“I did it!” God, it feels good to say that. It feels good to hear someone say that. Time and again he has seen the words Congratulations, Warden written out in Cam’s hands, and been brought to tears by how much he wishes he could hear her say it aloud. Hearing it from Wayne isn’t the same, obviously, but after months of one kind of isolation or another, it is balm for his soul.

But there’s no time for sentimentality. “Oh! You found us already! Good, good. Just come back the way you came, then. We’ll be ready to let you in this time.” A beat. “When the shift changes, Corporal Smoke of the Watch Fires comes to stand guard outside my door. He tends to be a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ sort of fellow, so it’s best to avoid him for now.