A person of Neshiyah
Leah Segal, surveyor
Surveyor
Leah Segal
Surveyor, about 93 years old. Born in Neshiyah, like everyone.
Leah Segal still works the transit and level, though her hands tremble until they touch the brass. She squints through the eyepiece with the patience of a woman who has learned that stillness is a kind of force, then snaps at anyone who moves a rod without her say-so. The other surveyors know to bring her tea before she asks. When she walks the boundary lines, she hums old field songs, and she believes—truly—that the fog is the world’s edge, so she measures right up to it, careful as a seamstress. The town sees her as the one who keeps the roads honest. She wants one more spring survey before the frost.
Temperament
Curious when something is in front of them; quick to believe what they are told; hot-tempered; always in company; able to sit still when it matters.
What people say
Leah Segal believes what everyone believes: the fog is the edge of the world, and the fields need working whether it is true or not.