war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第44部分

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berranzan　care？　It's　a　fascinating　puzzle；　even　more　so　now　that　I've　inferred　a　portion　of　the　answer。　Did　I　leave　it　unsolved；　it　would　haunt　me　forevermore。〃
〃You　played　me　for　a　fool；〃　said　Ryld。　〃Granted；　you　warned　me　the　priestesses　might　interfere　with　us；　but　you　greatly　understated　the　danger。　You　didn't　tell　me　you　were　marked　before　we　even　descended　from　Tier　Breche。　Why　not？　Did　you　think　I'd　refuse　to　acpany　you？〃
Most　uncharacteristically；　the　glib　wizard　hesitated。　Far　below　the　shelf；　a　whip　snapped　and　a　goblin　screamed。
〃No；〃　said　Pharaun　eventually；　〃not　really。　I　suppose　it's　just　that　dark　elves　are　jealous　of　their　secrets。　So　are　the　nobly　born。　So　are　wizards。　And　I'm　all　three！　Will　you　pardon　me？　It　isn't　as　if　you've　never　kept　a　secret　from　me。〃
〃When？〃
〃During　the　first　three　years　of　our　acquaintance；　whenever　we　fraternotnized；　you　kept　a　dagger　specially　charmed　for　the　killing　of　mages　ever　close　to　your　hand。　You　suspected　I　was　only　seeking　your　pany　benotcause　one　of　your　rivals　in　Melee…Magthere　had　engaged　me　to　murder　you　as　soon　as　the　opportunity　arose。〃
〃How　did　you　discover　that？　Never　mind；　I　suppose　it　was　your　silver　ring。　I　didn't　know　what　it　was　back　then。　Anyway；　that's　not　the　same　kind　of　secret。〃
〃You're　right；　it　isn't；　and　I　regret　my　reticence　but　I　do　propose　to　make　up　for　it　by　sharing　the　most　astonishing　confidence　you've　ever　heard。〃
Ryld　stared　into　Pharaun's　eyes。　〃I'll　pardon　you。　With　the　understandnoting　that　if　you　withhold　any　other　pertinent　information；　I'll　knock　you　over　the　head　and　deliver　you　to　your　bitch　sister　myself。〃
〃Point　taken。　Shall　we　sit？〃　Pharaun　pointed　to　a　bench　hewn　from　the　limestone　wall　at　the　back　of　the　ledge。　〃My　discourse　may　take　a　little　time；　and　I　daresay　we　could　use　a　rest　after　our　exertions。〃
As　he　turned　away　from　the　molded　rock　rampart；　Ryld　noticed　that　the　cracking　of　the　whip　had　stopped。　When　he　glanced　down；　two　goblins　were　carrying　the　corpse　of　a　third；　hauling　it　somewhere　to　be　chopped　apart　and　the　pieces　turned　to　some　useful　purpose。　Possibly　chow　for　other　thralls。
The　fencing　teacher　sat　down　and　removed　a　cloth；　a　whetstone；　and　a　vial　of　oil　from　the　pockets　of　his　garments。　He　unfastened　his　short　sword　from　his　belt；　pulled　on　the　hilt；　and　made　a　little　spitting　sound　of　disnotpleasure　when　the　blade；　which　he　had　been　forced　to　put　away　bloody；　stuck　in　the　scabbard。　He　yanked　more　forcefully；　and　it　came　free。
He　looked　over　at　Pharaun；　who　was　regarding　with　him　with　a　sort　of　quizzical　exasperation。
〃Talk；〃　the　warrior　said。　〃I　can　care　for　my　gear　and　listen　at　the　same　time。〃
〃Is　this　how　you　attend　to　mind…boggling　revelations？　I　suppose　I'm　lucky　you　don't　have　to　use　the　Jakes。　All　right；　here　it　is　。。。　Lolth　is　gone。　Well；　maybe　not　gone；　but　unavailable　at　least　in　the　sense　that　it's　no　longer　possible　for　her　Menzoberranyr　clerics　to　receive　spells　from　her。〃
For　a　moment；　Ryld　thought　he'd　misheard　the　words。　〃I　guess　that's　a　joke？〃　he　asked。　〃I'm　glad　you　didn't　make　it　while　we　were　in　the　middle　of　a　crowd。　There's　no　point　pounding　our　crimes　with　blasphemy。〃
〃Blasphemy　or　not；　it's　the　truth。〃
Rag　in　hand；　Ryld　scrubbed　tacky　blood　off　the　short　sword。
〃What　are　you　suggesting；〃　the　weapons　master　asked；　〃another　Time　of　Troubles？　Could　there　be　two　such　upheavals？〃
Pharaun　grinned　and　said；　〃Possibly；　but　I　think　not。　When　the　gods　were　forced　to　inhabit　the　mortal　world；　the　arcane　forces　we　wizards　notmand　fluctuated　unpredictably。　One　day；　we　could　mold　the　world　like　clay。　The　next；　we　couldn't　turn　ice　to　water。　That　isn't　happening　now。　My　powers　remain　constant　as　ever；　from　which　I　tentatively　infer　this　is　not　the　Time　of　Troubles　e　again　but　a　different　sort　of　occurrence。〃
〃What　sort？〃
〃Oh；　am　I　supposed　to　know　that　already？　I　thought　I　was　doing　rather　well　to　detect　the　occurrence　at　all。〃
〃Only　if　it's　really　happening。〃
Ryld　inspected　the　point　of　the　short　stabbing　blade；　then　took　the　hone　to　it。　Bemused　by　Pharaun's　contention；　he　wondered　how　his　canny　friend　could　credit　such　a　ludicrous　idea。　
〃I　want　you　to　think　back　over　the　confrontation　from　which　we　just　emerged；〃　said　the　Master　of　Sorcere。　〃Did　you　even　once　see　Greyanna　or　the　other　priestess　cast　divine　magic　from　her　own　mind　and　inner　strength　as　opposed　to　off　a　scroll　or　out　of　some　device？〃
〃I　was　fighting　the　skeletons。〃
〃You　keep　track　of　every　foe　on　the　battleground。　I　know　you　do。　So；　did　you　see　them　casting　spells　out　of　their　own　innate　power？〃
Ryld　thought　that　of　course　he　had　。　。　。　then　realized　he　hadn't。
〃What　does　that　suggest？〃　Pharaun　asked。　〃They　have　no　spells　left　in　their　heads；　or　only　a　few；　which　they're　hoarding　desperately　because　they　can't　solicit　new　ones　from　their　goddess。　Lolth　has　withdrawn　her　favor　from　Menzoberranzan；　or　。。。　something。〃
〃Why　would　she　do　that？〃
〃Would　she　need　a　reason…or　at　any　rate；　one　her　mortal　children　can　prehend？　She　is　a　deity　of　chaos。　Perhaps　she's　testing　us　somehow；　or　else　she's　angry　and　deems　us　unworthy　of　her　patronage。
〃Or；　as　I　suggeste