Daro brought the contract to the archive room after Yao and Sato requested to inspect it. He set it on a broad table beneath the high windows, where the ink could be read without moving the page into the sun.
“The original lists the adult household members,” he said. “They agreed to a contribution for a set term.”
Yao leaned closer. “Read the term.”
Daro did. The amount was fixed, and the term ended after a stated number of years. At the bottom, the seal matched the hall office from that period.
Sato pointed to the later lines. “And this?”
“An amendment. It adds descendants and removes the end date.” Daro paused before the stamp. “This seal is from an office that does not appear in the original. The hall has always treated the amendment as valid, but I cannot identify who approved it.”
Bai looked at the space where a name should have been. “Was the office authorized to change the family contract?”
“I don’t know. I can show you the registry copy and its date. I can’t tell you who made the change.”
