With the hatch blocked, the dwarves set themselves to new tasks. While Scourge started digging lower to see what might lie below the smoke-rock, Dodok, Olon, and Daedalus set about constructing a few workshops from smokerock. The stuff was surprisingly easy to work with, what with its weighing next to nothing
and pretty soon the chamber began to take on a rather homely appearance.
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4th of Slate, 1050
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Just as Daedalus finished putting up the last shop, somebody tapped him on the shoulder. "Hm, what-- oh. Olon?"
Olon, queen of the dwarves, stood before Daedalus in all her majesty, looking... not very imperious, actually. She seemed downright giddy. "I've got it," she cried. "My mandate!"
"Your... mandate."
"My mandate," she said, nodding solemnly. "I was thinking and thinking, trying to think what our fortress will need most, and just now I thought of it!" Olon attempted a regal bearing. "Daedalus Stukononul, expedition leader of the White Hammer, your queen commands thee: make us some coffins!"
"Coffins."
Olon bounced a little. "Uh-huh!"
Daedalus pinched the bridge of his nose. "How many coffins?"
"Uhh... three of them. For now."
"Three coffins."
"Yeah!"
"...I'll see what I can do," said Daedalus, resigning himself to his fate. "Oi, Scourge! What sort of rock we got down there?"
A distant voice sounded from below. "Lessee... we got... wicked vapor rock... profane gloom rock... sphalerite... sphalerite... sphalerite... sphalerite... bismuthinite... sphalerite..."
"Wait, how much sphalerite is down there?"
"A lot," said Scourge.
"Is there... is there any *rock* down there?"
"Not really," said Scourge. "Lots of sphalerite though."
Daedalus sighed. "Keep digging."
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Two days later, Scourge struck slate. Olon declared herself manager, broker, and bookkeeper in celebration.
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7th of Slate, 1050
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Tink... tink... tink... *SPLURCH*
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"Yeah, I know."
"You
know?"
"Sure," said Daedalus. "We're in a jungle. There was bound to be groundwater
somewhere. I'm just surprised it took us this long to find it!"
"Well-- well how am I supposed to dig through it?"
"You don't!" cried Daedalus. "We have enough rock up here to last us, and we can start a farm with the water! Just start carving out somewhere to put the food down there-- things are getting a bit cramped, what with the workshops and all. Get a drink first, maybe? You look parched."
"...Fine," said Scourge. "But we're gonna have to pierce that thing sooner or later, so you had better figure something out."
"Trust me," said Daedalus, grinning. Scourge stumped off for the ale-barrels, a thunderous expression on her face.
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