Jerome Bonaparte held the blueprint in his hand, then took a pencil from the dark red oak pen holder engraved with the scene of Napoleon crossing the Alps.
Although pencils of this era were the prototypes of those in later generations, there were still slight differences between the two.
Pencils in the 19th century were not only expensive but also much less durable, as a slight amount of force could easily break the tip.
Moreover, the primary material of pencils in this era was graphite, and France was a country scarce in graphite. Even with the improved pencils, which had significantly reduced graphite content due to Condé's innovations, it was hard to meet the massive demand of France. Sometimes, France had to rely on imported graphite, with most graphite-made pens being used for the French Army and engineering purposes.
Percy and Eugène Schneider watched the busy Jerome Bonaparte with curiosity and unease, wondering what Jerome Bonaparte was trying to do.
