The miners were exhausted, but their spirits had never been higher.
They could barely follow Little Smo's speech, but they understood that they were to drive their pickaxes into the heads of the people who oppressed them.
Before launching the uprising, they had to prepare. First came weapons: they deliberately damaged their pickaxes and told the guards they had worn out from digging so much ore. Then they divided the food. The smaller miners, Little Smo included, got just enough to keep them alive; the rest went to the bigger, stronger ones.
All the while, Little Smo watched the guards. One was a Warrior, but the good news was that he was the only one. The others were ordinary men. When the uprising began, they would rush them while their guard was down—
The basin outside was barely defended, but the weather grew colder by the day. Soon it would be too cold to escape.
At last, the day came.
Smo gathered everyone. "Remember, we're one. We're the Blade of Freedom. Without each other, we'll never get out of here!"
Rabbit hurried in. "The guards are coming!"
They put the plan into motion. The other miners lined up at the tunnel entrance, pretending to hand over their ore, while Little Smo and Jeremy led a few men past the guards as though they were heading outside.
Sharpened pickaxe heads were hidden beneath the layers of clothing they wore.
"What are you dawdling for? Dump out your ore."
The guard cursed at a miner in the line who seemed distracted.
The miner answered hurriedly and lifted his basket to empty it into the cart the guard had pushed over. But he was so nervous that he lost his grip, spilling everything on the ground.
"You idiot!"
A chunk of coal struck