Edda Wren’s letter thanked Drake before refusing him.
He found the order irritating.
The coupling remained in active service at Fathom Quay. Removing it would reduce the harbor’s safe handling of boats carrying workers and food. Its dimensions matched his earlier inquiry closely enough to make the refusal particularly disappointing.
Below the current load, Edda had written the inspection interval and the name of the person who had checked it.
He could not even improve his mood by imagining the refusal was careless.
“We lost two working days getting those people clear,” he said.
Felix looked up from the buffer specification.
“Is this an invoice you forgot to send?”
