精灵血脉四部曲-第124部分

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g　was　mon　all　over　the　city。　To　Jarlaxle's　thinking；　the　dark　elves　of　Menzoberranzan　continually　limited　themselves　by　their　blind　insistence　that　everything　was　symptomatic　of　a　deeper　meaning；　that　the　Spider　Queen　had　some　grand　design　behind　their　every　movement。　In　the　eyes　of　the　priestesses；　if　Drizzt　Do'Urden　denied　Lloth　and　ran　away；　it　was　only　because　Lloth　wanted　House　Do'Urden　to　fall　and　wanted　the　challenge　of　recapturing　him　presented　to　the　other　ambitious　houses　of　the　city。

　　　It　was　a　limiting　philosophy；　one　that　denied　free　will。　Certainly　Lloth　might　play　a　hand　in　the　hunt　for　Drizzt。　Certainly　she　might　be　angered　by　the　disruption　of　the　high　ritual；　if　she　even　bothered　to　take　note　of　the　event！　But　the　reasoning　that　what　was　happening　now　was　pletely　tied　to　that　one　event梪ltimately　a　minor　one　in　the　five…thousand　year　history　of　Menzoberranzan梬as　a　view　of　foolish　pride；　wherein　the　dwellers　of　Menzoberranzan　seemed　to　think　that　all　the　multiverse　revolved　about　them。

　　　〃Why　then　is　all　magic　failing　every　house？〃　Jarlaxle　asked　Uthegental。　〃Why　not　just　House　Baenre？〃

　　　Uthegental　briskly　shook　his　head；　not　even　willing　to　consider　the　reasoning。　〃We　have　failed　Lloth　and　are　being　punished；〃　he　declared。　〃If　only　I　had　met　the　rogue　instead　of　pitiful　Dantrag　Baenre！〃

　　　Now　that　was　a　sight　Jarlaxle　would　wish　to　see！　Drizzt　Do'Urden　battling　Uthegental。　The　mere　thought　of　it　sent　a　tingle　down　the　mercenary's　spine。

　　　〃You　cannot　deny　that　Dantrag　was　in　Lloth's　favor；〃　Jarlaxle　reasoned；　〃while　Drizzt　Do'Urden　most　certainly　was　not。　How；　then；　did　Drizzt　win？〃

　　　Uthegental's　brow　furrowed　so　fiercely　that　his　red…glowing　eyes　nearly　disappeared　altogether；　and　Jarlaxle　quickly　reassessed　the　prudence　of　pushing　the　brute　along　this　line　of　reasoning。　It　was　one　thing　to　back　Matron　Baenre；　it　was　another　altogether　to　shake　the　foundation　for　this　religion…blinded　slave's　entire　world。

　　　〃It　will　sort　itself　out　properly；〃　Jarlaxle　assured。　〃In　all　of　Arach…Tinilith；　in　all　of　the　Academy；　and　in　every　chapel　of　every　house；　prayers　are　being　offered　to　Lloth。〃

　　　〃Their　prayers　are　not　being　answered；〃　Uthegental　promptly　reminded。　〃Lloth　is　angry　with　us　and　will　not　speak　with　us　until　we　have　punished　those　who　have　wronged　her。〃

　　　Their　prayers　were　not　being　answered；　or　their　prayers　were　not　even　being　heard；　Jarlaxle　thought。　Unlike　most　of　the　other　typically　xenophobic　drow　in　Menzoberranzan；　the　mercenary　was　in　touch　with　the　outside　world。　He　knew　from　his　contacts　that　Blingdenstone's　svirfneblin　priests　were　having　equal　difficulty　in　their　munion；　that　the　deep　gnomes'　magic　had　also　gone　awry。　Something　had　happened　to　the　pantheon　itself；　Jarlaxle　believed；　and　to　the　very　fabric　of　magic。

　　　〃It　is　not　Lloth；〃　he　said　boldly；　to　which　Uthegental's　eyes　went　wide。　Understanding　exactly　what　was　at　stake　here；　the　entire　hierarchy　of　the　city　and　perhaps　the　lives　of　half　of　Menzoberranzan's　drow；　Jarlaxle　pressed　ahead。　〃Rather；　it　is　not　solely　Lloth。　When　you　go　back　into　the　city；　consider　Narbondel；〃　he　said；　referring　to　the　stone　pillar　clock　of　Menzoberranzan。　〃Even　now；　in　what　should　be　the　cool　dark　of　night；　it　glows　brighter　and　hotter　than　ever　before；　so　hot　that　its　glow　can　even　be　viewed　without　the　heat…sensing　vision；　so　hot　that　any　drow　near　the　pillar　cannot　even　allow　their　vision　to　slip　into　the　heat…sensing　spectrum；　lest　they　be　blinded。

