Han placed the copies of the overdrive order on the command table and set her insignia beside them.
The brass had left a pale line on her collar. She unclasped the empty fastener and laid it beside the insignia, then took her hand away. The documents remained where anyone in the tent could read them: one carried the order to raise furnace pressure before the town was counted, and another reported the evacuation as complete before the wagons reached the river.
Venn read both pages. “You’re filing the resignation today?”
“Yes.”
“They could arrest you before the inquiry starts.”
“They could.”
“You could wait until the provincial office replies.”
Han flattened the folded corner of the report. “The overdrive was scheduled before the evacuation count. The town was marked empty while people were still on the road. If I wait for permission to say that, I’m still taking orders from the men who wrote it.”
