Chapter 12: Persian Waterwheel II

"Alright, now push the log in and join it in the gap." A sound that belonged to a 4 years old boy was heard in the middle of the group. The boy was teaching them new way of wood-crafting that he called Kanawatsugi.

It's been few days since he has started to teach the carpenters and Engineers the way of Kanawatsugi. Some of the remaining workforce was digging a huge well in the outskirts of the village. Radheya had instructed them to just dig the Lake and do nothing more since digging canals would require more than just few instruction.

Radheya hadn't expected such a big help from the crown but he accepted it nonetheless. The crown had not only provided with the funding in terms of wages and logistics expense but also in terms of skilled and experienced manpower. The Royal workforce was very easy to teach to and they had already grasped the basics of Kanawatsugi.

At the rate they were going through, it won't take much time for the project waterwheel to be completed. At most it will take 1 month with all of the 'failures' that will occur before they could deploy it safely. Succeeding in 1st try with no recorded history would be suspicious so it was better to have few test failures before the success.

"Not that way. If you do that then the measurement will be off and they won't be joined." Radheya told one of the workers who was messing up the measuring technique while the learning the way of newly introduced way of joinery. "You have to be very careful with the equipment and must take precise measure before doing anything. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Radheya. I understand. I will be very careful."

"Good."

It was a comical sight to those who were looking. A child was instructing man more than 5-times his age. But it was what it was. Radheya was the one who was blessed with this knowledge by Devi Ganga and there people no matter how older had no problem learning from him.

"Don't use that tool. It's faulty. Use the one next to that"

"Use the measuring scale I gave you. It will be easier." 

"Yes, you are doing well. Now move to the next step and make a chair similar to the design with this joinery. And I want it done in 3 days. Form a group with another who passes the test and divide the task. It will be faster."

"Good job."

Radheya was giving one-on-one instructions to those who seems to be lacking behind others and compliments to the others to keep them motivated. Doing this not only ensured that all of them will learn these techniques but also allow Radheya to keep record of their talent in learning and their individual skill level.

When Radheya was sure that everyone had moved on to the test of making chair, he decided to move on to check the progress on the lake. The lake was being overseen by the Elder Dharmapal.

"Good day, Elder Dharmapal. How are you today?"

"Boy asks 'how am I?' I thought that the boy would be doing good for us, making our lives easier. So, I help him. I make people listen to boy. And what does boy does? He repays me by making my old bones work. I was enjoying my old age and he somehow makes me do his work. And he now comes and asks 'how are you'?"

Although the words were complaining, the expressions on the face of Elder Dharmapal were anything but. Seeing this Radheya had a smile on his face. He sat near Elder and said, "Elder how is the lake coming?"

"The lake is coming nicely. At the rate it is going on, the lake will be completed in about 10-12 days."

"10-12 days huh. It's not bad. I think the 1st waterwheel will be completed in about 15 days from now. We will have to make the canal as soon as possible."

"The 1st waterwheel?"

"Yes, the 1st waterwheel. We will have to make many wheels before the project is surely and safely constructed and installed. Or did you think that we will succeed in one try. We are humans not god Vishwakarma that we can do perfect job in only one try. We will need to make a lot wheels and do a lot of tests to be able to perfectly install the wheel."

"Ahh, you are right. I didn't think about that at all. By the way, when are you going to start making the canals? If the wheel will be ready in 15 days, then the canals needs to be ready before that."

"You are right. The canals needs to be ready before the wheel is installed. And while it can be done in 2-3 days, I will prefer to invest a little more time to the canals. These canals will not only be used in lake but also when the watermill is established.

Normally the building for watermill is first constructed and then a small canal for water is made. If we were to do that then it will take at least 5-6 months. We need to show the results to the crown before that. So I will be making canal first then construction of the mill.

Hence, I need to be extra careful during the construction of the canal. And for that reason I will need a little more time. Elder I want you to increase the rate of lake construction so the workers can be free and I can use them in canal construction which will allow me to be properly plan and make the canal."

"Hmm, I can increase their rate and some of use elders can help by removing the dirt alongside few kids. If we do that then it may be done within 10 days. But I don't think I can make workers go faster than that."

"That will be enough, Elder. Though, I will need your help in similar way while making the canal."

"No, problem on that point. You will get every help you want, you just need to order and it will be done."

"Thank you Elder Dharmapal."

A month later:

It's been a month since the work regarding the Waterwheel has been going on in Champanagari under the leadership of Radheya. Today, the entire village was gathered around the riverbank in order to witness the inaugural of the Waterwheel.

"People of Champanagari. Today we have gathered here to witness the inauguration of the Waterwheel. A tool that will help our problems of irrigation. No longer will we be dependent on the rain only. Even if there is drought, we will be able to grow crops, grains and other fruits. With this waterwheel, our fields will remain lush and our granaries full."

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"Now let's put this wheel into action."

With great heave, the workers pushed the lever, allowing the waterwheel to touch the flowing river for the first time. The pots dipped into the water and the wheel turned. The project was working.

A murmur of approval spread throughout the crowd and it turned into cheers.

The wheel looked like thing of art. Like a divine beauty of heaven. As people began celebrating—CREAK

A loud sound was heard which made the entire crowd go silent. The engineers who had worked on the wheel, were looking at it with saying from the beginning and they were the first to hear the sound.

SNAP!

A piece of wood shot off like an arrow from the bow of a hunter while barely missing one of the engineers. The wheel shook violently and with the speed of a cheetah, the entire structure detached, while spinning madly as it broke free from its wooden supports.

With a whoosh, the wheel bounced on the river surface before moving forward like an unchained mad elephant. The wheel didn't even show a sign of slowing but rather sped forward towards a banyan tree and rammed into it causing a group of monkeys and birds to shriek and flee in all direction.

There was silence for few moments as if people were giving 'moment of silence' in honor of the few glorious moment that the waterwheel had.

"Well, at least the wheel itself is strong."

Radheya broke the silence after witnessing that the wheel itself is not that much damaged as compared to what was expected when it rammed into the banyan tree with that speed.

The engineers nodded while the villagers looked on as if Radheya had said something stupid.

"The wheel is strong? The entire wheel was thrown off. It's been destroyed. How are we going to answer the King for this?"

"For what?"

"For failing at this task?"

"Who failed what task?"

"You failed the task of installing the Waterwheel Radheya. The wheel flew off and rammed into the banyan tree."

"Yeah and because of that we now know that the only areas we need to improve in is the bolt. Otherwise the wheel was working fine. Now, when we install the wheel for real, we will have no problem."

"Install it for real? You mean to say this time it wasn't for real."

"No it wasn't. It was a test. We will be doing many test like this before installing the wheel for real."

"If it wasn't then why did you tells us it was the inauguration of the Waterwheel? And why did you give that speech before putting the wheel into the water?"

"I didn't specifically say that it was inauguration. And I gave the speech because I didn't feel it would good to just put the wheel into the water without saying anything."

"So… we build another one."

"Give me a week. And a lot of wood. Also, some iron."

So the first test of Waterwheel ended in chaotic success. Because at the very least everyone agreed that it was amusing to watch the wheel sped forward. For it will be a story that will be told as folklore to the grandchildren to entertain them for a longtime.