war of the spider queen 4 extinction-第25部分

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im　if　he　was　holding　the　dagger…a　precaution　against　accidental　wounds…but　if　he　shoved　the　hilt　into　the　ground；　he　would　be　able　to　impale　himself　on　the　upturned　blade。　Reaching　down　for　one　of　the　bars　that　made　up　the　floor　of　the　cage；　he　used　the　dagger　to　prod　at　the　floor　of　the　lake；　but　the　ground　was　too　hard。　The　cage　had　landed　on　a　patch　of　stone。　He'd　have　to　move　it　somewhere　else。
　　　Sculling　up　to　the　top　of　the　cage；　he　peered　back　toward　the　spot　where　the　cage　had　rested　a　moment　before；　but　saw　only　a　gently　waving　expanse　of　kelp；　not　the　flattened　parch　he'd　expected。　Had　he　somehow　gotten　turned　around？　No；　he　could　see　Zanhoriloch　in　the　distance。　His　sense　of　direction　hadn't　failed　him。　Yet　he　couldn't　see　either　the　spot　where　the　cage　had　just　rested　or　the　place　where　it　had　been　when　he　first　found　himself　inside　it。　That　was　strange；　the　weight　of　the　cage　should　have　crushed　the　kelp　flat。
　　　Ah　。　。　。　there。
　　　He　spotted　a　square　patch　of　kelp　about　thirty　paces　away…which　made　no　sense。　He'd　just　been　looking　at　that　spot　a　moment　ago。　Had　the　slime　spread　over　his　eyes；　blurring　them？
　　　No。　He　could　still　see　as　clearly　as　he　ever　could。
　　　Suddenly；　he　realized　the　answer：　the　cage　was　an　illusion。　An　incredibly　powerful　illusion…one　that　manifested　in　all　of　the　senses。　Not　only　were　the　bars　of　the　cage　visible；　but　they　felt　real。　They'd　even　caused　his　chime　to　ring　when　he　struck　it　against　them…or　so　he'd　thought。　But　by　closing　his　eyes…by　concentrating　so　hard　it　almost　hurt…he　could　feel　the　rocky　ground　beneath　his　feet。　Sculling　to　hold　himself　down　against　it；　he　slid　a　foot　along　the　ground…and　encountered　no　resistance。　Instead　of　his　foot　striking　a　bar；　it　slid　along　rough；　bare　stone。
　　　Still　concentrating；　he　continued　sliding　his　feet　along　the　ground　until　they　encountered　resistance：　a　strand　of　kelp。　Its　touch　nearly　broke　his　focus；　so　close　was　the　feel　to　that　of　the　tentacle　that　had　left　the　slime　of　its　foul　touch　on　his　face。　Shuddering；　he　pressed　on　until　he　could　feel　kelp　all　around　him；　then　he　opened　his　eyes。
　　　He'd　done　it。　The　illusionary　cage　had　disappeared。　He　was　free。
　　　But　for　how　long？　He　could　no　longer　move　his　left　hand　properly。　It　had　only　two　fingers；　with　a　thick　web　of　skin　growing　between　them。　His　left　ear　felt　strange；　as　did　his　left　eye。　It　was　starting　to　squint　shut　and　the　colors　he　saw　through　it　were　somehow　wrong。　Further　confirmation　of　his　fate　came　when　he　saw　a　clump　or　something　lacy　and　white　drifting　away　from　him。　It　was　the　hair　from　the　left　side　of　his　scalp。
　　　He　glanced　back　at　Zanhoriloch　and　saw　that　the　creatures　of　that　city　were　still　going　about　their　business；　swimming　back　and　forth　between　their　stalagmite　towers；　oblivious　to　his　escape。　No　alarm　seemed　to　have　been　raised；　and　none　of　the　aboleth　came　swimming　out　to　intercept　him。　A　surge　of　joy　filled　him；　but　it　was　short…lived。　With　a　sinking　heart；　he　realized　that　his　escape　was　only　temporary。　Soon　he　would　be　a　drow…thing；　transformed　forever　into　a　water…breathing　creature。　The　entire　lake　would　be　his　prison。
　　　Even　though　he　knew　it　was　hopeless；　since　none　of　his　panions　had　healing　magic；　and　since　they'd　probably　mistake　him　for　a　monster　and　kill　him　on　the　spot。　Valas　tied　his　kukri　back　into　its　sheath　and　began　swimming　against　the　current；　He'd　pleted　the　first　part　of　his　duty　as　a　mercenary：　he'd　escaped。　Next　he　would　carry　back　to　his　panions　his　report；　even　though　it　contained　woefully　little；　save　for　a　warning　to　avoid　Zanhoriloch　at　all　cost。
　　　That　report　delivered；　he　would　get　one　of　the　others　to　kill　him。　If　they　refused；　he'd　do　the　job　himself。
　　　
Chapter　Thirteen
　　　Andzrel　Baenre；　weapons　master　of　House　Baenre；　stood　in　the　cavern　directing　his　troops。　Runners　continually　came　and　went　through　the　half…dozen　tunnels　that　connected　to　the　cavern；　carrying　news　of　the　battle　for　the　approaches　to　Menzoberranzan。　Soldiers　from　House　Baenre　were　holding　the　northern　exit　from　Ablonshier's　Cave。
