The gate scraped a new line in its housing while Drake watched.
He disliked moving deadlines.
He especially disliked deadlines made of iron.
Below the upper lock, two evacuation barges waited beside the reach. Their captains were discussing whether to go before the gap narrowed further. One had a loud voice and a weak view of the actual gate.
Drake turned to the municipal pilot.
“What happened on the last empty crossing?”
Lessa Brack showed him the marks she’d added beside the old sequence.
The official board assumed the gate opened fully and held.
