Free The Intuitionist by Whitehead Colson Page A

money.
    Lila Mae is about to dig into her breakfast when she notices that her green suitcase is ajar across the room, next to an imposing-looking bureau. And empty.
    “Don’t worry,” the porter reassures, observing her stare. “It wasn’t me. Mrs. Gravely unpacked your things last night. Mr. Reed thought it would make you more comfortable.” His eyebrows bow. “What is it?” he asks.
    “Nothing,” she says. “I’m just tired.”
    “You don’t look tired at all,” the porter says. “You’re a vision. Like you’re up and ready to go.”
    Hmm. Lila Mae shakes her head and says, “Thanks.”
    “I mean it,” he says through a grin. “This isn’t my regular job—my uncle is sick, that’s why I’m here. I’m filling in for him.But if I’d known his job had this many extras, I would have come around here before.” He extends his hand. “My name is Natchez,” he says.
    “Lila Mae.”
    Hmm.
    * * *
    “Are you with us, Miss Watson?”
    “Yes, sir. I was just thinking that—”
    “You are aware this is a timed exam?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Then we’ll begin. 1846.”
    “Sir William Armstrong designs and manufactures a hydraulic crane. Erected at Newcastle, the crane utilized water pressure from London’s mains. Armstrong eventually used the same principles in his weighted accelerator.”
    “The main function of the pole shader?”
    “Is to prevent heating outside the prescribed parameters.”
    “A citizen has what chance of being in an elevator misfortune?”
    “Injury or fatality?”
    “Both.”
    “One in three hundred million and one in six hundred fifty million, respectively.”
    “Nonmetallic material may be used in T-rails provided what?”
    “The rated speed for the car does not exceed zero point seven six meters per second.”
    “The three types of safety gears?”
    “Instantaneous, Instantaneous with buffered effect, and Progressive. Instantaneous type exerts a rapidly increasing pressure on the guide rails during the stopping period. The stopping time and distance are short. These gears can be employed in cars rated for speeds not in excess of zero point seven six meters per second.Instantaneous type with buffered effect incorporates an elastic system of either energy accumulation or energy dissipation. It generally consists of a system of oil buffers on the lower car frame and safety planks on the guard rails. Effective for rated speeds of up to two point five meters per second. Progressive type applies limited, increasing pressure on the guard rails and is primarily used in Europe on cars with rated speeds of one meter per second or less.”
    “That was a very full answer.”
    “Thank you, sir.”
    “The standard accident curve possesses what shape?”
    “The failure rate for elevators is expressed by RT equals one minus FT, where R is reliability, T is time and F is failure. The equation is characterized by a ‘bathtub’-shaped curve with three distinct phases. The initial or ‘early failure’ phase begins with a relatively high incident of accidents—mostly due to installation errors—and then drops off sharply. This is the first wall of the ‘bathtub.’ The next phase, called the ‘random failure’ phase, is a plateau and extends for the majority of the elevator’s service life. This flat plane is the bottom of the ‘bathtub.’ The accidents in this phase are unpredictable and generally result from passenger misuse or poor maintenance. It is also in this phase that the rare ‘catastrophic accident’ occurs. The curve ascends quickly again in the final, or ‘wear-out’ phase, when the elevator is past its period of prime use. The opposite wall of the bathtub. Most of these accidents can be prevented, again, by diligent inspection and careful maintenance during this crucial time. May I take a drink of water?”
    “Yes. The Four Questions?”
    “As put forth by Mettleheim: How did this happen? How could this happen? Is it exceptional? How will it be avoided