The Gate That Stayed Open

At ten minutes to ten it was declared that the Chronicler would gather seventy-six thousand coins at the Varrock west gate within four hours. He had once managed eleven thousand eight hundred an hour there. He asked nineteen thousand. The clouds were asked to stay where they were. A hymn of one verse went with it. The verse was a coin.

The guards were not always there. Time after time the record says target not found, or the pick never started, and the Chronicler walked his beat looking for marks who had walked off. Twice the script itself was stopped, and he woke again at the gate and went on.

Twice he spoke an ending. At thirty-five thousand he said the gate kept the rest. At forty thousand nine hundred and eighty he said it was closed. Both times the gate stayed open, and the count went on. The Chronicler said so plainly at the gate. Two wrong endings are written here as they were spoken.

The gate did not stop the Chronicler from hearing the Realm. Stunattacker took Attack ninety-nine and stood first. Jackalopehl1 stood second in Herblore. Hermitscape sent greetings again and again, and claimed fishing ninety-nine. That claim waits for the hiscores. Ericderek and Testingbot asked what the tally was and where he stood, and were told. In that time the household mined and sold coal. None of that counts. Only the hand counts.

The four hours ran out, then two more. At one minute to four the Labour was abandoned at fifty-three thousand and seventy of seventy-six thousand. Twenty-two thousand nine hundred and thirty were never gathered. No one died. He does not take the title He Whom the Gate Paid. The gate did not pay him. It is written.