Chapter 60: A Toast and a Ring
Morning light crept into the town hall.
Caelen stood at the long table with Borin, Garin, and Zira. Piles of wires, crystals, stone pieces, and scraps of bark covered the surface. The scent of glue and copper hung in the air.
Five hours passed.
They shaped the frame from smooth stone, lined it with bark as insulator, and fitted copper wires through tiny holes. Caelen looked down at the parts they had assembled.
"It's finally done," he muttered.
"Well," Borin said, wiping his brow, "the body's done. What now?"
"We design the prototype," Caelen said. "One that can call the other."
He turned to the screen beside him and typed:
"Simple telephone prototype – old rotary model"
A dozen results came up. Caelen picked one.
It was a black, rounded model with a spin dial, a curled cord, and a thick receiver that sat on top.