e found ourselves once again it the black of the great corridor. We traveled on for
several more days but we now found that the rest chambers were nearly bare of provisions
which had been so ample in our earlier travels. Our guide explained that the tunnel livers
did not properly respect the traditions and would sprit away the food to which they had
no claim. Still he insisted that we leave behind a portion appropriate, even if this meant
we would go hungry.
Despite the illogic of this request, he had lead us so faithfully that none in the party disagreed. We traveled on for three more days, although the meaning of time was lost on us as we could not longer reckon weather our watches were reading am or pm. Our sleep had been so profound from the fatigue that none could swear that we might not have lost an entire day. The lack of food began to effect the mood of the party, especially as we passed a village with ample food and vendor tempting us. But our guide insisted that it would be wrong to pay for any of this food. The tunnel village were much more closely spaced as we proceeded we would often pass two or three in one days travel now. The provisions in the rest chambers now grew so meager that it seemed almost pointless to eat what little remained. We no found it wise to post a watch as we rested to prevent theft of our remaining provisions. We now walked on numbed by hunger passing one fragrant village after the next. I suddenly noticed that we no longer needed our lamp to navigate. We now carried perhaps a weeks provisions and soon no sense of commitment to a tradition would prevent us from raiding it for our own satisfaction. I feared that if we were to violate this law of travelers that our guide and porters might abandon us in this land so deep within the bowels of the Earth, in which we have no allies and are incapable of proper communication.
