“Leo,” Arthur said, his voice calm. “Go fill the big stockpot.”
“Why not boiling?” Leo asked, peering from behind the doorframe.
The water rose not with a dramatic gush, but with a slow, deliberate confidence, like a sleeping giant rolling over. It crested the rim and spread across the white tile floor, a glistening accusation.
He tried the plunger first. Ten minutes of vigorous, shoulder-straining pumps yielded only a series of wet, mocking burps. He fetched the auger—a coiled steel snake he’d bought for occasions exactly like this. He fed it into the porcelain throat, cranked the handle, and felt it tap against something immovable. Not a clog of paper or waste. This was a solid obstruction. The matchbox convoy had formed a perfect, aerodynamic dam.
For a moment, nothing happened. Leo held his breath. Arthur’s jaw tightened.
“Leo,” Arthur said, his voice calm. “Go fill the big stockpot.”
“Why not boiling?” Leo asked, peering from behind the doorframe.
The water rose not with a dramatic gush, but with a slow, deliberate confidence, like a sleeping giant rolling over. It crested the rim and spread across the white tile floor, a glistening accusation.
He tried the plunger first. Ten minutes of vigorous, shoulder-straining pumps yielded only a series of wet, mocking burps. He fetched the auger—a coiled steel snake he’d bought for occasions exactly like this. He fed it into the porcelain throat, cranked the handle, and felt it tap against something immovable. Not a clog of paper or waste. This was a solid obstruction. The matchbox convoy had formed a perfect, aerodynamic dam.
For a moment, nothing happened. Leo held his breath. Arthur’s jaw tightened.
