You hear some frantic scratching on a chalkboard. Then The Timekeeper pokes his head out the window again. I suppose you’re right,
he admits grudgingly. Here’s an obol for your assistance.
A single coin falls to your feet. The head disappears, and a few moments later the old man emerges from the tower.
Anyway, down to business,
he says. Though I must warn you: knowledge does not come cheap. To be precise, anyone not in the Timekeepers’ Guild must pay 30 obols to get information from me.
Your jaw drops. That’s a fortune. So how can I get into this Guild?
you ask half-seriously.
You pass our entrance exam, naturally.
The Timekeeper pulls out a sheaf of papers. I’ll ask you a series of questions about lengths of time. All I want you to do is tell me what measurement is most appropriate: seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, or centuries. Don’t bother getting the exact number—just the best units of measurement. If you think the answer is 365 days, for example, the best units would be months. Twenty years is best described as decades. Understand? You’ll get a point for every unit of measurement you’re off. Saying months instead of seconds, for example, would earn you 5 points. If you score 35 or LESS, you’ll be the newest member of the Timekeepers’ Guild. By the way, you only get about 10 seconds to answer each question—so don’t waste time trying to calculate exactly. Ready?
You’re on the honor system to take no more than 5 minutes to finish the exam.