A day later.
The plant was already running when the automobile arrived.
Smoke rose from all four stacks, steady and even. The sound carried beyond the gates—low, continuous, mechanical. No interruption. No fluctuation.
Napoleon stepped out without waiting for assistance.
He paused for a moment and looked at the structure.
The system had held overnight.
Giroux joined him, folder in hand.
"Twenty-four hours at full load, Sire," he said. "No shutdown. No deviation outside minor adjustments."
Napoleon gave a short nod.
"Reports?"
"Filed. All within operational limits."
Napoleon turned toward the entrance.
"Good. Then we open it."
The yard had been cleared.
Where workers had stood the previous day, a different arrangement had taken place. Barriers had been set along the approach. Officials gathered near the entrance, positioned in order of rank. Military officers stood at fixed points along the perimeter.
Beyond them, a smaller group had been allowed inside.
Journalists.
