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Thog’s Masterclass. Mediaeval Geometry. ‘A pentagram had been chalked on the stone floor, and gold wires had been stretched between candle-holders of stained iron, forming a six-pointed star above the chalk.’ (David Gemmell, Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf, 1992) [BA]
• Testing the 3,000 mph Rocket Locomotive in Your Own Back Yard. ‘Then there was a high-pitched whine, and the engine was away to the fence and back, almost before Mrs. Glyce’s eyes could follow it. Again, this amazing process was repeated. Six times in all, each time seemingly faster than the previous one. The final journey in both directions was accomplished so quickly that the whole object was little more than a blur until it came to a dead stop.’ (Terence Haile, Space Train, 1962)
• What Goes Around. ‘The heart sends fresh red blood to all the organs that need it, in the same way the engine sends fuel around the motorbike to make it work.’ (M.W. Craven, The Cutting Season, 2022) [ABL]