The equipment-return queue was moving faster than the submission queue. Mira joined the first one with the borrowed clock held against her chest and the worksheets tucked inside her notebook.
She had put the key where she could feel it without opening the notebook. The clock and support were easy to account for. A little piece of metal could disappear into the fold of a sleeve and make the return take as long as an argument about a missing clock.
The student ahead of her moved forward. Mira followed without letting the support swing against the casing. She wanted the clerk to see all the pieces together when her turn came, before anybody asked why she had chosen this queue first.
