Tavi waited until the platform was clear before he lifted the collar from its mount. The crack had stopped lengthening when the current ended. He wrapped the part in clean cloth and carried it to the workbench, where Pema could examine it under a hand lens.
The metal beneath the glaze was intact. Qinghe set the ten-minute readings beside the piece. The natural sea-qi gauge had remained steady through the test, even as the collar warmed faster than the copper around it.
“The current did not surge,” she said. “The heat began at the joint.”
Pema pointed to the thin line under the ceramic layer. “The glaze is too narrow here. It held the current, but it could not spread the heat over enough surface.”
Tavi turned the collar slowly. “It cured too quickly. My kiln is small. I brought the temperature up too fast to get the part ready.”
“You tried to meet our schedule,” Pema said. “We have the readings now. We can change the firing time and see if the layer settles.”
Yan stood beside the valves, his palms still warm from the practice. “I can send another current at a lower rate while you check the new coating.”
