'Til Kingdom Comes - The Banished Prince Vol 3: The Prophecy

Old Jack

"Yo, Durham Boys... Could you help to bring out the fan blades of the blender machine out back? I don't think it would be fine if you carry them out by the front of the store. Hahaha. You boys had done a terrific job, so you know that? A fine job indeed...!"

I was hollering from the front of my Blacksmith store towards the back where the Durham Boys had already finished preparing the fan blades of the blender machine.

I wonder how I had come up with such names since the blades do look a bit like a windmill and I wonder where the word 'fan' came from. I really do have some weird sense of naming things like His Majesty too. Hahaha.

The Durham Boys carried the fan blades of the blender out from the rear exit of the Blacksmith and placed them at the front area of the store where I had long prepared the circular drum to place the blades inside it.

The blades of the blender were supposed to be like 3 feet in length, but after much consideration, a more compact drum would yield better results so I decided to forge a 1-foot blade instead.

When the four blades were fixed together by means of an axle not through heat but by bolts and nuts, the process to make the blades had been broken up into two parts instead.

"Hahaha... Job well done, my boys. These blades would be much simpler to forge and manufacture rather than forging the whole 4 pieces of blades that would be fixed to this axle thingy."

"A few days job is all it needs to make this thing happen. Look at how these blades fit perfectly to each of the three slots before we insert in the bolts and nuts to it."

"Fortunately we have the engineers that drafted out the designs and blueprint for the gears and such and this prototype had already been ready to be tested already. Hahaha."

"Here, help me fix this cogwheel here and here and then I would be putting the removable spindle here. Instead of the earlier design that resembles a metal wheel, a removable spindle would be most appropriate."

"It's lighter, easier to forge, removable and the parts can be replaced if damaged. It's a good thing for Michael to help us get the metals for these blades. It's rather sharp, boys so be careful, eh?"

I called out to the Durham boys who were squatting on the ground to place the circular tin drum on top of some rag to prevent scratching. Then the blades were affixed by bolts and nuts to the axle.

The top of the axle had a small holder to slide the cogwheel in place and several light taps of a hammer secured it right at the axle area.

Then a larger cogwheel was placed next to the one that had been affixed and lastly, a large chain wheel of more than 65 teeth was set at the edge of the drum.

A rotating handle was fixed right on top of the chain wheel and when it was turned one rotation, it made the blades inside the drum to turn 4 rotations...!

"Thank you, my boys... This prototype, once it been approved by Her Majesty, would be made to process lots of spreads for our bread."

"Not only would it be available for our consumption, but it would also be sold to other towns. We don't even need to put the fillings into the bread anymore. Hahaha."

That's what I thought since I knew nuts about how the bakery would make their arrangements. But according to Her Majesty, there would be peanut butter, King of Spreads and another 5 kinds of fruit jams.

If all goes well, there would be a need for one blender machine for each type of spreads.

"Alright boys, ensure the inside of the drum is free from any grit. We won't want the blender machine to be working at less than expected, do we?" I advised the Durham boys as they echoed their acknowledgement back and ensure the internal drum is clean.

Even the mechanism of the gears and everything was kept clean. There was only a need to dab a drop of animal fat in between the moving parts to ensure that the operations would be smooth throughout.

Besides, the Durham boys would be keeping a close watch on the working parts of the machines to ensure there would be no downtime when it comes to the factories for the production of the new products.

"Boys, could you check for me the other uses for this blender machine? You know me, I'm illiterate and blind as a bat when I see those squiggly words on that papers that Her Majesty had handed to me. Hehehe."

I called out to the Durham Boys as one of them took the sheets of papers that was handed to me during the meetings and checked against the needs of this blender machine for the other products on hand.

It's not because of looking at the squiggly words made me blind as a bat, but I'm already this old...

How would I be able to comprehend how to read and write like the young ones?

Besides, I'm simply too lazy to study but anything to do with my hands, I would gladly do it. Hahaha.

"There are only 7 products that require the need of this blender machine, Papa Jack. However, it would be best if we can make 10 altogether to have spares in case we need these blender machines for other uses."

One of the Durham Boys replied after he had gone through the list on the papers. Although he might not know most of the health and beauty products, it seems that certain items do need the use of these blender machines.

But the person who makes the final say would be Her Majesty. Other than that, their job would be assisting Old Jack to maintain the Blacksmith.

"Oh, alright then. Remove the spindle at the edge of the drum. It would be able to fit into this wooden crate nicely. Careful boys, easy does it. We won't want the tin drums to get banged up or else the blades won't be able to operate smoothly inside."

After the Durham Boys had ensured the operation of the blender machine was smooth after turning the spindle clockwise and anticlockwise to see that both directional movements are problem-free, I had the boys to pack it up inside the wooden crate as it would be presented to Her Majesty on the next meeting.

I checked with my wife, Kayla, and she too was busy experimenting with some of the ingredients that use coconut milk or coconut oils that she substituted with olive oil and cow's or goat's milk instead.

