h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I want now to take you back - back into the mists of time, to roughly the 11th century. Imagine we are within a medieval monastery, and listen close.

Why would someone looking to score big and with nothing to loose dehydrate a minor Phoenician and thus invite great anger?

No google or wikipedia allowed.

There are klaxons, so be bold - preferably interesting - but never obvious.

Good luck.

- Because he or she had nothing to lose.
- By mistake.
- For practise.

Hold on -- is 'nothing to loose' the correct spelling? Did I fall into a trap?

Damnit - you caught me - I meant "lose". I have a dyslexic keyboard.

It would have to be on purpose.

to fake religious relics to sell to the gullable

Nope.

Hmmm... I know Phoenicia declined *before* the birth of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ . So, as a completely wild guess (that seemed to work for me last time!), maybe something to do with messing about with the Old Testament?

'Minor Phoenician' suggests a person -
But Phoenicia had long gone by 11th c
and
It's too early for that other place

So, we are (may be?) left with its Language or Alphabet.

I'll vote alphabet/writings by a minor character.
Some writing, on some all-too-perishable substance, that this person experimented with (to make clearer?).

anything to do with a pomegranate

"Anything to do with a pomegranate?"

- nope.

'maybe something to do with messing about with the Old Testament?'

mmmmm.... maybe.....

Rod, for your speculations, take a DGI +1.

I can do it too: anything to do with swearing?

(random word courtesy of http://watchout4snakes.com/creativitytools/RandomWord/RandomWord.aspx)

What about my anal-ysis at 9? Put me out of my mystery, please.

Dammit, too late again. This update on Brunel My Conversations has deteriorated!

Thanks, Clive

>>Why would someone looking to score big and with nothing to loose dehydrate a minor Phoenician and thus invite great anger?<<

Score could read music, but unlikely, considering the period. However, score also means to cut or engrave and, being a monastery, the main thing monks scored were illuminated tracts.
Many of the compounds used to create the inks and dyes were made by grinding, heating, dehydrating/hydrating etc. said compounds. The anger may, perchance, be due to form, style or type of illumination?



MMF

>>Minor Phoenician' suggests a person <<

- indeed it does.

>>But Phoenicia had long gone by 11th century <<

- yup.

>>and It's too early for that other place <<

- indeed.

>>So, we are (may be?) left with its Language or Alphabet. <<

- DGI +1

>>I'll vote alphabet/writings by a minor character. <<

- Quiet so.

>>Some writing, on some all-too-perishable substance, that this person experimented with (to make clearer?)<<

Not exactly....

Or maybe the phoenician Was the writing material, such as vellum. Skin was used as a form of paper by some.

MMF

I see my style is rumbled.

Yes "score" does have many meanings.

Have a DGI +1 for "illumination."