Bureaucratic Bull Shyke (Atticus)

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

5th Day of Autumn, 512 AV Tock was a bit late making her way onto the job site this morning. She had spent the early hours of the morning studying the live wolf she had captured. The poor thing was getting quite miserable after five days in a cage... not that she gave a damn. She was only keeping it alive as long as she needed to for study, then it was going to be sliced open for science. Possibly while still alive; she hadn't decided on that part yet. But she might be able to learn more about which body parts it really needed to live, if she removed them one by one until it died. After all, a girl needed a hobby. She set those thoughts aside as she arrived at work, ready for another long day of stone carving. Work was only just getting underway, since they had had to import some building materials special for this job. The office down by the docks, owned by one Mr. Marshall, was going to be a large and extravagant affair. While the main structure of the building was to be made of normal brick, they were adding on a facade made out of marble. This thin layer of marble would be purely decorative, and would surround the entire building, making it seem as if the whole structure were made of expensive stone. The decorative facade was entirely meant for show, adding to the client's growing prestige and his standing in the city. And convincing him to add it on was making Jacques's crew a great deal more money. She started calling out orders the moment she arrived on site, directing men to clear out a pile of debris that was in the way, to unload a wagon instead of standing there leaning against it, and to get the next load of bricks ready for the mason so he wouldn't be delayed in his work on the building foundation. The men hurried to obey, partially because Tock was a supervisor and had the authority to order them around, and partially because she was a force of nature and a woman to be obeyed. Once the men were set on their tasks, she plopped down on a block of marble and pulled out her custom-made stonecarving tools. Her apprentices were already there, waiting for her direction. Nathaniel was a tall, thin, blond boy from a fairly wealthy family. Charlie was a brown haired boy from more common stock. Both had been assigned as Tock's apprentices for several weeks now, and they were all still 'feeling out' the working relationship. "Start roundin' 'is out, 'ere," she told them, indicating a block that would be part of a stone pillar out front. "Jus' like yesterday." "Can't we try the designs for the cap?" Charlie asked her. The boys wanted to be artists, and sometimes seemed to have trouble accepting that they had to start at the bottom. Tock just snorted at him and asked, "Ya know 'ow much 'is 'ere block cost?" She patted the block she would be working on. The boys shook their heads no. "Neither does I," she said, "so I ain't lettin' ya touch 'er 'til I done thinks yer ready, aye? S'good practice." If the boys messed up the simple carving of a square block into a cylinder, she could easily fix it, but the more intricate designs were well beyond the abilities of two boys who hadn't touched a chisel before half a season ago. While the boys set about their task, Tock started on hers, setting her chisel against the stone. The design for the cap of the pillar would look like a sheaf of wheat, representing fertility and growth. Fitting for a food importer's office. Humming softly to herself, she began tapping the chisel with her mallet, beginning the process of carefully cutting out the shapes of the wheat stalks, one chip of marble at a time.