The sleeping chamber was deeper in the mine. Carl went to sleep, and Gord and Rothütle took the first watch. Carl had slept there the past few nights, so he didn't feel threatened.
Rothütle brought a warm beverage for Gord. "I saw the Schreibkügel in the workshop," he whispered. "Jack used it to write the letter, but Carl didn't know about it."
Gord nodded. "Do you trust Carl?"
Rothütle nodded. "I have no reason not to. He's a student in Karlsruhe, and I help him with his research sometimes."
They both sipped their drinks in silence. The mine was quiet, except for the occasional creak of the wooden supports.
"Why is Jack helping him?" Rothütle asked finally.
Gord kept thinking, eyes locked on the dark tunnel entrance. "I don't know."
"You said the old magic is failing," Rothütle said. "What did you mean by that?"
"It's the iron train tracks," Gord explained. "They interfere with the old magic that binds shadows. They are planning iron rails through the gorge near Ravennaschlucht. Once it's finished, there will be more iron and oil and machinery."
They stayed guard in shifts until dawn. In the morning, Carl's carriage was gone, and they left the mine quickly.
"Let's go back to the castle," Gord said. "It's on the way to Hinterdorf anyway."
Tip of the day. Old infrastructure can interfere with modern security measures. Regularly audit and update your systems to ensure compatibility and effectiveness — and stay vigilant even when no threat is expected.