精灵血脉四部曲-第132部分

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　　　Ghenni'tiroth's　eyes　widened　in　horror　as　her　robes　parted　and　her　skin　erupted。　A　great　gout　of　blood　and　gore　poured　from　the　wound；　and　Ghenni'tiroth　fell　limply；　lying　sidelong　to　the　platinum　plate。

　　　She　watched　the　last　beat　of　her　own　heart　on　that　sacrificial　platter。

　　　〃Perhaps　Lloth　will　hear　this　call；〃　K'yorl　remarked；　but　Ghenni'tiroth　could　no　longer　understand　the　words。

　　　K'yorl　went　to　the　body　and　retrieved　the　potion　bottle　that　Ghenni'tiroth　carried；　that　all　House　Faen　Tlabbar　females　carried。　The　mixture；　a　concoction　that　forced　passionate　servitude　of　drow　males；　was　a　potent　one梠r　would　be；　if　conventional　magic　returned。　This　bottle　was　likely　the　most　potent；　and　K'yorl　marked　it　well　for　a　certain　mercenary　leader。

　　　K'yorl　went　to　the　wall　and　claimed　Scrag…tooth　as　her　own。

　　　To　the　victor。。。

　　　With　a　final　look　to　the　dead　matron　mother；　K'yorl　called　on　her　psionic　powers　and　became　less　than　substantial；　became　a　ghost　that　could　walk　through　the　walls　and　past　the　guards　of　the　well…defended　pound。　Her　smile　was　supreme；　as　was　her　confidence；　but　as　Lloth's　avatar　had　told　Baenre；　Odran　had　indeed　erred。　She　had　followed　a　personal　vengeance；　had　struck　out　first　against　a　lesser　foe。

　　　Even　as　K'yorl　drifted　past　the　structures　of　House　Faen　Tlabbar；　gloating　over　the　death　of　her　most　hated　enemy；　Matrons　Baenre　and　Mez'Barris　Armgo；　along　with　Triel　and　Gromph　Baenre　and　the　matron　mothers　of　Menzoberranzan's　fifth　through　eighth　houses；　were　gathered　in　a　private　chamber　at　the　back　of　the　Qu'ellarz'orl；　the　raised　plateau　within　the　huge　cavern　that　held　some　of　the　more　important　drow　houses；　including　House　Baenre。　The　eight　of　them　huddled；　each　to　a　leg；　about　the　spider…shaped　brazier　set　upon　the　small　room's　single　table。　Each　had　brought　their　most　valuable　of　flammable　items；　and　Matron　Baenre　carried　the　lump　of　sulphur　that　the　avatar　had　given　her。

　　　None　of　them　mentioned；　but　all　of　them　knew；　that　this　might　be　their　only　chance。





Chapter　11

TRUMP



　　　Normally　it　pleased　Jarlaxle　to　be　in　the　middle　of　such　a　conflict；　to　be　the　object　of　wooing　tactics　by　both　sides　in　a　dispute。　This　time；　though；　Jarlaxle　was　uneasy　with　the　position。　He　didn't　like　dealing　with　K'yorl　Odran　on　any　account；　as　friends；　and　especially　not　as　enemies；　and　he　was　uneasy　with　House　Baenre　being　so　desperately　involved　in　any　struggle。　Jarlaxle　simply　had　too　much　invested　with　Matron　Baenre。　The　wary　mercenary　leader　usually　didn't　count　on　anything；　but　he　had　fully　expected　House　Baenre　to　rule　in　Menzoberranzan　until　at　least　the　end　of　his　life；　as　it　had　ruled　since　the　beginning　of　his　life　and　for　millennia　before　that。

　　　It　wasn't　that　Jarlaxle　held　any　special　feelings　toward　the　city's　first　house。　It　was　just　that　Baenre　offered　him　an　anchor　point；　a　measure　of　permanence　in　the　continually　shifting　power　struggles　of　Menzoberranzan。

　　　It　would　last　forever；　so　he　had　thought；　but　after　talking　with　K'yorl梙ow　he　hated　that　one！桱arlaxle　wasn't　so　sure。

　　　K'yorl　wanted　to　enlist　him；　most　likely　wanted　Bregan　D'aerthe　to　serve　as　her　connection　with　the　world　beyond　Menzoberranzan。

　　　They　could　do　that；　and　do　it　well；　but　Jarlaxle　doubted　that　he；　who　always　had　a　private　agenda；　could　remain　in　K'yorl's　favor　for　long。　At　some　point；　sooner　or　later；　she　would　read　the　truth　in　his　mind；　and　she　would　dispatch　and　replace　him。　That　was　the　way　of　the　drow。



