hawker of salvaged tools, of Kuttenberg
“I sell odds and ends up at the trader's mark and keep an eye out for bastards who'd cheat me out of a groschen.”
Things Alan Smith had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the eve of Ascension, at None
That bastard John Cooper sat at his stall today looking fat and pleased. I know what he’s sitting on. We saw it at the same time in that mud, but he won't part with a single penny of my share. The whoreson thinks I'll forget. I don't forget a bloody thing.
Nota scribaeDictated very quickly, while the man kept looking over his shoulder.
the feast of St Philip and St James, at Vespers
Saw Clerk Lawrence prowling the square today. I stuffed my better offcuts under a sack so fast I scraped my knuckles. He fined a baker three groschen just for standing wrong. We're all just meat for the bailiff to carve up.
He almost kicked over my pewter cups, the clumsy arse. Denise will have my hide if I can't pay the rent.
the second day of Easter week, at Prime
Hugh keeps hounding Amice about some silver he reckons she owes him. He's a loose-lipped fool. He should keep his mouth shut before the bailiff hears and hangs the lot of us. The roads are full of soldiers right now, it's not the time to be loud.
I only want what's fair! She's got it, I know she does.
I don't have anything, you deaf bastard. Now piss off.
the feast of St Gregory, at Terce
It's freezing in this cellar. William takes up half the floor, snoring like a pig, and old Denise is pounding on the boards demanding her coin. I stood in the sleet yesterday and didn't sell a single rusted pick. Bloody hell, my bones ache.
I don't snore, Alan. And you keep kicking me in the night.
Nota scribaeThe man spat on my shoe while saying this.
the Thursday after Candlemas, at Compline
Two winters ago today the bailiff sent us on that accursed march. Freezing rain and mud. That cooper's boy, Baldwin, died in a ditch because Heinz Mannlicher forced the wagon driver to keep moving. Heinz left the lad to die of the bloody flux. He's a cowardly bastard.
You were right there at the front, Alan! You didn't say a bloody word to stop him!
You were at the rear! You should have fetched him, you whoreson!
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
You saw nothing, Alan. Keep your eyes on your own miserable scraps and off my stall.