Nyx found me before I finished congratulating myself.
"Behind the third screen," she said.
I stepped out.
"You looked."
"Yes."
"I meant before you entered."
"No."
She pointed at the floor. A neat line of footprints crossed the dust from the starting mark to my hiding place.
I looked down at my boots.
The prints looked back with all the dignity my demonstration deserved.
One heel mark was deeper than the others. I had stopped there to check the detector before continuing behind the screen. Even that small delay had left something for her to read.
"I could have chosen a cleaner floor."
"You could."
"That would improve the test."
"It would improve your result on this floor. What happens when you don't choose the room?"
I looked toward the door. The clear strip beside it had been available when I started. I'd ignored it because the screens seemed like the useful part of the exercise.
