F O U R (38 page)

War Of The Spider Queen

Book 1

Dissolution

her for a long while, either."Don't abandon hope," Pharaun said. "Perhaps we can still m

ake a trade.

Fortunately, my  comrade and I are interested in other matters as well. Hasanything peculiar occurred in the Braeryn of late?"

The clairvoyant rasped out another painful-sounding laugh."Y

ou mean aside from  the fact that last  tenday,  the animals rose up against

me?"

"I do find that interesting. As you confessed, your magical talents withered

away some  time ago. Since then, you've dominated the goblins through bluff

Where did the Undercreatures find the courage to turn against you? Have and force of personality, and it worked until a few days ago. What changed? you noticed anything that mi

"Well," said Smylla, "it could just beght account for it?" they saw me  failing physically, but—"

Her cracked lips stretched into a grin. "You're good, Master Mizzrym. You give

me  a smile, friendly conversation, a soft  touch on the arm,  and m

to flap. That'                       y  tongue starts s  loneliness for you. But  I will have manything of im                  y  cure before I give up

"Very sensible." Pharaun extracted anportance."         empty cocoon from  one of his pockets.

"What do you wish to become?""One of you," she said, leering. "I  once heard a philosopher say that e

ver

becom                               yone e

"He ms the thing he hates."ust have been a cheery fellow to have about. Now,  brace yourself. This

will only take a moment, but it may hurt a little."Employing greater care than usual, he recited the incantation and used th

e

ridged silken case to write a symbol on the air.Magic shrilled through the air

,  and the temperature plummeted. For a

moment, the whole room  rippled and shimmered, then the distortion

concentrated itself on Smylla's  shriveled body. Tendons standing out in her neck

she screamed.                             ,

Beyond the door, one of the bugbears shouted, "We want to get even, too ! Wehad a bar

gain!"Smylla'

s  sores faded away, and her emaciated form

slimness. Her ashen skin darkened to a gleaming black, her blue e filled out into a healthy yes turned

red, and her ears grew points. Her features became more delicate. Her snowhair thickened, changing from  brittle and lusterless to w           y

avy and glossy.

"The pain went away," she breathed. "I feel stronger ".

She stared at her hands, then sat up, ro"Of course," Pharaun said.       se from  the cot, and tried to walk. At first she moved with an invalid'

s  caution, but gradually, as she proved to herself

that  she  wouldn't  fall,  that  hesitancy passed.  After  a  few

striding, jum                       seconds, she was ping, and spinning like an exuberant  little girl  testing her  streher grimy nightshirt flapping about her                 ngth,

.

"Y

showed that even wearing the flesh of a ou did it!" she said, and the pure, uncaldark elf maiden, she culated gratitude in her crimson eyes was still human at the core.

Though it was foreign to his own nature,  Pharaun found her agratifying. Still, he hadn't transformed her  to bask in her naive sentimentality but ppreciation rather

to elicit some answers. "Now," he said, "please, tell us."

something emboldened the Undercreatures in"Right." She took a deep breath to compose herself and sa this house. What' id, "I do believe s  more, I think it's

Richard Lee Byers

101

War Of The Spider Queen

Book 1

Dissolution

affected goblinoids throughout the Braeryn."

"What is it?" asked Ryld.

"I don't know."

"What led you to infer this agency?" The warrior grimaced.         Pharaun asked. "Ihousebound even before you barricad             assume you were

"I saw a change in the brutes who live hereed yourself in your room.". They were surly,  insolent, and foul-tem

pered, ready  to  maim  and  kill one  another at the slightest provocation."R

yld hitched his shoulders, working stiffness out or shifting Splitter to lie  morecomfortably across his back.

"How is that different than normal?" asked the weapons master.

exhibited those qualities to a greater exteSmylla scowled at him and said, "All nt than before, and whenever I heard things are relative. The creatures

same truculent humortidings from beyond these walls, they suggested the entire precinct shared the ."

