Let me just say that I miss the internet. Modern mass production systems. Online ordering and shipping networks. Specialized supply stores. I could have easily ordered a bulk supply of safe, disposable, spring-loaded lancets for delivery within a week, or gone to a nearby medical supply store and purchased them retail without much effort. Such things were constantly in use both in home diabetes tests and hospital settings for blood donations. You could even order a home blood typing kit for about the same price as a fast food meal. Crap. Now I'm thinking about fast food. I know chocolate is a delicacy here, so maybe I can start the fried potato craze. Anyway, back to experiments. While mail order existed here, it would take on the order of several tendays at the fastest, if I even knew where to order from. As it is, lag times of a season are not out of the ordinary, even to the City. The rail system is speeding things up some, but there's only rail and light rail, there's no internal combustion engine. I have no idea how those work other than the basics of pistons and gas vapor and spark plugs, so I'm not going to be building one out from scratch. Almost all the simple appliances I understand can't be made here, they all plug in to an electrical system that doesn't exist yet. Anyway, this was not the most fun part of exploring the new and glorious world of magic, but if it took this route to protect my family from the fallout, I'm willing to work with it. Hmm, that's another phrase that makes no sense here, but I need to move along.

I ventured down to the local general goods store, which was much larger than Heinrig's, but much more poorly organized, even if I do say so myself.

"Pardon me, do you carry the new-style facial shavers and replacement blades?" Straight razors are still a thing here, and worst case, I can use those, but I'd have to use a boiling-water-based sanitization method with those, as well as resharpening and honing, rather than a simpler use and dispose methodology. Simpler for the testers and test subjects is better. The complicated electroshock system had proven that sufficiently for me. Also, the sharp small blades should limit the pain, along with a topical cream that mildly numbed and cleansed the finger that would be micro-lacerated. Something like the pain relief sprays we had in my old world, only without the strong up-front stinging sensation from the cleansers. As I didn't want a complete nerve block, but didn't want to have so much pain that the subjects balked, that particular combination was a fantastic difference from my former world. Germ theory isn't as advanced here, but they do know about cleaning up and debriding wounds and the basics of general sanitation for population and individuals, hence the sewers existing, even though full plumbing systems with elevated water towers and such weren't available for general use just yet. Again, I digress.

As I entered the shop, the tired-eyed man at the counter looked up from the pocket watch he was fiddling with. I was a bit surprised, I had seen a pocket watch before at Heinrig's, but it was about double the size of this one, which clearly indicated that someone was making more precise gears and clockworks than I was aware of. A point that would prove useful in the future, I was certain.

"Yes, we have some of those. Check down the fourth aisle, near the back."

"Thank you, that's a nice looking watch, it's quite a bit smaller than the last one I saw, is it new?"

"Yes, the Kantar Clockworks over on Fourth and Kimball just released these early last year. They sold out fast, and are slowly catching up with the order rush it seems. I put in my order almost half a year ago, and got it a few tendays ago, just in time to have it as my Yearturn present to myself."

"Well, congratulations. I hope it brings you joy. It is a beautiful piece."

"Thank you." His tired eyes sparkled a bit more as I walked away, which was nice. I could use that if I wanted to try for a bulk discount on the razor blade equivalents. Sincere compliments cost me nothing but a bit of thought, and can gain quite a bit of goodwill. Something I didn't really learn in the last world, but one of the first Rules of Wilhena. The key word is sincere though. Random compliments without thought or sincerity can be worse than just being politely distant.

I wandered down the indicated aisle, enjoying some of the smell of soaps and cleansers as I walked past them in what appeared to be a hygiene section of the store. I checked the available quantities and options for the shaver handle, but ultimately, I ended up not taking the basic shaver handles. Instead, I opted for just taking almost all of the small cartons of replacement blades. I'd need another order of them for later if things worked out, but I'd handle that at the counter.

"I see you found them, young man."

"Yes indeed, thank you. I nearly depleted your stock, will that be a problem? I may need a similar amount in the next month or so." I would end up ruining some when I made the prototype, and if I planned to use and dispose, it would take dozens a week even with only a small group of subjects.

"Shouldn't be a problem, but thanks for checking. Your total is 15 thaler 4 bits."

I handed the man ₮16 and got 4 bits back in change.

"Is there a way to order a full case of these for a discount in the future?"

"Let me check the books." He pulled out a fairly large catalog, flipped through it for a few moments, then looked up at me. "I can get you a full case for ₮12 plus ₮1 for shipping costs, with a delivery time of Threeday or Fourday next. Half up front, half on delivery?"

"That would be fine." I could easily wait that long for any more, I had just purchased 200 of the blade refills, each good for 2 uses as they were double sharpened. So, 400 of those would last me ... let me see, once per tenday per subject, hoping for 100 subjects for a season of testing, meaning 9 sessions, that was under half the testing time I hoped to need. Worst case, I can run the test twice in sequence to get more subjects. So the case was a few too many, but I suspected we'd have some get damaged in the change-outs. Better to have a reserve than run short at the end.

I pulled out ₮6 and the 4 bits, then gave the man my name, lodgings, and got a receipt for the half-payment. I was now almost out of my cash on hand. I would need to visit the bank for some cash anyway. The money for paying the subjects and my staff was already on deposit with the bursar's office in the Omni, and I could draw on the main trust for the supplies I had just purchased. I got another receipt for the purchase I had just made, since I'd need those for records. Paperwork. Once someone invents paper, it's only a matter of time until the needs of the bureaucracy start expanding to meet the expanding needs of the bureaucracy, as one of my former world's poets once opined. That thought appeared to be borne out in two worlds now.

I should get some clamps, screws, and a few tools so I could do the custom wood working for the testing jig prototype, so my next stop would be to get those along with some small bits of lumber, so I can cobble a prototype together. Once I have a prototype, I'll have someone make me six more refined copies so that all the testing rooms would have their own setup. Perhaps I could just talk them through what I wanted and let them create the whole thing. Either way, I'm going to need directions.

"Might you direct me to a reputable carpentry shop?"

Getting the directions, I figured it'd take a good bit of time to walk there, and I needed to stop by the bank, so I was going to use a hansom and hit the bank on the way. Only way to do it if I wanted to get this job done, or in the case of the woodworking started, today.