war of the spider queen 3 condemnation-第12部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


tly　whom　the　Master　of　Melee…Magthere　had　trusted；　and　why　he'd　done　something　so　foolish。　Before　she　could　ask；　he　continued；　So　tell　me　of　the　bae'qeshel。　I　do　not　know　of　them。
　　　〃By　tradition；〃　she　whispered；　〃our　wizards；　swordsmen；　and　clerics　are　trained　in　academies。　This　is　true　in　most　drow　cities。　The　reason　you　do　not　know　of　the　bae'qeshel　is　that　the　bardic　training　is　not　a　public　matter。　We　pass　our　secrets；　one　mistress　to　one　student　at　a　time。〃
　　　I　thought　the　noble　Houses　had　little　use　for　mon　minstrels。
　　　〃The　bae'qeshel　are　not　mon　minstrels；　weapons　master；〃　Halisstra　said　in　a　low　voice。　〃We　are　a　proud　and　ancient　sect；　the　bae'qeshel　telphraezzar；　the　Whisperers　of　the　Dark　Queen。　I　am　a　priestess　of　Lolth；　as　are　the　other　females　of　my　House；　but　I　was　chosen　to　spend　many　long　years　as　a　girl　studying　the　bae'qeshel　lore。　I　revere　the　goddess　not　only　with　my　service　as　her　priestess；　but　with　the　gift　of　raising　the　ancient　songs　of　our　race；　which　are　pleasing　to　her　ears。　House　Melarn　has　always　been　proud　to　raise　one　bae'qeshel　into　the　sisterhood　of　Lolth's　service　in　each　generation。〃
　　　〃If　your　songs　are　sacred　to　Lolth；　why　do　they　work　while　other　spells　fail？〃　Ryld　asked。
　　　〃Because　the　songs　possess　a　power　in　and　of　themselves；　like　a　wizard's　spells。　We　do　not　channel　the　divine　power　of　the　Queen　of　Spiders　to　wield　our　songs。　Regrettably；　my　skill　with　such　things　is　nothing　pared　to　the　divine　might　I　could　wield　in　Lolth's　name；　if　she　would　restore　her　favor　to　me。〃
　　　〃An　interesting　talent；　nonetheless；〃　he　murmured。　Ryld　glanced　back　down　the　passageway　toward　the　chamber　where　the　others　waited。　〃It　seems　quiet　enough。　We　may　have　some　time　to　wait　yet。　If　I　know　Pharaun；　he　will　need　hours　to　regain　his　strength。　Tell　me；　do　you　play　sava？〃
　　　
　　　Nimor　clung　to　the　shadows　of　a　gigantic　stalactite；　one　of　many　such　stone　fangs　reaching　down　from　the　ceiling　of　Menzoberranzan's　vast　cavern。　Old　passages　and　precarious　paths　crisscrossed　the　city's　roof；　and　many　of　the　stalactites　were　in　fact　carved　into　darkly　beautiful　castles　and　aeries　all　the　more　spectacular　for　their　bold　arrogance。　Only　drow　would　make　homes　out　of　fragile　stone　spears　a　thousand　feet　above　the　cavern　floor。　Highborn　dark　elves　frequently　possessed　innate　magic　or　enchanted　trinkets　that　freed　them　of　concern　over　heights；　and　gave　little　thought　to　dizzying　overlooks　that　would　terrify　bats。　Their　slaves　and　servants　were　not　so　fortunate；　and　must　have　found　life　in　a　ceiling　spire　something　peculiarly　nerve…racking。
　　　The　more　important　ceiling　spires　were　of　course　magically　reinforced　against　the　inevitable　fall；　and　would　not　fail　unless　magic　itself　gave　out…but　more　than　one　proud　old　palace　stood　dusty　and　abandoned　at　the　top　of　the　city；　the　House　that　claimed　it　too　weak　in　the　Art　to　maintain　the　spells　that　made　the　place　tenable。　It　was　in　just　such　an　empty　place　that　Nimor　crouched；　leaning　out　over　a　dark　abyss　to　study　his　target　below。
　　　House　Faen　Tlabbar；　Third　House　of　Menzoberranzan；　lay　below　him　and　a　short　distance　to　his　left。　The　castle　sprawled　over　several　towering　stalagmites　and　columns；　its　elegant　balustrades　and　soaring　buttresses　belying　the　underlying　strength　of　the　rambling　towers　and　mighty　bulwarks　of　dark　stone。　Faen　Tlabbar's　pound　was　one　of　the　largest　and　proudest　of　any　in　Menzoberranzan　that　did　not　sit　on　the　high　plateau　of　Qu'ellarz'orl；　the　most　prestigious　of　the　underground　city's　noble　districts。　Instead　House　Tlabbar's　palace　clambered　up　along　the　southern　wall　of　Menzoberranzan's　great　cavern；　until　its　highest　spires　surmounted　the　plateau　in　whose　shadow　it　sat；　as　if　the　matrons　of　the　Third　House　wished　to　be　able　to　peer　over　the　plateau's　edge　and　gaze　enviously　upon　the　manors　fortunate　enough　to　be　located　alongside　the　exalted　House　Baenre。
