From the waterproof pocket of his leather courier satchel, Tomas Reed withdrew three heavy, calfskin-bound folios that he had requisitioned from the Bellwether Town Archives before departing for Mount Sunder: THE ANNUAL EXCISE & LABOR REVIEWS OF THE Royal QUARRY MONOPOLY — YEARS 023 THROUGH 028.
These were the official public reports submitted by the Imperial Quarry Trade group to the Provincial Board of Mines, signed by Director Justin Vance and audited by the country tax commissioners.
Tomas laid the Year 024 volume flat on the granite dais beside Dennis Cole’s slate leaf number twelve.
“Nessa,” Tomas said, “bring your rule. We’re going to compare Dennis Cole’s confirmed dates of decease against the trade group’s public balance sheets.”
Nessa knelt, her glasses adjusted, her magnifying lens hovering over the columns of printed figures. Mara Flint held the brass safety lamp low, its light lighting up the yellowed pages.
“Look at Year 024, page eighty-two,” Nessa began, her voice cold and level. “Section: Unrecovered Delinquent Labor Accounts — Upkeep of Search & Recovery Liens.”
She read the entry aloud:
‘To the Country Treasury: Account 001 through 080 (The Deep Gallery Absentees). In accordance with the Abandoned Labor Recovery Act of Year 015, the Trade group has kept active pursuit and legal attachment against the eighty fugitive stonecutters who deserted the Mount Sunder works on 14 Frost-Fall, Year 023.
