Carving... with help

Jun 18, 2025

We had a rather boring section to do today-- a straight section of hallway. I never liked them as much as opening up a crack, or excavating houses. It couldn’t be said to be difficult, but it was boring.

Perhaps you don’t know how we Dwarves carve stone blocks. What we do is first cut three grooves in the stone, grooves which will make three of the edges of our block. Then we reach way back in (since the size of the block depends on the size of your arms, we lads carve smaller blocks then our elders) and, using this ingenious rope and wooden device, rub a special carving wire against the back of our block, gradually pulling it down further and further. Then, and I think this is the most fun part, we lean back and pull that same device, moving it back and forth, and carve the bottom.

Then, with two or three of our friends, we loop a rope around the back and pull the block out. And then we pull and push it off to the collection area, where those building the terraces come for their materials; a long haul from our work area.

The first time I went to haul one of my blocks off, Benedicta pushed me out of the way, saying “I push.” As she hadn’t been able to do anything else, I thought this a good idea, but was startled by how rapidly the block moved with her behind it. My friends dropped off, startled, but I stayed with her to direct her to the catchment area.

The next time I had a block ready, she pushed it off without speaking and I returned to my work. It was at this point that the teasing, which had been merely muttering before, began in earnest.

“Who is this girl you have brought to us?” Albrecht asked, “Her muscles outperform your own at any rate.”

More of this type of thing came my way, as I stood impassively carving my next stone, until Benedicta came back. I waited until Albrecht had a stone out and was calling in some friends, and then I said, “bethQuirinus, take that stone there to the catchment please.”

“I don’t need her help moving my own stones,” Albrecht said, as Benedicta came over and placed herself behind his stone. Benedicta ignored him and began pushing the stone at a rapid pace down the hallway.

I saw the confused look on his face and grinned to myself. What was he to do? He would look like a fool if he went along and tried to push himself. It was obvious that she needed no help. And if he went and tried to block her path, he might succeed at that, since we Dwarves are hard to push off our feet, but what of it? Why block a stone that was supposed to go to the catchment just because it wasn’t he himself who was pushing it?

Red-faced he returned to work.

For a while we continued in that pattern. Whenever I had a stone to take, Benedicta would take that. If not, I would wait until one of those who had been teasing me had finished a block, then I would ask her to take theirs. I was really having a good time of it, until my friend Ardnt came up to me and said, “My friend as BethQuirinus is just standing there right now, do you think she would mind taking my block to the catchment?”

I didn’t mind, of course, and she must have known that for, before I could say anything, she had put herself behind the block and started pushing.

The rest of the afternoon went much better. It was harder for the guys to tease me about having brought a girl around if she was doing half of their work. The end of the afternoon put on the crowning touch to my redemption. It is funny that we didn’t think about it.

Our supervisor showed up, the way he always did, with his measuring tape and chalk. He went to the chalk line he had marked yesterday, and began measuring. He had only gotten about half way when he stopped, walked back, and looked at the line he started with. He shook his head and went back to the line before that. Muttering to himself, he went back to his original line and started again.

Finally, he reached the end of today’s cutting. Idiot that I was, I never did realize why he was going through all the rigmarole. I was tired and wanted to get back to Seamus and his friends, and this supervisor was always muttering to himself about something. So I was unprepared when he said to our group, “What is going on here? Either I have made a mistake or you all have cut almost twice as much as on any other day, beyond even what your Fathers might do… although I have seen cuts that come close.”

The whole group turned and looked at me… although I wasn’t the leader or anything. I turned, pointed to Benedicta, and said, “We had help. Can we go now?”

He stared at Benedicta, shook his head, and muttered that we could go.

Island People

Island People is a young adult fantasy book centring on a young prince. The book starts with his kidnapping and follows his adventures as he not only escapes from his kidnapper but gains critical allies and friends.

The entire book is scheduled on Substack, and there are several sequels. This is a book I wrote years ago, so it is in a bit of a rough form. Critiques and comments are more than welcome, they are requested.

Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!

Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.

If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!

If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.

Von also writes as ‘Arthur Yeomans’. Under that name he writes children’s, YA, and adult fiction from a Christian perspective. His books are published by Wise Path Books and include the children’s/YA books:

The Bobtails meet the Preacher’s Kid: A Christian historical fiction chapter book about four orphans who go to live with their aunt on a dairy farm.

The Bobtails and the Cousins: The sequel to Preacher’s Kid. The aunt has married, and the cousins come to visit. Meaning town kids dealing with chores and manure and…

The Bobtails go to France: The sequel to cousins. The Bobtails, and Preacher’s Kid, get to take a trip to New York, London, Paris, and a small town in France. To get some cheese.

and

No Ordinary School: A brilliant but socially clueless boy gets recruited for a special school. Where he makes a lot of money, gets a girl, and solves a mystery.

As well as GK Chesterton’s wonderful book, “What’s Wrong with the World”, for which ‘Arthur’ wrote most of the annotations.

Arthur also has a substack, and a website. On the substack you can listen to some of his published books. Free.

Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,

Von