A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking

Mona bakes her golems. She realizes they will likely burn on the outside and be raw in the middle. To help, she puts a finger in the cooking dough and orders it not to burn, but to pass the heat to the middle. When she finishes, her finger is burned and blistered. Aunt Tabitha admonishes her, but Argonel understands, saying that he knew a wizard-blacksmith once who similarly had to touch the metal as he worked and was always burning his hands.

When the golems finish baking, Mona orders them to stand and realizes that she made a mistake. The golems are 12 feet tall and only two feet thick, with rounded feet that cannot stand. Argonel suggests putting large barrels on their feet like shoes, which works well. Though Mona worries that the golems are not impressive looking and will not scare or stop the invaders, Argonel assures her that seeing a 12-foot walking bread man will give anyone pause. Harold adds that the golems do not have to stop the Carex, just slow and tire them for the guards to fight off.

As Mona continues baking golems, she can feel her bad gingerbread men running around in the Carex camp.