"Yes," Nakia assures him. She can hear Shuri humming to herself and smiles slightly; it is a good sign. "This way. I expect this will not take as long as the medical procedures you are used to."

She leads them into a small lounge nearby, full of comfortable chairs and with wide windows that look into the interior of the mine. Gesturing for them to take a seat, she goes to a small refrigerator and pours several glasses of water, then comes to hand one to each man. "Shuri is a genius," she tells them. "Try not to worry."