　　　〃Yet　Narbondel　is　enchanted　by　a　wizard；　and　not　a　priestess；〃　Jarlaxle　went　on；　hoping　that　dim　Uthegental　would　follow　the　reasoning。

　　　〃You　doubt　that　Lloth　could　affect　the　clock？〃　the　weapon　master　growled。

　　　〃I　doubt　she　would！〃　Jarlaxle　countered　vehemently。　〃The　magic　of　Narbondel　is　separate　from　Lloth；　has　always　been　separate　from　Lloth。　Before　Gromph　Baenre；　some　of　the　previous　archmages　of　Menzoberranzan　were　not　even　followers　of　Lloth！〃　He　almost　added　that　Gromph　wasn't　so　devout；　either；　but　decided　to　keep　that　bit　of　information　back。　No　sense　in　giving　the　desperate　second　house　additional　reasons　to　think　that　House　Baenre　was　even　more　out　of　the　Spider　Queen's　favor。

　　　〃And　consider　the　faerie　fires　highlighting　every　structure；〃　Jarlaxle　continued。　He　could　tell　by　the　angle　of　Uthegental's　furrowed　brow　that　the　brute　was　suddenly　more　curious　than　outraged梟ot　a　mon　sight。　〃Blinking　on　and　off；　or　winking　out　altogether。　Wizard's　faerie　fire；　not　the　magic　of　a　priestess；　and　decorating　every　house；　not　just　House　Baenre。　Events　are　beyond　us；　I　say；　and　beyond　the　high　ritual。　Tell　Matron　Mez'Barris；　with　all　my　respect；　that　I　do　not　believe　Matron　Baenre　can　be　blamed　for　this；　and　I　do　not　believe　the　solution　will　be　found　in　a　war　against　the　first　house。　Not　unless　Lloth　herself　sends　us　a　clear　directive。〃

　　　Uthegental's　expression　soon　returned　to　its　normal　scowl。　Of　course　this　one　was　frustrated；　Jarlaxle　realized。　The　most　intelligent　drow　of　Menzoberranzan；　the　most　intelligent　svirfnebli　of　Blingdenstone；　were　frustrated；　and　nothing　Jarlaxle　might　say　would　change　Uthegental's　mind；　or　the　war…loving　savage's　desire　to　attack　House　Baenre。　But　Jarlaxle　knew　he　didn't　have　to　convince　Uthegental。　He　just　had　to　make　Uthegental　say　the　right　things　upon　his　return　to　House　Barrison　del'Armgo。　The　mere　fact　that　Mez'Barris　sent　so　prominent　an　emissary；　her　own　patron　and　weapon　master；　told　Jarlaxle　she　would　not　lead　a　conspiracy　against　Baenre　without　the　aid　of；　or　at　least　the　approval　of；　Bregan　D'aerthe。

　　　〃I　go；〃　Uthegental　declared；　the　most　wele　words　Jarlaxle　had　heard　since　the　brute　had　entered　his　encampment。

　　　Jarlaxle　removed　his　wide…brimmed　hat　and　ran　his　hands　over　his　bald　pate　as　he　slipped　back　fortably　in　his　chair。　He　could　not　begin　to　guess　the　extent　of　the　events。　Perhaps　within　the　apparent　chaos　of　the　fabric　of　reality；　Lloth　herself　had　been　destroyed。　Not　such　a　bad　thing；　Jarlaxle　supposed。

　　　Still；　he　hoped　things　would　sort　themselves　out　soon；　and　properly；　as　he　had　indicated　to　Uthegental；　for　he　knew　this　request梐nd　it　was　a　request梩o　go　to　war　would　e　again；　and　again　after　that；　and　each　time；　it　would　be　backed　by　increasing　desperation。　Sooner　or　later；　House　Baenre　would　be　attacked。

　　　Jarlaxle　thought　of　the　encounter　he　had　witnessed　between　Matron　Baenre　and　K'yorl　Odran；　matron　mother　of　House　Oblodra；　the　city's　third；　and　perhaps　most　dangerous；　house；　when　Baenre　had　first　begun　to　put　together　the　alliance　to　send　a　conquering　army　to　Mithril　Hall。　Baenre　had　dealt　from　a　position　of　power　then；　fully　in　Lloth's　favor。　She　had　openly　insulted　K'yorl　and　the　third　house　and　forced　the　unpredictable　matron　mother　into　her　alliance　with　bare　threats。

