HM is a very successful gentleman, knight, and noble, but at the moment he squelches through terrible weather on horseback with a couple of seemingly unintelligent men. They are on some sort of quest, which HM feels is beneath him. HM is a self-made man who built his empire of coal and industry himself. Yet things have gone awry recently, due to a man named Waller. They come upon and stop at an HM's Company of Mine Adventurers site. HM denies rumors of closure but sees the fear and anger in his employee's eyes. He sets off again immediately, but one of his men, Shiers, is thrown from his horse when the horse puts a foot in a hole and breaks its leg. Shiers must walk back and the horse must be put down, so now it is just HM and Tall John. HM thinks back to when he first met Waller, who flattered HM and told him wild tales of the ore that existed in the next county over. The two formed the Company and created ambitious plans which involved many investors. However, the mines never produce enough minerals, and the Bank of England seizes all after some time. Tall John had told HM he has found a seam of ore, right at the surface with no need to mine it, and that is what they are after. HM needs Tall John to be telling the truth. HM's investors want their money, but he has so much debt, and he needs to maintain his reputation and provide for his sons at the same time. Tall John pulls ahead, his practical pony less skittish than HM's fine mare, and disappears into a dense fog. After some grumbling, HM moves forward, and his horse begins to talk. They have entered some strange magical realm, and HM begins to think he can see his future, which is glittering with success. The horse smells something familiar and moves faster towards whatever is ahead, thinking of a bran mash that a kindly stableboy once gave her.