The miller finished checking the wheel before he read Kessa’s delivery record.
A damaged tooth had held the morning run. Two workers stood clear while the mechanic turned it through the suspect part again. The sacks waiting beside the mill sat on narrow pallets above the damp ground.
Kessa waited with them.
When the mechanic approved the limited run, the miller wiped his hands and took the checkpoint account.
He knew the district’s customers. He also knew what a cart cost when it missed its next journey.
“This is the permitted window?” he asked.
“Arrival inside it. All papers present.”
He read the damage assessment and the salvage purchase.
