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“A little confused?” Asha says. “I don’t even know what that was.”
“I guess that’s why I’m here.” Nori chuckles. “While I’m confused, I kind of get it.”
Ramsey makes it repeat itself a dozen times, allowing Nori to ask questions.
Apparently, we’re watching a ‘diagram’ ‘playing’ from a ‘panel’ on a ‘screen’ on the wall. Whatever the fuck that means. Oh, and Asha will be sent to fix whatever is in said ‘diagram’.
“Asha, I’m going to need you to listen to me,” Nori says patiently.
“I don’t understand any of this. There’s no way I can help.”
“This right here,” Nori gestures to the ‘panel,’ “is a lot to take in. Let me make it smaller.” She walks up to the ‘diagram.’ “This part, right here,” she points to a small string looking thing, “is like a thread, like you’re used to weaving. There are three of them that need to be fixed, or rather, plugged in. All you need to do is squeeze into a narrow passage, find the three threads, and…somehow…put them into the wall. That part is still a little confusing to me, but I think that once you see it, you’ll know what to do.”
And this is why we needed Nori, because there’s no way Asha and I would have understood any of this, and the men suck at communication.
Asha looks afraid, and I don’t blame her. I’d be terrified, but seeing the small passage, I know why they brought her. Maybe I’d be able to get inside, but Asha is lithe. Clearly the best person for the job.
“Asha, you have to do this.” I brush stray strands of hair from her eyes. “They need you. So do we.”
Jacek sets down the metal object he was working on, goes to ‘panel’, and says, “Come here.”
Asha approaches, staring at the ‘screen’.
“This thread is called a wire. It has four prongs that need to be inserted into the wall. It should slide smoothly in.”
Nori’s expression betrays her annoyance. “Or you could speak plainly and just say put the thread in the wall.”
“That’s not what they’re called,” Jacek insists.
Ramsey cuts Jacek a glare. “I don’t care what she calls them, just so long as it gets fixed.”
I give Asha a confident smile. “You can do this.”
So she does. She approaches the passage, turns, and squeezes through. I watch her duck a little, twisting her body to get around things jutting out.
“Ahhh!” her cry echoes off the metal walls, but she continues, turning a corner so that we can no longer see her.
I might be anxious, but the men look downright afraid, which confuses me. Grixis and his men aren’t scared of physical harm. The only thing I can see him fearing is the death of his honor or for the larger whole of his people, as even though he’s an exile, he’s fiercely loyal.
Minutes pass, and I begin to worry, but every so often, a grunt carries through the passage to us, telling us that Asha is still alive and toiling, and when the ‘screen’ flashes with chaotic lights and more rambling comes from all around, the men cheer.
Confused, I wait for Asha, who begins her struggle back to us. When she emerges, I see that there are scrapes on her arms, some so bad they’re oozing blood.
“You never told us she could get hurt!” I snap.
Jacek shrugs. “She could have closed some of the panels as she passed instead of scraping against them.”
Angry, I push hard against his chest. “She didn’t know that!”
Jacek’s eyes flair with annoyance. He takes a bold step forward, but Ramsey stays him with a hand.
“Careful. She is with child and I’m sure Grixis would not take kindly to your aggression.”
Jacek blinks, his eyes scanning to mine. “He speaks truly?”
“I don’t know. Time will tell.”
“Or we can do a scan.”
