But maybe gods were smarter than that. The fact that the gods had always ignored goblinkind might be a sign that they understood how much trouble a magic-wielding goblin could cause.

Darnak dug into his pack for food and came up with a new loaf of bread, which he passed around to the party. He also found several more strips of meat, as well as a small wheel of cheese. This he dusted off and cut into five pieces.

The cheese was good, if a bit strong. As before, Jig received only two pieces of the meat. He would have to endure bread again if he wanted to fill his belly.

Riana, he noticed, had taken some of her bread and tucked it into her shirt, along with a little meat. Saving something for later? That was probably a good idea. He waited until nobody was looking, then slipped one strip of meat into his boot.

The other he tore into with relish, eating half with one bite. As he swallowed, he noticed Smudge. The fire-spider quivered on Jig’s knee, and all eight eyes followed the meat in his hand.

“I don’t suppose I could interest you in some bread?” he asked, holding out a piece. Smudge actually heated up a bit as he scooted away, confirming Jig’s impression of the so-called food. “Right,” he sighed.

Resigning himself to a meal of cheese and bread, he tossed the remaining meat onto the floor. Smudge sprang. His legs landed to either side of the meat like a cage. Seconds later, the smell of burning meat drifted through the air as Smudge cooked his food.

“Enjoy it.” Jig brushed a bit of dirt off the cheese and took another bite. By alternating cheese and bread and drinking a fair amount of water, he managed to finish off the meal. But he would have given so much for just one cup of Golaka’s stew. Even day-old stew, the kind you had to skin before you ate, would have been heaven-sent.

“If I had the Rod of Creation, I’d use it to make some real food,” he decided.

“Another attack like that, and we won’t even make it to the dragon’s lair,” Darnak told him. “Let alone find the rod.”

“Will there be more traps?” Riana asked quietly. She tried to sound casual, but Jig could see the way she kept looking at the stump of her finger.

Barius coughed and rolled onto his side. “You’re the burglar of this party. What say you?”

She glared at him. “All those dead things couldn’t have come from one little trapped lock. The Necromancer could have traps everywhere. He could have armies waiting to pour out of the walls next time. Or maybe he set spells to turn us all into creatures like that. Even if we found every trick panel and poison needle, how are we going to find those traps hidden by magic?”