F O U R (46 page)

War Of The Spider Queen

Book 1

Dissolution

C  h  a  p  t  e  r

T   H   I   R   T   E   E  N

GromAs Quenthel skulked down the corridorph was casting his radiant heat into th, it occurred to her that at the same time, e base of Narbondel.  Even revelers and same. She wouldn'necromancers were settling in for a restt have a chance to rela. She, howeverx until late the next night, unless, of , was too busy to do the course, she wound up resting forever.of the aching eyes, fuzzy head, and leadFortunately, one of the Baenre alchemists  brewed a stimulant to delay the onset Quenthel extracted a silver vial of the stuff fromen limbs that lack of rest produced. and took a sip of it. She gasped, and her shoulder m one of the pouches on her belt uscles jumped. Jolted back to alertness, she continued on her way

.

In another minute, she reached the door to Drisinil's quarters. In deference to thestatus of her family, the novice resided in  one of Arach-Tinilith's  most comfortablestudent habitations. Quenthel regretted not sticking her in a dank little hole. Perhaps then the girl would have learned her place.

The high priestess inspected the arched  limestone panel that was the door. She couldn't see any magical wards.
"Is it safe?" she whispered to the vipers.

"W

How reassuring, Quenthel thought, but it e believe so," Yngoth replied.     was either trust them  or use anotherprecious, irreplaceable scroll to wipe away  protections that probably  didn't  exist.She activated the power of her brooch. When a novice came to Arach-Tthe enchantments on certain doors were keyed to allow her to ent    inilith, er, based  on  the unique magical signature of her House  insignia, rooms the high priestesses deemed it necessary for her to pass into. Only Quenthel's  brooch could unlock them  all.

She unlocked Drisinil's door and warily  cracked it open. No manor did any mechanical trap j                  gic sparked, ab  a blade at  her.  As quietly as she could,  Quenthelcrept on into the suite. Sensing her desire for quiet, the snakes hung mute and lim

She found Drisinil sitting mp.           otionless in a  chair,  her bandaged, mutilated hands in her lap. For a moment, Quenthel, thinking the other female must  have  adauntless spirit  to enter the Reverie at such a perilous time, rather admired

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Dissolution

puddle of liquor on the floorher—then she caught the smell of brandy, and noticed the bottle lying in a .

Drisinil as the lQuenthel stalked toward the novice. It occurred to her that she was doing to iving  darkness had done to  her.  The thought vaguely  amused her

perhaps sim                              ,ply because she was finally the predator, not the prey. Smiling, she

gently  laid  the  vipers  across  the  other  drow's  face  and  upper  torso.  The  snakes hissed and writhed.

pushed her back down in her chairDrisinil roused with a cry and a start.  She started to rear up, and Quenthel ."Si

t! "  the  Baenre  snapped  ", or  the  serpents  will  bite ".

Her wide  eyes  framed by the  cool,  scaly loops  of the  vipers,  Drisinil stopped

struggling."Mistress, what'

s  wrong?"

Quenthel  smiled and said,  "Very good,  child,  you sound sincere.  Aftefirst ploy failed, you should at the very least have rested elsewhere."    r your

"I don't know what you mean."

Drisinil's hand shifted stealthily,  no doubt toward a hidden weapon or charm.

The vipers struck at the student's  face, their fangs missing her sharp-nosedfeatures by a fraction of an inch. She froze.

easier if you don't insult mYou have spirit, you believe I punished you too harshly"Please," Quenthel said. "This will go          and you' y  intelligence.

,     re Barrison De A

rmgo,  eager  to  bring  down  the  one  House  standing  between  your  family  and

supremacy. Of course you're involved in the  plot against me.  You're  also  an  idiot if you didn't think I'd realize it."

"Plot?"

Quenthel sighed. "Halavin tried to kill  me  last night, and she didn't act alone. A single traitor couldn't have drugged all  the food and drink set out at

various

points around the temple. It would have  required  abandoning  her  station  for  lonenough that som                            g

eone would have marked her absence."

"Halavin could have tainted the meal while it was still in the kitchen."

"She was never there."

