F O U R (49 page)

.  She lifted her head, pushed the hood back, and stood revealed as the Mistress of Arach-Tinilith. Somehow she'd entered the room without her enemies realizing her identity.whip. She sauntered to the center of the room. It occurred to Drisinil tQuenthel pushed back one wing of her cloak, freeing the arm that held herhat atthat moment the plotters could have fallen on their tardidn't. The mistress cowed them with her unexpected appearance, hget en masse, but they ercontemptuous demeanor, and the simple fact that she was a Baenre princess.The mistress smiled at Drisinil and said, "You've done well, novice, exceptfor one detail. It'scandlelight. That's all right, I' traditional for priestesses to conduct their afve taken care of it." She turned toward the doorfairs by . "Come."

Tw

Drisinil, squinting, saw they weren'o teachers marched in carrying silver candelabra. After a moment, t alone. Many of the residents of Arach-Tinilith filed in after them, all well armed and wearing mail.

Richard Lee Byers

131

War Of The Spider Queen

Book 1

Dissolution

Quenthel beckoned to the plotters."Move down to the lower seats, why don't you? The latecomers won't mindclimbing to the top." She waited a beat, then said, "That wasn't  a suggestion."The conspirators hesitated a moment longer

,  and the show offered convinced them to obey

.

"Thank you," Quenthel said, then waited until everyone had taken a seat and the plotters all had armed loyalists  at their backs. "Now, let's discuss  the matter that concerns you so.""I don't know what my niece told you about this gathering," said Drisinil's

Aunt Molvayas, clad in a gown of a dark and shimmering green that matched her eyes, "but I assure you, its purpose is entirely innocent."

"Its purpose is to contrive your death, Mistress," Vlondril called out. "I know. I've been in on it from the start."

"Thank you, Holy MotherQuenthel nodded to the mad priestess.. Your candor helps move things along." The Baenre depose msurveyed her enemies and said, "I understand that your excuse for seeking to e  was the supposition that the goddess desires it. You postulate  that  sheso abhors
my
 
rule of Arach-Tinilith that she renounces all Menzoberranzan ".Molvayas drew a deep breath, evidently screwing up her courage. "We do. Doyou deny it'"Of course," Quenthel replied. "It's possible?"s  a ludicrous notion unsupported by a singleshred of evidence .. . though I'm  sure it seems plausible to the lieutenant whocovets m

Drisinil noticed that while the Baenre ay  position."          ppeared perfectly at ease, the twistinwhip serpents were keeping watch in all directions.             g"What of the dem

"And they com ons? They reflect the attributes of Lolth—"e  for me. Because one of  my  mortal enemies sends them  inguises intended to stim

"What enemy?" Molvayas demulate your imaginations."anded.

"That has yet to be determined.""In other words," said Quenthel's  second-in-command, "you don't know what'sgoing on any more than we do.""At least I know what
 
isn't
 
happening."

"Do you? What ma"The answer to that is readily apparekes your one opinion superior to all of ours?"nt to those with some  smattering ofintelligence.""Insults won't resolve this matter,  Mistress, but I can think of a test that mi

Step down for a year                         ght. Quenthel laughed. , and we'll see what happens."

"Meekly surrender the Academy to you, Barrison Del'Armgo? Not likely. As it happens, I too have conceived a test to determine who truly enjoys Lolth's favoryour sad little cabal or m                         ,e."

"My test is sim"What do you mean?" Molvayas asked, wariness in her eyes.plicity itself. We  simply  ask Lolth whomher answer."                      she prefers, and await

"That's insane. The Spider Queen no longer speaks to us."willing to try?""Perhaps if we petition, she will at least condescend to give us a sign. Are you "Perhaps," Molvayas said, no doubt aware that with blades at her back, sheactually had little choice. "Do you propose to perform  some  sort of ritual?"

Richard Lee Byers

132

War Of The Spider Queen

Book 1

Dissolution

"As we've lost our magic, what would that accomplish? My idea is simpler. We

all bide in this room, engaged in sileMother reveals her will."       nt prayer and meditation, until the Dark

Vlondril snorted. "What if  she chooses to ignore us?"

Quenthel shrugged. "I don't believe she's truly abandoned her chosen people or her chosen ministers. My faith is too  strong to credit such

a calamity. How str

is yours, Barrison Del'                         ong "Strong enough that I haveArmgo?"  no fear of the goddess preferring you to me "

,

Molvayas spat back. "I just  don't see the point of your scheme. Lolth will speak when she wishes, not when we desire it."

