When the entire circuit was finally traced and sketched in their log books, they still had no conception of the means by which these elements could forecast weather factors. They could trace the paths by which voltage was applied to the aneroid barometer action to register the future instead of the present air pressure. They could observe the control tube action which governed that voltage, and traced it back in a complete circle to the aneroid itself, which seemed to provide the controlling impulses.
It was a maddening circle in which something appeared that did not seem at all related to that which was fed in.
As the afternoon waned and the other engineers prepared to go home, Kennely and Devon began building up the circuit again for dynamic tests to try to find the missing factors.
"I've been thinking." said Kennely. "I believe I've got a little deal that Tarman will fall for. Let's knock off now. I'll tell you about it tonight. Let me call for you at your place about midnight. By that time we can be sure that all the apple polishers around here will have gone home."
"Tell me what you've planned."
"I'd rather show you. There'll be plenty of time, and I've got to do a little more thinking on it."
Devon saw no reason for Kennely's reticence, but he didn't feel like arguing the matter.
"O.K." he said. "I'll wait for you. I hope you've got something good because Tarman will start chewing up the rest of the plant if we don't let the coordinator go back."
"I don't think we're going to have to worry about that, and I think we're going to have our consulting office, too. See you tonight."
Devon drove slowly on the way home. Throughout the day his mind had been furiously active on his own plans — the same plan he had proposed to Kennely the night before.