With the ropes over her shoulders, it only took Parity a few sharp tugs to get the enough slack around her waist to bring her hands up toward her mouth. Bending at her waist and stretching her neck, got her fingers close enough to tug the gag from her mouth. With her mouth freed and the knots close enough, Parity attacked the knot at full force.

However much Spreadsheet might have been a wizard when it came to accounting, he had much to learn about knots. Not, Parity mused, that she was going to complain. Even with the knot coming loose, it was going to be a close shave.

She could hear the slicer or grinder or smasher or whatever it was behind her now. She was close enough that the din of the machine as a whole didn’t drown out the high-pitched whining from behind the rubber flaps (thankfully) obscuring her view of the machines inner workings.

Parity felt the ropes around her wrists go slack. A few twists later, her hands were free. With her feet still bound, Parity reached up and hauled herself to safety.