The light over the pump room came back as Iven reached the middle of the tunnel.
It glowed weakly through a film of condensation. The water on the floor reflected it in a broken red line. Mara stayed near the outer door with one hand on the guide rope, close enough that Iven could see her silhouette through the steam.
“Gauge?” he called.
“Still down.”
He took another step. The floor plate shifted under his boot. He stopped, tested it with the end of his spanner, and found that one corner had lifted from its support. Water had carried grit into the gap beneath it.
“Loose plate,” he said. “I’ll go around.”
The tunnel was wide enough for two workers to pass, but the pipe along one side made the route narrower. Iven kept his shoulder near the wall and stepped over the plate. At the pump-room door, he found a small glass panel with a wire mesh inside it. Through the glass he could see the pump wheel turning and a spray of water striking the far wall.
The pump had not shut down. A cracked flange on its lower outlet sent water toward a drain that was already overflowing. The wheel’s drive belt ran to a shaft above the door. The belt was frayed at one edge and had begun to ride out of its guide.
