Black Rock

Fred decided that, as his passage ended in a "T", and that others were using the crossing passage, that he would learn as much as possible about them without being seen. He waited until the sounds of the wagon had dulled to a low roar, slipped into the bright junction, and tailed the wagon.

At first Fred found little. He found that one of the lanterns on the wall had gone out. He managed to light it with the fire of another lantern. This will not be missed," he thought. It was light enough for him to carry, and so he could now move and see, although he was now vulnerable if the dragon surprised him, as he would be delayed a few seconds before he could swing his sword.

He continued to walk. The rumble of the cart had faded. If another cart came, there would be nowhere to hide. Fred pushed on. After a time, he found something on the floor. It was one of those black pebbles. He picked it up. It fit neatly into the palm of his hand. It was circular, with its cross-section varying in thickness from about the length of his thumb in the middle to about half that at the edges. The rim tapered off from that smoothly.

Fred placed the lantern on the ground and squatted, in order to get a better look. He then noticed the strangest thing about the rock.

1. It was not entirely black, like coal. Indeed, he could see a glimmer.
2. The rock became pleasantly warm, like it was a little animal.
3. He heard a little rattling noise coming from the rock. Was it hollow?

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