Kezra drew her hand back from the inkhorn and bent closer to the bottom half of the second parchment sheet. Just then the door of the factor’s office creaked open on its iron hinges. Paxa Sel stepped inside with Fellis Dain behind her. She carried a small linen sack of dried sour-apples and two freshly wedged iron linch-pins from the station forge.
“Good timing, Medic,” Joric said, nodding toward the bench beside Kezra’s right elbow. “We’ve reached the clauses you made Marn write into the draft last night while the drivers were asleep.”
Paxa set the dried apples on the corner of the table and stood beside Kezra’s right shoulder, the faint scent of crushed mint and vinegar lingering on her wool apron. Together they read the six default and limitation clauses inscribed in Marn’s neat hand at the foot of the agreement.
Clause One addressed the body boundaries of the map maker. It stated in unambiguous legal terms that if Kezra Venn’s inner-ear pressure worsened during the Hushwood climb, or if sound trauma, resin-vapor fever, or physical injury caused Paxa Sel to exercise her medical veto, the expedition had the total, unchallengeable right to halt, turn back to the nearest station, and deliver only the road observations completed up to that milepost without monetary penalty, forfeiture of deposit, or debt.
