Reaching the highest possible altitude – flagrantly tempting the LORD to strike him dead – Wilkins released the toy in his hand. Whirring and clicking noises indicated that some sort of spring-driven clockwork had gone into action – there was fluttering, and skidding through the air – some sort of interaction with the atmosphere, anyway, that went beyond mere falling – but fall it did, veering into the cottage's stone wall and spraying parts over the yard.