"It's not a waste of time if it's keeping you alive. I could have had my loyal

followers kill you the moment  they entered the chamber.honest inquiry into your concerns, for the sake of all the temple. Under the Instead, I'm proposing an

circumstances, what could be  more magnanimous than that?""All right," Molvayas said. "We'll remain

comrades and I go free. You can'    for a time, but if  nothing happens, my t  chastise us if the results of the test are inconclusive. That wouldn't be an honest inquiry."

"Agreed," the mistress said.

as if it could take hours. She needed the Drisinil was bewildered and appalled.  This strange, passive procedure sounded antidote before her t

it                          hundering heart tore self  apart,  but  she  could  do  nothing  to  speed  things

Though plainly just as puzzled as she, the company obediently fell quiet. along.Meditation was a familiar practice to a

since Lolth had receded beyond their ken.ll of them, though frustrating and futile

Drisinil'For what seemed a long while, nothing has eye twitched uncontrollably    ppened, except that a muscle under ,  and some of those whom she'd  betrayed

surreptitiously glared at her,  wordscurried across the floor. Or perhaps it did.lessly vowing revenge. A tiny something By the time she tried to focus on it, it

was gone.More minutes crawled by. Cloth whispered as someone shifted position. Later

somebody else smothered a little sneeze. Drisinil realized she could just b  ,asmell the ghost of the funereal incense Lirdnolu had burned wh    rely

en teaching

necromancy.

unusual in that. Arach-TAnother mite scuttled along. Drisinil saw inilith was  full of the sacred creatures.that this one was a spider. Nothing

about this particular specim                 Still, something en tugged at  her despite her sickness and terror.  She stared until she discerned that it had a blue shell with red markings.

webs, not roamThat was a little odd. This particular species generally spent its time lurking in twinge of alarming about. Still, she didn't see why the anomaly should trigger a

.  It must be the poison clawing at her nerves.

Time  dragged on. A priestess on the lowest tier sang a hymn under her breath.

She was flat. Another novice with mutilated hands surreptitiously checked the

knife strapped under her sleeve, maAnd, Drisinil noticed, m     king sure  the weapon was loose in the sheath.

ore black dots were creeping on the walls and floor. More

than were normal for a disused part  of the tem

glanced over at Quenthel, seeking some  sign to confirmple? She thought so, and she her formThe Baenre stood m                    less suspicions.

otionless with head

absorbed in her devotions.        bowed, the very picture of a mystic

her right shoulderA novice with a gold earring cried out in  pain. She dragged on her shirt, baring ,  and found the spider that  was biting her.  Her frantic efforts to

Richard Lee Byers

133

War Of The Spider Queen

Book 1

Dissolution

remove the arachnid without hurting it should have been comical but Drisinil

couldn'

flecks swarmt laugh. Frazzled, addled by the poising thickly on every side. Som on, she could only stare at the dark e

to notice as well. They whispered to one  anotherof the other conspirators had started Som

ething brushed Drismil's arm.  She cried out and spun around.

,  and their eyes grew wide. It was one of

the Quenthel's  vipers that had touched her."Stay close," the mistress said.

Once again, the spiders increased in number.  Somehow hordes of them  were

freckling their skins like the sores of soscuttling over the bodies of the conspirators, biting, crawling under their clothing, me  hideous plague. Shrieking, no longer and

brush themcaring that the creatures were off, but they couldn' sacrosanct, their victims struggled to crush themt get them all. A few of the traitors retained the

presence of mind to activate protective talismans, only to discover that the magic didn't help, either

.

creatures weren'The one place free of spiders was the  upper tiers. Once they realized the

at the plight of the traitors. Whenever onet going climb up and attack   of the plotters trthem, the loyalists mocked and jeered into their safe space, a loyalist would knock her back with
 
a casual swat from a
ied to grope her way

mace or whip. Some even shot down with  hand  crossbows  any  conspirator  whoattempted to stagger for the door

.

Drisinil  did  remain  at  Quenthel's  side,  and  the  spiders  crawled  over  her  feet

but otherwise took no notice of her.  They didn't avoid the Baenre, however.

They climbed all over her body without biting, and, laughing, she  stooped,

encrusted herpicked up more, and poured them over her head until the creatures virtually .  Her bright red eyes shone from a pebbled, squirming mask.