Day 33,
Vernon came to the library today with an update on the feuding siblings. They’ve decided to settle the matter of artifact inheritance with a footrace. Seems a bit strange to me and wasn’t really what Vernon was expecting either, but apparently it’s also doubling as settling some other old bet or rivalry between them as well.
The plan is for them to start down at the Village docks and run the full circuit of the main road around the southern half of the island, ending back where they started. Given that the circuit normally takes the guards from sundown to sunup to make at a walking pace, perhaps marathon would be the better word for it than footrace. A number of volunteers will be setting up waypoints along the course beforehand where they’ll be stationed to witness the racers’ progress and to make sure neither of them push too hard and pass out on the road or something. With this being a fairly unusual event all around, of course the Archivist will need to be there to make a record of it all. Part of that job is going to include working with Vernon to record the observations of the witnesses to help ensure there’s no foul play between the siblings. If it’s determined that one of them cheated somehow then the inheritance of the artifact will go to the other. If both of them are found guilty then the artifact goes to the Catacombs with their father when he passes on.
When I asked Vernon what happens in the case of an honest draw he rather comically froze before admitting that he hadn’t thought about that, but said that it was unlikely enough we probably didn’t need to worry about it. I found this approach dubious and said as much, but he shrugged it off saying he was sure he’ll think of something. I worry about his nonchalance. I guess this is what he meant before by normally just smiling and saying whatever comes to mind while things sort themselves out.
After that we went over a few more of the specifics of what he had planned and what to expect to need to record as archivist before Vernon left. While there weren’t official plans for it, he was expecting the whole thing to draw a crowd and turn into a spectacle, with some manner of celebration regardless of who won. With that in mind he was going to make sure that the two of us at least had a spot set aside for us to have an unobstructed view of the finish line.
After Vernon left I went out myself to track down the seamster I’d promised to storytell for as payment for clothing to enquire about the occasion and audience. It looks to be a birthday present for his daughter. I asked some questions about her favorite stories, preferences, etc. thanked him for his answers, promising it’ll help make the night all the better for her, and then spent the rest of my day trying to find an appropriate story to read and memorize well enough to retell.
