CHAPTER 13
MUELLER MUDCRAWLER
Nob retrieved some rope from the packs and the two dwarves set about securing the gnome’s hands and feet. The creature was covered in grime and dressed in tattered rags. Overly large ears, big eyes, and a long nose gave him an almost comical appearance. His legs and arms were mere sticks and his ribs stuck out beneath the thin, thread bare tunic he was wearing.
"This poor little fellow is starved to death," Louise exclaimed. "Are you sure you didn't kill him?"
"I rapped him on his noggin," Gob replied. "Anywhere else and it would have killed him. I told you, gnomes have hard heads. Harder than dwarves, even."
"This lad is from the slave mines," said Nob.
Gob nodded. "I believe you are right. He has the look about him of a Mudcrawler."
"What's a Mudcrawler?" asked Ben.
"If you are a gnome, then your last name is Mudcrawler, Holedigger, or Stonebreaker," Gob answered. "And your last name determines where you fit in. The Mudcrawlers are at the bottom of the ladder. These are the slaves that work in the mines. Above them are the Holediggers and at the top, are the Stonebreakers."
"Wow," Ben remarked. "That's very interesting."
"What is interesting?"
"The gnomes have a three tier social structure with very distinct socioeconomic classes."
"Huh?" said Gob, scratching his head.
"Pay no attention to Ben," Louise interjected.
"Good grief," said Casey, rolling her eyes, "only you would think of something like that at a time like this."
Ben turned beet-red. "I just think it's interesting," he retorted, "gee whiz!"
"Please continue with your story," said Louise. She put her arm around Ben and squeezed.
"That's about all I know," Gob answered, "but when our Mudcrawler friend comes around, I plan to know a whole lot more."
"You're not going to hurt him, are you?" Ben asked, with concern in his voice.
"Only a little," Gob answered. "Just enough to make him tell us everything we need to know."
Ben planted his hands on his hips. "Well, I don't care if he is a gnome; you're not going to hurt him. Look at him! I'm amazed he can even walk!"
"Okay, okay," Gob grumbled. "We won't hurt him; we'll just scare him a little. Threaten to send him back to the mines."
"No, that won't work either."
"Well, what do you suggest we do? Fry him up some supper and give him a warm blanket? Then, ask him where we can find our friends?"
"That's exactly what we are going to do," said Louise. "Ben is right. Besides, we have an old saying where I come from; you can catch a whole lot more flies with honey than with vinegar."
"What does that mean?" asked Nob.
"You and Gob fix something hot for all of us to eat and think about it. If you don't figure it out, you will see soon enough."
The two dwarfs gathered the stuff Louise had dumped from the pack and rummaged around in some other ones. Gob raked some coals from the fire and placed a pan in the glowing embers while Nob took a pot to the river to retrieve some water for the beans. Soon, the smell of frying beef and simmering beans filled the cave and the gnome prisoner began to stir.
"Hey, look!" Ben exclaimed. "He's coming around! Hand me some water and bring me a plate of that food."
Neither one of the dwarfs wanted the gnome to drink from their flask. They got into a frenzied argument and almost came to blows, but when Ben yelled for them to hurry, they sprang into action. Gob snatched the flask that belonged to Amos and Nob filled a plate with a scoop of hot beans and a thick slice of brown, crispy meat.
When the gnome finally regained consciousness, Ben helped him sit up and propped one of the packs behind his back for him to lean on. He held the flask out to the gnome and the gnome shook his head and turned away.
"It's just water," said Ben. "Look." Ben turned the flask up and took several big swallows. He handed it back to the gnome. The creature reached out and took the flask in his hands, which were still bound tightly at the wrists. He took a few tentative swallows and then handed the flask back to Ben. "Can you speak?" Ben asked.
"Yes," the gnome answered, "I can speak."
"What's your name, Mudcrawler?" Gob asked in a loud and gruff manner. The gnome flinched at the name and cringed at the sight of the angry dwarf towering over him.
"Gob," Louise interrupted, "I need for you and Nob to go sit with Amos. The children and I will speak to our friend here."
"Friend," said the gnome, quietly. He spoke the word as if it were foreign to him. A word that was never heard nor uttered in the slave mines of Kahzidar.
"BAH!" Gob cried, throwing his hands up into the air. Angrily he kicked a stone into the river and stubbed his toe. As he hopped up and down on one leg, while holding his injured foot, Nob grabbed him by the beard and led him away.
"Yes," Ben answered, turning back to the gnome. "We are friends."
"Then why do you have me tied up? It seems that I am your prisoner, not your friend."
"Why were you sneaking about in the dark and spying on us?" Ben fired back.
The gnome reddened. "I see your point, but I meant no harm; I just happened near the entrance and overheard the commotion. I came to see what poor unfortunate creature fell in with the cave troll. That is all."
Ben studied the gnome for a few seconds. He seemed to be telling the truth. Ben had never seen a gnome before, but this fellow had an honest look about him. "Okay. I believe you, but if we untie you, will you promise not to run away? I have a plate of hot food here, just for you, if you will stay and talk to us."
The gnome eyed the plate of beans and the thick brown slice of beef. He licked his lips, hesitant at first, but hunger at last won him over. "I will stay and talk," he finally answered. Ben drew the hunting knife his Dad had given him this past summer and sliced through the ropes that bound the gnome's hands and feet. The gnome rubbed his wrist and reached for the plate.
"Tell us your name first," said Ben, pulling the plate back.
"Mueller. Mueller Mudcrawler." He spat the last name out with disgust.
