精灵血脉四部曲-第75部分

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　the　most　since　Jarlaxle　had　taken　him　to　this　wretched　place。　What　could　that　drow　soldier　have　expected　from　him？　He　was　only　beginning　to　learn　the　intricate　drow　hand　code；　its　finger　movements　so　precise　and　detailed　that　Entreri　doubted　that　one　in　twenty　humans　could　even　begin　to　manage　it。　And　he　was　trying　desperately　to　learn　the　drow　spoken　language　as　well。　He　knew　a　few　words　and　had　a　basic　understanding　of　drow　sentence　structure；　so　he　could　put　simple　ideas　together。

And　he　knew　the　word　iblith　all　too　well。

The　assassin　leaned　back　against　the　wall　of　the　small　cave；　this　week's　base　of　operations　for　Bregan　D'aerthe。　He　felt　smaller；　more　insignificant；　than　ever。　When　Jarlaxle　had　first　revived　him；　in　a　cave　in　the　ravine　outside　of　Mithril　Hall；　he　had　thought　the　mercenary's　offer　（actually　more　of　a　mand；　Entreri　now　realized）　to　take　him　to　Menzober…ranzan　a　wonderful　thing；　a　grand　adventure。

This　was　no　adventure；　this　was　living　hell。　Entreri　was　colnbluth；　non…drow；　living　in　the　midst　of　twenty　thousand　of　the　less…than…tolerant　race。　They　didn't　particularly　hate　humans；　no　more　than　they　hated　everybody　else；　but

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because　he　was　colnbluth；　non…drow；　the　once　powerful　assassin　found　himself　beneath　the　lowest　ranks　of　Bregan　D'aerthe's　drow　force。　No　matter　what　he　did；　no　matter　who　he　killed；　in　Menzoberranzan；　Artemis　Entreri　could　never　rank　higher　than　twenty　thousand　and　first。

And　the　spiders！　Entreri　hated　spiders；　and　the　crawly　things　were　everywhere　in　the　drow　city。　They　were　bred　into　larger；　more　poisonous　varieties；　and　were　kept　as　pets。　And　to　kill　a　spider　was　a　crime　carrying　the　punishment　of　jrmrin　quui'elghinn；　torture　until　death。　In　the　great　cavern's　eastern　end；　the　moss　bed　and　mushroom　grove　near　the　lake　of　Donigarten；　where　Entreri　was　often　put　to　work　herding　goblin　slaves；　spiders　crawled　about　by　the　thousands。　They　crawled　around　him；　crawled　on　him；　hung　down　in　strands；　dangling　inches　from　the　tormented　man's　face。

The　assassin　drew　his　green…gleaming　sword　and　held　its　wicked　edge　before　his　eyes。　At　least　there　was　more　light　now　in　the　city；　for　some　reason　that　Entreri　did　not　know；　magical　tights　and　flickering　torches　had　bee　much　more　mon　in　Menzoberranzan。

'It　would　not　be　wise　to　stain　so　marvelous　a　weapon　with　drow　blood；〃　came　a　familiar　voice　from　the　doorway；　easily　speaking　the　mon　tongue。　Entreri　didn't　take　his　gaze　from　the　blade　as　Jarlaxle　entered　the　small　room。

〃You　presume　that　1　would　find　the　strength　to　harm　one　of　the　mighty　drow；〃　the　assassin　replied。　〃How　cduld　I；　the　iblith；　。　。　。〃　he　started　to　ask；　but　Jarlaxle's　laughter　mocked　his　self…pity。　Entreri　glanced　over　at　the　mercenary　and　saw　the　drow　holding　his　wide…brimmed　hat　in　his　hand；　fiddling　with　the　diattyma　feather。

〃I　have　never　underestimated　your　prowess；　assassin；〃　Jarlaxle　said。　〃You　have　survived　several　fights　against　Drizzt　Do'Urden；　and　few　in　Menzoberranzan　will　ever　make　that　claim。〃

〃I　was　his　fighting　equal；〃　Entreri　said　through　gritted　teeth。　Simply　uttering　the　words　stung　him。　He　had　battled　Drizzt　several　times；　but　only　twice　had　they　fought　without　a　premature　interruption。　On　both　those　occasions；　Entreri　had　lost。　Entreri　wanted　desperately　to　even　the　score；　to