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　　　The　fiend　was　gargantuan；　a　gigantic；　bipedal；　doglike　creature　with　four　muscled　arms；　two　of　which　ended　in　powerful　pincers。　How　it　entered　Jarlaxle's　private　cave；　along　the　sheer　facing　of　the　Clawrift；　some　hundred　yards　below　and　behind　the　pound　of　House　Oblodra；　none　of　the　drow　guards　knew。

　　　〃Tanar'ri！〃　The　warning　word；　the　name　of　the　greatest　creatures　of　the　Abyss；　known　in　all　the　languages　of　the　Realms；　was　passed　in　whispers　and　silent　hand　signals　all　through　the　plex；　and　the　reaction　to　it　was　uniformly　one　of　horror。

　　　Pity　the　two　drow　guards　who　first　encountered　the　towering；　fifteen…foot　monster。　Loyal　to　Bregan　D'aerthe；　courageous　in　the　belief　that　others　would　back　their　actions；　they　manded　the　great　beast　to　halt；　and　when　it　did　not；　the　drow　guards　attacked。

　　　Had　their　weapons　held　their　previous　enchantment；　they　might　have　hurt　the　beast　somewhat。　But　magic　had　not　returned　to　the　Material　Plane　in　any　predictable　or　reliable　manner。　Thus；　the　tanar'ri；　too；　was　deprived　of　its　considerable　spell　repertoire；　but　the　beast；　four　thousand　pounds　of　muscle　and　physical　hazards；　hardly　needed　magical　assistance。

　　　The　two　drow　were　summarily　dismembered；　and　the　tanar'ri　walked　on；　seeking　Jarlaxle；　as　Errtu　had　bade　it。

　　　It　found　the　mercenary　leader；　along　with　a　score　of　his　finest　soldiers；　around　the　first　bend。　Several　drow　leaped　forward　to　the　defense；　but　Jarlaxle；　better　understanding　the　power　of　this　beast；　held　them　at　bay；　was　not　so　willing　to　throw　away　drow　lives。

　　　〃Glabrezu；〃　he　said　with　all　respect；　recognizing　the　beast。

　　　Glabrezu's　canine　maw　curled　up　in　a　snarl；　and　its　eyes　narrowed　as　it　scrutinized　Jarlaxle；　privately　confirming　that　it　had　found　the　correct　dark　elf。

　　　〃Baenre　cok　diemrey　nochtero；〃　the　tanar'ri　said　in　a　growl；　and　without　waiting　for　a　response；　the　gigantic　beast　lumbered　about　and　waddled　away；　crouching　low　so　that　its　head　did　not　scrape　the　corridor's　high　ceiling。

　　　Again；　several　brave；　stupid　drow　moved　as　if　to　pursue；　and　again　Jarlaxle；　smiling　now　more　widely　than　he　had　in　many　weeks；　held　them　back。　The　tanar'ri　had　spoken　in　the　language　of　the　lower　planes；　a　language　that　Jarlaxle　understood　perfectly；　and　it　had　spoken　the　words　Jarlaxle　had　longed　to　hear。

　　　The　question　was　clear　on　the　expressions　of　all　the　unnerved　drow　standing　beside　him。　They　did　not　understand　the　language　and　wanted　desperately　to　know　what　the　tanar'ri　had　said。

　　　〃Baenre　cok　diemrey　nochtero；〃　Jarlaxle　explained　to　them。　〃House　Baenre　will　prevail。〃

　　　His　wry　smile；　filled　with　hope；　and　the　eager　way　he　clenched　his　fists；　told　his　soldiers　that　such　a　prediction　was　a　good　thing。



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　　　Zeerith　Q'Xorlarrin；　matron　mother　of　the　fifth　house；　understood　the　significance　of　the　makeup　of　the　gathering。　Triel　and　Gromph　Baenre　attended　primarily　to　fill　the　two　vacant　spots　at　the　spider…shaped　brazier。　One　of　those　places　rightfully　belonged　to　K'yorl；　and　since　they　were　gathered　to　fend　off　K'yorl；　as　the　avatar　of　the　Spider　Queen　had　bade　them；　she　hadn't　been　invited。

　　　The　other　vacant　place；　the　one　filled　by　Gromph；　was　normally　reserved　for　Zeerith's　closest　drow　friend；　Matron　Mother　Ghenni'tiroth　Tlabbar。　None　had　said　it　aloud；　but　Zeerith　understood　the　significance　of　the　Baenre　son's　presence　and　of　the　matron　mother's　failure　to　appear。

