“Argus knows what he’s doing,” Warren said, patting the other man on the back. “He mined in Kelardia before coming to Adoria, and he’s already overseen the excavation of several lodes here.”
Two of the men began strapping on harnesses and ropes, and Cedric offered to go with them. “You stay on the ground,” said Elias. “We need skilled climbers who can get out in time. You can help when we’re ready to dig it out—and then you can fall at your leisure.”
We’d mentioned Cedric’s fall while at Warren’s, and Elias had blamed it on Cedric’s inexperience, rather than faulty equipment. Anger flared up in me, and I started to speak, but Cedric laid a calming hand on my arm. “We have bigger battles to fight,” he murmured.
“Elias,” said Warren in a warning voice.
Elias eyed Cedric for several moments, seeming undecided about something. At last, he said reluctantly, “If you want to help, you can fasten the second load of explosive components together. Just fasten them. Don’t take the pins out. We don’t need these going off.”
The components were clearly marked, one blue and one red, and Argus demonstrated how to intricately twist the two cases so they clicked into place, one on top of the other. The pin that stopped them from mixing was fixed in tightly between them. “Hard to get out—but still, be careful. Go slow.”
“I’ll help,” I said, starting to kneel with Cedric in the grass.
“In Uros’s name, no,” groaned Elias. “I just said we don’t need these going off. This is men’s work, Miss Bailey. Not sewing and mending.”
I put my hands on my hips. “I’m aware. And I’ve been doing ‘men’s work’ for weeks now.”
“She’s actually better at it than sewing and mending,” remarked Cedric, deadpan.
Elias turned to Warren beseechingly. “Sir, I beg you.”
“Elias, she is a very capable woman, and you’d do well to recognize that,” said Warren sternly. He turned to me. “But, in fairness, I know when too many hands are involved in that kind of detailed work, it actually can get more complicated. Would you mind terribly if instead I took you up on your earlier hospitality? I thought I smelled tea back there, and now I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Elias’s smug smile nearly drove me to refuse. I’d served them willingly last time, but now this felt like proof that I could do only “women’s work.” But I kept the polite façade and went back to the shanty, grateful that on this trip, at least, I didn’t have to hide Alanzan artifacts. I’d used up the last of my cinnamon thorn tea this morning and would have to endure the humiliation of asking Mistress Marshall for more. Not that I would’ve ever served that to Warren anyway. I instead used some decent black that Cedric had splurged on during a recent trip to town.
By the time it was steeped and ready to go, I found all sorts of progress outside. Warren’s men were almost at the top of the outcropping. Cedric was just about finished with his task when Elias unceremoniously set down an enormous pile of rope, as well as a couple more explosives with the components already joined. “Since you’re so eager to help,” said Elias, “this needs untangling.” His tone was as demeaning as ever. I was about to hurry over to help Cedric, but Warren beckoned me over, excitement on his face. He pointed up.
“We could mine what’s at the top with picks, but the bottom would be too inaccessible because of the column’s narrowness. Once they’ve assessed what’s there, they’ll blow off the outer rock on top and then mine what’s exposed. They’ll keep blowing it off section by section, working their way down until we get everything out. And then . . .” Warren gestured to the foothills beyond. “Then we go after that.”
“Where you’ll get a lot more than a forty percent commission,” I said with a smile.
“Hey, boss,” called one of the men on top. He’d been looking in the crevasse. “This place is stacked. I can tell just from where he picked at it the other day.”
This elicited a few cheers from the men on the ground. Warren looked equally excited but managed to keep his voice dignified. “Well, that is what we’re here for. Proceed.”
The men on top set to work placing the combined explosive components. Warren took my arm and began steering me backward. “The charges are designed to be strong enough to break through the rock but not so powerful they bring that whole structure down. Nonetheless—it’s best if we keep our distance in case there’s any falling debris.”
Other men on the ground were doing the same, and I cast an anxious look over at Cedric. He was on the opposite side of the outcropping from me but farther back than we were. When the explosives were set, the men pulled the pins out and then began quickly rappelling back down. Part of me expected something dramatic—like the explosives going off just as the men made it to the ground. But the mixing of the components had been timed to give a high margin of safety, and the men were back in the safe zone when the top of the outcropping exploded spectacularly.
Even knowing what to expect, I couldn’t help a small cry of surprise. Thunder boomed around us, and the ground shook as a flash of fire lit up the crevasse. Warren pulled me to him and put his arm out protectively, but there was no need. We were indeed outside the most dangerous radius, and the rocks and debris that rained down stayed relatively close to the cliff itself. As the smoke blew away, I could see glittering spots on the ground among the rocky debris.