Dr. Victor Corvo did not hesitate when the steel chassis screamed.
The veteran deputy coroner planted the rubber tip of his cane firmly against the hopper stanchion.
Six inches below the rim, the counter-rotating vanadium shafts of the Cummins shredder chewed through Wardell Kray’s brass chest.
Sparks erupted in fountains of electric blue, spitting melted copper and solder across Corvo’s sleeve.
“Keep your footing, Mr. Vance!” Corvo shouted, his velvet voice piercing the mechanical roar.
Beside him, Julian leaned out over the howling vortex, held by Mac’s massive arms.
“I have the spool’s outer edge!” Julian yelled, his knuckles grazing the spinning intake guard.
Kray’s right claw was still clamped like an iron vise around the blue cellulose core of Reel nineteen ninety-six-dash-zero-four.