　　　It　was　an　apt　analogy　for　Faen　Tlabbar's　political　maneuverings。　Only　two　Houses　stood　ahead　of　them　in　Menzoberranzan's　dark　hierarchy：　Baenre；　the　First；　and　Barrison　Del'Armgo；　the　Second。　Nimor　thought　it　likely　that　Matron　Mother　Tlabbar　harbored　great　aspirations　for　her　House。　Del'Armgo；　the　Second　House；　was　strong　but　with　few　allies。　Baenre；　the　strongest；　was　as　weak　as　it　had　been　in　centuries。　Houses　such　as　Faen　Tlabbar　gazed　on　the　Baenre　and　remembered　centuries　of　absolute　arrogance；　humiliating　condescension；　and　they　wondered　whether　the　time　had　e　for　several　lesser　Houses　to　band　together　and　end　Baenre's　dominance　once　and　for　all。
　　　〃That　would　be　a　merry　game　to　watch；〃　Nimor　mused。
　　　He　suspected　that　in　such　a　scenario　Baenre　might　prove　stronger　than　their　resentful　rivals　guessed；　but　the　bloodletting　would　be　spectacular。　Several　great　Houses　would　fall；　for　Baenre　would　not　go　alone　into　the　gentle　night。　Of　course；　that　would　go　a　long　way　toward　advancing　the　schemes　of　the　Anointed　Blade　of　the　Jaezred　Chaulssin。
　　　That　would　be　a　play　for　another　day；　though。　Nimor　meant　to　strike　a　deep　and　grievous　blow　at　Faen　Tlabbar；　not　incite　them　against　House　Baenre。　Ghenni　Tlabbar；　Matron　of　the　Third　House；　would　die　beneath　his　blade。　Her　blood　would　purchase　treason　on　a　grand　scale；　and　place　into　the　assassin's　hand　the　stiletto　Nimor　meant　to　drive　into　Menzoberranzan's　heart。
　　　A　scrabbling　sound　and　the　clink　of　mail　caught　Nimor's　notice。　He　withdrew　softly　into　the　shadows　and　waited　patiently　as　a　squad　of　Tlabbar　warriors　mounted　on　great　riding　lizards　climbed　along　a　small；　unworked　stalactite　nearby。　The　pallid　reptiles　possessed　large；　sticky　pads　on　their　clawed　feet　that　allowed　them　to　cling　to　the　sheerest　of　surfaces；　and　many　of　Menzoberranzan's　noble　Houses　used　the　creatures　for　patrolling　the　high　places　of　the　city's　vast　cavern。　Faen　Tlabbar　was　renowned　for　its　squadrons　of　lizard　cavalry。　The　assassin　had　studied　the　Tlabbar　patrols　from　his　precarious　perch　for　more　than　an　hour；　carefully　timing　their　sweeps。
　　　Right　on　time；　Nimor　observed。　You've　allowed　yourselves　to　bee　predictable；　lads。
　　　The　riders　carried　crossbows　and　lances　at　the　ready；　scurrying　along　in　single　file　as　they　looped　around　the　smaller　stalactite　and　scanned　the　cavern　ceiling。　As　Nimor　expected；　the　leader　turned　to　the　left　and　followed　the　curve　of　the　stone　pinnacle　down　and　out　of　sight。
　　　〃You　would　do　well　to　vary　your　routine；　Captain；〃　Nimor　whispered　to　the　departing　squad。　〃An　intrepid　fellow　such　as　myself　might　be　deterred　by　the　possibility　of　your　unexpected　return。〃
　　　With　a　single　silent　spring；　Nimor　launched　himself　out　into　the　vast　darkness；　plunging　through　the　eternal　night。
　　　By　an　accident　of　cavern　formation；　House　Tlabbar　held　little　of　the　city's　roof　and　overcaverns。　One　large　column　and　a　pair　of　small　stalactites　linked　Tlabbar　to　the　ceiling；　which　meant　that　Tlabbar　had　something　of　a　blind　spot　directly　over　its　palace　roof。　This　was　the　weakness　Nimor　intended　to　exploit。　His　black　cloak　streamed　behind　him；　and　cold　air　rushed　past　his　face。　Nimor　bared　his　teeth　in　a　savage　grin；　delighting　in　the　long　seconds　of　his　great　leap。　His　body　burned　with　the　dark　fires　of　his　heritage；　and　he　longed　to　shed　his　rakish　guise；　but　this　was　not　the　time。
　　　While　he　fell；　he　mouthed　the　words　to　a　spell　that　made　him　invisible；　and　as　the　spearlike　pinnacle　of　Faen　Tlabbar's　central　palace　rushed　up　at　him；　he　quickly　halted　his　fall　by　employing　his　power　of　levitation。　Less　than　six　heartbeats　from　the　moment　he'd　leaped　from　the　abandoned　stalactite　overhead；　Nimor　alighted　on　the　knifelike　ridge　of　a　steep　hall；　invisible　and　undetected。　He　listened　for　any　sign　that　he　had　been　detected；　then　he　glided　toward　the　hall's　juncture　with　the　castle　proper；　his　steps　as　silent　as　death。
　　　The　dark　elves　of　Faen　Tlabbar　were　not　unaware　of　their　vulnerability　to　assault　from　above；　and　vigilant　sentries　manned　battlements　and　cupolas　atop　the　palace；　watching　for　intruders。　Nimor　avoided　them　carefully。　Those　who　were　able　to　see　invisible　foes…and　there　were　more　than　a　few…were　not　in　the　habit　of　watching　for　an　invisible　foe　who　also