Gu’s revised diagram reached the village square before the morning test. It had a clear switch symbol and a label naming the local keepers as the ones who could disconnect the node. Jema held the page beside the portable relay while one of the engineers checked the wiring.
“The line goes to the test bank first,” she said. “Nothing touches our barrier.”
“Correct,” the engineer replied. “The relay carries the small load by itself.”
Residents began gathering near the square. Some stood by the route board; others stayed near their homes and watched from a distance. Leda had asked them to come only if they wished. No one needed to register before seeing the test.
Yan remained back from the switch. The engineers connected the ordinary stone bank and checked each terminal. One keeper operated the lever while Jema watched the indicator. It opened and closed cleanly without current.
“Now the load,” Jema said.
The engineer set a low current through the relay. The needle rose, paused, and held. A second engineer took readings at the stone bank and the far end of the line. The values matched within the margin on Gu’s diagram.
“It’s stable,” he said. “We can keep this level for five minutes.”
