The Armor of Light: A Novel

Two years later, Sal and Kit are still working for Amos. The business has expanded, but the war in Europe has raised the cost of goods, and many working people struggle to support themselves. Roger arrives at the mill with a new machine called a scribbling engine, and Amos explains the situation to the hands (the workers in his mill). He received a large order recently. Rather than turn down the order, he invested in a machine which would allow him to make a modest profit. At the same time, he tells the hands, he does not want anyone to lose their jobs. His acquisition is a compromise between investing in new machinery and ensuring that people can support themselves. He can “hold piece rates at the same level, fulfill Mr. Shiplap’s order, and keep [the hands] all working” (144) if they use the scribbling engine. The hands trust Amos and agree to accept the machine into the mill.

Sal and Kit share a house with a woman named Joanie, as well as Sue (Joanie’s daughter), Jarge (Joanie’s brother), and Dottie (Joanie’s elderly aunt). By this time, Sal has “given up on love” (147) and still thinks about Harry often. In a local pub, she talks to other hands about the changing nature of textile manufacture.