In most hollows, where the slow cycle of life continued year after year, disruptions and change were resisted by the majority of the population. Stability, comfort, and security were prized, not change. Change could lead to better things, but the disruptions in the patterns that kept a hollow running could be costly, and the new benefits of change were difficult to judge. Problems could arise a generation down the line that threatened the hollow's tranquility. Tradition and habit were what kept the cheese on the table, with a small slice for everyone.

  Such could not be said for Limburger Hollow. Too much had changed too fast. The insidious plot by Rifkin and Charlotte had shaken many of the oldsters to their core. It was unthinkable, but they also questioned how they could have missed what was happening. Looking back, many remembered Rifkin's ambition and frustration at only being an assistant. Charlotte's ambition had been more obvious, but not the effect on the rest of her peers. Competing with Charlotte meant pain, and it was easier to nod their heads and let her have her way. The general populace had seen their worldview turned upside down, first by the changes forced on them by the spider cheese, and for many, the new idea that they could do so much more. Fully half the hollow had fought against the spiders, or the army of General Gangrene. Rather than calmly going back to their former lives, most found time for claw-fighting classes, learning to hone their magical skills in the Tower of Strife, or volunteer as scouts. Others were worried about the need for more healers, and Gendifur found herself teaching classes three nights a week in the evening. It was convenient that the claw-fighting classes generated so many volunteers for the new healers to practice on.

  Brutus, Gendifur, and their two Heroes-In-Training returned to the hollow and gave full reports on what was happening to the rest of the Conclave. The plans to link Limburger Hollow with Cracked Rock and the Engineering Outpost were debated with some misgivings on how fast things were changing. But one thing was clear: the spiders were still out there. News had come to them of another hollow falling to them. It wasn't well-liked by the other hollows, and especially unpopular with Limburger Hollow, but it showed that the spider empire was still looking to conquer and expand. Dwarven allies who could arrive quickly with large guns were valued friends. The plans were approved and formal agreements drawn up.

  The change in Tweedle, Ringtail, and Petey astounded the elders of their clans. The former slackers and layabouts had played crucial roles in overthrowing Rifkin, and now they were making up for their years of keeping their heads down. The Scout-Masters were rapidly expanding their knowledge of the caves around the hollow and finding more hidden ways and secret doors placed by their predecessors. Some of these they happily shared with the gatherers looking for new shroom fields and places to graze the milk moles. Others, that led to dangerous places, they kept secret, alerting the Old Healer to their existence, and sometimes being surprised that he already knew and had been waiting for them to find those places themselves.

  They daringly explored the dangerous route to Shadowport, surprising Bleusnout by showing up for dinner, just as he brought his latest creation to the table. Shadowport was like a playground to them, with its tall towers, narrow walkways, and dark shadows. They delighted in playing Surprise! and pushing players from rooftops. The human gangs, constantly fighting with each other, once again had to deal with 'Cheating, Overpowered, ratkin players.' Not that the ratkin gangs were treated differently. Ringtail and Tweedle gave them even more trouble than the human gangs, having learned from Tallsqueak how valuable it was for them to lose at Surprise!

  But, as much fun as the big city was, they were responsible members of society now. They'd put notes in all of their pockets to remind themselves of that, since it was easy to forget. After two days of causing havoc, they returned to the hollow with tales of their daring exploits and a shopping list from Bleusnout. Petey was horrified at what they had done. "You didn't take me with you!" They agreed that it was an oversight in their spur-of-the-moment plan and promised to return soon and bring him along. Both were anxious to see how their rotund cousin would manage leaping from rooftop to rooftop, and it was always good to invite a friend with pockets full of jellybeans.

  Harry was astounded at his popularity. He'd always heard that the hollows were very insular. His knowledge of fungi and mycology was highly respected by all of the Masters of Limburger Hollow. Mushrooms were a major food source as well as needed for medications, potions, and most importantly, cheese. The troll quickly adapted to having a gaggle of students following along with him as he gathered mushrooms in the gathering fields and pontificated upon the life cycle and uses of each variety. Mistress Brownfur was thankful for his help, and the two of them became fast friends. The idea of returning to the solitude of his home beneath Shadowport was abandoned, and instead, plans were laid for an expedition that would first go to the city, and then down to his former home to gather his books and reap his fields of rare mushrooms for replanting in Limburger Hollow. To make sure he arrived safely, the brave Scout-Masters went along, and invited the new Death Master to join them. Petey proved half competent at leaping from roof to roof. Also half competent at almost falling off. The twins lectured him several times as he hung from gutters several stories up.

  Outsiders, rarely seen before in the hollow, were becoming a common sight. Dwarven Engineers were working with the miners to excavate the huge amounts of deep copper and send it to Cracked Rock for processing by Master Clawhammer. Professor Arloth happily welcomed 'visiting professors' who assisted him in a variety of experiments with mechanical and electrical apparatuses, some of which worked and didn't blow up. The groundbreaking ideas of utilizing mathematics and physics in spellcasting had taken hold, and textbooks were arriving from the Outpost with each shipment. And along with the books came curious Engineers who hadn't seen the hollow yet. Throttlecog and Arloth became fast friends immediately, sharing a love of overpowered electrical machinery. The older Engineer still wore his beard as he had through the long centuries of decay, with dark iron wire woven in with his natural hair. Their Storm-Powered Cheese Slicer was an unqualified success, and very popular with everyone since the thin slices of cheese were often expelled so forcefully that they went flying across the hollow like frisbees.

