CHAPTER 18 - 18: INK AND EARTH, FOUNDATIONS OF PROSPERITY

The morning sun of July 23, 1177, cast long shadows across the courtyard of Jerusalem's citadel as Ethan, as King Baldwin IV, convened his council. His silver mask hid the worsening leprosy—lesions now brushing his jawline despite the chamomile-aloe-sulfur mixture—while willow bark tea dulled the fever from his recent four-day journey to Gaza. The mold experiments, ongoing for a week, showed no change yet, the green patch on his arm itching under Gerard's watchful eye. Baldwin's memories steadied his resolve, but Ethan's modern mind drove a new venture: a paper mill to support his printing press and economic growth. The court's unrest, Byzantine arrival, and farming progress demanded attention, shaping his legacy against disease and betrayal.

The court remained a tense web. The minor baron faction, led by the Lord of Caesarea, grew bolder, their whispers of a coup fueled by envy over Ethan's control of Nablus and Tripoli lands—a day's ride apart. Balian, guardian of young Baldwin V, reported their meetings in Galilee, a two-day ride north, urging vigilance. Odo de St. Amand, loyal but cautious, reinforced Templar patrols, while the Lord of Sidon pushed for trade gains. Ethan addressed the council, his voice hoarse. "We strengthen Jerusalem from within. The traitors' fall was just; now, we build." The hall nodded, though Caesarea's glare hinted at defiance.

That afternoon, Ethan turned to his latest innovation: a paper mill. Recalling 15th-century European methods, he envisioned a facility to produce paper for his Bible-printing press, reducing costs and boosting trade. He summoned Anselm and a team of craftsmen, outlining the process. First, they needed raw materials—rags from local markets, linen from Jaffa (a three-day ride), and water from the city's wells. He ordered a survey of the Kidron Valley, a day's ride east, for a mill site with a reliable stream. Next, he tasked laborers with building a wooden frame structure, estimating a month for construction using timber from Montgisard (a three-day journey). Inside, they'd install a waterwheel, powered by the stream, to drive a stamping mill—iron hammers to pulp the rags, forged locally over two weeks. Alkaline ash from bakeries and lime from Acre (a day's ride north) would treat the pulp, with vats for soaking and screens for pressing sheets, a process refined over a month's trials. He allocated funds from his Tripoli revenues, planning production to start in three months, with exports to Acre and Europe (five-day sea journey to Constantinople) to follow.

Economic progress bolstered his plan. The printing press prototype, nearing completion after a month, showed promise—wood blocks carved with Bible text, ink tested on parchment. Merchants from Acre reported interest from pilgrims, projecting sales to fund the bank. The banking system, based on Templar models, advanced as advisors suggested strongholds in Jerusalem and Acre for deposits, with couriers to Jaffa and European branches (Constantinople, Venice, Paris over years). The scribe estimated a year to establish secure vaults, using local stone. Street sweepers, active for a week, cleared Jerusalem's streets, with Jaffa's teams training, improving public health and merchant access. Bathhouse construction near the citadel began, stone arriving from Montgisard, with heated floors planned in a month.

Farming thrived. The crop rotation pilot near Jerusalem, started a week ago, showed early legume growth, enriching soil for wheat next season. Canals in Jaffa and Acre, a three-day and one-day ride respectively, irrigated fields, while windmill designs progressed, their milling capacity to start in two months. Village elders reported higher yields, feeding the militia and towns, with surplus for trade.

A scout confirmed Saladin's year-long consolidation in Egypt, his forces licking wounds from Gaza's losses, a ten-day march delayed. His scouts, a three-day ride from the Sinai, monitored but posed no threat. The Byzantine cataphracts and ships, arrived a day's ride north at Acre after a five-day sea journey, brought six hundred men and ten vessels. Ethan met their commander that day, planning their integration into Gaza's defense, a four-day trek, to be finalized in a week.

That evening, the mold experiment's lack of progress worried him. The heat test with a forge flame showed no change, and his reflection in a shield revealed Baldwin's mask, not Ethan's face. Was his identity slipping? Balian's warning of Caesarea's faction loomed, but the paper mill, economic gains, and farming success offered hope. He adjusted his mask, determined to fortify Jerusalem against intrigue and disease.