Volume I — Arc 1 — Epoch I
Chapter 13 — First Tally
[Pulse 04:12:00 — Tally tick | Log: Tithe first collect | Channel: public]
Aurelius: "Today the clerk runs first tally. Show roll, Len."
Aurelia: "Tithe is test of math and trust. Let data speak, let craft teach."
Len (swift): "Makers log done. Clerk will sum. Mira, trustee watch?"
Mira (firm): "I watch. I will post report after tally."
Clerk (calm): [TASK — FIRST TALLY] Mode: end-of-day seal. Items: 60 stalls logged. Sim check vs. prior sim. Report: compile.
Aurelius: "Any quick flags?"
Clerk: [SCAN] Early flag: 4 stalls with barter-only logs; 2 stalls missing buyer token; 1 stall shows odd lump sum far above usual. Action: audit queue.
Aurelia: "Barter must have witness. Missing token is harm to fund. Odd lump may hide trade or one-off sale."
Trader (tight): "I kept log. My books are true."
Clerk: [REQUEST] Trader file: daily tally + sale logs. Trader upload pending.
Len: "I bring two actor reps to spot checks."
Aurelius: "Spot checks now. Let witness walk through stalls."
Clerk: [ACTION] Spot checks: Mira, Len inspect. Watcher map active.
Mira moved through lane with Len and a clerk mark, voice low and plain.
Mira: "Show sale log. Show buyer note. Show token."
A small stall run by Hal showed neat coin jars and buyer marks. Tithe record matched. Mira nodded.
Hal: "I keep small coin. Tax small, but we help pot."
Clerk: [VERIFY] Hal tally: pass.
At a barter table near river, a pair traded grain for cloth. They had no token.
Clerk: [TRIAGE] Barter no token → trustee check. If barter used to hide tithe, action: audit.
Aurelius: "Ask for witness now. Who saw the trade?"
Neighbor: "I saw. I give token." She stepped forward, token issued on spot after demo.
Clerk: [ISSUE] Witness token: retro verify → token valid for barter log. Barter tallied.
Aurelia: "Teach is quick patch; token class helps town move fast."
They reached the odd lump stall — a new maker, cloak trader with fast hands.
Clerk: [INSPECT] Cloak trader: claimed monthly sale lump = 400 sparks in one day. Average stall in town = 20 sparks/day. Disparity: factor 20. Action: require ledger trail + buyer marks. If no trail → audit full.
Cloak trader (sharp): "I had a buyer from road. He brought coin in bulk."
Clerk: [REQ] Buyer mark: absent. Action: hold tally for stall; flag audit.
A soft hum tightened — watcher voice near.
Watcher: "Hold that ledger. If road coin hides bulk sale to avoid tithe or to launder, we catch now. I will search river paths."
Aurelius: "Let watch map run. Clerk, trace trade path."
Clerk: [TRACE] Check river path + known caravan logs. Result: caravan pass at tick -3 with no recorded link. Action: call caravan rep for cross-check.
Trader: "Caravans come with coin. They can pay tithe at source."
Aurelia: "If caravans slip, we close leak with border checks at market gate. Add rule: caravan sale above threshold requires buyer token or clerk seal."
Clerk: [PROPOSE] Rule add: caravan sale > 50 sparks → buyer token OR clerk seal at gate. Vote: actor tier.
Aurelius: "We will bring that ballot soon. For now, tally holds cloak stall."
Clerk: [TALLY UPDATE] Collected tithe so far: 68 sparks day one. Expected sim range: 60–90. Fund pool update: Mira hold + collected = 750 + 68 = 818 sparks. Safety buffer: target 45 sparks monthly — safe.
Aurelius: "We are safe for now, yet leak risk remains."
Aurelia: "Leak starts small. Patch now."
A red line flashed from clerk: [ALERT] Trader upload failing. Trader rep late. Two stalls show missing buyer marks; one shows duplicate buyer token ID.
Aurelius: "Duplicate token? Who used token twice?"
Clerk: [INVEST] Token use: T-078 used twice within same day at different stalls. Holder: unknown. Action: freeze related claims, call for review.
Len: "I issued T-078 last fair to a courier. He used it for witness at two spots?"
Courier (breathless): "I gave token to my kin to help claim aid. I meant to help. I did not know token is single-use for claim type."
Aurelius: "Tokens must not be used to exempt tithe."
Aurelia: "Tokens show witness, not tax free. Misuse must be fixed."
Clerk: [ACTION] Token revoke for T-078. Claims using T-078 flagged and audit queued. Courier assigned bench mend until review.
Aurelius: "Teach must cover token rule at gate too."
Len: "I will add token note to tutorial and put token use guide at market gate."
Mira: "We must also set quick audit for bulk sale. Cloak stall cannot hide 400 sparks without proof."
Clerk: [AUDIT] Cloak stall audit: trace buyer path; ask for witness token or gate seal. If none → levy pending + sanction.
Cloak trader (sharp): "This will stall my sale plan."
Aurelius: "If sale true, show buyer. If false, repair with work."
Aurelia: "And if true, clerk will clear levy and keep fund true."
An edge voice — a caravan rep — answered slow: "I did sell cloak lot to a broker who paid coin in sacks. I will go to gate to seal note."
Clerk: [TRACE] Caravan rep link partial. Action: hold until seal present.
Aurelius: "We close the tally with audit list. Let traders know our gate seal rule ballot will run soon."
Clerk: [COMMIT] Snapshot 04:12:58 — Entries: Day one tithe = 68 sparks; Fund total = 818 sparks; Audit queue: cloak stall, duplicate token, barter retro checks; Proposed ballot: caravan gate seal; Token revoke: T-078; Watch nodes active.
Aurelius: "We act by data and by craft. We teach, patch, and hold vote for new rule."
Aurelia: "Small leak fixed now. We must not close eyes later."
A soft hush: Sarn, who kept Hearthhum, stepped forward.
Sarn: "The mend held. My hearth hum warms hut. I thank town."
Aurelius: "One small mend, one less harm. That is why seed works."
Aurelia: "And now we teach token law at gate and ballot on caravan seal. This keeps fund true."
Post-Law Reflection: First tally is mirror of town heart; coin, barter, token use, and caravan paths all show how law meets life. A fund can hold safe when math and watch pair. Leak shows where teach must fall: token use, gate seal, barter witness. Fix is not punish only; fix is teach, audit, and clear vote. The Spiral grows when tally turns into patch, and patch into rule that keeps both trade and care.