　　　K'yorl　hated　Ghenni'tiroth梩hat　was　no　secret梐nd　so　Ghenni'tiroth　had　been　left　open　as　a　sacrifice　to　delay　the　intrusions　of　House　Oblodra。　These　other　supposed　allies　and　the　goddess　they　all　served　had　allowed　Zeerith's　best　friend　to　perish。

　　　That　thought　bothered　the　matron　mother　for　a　short　while；　until　she　came　to　realize　that　she　was　the　third　highest…ranking　drow　in　the　meeting　chamber。　If　the　summoning　was　successful；　if　K'yorl　and　House　Oblodra　were　beaten　back；　then　the　hierarchy　of　the　ruling　houses　would　surely　shift。　Oblodra　would　fall；　leaving　vacant　the　third　place；　and　since　Faen　Tlabbar　was　suddenly　without　a　proper　matron　mother；　it　was　feasible　that　House　Xorlarrin　could　leap　past　it　into　that　coveted　spot。

　　　Ghenni'tiroth　had　been　given　as　a　sacrifice。　Zeerith　Q'Xorlarrin　smiled　widely。

　　　Such　were　the　ways　of　the　drow。

　　　Into　the　brazier　went　Gromph's　prized　spider　mask；　a　most　magical　item；　the　only　one　in　all　of　Menzoberranzan　that　could　get　someone　over　the　House　Baenre　web　fence。　The　flames　shot　into　the　air；　orange　and　angry　green。

　　　Mez'Barris　nodded　to　Baenre；　and　the　withered　old　matron　mother　tossed　in　the　lump　of　sulphur　that　the　avatar　had　given　her。

　　　If　a　hundred　excited　dwarves　had　pumped　a　huge　bellows；　their　fire　would　not　have　been　more　furious。　The　flames　shot　straight　up　in　a　multicolored　column　that　held　the　eight　watchers　fast　with　its　unholy　glory。

　　　〃What　is　this？〃　came　a　question　from　the　front　of　the　room；　near　the　only　door。　〃You　dare　hold　a　meeting　of　council　without　informing　House　Oblodra？〃

　　　Matron　Baenre；　at　the　head　of　the　table　and；　thus；　with　her　back　directly　to　K'yorl；　held　up　her　hand　to　calm　the　others　gathered　about　the　spider　brazier。　Slowly　she　turned　to　face　that　most　hated　drow；　and　the　two　promptly　locked　vicious　stares。

　　　〃The　executioner　does　not　invite　her　victim　to　the　block；〃　Baenre　said　evenly。　〃She　takes　her　there；　or　lures　her　in。〃

　　　Baenre's　blunt　words　made　more　than　a　few　of　the　gathered　drow　uneasy。　If　K'yorl　had　been　handled　more　tactfully；　some　of　them　might　have　escaped　with　their　lives。｜Qī…shū…ωǎng｜

　　　Matron　Baenre　knew　better；　though。　Their　only　hope；　her　only　hope；　was　to　trust　the　Spider　Queen；　to　believe　with　all　their　hearts　that　the　avatar　had　not　steered　them　wrongly。

　　　When　K'yorl's　first　wave　of　mental　energy　rolled　over　Baenre；　she；　too；　began　to　foster　some　doubts。　She　held　her　ground　for　some　seconds；　a　remarkable　display　of　will；　but　then　K'yorl　overwhelmed　her；　pushed　her　back　against　the　table。　Baenre　felt　her　feet　ing　from　the　floor；　felt　as　if　a　gigantic；　unseen　hand　had　reached　out　and　grabbed　her　and　was　now　edging　her　toward　the　flames。

　　　〃How　much　grander　the　call　to　Lloth　will　be；〃　K'yorl　shrieked　happily；　〃when　Matron　Baenre　is　added　to　the　flames！〃

　　　The　others　in　the　room；　particularly　the　other　five　matron　mothers；　did　not　know　how　to　react。　Mez'Barris　put　her　head　down　and　quietly　began　muttering　the　words　of　a　spell；　praying　that　Lloth　would　hear　her　and　grant　her　this。

　　　Zeerith　and　the　others　watched　the　flames。　The　avatar　had　told　them　to　do　this；　but　why　hadn't　an　ally；　a　tanar'ri　or　some　other　fiend；　e　through？



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　　　In　the　sludge…filled　Aby