again.
'Too bad you can't change into a man, even briefly,'
Sturm said. 'Then all this digging would be unnecessary.'
'Alas, shape-Shifting has never been a talent known among brass dragons. There are texts On the matter, that Of the elf wizard Dromondothalas being the most famous. But my library is completely lacking in Such books.'
Kitiara kicked a Wide Wedge Of stone loose. It slipped through the hole. Seconds later, a distant thud revealed that it had landed in the cavern below. She Said, 'Where did your books come from?'
'What books I have I had from the beginning. The maker
Of the Obelisk provided them, I believe, So that the Keeper Of the New Lives Would have some knowledge Of the Wider worlds beyond Lunitari. There are tomes Of history, geogra phy, letters, medicine, alchemy — '
'And magic,' said Sturm, bringing the hammer down.
'Half the Scrolls are related to magic,' agreed Cupelix.
In two hours' Work, the humans Succeeded in widening the hole by several inches all around. Cupelix expressed sat isfaction with their progress, but Kitiara Was disgusted.
'At this rate, well be too Old to lift the tools by the time
We cut a hole big enough for you,' She said to the dragon.
'I think We're going about this the hard way,' Sturm Said.
His alms and back ached, and his head pounded from the
Strain Of working So hard in the thin air. 'I remember the masons at the castle cleaving Stones as thick as this floor
With One Or two blows. Let me have Some cool Water, and
I'll think about it a while.' He took the water bottle from
Kitiara and Slumped by the near wall.
Kitiara went Out. To her unconcealed surprise, the gnomes had already wrapped their rickety platform around three sides Of the Obelisk to a height Of Six feet. Boards, posts, tool handles and beams were pegged and lashed together Wherever space allowed.
'How goes it?' she said, turning away and almost bowl ing Over Stutts.
'We're ratcheting right along,' he Said. 'Are you making any progress On the floor?'
'Very little, I'm afraid.' She fingered her left biceps. 'All this extra muscle power is going to Waste. If I swing too hard, 111 Only break the tool.'
'I see.' Stutts squinted at the midday sun. 'Only two and a half hours Of light left. Let's have a look at your progress.'
They entered and found Sturm kneeling On the floor, star ing at the water pitcher. He looked from it to One Of the areas where they'd Scarred away the polished Surface. Then he Stared Once more at the Water pitcher. Cupelix had hopped back up to his perch.
'What are you doing?' Kitiara asked Sturm.
'I remember how they did it,' Sturm replied. 'The masons at castle Brightblade used to quarry Out enormous blocks Of granite with just four men.'
'How did they do it?' asked Stutts.
'They bored holes along the block they wanted to free and drove in thick Wooden pegs. Then they Soaked the Pegs in water. The Swelling wood cracked the stone.'
Stutts looked at Sturm and blinked. 'That's ingenious.'
Kitiara Said, 'But can We bore holes in the marble?'
'We have some steel augers,' Said the gnome. 'With your strength and the right approach — yes, easily!'
Stutts ran back to the pile Of goods discarded from the fly ing ship and returned with a large brace and bit. He explained quickly how, when boring Stone, it Was impor tant to keep the bit cool and lubricated. Sturm would trickle water around the bit while Kit turned the brace.
They tried it, and bored through the twenty-inch-thick floor in thirty minutes. Flushed with success, they bored more holes, connecting the first Micone hole with the Sec ond, about twelve feet away. Using this line as the base Of a triangle, Sturm and Kitiara angled Out into the main floor
Space. They were well into the triangle's Second arm, When the sun Went down and the gnomes came Streaming in. Flash announced that the scaffold was done.
'Then find a bit and join in,' Kitiara said. 'More Water,
Sturm! The handle feels hot!'
It was well past midnight when they finished, thirty-Six holes in all. Cupelix worked up an especially bracing repast with thick soup and lots Of bread. They had mined four bits, and Kitiara's hands were blistered.
Rainspot Offered her Some soothing Salve, but She declined. 'Let's get On With it,' She Said. 'Get the pegs.'
The gnomes did the peg work. They cut lengths from the remaining Scrap Wood, and Sturm banged these home with the sledge. Everyone cleared Out Of the triangle area formed by the bored holes. Kitiara filled a canvas bucket With Water and handed it to Sturm.
'Your honor,' she Said. 'Your idea.'
He took the handle. 'This is for the good yeoman Of Cas tle Brightblade,' he answered, dousing each peg in turn, refilling the bucket, and dousing them all again.
Nothing happened.
'Well?' Said Kitiara, bracing One hand On her hip.
'It takes a while,' said Sturm. 'The pegs have to swell.
We'd better have some more water.'
Sturm poured water On the pegs three more times. The tops Of the pegs clearly Swelled above the level Of the floor, but little else appeared to happen.
'wonderful,' Kitiara said Sarcastically. She loped Out,
Snorting With ill-concealed contempt. One by One, the gnomes gave up, and went Outside. Sturm Shook his head.
'It Worked for my father's masons,' he Said.
'Masonry is an arcane art,' Cupelix said. 'Its secrets are not easily adapted by the untrained.'
Then the floor went crack.
Near the hole that Sturm and Kitiara had So laboriously enlarged, a hairline crack reached from the first peg, across the marble, to the peg On the Other Side Of the hole. Sturm laid the sledge On his shoulder and hurried to the scene. He
Was about to smite the Splitting Stone, When he heard another crack, and a fissure slowly zigzagged from the tri angle's far point to its base; Sturm raised the hammer.
'No, wait,' Said the fascinated dragon.
The line between the Micone holes jumped apart, and
Sturm started backward. A section Of stone, larger than any they'd released by hand, broke free and plunged into the cavern below. That Opened the floodgates, and the entire triangle collapsed into the cavern with a rush. The Obelisk rang with the concussion as a ton Of marble hit the resonant floor a hundred feet down.
Kitiara burst in, the gnomes at her heels. 'Great suffering gods! What was that?' She cried.
Sturm dusted his hands and pointed dramatically to the gaping hole in the floor. 'The way is clear for Cupelix to descend!' he Said.
The gnomes were all for going On and bringing the Obelisk down that very night, but Sturm and Kitiara were both exhausted and begged Off. Cupelix supported them, saying that he had many items he Wished to Save from destruction before the tower Was demolished. He flew up to his private aerie and left the mortals to take their ease.
The gnomes quieted after the initial rush Of Success wore
Off. They burrowed into the Cloudmaster's jetsam and
Slept, their tinny Snores Sounding like an Operatic war between bullfrogs and crickets. Sturm Stretched Out On a blanket surrounded by Stacked crates. The Sky Was bril liantly clear as usual, and he counted Stars to make
