Aiden
Aiden could still see the finish through the open side of the frame.
He stopped looking at it.
The metal collar in front of him had a bright scratch where the broken pin had turned across its seat. He needed to warm that collar enough for the workers to free the pin while keeping the heat away from the shaft and the people beyond it.
The supervisor placed a shield plate between the work and the trapped assistant.
A wet cloth covered the exposed part of the shaft beyond the collar.
"The load is on the support," she said. "Mira holds the angle. You stop when I tell you."
Aiden nodded.
He had already begun the smallest flame he could keep steady.
Now he brought it close.
Heat gathered along the outer collar. The rest of the joint stayed behind the plate.
He watched the color and the supervisor's hand, dividing his attention without letting the flame spread into a shape which would look more useful from a distance.
The wind shifted.
He shortened the flame immediately.
