusted her wings and dived from the side, then rose to our swiftly descending faleena, and by the strength of her muscles seemed to stay the descent, while she looked at all the gearing of the sails from below. Then she climbed into the car, and began to work at a small pump in the forepart. I ran to help her, and in a few minutes I felt the