The white floor covered the C on Clinic Five's rope tag.
Ruvan cut the tag away before the blank could reach the knot. The clinic rope stayed red in his hand. Its loose label landed white side up beneath the crossing table.
"Every occupied rope leaves before the white reaches it."
Three crossing workers pulled the clinic line toward a wall cleat. Ruvan kept one hand around it until the new iron took the weight from his palm. Only then did he cut the table loop.
The white floor stopped at the empty groove.
Jade held Ty's skull against her coat and watched two lines remain on his chain. One entered west sleeping. The other passed through the ration brace and ended inside Sennik's left shoulder.
Jori's thinner line stayed around the red stake beside his rail.
Ruvan pointed his knife toward the kitchen rope.
"Harven's kitchen transfers first because his wife already moved the stove, then nursery waits for Kipra's count, and north sleeping follows."
