Can Never Go Gnomeragan

Early the next day, Fyina was already dressed and in the lab she had chosen to create a dummy device. It was one of the smaller labs, away from the main ring so less likely to be investigated by either dwarves or Troggs. There was also less taken from here, probably looked on as trash by anyone else who came in here, but to her it was a gold mine. Soon she was working on her mock up and thinking about her next move.



It wasn't enough to discredit Thermaplugg, she had to get the device away from him, and take it out of commission for good. That she could do. She knew how. The trick was getting the device, along with all its plans, before her competitor did. She could, she supposed, simply tell him what it was and rely on his moral sense to do the right thing and let her destroy it.



There were indeed times when she cracked herself up with such thoughts.



“Well that's an interesting piece you've got there,” his voice chimed suddenly behind her. He had meant to startle her, but she knew he had been back there for a couple of minutes now. Instead she hummed and nodded, putting on the finishing touches.



“So there's supposed to be a meeting tomorrow midday, when Thermaplugg has promised to unveil his new toy, in this throne room, or whatever. Apparently that's where he's keeping it. Probably sleeping on whatever it is.”



Fyina nodded again, and got up on a stool so she could reach the top of her creation. Deydis smoothly came up behind her, looking over her shoulder and reached an arm around her waist.



“It occurs to me,” he said quietly, his mouth near her ear, “that in order to switch the real thing, with your impressive mock up here, it would have to look the same at least at a glance.”



He paused, and was looking at her to see what her response she would give. Fyina only nodded and said carefully, “that would be logical yes.”



“And so,” he said, his lips teasing her ear, “it occurs to me, that you must know what the actual device at least looks like.”



“That...would be another logical conclusion,” she stopped her work and pulled off her goggles to look at him.



He stared right into her eyes, looking for a betrayal of emotion. She was far too good for that, even though inside she felt the old pain, she knew she could keep her face totally blank.



“It must be something big,” he said quietly, “to get the Dark Iron Dwarves and the Venture Company here, talking about an alliance with him.”



She didn't answer, just stared at him, waiting for him to get to the point.



“I heard them talking. A false sun, they're saying, the ability to make a whole city disappear, to burn the land down to nothing in an instant. I'd say it was insane, except I heard something similar a few years back, that a gnome scientist was building something along those lines. We never found out anything more about it, so we assumed it was made up.”



Fyina didn't make a move, but her hand tensed up slightly, ready to go for her dagger and take him out quickly if she needed to.



“Its true,” he said quietly, and she noted with a touch of horror in his voice, “it really does exist.”



So, she thought, the Horde had found out about it.



“Yes,” she said, her voice surprisingly even, “and its going to be destroyed. And if you try to take it, get a good look at it or see its papers, then I might as well kill you now.”



The silence that hung between them was tense. His hands were on the stool she stood on, his face and neck mere inches from her. It would take mere seconds to kill him. But she knew that he was also fast, and his face betrayed nothing.



“I don't think I want that level of responsibility,” he said with a wry smile, “if its true, then its for the best that it gets destroyed, but I want assurances that you're not going to take it either.”



She relaxed and nodded. Who knew? Sometimes morals did win out.