They built the plan in the sublevel on the back of Voss's six pieces of paper, because that was all the paper they had.
"Rules first," said Soren. "Nobody proposes anything that requires a system, a terminal, or a light fixture. Assume all three are hers."
Dani closed her useless terminal and put a pen in her hand for the first time in her adult life.
"Then it's arithmetic on paper," she said.
"That's what she's for," said Maren.
"Don't say arithmetic," said Soren. "It's a crutch phrase. Say math."
"You're the only person alive who'd correct my word choice down here."
◆◆◆◆
Facts, in the order Soren made them say them.
"She goes around ice," said Selah. "Not through. She has a preference and it's the only one we've found."
"My fire doesn't hurt her." Maren's ears were flat. "It doesn't even go out. It just stops existing."
"But it existed inside her for twenty feet," said Soren. "That's the part nobody's said out loud. Your fire kept burning after it went in."
