It turned out minions were easier to direct (if not organize) than Arc had assumed. He'd expected them to need constant 'reminders' to stay on-task, which is part of why he'd suborned Scrooge, but that proved incorrect.

As long as a minion given something to do, they'd usually keep at it until it was done. Even if turned out a Sisyphean task, they'd work endlessly unless something interrupted them. Arc wondered if they'd even work themselves to starvation, but he wasn't heartless enough to try.

Minions with nothing to do could be kept in one area with promises of food or gifts. However, any minions that actually received a gift immediately ran off to hide it somewhere in the dungeon, so gifts needed to be used sparingly. Setting up a temporary rat-butchering-and-roasting operation was often more effective. (Although it was said minions lack the need to sleep, they still desired it, and especially liked to nap after meals.) 

Rounding up minions was possibly the hardest for Arc to do, as the standard method was to shout something like "Lazykin youlot: followme! Stuffmuch do-en!" to a group of minions. When successful, the minions would follow the leader like a pack of dogs, and do whatever he said. As long as the leader looked like he had a plan, the minions would wait eagerly for instructions, and idlers who saw the group would often join it on their own initiative.

The problem was that this required authority. The more authority the leader had, the more minions could be gathered. Arc only had enough to round up two or three minions on his own, and he simply lacked the force of ambition to seize more. Kat told him this much rather matter-of-factly, claiming to be able to sense it like Power.

However, that didn't mean Arc couldn't come up with another solution. It started with observations made while minion-watching. 

Minion-watching was an activity Kat came up with to pass the time. She'd figured out how to display images on the surface of the water basin in her shrine, and every day or two she'd take videos of the minions' funniest antics and share them with Arc. (Although he called them recordings, Arc suspected at least a few were actually near-future events. Kat really didn't seem to be able to tell the difference.)

Anyways, Arc had noticed that the minions' two main leaders, Pantimus and Rocky, each exerted influence in a different way. Pantimus had lieutenants such as the Pantaloons who could operate semi-autonomously, and working together they could corral a group larger than he could have managed solo. Rocky, on the other hand, led less through force than by example: he'd simply start doing something with enough pizazz that curious minions were naturally caught up in it.

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And so, Arc came up with an experiment. He made three poles and tied various things to them: one had a large crystal, another a chunk of fresh rat roast, and a third fungal silk tassels. He then gathered three minions and ordered them to run around the dungeon and come back. Arc then got to work swinging a pick at a nearby wall. Sure enough, when they returned each was trailing a few idlers behind them, and everyone immediately joined in the work.

Arc still couldn't believe how enthusiastic the minions were. Even the ones without tools scraped away with their claws. Even when Arc stopped working himself, the others continued.

"Well, at least I know that I can assign them a task now..." Arc muttered to himself. {But Arc...} Kat's body was still back in the shrine, but she could talk anywhere in the dungeon now. She sounded a little mischievous this time. {Shouldn't Arc know that Kat can do this by herself already? Minions: Room, Clay Pit.} "Yes, Master!"

The minions immediately switched gears from random digging, and started shoring up the walls and ceiling in a more-or-less orderly manner. One even started gathering tailings to make a counter for potters to work at.

Arc collapsed, exhausted and groaning. "Kat, you could have said something sooner." {But Arc looked so determined, Kat didn't want to interrupt.} That pout sounded fake to Arc, but he wasn't resentful - we was far too busy considering the implications of this revelation.

"To be able to convey clear intent with but a word, if I could replicate this somehow..." But he was no Master. Unlike Kat, he couldn't rely on instinctive channels of communication. {Maybe, Arc could tell Kat what needs to be done, and Kat could relay to minions?}

Arc shook his head. Is wasn't a bad idea, but it was still flawed. "Then I'd just be spending time explaining it to you instead of the minions. Unless..." Arc considered the unknown potential of Kat's power. "Unless, is it possible to for you to see the ideas in my head, exactly as I envision them?"

Kat took a while to respond. {...Only if Kat tries that thing Arc hated again.} Arc paled. Oh, That. Yeah, he could sort of understand why that might be necessary. However, he still wasn't brave enough to face that particular phobia just yet. Besides, the last time Kat almost died, and he didn't want to risk her either.

"Nnn-no... I think we shouldn't try that again unless there's a really good reason for it." Arc couldn't imagine what that might be, though.