Pema had set a screen at the far end of the bronze-lantern chamber. Beyond it, a small key lay on a low shelf. A wooden latch blocked the gap between the nearest lamp and the screen.
“This is not a strength test,” she said. “I want to know if a projection can see and touch something through a clear opening.”
Yan examined the latch with his own eyes. It was simple, a sliding bar held in place by a pin. “And if it can?”
“Then we know the art can do more than observe.”
Qinghe stood beside the measurement table. Han and Suyin watched from the side doorway. Daro had agreed to keep the corridor clear, leaving Yan and Pema room to move if needed.
Yan opened one branch. The projection formed at the lantern with the same smooth certainty as before. His awareness reached beyond the screen. He could see the brass key, its round bow and narrow teeth. The image was sharp enough to tell that it had a small inscription.
He reached for the latch. The projection’s hand slipped through the gap and pushed the pin aside. The wooden bar moved with a quiet scrape.
“Latch is open,” Yan said.
