Volume I — Arc 1 — Epoch I
Chapter 12 — Tithe Ballot
[Pulse 03:40:00 — Ballot tick | Log: Market tithe | Channel: public]
Aurelius: "Today we run the tithe ballot. Len, show roll. Keep count plain."
Aurelia: "A tax must do two jobs: give seed, and not crush small hand. We pick a path that keeps both."
Len (swift): "Actor roll open. Items: 1) Market tithe: 0.5% daily trade. 2) Tithe cap: limit per maker monthly. 3) Exempt tier: very poor stalls exempt. Timer: six ticks."
Clerk (calm): [BALLOT — ITEMS] 1) Tithe rate = 0.5% daily trade. 2) Cap option = monthly cap per maker = 50 sparks. 3) Exempt tier = criteria: reserve < 10 sparks + witness token. Threshold: 60% actor. Mode: public tally. Sim run: show effect on fund.
Aurelius watched the ribbon move with faces and small math. "Show sim for town," he asked.
Clerk: [SIM] Market sim sample: mean daily trade per stall = 20 sparks; stalls = 60; daily tithe pool = 6 sparks; monthly (30 days) = 180 sparks. If cap=50 sparks per maker/month, cap effect negligible for small stalls. If 0.5% applies to top traders, fund seed grows while small hand stays safe. Safety buffer target = 25% monthly seed (45 sparks). Mira pledge now = 750 sparks hold.
Aurelia: "We show seed will fill slowly. Seed plus Mira hold gives cushion. Cap keeps small hand safe."
Trader (low): "I hear talk of tax. A flat 0.5% cuts slim profit. I run two stalls. Cap may help, yet I fear monthly cap will be hit if I grow. Will levy fall on growth not form?"
Aurelius: "If growth hits cap, you pay no more after cap. Cap sets top bound. That may let you plan."
Trader: "But what if many traders pool to avoid cap? Or hide coin? Ledger must see true trade."
Aurelia: "Clerk will set proof chain. Traders log sell marks. Hidden trade is fraud. We must guard and sanction."
Clerk: [NOTE] Trade log rule: maker must log sale with buyer mark or token. Failure → flag + audit. Repeat fraud → sanction. Sim: expected leak 3% due to hide; audit will reduce leak.
Len: "Actors ask: who decides who is 'very poor'? We must not let fake need get grant."
Mira: "Very poor must show reserve test: reserve < 10 sparks + witness token from two neighbors. Trustees will vet. That keeps grant focus."
Clerk: [PROPOSAL] Exempt rule: reserve check + two witness tokens → auto-exempt for tithe. Trustee quick review if token near edge.
Aurelius: "That seems fair. What of small traders with no reserve but little trade, like the wash stall? They pay tiny coin; tax may still hurt."
Aurelia: "Hence the cap and the exempt tier. We shape law to let craft live and to seed repair."
An old voice came, thin and sharp: Watcher.
Watcher: "A tithe is tax and tool. It can grow like vine. Add a sunset clause: review tithe at six months for effect and cap change. If fund overshoots, reduce. If fund falls short, raise small. Give actors vote at review."
Aurelius: "A sunset will keep law from hard set."
Clerk: [ADD] Sunset clause: review at 180 ticks. Outcome: actor vote on adjust. Default action: auto-sim prior to vote.
Trader: "I will not stand for a levy that goes up with whim. We need cap and sunset."
Len: "Actors want balance — cap plus review seems right."
A murmur of voices argued small points: how to log trade, how to verify sale, how to treat barter. The clerk handled each thread with neat lines.
Clerk: [CLARIFY] Barter rule: barter value must be logged with two witness marks or token. If barter used to avoid tithe, audit triggers.
Aurelius: "I want a clear fail-safe: if the fund drops below safety buffer we set, grants hold but loans and seed use can continue by trustee vote."
Aurelia: "And have a fast call: if fund rapid drop occurs, quick vote to pause grants. No one wants empty fund at sudden need."
Clerk: [SET] Fail-safe: if fund < safety buffer (25% monthly seed) → auto-hold grants; trustee may unlock by unanimous sign if proof of urgent need. Emergency vote target: 3 ticks.
Len: "Actors, we also planned a tithe cap option. I will open debate for cap values now. Options: 50, 100, 200 sparks monthly. Which is fair?"
Trader: "Fifty is low. One who runs large stall may hit 100 easily. A cap of 100 seems fairer."
Mira: "But too high a cap reduces fund. If aim is to seed public good, cap must not drain pot. 50 protects all small folk and keeps fund for aid."
Aurelius: "Clerk, show sim for caps 50 vs 100."
Clerk: [SIM] Sample sim: top 10% traders monthly avg = 400 sparks; cap 50 reduces their tithe by 350 each, fund drop ≈ 350 × num top traders; cap 100 reduces less. If town has five top traders, cap 50 reduces monthly fund by up to 1750 sparks vs cap 100 reduces by 1250 sparks. Given sample town, cap 50 may slow fund by 60% from uncapped; cap 100 slows fund by 35%. Mira hold 750 gives cushion for months; but long term seed slows with low cap.
