There were many types in the lower caverns. Not all of the inhabitants were wholly sane, but once their idiosyncrasies were known life was compatible. One fought when one had to, never for amusement; one yielded upon occasion to unreason and stayed clear of trouble unless one wanted it.

One man stood out amid the steady grind for garnets. He was notable because he was a nonsurvival type who managed to survive nicely. This was the grossly obese Hastings: intelligent, knowledgeable, cheerful, quick with his hands, but with a complete vacuity of talent for mining, and perpetually unlucky. He survived as an entrepreneur. He won his garnets from men, rather than from stone.

“I need a blue garnet as I need Laza’s love, “fat Hastings expounded during a break. The others gaped at him, rising to the bait.

“Hasty, Hasty—you know what a blue garnet is?” Framy asked incredulously. “You know what a blue garnet’ll do for a man?”

The other edged in, anticipating a show.

”I know what it’ll do for a man,” Hastings said. “It’ll kill him so fast the chimera wouldn’t pick up the pieces.” The ‘chimera’ was the cavern name for a deadly predator of the fringe caverns that no person had ever seen—and lived.

“I’ll take that chance,” a man said. “Just gimme the garnet.”

Aton was curious. “I’ve never heard of a blue one.”

“Oh, Fiver,” Framy said, dusting himself off in the center of the group. “Lemme expoun’ to you the facts of life. You know how the little ones we find are red, and maybe a brown one once a while? Well, there’s other kinds too, we don’t latch on to often. Worth more. Like if you got a black one, you tap ol’ bitch Garnet for a week’s chow, maybe more. And if you got a chunk of pure white jadeite—well, ol’ man Chessy upstairs is hard up for the stuff, and he’ll pull for you something awful, you sneak him a message. ’Nuff of that stuff, you don’t have to mine no more.

“Well, these’re little fish. You ever grab hold a blue garnet, it’s your ticket to freedom.”

Aton’s interest abruptly intensified.

Framy was enjoying himself. He scratched his hair, “Yep. They’ll let you go. You won’t be punished no more. Free as a bird in the big outside.”

The others nodded agreement, sharing the dream. “But you’ll never see one,” a woman said.

“That’s right,” another put in. “Ain’t none of us seen a blue garnet. Ain’t none never will. Ain’t none.”

“That’s a lie!” Framy screamed.