"Hello, my dear lovely, how is your progress on those experiments that you had done so far? That paste looks pretty yummy, is it for eating or for putting on the face instead? Hahaha...!"

I greeted Kayla who was sitting at the outdoor kitchen area while she was mixing some ingredients from the list of ingredients that she had been told by the helpers around to create some of the sample products that would be shown to Her Majesty on the next round of meeting.

"I'm done with the blender machine there, old lady. It's done and packed and ready to be tested out. How's your end?" I inquired as Kayla was busy and intently mixing the ingredients and told me that the ingredients on the table are not for eating since its all for the new cosmetics in the health and beauty range of products.

"See this mixture here? It's going to be the toothpaste and it's being substituted with olive oil. Your blender machine is ready?"

"That's great to hear that, old man. There's not much difference if we use coconut oil and olive oil even though most of the products here use coconut oil instead as it's base."

"Maybe it's cheaper from where His Majesty came from but here, it's almost nonexistent...! But look here, it does look like paste to you right, for the tooth? Hahaha."

Kayla grinned at me, showing a few missing teeth and I laughed at her antics. Yeah, a paste for the tooth, to brush with the horsetail brush to make it feels great every morning. Hahaha.

"Have you tried it out yet? Besides, olive oil base would be like some kind of preservative right? So this toothpaste would be able to store for some weeks, I presume?"

"Depending on how much Her Majesty wants the fill the porcelain ware. If it's half a pound, this toothpaste would be able to last up to 2 weeks or so."

"Besides, the only thing expensive to make this would be the olive oil and maybe this porcelain ware container. It does look cute, don't you?"

"After use, this porcelain ware could even be used to store some trinkets or even plaything for the young ones too."

Kayla had finished mixing the container in her small mortar and pestle and one of the helpers tested out the sample and find it to be a delight.

Not only does it feels smooth, slightly gritty, but it also does smells and taste great when a dab was placed inside the teeth area and rolled about with the tongue.

"Tchick... We used to take the lye from the ashes of the rocket stoves to rub our teeth, you know."

"Fortunately we have this new innovation or else we also won't know what the future holds for this kind of products."

"Maybe Her Majesty would like to add a new variety — charcoal-based toothpaste...! Dearie, could you help me to write the words charcoal-based toothpaste as well?"

"At least it doesn't need any essense since the fine lye powder from the ashes of these rocket stoves would do just fine."

Kayla called out to one of the helpers and she picked the quill and ink and wrote the words of the newly recommended type of toothpaste on the list.

Little did we realise, that Our Majesty had decided to add in another 5 more flavours for the children and make smaller tipped toothbrush as well. It seems that Our Majesty indeed has a good foresight on these kinds of products.

"How are the medals? Don't you need to do more of that since it was already approved by Her Majesty that day?" Kayla asked me as she can't stand seeing me sitting there idly with nothing to do with my hands.

"Well, Her Majesty did ask for a sample for 4 of the medals and I only make a spare each. She advised me to wait a while since Our Majesty had something to do with the medals after all. They were saying about reproduction or something, I'm not sure if I heard that right."

I explained to Kayla since she had set the mortar and pestle aside after she had scooped the contents and placed it inside the porcelain ware. She then asked a kitchen helper to read out the next list of ingredients for the next product.

"Oh, alright then. Maybe they wanted to do something to it. Let them be then, at least they do have some work to do. How about yourself right now? Don't you have anything else to do? If not, you could help me to find these ingredients and help me make a sample first."

Kayla suggested to me and I harrumphed since there's nothing much for me and the Durham boys to do since we would be waiting for the approval for the blender machines.

Besides, sitting here and watching Kayla do all the work herself would also fill our time. Even though she may be asking me to help her out, it's just a matter of speaking. She is a soft handed type of person and all her movements are soft and kind.

And as for me? I deal with furnace, tongs, hammers, bellows and such and it is pretty hard, laborious work that needs force, strength and sweat to produce a single piece of work.

I wonder how many mortar and pestle I would break of Kayla actually wanted me to help her. Hahaha...!

"What are you making next? It looks like another kind of toothpaste to me." I inquired again as she got ready some of the ingredients that made up of olive oil, some sugar and also the juice from a freshly squeezed yellow lemon.

"This is the facial cleanser, you silly old man. Of course, it's going to be a paste, this would be used to put on your face, scrub it along the T zone to remove the dead cells and skin and wash it thereafter."

"It would leave the face feeling fresh and smooth and at the same time smells great. It also would be able to remove those blemishes, whiteheads and blackheads too."

"Plus, if used 3 times daily, just like taking our meals, the skin may become fairer."

"It could also be used as a body scrub."

"I wonder if Her Majesty would approve of that. Dearie, could you write the words body scrub hereafter the facial cleanser as well? Thank you, dearie."

"You can try some of this to wash your face afterwards, alright? Let me know the results then."

Kayla was also a herbalist so basically, she knew what ingredients were used to make these cleansers and the purpose of it very well.

This town practically does need people like Kayla, along with her expertise...!