human
Air-liner _Empress_ with damaged engines crossing desert towards Cairo. Lat. 29-50 N., Long. 40-25 E. drifting W.S.W. Wireless deranged. SCORPIO.
gpt
Piece of bad luck, sir!
human
H’m! She carries the Indian mail, too,
gpt
Yes, and a good deal more, sir.
human
What else does she carry this trip besides passengers and mails?
gpt
That big loading of specie, sir, for the Bank of England. Nearly a ton of gold, I believe.
human
Phew! And isn’t the maharajah of somewhere or other coming on a state visit to the King also?
gpt
Yes, by Jove, so he is! We had a message this morning saying that he would travel by the _Empress_.
human
Heaven help us if she comes down in the desert with that cargo. The Bedouins would soon make short work of it. The authorities rely too much upon the patrols for these long journeys,
gpt
We were asked to take particular care over her this trip. The Delhi patrols accompanied her part of the way, and she was all right up to mid-day, but she hasn’t spoken to us since. I have sent out one or two messages and have had the patrols ready to go out and meet her, as soon as I heard again from her, giving her position, sir.
human
And you’ve had no further reply till this message came in?
gpt
No, sir.
human
By the way, is her wireless damaged as well as her engine? I didn’t notice.
gpt
Yes, sir. The message says: ’Wireless deranged,’
human
Then who the deuce sent the message?
gpt
Scorpio---- But who Scorpio is I can’t make out. It must have been some passing airman, for it cannot have been one of our own patrols.
human
Phew! The mystery deepens. Get the patrols out at once, and tell them to take plenty of ammunition with them. It will take a few rounds to scare off those Bedouin fiends if once they get round a carcase where there are such pickings.
gpt
I don’t think there’s much to worry about in that respect. Those Arabs have a wholesome fear of these air-liners, sir. However, I will get the machines off at once.