The weight hung at the height of my shoulder. It wasn't particularly large. A square wooden block wrapped in padded cloth, held inside a frame by a short arm and a pale current running through the fitting beneath it.
I disliked it on sight. An assistant checked the catch below the arm, then pushed the block gently. It swung through a short arc and settled against the guide.
"The catch limits the fall," Veylan said. "It doesn't stop the swing. The marked area stays clear."
I looked at the floor. The working square matched the diagram I had copied. The route behind it didn't. A pillar occupied the place where the drawing had shown open space, and the actual retreat mark sat to the left.
I unfolded my notes, looked once, and put them away. Mira would have enjoyed that.
The assistant saw the paper before it disappeared into my pocket.
"Did they show you this room in that?"
"An example."
"Leave it on the table if you need it. Nothing loose in the working space."
