Volume I — Arc 1 — Epoch I
Chapter 14 — Gate & Seal
[Pulse 04:50:00 — Audit tick | Log: Caravan trace | Channel: public]
Aurelius: "The caravan sent a word. Did they bring seal?"
Aurelia: "They came to gate. They bring coin and name. Show us the mark."
Clerk (calm): [TRACE UPDATE] Caravan rep: Idran. Claim: bulk buy to cloak stall. Gate seal: pending. Action: verify gate seal or buyer token.
Idran's voice came rough with road dust. "I sold cloak lot to broker. I can seal sale at gate now. I did not stop; I had no clerk note then."
Mira: "Bring seal now. Gate stamp must bind sale to buyer mark so tithe can track."
Idran: "Here. Gate keeper gave seal. I ask clerk to tie seal to cloak ledger."
Clerk: [VERIFY] Gate seal: present. Gate keeper token: GK-12 matched. Caravan path: logged. Cloak stall ledger: buyer mark added. Audit status: pass. Action: release tally hold for cloak stall.
Cloak trader (sharp): "I have proof now. The broker gave coin at gate. I could not bring seal sooner."
Aurelius: "We accept proof. The clerk will note path so gate rule can stop future leak."
Clerk: [ACTION] Cloak stall tally: release hold. Tithe collect: apply. Note: caravan trace added to ledger. Audit log → closed.
Aurelia: "One case fixed with seal. Now we must bind seal rule so all big buys get gate note."
Clerk: [PROPOSE] Ballot: Gate seal rule → require gate seal or buyer token for sale >50 sparks. Mode: actor vote. Timer: six ticks.
Len: "Actors will debate. Some cargo folk fear delay; some traders want cloth true. We must balance speed and right."
Trader: "Gate seal costs time. Merchants move on tight schedules. Seal will slow trade."
Mira: "Seal keeps fund true. If trade hides, fund dies. We need seed."
Aurelius: "Can we speed seal? Make clerk quick at gate so delay small."
Clerk: [PROPOSAL] Gate flow: caravan stop → clerk quick check (1 tick) → seal issued. If urgent, broker may pre-register with gate for fast pass.
Idran: "I will teach gate pass for caravans. We can pre-file route lists."
Watcher (low): "Gate map must not become toll. If gate keeps coin for no cause, trust fail. Make gate process pure audit, not extort."
Aurelia: "Guard gate with law, not greed. Gate must log and not hold coin."
Clerk: [SET] Gate rule: seal = audit mark only. Gate keeper role: read + seal. No coin hold. Gate quick route: pre-register path token to speed pass.
Aurelius: "That meets both care and move."
Clerk: [VOTE] Item: Gate seal rule active? Timer start.
While ballot spun, the clerk pushed the duplicate token case.
Clerk: [ALERT] Duplicate token use resolved: T-078 revoke; related claims audited; two claims cleared; courier sanction: bench mend completed. Public logs updated.
Rax (soft): "Tokens cost truth. I keep mine true now."
Len: "Good. Token class work is not done. We must teach gate token check too."
Aurelia: "Tokens and seals work in pair. Tokens witness; seals trace path."
Clerk: [NOTE] Add to tutorial: gate seal process + token check combo.
The ballot bell rolled. Voices rose and fell on the ribbon.
Clerk: [TALLY] Gate seal rule → 70% pass.
Aurelius: "Pass then. Gate seal is law."
Aurelia: "Bind it with speed aid and anti-toll guard."
Clerk: [COMMIT] New law: Gate Seal for sales >50 sparks active. Gate keeper role defined: read + seal only. Pre-register mode: available. Gate quick-check tick = 1. Anti-toll rule: coin hold banned; complaints auto-escalate.
Idran: "I will help gate teach dispatch. Traders will learn route file."
Trader: "Pre-register will help. I will ask brokers to use gate mark."
Mira: "Good. Fund keeps seed. Gate seal will catch caravan leak."
Aurelius: "One more audit note: the cloak broker's buyer token must be tied to broker identity so future checks faster."
Clerk: [ACTION] Broker link: buyer token ↔ broker ID. Record: broker seal record created.
Aurelia: "Now we must watch gate for toll risk. Watcher, set node. Len, add to tutorial."
Watcher: "Node set. I will flag any coin hold attempt."
Clerk: [ADD] Watch node: market gate. Monitor: watcher + clerk. Alert: immediate trustee convene on toll flag.
Aurelius: "We close this tick with a plan to teach gate flow and to run a short drill for caravan pre-register."
Aurelia: "Teach before rule kills pace. Law must carry a lesson."
Clerk: [SCHEDULE] Gate drill: pre-register demo tick +3. Tutorial add: gate seal process next town hall.
A brief ping came — from the fund ledger.
Clerk: [FUND NOTE] Fund balance: 818 sparks. Projected inflow this month with tithe: ~120 sparks. Safety buffer: hold. Allocation: aid reserve unchanged.
Aurelius: "Seed holds. Gate law should not drain fund but protect it."
Aurelia: "Yes. Gate keeps coin visible so fund grows fair."
A small voice — Sarn — spoke steady.
Sarn: "My hearth keeps warm. The town learns. Gate law will help more folk like me."
Aurelius: "We made a seal that keeps trade true, and a guard so gate is not greedy. We taught caravan and clerk to work fast. That is craft."
Clerk: [COMMIT] Snapshot 04:50:47 — Entries: Gate seal law active; Cloak stall audit closed; Duplicate token resolved; Gate drill scheduled; Watch node set; Fund note updated.
Aurelia: "A new rim on the spiral. A small seam that keeps coin from slip."
Aurelius: "We add one last piece: clear redress path if gate keeper fails their role. Two witness tokens + trustee convene → immediate review."
Clerk: [ADD] Redress rule: gate fail → two tokens → trustee urgent convene → temporary override.
Aurelia: "Now close the tick. Let gate learn fast, let watch keep the guard, and let fund grow slow and sure."
Post-Law Reflection: A seal is simple: it turns rumor into trail. Gate law makes big trade visible so seed can grow. But any tool that holds power must have check: speed so trade flows, and redress so gate is not a toll. Law's craft is to make leak visible, not to squeeze coin from the weak. The Spiral turns by patch and test; a seal is a patch that lets many loops build on true coin, not shadow.