Malachite 6
The warehouse is back to it's original size. With enough bins the basement area is now completely unnecessary. I shall not make a public pronouncement about my considerable efforts to our newfound efficeincy. I've received complaints about the bodies in the stockpile so I think I may construct a basement under the dump keeper's house to accept the wealth of goblin corpses that we needn't look at them regularly.
Taupe works day and night producing meals, I have not told him why. I haven't shut down the plum yet but unless something changes soon I think that's my next move.
A less malicious plan has also taken me, I could offer to take over the wood industry so that captain of the guard HugoLuman may be in charge of a jail which I shall also design. HugoLuman complains regularly about the inadequacies of her home and the terrible lack of cages. We have at present 307 iron bars and it would take 63 to create the 21 iron cages that HugoLuman feels necessary. Sadly our most skilled carpenters are already legendary and there isn't a single one whose name I remember. Still, it's fairly simple work and they would achieve greatness fairly quickly. It would also be the least destructive to Nevertaxed.
LuckyKobold (odd name) has been dissatisfied working for Saint. Her band of smiths is very large and she has only one forge, the rest spend all day hauling charcoal and iron bars, he's done as much actual work with the forge as I have. I've ordered him to start doing carpentry work to make him a better sponsorship candidate just in case this is the path I choose.
I've also conscripted a few dwarves whose names I recognized to serve as captains of the new squads. The respect granted by commanding nine dwarves successfully should allow them the clout necessary to establish industries. I've granted one a leatherworks to produce shoes and cloaks.
Malachite 8
There's been an accident. While doing some rennovations on the plum it would seem I ordered the deconstruction of the owner's residence neglecting to leave adequate support for it's roof.
It cut an eerily perfect swath of destruction straight into the basement. As a matter of pure luck I'd just broken up a party in the plum mitigating the damage done. Unfortunately the ensuing collapse drug down the woman who did the last bit of deconstruction and her child as well. A child who happened to be in the basement was rattled by the collapse but not injured and reported a scene that a child had no business being witness to. The woman landed on her neck in such a way as to smash open her throat causing her to bleed to death and her child ,though grievously wounded in the fall, was ultimately done in by a bit of falling lumber that... Rendered it's head suddenly compact.
Fortunately the last election was not long ago so by the time the next occurs this little incident will probably be forgotten. No harm no foul. In happier news I've not received any negative feedback on my proposition to the queen. If she was offended at the thought she would have said as much the fact that she's silent means she's pondering it. I would never dare press her for an answer but when the offering comes I expect she'll listen.
It's getting hard to keep writing, one of the miners was husband and father respectively to the woman and baby killed. He's wailing down in the mine and it's making a ghastly echo. I'll make him a nice coffer and see if that doesn't help things.