[Child of the 7th Age]

Child returned to her own cabin, only to find Rose and Bird pouring over a list of names they had drawn up of possible suspects for the theft of her papers.

They thought and talked, but could not come to any agreement about what might have actually taken place. Bird threw up her hands in frustation. "I've had my fill of this for now! Let's go to the galley and make some lunch. I have a treat for you. I visited the marketplace yesterday, and bought a large bag of mushrooms for all of us to enjoy."

So, with many exclamations of thanks from Rose and Child, the three went down to the galley to fix a meal.

Bird went to the locked cupboard where she had deposited the mushrooms. She unlocked the door and pulled it open. Her eyes grew wider with disbelief, for the bag of mushrooms had completely disappeared.

"This isn't possible," she muttered. "I was the only one with the key. Where has that thing gone to?"

Child suggested, "Perhaps you forgot and put it in another cupboard." She and Rose searched the galley from top to bottom, but found no signs of the missing bag.

Bird was not happy, but Child found some eggs and offered to make them a meal. After Child relit the fire on the stove and cooked the eggs, Bird proceeded to tear apart the galley again looking for her lost possession.

"Maybe Mithadan got hungry, and forgot to leave a note," Child suggested.

And then Rose looked over at them, her face serious and questioning, "You don't think whoever took the papers is the same person who stole the mushroom bag?"

In her mind, Child had a mental picture of a large and ugly Orc hiding somewhere on board, gloating as he read the paper and eating a large pile of mushrooms. This image just didn't seem to make any sense.

She shook her head. Out loud she said, "Probably just a coincidence. the mushrooms and the papers, I mean." But inside she wondered what had happened.