'Scaffolding would be better,' Sighter argued. 'There's
Some Scrap lumber from the Ship.'
'How will we get the vitriol up there?' asked Cutwood.
'Glass vials and beakers,' Said Sighter. 'That Stuff will eat through anything else.'
Sturm cleared his throat loudly. Kitiara Said impatiently,
'Speak up, Sturm.'
'The Ship is almost light enough to float, but Birdcall and
Flash Won't agree to discard the useless engine,' he reported.
'So what? Take a hammer and knock it to pieces,' She
Said. 'That's the Way to get things done.' cutwood and
Sighter looked at her in some surprise, and Sturm prudently refrained from commenting. Instead, he asked if they'd heard from Cupelix.
'Not a peep. He's being very stubborn.'
Sturm went inside. The vast Open floor Was deserted. The ship, the gnomes, and their gear had all been removed. Only the three gaping holes for the Micones Were the same.
'Cupelix?' he called. 'Cupelix, I know you can hear me.
Come down.' His voice echoed through the empty Space.
'Kitiara is going ahead with this vitriol Scheme Of hers.
She'll bring this tower down about your ears, just to prove
She can do it.' He felt the faint but distinct touch Of the dragon's mental voice.
L trust you, Brightblade. You tell the truth.
'A man's truthfulness is his duty to the Measure,' Sturm replied.
I made a bargain with dear Kit: If she would advocate my cause to the gnomes, I would accompany her for two years upon our return to Krynn.
Sturm frowned. 'For what purpose?'
I know not. But it was important enough that she was
Whilling to abandon you and your friends to reach Krynll.
'You must be jesting! Kitiara Wouldn't do that t'
I am very Serious, Brightblade. When she believed the ship ruined, she pressed me to take her away when I left.
'Why are you telling me this?'
Her ambition worries me. Every living thing has an aura; have you heard this? It is true. The aura reveals the spark Of life that animates the body without. Yours, for example, is a golden yellow, strong, radiant, and unvarying. But Kitiara's is fiery red and streaked with black. The black is growing in her.
Sturm Waved dismissively. 'I don't know What you're talking about. Kit is strong-willed and impetuous, that's all.'
You are wrong, my virtuous friend.
J' come down, dragon, and help us with your release.
That's all I have to Say.' Sturm marched Out.
The gnomes had the lowest Stages Of a Scaffold lashed together. Sturm noted the brightening Sky. 'Sunrise,' he
Said. 'Better come inside till after the tower discharges.'
There was a rumble Overhead. The sun peeked Over the
Valley Wall, and the early rays hit the marble tower. The rumble deepened. The first crackles Of lightning were arcing from the Obelisk's peak. The Whole valley shook With the force. Another brief day began On Lunitari.
You don't have to Shake the tower so! I intend to join in.
The group broke into relieved laughter. 'Gives us a lot Of credit, doesn't he?' Kitiara said. They Streamed back to the unfinished Scaffold.
Stutts explained, in great detail, the vitriol Plan to Cupe lix. The dragon was not sanguine about it. He was more interested in taking the top Off the tower, but there was not enough Wood to erect a Scaffold five hundred feet high.
'It's too bad you can't go down to the cavern,' Said
Wingover. 'You'd be Safe there.'
'Who Says I can't?' the dragon answered.
'The holes in the floor aren't big enough to let you pass,' the gnome Objected.
'Then we Shall make them bigger. Will this corrosive Of yours eat through marble?'
'Ah, we're not certain,' said Stutts. 'I wish I'd Studied alchemy more closelyl Then I could tell you.'
'Why don't We try a more direct approach' Let's apply vitriol to the floor stones,' Offered Cupelix.
The flying ship's erstwhile china milk pitcher was pressed into service as a vitriol vessel. They breached the keg head and dipped the pitcher in until it Was full.
'Careful!' said Stutts. Kitiara nodded, tight-lipped, as drops fell from the pitcher's lip and landed, sizzling, On the ground, leaving black, smoking scorch marks.
Kitiara walked very Slowly to the Obelisk, gnomes danc ing attendance On each Side, prattling On with useless but well-intended advice. Sturm hurried ahead to clear the way.
Cupelix had come all the way down to the floor to be as close as possible to the experiment. Holding the pitcher at aim's length, Kitiara dribbled a thin Stream Of vitriol On the rim Of One Of the Micones' holes. The corrosive hissed and
Sizzled villainously, and after a few minutes, the bubbling stopped.
'Whewf' said Kitiara. 'This Stuff Stinksl'
Wingover tapped the doused area With a Slender mineral hammer. 'The stone has definitely decayed,' he announced,
'though not by much. It would take gallons and gallons Of
Oil Of vitriol to eat through this thick marble.'
'We haven't got an endless Supply,' Kitiara reminded him.
'Fifty gallons; that's as much as we have.'
'Then it's picks and mattocks,' Said Sturm. 'Hand work. I knew it would come down to sweat and blisters eventually.'
The gnomes returned Outside to work On extending the scaffolding around three sides Of the Obelisk. Kitiara and
Sturm found the heaviest digging tools the gnomes had and
Set to work. It was hard going. The floor Was tough, and the tools were Small. What amounted to a full-sized pick for a gnome was little bigger than a hand adze to a human.
It was hot inside the tower, as they chipped away at the marble. Kitiara Stripped Off her cloak and mail Shirt and worked in her light blouse. Sturm set aside his armor and quilted tunic, too. Cupelix did What he could to make their labor easier. He fanned them with his broad wings and flushed the chips and dust Out Of their way. He told clever stories that he'd garnered from his reading.
Sturm discovered that Cupelix was a devotee Of the elven bard, Quivalen Soth. The dragon knew the 'Song Of Huma' by heart. Even more interesting Was a lost cycle Of songs by
Quivalen about Huma and the Silver Dragon. Kitiara had not heard the tale Of Huma's love for the Silver Dragon, and was fascinated.
'A true tragedy,' said Cupelix, fanning a breeze Over them. 'That a dragon should descend from its noble natural form to that Of a mortal. Tsk, tsk.'
Sturm traded his small pick for an equally small sledge hammer. It hit the floor with a crack that stung his hands.
'You think dragons are better than people?' he asked.
'Without a doubt. Dragons are bigger, Stronger, have more abilities and powers, live longer, do more, and have unequaled mental qualities,' Said Cupelix. 'What can humans do that dragons can't?'
'Walk Out Of here,' said Kitiara, leaning On her pick. The fanning Wings missed a beat, then started up
