The volunteer reached the exit and found a table in his way.
It was not a locked door. That made the failure more embarrassing.
The observer had guided him along the practice route, carrying the draft withdrawal form. A trial clerk sat at the table with a list of team numbers. When the volunteer said he wished to leave, she asked for his captain.
“My captain’s still inside,” he said, following the scenario Tessa had given him.
“I need the team acknowledgment.”
“The revised instruction says notify the captain after the request,” the observer said.
“The sheet I received says before.”
They compared the pages. Two versions, both printed that morning. Neither had a revision time.
