Chapter 474

Ryan crushed the remaining paper pulp on one of the sieves, though it hardly required any force. The paper had scattered like cotton wool with a gentle tug. Ryan headed back to the cave in frustration. The papermaking process he had seen on TV appeared so easy, yet why couldn't he replicate it? Was it because the paper pulp wasn't finely crushed enough, as Nina suggested? Or did they need adhesive, as Eloise proposed? But what exactly was considered an adhesive, and where could they find it in this remote place? Lost in thought, Ryan tossed and turned, before eventually falling asleep. The next day, he woke up to bright sunlight that indicated it was around 10:00 am. Ryan had stayed up late the previous night, hence the late waking hour. The cave was unusually quiet, with none of the five women in sight. On a rock sat a bowl filled with cornmeal porridge, a piece of roasted fish, and some purslane. Freya had prepared a balanced and nutritious breakfast for Ryan. Her husband must