Ben handed the plate of food to the gnome and introduced everyone. "Mueller, my name is Ben. Ben Alderman. This is my sister Casey and my Grandma Louise. Those two dwarfs are Gob and Nob. They are really nice, once you get to know them. The person they are looking after is our friend, Amos."
"He's been bitten by a cave troll," said Mueller, between bites of food. "I saw the fight. Will the sunlighter make it back in time to save him?"
"Sunlighter?" Louise asked.
"The elf. We call them sunlighters because they live above ground and go about in the daytime, when the sun is bright and hot."
"He will make it back in time," said Louise.
"Your friend," said Mueller, pointing at Amos with his spoon, "is a shape shifter. I have heard of them, but have never seen one. I am sorry he is injured, but I am happy he defeated the troll. This entrance has not been safe since the troll moved in. It is most unfortunate the storm forced you to seek shelter here."
"The storm didn't force us here," said Louise. "We are looking for two friends who are lost in Kahzidar."
"Oh? Then I fear you have seen the last of your friends. All entrances into Kahzidar are guarded. No one enters, or leaves, without permission."
"This entrance was not guarded," Casey pointed out.
"The cave troll guarded this entrance," Mueller replied. "With him living in the cave, no one would dare try to enter, or leave, by this route. I am truly sorry, but if your friends did manage to enter Kahzidar undetected, and if they are still alive, then they are probably in the slave mines. They are Mudcrawlers by now."
"That name really bothers you, doesn't it?" asked Ben.
"The name is a badge of shame and dishonor. I once was a Holedigger and after many years of faithful service I applied for Stonebreaker, but then I was accused."
"Accused of what?" asked Louise.
"It doesn't matter. Most often, when a Holedigger applies for Stonebreaker they will be accused of something, found guilty, and reassigned to Mudcrawler. Then, it's off to the slave mines. That's why no one ever applies, unless they are sure to be accepted. I was certain that I would be accepted. When I was accused, I even thought it was just a mistake, one that would be cleared up at my trial. But I was found guilty and sent straight to the mines. I toiled away there for ten long, miserable years. And then one day, I fell into a deep fissure, and the drivers left me there for dead. But I survived, I recovered, and I escaped. Now I am free, but I have no friends and I still bear this horrible, shameful name."
"Well, change your name," Ben suggested.
"Change my name?" Mueller asked, incredulously.
"Yes!" Ben answered.
"No, I can't do that. Names are gifts. They are given and cannot be taken. I'm afraid I will always be a Mudcrawler."
"You can have my name," Ben offered. "Your new name will be Mueller Alderman. Will that be okay?"
Mueller dropped his plate and fell on his face before Ben. With shaking hands he reached out and touched Ben's shoes. "Do you mean this?" he whispered.
Ben stood up and then reached down to help Mueller to his feet. The little gnome had big tears rolling down his dirty cheeks. "Of course I mean it. Hey, guys," he called to the dwarves, "come over here. I want you to meet our new friend, Mueller Alderman!"
Louise smiled at Ben. She was so proud of him. She took Mueller's hand and shook it warmly. "Mueller Alderman, I am very proud to have you for my friend."
Gob and Nob joined them. The two dwarves were very suspicious and wary of the gnome, but Ben forced them to introduce themselves and shake Mueller's hand. The gnome was overcome with emotion and began to weep. Ben dug an extra tunic from one of the packs and put it around Mueller’s shoulders.
"So, will you tell us where we can find our other friends?" Ben asked.
Mueller wiped his eyes and smiled gratefully at Ben. "I will do more than that, for my friends. I will help you find them."
Louise winked at the two dwarves and whispered to them, "flies with honey."
Gob and Nob stroked their beards and pondered this. They could have gotten the information they needed from the gnome much quicker with their strong arm tactics, but then they would have had an angry and resentful prisoner to deal with. Now, thanks to Ben, it looked like they had a new friend and a very valuable ally to aid them in this quest. Ben never ceased to amaze them.
"How long have they been in Kahzidar?" Mueller asked.
"They left the Twilight four days ago," Louise answered, "so they've been In Kahzidar three days, at the most. We don't even know if they've been captured."
"Where did they enter Kahzidar?"
"There was a cavern beneath the resting place of Zoltan, the black dragon from Crag. Do you know the story of Zoltan and Merlin?"
"Yes, the story of Zoltan and Merlin is legend, even among the gnomes."
"Then you know of his resting place in The Black Hills?"
"I know The Black Hills very well. Those areas of the mines have long been abandoned and it is a lengthy journey from there to the inhabited sections."
"Would it be possible for them to travel from The Black Hills to The Crystal Cave?" asked Gob.
"Not without help. When those parts of the mines were abandoned, Ringwald had a large section of the mines flooded, so that trespassers could not get to the inhabited areas. He created a vast underground lake, one that is too large and too cold to swim across."
"How will they get across? Or will we have to cross the lake and bring them back?"
"If they find their way to the lake, and I see no reason why they won't, they will be given passage to the other side by a water nymph that inhabits the lake. She is an evil spirit and she will deliver them straight to Ringwald, too."
"Then I guess it is highly probable they will be captured," Louise pointed out, "if they haven't already."
"Hey," Nob interrupted, "did you happen to know that Merlin's spell has been broken and the black dragon has been wakened?"
"No, I did not! That is grim news for all sunlighters. How did this come about?"
"We are not sure, but we believe that our two friends are responsible."
"Why would they wake Zoltan? I am amazed they escaped with their lives!"
"They would never have wakened him on purpose. It had to be an accident."
"Grandma," Ben cried, "where is Casey?"
*****