　　　Faintly；　from　the　connecting　tunnel；　Andzrel　could　hear　the　clash　of　steel　on　steel　as　drow　sword　met　tanarukk　battle…axe。　A　group　of　duergar　had　tried　to　force　their　way　through　a　tunnel　that　circled　past　that　exit；　only　to　bee　tangled　in　the　webs　cast　by　the　wizard　attached　to　Andzrel's　pany。　The　latest　report　indicated　that　the　webs　were　on　fire。　The　half…orc；　half…demon　tanarukks；　apparently；　were　trying　to　burn　their　way　through…at　the　expense　of　their　gray　dwarf　allies　caught　in　the　sticky　strands。　The　reek　of　burned　hair　and　flesh　drifted　down　the　tunnel。
　　　In　the　caves　to　the　west　of　where　Andzrel　stood；　Baenre　troops　had　forced　a　group　of　duergar　back　into　a　faerzress　and　hurled　light　pellets　in　after　them。　The　resulting　pyrotechnic　display　had　apparently　been　quite　spectacular；　according　to　the　slingers　who　had　triggered　it…slingers　who　had　been　struck　blind　as　a　result。　More　House　Baenre　fighters；　waiting　in　the　wings　around　a　bend　of　the　tunnel；　had　rushed　past　the　slingers　to　deliver　the　coup　de　grace　to　the　blinded　duergar。
　　　Andzrel　itched　to　be　a　part　of　it。　To　be　crawling　the　jagged　twists　and　turns　of　the　Dark　Dominion's　narrow　passageways；　sword　in　hand；　fighting　his　enemy　face…to…face　in　the　tight　confines　of　the　tunnels。　Instead　he　was　perched　on　a　column　of　broken　stalagmite；　directing　the　troops　that　flowed　past　him　into　battle　while　he　remained　behind。　He　tried　picturing　himself　as　a　spider　at　the　center　of　the　web…sensitive　to　the　vibrations　of　battle　ing　from　all　directions　and　responding　to　them…but　it　didn't　help。　He　wanted　an　excuse　to　draw　his　sword；　for　Lolth's　sake；　to　engage　the　enemy　in　glorious　battle　as　he　had　at　the　Pillars　of　Woe；　when　he'd　snatched　victory　from　the　fangs　of　deceit。
　　　But　the　defense　of　the　tunnels　was　going　too　well。　Alerted　by　Triel's　warning；　the　matron　mothers　had　poured　troops　into　the　Dark　Dominions　southeast　of　the　city；　forcing　the　enemy　advance　to　grind　to　a　halt。　The　duergar　seemed　to　have　withdrawn；　leaving　only　the　tanarukks　to　fight。　And　while　the　Scoured　Legion　might　have　thousands　of　troops；　forcing　an　army　through　those　narrow　tunnels　was　like　trying　to　shove　a　melon　through　the　neck　of　a　bottle。　Yet　they　continued　to　send　troops　forward。　It　was　almost　as　if　they'd　expected　the　tunnels　to　be　undefended。
　　　Sighing；　Andzrel　allowed　his　attention　to　wander。　His　eye　settled　on　one　of　the　wisps　of　smoke　that　had　had　been　drifting　in　for　some　time　from　the　tunnel　to　his　left。　It　rose　steadily　upward；　drawn　by　air　currents　that　were　surprisingly　swift；　toward　a　narrow　crack　that　ran　the　length　of　the　ceiling。　Then　it　slipped　inside　the　crack　and　was　gone。
　　　It　was　followed；　a　moment　later；　by　another　drift　of　smoke…one　that　was　curiously　shaped；　with　tendrils　that　looked　like　arms　and　legs。　It；　too；　vanished　into　the　crack。　Then　a　third　puff　of　smoke　appeared；　one　with　a　bulge　at　the　front　of　it　that　looked；　for　all　the　world；　like　a　shaggy…
　　　Suddenly　realizing　what　he　was　seeing；　Andzrel　barked　an　order　at　the　junior　officer　who　stood　beside　him。
　　　〃Lieutenant！　The　smoke　。　。　。　shoot　it！〃
　　　With　a　swiftness　born　of　strict　training　and　absolute　obedience；　the　lieutenant　whipped　up　his　arm　and　fired　his　wrist　crossbow　in　the　direction　indicated。　A　poisoned　bolt　whizzed　through　the　air　toward　its　target。
　　　Instead　of　passing　through　the　〃smoke〃　and　striking　the　stone　behind　it；　the　bolt　sank　into　something　soft；　with　a　dull　thud。　An　instant　later；　a　tanarukk　materialized　out　of　thin　air。　It　tumbled；　arms　and　legs　thrashing；　toward　the　floor　of　the　cavern；　the　battle…axe　it　had　been　carrying　landing　with　a　loud　clang　beside　it。　The　tanarukk　was　dead　even　before　it　slammed　into　the　stone　floor；　the　virulent　drow　poison　having　done　its　work。
　　　The　lieutenant　immediately　fitted　another　bolt　into　the　crossbow　at　his　wrist　and　scanned　the　ceiling。
　　　〃Master　Andzrel；〃　he　croaked；　〃where　did　it　e　from？〃
　　　Andzrel　peered　down　the　corridor　from　which　the　two…dimensional　tanarukk　had　e。　No　more　wisps　of　〃smoke〃　appeared。　The　dead　one　seemed　to　have　been　bringin