[mark12_30]

He went back over to Tuka. "Have you talked to the Blacksmiths?"

Tuka nodded. "The molds are all still there. The tongs are there, the buckets and hammers are there. With the cutbacks in guards, it's usually deserted except for two guards at the entrance; it's pretty deep in the tunnel. If we could get in, we could probably light the fires again without being noticed. We could probably even manage in a couple of days to set aside and refine enough iron for ten small blades, or even fifteen. That's not the problem."

"What's the problem?"

"Wood. Nothing to burn."

Phura paced, incredulous. "None? There's no firewood left down there?"

"Nothing."

"Wood. I can't believe the only thing stopping us is wood. We've got to get around this. How much do you need?"

"A lot."

Gamba thought it over. "Wood." He hadn't really expected the idea to work anyway.

"If nothing else, the tongs and the hammers would be better than no weapon at all. There are pokers, for the fire, too, aren't there?"

Tuka grimaced. Gamba chuckled, and then coughed; Esta walked into the study and primped her hair slightly. The discussion halted while the guard passed by on the way to his post. Now that she was here, Esta sat beside Gamba. He seemed distracted, still.


ooc: Sharon, I was messed up. I thought that the meeting was tonight. Cancel what i said. Here goes stonethrowing and swim.

[ October 10, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]