ore sorter at the surface, of Kuttenberg
“I pull the silver from the dirt, mate, and keep my skull in one piece. Soon as I have the coin, I am walking to Prague.”
Things Tobias had written, latest first, with the glosses of his neighbours.
the Thursday before Whitsun, at None
Baldwin sits in his counting house shaving our piece-rates, mate. Let him. I tossed a good handful of silver-bearing rock straight into the waste pile this morning. If he wants to dock my pay, I will make sure he loses more than I do.
Nota scribaeDictated at the sorting tables. The man spent the entire time tossing a groschen in his hand.
the feast of St Mark, at Vespers
Bread is double what it cost at Easter. How is a man meant to save his groschen for Prague when the bakers take it all? Half the realm is crawling with soldiers and we are the ones paying for it in the dirt.
My late Hedvika used to say a thin belly makes a man work harder. Have some cheap beer instead.
the third day of Easter week, at Prime
Old Prokop caught me resting my eyes before my shift and gave me a mouthful. Miserable relic. I told him he should have marched off with his brother Mikesh in fourteen-two. Taking the King's coin beats hacking at walls in the dark.
My brother is likely rotting in a ditch, and you will rot here if Baldwin catches you sleeping.
Nota scribaeHe used a much fouler word for the old man.
the Monday after St Gertrude, at Sext
A fellah needs to know how to use what falls into his lap. Lambert lent me a fine iron tool a while back. Turns out it is perfectly weighted for cracking walnuts. I reckon I will hold onto it a bit longer.
Candlemas, at Compline
They say the Pope wants our days written down. Fine by me, mate. I sort the rock up top where the air is good. You will not catch me down in the deep adit with the fools who like breathing black dust.
At least we earn a proper wage in the deep, you lazy whoreson.
He is just afraid of the dark!
Nota scribaeHe spoke loudly so the men coming up from the shafts could hear him.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
Clever trick, mate, until he checks the waste piles and breaks your hands.
He is too fat to walk out here and look.