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prove　himself　the　better　fighter。　Still；　he　had　to　admit；　to　himself；　at　least；　that　in　his　heart　he　did　not　desire　another　fight　with　Drizzt。　After　the　first　time　he　had　lost　to　Drizzt；　in　the　muddy　sewers　and　streets　of　Calimport；　Entreri　had　lived　every　day　plotting　revenge；　had　shaped　his　life　around　one　event；　his　rematch　with　Drizzt。　But　after　his　second　loss；　the　one　in　which　he　had　wound　up　hanging；　broken　and　miserable；　from　a　jag　of　rock　in　a　windswept　ravine　。。。

But　what？　Entreri　wondered。　Why　did　he　no　longer　wish　to　battle　that　renegade　drow？　Had　the　point　been　proven；　the　decision　rendered？　Or　was　he　simply　too　afraid？　The　emotions　were　unsettling　to　Artemis　Entreri；　as　out　of　place　within　him　as　he　was　in　the　city　of　drow。

〃I　was　his　fighting　equal；〃　he　whispered　again；　with　as　much　conviction　as　he　could　muster。

〃I　would　not　state　that　openly　if　I　were　you；〃　the　mercenary　replied。　〃Dantrag　Baenre　and　Uthegental　Armgo　would　fight　one　another　simply　to　determine　which　of　them　got　to　kill　you　first。〃

Entreri　did　not　blink；　his　sword　flared；　as　if　reflecting　his　simmering　pride　and　anger。

Jarlaxle　laughed　again。　'To　determine　which　would　get　to　fight　you　first；〃　the　mercenary　corrected；　and　he　swept　a　low　and　apologetic　bow。

Still　the　out…of…place　assassin　didn't　blink。　Might　he　regain　a　measure　of　pride　by　killing　one　of　these　legendary　drow　warriors？　he　wondered。　Or　would　he　lose　again；　and；　worse　than　being　killed；　be　forced　to　live　with　that　fact？

Entreri　snapped　the　sword　down　and　slipped　it　into　its　scabbard。　He　had　never　been　so　hesitant；　so　unsure。　Even　as　a　young　boy；　surviving　on　the　brutal　streets　of　Calimshan's　crowded　cities；　Entreri　had　brimmed　with　confidence；　and　had　used　that　confidence　to　advantage。　But　not　here；　not　in　this　place。

〃Your　soldiers　taunt　me；〃　he　snapped　suddenly；　transferring　his　frustration　the　mercenary's　way。

Jarlaxle　laughed　and　put　his　hat　back　on　his　bald　head。　〃Kill　a　few；〃　he　offered；　and　Entreri　couldn't　tell　if　the　cold；　calculating　drow　was　kidding　or　not。　〃The　rest　will　then　leave　you　alone。〃

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Entreri　spat　on　the　floor。　Leave　him　alone？　The　rest　would　wait　until　he　was　asleep；　then　cut　him　into　little　pieces　to　feed　to　the　spiders　of　Donigarten。　That　thought　broke　the　assassin's　narrow…eyed　concentration；　forced　him　to　wince。　He　had　killed　a　female　（which；　in　Menzoberranzan；　was　much　worse　than　killing　a　male）；　and　some　house　in　the　city　might　be　starving　their　spiders　right　now　in　anticipation　of　a　human　feast。

〃Ah；　but　you　are　so　crude；〃　the　mercenary　said；　as　though　he　pitied　the　man。　Entreri　sighed　and　looked　away；　bringing　a　hand　up　to　rub　his　saliva…wetted　lips。　What　was　he　being？　In　Calimport；　in　the　guilds；　even　among　the　pashas　and　those　others　that　called　themselves　his　masters；　he　had　been　in　control。　He　was　a　killer　hired　by　the　most　treacherous；　double…dealing　thieves　in　all　the　Realms；　and　yet；　not　one　had　ever　tried　to　cross　Artemis　Entreri。　How　he　longed　to　see　the　pale　sky　of　Calimport　again！

〃Fear　not；　my　abbil；〃　Jarlaxle　said；　using　the　draw　word　for　trusted　friend。　〃You　will　again　see　the　sunrise。〃　The　mercenary　smiled　widely　at　Entreri's　expression；　apparently　understanding　that　he　had　just　read　the　assassin's　very　thoughts。　〃You　and　I　will　watch　the　dawn　from　the　doorstep　ofMithrilHall。〃

They　were　going　back　after　Drizzt；　Entreri　realized。　This　time；　judging　from　the　lights　in　Menzoberranzan；　which　he　now　came　to　understand。　Clan　Battlehammer　itself　would　be　crushed！

