Felix completed the handoff, thanked Ida and asked one more question.
She turned the record back toward him.
The answer occupied the line he had just signed.
“Excellent,” he said. “A test of your vigilance.”
“Are you leaving?”
“Immediately.”
He collected his bag. The departure conditions were settled: ordinary variations belonged to the qualified crew, wider trouble followed the stated escalation, and an urgent message for his agreed technical role could reach him through the carrier desk at the inn. Nobody had promised that every bell in the world would wait for his return.
He reached the door and looked back.
