war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第18部分

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lightly；　it　could　still　take　me　centuries　to　ascend　to　a　position　of　gennotuine　power　within　the　family。〃
〃All　right；　that　makes　sense。　What　will　you　tell　her？〃
〃The　obvious。〃　Waerva　sighed　shakily　as　her　human　went　to　work　on　her　sacroiliac。　〃For　all　we　know；　it　may　even　be　the　truth。〃
〃I　suppose。〃
Umrae　lapsed　into　a　sullen　silence。　Her　body　servant's　hands　made　slapnotping　and　sucking　sounds　as　they　played　about　her　slick；　moist；　bony　back。
〃By　the　six　hundred　and　sixty…six　layers　of　the　Abyss；〃　said　Waerva；　〃what　ails　you？　If　you're　having　seconds　thoughts；　the　time　for　that　is　well　past。〃
〃I'm　not。　I　want　to　be　something　better　than　milady's　secretary。　I　want　a　surname。　I　want　to　be　a　high　priestess　and　a　noble。〃
〃And　you　will。　When　your　cabal　crushes　the　established　order；　they'll　reward　me　for　my　help　by　making　me　matron　mother　of　a　new　but　exalted　House；　whereupon　I　will　adopt　you　as　my　daughter。　Why；　then；　do　you　appear　so　morose？〃
〃I　just　wonder。　This　silence　。。。　is　it　really　a　boon　for　us；　or　a　calamity？　Are　we　seizing　a　great　opportunity　or　madly　rushing　to　our　doom？〃　How　much　better　I'd　rest　if　only　I　knew；　thought　Waerva。
〃Let　me　ask　a　question；〃　the　Baenre　priestess　said。　〃Deep　down　in　your　heart　of　hearts；　did　you　serve　out　of　reverence　or　fear？〃
〃I　served　for　power。〃
〃e　to　think　of　it；〃　said　Waerva；　〃I　did；　too。　So　let　us　seize　the　power　that　still　sparkles　within　our　reach。〃
〃I…〃　Umrae　moaned　and　curled　her　toes　as　her　human　finally　managed　to　send　a　thrill　of　pleasure　singing　along　her　nerves。　Waerva　thought　it　was　a　good　sign。






Pharaun　drank　in　the　spectacle　of　the　Bazaar。　Born　and　raised　a　Menzoberranyr；　he　had　of　course　visited　this　bustling　place　countless　times　before；　but　after　several　tendays　of　house　arrest　spent　wondering　if　his　life　was　at　an　end；　it　seemed　rather　wonderful　to　him。
Many　of　the　stalls　shone　with　light；　be　it　phosphorescent　fungus　posinottioned　to　flatter　the　vendor's　wares；　magical　illumination　cast　for　the　same　purpose；　or　merely　the　incidental　fallout　of　some　other　enchantment。　The　gleaming　was　never　so　fierce　as　to　offend　a　dark　elf's　eyes；　though。　The　citnotizens　of　the　city　wended　their　way　through　the　aisles　in　the　nurturing　darknotness　that　was　their　natural　habitat；　and　what　an　interesting　lot　those　citizens　were。
A　high　priestess；　from　House　Fey　Branche　judging　from　the　livery　of　her　retainers；　emerged　from　her　curtained　litter　to　inspect　riding　lizards　with　an　eye　as　knowledgeable　and　a　hand　as　steady　as　any　groom's。　A　somewhat　seedy　looking　boy；　perhaps　a　disfavored　son　from　one　of　the　lesser　Houses；　engaged　a　cobbler　in　conversation　while　a　confederate　opened　his　voluminous　mantle　to　slip　an　expensive　pair　of　snakeskin　boots　inside。　Male　moners；　obliged　to　lower　their　eyes　to　every　female　and　step　aside　for　every　noble　of　either　gender；　pensated　by　sneering　and　swaggering　their　way　among　the　creatures　less　exalted　than　any　drow。　These　latter　were　a　motley　assortment　of　beings…gray　dwarves；　the　goggle…eyed　fish…men　called　kuotoas；　and　even　a　huge；　horned　ogre　mage　from　the　World　Above…bold　enough　to　trade　or　even　dwell　in　a　dark　elf　city。　Lowliest　of　all；　at　least　as　numerous　as　the　free　but　in　their　utter　insignificance　far　easier　to　overlook；　were　the　slaves。　Orc；　gnoll；　and　bugnotbear　warriors　guarded　their　masters　and　mistresses；　harried；　starveling　goblins　fetched　and　carried　for　the　merchants；　and　little　reptilian　kobolds　collected　litter　and　hauled　it　away。
Pharaun　knew　from　occasional　errands　there　that　if　this　hub　of　notmerce　had　existed　in　one　of　the　lands　that　saw　the　sky；　it　would　have　been　exceptionally　noisy。　But　the　Menzoberranyr；　to　keep　their　cavern　from　roaring　with　a　constant　echoing　clamor；　had　laid　subtle　enchantments　about　the　smooth　stone　floor。　Sounds　close　at　hand　were　as　audible　as　was　natural；　but　those　farther　away　faded　and　blended　to　the　faint　drone　he　and　Ryld　had　heard　while　sitting　on　the　brink　of　Tier　Breche。
In　the　Bazaar；　several　of　the　magical　buffers　operated　in　close　proximity　to　one　another。　To　newers；　the　effect　could　be　a　little　disconcerting　as　a　single　step　sufficed　to　carry　them　from　whispering　quiet　to　raucous　noise；　the　full　volume　of　an　auctioneer's　shout　or　a　piper's　skirling。
Happily；　no　such　enchantments　existed　to　suppress　the　smells　of　the　marketplace；　a　glorious　olfactory　tapestry　redolent　of　spice；　exotic　produce　imported　from　the　surface　world　and；　alas；　a　little　past　its　prime；　mulled　wine；　leather；　burned　frying　oil；　rothe　dung；　freshly　spilled　blood；　and　a　thousand　other　things。　Pharaun　closed　his　eyes　and　breathed　in　the　scent。
〃This　is　always　grand；　isn't　it？〃
〃I　suppose；〃　answered　Ryld。
For　his　excursion　away　from　Tier　Breche；　Ryld　had　tossed　a　piwafwi　around　his　burly　shoulders。　The　cloak　covered　his　dwarf…made　armor　and　short　sword；　and　its　cowl　obscured　his　features；　but　no　garment　could　have　hidden　the　enormous　weapon　sheathed　across　his　back。　Ryld　called　the　great　sword　Splitter；　and　while　Pharaun　deplored　the　name　as　ugly　and　prosaic；　he　had　to　admit　that　it　was　apt。　In　his　friend's　capable　hands；　the　enchanted　weapon　co