At the evening council, Wei unrolled Han’s map across two joined tables. The primary inland ford had been marked in blue; the blocked lower road crossed out in red. Oren sat opposite him with three route captains, and Pell stood by the Pinehook board to answer questions about the footpath.
“Each evacuation road needs a primary and an alternate leader,” Wei said. “If one guide is cut off, another should know where the people are going.”
One of the local officers shook his head. “Too many voices slow a decision. At the bridge, Han had the command. We knew whose signal to follow.”
Oren set the baton on the table. “Han named guides and gave me the route when she left the stones. That kept the crossing moving when she could not lead it.”
The officer looked at the baton. “I’m not arguing that it failed. I’m saying two leaders could give opposite directions.”
“Then we decide which calls belong to the route lead and which belong to the alternate,” Oren said. “The alternate takes over if the first cannot answer. A guide still moves people away from immediate danger.”
Wei nodded. “A local officer can withdraw civilians without waiting for my confirmation.”
