Ombrak Scales

A parcel lands on the counter at Ombrak & Co., the beam lurches towards it, and the brass weights sit in their drawer looking innocent. Somebody has to level the thing. How it works Tap a weight, then tap a hook. Each side of the beam shows its pull, so you can see exactly how far out you are. Hang the right weights and the beam settles with a satisfying chime; hang the wrong ones and it lets you know by leaning, at some length. Two rules stop it being a sum on a worksheet: – Weights may hang beside the parcel as well as opposite it. A 10 on one side and a 2 beside an 8 g parcel is perfectly respectable accounting. – On later orders the beam is notched. A weight on the second hook pulls twice as hard as on the first; the third hook pulls three times as hard. Levers, essentially, with nicer brass. What is behind the counter – Three counters, Tea, Spice and Silk, with twelve orders each. They open in turn as your stars mount up. – Every order has a par: the fewest weights that will do the job. Match it and the receipt shows three stars. Match it for the first time and a hint goes into the drawer. – A daily order, the same for everyone on a given day, and a streak for those who enjoy that sort of thing. – A weight cabinet of six engraved sets, from plain counter brass to gilded sunburst, opened by stars rather than money. – Sound, haptics and reduced motion can each be switched off. The beam still swings; it is merely more polite about it. The look is a 1920s shop counter: jade panels, sunburst fans, oxblood ribbon and a good deal of polished brass. The numbers are large and engraved, so the arithmetic is never lost behind the decoration. Nothing here wants a connection, an account or your card details. The stars are kept on the phone, and the phone is welcome to keep them.