Perhaps it didn't matter. That meant I got to walk all over the hillside looking for sticks while he got to strike the firestones together. But we would need the fire. Already the sun was setting and I began to feel cold. Big shots from Jerusalem, workers from Babylon and others.
Romans just like to count things.
It makes them feel important. They're like the traders. They think the more they have of something, even people, the richer they are. They should be content with what they have. The conversation drifted back and forth.