diff --git a/sparkapi/lua/math.lua b/sparkapi/lua/math.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7c039f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sparkapi/lua/math.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+function math.order(x, y) -- might change to arbitrary args later, but now now ... this is just the simple impl written for the quarry
+	if not x or not y then return nil end
+	if x <= y then
+		return x, y
+	else
+		return y, x
+	end
+end
diff --git a/sparkmachine/lua/quarry.lua b/sparkmachine/lua/quarry.lua
index 053b4ec..7169f80 100644
--- a/sparkmachine/lua/quarry.lua
+++ b/sparkmachine/lua/quarry.lua
@@ -14,15 +14,6 @@ local function Position(x, y, z) ---
 	return {x=x, y=y, z=z}
 end
 
-local function order(x, y) ---
-	--- Returns (smaller, bigger)
-	if x <= y then
-		return x, y
-	else
-		return y,x
-	end
-end
-
 local function try_drain_energy(target_pos, amount) ---
 	--- Returns true if drained, false otherwise
 	--- Removes amount energy from target_pos if energy >= amount
@@ -99,9 +90,9 @@ local function on_marker_placed(pos, quarry_pos, player)
 
 	end
 
-	local minx, maxx = order(pos.x, quarry_pos.x)
-	local miny, maxy = order(pos.y, quarry_pos.y)
-	local minz, maxz = order(pos.z, quarry_pos.z)
+	local minx, maxx = math.order(pos.x, quarry_pos.x)
+	local miny, maxy = math.order(pos.y, quarry_pos.y)
+	local minz, maxz = math.order(pos.z, quarry_pos.z)
 
 	local diffx = maxx - minx
 	local diffy = maxy - miny
@@ -112,7 +103,6 @@ local function on_marker_placed(pos, quarry_pos, player)
 	   diffz < 2 or diffz >= MAX_SIZE
 	then
 		notify.hud.sendtext(player, "Invalid dimensions for quarry 3x3x3")
---		minetest.chat_send_player(player:get_player_name(), "Invalid dimensions for quarry")
 		return
 	end
 
@@ -149,9 +139,9 @@ end
 
 local function prepare_area(pos, pos2)
 	local placement_done = true
-	local minx, maxx = order(pos.x, pos2.x)
-	local miny, maxy = order(pos.y, pos2.y)
-	local minz, maxz = order(pos.z, pos2.z)
+	local minx, maxx = math.order(pos.x, pos2.x)
+	local miny, maxy = math.order(pos.y, pos2.y)
+	local minz, maxz = math.order(pos.z, pos2.z)
 	for x=minx , maxx do
 		for y=miny, maxy do
 			for z=minz, maxz do
@@ -231,9 +221,9 @@ local function timer_trigger(pos, elapsed)
 		else
 			--shrink the operational area here to a 2d space with one piece of border taken away to drill there
 			--
-			local posx, pos2x = order(pos.x, marker_pos.x)
-			local posy, pos2y = order(pos.y, marker_pos.y)
-			local posz, pos2z = order(pos.z, marker_pos.z)
+			local posx, pos2x = math.order(pos.x, marker_pos.x)
+			local posy, pos2y = math.order(pos.y, marker_pos.y)
+			local posz, pos2z = math.order(pos.z, marker_pos.z)
 			posx = posx +1
 			pos2x = pos2x -1
 			posz = posz + 1