“What about you?” Jig shot back. He had warned the prince it was a stupid song. Why did everyone keep blaming Jig for their stupid mistakes? “You knew what you’d be facing down here. Did you bring anything to help you against the Necromancer?”

The prince’s eyes widened. One hand dropped to his belt, closer to the hilt of his sword than Jig was comfortable with. “I . . . I brought him.” Barius pointed to his brother.

“A good thing for us all that you did, too.” What was he doing? Jig couldn’t believe the words coming out of his own mouth. He had seen the prince’s temper. Why was he so eager for Barius to finish him off?

“I saw the bodies in the hall,” he continued. “Your brother killed four of those things. If he weren’t here, they would have killed you as easily as you killed my patrol. If you ask me, Ryslind should start leading this party before you lead us into another trap.”

Nobody moved. Over the course of Jig’s rant, Barius’s face had turned red, then purple. Jig watched him curiously. He hadn’t realized humans could change color. Perhaps they were part lizard.

Jig had never seen Barius, or any human for that matter, get this mad. Still angry people all seemed to react in the same way. Jig braced himself. Yes, here it came. Barius’s open hand caught Jig on the side of his face and knocked him to the ground. This is growing old, he thought as he lay on the floor, staring upward. Still, he would be an expert on ceilings by the time he was through.

“What are you doing, lad?” Darnak asked. “He’s unarmed.”

“I’m challenging this goblin to a duel,” Barius said.

“A what?” Jig turned his head toward the prince. “What’s a duel?”

Darnak raised his hands in disgust. “Have your wits deserted you, man? We’re in the home of the Necromancer, and you want to stand around fighting duels?”

“A duel,” Barius explained, ignoring the dwarf, “is a battle of honor. To the death. As the challenged party, you have the choice of weapons.”

Jig blinked. “What? Darnak, is he serious?”

“You’ve insulted my honor. Choose your weapon. Knives, swords, clubs, even quarterstaves. I saw a pair of spears we could use.” His hawkish nose wrinkled in a sneer. “Your presence has plagued this party long enough, goblin.”

Jig looked around for help. Him, fight Barius? Why not execute him outright and be done with it?

Ryslind looked bored with it all, and Darnak was shaking his head in disbelief. Riana rolled her eyes. “Men,” she muttered disgustedly. Nobody moved to intervene.

“Enough dallying,” Barius said. “Choose your weapon.” He waved his arms in large circles, presumably some sort of warm-up ritual, then practiced a few lunges against an imaginary foe.