As gruff and hard a man as Doyle was, he didn’t care what his men did so long as they got the work done. Alexander, Hod, and Benny sat along the wall behind Doyle while the shovels loaded dirt into the cart.
“Doesn’t it strike you as odd that we aren’t digging through any ore?” Alexander asked.
Hod just shrugged. “Never worked in a mine before. Not sure I’d know what ore was if I saw it.”
“We sometimes come across a vein,” Benny said. “They just cart it away like the rest of the dirt and rock.”
“So what are we digging for?” Alexander asked.
Benny and Hod shrugged in unison.
“You dig because you’re told to,” Miles said, waiting by the cart being loaded by the shovels. He was a big man who looked like he’d been born in a mine. “If you do good work for long enough, they’ll let you join the Miners Guild. Better pay, better quarters, and no more collar.”
“How long does that take?” Alexander asked.
“I’ve been working for nearly ten years,” Miles said. “They tell me I’m almost there.”
“How’d you become a slave in the first place?” Alexander asked.
“My parents owed Lord Grant a debt, so they gave me up as payment when I turned sixteen,” Miles said with feigned indifference.
Alexander felt his blood start to heat up again.
“How about you, Benny?”
“Oh, I was born into slavery,” Benny said. “My mom was owned by Lord Grant when I was born, so I belong to him as well.”
Alexander took a slow deep breath. “Does that seem right to you?”
“Hey!” Doyle shouted. “I won’t have any seditious talk in my mine. I don’t need the Acuna poking around in here, so keep your questions to yourself and get back to work.”
Miles gave Alexander a warning look to reinforce Doyle’s words as the shovels in his detail started pushing the cart out of the tunnel.
Alexander got to his feet with a dozen new questions swirling around in his head as he went back to work. Not long after, the hard, rocky dirt gave way to softer soil that made for easier digging. No sooner had they started making better headway than the ceiling collapsed. Alexander’s magic warned him of the danger a moment before it happened and he was able to grab Hod and pull him out of the way, but Benny was buried alive.
Doyle blew his alarm whistle and started working to uncover Benny, yelling for Alexander and Hod to help him. They went to work almost frantically. Alexander could see Benny with his all around sight and his colors were starting to weaken.
“He’s under here,” Alexander said, breathlessly scooping loose dirt away with his hands.
Doyle didn’t argue, instead shifting his focus to the area where Alexander was working. Miles and his team came running up with shoring beams and went to work stabilizing the tunnel.
It didn’t take long to reach Benny’s hand and from there dig away the dirt covering his head. He was unconscious but breathing. Moments later, they freed his other hand and pulled him from the loose dirt.
Doyle picked him up with a grunt. “Miles, after you get this section shored up, get out until we can have inspectors take a look. You two, come with me.”
Alexander looked back and thought he saw the remnants of some long-buried stonework, but he couldn’t be sure in the dark, even with his magical sight. If he could access the firmament and use his clairvoyance, he would have made a note to himself to explore this area later that night, but as it stood he would have to send Chloe to do his reconnaissance for him. Until he was ready to take off the slave collar, his most powerful magic wasn’t available to him.
When they reached the main chamber, they were met by a number of healers who went to work on Benny. Not a minute later, a well-dressed man, perfectly groomed, wearing a gold ring on each hand and carrying a finely crafted, silver-shod walking stick, hurried into the chamber.
“Supervisor Doyle, what’s happened to my man?” he asked urgently. Alexander could see from his colors that he had little if any concern for Benny.
“Cave-in,” Doyle said. “Your man will be fine, Factor Laxman.”
“That remains to be seen,” Laxman said. “I needn’t remind you that mine safety is the responsibility of the charter holder. If you get one of my guild members killed, you’re still responsible for paying his wages for a full year from the date of his death.”
“I’m well aware of the agreement,” Doyle said. “Like I said, your man will be just fine.”
“Perhaps the Slave Guild should exercise our right to demand a full inspection of the area in question,” Laxman mused aloud. “After all, the safety of our workers is our first concern. One can’t be too careful. That would, of course, shut you down for a few days though.”
Doyle clenched his teeth and motioned for Laxman to speak with him privately. They walked across the chamber and spoke in heated whispers for a few moments before Doyle handed Laxman a purse. The Slave Guild factor smiled graciously and turned to the miners who’d been called out of the tunnel.
“I am pleased to report that Supervisor Doyle has assured me the mine is safe and work can continue,” Laxman said. “The injured miner will receive all of the care that he requires, and more importantly, his wages will continue to be paid by the Andalian Mining Company to the Slave Guild so that we may continue to provide for the well-being of all our valued members.” Seeming pleased with himself, Laxman strolled out of the chamber.
Doyle stared daggers into the back of the man’s head.
“What was that all about?” Alexander asked Miles, who had returned to the chamber and was resting nearby.
“Factor Laxman represents the slaves in this mine,” Miles said. “He heard about the accident so he came to make sure the mine is still safe for us to work. Without the guild looking out for us, we’d all die down here.”
Several minutes later, the inspectors came hurrying out of the tunnel and spoke in hushed tones with Doyle. He seemed frustrated with them and was shaking his head angrily, throwing up his hands when they pronounced that the tunnel was unstable. Visibly frustrated, he turned back to his work crew.
“I suggest you men get some rest. It might be a while before we can get back to work.”
Alexander closed his eyes and reached out for Chloe.
“Can you take a look at the end of that tunnel? I thought I saw something that looked like worked stone.”
“Of course,” Chloe said in his mind. A minute or so later, she said, “Send me your mind, My Love. You should see this.”
Alexander found himself looking at a finely built, seamless stone wall covered with engraved characters, some of which he recognized from the magic circle. Everything was slightly translucent since Chloe was in the aether, but he could tell at a glance that the chamber was warded-and that the wards extended into the aether.
“Have you ever seen anything like this?” he asked.
“Only the wards surrounding the king’s chambers in the palace, but this seems even more ancient somehow.”
“Stay away from those wards. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Alexander returned to his mind and opened his eyes. Titus Grant was speaking with Doyle, but he didn’t seem nearly as concerned as Doyle was about the situation.
A few minutes later, the Babachenko entered, followed by four overseers. The miners all whispered urgently to one another for a moment, then fell deathly silent.
“Lord Grant, I hear you’ve had an accident,” the Babachenko said.
“We had a cave-in,” Grant said. “One man was buried for a few minutes, but it looks like he’ll be fine after some rest.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” the Babachenko said. “I also hear that you’ve made a discovery.”
“That’s what my foreman tells me. I haven’t had a chance to take a look myself.”
“Then I suggest we remedy that,” the Babachenko said.
Thirty minutes later they emerged from the tunnel, the Babachenko’s colors swirling with excitement.
“You may have just won this war for us, Lord Grant,” the Babachenko said. “I suggest you close this mine except for a few select men-slaves that you can afford to lose.”