war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第134章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ider　Queen　picked　apart　my　flesh　and　bones；　she　was　filleting　my　mind　and　spirit　as　well。　It　irks　me　that　I　can't　describe　how　it　felt。　I　hail　from　a　race　of　torturers　and　spellcasters；　but　I　still　lack　the　vocabulary。　Suffice　it　to　say；　it　wasn't　pleasant。
〃In　the　end；　every　aspect　of　my　self　lay　in　pieces　before　her…for　innotspection；　I　realize　now；　though　I　was　in　too　much　agony　and　dread　to　work　it　out　at　the　time。　When　she'd　looked　her　fill；　she　put　me　back　together。〃
Still　careful　not　to　betray　himself；　keeping　his　mind　focused　on　the　story；　Pharaun　decided　it　was　the　triangle　that　would　power　the　alhoon's　Call。　The　question　then　was　what　to　do　about　it。　The　real　brooch　hung　on　the　chest　of　Syrzan's　physical　body；　back　in　the　material　world。　The　one　inside　his　mind　was　a　sort　of　echo。　An　analogue。　Would　depriving　Syrzan　of　it　acplish　anything？
Pharaun　continued；　〃Do　you　think　she　reconnected　every　subtle　juncnotture　of　my　intellect　and　spirit　exactly　as　they'd　been　before？　Over　the　course　of　the　next　few　years；　I　invested　a　fair　amount　of　time　brooding　over　that　particular　question；　but　it's　unanswerable；　so　let　it　not　detain　us。
〃After　the　Mother　of　Lusts　cobbled　me　together；　she　tossed　me　back　to　my　native　reality；　back　onto　the　altar；　in　fact；　thus　indicating　she　found　me　acceptable。　I　imagine　the　clerics　were　disappointed。　I've　never　known　an　inquisitor　to　rejoice　in　a　suspect's　acquittal。
〃Perhaps　they　took　a　bit　of　solace　in　the　discovery　that　I'd　gone　altonotgether　mad。　They　carted　me　back　to　my　family；　who　strapped　me　to　a　bed　and　debated　whether　it　wouldn't　be　more　convenient　all　around　to　smother　me　with　a　pillow。　Sabal　was　my　advocate　and　guard。　She　couldn't　afford　to　lose　her　staunchest　ally。
〃Let's　skip　over　all　the　raving　and　hallucinations；　shall　we？　Eventually　my　wits　returned；　and　as　I　reflected　on　my　experiences　in　the　Abyss；　I　renotalized　that　while　Lolth　was　infinitely　dreadful　and　malign；　she　was　transcendently　beautiful　as　well。　I'd　simply　been　too　distraught　to　recognize　it　at　the　time。〃
The　magic　of　both　the　ring　and　the　brooch　had　acpanied　the　dreamers　into　the　dream。　Otherwise；　Pharaun　wouldn't　be　able　to　see　the　triangle　glowing。　So　perhaps　if　he　disposed　of　the　talisman　in　this　place；　its　counterpart　in　mundane　reality　would　lose　its　enchantments。
Possibly　not；　also；　but　the　Master　of　Sorcere　felt　he　had　to　take　a　chance。　He　doubted　he'd　get　another。
〃Certainly　she　exemplified　that　supreme　power　to　which　all　dark　elves；　particularly　we　wizards；　aspire；〃　the　drow　rambled　on。　〃I　felt　inspired　that　she　was　our　patron。　She's　worthy　of　us；　as　we　are　worthy　of　her。〃
〃She　impressed　you；〃　Syrzan　said；　its　mouth　tentacles　wriggling；　〃as　even　the　pettiest　deity　can　overawe　a　mortal。　Still；　you're　a　scholar　of　the　mysteries。　You　should　know　there　are　powers　greater　than　Lolth；　entities　who；　if　they　saw　fit…〃
Pharaun　snatched　the　triangular　ivory　brooch　off　the　undead　mind　flayer's　soiled　and　shabby　robe　and　slammed　it　down　on　the　convoluted　parapet　at　the　edge　of　the　bridge。　The　ornament　didn't　break。　In　desperanottion；　he　pulled　back　his　arm　to　throw　it。　Perhaps　the　illithid…lich　would　have　difficulty　retrieving　it　from　the　murky　pool　below。
A　cold；　rough　hand　grabbed　him　by　the　collar　and　wrenched　him　down。　He　was　powerless　to　resist。　In　the　reality　Syrzan　had　created　for　itself；　it　was　as　strong　as　a　titan。
The　lich　ripped　the　brooch　from　Pharaun's　grasp　and　thrust　it　into　a　pocket。　It　clutched　the　dark　elf　with　both　hands；　leaned　its　head　close；　and　wrapped　its　dry；　flaking　mouth　tentacles　over　the　mage's　skull。　Pharaun　knew　this　was　how　mind　flayers　fed。　They　wormed　their　members　into　whatever　orifices　were　most　convenient　and　yanked　out　their　victim's　brain。
He　wondered　what　would　happen　when　Syrzan　subjected　his　dream　self　to　such　treatment。　Would　his　physical　body　perish；　or　would　it　survive　as　a　living　but　mindless　shell？
〃Didn't　you　like　my　story？〃　Pharaun　gasped。　The　lich's　grip　was　squeeznoting　the　breath　out　of　him。　〃You　seemed　quite　engrossed。　That　was　why　I　dared　to　hope　I　could　catch　you　by　surprise。〃
〃You　put　your