F O U R (58 page)

He glumly concluded that until he knew  more, it would be foolish to continue

Richard Lee Byers

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Dissolution

attacking a foe seemingly capable of tuSo he'd break off hostilities.     rning his own potent wizardry against him.

And, he thought, with a sudden pang of uneasiness, hope his sister didn't  guesswho'd engineered her recent perils.

Richard Lee Byers

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War Of The Spider Queen

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C   h  a  p  t   e   r

S   E  V  E  N   T  E  E  N

cellarAll the undercreatures gawked when

Pharaun and R

,  and why not? The mage doubted this foul little drinking pit had e

yld strolled into the

ver

seen such an elegant figure as himself,  an aristocrat exquisite ornaments, dress, and coiffure . . . well, he hoped that, after some of graceful  carriage,

emer

In any case, it wgency adjustments, his hair was at least passable.as plain the goblins, ores, and whatevers had little interest in aesthetic appreciation. They whispered,

whenever they thought the two dark elves weren' glowered, and fingered their weapons and hate in the sweltering, low-ceilinged room were pt looking at them, and the fear

alpable. Pharaun

supposed that considering what Greyanna and her Br                       hunters had wrought in the

aeryn the previous  night, a measure of  surli

understandable.              ness was, if not good form, at least

He wondered how they'd  react if they discovered his sister had slaughtered

their  fellows  by the score merely  to  create an opportunity  to kill him.  Perhaps

it was a question best left in the realm of the hypothetical.Knowing that R

yld was watching his back, the Master of Sorcere sauntered  tothe bar and, with a sweep of his arm

currency was the usual miscellany encountered in Menzoberranzan—rounds, ,  scattered clattering coins across it. The squares, triangles, rings, spiders, and octagons— half of it mi

or so greatest noble Houses and the rest imported from  other lands in the nted by the dozen Underdark and even the W

orld Above. It was all silver

though, m                      , platinum, or gold, ore precious metal than this  squalid  hole probably saw in  a decade."Tonight," Pharaun announced, "this com

pany of boon companions drinks at

m

The tavernery  expense!" , a squat ore with a twisted, oozing mouth and a ma

stared for a heartbeat or two, scooped up  the coins, and began dipping sngy scalp, ome  foulsmelling brew from  a filthy tub. Cursing and threatening one another,  the rest of

the undercreatures shoved forward to get it. The wizard noted that no one thanked him

.

After looking around for another moment,  Pharaun spotted another dark  elfslouched in a corner, evidently one of  the wretches who'd sunk so low  the

goblinoids accepted him  as one of their own."Com

The outcast flinched. "Me?"e here, my  friend," the wizard beckoned.

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"Yes. What's  your name?"

The fellow hesitated, then said, "Bruherd, once of House Duskryn.""Indeed, until your noble kin kicked you out. W

e  have much in comm

Bruherd, for I m                           on, yself am  outcast twice over.  Now come  advise me  on a matter of vital im

"I'  portance."m, uh, all right where I am."

"I know you don't mean to be unsociable,"  said Pharaun, setting blue sparks dancing on his fingertips.

The Duskryn sighed, and, limping in  a manner that betrayed some  chronic pain, did as Pharaun had bade him

.

his neck and jaw          He was gaunt, and half a dozen boils studded .  He'd  evidently parted with his
 
piwafwi
 
at some  point during his decline, but he still wore a filthy robe that, the Mizzrym  noted with m

had once been a wizard's. With the aid of  the silver ring, he could see that the ild surprise,

dozens of pockets no longer held  the slightest trace of ma"They m                    gic.

ay kill me

"They only tolerate m for this," Bruherd said, subtly indicating the goblins.e  because they believe me  cut off from  my  own race.""I'll pray for your w

elfare,"  Pharaun said. "Meanwhile, what I need to know

is this: Of all the libations laid up in  our host's no doubt vast and well-stockedcellar

,  which is the least vile?""Vile?" Bruherd'

s  lip twitched. "You get used to them."

Pharaun handed the other drow a gold, ham"One hopes not."             mer-shaped coin minted in somedwarf enclave.

"Tell the barkeep you want the stuff that bubbles," Bruherd advised.

'The stuff that bubbles.'  Charming. Clearly, I've fallen among connoisseurs "

.

"It'll do," said Ryld, still unobtrusively studying the crowd. "The important

thing is that we toast our victory ".Pharaun waited a beat, then chuckled. "You're supposed to ask him

what he's

talking about," he said to Bruherd,  "thus affording us a graceful way to

commence boasting of our trium

The lip twitched again. "I don'ph."t think  much about victories or triumphs

anymore."Pharaun shook his head. "So m

uch bitterness in the world! It weighs on the

heart. Would it cheer you to learn I've avenged us in some  small measure?"

Across the room"Us?" Bruherd grunted.

faced gnoll. As the com, a scufbatants rolled about the floorfle erupted between a shaggy hobgoblin and a wolf-, somebody tossed them  a knife, apparently just out of curiosity as to which would m

anage to grab it first.

"Hark to the glad tidings," said the Master of Sorcere. "I'm  Pharaun Mizzrymexpelled first from  the Seventh House and                  ,now Tier Breche, neith

er time for an

rational cause. Incensed, I chose to take  vengeance on the Academ      yy.  With the aid of m

y  similarly disgruntled friend Master Argith, I destroyed a patrol in theBazaar earlier today

.  You may have heard something about it."

Bruherd stared. The kobold and goblins within earshot did the same."It's true," said R

yld.

insane? They'"That was you?" Bruherd said. "And ll hunt you down!"      you're bragging about it? Are you

"I'Pharaun said, "They were trying anyway." The entire cellar was falling quiet. ve heard rumors of an agency that  will spirit a drow boy away if he's  well

and truly discontent with his lot in life, as I trust Ryld and I have shown we are ".

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Bruherd said, "I don'"Well," Pharaun said, "they probably have to think you can be of some use to t know what you're talking about."them, and if you'll forgive my saying so . . ." rner of his eye, and turned just intime to see the taverner fall back in twHe caught a flash of movement from the coo pieces. Evidently he'd  been in the process of climbing silently over the bar with a short sword in hand, and  Ryldsensing him, had pivoted and cut him. The drow warrior spun smoothly  back ,around, Splitter at the ready.rushing him. He snatched three smooth gray stones from a pocket and sPharaun turned back as well, just in time to see a mass of undercreatures tartedto recite a spell. Ryld's  greatsword flicked across the wizard's field of vision,killing two gnolls that sought to engage him, allowing him to finish theincantation unmolested.