war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第132章

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Syrzan　flipped　its　tentacles；　a　gesture　that　conveyed　impatience；　and　a　flake　of　skin　fell　off。　Unlike　the　slimy　hide　of　living　mind　flayers；　the　lich's　flesh　was　cracked　and　dry。
〃The　renegades　are　trying　to　place　themselves　above　the　females；〃　the　undead　creature　said。
〃I　understand　that；　but　I　doubt　it'll　work　out　the　way　they　plan；　or　even　the　way　you　plan。〃
〃You　believe　the　priestesses　are　too　formidable；　even　divested　of　their　spells？〃
〃Oh；　they're　powerful。　They　may　well　extinguish　this　little　cabal。　Yet　for　the　moment；　I'm　more　concerned　about　the　undercreatures。　Do　you　realnotize　how　many　goblins　there　are；　how　fervently　they　hated　us　even　before　you　maddened　them；　or　how　dangerous　your　stone…consuming　fire　is？　It　could　be　that　after　they　riot；　we　won't　have　a　Menzoberranzan　left　for　anyone　to　rule。〃
〃Nonsense。　The　ores　will　have　their　hour；　and　your　people　will　butcher　them。〃
Pharaun　sighed。　〃That's　what　folk　keep　telling　me。　I　wish　your　consennotsus　forted　me；　but　it　doesn't。　That's　one　of　the　drawbacks　of　knowing　yourself　shrewder　than　everybody　else。〃
〃I　assure　you；　the　ores　cannot　prevail。〃
〃At　the　very　least；　they'll　destroy　some　of　the　lovely　architecture　the　founders　sculpted　from　the　living　rock；　and　they'll　set　a　defiant　example　for　future　generations　of　thralls。　Your　scheme　will　harm　not　merely　the　priestesses　but　Menzoberranzan　itself；　and　I　disapprove　of　that。　It's　sloppy　and　inept。　Only　a　fool　mars　the　very　treasure　he's　striving　to　acquire。〃
A　sneer　in　its　tone；　Syrzan　said；　〃I　wouldn't　have　taken　you　for　a　panottriot。〃
〃Odd；　isn't　it？　I'll　tell　you　something　even　stranger。　In　my　way；　I'm　also　a　devout　child　of　Lolth。　Oh；　it's　never　kept　me　from　pursuing　my　own　ends…even　past　the　point　of　murdering　a　priestess　or　two…but　though　I　strive　for　personal　preeminence；　I　would　never　seek　to　topple　the　entire　social　order　she　established。　I　certainly　wouldn't　conspire　to　place　her　chosen　people　and　city　under　the　rule　of　a　lesser　creature。〃
〃Even　gods　die；　drow。　Perhaps　Lolth　is　no　more。　If　Menzoberranzan　is　indeed　the　mortal　realm　she　loves　best；　why　else　would　she　abandon　you？〃
〃A　test？　A　punishment？　A　whim？　Who　can　say？　But　I　doubt　the　Spider　Queen　is　dead。　I　saw　her　once；　and　I　don't　just　mean　the　manifestation　who　visited　Menzoberranzan　during　the　Time　of　Troubles。　I've　gazed　upon　the　Dark　Mother　in　the　full　majesty　of　her　divinity；　and　I　can't　imagine　that　anything　could　ever　lay　her　low。〃
〃You　have　looked　upon　the　Spider　Queen？〃
〃I　thought　you　might　be　interested　in　that；〃　said　the　mage。　〃It　wasn't　long　after　I　graduated　from　Sorcere；　returned　home　to　serve　my　mother；　and　sided　with　my　sister　Sabal　against　her　twin　Greyanna。　One　night；　a　delegation　of　priestesses　came　to　our　stalactite　castle。　Triel　Baenre　herself　led　the　expedition…she　was　Mistress　of　Arach…Tinilith　in　those　days…and　she'd　brought　along　dignitaries　from　Houses　Xorlarrin；　Agrach　Dyrr；　Bar…rison　Del'Armgo；　and　other　families　of　note。　It　was　a　momentous　occanotsion；　especially　for　me；　because　all　these　great　ladies　had　e　to　arrest　me。
〃I　never　did　find　out　if　Greyanna　instigated　the　affair。　It　was　the　kind　of　thing　she　would　have　done；　but　it　needn't　have　been　her。　You'll　scarcely　credit　it；　but　in　those　days；　I　was　considered　an　insolent；　uppity　scapenotgrace；　a　far　cry　from　the　meek　and　modest　gentleman　you　see　before　you　today。　A　good　many　clerics　may　have　suspected　me　of　irreverence。〃
〃This　is　what　happened　to　Tsabrak；〃　Syrzan　said。　〃The　priestesses　arnotrested　him；　turned　him　into　a　drider；　and　drove　him　forth。〃
〃Sometimes　they　mete　out　punishments　even　fouler；〃　Pharaun　said；　〃but　first　they　examine　you　to　determine　your　true　sentiments。　I　hoped　my　mother　would　intervene。　She　was　one　of　the　great　Matrons　of　Menzoberranzan；　and　I'd　scored　a　number　of　coups　for　House　Mizzrym；　but　she　never　said　a　word。　Perhaps　she　believed　me　a　traitor　in　the　making　or　was　reluctant　to　disagree　with　the　Baenre。　Maybe　she　simply　found　my　predicament　amusing。　Miz'ri's　like　that。
〃Be　that　as　it　may；　the　priestesses　threw　me　in　a　dungeon　and　put　me　to　the　question；　employing　whips　a