<3ACT ONE>3
<1The Morning>1
<1The action takes place in the small room adja->1
<1cent to the Design Room of a carpet factory. It>1
<1is here that the powder colours used by the>1
<1designers in the preparation of the paper>1
<1patterns is ground and dished. The powder>1
<1paint is prepared on marble slabs by the appren->1
<1tice designers, who are known as "Slab Boys".>1
<1Large palette knives are used to mix the powder>1
<1colour with water and gum arabic (the gum pre->1
<1vents the paint from flaking off the patterns).>1
<1The individual colours vary in "grittiness", that>1
<1is it may take several hours of grinding to pro->1
<1duce a small pot of rose pink whereas yellow>1
<1ochre may take only twenty minutes to half an>1
<1hour. The gum arabic comes in crystal form and>1
<1has to be strained through muslin in the gum>1
<1making process to remove impurities. The Slab>1
<1Boys may serve anything from a year to four>1
<1years in the Slab Room before (if ever) going>1
<1onto a desk as . . .
