Learning to Have a Life Part 1

At precisely five o'clock in the afternoon, Ernest Teucher closed the leather document folder lying before him.

Arthur Pendelton continued speaking without breaking stride. "The revised extraction returns from the northern coalfield pits suggest that if we introduce a dedicated night turnaround for empty hoppers, we can increase the weekly tonnage through Helmarte Central by—"

"We will resume this operational review tomorrow," Ernest said calmly.

Arthur halted mid-sentence. His gold-nibbed pen remained suspended half an inch above the ledger paper.

"What did you just state?" Arthur asked.

"Tomorrow morning."

"I heard the syllables, Ernest. My cognitive faculties are struggling to process the context."

Ernest rose smoothly from his heavy leather chair and began collecting the drafting sheets, coal returns, and metallurgical memoranda scattered across his wide oak desk.