Grid Verification

The blueprint didn't lie. I dropped down from the lower shelf trim and navigated straight to the baseboard seam where the duct was marked. A heavy floor register was bolted into the oak planking, finished in scratched bronze enamel. I didn't just stare down into the dark. I planted one boot firmly on the outer rim and gave the adjustable louvers a deliberate kick to test the tension. Stiff iron louvers, solid click, zero rattle. Peering through the angled slats, I could see the galvanized sheet-metal shaft cutting straight under the hallway wall. The air rising up was dry and quiet. Route confirmed. I wedged myself into the corner between the vent's steel flange and the baseboard molding, arms crossed, keeping watch over the passage.