label crier_1:
window hide
with Pause(1)
show text "Nat" with dissolve
with Pause(2)
hide text with dissolve
window show
show inn zorder 3 with dissolve
#{I want to say 'the fountain in the town square' but I don't know if there is one…}
$fixthis = "the fountain in the town square"
show natimg zorder 4 with dissolve:
    xalign 0.05 yalign 0.25


nat  "I've been thinking about my count recently.  My knowing the time, that is.  You see, the thing is, it's all I can think about right at this moment.  Those people leaving recently has kind of thrown me.  Do you mind if I talk about it?"

menu:
    "Not at all Nat, I'm very impressed that you can do it.  You must be excellent with numbers.":
        $c=1
        nat  """

        Ah that's very kind of you [game.player_name], but it's really not the same.  I remember when I was young, they always used to call it learning your numbers and learning your letters, but it wasn't ever really like that.

        Did you get that?  As far as I see, learning your letters isn't really about learning letters at all.  I mean maybe a bit, so early on none of us can remember it, but you learn pretty fast your 'a's from your 'b's and such.

        No, it's about what you do with the letters, see?  Words and sentences and grammar and all that.  And it's the same with numbers.  Only I never really understood it.

        If it had just been learning the numbers then I could have been the best in the village and I don't like to speak immodest, but it's true and I swear it.

        But I never really learnt what to do with them beyond which one comes after which other one.  And that other stuff's what they really mean when they say learn your numbers, or when I say I can't do the number stuff.

        But you wanted to hear about the count, didn't you?
        """

        $game.town_stability +=1
        $c=4



    "Go ahead Nat, I'm listening.":
        $c=4


    "Just make it quick.":
        $game.town_stability -=1
        $c=2
if c==2:

    nat "Okay [game.player_name], I'll try and be quick."
    $c=4


if c==4:
    #{name of nearby town (I don't want to name things until we've had a conversation about what kind of naming conventions we want)}
    $fixthis2 = "Gritilz"
    nat """

    I've got a gift, see?  Got it a few years back when I went over to Gritilz.

    They've got one of them mechanical clocks there. Watched it for hours, got the rhythm stuck in my head, which I reckon isn't too hard, but I didn't have to think about the count of them. 

    But more than that, more than just keeping the rhythm, I count them.  Easy when you put sixty into sixty and sixty into sixty into twenty-four.  Keeps it all neat and the tick's always just about right.  And more, I can do it when I dream as well, so I don't lose the time when I sleep.

    Was staying there for a week, down in Gritilz, and at the end of that time I went back to that clock and what do you know?  Only seven seconds out!  Now I think that's quite impressive, if I do say so myself, but maybe you haven't seen these clocks and can't say how precise they are.
    
    """
    menu:
        "That all sounds very impressive Nat. I don't think I could even keep the right rhythm.":
            $c=5
                        
            nat  """

            Well that's very kind of you to say.  The Alderman says that I'm a fine crier and most of the people are nice to me, hopefully even more so now that that Edward is gone, but I think that my only real talent is the time thing.

            It's not necessarily what I would have chosen, but I'm lucky to have it.  Some folk have nothing you know.  Always got to remember them.

            Anyway, I'm terribly sorry [game.player_name], but I've got to go.  Coming up for the next ring now and I always take forever to climb the steps in the bell-tower.  Not that there's something hard about them, mind, I just don't like the height so I keep having to close my eyes.

            It was very nice of you to come and chat.

            """

            $game.town_stability +=2

        "I could keep the rhythm, but I have better things to do than count up all those seconds.":
            $c=6
            nat """

            Is that right?  Well I won't challenge you on it.  Would be rude.  Also there's no clock to measure us by here, and I don't want to leave and go back to Gritilz.  

            Still, probably best that I keep keeping the time.  You do have your other important things to do, don't you, like you said.

            Anyway, I'm terribly sorry [game.player_name], but I've got to go.  Coming up for the next ring now and I always take forever to climb the steps in the church.  Not that there's something hard about them, mind, I just don't like the height so I keep having to close my eyes.

            It was very nice of you to chat with me though.

            """

            $game.town_stability -=1


hide natimg with dissolve
hide inn with dissolve
return