Elara came through Aldgate's broken window with a seizure order on her wrist.
Rain shone on her field coat. The bandage at her throat had gone gray. Four Defense Force officers entered behind her, followed by Pike and two Sovereign Safety clerks.
Twenty-three living custodians watched from between the shelves.
June had spent the three minutes before Elara arrived packing an empty evidence shell with wet newspapers, a cracked register drawer, and the shop's oldest tax ledger.
Sam moved the damaged Record under a sleeping woman's coat near the history shelves.
The woman woke enough to look at him.
"Heavy?"
"Yes."
"Put it under my knees. They hurt."
Sam did.
She went back to sleep with the original Record serving as a footrest.
The field band printed its order across Elara's forearm.
```
SEIZE ORIGINAL RECORD.
DETAIN SAM.
DETAIN JUNE.
KNOWN ATTACHMENT PRESENT:
CALEB MERCER.
DE-ESCALATION CONTACT AUTHORIZED.
```
Caleb stood by the tea counter.
