"Please lie flat and tilt your head back." This position would bring the oropharynx and larynx closer to a straight line, making it easier to insert the tube. "I hope you haven't eaten too much, because this might make you feel a little sick."
Once the Duke had taken a few deep breaths and was ready, Kraft pried his jaws apart and inserted the low-budget laryngoscope the craftsmen had made to order.
The hook-shaped tool had a curved metal blade perpendicular to its handle. It pressed down on the tongue and reached all the way to its base. The version the Otherworld Soul had once used should have had a small light to illuminate the deeper areas for the operator.
The craftsmen had flatly declared that such an unreasonable request was simply not feasible.
For now, the tool could only perform its basic function of lifting the epiglottis. The glottis below remained hidden in darkness, impossible to see.
The tube in his hand wasn't exactly the genuine article, either. Ideally, he should have inserted a highly malleable guidewire and bent the tube into a curve suitable for insertion. But they had neither metal of the necessary quality nor a tube that could be bent.
Inserting this straight tube through the relatively narrow glottis was like blindfolding an archer and asking him to hit a target with a crooked arrow. Even knowing roughly where the target was, it would take a great deal of skill. The tube was more likely to enter the esophagus.
"Get the light in a better position." Kraft directed an attendant to move the light source so it shone straight into the throat. He didn't want to use his Spiritual Senses just yet. No one knew how long the procedure ahead might take, so he needed to