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  His tales of dwarven engineering projects, both successful and failed, were very popular with the students in the Tower of Strife. When one of the junior wizards asked about the most destructive failure, and Throttlecog had chuckled.

  "Does this mean none of you have heard about a certain junior Engineer's battle against the giant Copperhead Snake?" Heads shook all around the room. "Well then, if someone can find another firkin of this tasty mushroom lager and a large sandwich, I've got a wopper of a tale to tell you. It all began with an uninvited guest showing up at the outpost. Little did we know just how much chaos this person could cause as he 'fixed a few problems."

  Patsy nudged Sassy, giggling. "Sounds like Professor Tallsqueak." She pointed at the Milo-sized indentation in the stone wall.

  Throttlecog grinned and made a mental note to get that story someday. "My, it certainly does. Anyway, it seems that while we were testing the new arrival and deciding whether or not to turn him into spare parts, he was being hunted by a gargantuan copperhead snake: An elemental nightmare from the ancient past...." By the time Throttlecog had finished the story, the lecture hall was filled, and he had to start over from the beginning. Luckily, he liked telling stories, and his capacity for beer and sandwiches was equal to the task.

  Professor Tallsqueak's reputation for causing chaos and securing victory over terrifying foes soared to new heights.

  All of the stories of the legendary Deep Rock Engineering Outpost, its destruction, and rebuilding had an effect on many of the younger ratkin. The world seemed bigger, and adventure was around every corner. The very responsible Scout-Masters had requests from a dozen likely lads and lasses to begin training. Tail and claw fighting classes were filled to the brim. Even in the Tower of Strife, junior wizards were applying the lessons learned from Professor Tallsqueak in practical applications of spells. The tipping point came when Professor Throttlecog casually mentioned the project to rebuild a mechanical bear.

  Arloth's eyes got bigger. "A mechanical bear?"

  "Yep, Tallsqueak was exploring in the Deeps far beneath Cracked Rock and fought a war against monstrous snails. He rode into battle atop a dwarven-built mechanical bear. She got torn up something fierce. Not as bad as Tallsqueak tore up the snails, but bad enough that she needs a total rebuild. A lot of people are ready to lend a hand. Rebuilding the mechanical spider was one thing, but this is a Bear! Who doesn't like bears?"

  "But, what powers it...no, you said she?"

  "Yep, she. Named Ursula. Not much was left of her but a brain in a jar of honey. She runs on Bear Juice and Storm Mana. Her chassis is getting torn down and totally rebuilt from scratch with a lot of experimental improvements. Make sure to ask him about it the next time he's in town, whenever that is. A lot is going on with all these projects, especially in the secret pirate shipyard where we're building submersibles." Throttlecog looked around nervously and leaned toward Arloth conspiratorially. "Said a bit too much, keep that secret, would you?"

  Arloth was quiet the rest of the day, mumbling to himself, until three apprentice storm mages cautiously approached him with the idea of studying abroad with the Engineers. After a moment of introspection, Arloth encouraged them to stretch their minds and arranged an exchange program between the hollow and the Engineers. They ran off, full of excitement, and he sighed. He chided himself as he looked up at the tower, "You're a Professor, old man, not a young welp. A member of the Conclave, and the hollow is going through changes that will take your wisdom and vision. They need you here. And that's a long way to walk just to see a mechanical bear." He thought that if he told himself that until the apprentices left, he might even believe it.

  When it was time for them to leave, he went to see them off, giving each of them the gift of one of his favorite tools and some last words of advice. Brutus had the moles hitched up to the wagons, ready to go. "We leave in five minutes, people, heading for Cracked Rock and the Engineering Outpost. Last chance for a snack or to change your mind. Don't wander away from the caravan. Don't pick the flowers. Don't annoy the wildlife, and if we have to fight, leave it to the professionals."

  Arloth began to walk back to the tower and found his wife standing in his way. Professor Cremona handed her husband a large backpack and his most powerful staff. "I'm tired of having a distracted, morose husband. Go see the place and build a bear. Professor Throttlecog has agreed to take over all of your classes and corrupt your students with calculus. And we have Professor Harry to handle the first-year students and steer them back the other way. But if you aren't back in a couple of months, I'll come looking for you, and we'll catch up on our dueling." She flexed her claws for emphasis. Arloth gave her a kiss on her cheek, grabbed his pack, and bounded after his students, trying to remember how to whistle. It was just as well he couldn't remember; no whistling was another of Caravan-Master Brutus's rules. "You whistle, and something in the Deep Down is bound to hear and come running. I don't need to fight more giant bats or wandering Belch-Wurms."