"That's great. Actually, why don't we go and see how it's going? I can't wait to see the results of all this." Cenric was smiling, feeling like he'd used up all his luck for the year in just one day.
"No problem, let's go." Both stood up. "Oh, I forgot this. You can go ahead; I need to read this message. It won't take long." Cenric held the parchment.
Rafael nodded and exited the house. Cenric then opened the parchment and began to read.
Again with this?! I told them to send the notice at least three days before their arrival! These motherfu...
Meanwhile, Rafael knocked on Richar's door. "It's you. I was grinding the wood as you asked," Richar greeted him. He was drenched in sweat—or maybe water, Rafael thought. Richar waved him inside.
"Cenric is coming to watch me make paper, so bring the wood pulp and the wooden frame you made for me," Rafael instructed. Richar, the carpenter, brought the items and placed them on the table. "We're going to need a small tank or a bowl large enough for this wood frame. Do you have one?"
"No, but I can make one before nightfall."
"It can't have any leaks because I'll be filling it with water," Rafael emphasized.
"It'll take a bit longer, but I'm certain it will be ready before night," Richar assured him.
"No problem, you can start now. How much will it be?"
"Heh, you're a quick learner. I'll give you a good price this time. Forty coppers," Richar said, raising four fingers on his right hand.
"Thirty," Rafael countered, trying to negotiate. You're not going to rob me again!
"Thirty-five and no less."
"Listen, I guarantee you that in the near future, you'll be making more of these, so why don't we settle at thirty coppers now? You'll still profit and gain more in the future. Come on, man, help me out here." Rafael walked closer, placing a hand on the old man's shoulder.
"Tssh... Fine. I'll accept thirty coppers," Richar agreed, a bit grumpy but accepting the offer. "You said Cenric was coming, but where is he?"
"He said he wouldn't take long, so let's wait a bit. You should start working on that bowl, or it won't be ready today."
"You doubting my skills? I'm the best woodworker under Floutt's management!" Richar said, his pride wounded. "Then show me. Finish that bowl before nightfall."
"Aah, you little kid, when I come back with the bowl, you'll see!" Richar pointed at Rafael, almost shouting, before vanishing through the back door to his workshop.
Rafael sat at the table. Why isn't Cenric here yet? To pass the time while waiting for Cenric and the wooden bowl to be finished, he decided to read a different chapter from the book. Skipping the first two chapters, he found one that caught his interest.
[3. The Five Fundamental Technologies You Need For Your Civilization
No, the list is not "a really good computer" five times.]
The technologies mentioned in this chapter were all information-based. The first one was:
[3.1. Spoken Language
Listen to those voices in your head]
It explained what a language should have, like pronouns, vowels, verbs, and nouns. This one won't be necessary, at least, because if it were, I wouldn't be talking with this granny or Cenric. The second technology was:
[3.2. Written Language
The technology that made the spelling mistake possible]
This technology allows ideas to spread to a larger audience, remain unchanged over time, and survive even when the original author dies. The book even recommended choosing a language base that wasn't too similar to English to prevent others from reading it.
I hope the way they write isn't similar to English. I'll ask Cenric if he has something for me to read later.
[3.3. Non-Sucky Numbers
Because everyone wants their civilization... to really count]
This section presented the idea of Hindu-Arabic numerals, which Rafael already knew. It also covered zero, fractions, abstract, rational, irrational, real, imaginary, complex, prime, and negative numbers.
Well damn. Lots of number types, but I'm sure it will be useful in the future. There was even a sidebar explaining Why you can't divide by zero.
[3.4. The Scientific Method
Much improved over the earlier scientific approximation]
This 'technology' was about uncovering, verifying, and gradually refining wrong knowledge into correct knowledge. It provided an image showing the eight steps of the scientific method and gave an example of a hypothetical person trying to discover why his hypothetical corn didn't grow.
[The more ways a hypothesis has been tested, the more likely it is to be correct, but nothing is certain.]
This is certainly a good invention. If people followed this method, they wouldn't be saying that superquantum physics is wrong.
Before Rafael could begin reading about the fifth and last 'technology' in this chapter, someone knocked on the door. Closing the book, he got up and opened the door to find Cenric, noticing people with tools and baskets quickly passing behind him.
"Sorry for the long wait, I had something urgent to attend to." Cenric stepped inside.
"What's happening? Why is everyone in such a hurry?" Rafael asked, closing the door as Cenric sat at the table.
"I got a message from Floutt. Well, not him exactly, but his helpers who manage most things for him. Tomorrow at midday, they will arrive to collect the grain tax. The problem is that it takes at least two to three days to harvest everything, and that's only if everyone helps."