Morning at the warehouse district.
Arthur stood near the grain storage yard and watched a transaction unfold.
A buyer arrived with a list. The warehouse master pointed to a row of crates. Standard containers. Sealed lids. Marked with contents and weight.
The buyer walked to the first crate. He pried open the lid. He reached inside and pulled out a handful of grain. He let it run through his fingers. He sniffed it. He tasted it.
He nodded and moved to the next crate.
The same process. Open. Reach. Feel. Smell. Taste.
Ten minutes per crate. Twenty crates in the order.
Behind him, three other buyers waited with their own lists. Their drivers sat idle. Their wagons waited empty.
Arthur watched the grain run through the buyer's fingers a second time.
---
Zack found him an hour later.
The buyer was still inspecting. Four crates left.
Zack shook his head. "Third time this week. Same buyer. Same supplier. Same grain."
Arthur didn't move.
"He opened every crate?"
