F O U R (83 page)

Richard Lee Byers

229

War Of The Spider Queen

Book 1

Dissolution

Triel's chair.  Servants scurried about

Gromph stood on the highest riser   the steps to do the great ladies'  bidding. When she, the mage, the weapons master,  a place of ultimate honor for a male.

,  and the mercenary reached the foot of the dais, Triel began to praise them for their efforts against the illithilich and its pawns. At first the oration was pretty much what Quenthel had expected, but soon it took an unexpected turn.

She herself would lead an expedition to  Ched Nasad to find out why no travelers came from  that direction, and what the priestesses of the vassal city miconcerning the silence of  Lolth. R                 ght know yld Argith, Pharaun Mizzrym, and Valas Hune would serve as her lieutenants, accompanying the ambassador, Faeryl Zauvirr

.inclined his head in acquiescence. The wiUpon hearing the news, the hulking warriorzard grinned, and the scout sm in the dwarven breastplate similed. At ply first the envoy, who was standing nearby, looked equally pleased.

Then Triel said, "Finallyjourney         , dear sister, I lend you my own son Jeggred for your .  A draegloth carries the blessing  of the Dark Motherstrength."                      ,  and you may need his herFor an instant, it looked as if Faeryl would protest, and Jeggred leered down at .  Plainly,  something had once transpired between them, an unpleasantness that made the ambassador loathe and mistrust him.

Gromeven a bit put out. Perhaps he hadn'ph shifted his weight as well and t thought TQuenthel thought he looked surprised, riel had sense enough to want her own special agent on the mission, a minion alone.                  devoted to her particular interests

A thousand arguments against her being sent away at so uncertain a time for

Menzoberranzan, the faith, House Baenre  . . . came to Quenthel in a rush. Ultimately

,  howeverThe assembly discussed the practicalities of, she said nothing.     their scheme  for an hour or so, and

Triel dismissed her newly appointed emissaries. Pharaun caughtin the antechamber                     up with Quenthel .  He bowed to her,  and she waved her hand, giving himperm"I assumission to speak.e, Mistress, that you know why they picked us?" he murmured.

Pharaun arched an eyebrow and "1 understand better than you," she said.She hesitated, but why not state at leasasked, "Indeed. Wt the obvious? He had comill you elucidate?"e  to her,  after all, when the slave revolt began. He  was a true drow—ambitious and ruthless enough that she could always trust him

tohad m                 do what was to his advantage. Gromph ade him  a decoy and a target,  perhaps someday she would make him

Archmage of Menzoberranzan.

"My brother and sister send us both forth because they fear our ambitions "."I daresay that's  very sensible of themundertake our errand reluctantly?"    ," Pharaun said. "Does this mean you siblings'

motives, the plan has mego anywhere and do anything to restore m"By no means. Whatever my               rit, and I would y  bond with Lolth and saveMenzoberranzan; it is of course the same  thing."

them  until such time as sherecovered her mIn fact, she was eager to distance herself fromagic, provided she could do it without a loss of status, and surprisingly,  it  seemed  she  could.  The  matter  of  the  demonic  assassins  had  still unknown assailant into the open.not been settled, too, and she wondered if her leaving the city would bring her She looked her foppish companion up and down.

Richard Lee Byers

230

War Of The Spider Queen

Book 1

Dissolution

"What of you?" she asked the wizard.  "You're brave enough—I've seen theproof—but still, are you eager to m

arch across the Underdark?"

"You mean, can an exquisite specimen such as myself bear to dispense with

warm, scented baths, succulent meals, and delicate, freshly laundered attire?"

Pharaun asked with a grin. "It will be  excruciating, but under the circumstances,I'll m

anage. I enjoy unraveling mysteries, particularly when I suspect  I mi

enhance m                              ght y  personal power thereby ".

"Perhaps you will," Quenthel said, "but I recommend you keep your hands offany prize your leader covets for herself."

The Master of Sorcere bowed low"Of course, Mistress, of course." .

other side was a drab, stale-smelling littlePharaun cast a spell, then slipped through the closed door like a ghost. On the room. Wrinvalid, her scarred face a mask of bitterness, Greyanna sat in the only chairapped in a blanket like an

.

