The God from the Machine by Rudyard Kipling

A bureaucrat trapped in an administrative nightmare is rescued by the timely arrival of a high-ranking official—unexpected and almost divine in its suddenness. The title refers to the classical “deus ex machina,” which is reflected in the plot’s abrupt solution to an otherwise hopeless situation. Kipling comments on red tape, hierarchy, and the randomness of relief. It’s a sharp satire of British civil service life. A dry, amusing story of salvation by surprise.