"Then perhaps the demon poisoned the viands with its ma"No. As I'                     gic."

m  sure you noted, each spirit represents
 
one
 
of the facets of reality over

which the goddess holds special dominion.  Poison is the weapon of an  assassiwhile with its continually fluctuating fo                 n,

rm,  last  night's  assailant was plainly a

manifestation of chaos.

"The conspirators," Quenthel continued, "had to contaminate each and evertable because they didn't know where I would stop and eat. Many fell unconscious, y

but you and the other plotters knew not to samDrisinil said, "I had no part in it."     ple the repast."

"Novice, you're beginning to irritate me. Admithe vipers and interrogate som        t your guilt, or I'll give you to

eone else."  The serpents hissed and flicked their

tongues."All right," said Drisinil, "I was involved.  A little. The others talked m

e  into it.

Don't kill me."

dar
"I know what your little cabal has
ed."
              
done, but I want to understand how
 
you

Drisinil swallowed and said, "You . . . you  said it yourself. Each demon seeks  tokill only you, and each in its own particular way reflects the divine m

ajesty of

Lolth. We  thought she sent them. We  thought we were doing what the goddess

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War Of The Spider Queen

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Dissolution

wanted."

"Because you're imbeciles. Has no oneIf Lolth wanted me dead, I couldn't surv taught you to look ive h      beyond appearances?

er displeasure for a heartbeat, let

alone three nights. The attacks resemble her doing because some  blasphemousmortal arranged it so, to manipulate you into doing her killing for her

.  I'd hoped

you conspirators knew the trickster's identity, but  1 see  it  isn't  so.""No."

"Curse you all!"
 
Quenthel exploded. "The goddess favors
 
me.
 
How  couldpossibly doubt it? I'm a Baenre, the Mistress of Arach-Tinilith, and I rose to the you

rank of high priestess more quickly  that any Menzoberranyr ever has! "

some reason for distancing herself from the city"I know . . ." The novice hesitated, then said, "The Mother of Lusts must have , and we . . . speculated "."Some of you did, I'

m sure.

imagine your Aunt Molvayas would relisOthers simply liked the h seeing me dead. She'idea of eliminating me. I d have an excellent chance of becoming  mistress in her turn. W

e  Baenre don't have another

princess seasoned enough to assume the role.""It

was
 
my aunt!" Drisinil exclaimed. "She

demons kill you. I didn't even want to    came up with the idea of helping the within our family           help. I thought it was a stupid idea, but

Quenthel smiled. "It', she holds authority over me."s too bad you weren't more impressed with my authority "."I'

m  sorry."

"No doubt that. Now

Drisinil didn't hesitate an instant. "My aunt, Vlondril T, I need the names of all the conspirators."uin'Tarl . . ."

As ever

surprised at the number of conspirato, Quenthel maintained a calm,  knowing expression, but  inwardly she was unprecedented, but then she wa     rs. An eighth of the temple! It was

When Drisinil finished, the Baenre said, "Thank you. Where did you gas living in unprecedented times.      ther to

hatch your schemes?""One of the unused storerooms in  the fifth leg," Drisinil said.

Quenthel shook her head. "That won't do.  It'sgroup in Lirdnolu's old classroom. Nobody's used it sin not big enough. Convene the

so it will seem a safe meeting place."         ce she had her throat slit, Drisinil blinked. "Convene?"

"Yes. Last night's  plot failed, so obviously you must hatch  a new one. You've

chosen a new chamber for the conference because you suspect  the storeroom  is

no longer  safe.  Say whatever  you need  to  say to  assemble your cabal in four hours'

time."

"If I do, will you spare me?"

know"Why not? As you', it suddenly occurs to mve explained, you only participated reluctantly. But you e  that we  have a problem. If I send you forth to

perform  this task, how do I know you won't simply flee Tier Breche and takerefuge in your m

other's  castle?"

death.""Mistress, you already explained that such a course could only lead to my

""But did you believe mMi         e? Do you still? How can I be sure?"stress

...  I ..."

"If I had my  magic, I could compel  you to do as you're told, but in its

absence, I must take other measures."Quenthel raised the whip, sweeping the vipers off Drisinil's face in the

process, and slammed the metal butt of the weapon down in the middle of her

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