For an instant, she  stared at him stupidly,  then started to throw off the coverpresumably with the intent of jumping up.                  ,

and the threat froze her in place.     He lifted his hands as if to cast a spell, "What a dreary habitation," he said. "It was Sabal's, wasn't  it, when her

fortunes were at their nadir.  Mother has a good memory and a charming sense

of irony as well.""And she'

"I always assumed so. That'll kill you, outcast, for breaking into the castle."s one reason I never paid you a visit hitherto. Butour circumstances have changed. The Council needs me to help det

ermine

what's become of the Spider Queen, and you, dear sib, are no l

of any importance. As Miz'ri'                onger a person sme, I doubt she'll make an issue of your demoted you for your repeated failures to kill extinction, even if she's certain I'

m

responsible. She
 
smiled
 
at me this afternoon when I  saw her in House Baenre, can you believe it? She must have decided she'd lik

e me to resign from Sorcere

and  rejoin  the  family  someday.  Evidently  she's  just  realizing  how

I've become in the decades since you ch              powerful ased me out the door."

"I'm  surprised you still want to kill me," Greyanna said. "You'

defeated and ruined me. Death may prove a mercy "        ve already .

fraught with peril and adversity to be sure, and I need something special to "I considered that, but I'm going on a journey into the unknown, a quest hearten me, a memory fraught with spectacle and drama to ch

eer me on the

trail."

"I suppose I understand," the priestess said, "but I wonder why it's come tothis. All these years, I've never truly understood the basis for our feud. If I'm to

die, will you at least tell me why you chose Sabal over me?  Was it fondness? W

as it lust?"

"Neither," Pharaun chuckled. "My choice had nothing whatever to do with

personalities. How could it, when you twins  were so alike? I threw in with Sabal simply because she was dangling from the bottom rung of the Mizzrym ladder

.

I thought it would be an amusing challenge to lift her to the top.""Thank you for explaining," Greyanna said. "Now die."

Richard Lee Byers

231

War Of The Spider Queen

Book 1

Dissolution

Pharaun's own living rapier leaped from beneath the blanket. Obviously control it. No doubt she'Greyanna had not only claimed the fallen weapon but figured out how to entered the room. Knowing how he loved to talk, she'd been wearing it in its steel-ring form when he d lulled him with conversation and took him by surprise.

The long, thin-bladed sword hurtled across the room toward Pharaun's chest. He frantically shifted to the side, and the point plunged into his left forearminstead. For a second, he couldn't feel  the puncture, and it flared with pain.

He had to imm

He grabbed hold of the blade with his riobilize the weapon or it would pull itself free and attack again. ght hand, and it sliced into his palm. A rapier  was made  for thrusting, but it had sharp edges even  so. Sharp  enough, anyway.At the same  instant, Greyanna cast off the blanket and snatched a mace frombehind her chair.

Pharaun narrowly dodged her first swing, then threw him She jumped up and charged.         self against her,ramming her with his shoulder.  The impact knocked her stumbling backward.

It didn't hurt her,  though. She laughed and advanced on him  again.dangling at the end of a spastic armHe knew why she was so exhilarated.  She thought that with his left hand and the right busy gripping the rapier hewouldn't be able to cast any appropriate spells to fend her off.        ,

And she was right.sword and started to conjure, rapidly as only a mEdging away from  Greyanna, his hand dripping blood, he let go of the living aster could.His sister rushed him

.  The rapier jerked itself out of his wound, hurting himanew. It pivoted in the air and aimed itself at his heart.

Five darts of azure force shot from his right hand into Greyannas body. Shemade a sighing sound and collapsed, her mace clanking against the floor.

At once the rapier became inert, and fell clattering to the floor.He studied Greyanna, making sure she was truly dead, then examined his own wounds. They were unpleasant, but a healing potion or two would mend them."Thank you, sister," he said, "for a most  inspiring interlude. When I sally forthto save our beloved Menzoberranzan, it will be with a heart full ofjoy ".