The kitchen floor became the ceiling while Ty was halfway through its serving hatch.
His skull cleared first. The bell beside the pantry struck its iron frame, and every cook grabbed a rail before the second note finished. Lids locked over the breakfast pots. Ladles swung into leather loops. A row of clay bowls rotated beneath a wooden bar and stayed against the counter.
Ty's pelvis came through after his ribs. His right hand caught the hatch frame. The handless left arm struck the wall and hooked its wrist end beneath a pipe.
Ruvan's red belt whipped back through the closing route behind him. Jade came through holding the belt with her living hand, followed by Nessa and Todd tangled around the same split staff.
The old floor pulled away beneath them.
Workers lowered themselves toward the ceiling rails on short waist cords. One woman kept her two burned fingers wrapped around a stew handle while she shoved a child toward the grain counter with her hip.
