hired hand at the mint, of Kuttenberg
“I haul silver for the German masters at the mint. I am the strongest back they have, kurva, but I get paid in pennies and spit.”
Things Wenceslas had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the eve of Ascension, at Compline
Bartholomew's leg is shattered. He sits crying over his sister Edith, like tears will mend bone. Kurva, a broken leg is a dead man here. I lift for two men to keep my footing sure. I am terrified of slipping on that mint floor.
Nota scribaeThe man snapped a copper penny in his palm the entire time he spoke.
the second day of Rogationtide, at Vespers
Lambert goes around weeping that I snatched his wooden flute from his sack. He was blind drunk on St Matthias's day and left the worthless shit in a puddle of ale. Admit you were a drunken fool, Lambert, and you can have it back.
I was not drunk, you thief! It slipped from my bag while I slept. Hand it over before I call the bailiff.
Look me in the eye and say you didn't leave it in the spilled beer. Pompous arse.
Nota scribaeDictated at the cellar door. He spat after saying the other man's name.
the first Monday after Easter, at Sext
Lorenz complains about his tainted spade like he has some bloody pride. He shovels the bailiff's shit. Meanwhile I am hauling silver for fat men who dock my wage if I look at them wrong. We are all starving, just some pretend they aren't.
A man's tools should be clean, Wenceslas. Even if the work is foul.
the Tuesday after St Gregory, at None
Johannes is whining for his mallet. Foreman Lawrence docks a third of a wage if we have no tool at the gates. I need it, so I am keeping it. Johannes is weak for letting me, but that is how a man survives in Kuttenberg.
the Wednesday after Candlemas, at Prime
Endres took my hardened spade before the feast and now Standa has it. Thieves, the bloody lot of them. I lent a good tool and it never came back. If I catch that whoreson Endres alone, I will break him in half.
I didn't steal it, I lost track of it and Standa took it. Do not call me a thief.
Nota scribaeHe struck the wall with his fist, dislodging a stone.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
It is a grim thing to see. I pawned some gear to join the watch, it is safer than the crushing floor.
You are a naive fool, boy. The watch will get you killed faster than a heavy stone.