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CHAPTER 3

New Skills

      PETER WAS eager to learn every printing task. His steady hands became skillful at pouring the molten metal into the type molds. Soon he could read the reversed letters with ease and set line after line of type without a mistake. When the first proofs were run, his keen eyes scanned every word — there must be no errors on a page that would be duplicated a hundred times . . . or a thousand! He learned to mix the ink and to lay it smoothly across the finished type. How satisfying it was to see the pages come off the press — perfect and clean, with never a wrong word or a mark that didn't belong!

      What's more, as he worked, Peter watched and thought and remembered. Before long, he was calculating how much ink they used in a day . . . in a week. After that, he made certain all the ingredients were on hand by the time they were needed, and a fresh supply of ink was already mixed before the ink-pot was dry. He took to ordering the paper, too, and then there were no more idle days of waiting for materials that someone had forgotten to buy.

      Although Johann Gutenberg's head was full of dreams and ideas, he was keenly aware of everything that affected his printing. As soon as he realized Peter's ability, he began giving him more and more responsibility. By late fall, Peter was the equal of Ulrich Zell, and second only to John Mentelin and to Gutenberg himself.

      One day, Gutenberg called together all of his workers and assistants. "Men, I've just come from a meeting with Banker Fust. He and I are going to become partners, and he's agreed to contribute 800 guilders to our work!"

      A ripple of sound went through the workmen. Eight hundred guilders? What a fortune! Only Ulrich Zell looked dark, for he disliked Johann Fust, and he had always resented Gutenberg's dependence on outsiders

      "With this sum of money, we'll be able to undertake a tremendous new project," Gutenberg continued. "We're going to create a magnificent, printed Bible. We'll hire fine artists to illustrate every page . . . and when we finish, it will be as beautiful as any manuscript, anywhere in the world."

      Again the hum of excitement ran through the group of men. Here at last was the great work they had all dreamed of! The textbooks and other materials they'd been printing were only practice pieces beside it.

      The old man lifted his hand for silence. "Mentelin and Zell will be working closely with me to cast a new and finer font of type. And when production begins on it, I want Peter Schoeffer to oversee the men setting the type."

      After he had dismissed the others, Gutenberg asked Peter to remain behind and talk with him.

      "I have an additional task for you," he said. "Fust is deeply interested in this Great Bible. When I'm busy with other things, I want you to meet with him and keep him informed."

      "Me, Sir?" Peter was surprised. "But I've never even met Johann Fust."

      "I know. And he's an bad-tempered man, hard to get along with. But I've been watching you. Anyone can see that you're a gentlemen, and you have a good mind. But I've also noticed that you know how to hold your temper, and you're good at managing people. That's why I've decided to take you with me this afternoon. Make yourself agreeable to the banker. If you can get along with him, you could be a great help to me."

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