diff --git a/next/crates/wingfoil-next/examples/dual_mode.rs b/next/crates/wingfoil-next/examples/dual_mode.rs
index e3212c46..3ef27766 100644
--- a/next/crates/wingfoil-next/examples/dual_mode.rs
+++ b/next/crates/wingfoil-next/examples/dual_mode.rs
@@ -4,57 +4,77 @@
 //! `Op` semantics — and the compiled one gets the compiler's full
 //! optimization across node boundaries.
 //!
+//! The wiring is a **split/recombine** DAG: a counter is split on parity into
+//! two labelled branches which are then merged back into one stream — so this
+//! also shows the macro deriving a non-linear graph (a shared apex node and a
+//! recombine) for both engines:
+//!
+//! ```text
+//!               count                 (apex — shared node, once/cycle)
+//!              /     \
+//!       is_odd?      is_even?         (split on parity)
+//!            |          |
+//!      "{i} is odd" "{i} is even"     (format each branch)
+//!              \     /
+//!               merge                 (recombine — at most one fires/tick)
+//!                 |
+//!               print
+//! ```
+//!
 //! ```sh
 //! cargo run -p wingfoil-next --release --example dual_mode
 //! ```
 
-use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+use std::time::Duration;
 
 use wingfoil::{NanoTime, RunFor, RunMode};
 
 const HISTORICAL: RunMode = RunMode::HistoricalFrom(NanoTime::ZERO);
-const CYCLES: u32 = 200_000;
-const PERIOD: Duration = Duration::from_micros(1);
+const CYCLES: u32 = 10;
+const PERIOD: Duration = Duration::from_millis(10);
 
-// One definition — a valid fluent wiring function. The macro parses it to
-// derive the DAG and expands to a module: `evens_sum::wire` (this function,
-// verbatim), `evens_sum::interpreted()` (built through wire), and
-// `evens_sum::compiled()` (the monomorphized schedule derived from the same
+// One definition — a valid fluent wiring function whose DAG is a
+// split/recombine. The macro parses it to derive the DAG and expands to a
+// module: `odds_evens::wire` (this function, verbatim),
+// `odds_evens::interpreted()` (built through wire), and
+// `odds_evens::compiled()` (the monomorphized schedule derived from the same
 // tokens).
+//
+// `count` is referenced three times, so it is a *shared* apex node: the
+// interpreted engine runs it once per cycle and fans the tick out, and the
+// compiled engine emits it once and feeds every reader from the same slot.
+// `merge` is the recombine — since a number is either odd or even, at most
+// one branch fires on any tick.
 wingfoil_next::graph! {
-    fn evens_sum(g: &GraphBuilder) -> Stream<u64> {
+    fn odds_evens(g: &GraphBuilder) -> Stream<Vec<String>> {
         let count = g.ticker(PERIOD).count();
         let is_even = count.map(|i| i.is_multiple_of(2));
-        let sum = count.filter(&is_even).fold(0u64, |acc, v| *acc += v);
-        sum
+        let is_odd = is_even.map(|b| !b);
+        let odd_str = count.filter(&is_odd).map(|i| format!("{i} is odd"));
+        let even_str = count.filter(&is_even).map(|i| format!("{i} is even"));
+        let acc = odd_str.merge(&even_str).accumulate();
+        acc
     }
 }
 
 fn main() {
     let run_for = RunFor::Cycles(CYCLES);
 
-    let t = Instant::now();
-    let (mut runner, sum) = evens_sum::interpreted();
+    // Interpreted: build the graph, run it, read the accumulated labels.
+    let (mut runner, acc) = odds_evens::interpreted();
     runner.run(HISTORICAL, run_for).unwrap();
-    let a: u64 = runner.value(sum);
-    let interp_time = t.elapsed();
+    let interpreted = runner.value(acc);
 
-    let t = Instant::now();
-    let (b,) = evens_sum::compiled(HISTORICAL, run_for).unwrap();
-    let compiled_time = t.elapsed();
+    // Compiled: the same tokens, monomorphized into a standalone runner.
+    let (compiled,) = odds_evens::compiled(HISTORICAL, run_for).unwrap();
 
-    assert_eq!(a, b, "engines must agree");
-    println!("sum of even counts over {CYCLES} cycles: {a} (both engines agree)");
-    println!(
-        "interpreted: {interp_time:?}  ({:.1} ns/cycle)",
-        interp_time.as_nanos() as f64 / CYCLES as f64
-    );
-    println!(
-        "compiled:    {compiled_time:?}  ({:.1} ns/cycle)",
-        compiled_time.as_nanos() as f64 / CYCLES as f64
-    );
+    assert_eq!(interpreted, compiled, "engines must agree");
+
+    for line in &interpreted {
+        println!("{line}");
+    }
     println!(
-        "speedup:     {:.1}x  (run with --release for representative numbers)",
-        interp_time.as_secs_f64() / compiled_time.as_secs_f64()
+        "\n{} labels over {CYCLES} cycles — interpreted and compiled engines agree.",
+        interpreted.len()
     );
 }