Back in Sister Merrow’s washroom, the preparation of the Overtime Compact went on with the cold, measured care of an artillery crew sighting a siege gun. It was two hours before dawn. The rain outside had begun to pound against the roof with renewed fury, signaling the approach of the northern storm front.
On the pine table, Varo Nenn and Clerk Varo had drafted the formal compact on three matching sheets of thick parchment. The language had been negotiated across the Courtesy slate line by line between Councilor Elna Vesk in Lathmere and the regional shop steward of the building union in Harrowby. There was no ambiguity, no academy mysticism, and no loophole for exploitation.
The terms were total. Ninety minutes of nonstop working deployment, to be carried out during the morning storm window. The three Harrowby specialists—Ada Morland for high-pressure check, Jo Saye for clockwork rigging, and Imran Bell for sound tracking data—would cross at the same time. Each worker was guaranteed a triple-rate locked deposit wage of three silver coins, paid into the arch’s custody before transit. The wrist-mounted thirty-second sovereign return tab remained primed and supreme. If any worker felt unsafe, they could pull their tab and withdraw without penalty or forfeiture of wages.
