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“Tom is working on bone composites for limbs and risers. We’ve received some interesting llama bone for the first time. It’s not as brittle as the others. Jerry has been shaping and polishing some of that to make new slimline arrow heads like these ones.”
“My personal pet project is the multi dimensional clockwork engine. These small bits here are the graceful cantilever springs, dampening the interference between each individual motor.”
“They don’t look like springs at all,” says CandiCrush, “they look like teaspoon handles!”
“Springs don’t have to be coiled,” replies BarmyWaffle, “think of the leaf springs attached to the axle of a wagon.”
Walker is more concerned with the task in hand, “have Tom and Jerry had things stolen?”
“Yes! Jerry was the first one to notice. Unintentionally he left a batch of six bone arrow heads on the bench one night. The next morning there were just five. It could be a counting error though. The remaining bits of the femur had been locked away, but he couldn’t be sure how much of it had been cut and turned into tips. His work diary says he made six that day, and he’s usually right. It’s a minor thing though, it’s not like he left six swords on his bench and lost a sword!”
TedTalker suggests, “do it again tonight. Deliberately leave six of those on the bench. Tomorrow we’ll check if they’re all still there. I’ll work the early shift tomorrow, so that I can keep an eye on things. Tolstoy might complain, but we’ll get more time off later.”
“Can I join you? What time?” asks KristalClear.
“Early shift starts at 06:00 so you’d have to be here at 05:45 for parade. If your parents are happy with that?”
“I’m sixteen now!” she says indignantly, thinking that sixteen is old enough to be making these decisions.
“But you said parade? You parade at 05:45?”
“Parade is a pre work briefing in the picquet post, that’s all. Not the sort of parade you’re thinking of. There’s no marching or shouting involved!”
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