Okay, if you insist! But I hope I can forget this issue in subsequent readings.
How does drainage work in Moria? Well, I wouldn't know, in detail, but I assume
that the dwarves have both used natural fissures and hollowed out "pipes" that
take excess water and waste products right into the Anduin River. (See,
JRRT, there ARE advantages to industrialization!)
2. You make a logical assumption that dwarven steps would be 2/3 the height of
human ones. But dwarves love to climb around in mines, and they have extremely
powerful thigh muscles, so I'd say the steps are higher than that.
3. Balin's need to defend HQ sounds like a very good reason for having picked
such an out-of-the-way seat of operations. I like your explanation.
4. There must certainly be other secret doors that allow unobtrusive entrance
into and exit from Moria. But their locations are no longer known...
5. Is the bridge made of mithril? Okay, seriously, is it so unusual that a
seemingly slender (and it only seems slender because it's juxtaposed to such
enormous surrounding block-like forms) rock bridge might stand for 1000 years?
Similar rock formations can be found in the American West, no? I do wonder
whether the bridge is a natural one, carved mostly by the ancient movements of
waters, or whether it has been sculpted and put there. (This may even be in the
text; perhaps I missed it.)
CHALLENGE
The dwarves used the tailings as material for
artwork?