　　　K'yorl　would　never　forget　that；　Jarlaxle　knew；　and　she　could　possibly　be　pushing　Mez'Barris　Armgo　in　the　direction　of　a　war　against　House　Baenre。

　　　Jarlaxle　loved　chaos；　thrived　amidst　confusion；　but　this　scenario　was　beginning　to　worry　him　more　than　a　little。



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　　　Contrary　to　the　usually　correct　mercenary's　belief；　K'yorl　Odran　was　not　nudging　Matron　Mez'Barris　into　a　war　against　House　Baenre。　Quite　the　opposite；　K'yorl　was　working　hard　to　prevent　such　a　conflict；　meeting　secretly　with　the　matron　mothers　of　the　six　other　ruling　houses　ranked　below　House　Baenre　（except　for　Ghenni'tiroth　Tlabbar；　Matron　of　House　Faen　Tlabbar；　the　fourth　house；　whom　K'yorl　could　not　stand　and　would　not　trust）。　It　wasn't　that　K'yorl　had　forgiven　Matron　Baenre　for　the　insult；　and　it　wasn't　that　K'yorl　was　afraid　of　the　strange　events。　Far　from　it。

　　　If　it　hadn't　been　for　their　extensive　scouting　work　beyond　House　Oblodra　and　the　obvious　signs　such　as　Narbondel　and　the　winking　faerie　fire；　the　members　of　the　third　house　wouldn't　even　have　known　that　anything　was　amiss。　For　the　powers　of　House　Oblodra　came　not　from　wizardly　magic；　nor　from　the　clerical　prayers　to　the　Spider　Queen。　The　Oblodrans　were　psionicists。　Their　powers　were　formed　by　internal　forces　of　the　mind；　and；　thus　far；　the　Time　of　Troubles　had　not　affected　them。

　　　K'yorl　couldn't　let　the　rest　of　the　city　know　that。　She　had　the　score　of　priestesses　under　her　mand　hard　at　work；　forcing　the　psionic　equivalent　of　faerie　fire　highlighting　her　house　to　blink；　as　were　the　other　houses。　And　to　Mez'Barris　and　the　other　matron　mothers；　she　seemed　as　agitated　and　nervous　as　they。

　　　She　had　to　keep　a　lid　on　things；　she　had　to　keep　the　conspiracy　talk　quieted。　For　when　K'yorl　could　be　certain　that　the　loss　of　magic　was　not　a　devious　trick；　her　family　would　strike梐lone。　She　might　pay　House　Faen　Tlabbar　back　first；　for　all　the　years　she　had　spent　watching　their　every　ambitious　move；　or　she　might　strike　directly　against　wretched　Baenre。

　　　Either　way；　the　wicked　matron　mother　meant　to　strike　alone。



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　　　Matron　Baenre　sat　stiffly　in　a　chair　on　the　raised　and　torch…lit　central　dais　in　the　great　chapel　of　her　house。　Her　daughter　Sos'Umptu；　who　served　as　caretaker　to　this　most　holy　of　drow　places；　sat　to　her　left；　and　Triel；　the　eldest　Baenre　daughter　and　matron　mistress　of　the　drow　Academy；　was　on　her　right。　All　three　stared　upward；　to　the　illusionary　image　Gromph　had　put　there；　and　it　seemed　strangely　fitting　that　the　image　did　not　continue　its　shape…shifting；　from　drow　to　arachnid　and　back　again；　but　rather；　had　been　caught　somewhere　in　the　middle　of　the　transformation　and　suspended　there；　like　the　powers　that　had　elevated　House　Baenre　to　its　preeminent　position。

　　　Not　far　away；　goblin　and　minotaur　slaves　continued　their　work　in　repairing　the　dome；　but　Matron　Baenre　had　lost　all　hope　that　putting　her　chapel　back　together　would　right　the　strange　and　terrible　events　in　Menzoberranzan。　She　had　e　to　believe　Jarlaxle's　reasoning　that　something　larger　than　a　failed　high　ritual　and　the　escape　of　a　single　rogue　was　involved　here。　She　had　e　to　believe　that　what　was　happening　in　Menzoberranzan　might　be　symptomatic　of　the　whole　world；　of　the　whole　multiverse；　and　that　it　was　quite　beyond　her　understanding　or　her　control。

　　　That　didn't　make　things　easier　for　Matron　Baenre。　If　the　other　houses　didn't　share　those　beliefs；　th