Hungrier than before

Near the end of The Tombs of Atuan, the wizard Ged is in the desert with a young woman, Tenar. They have escaped a great evil and are tired, footsore, hungry. They have no food and little water and are a day’s walk from either. Tenar, having seen some of Ged’s magic, asks if he can do something about their predicament: “Can you find food for us?” she asked, rather vaguely and timidly. “Hunting takes time, and weapons.” “I meant, with, you know, spells.” “I can call a rabbit,” he said, poking the fire with a twisted stick of juniper. “The rabbits are coming out of their holes all around us, now. Evening’s their time. I could call one by name, and he’d come. But would you catch and skin and broil a rabbit that you’d called to you thus? Perhaps if you were starving. But it would be a breaking of trust, I think.” “Yes. I thought, perhaps you could just…” “Summon up a supper,” he said. “Oh, I could. On golden plates, if you like. But that’s illusion, and when you eat illusions you end up…