Finley’s irritation arrived before his answer. 🗺️
THE BOOK OF TAD
PAGE 33
THE FAR REED RECORD 🌾
While the others worked at the new passage, Finley found a source mark beside the copied lines on his chart.
“This section did not begin with me,” he said. “It came from the Outer Crossing Ledger at Far Reed Shelf.”
Zale leaned closer. “And the ledger shows our missing road?”
“If it did, I would be eating instead of arguing with my own chart.”
Glint looked from the mark to the empty space. “You never checked the original?”
Finley’s irritation landed squarely on himself. “I compared routes people still used. I saw no reason to question a blank.”
“You do now,” TurboTAD said.
Finley was already rolling to the chart’s outer edge. A willow corridor led through three root arches to a low stone lip. Far Reed Shelf lay beyond it, outside the nursery’s familiar routes.
Sora studied the bearing. “Can you reach it before word is due?”
“If we leave when the passage holds.” Finley glanced at Zale. “And if no one adopts every interesting turn.”
Zale sighed. “The Mapmaker has discovered cruelty.”
TurboTAD pointed to the source mark. “What do we do first?”
“Read the oldest crossing entry beside this bearing,” Finley said. “Then compare. Interpretation can wait its turn.”
Glint gave one approving nod.
Finley tied a fibre beside the source line and rolled the chart with the mark facing out. He had overlooked the blank once. This time, he made it the reason to move.
At the passage, Marno bent the final brace into place.