"We can work out those details later," Nada said. "Right now we need a fast, fair way to decide. What do we do, guess numbers?"

"But we're all on one side or the other," Electra pointed out. "Someone could cheat."

"I know a goblin game," Godiva said. "I think it would do, because it's clear who wins."

Dolph realized that they were determined to settle this before running from the approaching horde. "What game?"

"It's called godo," Godiva said. "We make a little noose of string, like this." She brought out a length of string from somewhere in her long hair and nimbly twisted it into a loop. "Then one person buries it in sand, and others try to poke sticks through it. The one who first succeeds, wins."

Dolph looked at the others. "Does that seem fair?"

"I think so," Nada said. "But the one who buries it shouldn't play. In fact, the one who buries it shouldn't be present, because he might signal a player."

"I'll bury it," Metria said. "Because I don't care who wins. I just like to be amused by the action."

"She's right," Dolph said. "She doesn't care about any of us. So who plays?"

"I will," Godiva said.

"I will," Electra said.

"Give me the noose," Metria said.

Godiva gave her the noose. The demoness took it, and turned into a dark small cloud. There was a stir of dust. Then she reappeared. "It's done. Choose." She presented small sticks to Godiva and Electra.

There was a smooth patch of sand; somewhere under it lay the noose. "Wait!" Dolph cried. "How do we know when someone pokes through it? Maybe she'll win and not know it!"

"She just lifts the stick and the noose is on it," Godiva said, making a gesture as of twisting and lifting.

"I want something more certain than that," Dolph said. "I mean, the noose could slip off or something."

"Sammy can find it," Jenny said.

Dolph looked at the cat. "How?"

"I'll tell him to find the noose with the stick through it. He won't move until it's there to find."

The roar of the approaching horde was getting louder. They did not have time to waste. "Okay, I guess," he said.

"Who tries first?" Nada asked.

"She does," Godiva said, "because I chose the game."

Dolph was impressed. Not only was the gobliness a remarkably comely example of her kind—he wished he could see more of her, but her hair somehow always managed to fall into the path of anything interesting, obscuring it—she seemed both sensible and fair.

Electra took her stick, pondered the dirt briefly, and poked it in. She glanced at the cat, but Sammy seemed to be asleep. So much for that aspect! Electra twisted her stick and brought up the end, but there was no string on it. The way she had done it, she probably would have brought up the noose, it she had speared it.