The elevator shook as it descended through the shaft. "Ugh, 6 damn o'clock", Edmond whispered to himself. "Yeah, I can't believe I'm getting up at 5:00 to come work in the mines. But hey, I've got to make a living somehow", Joseph whispered back.
The elevator crept down the shaft... fourth level... fifth level... finally, after what seemed like ages, the elevator reached the bottom level, Level 13. Level 13 was a special level. It was called "Hell's Backdoor" by the rest of the miners, and there had been the more deaths in collapses on this one level than the entire rest of the mine put together.
Edmond didn't care. He had a wife and two small children to support. Edmond and Joseph quickly exited the elevator, and it quickly started its journey back the surface. They walked down the corridor and found the foreman.
He told them that they were working the North Shaft today. Great. Nobody liked going into the Shaft, it was cold and wet down there, with all manner of creepy bugs and rats everywhere. They both looked at the signs... South Shaft, East Shaft, North Shaft. Well, there it was.
Edmond and Joseph reached the end of the shaft after a few minutes of walking. There were a few other miners there, grumbling and groaning at their misfortune of being tasked to the inhospitable area. Well, time for work.
A few hours passed. The miners had discovered a few quotes by various famous figures. A Hitler quote, an Einstein quote, and a quote from a 5th Century Egyptian general who's name nobody could pronounce. Edmond raised his pickaxe and swung it at the hard Earth. It came off easily this time. "That's odd", Edmond thought. He swung at the area a few more times, and each time, more and more soil became dislodged. Edmond swung once more, and was greeted by golden shine created by his lantern. Something was bured in the dirt. Something valuable.
Edmond continued to work at it. It was now obvious what it was. It was a quote, by whom, Edmond did not yet know. A few more swings, and he began to see a name on the quote, however most of it was still hidden by the dirt. 'Ste---- --- --uld' it read. A few more swings of the pickaxe and the object fell out of the wall and hit the ground. Edmond picked it up and brushed off the dirt.
Edmond was immediately overjoyed. All those days in the quote mines finally payed off. It was a quote, but not just any quote, a quote by none other than STEPHEN JAY GOULD! It was not a normal quote either, it was a quote taken out of context. This quote, when viewed by someone with no prior knowledge of his beliefs, could make any ignorant person think that Stephen Jay Gould supported creationism. Edmond knew he would be rewarded for his find, and immediately ran to find the foreman. He knew he was finally going home.