Pharaun nodded. "Did you hear about tribal  emblems appearing in the streets?""Y

"Maybe in one or two thralls," said es," she said. "That bespeaks a kind of madness, don'R        t you think?"yld. "What of it? You promised my friendinformation. T

ell us something we don't  already know, and I mean facts, not your

impressions."

drum beats somewhere in the Braeryn, calliThe clairvoyant smiled. "All right. I was building up to it. Every few nights a gathering. Many of the occupants of this house clear out. Wng the lower orders to some sort of ith what little remains

of my clairvoyance, I've sensed many  others skulking through the streets, all

conver

"Nonsense," said Rging on a common destination."yld. "Why has no drow  patrol heard the signal and come toinvestigate?"

"Because," said Pharaun, "the city  possesses enchantments to mute sound.""Well, m

aybe." Ryld turned back to  Smylla. "Where do the creatures go, and

why?""I don't know," she said, "but perhaps,  with m

y  health and occult talentsrestored, I could find out." She beamed  at Pharaun. "I'd  be happy to try

.  I

fulfilled the letter of our bargain, but I  do realize I haven't provided you  with  all

that much in exchange for the priceless gift you gave me."

"That remark touches on the question of your future," the wizard said. "You'd

have no diff

why live so miculty reestablishing your domeanly? I could use an aide  of your caliberinion here in the Stench-streets, but . Orarrange your safe repatriation to the W          , if you prefer, I can

orld Above."

As he spoke, he surreptitiously contorted  the fingers of his left hand, expressinhim                                 g

self in the silent language of the dark  elves, a system  of gestures as efficient

and com

"I think—" Smprehensive as the spoken word.

She whim  ylla began, then her eyes opened wide.

collapsed. Pharaun skipped back to keep her frompered. Ryld pulled his short sword out of her back, and she toppling against him.

leave of"Despite her previous experiences," thf trusting drow. I suppose it shows you can take the hume lanky wizard said, "she couldn'an outt quite of the

sunshine, but not the sunshine out of the human." He shook his head "T.  his is the

second female I've slain or murdered  by proxy in the brief time since our

adventure began, and I didn't particularly  want to kill either  one of themsuspect an underlying m                     . Do you

etaphysical significance?"

Richard Lee Byers

102

War Of The Spider Queen

Book 1

Dissolution

feeding us lies.""How would I know? I take it you bade m

e  kill the snitch because she was

"Oh, no. I'mdeceived her

.  Her m

convinced she was telling the truth. The problem  was that I

etamo

tricky just suppressing it for a few mrphosis didn'inutes."t really purge her disease. It was a bit

staining his boots, and RPharaun stepped back again to keep the spreading pool of blood fromyld cleaned  the short sword on the dead human'sbedding.

"You didn't want to leave her alive and angry to carry tales to Grey-anna "

the weapons m                            ,aster said."It's unlikely they would have found one another

,  but why take the chance?""And you asked Smylla about the m

arks on the walls. You're just too cursed

curious to let the subject go."t be silly

.  I'm  the very model of single-minded

determPharaun grinned. "Don'ination, and I was asking to further our mission."

Ryld glanced at the door and the iron bar.  They were still holding.

"What does the strange behavior of goblins have to do with the rogue males?"he asked.

"I don'

the samt know yet," Pharaun answered, "but we have two oddities occurring at e  time and in the same  precinct. Doesn't it make sense to infer a

relationship?""Not necessarily. Menzoberranzan has scores of plots and conspiracies going

on at any given time. They aren't  all connected.""Granted. However

,  if these two situations are linked, then by inquiring intoone, we likewise probe the other

.  You and  I have experienced a depressing lack of

success picking up the trail of our runaways .  Therefore,  we'll investigate the lower orders and see where that path takes us."

"How will we do that?"

"Follow the drum

The door banged., of course."

"Easily m"First," said Ryld, "we have to get out of here."anaged. I'll remove the lock     an from  the doorillu                 ing talism        , then use

sion  to  make  us  blend  with  the  walls. In  a  minute  or  two,  the  residents  will

break the door down. When they're busy abusing Smylla's  corpse and ransackinher possessions, we'll put on goblin faces and slip out in the confusion."    g