The hooked knife caught Boro Tann's left board handle before the gloved hand had a shoulder.
Boro drove his end down instead of pulling it toward him. The hook scraped across wood, missed his wrist, and bit into the iron floor lip. Copper oil shone along its inner curve.
The drain stretched around an elbow.
Meka Ruun came through on both knees. A leather oil coat covered her body, and a cloth mask left only her eyes exposed. She kept one hand on the knife while North Yard's dry concrete settled beneath her.
Ura Vem saw his sister through the lower pump camera.
"Meka, stop. You made it through, so let them see you."
She pulled the mask below her mouth and showed the chip beneath Ura's wooden key. Then she turned the knife so its hooked edge faced the floor.
Farah entered one current Meka Ruun in North Yard. Her children remained unverified beneath House Seven.
"Move the cover away from the drain," Meka said. "I burn the knot and leave. Nobody here needs the fire."
