“You’ll find no greater brotherhood than in a mining community. They’d share their last shirt with you and their last penny when hardship strikes, ’cause no one outside gives a damn. But try stepping out of line. Try eating your porridge differently, wearing your cap differently; think of extracting the coal differently, and your own people will knock you about and mock you, afraid you’re better than them, that you have ideas above your station. Then the upper classes won’t have you because you eat and dress and think differently, and because you have ideas above your station.” He flicked his
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