The caravan arrived two days later, stopping at Long Reed’s local dock instead of the well road. The driver climbed down and checked the route card. Joram was there with two mill workers, and Bai counted the bundles while the builder checked the seals.
The pylon casing had a clean copper skin and unmarked joints. Joram looked at the delivery receipt, then asked the builder to show him the seams before the equipment was unloaded.
“Here, and here,” the builder said, turning the casing. “No cracks. The coil sits inside this ring.”
Joram ran his thumb along the outside edge. “And the old pylon?”
“Tagged and stored at the hall, as your council requested.”
Bai had paid the caravan on delivery. The receipt included the labor cost for two local workers who helped move the casing from the dock. Joram inspected the list and accepted the parts only after checking the fittings against the corrected diagram.
Qiao Wen and Deyan assembled the valve before the two feeds met. The manual release sat beside the barrier switch, within reach of the keepers. They tested it without power, closing and reopening it three times. The handle moved smoothly. It did not need a Registry seal, command lantern, or remote signal.
