Spinning Jenny

"How much Cotton Thread can these spinning wheels produce in a day?"

With his looks and sincerity, Annan approached the women workers before their morning shift began.

The shy young women did not dare speak to him, but the older women gathered around Annan and talked nonstop.

"Why haven't you started work yet?" The factory owner walked in. The workers hurried back to their places, revealing Annan. "Uh... Lord Annan?"

He quickly dropped his arrogant manner.

"You know me?"

"Mr. Andrew Luna said you were staying here," the factory owner answered. "Didn't you know? He owns this building."

No wonder Andrew Luna had put him up here.

"I'm curious about these machines. How are they made?"

"Goblin Workshop. Those goblins are lazy and ugly, but they're good at making machines like these."

Annan watched the spinning wheels start turning. "Do they have better machines?"

"Uh... Mr. Andrew Luna's rent is so high that we can't afford better spinning wheels..."

Their efficiency was about what Annan had found during his investigation over the past two days.

"May I look around?"

"Of course!"

The factory owner was hoping Annan would put in a good word for him. There were no secrets here to steal anyway. "Would you like me to show you around, my lord?"

"No, thank you."

"You're too kind..."

The owner left in high spirits. Every now and then, Annan could hear him murmuring "thank you" to himself.

Annan first went over to the young women's spinning wheels, but his presence made them so nervous that their hands fumbled and they could barely spin. He had to watch the older women instead.

The Spinning Jenny gradually took shape in his mind.

Now that he had an idea, he needed to make it real. But Annan could not build it himself.