Aurelia: "Cap choice is a trade: protect many now vs grow fund fast. Which value keeps town safe?"
Aurelius: "We want seed and root. Maybe pick cap 50 now with sunset clause at six months to review—if fund too low then rise to 100. That lets small stalls breath now and fund can grow by vote later."
Trader: "A raise later may harm plan when I expand. But a clear review and cap fix will let me plan."
Len: "Actors will vote with that in mind."
Clerk: [QUEUE] Ballot split: choose cap 50 now + sunset review clause. Vote options open.
Discussion turned to implementation detail: how to collect tithe without heavy overhead. Small traders feared extra clerk time. Proposal: tithe auto-collect via sale mark with buyer token or quick coin tally at end of day. That needed light protocol.
Clerk: [PROPOSAL] Collection mode: auto-tally via end-of-day market seal recorded by clerk. Makers sign daily tally. If remote sale, buyer token or receipt needed. Small shop option: weekly lump sum via clerk counter. Audits random at 5% chance per day.
Aurelius: "Make process light. We cannot drown craft in desk work."
Aurelia: "Ease of act keeps law usable."
Len: "Actors, we have two add items: tithe cap value and exempt tier. We also must agree on collection mode and sunset. Vote now."
Clerk: [VOTE — Items] 1) Tithe rate 0.5% — pass if ≥60% 2) Cap 50 + sunset review — pass if ≥60% 3) Exempt tier — pass if ≥60% 4) Collection mode: end-of-day tally + weekly lump option — pass if ≥60%.
Timer ran. Voices moved fast, then slowed by count.
Clerk: [TALLY] Item 1: tithe 0.5% → 71% pass. Item 2: cap 50 + sunset → 63% pass. Item 3: exempt tier → 82% pass. Item 4: collection mode → 78% pass.
Aurelius felt a small lift. "All pass."
Aurelia: "Now bind the law with rules for audit and for quick review. And set clear note for traders: log your sale or take audit risk."
Clerk: [COMMIT] New law set: Market Tithe 0.5% active. Cap per maker = 50 sparks/month active. Exempt tier rule active. Collection mode active: daily tally + weekly lump option. Sunset clause active: review at 180 ticks.
Clerk: [SET] Audit rules: random audit 5% daily; false report sanction: repay + market work + probation. Barter verification: two witness marks.
Len: "Trust and math now meet. Mira, fund ledger show new inflow plan?"
Mira: "Yes. Sim shows slow inflow. If traders keep true, fund will reach safety buffer in 2–3 months. We must watch misuse. I will post weekly report."
Clerk: [FUND] Seed plan: expected monthly tithe ~180 sparks (sim). With cap 50, net expected ~120 sparks. With Mira hold 750, safe buffer achieved now. Weekly report set: trustee publish each week.
Aurelius: "We must add a rule so fund can not be used to cover maker levy—no fund bailout for maker failure."
Aurelia: "Yes. Fund is for public good and aid, not to shield bad act."
Clerk: [ADD] Rule: fund may not reimburse maker levy for sanction, except by unanimous trustee unlock under dire need.
Trader: "I will work with this. Cap helps me sleep. I ask leniency window for first month on tally quirks."
Len: "We set a clemency window: first 30 ticks grace for ledger form. After that, audits firm."
Clerk: [SET] Grace window: 30 ticks. Post-grace → full audit mode.
Aurelius: "Good. Add public note: all makers must register sale logs within grace window. Clerk will run tutorial at town halls."
Aurelia: "Teach is key. Law that comes with teach will last. Law that drops like weight will break."
Clerk: [SCHEDULE] Tutorial: town hall → tick +3. Topics: tally, token use, barter log, audit.
Len: "We pass the law, we teach the town, and we hold review. We do slow work."
Aurelius: "And we watch for leak and for fraud."
Clerk: [COMMIT] Snapshot 03:41:12 — Entries: Market tithe law active; Cap 50 set; Exempt tier active; Collection mode set; Sunset clause added; Audit rules and grace set; Fund weekly report scheduled; Town hall tutorial scheduled.
Aurelia: "One last watch line: set a simple alert if fund goes under safety buffer. Let trustees get immediate call."
Clerk: [ALERT] Safety trigger: fund < 25% monthly seed → trustee alert + auto-hold grants.
Aurelius: "We keep the law light, with guard and teach."
Aurelia: "And we fold in mercy with math. Law must not be cold nor soft. It must be craft."
Post-Law Reflection: A small tax can seed public care if we hold it with cap, guard, and teach. Tax without plan breaks craft; tax with cap plus review protects small life while it builds seed for aid. A fund that has both coin and clear rule will patch harm fast. The true test is not the law's ink but its use: tutorials, audits that teach not punish, and a sunset that makes law live to reason. The Spiral grows when coin meets craft, not when coin meets greed.