The surgeon seemed to have more leisure than most doctors. She stood
for some minutes, greeting perhaps a score of passers-by, all of
whom seemed to be proud of the acquaintance. Presently, however, the
sidewalk became temporarily clear of pedestrians; and then Billie
heard the surgeon mutter something to herself, such as was past all
understanding at the time:
"The fools! The poor, ignorant cattle!"
And she turned and stepped to the middle of the street, where Billie
had already marked a large number of flying-machines. In fact, the
space from curb to curb was practically filled with them, all neatly
parked.
Without exception they were ornithopters; that is, machines built on
the bird-wing principle, sustaining themselves by a flapping motion
rather than by air-pressure due to a propeller. Their size varied
from one-seater affairs of very small size to craft large enough to
hold a score. Most were gaudily painted.
The surgeon's own machine was a two-seater, small but powerful in
design.
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