war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第8部分

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demy　and　the　noble　Houses　when　Menzoberranzan　already　perched　on　the　brink　of　dissolution。
Besides；　she　was　a　bit　concerned　that　the　other　failed　runaways　might　take　it　into　their　heads　to　jump　into　the　fight　on　their　ringleader's　side。
Quenthel　quieted　the　vipers　with　a　thought；　fixed　Drisinil　with　her　steeliest　stare；　and　said；　〃Think。〃
〃I　have　thought；〃　Drisinil　retorted。　〃I've　thought；　why　should　we　spend　ten　years　of　our　lives　cooped　up　on　Tier　Breche　when　there's　nothing　for　us　here？〃
〃There　is　everything　for　you　here；〃　said　Quenthel；　maintaining　the　pressure　of　her　gaze。　〃This　is　where　you　learn　to　be　all　that　a　lady　of　Mennotzoberranzan　must　be。〃
〃What？　What　am　I　learning？〃
〃At　the　moment；　patience　and　submission。〃
〃That's　not　what　I　came　for。〃
〃Evidently　not。　Consider　this；　then。　All　the　priestesses　of　Menzoberrannotzan　are　currently　playing　a　game；　and　the　object　of　the　game　is　to　convince　others　that　nothing　is　amiss。　If　a　student　leaves　Arach…Tinilith　premanotturely；　as　none　has　ever　done　since　the　founding　of　the　city；　that　will　seem　peculiar；　a　hint　that　all　is　not　as　it　ought　to　be。〃
〃Perhaps　I　don't　care　about　the　game。〃
〃Your　mother　does。　She　plays　as　diligently　as　the　rest　of　us。　Do　you　think　she　will　wele　you　home　if　you　jeopardize　her　efforts？〃
Drisinil's　emerald　eyes　blinked；　the　first　sign　that　Quenthel's　stare　was　unsettling　her。　〃I　。。。　yes；　certainly　she　would！〃
〃You；　a　traitor　to　your　House；　your　city；　your　sex；　and　the　goddess　hernotself？〃
〃The　goddess…〃
〃Don't　say　it！〃　Quenthel　snapped。　〃Or　your　life　ends；　and　your　soul　is　bound　to　torment　forevermore。　I　speak　not　only　as　Mistress　of　Arach…Tinilith；　but　as　a　Baenre。　You　remember　Baenre；　Barrison　Del'Armgo？　We　are　the　First　House；　and　you；　merely　the　Second。　Even　if　you　should　sucnotceed　in　departing　Arach…Tinilith；　even　if　your　gross　and　uncouth　dam　should　be　so　unwise　as　to　accept　you　back　into　that　hovel　you　Del'Armgo　call　a　home；　you　will　not　survive　the　month。　My　sister　Triel；　Matron　Mother　Baenre；　will　personally　attend　to　your　destruction。〃
It　was　no　less　than　the　truth。　There　was　no　love　lost　between　the　two　Baenre　sisters；　but　when　it　came　to　maintaining　the　supremacy　of　their　House；　they　supported　one　another　absolutely。
Drisinil　swallowed　and　lowered　her　eyes　a　hair。　〃Mistress；　I　mean　no　disnotrespect。　I　just　don't　want　to　mutilate　myself。〃
〃But　you　will；　novice；　and　without　any　further　delay。　You　really　have　no　other　option　。　。　。　and　isn't　it　convenient；　you　already　have　a　knife　in　your　grasp。〃
Drisinil　swallowed　again；　and；　her　dagger　hand　shaking　a　little；　brought　the　blade　into　position　to　saw　at　her　little　finger。　Quenthel　thought　the　procedure　might　go　easier　if　the　novice　walked　a　few　steps　and　braced　her　pinkie　atop　the　nearby　table；　but　apparently　she　was　taking　〃without　any　further　delay〃　quite　literally；　and　that　was　fine　with　the　high　priestess。　In　her　imagination；　she　was　already　savoring　the　first　slice　when　a　blare　like　a　sour　note　blasted　from　a　hundred　glaur　horns　split　the　air。
For　an　instant；　Quenthel　faltered；　not　frightened　but　disoriented。　She　had　been　told　what　this　ugly　noise　was　but　had　expected　never　to　actually　hear　it。　To　the　best　of　her　knowledge；　no　one　ever　had。
The　priestesses　of　Menzoberranzan　enjoyed　a　plex　relationship　with　the　inhabitants　of　the　Abyss。　Some　infernal　entities　were　the　knights　or　handmaidens　of　Lolth；　and　during　worship　were　venerated　as　such；　but　on　other　occasions　the　clerics　did　not　scruple　to　snare　spirits　with　their　sumnotmoning　spells　and　pel　them　to　do　their　bidding。　Sometimes　the　creanottures　stalked　the　physical　plane　of　their　own　volition；　slaughtering　any　mortal　who　crossed　their　path；　not　excepting　the　drow；　who　were　by　some　accounts　their　kindred。
The　founders　of　the　Academy　had　shielded　Tier　Breche　in　general　and　Arach…Tinilith　in　particular　with　enchantments　devised　to　keep　out　any　spirit　save　those　the　occupants　saw　fit　to　wele。　Countless　generations　of　priestesses　had　deemed　those　wards　impregnable；　but　if　the　ear…splitting　alarm　told　true；　the　barriers　were　falling　one　by　one。
The　blare　seemed　to　be　ing　from　the　south。　The　pleasures　of　chasnottisement　forgotten；　Quenthel　ran　in　that　direction　past　countless　chapels；　altars；　and　icons　of　Lolth　in　both　her　dark　elf　and　spider　forms；　past　the　classrooms　where　the　faculty　gave　instruction　in　dogma；　ritual；　divine　magic；　torture；　sacrifice；　and　all　the　other　arts　the　novices　needed　to　learn。　Their　books；　chalkboards；　and　whimpering；　half…dissected　slave　victims　forgotten；　some　of　the　teachers　and　students　appeared　on　the　brink　of　vennotturing　out　to　investigate　the　alarm；　while　others　still　looked　startled　and　confused。
The　blaring　stopped。　Either　the　demon　had　given　up　attempting　to　force　its　way　in；　or　else　it　had　breached　every　single　ward。　Quenthel　susnotpected　the　latter　was　the　case；　and　when　the　screaming　started；　she　knew　she　was　right。
〃Do　you　know　what's　breaking　through？〃　she　panted。
〃No；〃　hissed　Yngoth；　perhaps　the　wisest　of　the　whip　vipers。　〃The　innottruder　has　shielded　itself　from　the　Sight。〃
〃Wonderful。〃
The　echoing　cries　led　Quenthe