“I can use the art of casting to make as many casts in the concave matrix as I want to have fonts or typefaces,” the scholar went on. “Then I arrange the typefaces, whose blocks fit perfectly next to one another, in the right order in this frame. This frame is small, for demonstration purposes, but normally it would be as large as the page in the book which is being made. As you can see, I set the length of the line thus. I put in slugs to set even margins. I secure the frame with an iron clamp so it doesn’t fall apart. I apply ink, the same ink you use—would you help me, Master Unger? I put it under the press, place a sheet of paper on it—Master Unger, the screw… And it’s done, if you please.”

At the exact centre of the sheet of paper, printed clearly and legibly, they saw:

IUBILATE DEO OMNIS TERRA PSALMUM DICITE NOMINI EUIS

“Psalm sixty-five.” Justus Schottel clapped his hands together. “Large as life!”

“I’m impressed,” admitted Scharley. “Greatly impressed, Master Gutenberg. I would be even more impressed were it not for the fact that it should be ‘dicite nomini eius’ and not ‘euis.’”

“Ha-ha!” The scholar beamed as though he’d played a prank on somebody. “I did that deliberately in order to demonstrate how easily one can make corrections. I remove the erroneously placed type like this, and put it in the right place—The screw, Master Unger… And here is the corrected text.”

“Bravo,” said Samson Honey-Eater. “Bravo, bravissimo. It is indeed impressive.”

Not only did Gutenberg’s mouth fall open, but also Schottel’s and Unger’s. It was clear they would have been less astonished if the cat, the statue of Saint Luke or the painting of Sebastian with the massive dick had spoken.

“Appearances can sometimes be deceptive,” Scharley explained after clearing his throat. “You aren’t the first to misjudge him.”

“And probably won’t be the last,” added Reynevan.

“I beg your pardon,” said the giant, spreading his hands. “I couldn’t resist… Being a witness—when all’s said and done—to an epoch-changing invention.”

“Ha!” Gutenberg beamed, like every artist glad to be praised, even if it was announced by a hulk with the face of an idiot whose head touched the ceiling. “That’s precisely it! Exactly! For just imagine, noble gentlemen, dozens of learned books, and one day, however ridiculous it sounds now, maybe even hundreds of them! Without arduous and interminable copying! Human wisdom printed and available! And if you, noble gentlemen, support my invention, I guarantee that your city, the splendid Świdnica, will be famous for ever as the place where the torch of enlightenment was lit. As the place whence light entered the entire world!”