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 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.