〃That　is；〃　Jarlaxle　continued　teasingly；　〃unless　House　Horlbar　takes　the　time　to　discover　that　it　was　you　who　slew　one　of　its　matron　mothers。〃

With　a　click　of　his　boot　and　a　tip　of　his　hat；　Jarlaxle　spun　out　of　the　room。

Jarlaxle　knew！　And　the　female　had　been　a　matron　mother！　Feeling　perfectly　miserable；　Entreri　leaned　heavily　against　the　wall。　How　was　he　to　know　that　the　wicked　beast　in　the　alley　was　a　damned　matron　mother？

The　walls　seemed　to　close　in　on　the　man；　suffocating　him。　Cold　sweat　beaded　on　his　normally　cool　brow；　and　he　labored　to　draw　breath。　All　his　thoughts　centered　on　possible　escape；　but　they　inevitably　slammed　against　unyielding

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stone　walls。　He　was　caught　by　logistics　as　much　as　by　drow　blades。

He　had　tried　to　escape　once；　had　run　out　of　Menzoberranzan　through　the　eastern　exit；　beyond　Donigarten。　But　where　could　he　go？　The　Underdark　was　a　maze　of　dangerous　tunnels　and　deep　holes　filled　with　monsters　the　assassin　did　not　know　how　to　fight。　Entreri　was　a　creature　of　the　very　different　surface　world。　He　did　not　understand　the　wild　Underdark；　could　not　hope　to　survive　there　for　long。　Certainly　he　would　never　find　his　own　way　back　to　the　surface。　He　was　trapped；　caged；　stripped　of　his　pride　and　his　dignity；　and；　sooner　or　later；　he　was　going　to　be　horribly　killed。

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Chapter　12

RISING　TO　THE　OCCASION

e　can　drop　this　whole　section；〃　General　Dagna　remarked　as　he　poked　a　stubby　finger　against　the　map　spread　on　the　table。

〃Drop　it？〃　bellowed　the　battlerager。　〃If　ye　drop　it；　then　how're　we　to　kill　the　stinking　drow？〃　Regis；　who　had　arranged　this　meeting；　looked　incredulously　to　Dagna　and　the　other　three　dwarven　manders　huddled　about　the　table。　Then　he　looked　back　to　Pwent。　〃The　ceiling　will　kill　the　stinking　drow；〃　he　explained。

〃Bah；　sandstone！〃　huffed　the　battlerager。　〃What　fun　do　ye　call　that？　I　got　to　grease　up　me　armor　with　some　drow　blood；　I　do；　but　with　yer　stupid　plan；　I'll　have　to　do　a　month's　digging　just　to　find　a　body　to　rub　against。〃

〃Lead　the　charge　down　here；〃　Dagna　offered；　pointing　to　another　section　of　open　corridors　on　the　map。　〃The　rest　of　us'll　give　ye　a　hunnerd…foot　head　start。〃

Regis　put　a　sour　look　on　the　general　and　moved　it；　in　turn；　to　each　of　the　other　dwarves；　who　were　all　bobbing　their　heads　in　agreement。　Dagna　was　only　half…kidding；　Regis　knew。　More　than　a　few　of　Clan　Battlehammer　would

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not　be　teary…eyed　if　obnoxious　Thibbledorf　Pwent　happened　to　be　among　the　fallen　in　the　potential　fight　against　the　dark　elves。

〃Drop　the　tunnel；〃　Regis　said　to　get　them　back　on　track。　〃We'll　need　strong　defenses　here　and　here；〃　he　added；　pointing　to　two　open　areas　in　the　otherwise　tight　lower　tunnels。　〃I'm　meeting　later　this　day　with　Berkthgar　of　Settlestone。〃

〃Ye're　bringin'　the　smelly　humans　in？〃　Pwent　asked。

Even　the　dwarves；　who　favored　the　strong　smells　of　soot…covered；　sweaty　bodies；　twisted　their　faces　at　the　remark。　In　Mithril　Hall；　it　was　said　that　Pwent's　armpit　could　curl　a　hardy　flower　at　fifty　yards。

〃I　don't　know　what　I'm　doing　with　the　humans；〃　Regis　answered。　〃I　haven't　even　told　them　my　suspicions　of　a　drow　raid　yet。　If　they　agree　to　join　our　cause；　and　I　have　no　reason　to　believe　that　they　won't；　I　suspect　that　we　would　be　wise　to　keep　them　out　of　the　lower　tunnels梕ven　tho