war of the spider queen 3 condemnation-第38部分

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　　　〃If　they　catch　me；〃　he　shouted　back；　〃I'll　tell　them　exactly　where　to　find　ye！〃
　　　Quenthel　narrowed　her　eyes。　She　started　to　gesture　to　Jeggred；　but　Halisstra　shook　her　head　and　started　a　low；　droning　bae'qeshel　song。　She　gathered　the　force　of　her　will　and　hurled　it　full　upon　the　livid　dwarf。
　　　〃Escape；　Coalhewer；〃　she　hissed。　〃Flee　as　quickly　as　you　may；　and　do　not　let　yourself　be　caught。　If　you　are　caught；　better　to　swim　to　safety　than　to　let　yourself　be　taken。〃
　　　The　invisible　webs　of　the　spell　settled　about　the　dwarf　like　a　snowfall　of　deadly　venom。　He　stared　open…mouthed　at　Halisstra；　then　whirled　to　redouble　his　efforts　to　take　his　boat　clear　before　the　fog　lifted。　Quenthel　glanced　at　Halisstra　and　raised　an　eyebrow。
　　　〃It　seemed　best　to　make　sure　he　would　flee　as　we　wanted　him　to；〃　Halisstra　explained　as　she　quickly　gathered　her　things　and　hurried　for　the　cover　of　the　boulders　and　stalagmites　above　the　waterline。
　　　Quenthel　followed　a　step　behind　her。　They　splashed　ashore　and　settled　behind　a　large　rock　just　as　the　prow　of　the　first　duergar　boat；　still　glowing　red　with　embers　left　from　the　fireball　Pharaun　had　hurled　at　it；　nosed　through　the　deadly　mists。　The　dark　elves　drew　their　piwafwis　close　around　them　and　held　still；　watching　as　the　duergar　stirred　and　broke　from　whatever　shelters　they'd　managed　to　find　from　the　acidic　fog。
　　　One　of　the　gray　dwarves　pointed　and　shouted；　and　the　others　joined　the　clamor。　Turning　sharply　in　the　water；　they　slewed　around　the　ship's　bow　and　set　off　after　Coalhewer's　vanishing　boat。
　　　Good；　signed　Pharaun。　I　was　afraid　they　were　using　magic　to　follow　us。　It　seems　that　Master　Coalhewer　will　render　us　one　last　service　after　all。
　　　What　do　you　think　will　happen　when　they　catch　him？　Ryld　asked。
　　　The　duergar　boats　pulled　out　of　earshot。
　　　〃I　suppose　it　depends　on　whether　or　not　he　can　swim；〃　Halisstra　said。
　　　
　　　A　long　day's　march　later；　pausing　only　long　enough　to　allow　Pharaun　to　finally　craft　a　sending　to　pass　news　of　Gracklstugh's　army　to　Gromph；　the　pany　came　to　the　Labyrinth。　They　emerged　from　winding；　unexplored　passageways　into　a　series　of　miles…long　natural　tunnels　interspersed　with　long；　hewn　ways　and　small；　square　chambers。　Coalhewer；　his　boat；　and　the　pursuit　from　Gracklstugh　they'd　left　twenty　miles　or　more　behind　them。
　　　The　tunnels　were　black　basalt；　cold　and　sharp；　the　frozen　remnants　of　great　fires　from　the　beginning　of　the　world。　From　time　to　time　the　party　encountered　great　vertical　rifts　hundreds　of　feet　high；　where　tunnels　ended　in　blank　walls　with　rough；　perilous　steps　cut　up　or　down　to　a　different　level　where　the　path　continued。　Whole　sheets　of　the　world's　crust　had　sunk　or　fractured　in　places；　shearing　off　the　old　lava　tunnels　and　leaving　behind　vast；　lightless　chasms　deep　in　the　earth。　A　few　of　these　places　were　spanned　by　slender　bridges　of　stone；　or　circled　by　crude　paths　hacked　from　the　hard　rock　of　the　walls。　Everywhere　they　turned；　more　square　passages　and　twisting；　smooth…floored　tunnels　branched　from　their　line　of　march；　so　that　in　the　space　of　an　hour　Halisstra　was　forced　to　concede　that　she'd　bee　hopelessly　lost。
　　　〃I　see　why　they　call　this　place　the　Labyrinth；〃　she　said　softly；　as　the　pany　threaded　its　way　along　a　narrow　ledge　overlooking　another　of　the　chasms。　〃This　place　is　truly　a　maze。〃
　　　〃It's　worse　than　you　think；〃　Valas　replied　from　the　front　of　the　party。　He　paused　to　examine　the　path　ahead；　and　another　of　the　ubiquitous　openings　on　one　side。　〃It's　close　to　two　hundred　miles　from　north　to　south；　and　almost　half　that　from　east　to　west。　Most　of　it　is　exactly　like　this；　a　confusion　of　lava　tubes　and　hand…cut　tunnels　with　thousands　of　branching　turns　and　twists。〃
　　　〃How　can　you　hope　to　find　House　Jaelre　in　all　this？〃　Ryld　asked。　〃Do　you　know　this　place　so　well　that　you've　mastered　it？〃
　　　〃Mastered　it？　Hardly。　You　could　spend　a　lifetime　here　and　never　see　the　whole　thing；　but　I　do　know　something　of　its　ways。　Several　well…traveled　caravan　routes　exist　along　some　of　the　straighter　paths；　though　we're　not　near　any　of　those。　Few　travelers　approach　the　Labyrinth　from　the　east；　as　we　have。〃　The　scout　stepped　a　little　ahead　and　brushed　his　hand　against　the　wall；　near　the　place　where　the　other　tunnel　opened　up。　Old；　strange　symbols　glowed　with　a　greenish　light　beneath　his　fingertips。　〃Fortunately；　the　builders　carved　runes　to　identify　their　secret　ways。　It's　a　code　of　markings　that　holds　true　throughout　the　Labyrinth。　I　solved　the　puzzle　when　I　last　journeyed　here。　We're　not　in　tunnels　I　traveled　before；　but　I　think　I　know　how　to　reach　them　from　here。〃
　　　〃You　are　a　lad　of　many　talents；〃　Pharaun　observed。
　　　〃Who　carved　these　tunnels？〃　Halisstra　asked。　〃If　this　place　is　as　big　as　you　say；　it　must　have　been　a　powerful　realm　in　its　day；　but　I　can　tell　at　a　glance　those　marks　aren't　ours。　Nor　are　they　duergar；　illithid；　or　aboleth。〃
　　　〃Minotaurs；〃　Valas　replied。　〃I　don't　know　how　long　ago　their　realm　rose　or　fell；　but　there　was　a　great　kingdom　of　them　here　at　some　point　in　the　past。〃
　　　〃Minotaurs？〃　Quenthel　sneered。　〃They're　bestial　savages。　They　could　hardly　have　the　wits　or　the　patience　to　undertake　work　of　this　scope；　let　alone　build　a　great　realm。〃
　　　Valas　shrugged　and　said；　〃That　may　be　true　now；　but　a　thousand　years　ago；　who　knows？　I've　found　plenty　of　their　artifacts　and　remains　scattered　through　this　region。　The　horned　skulls　are　quite　distinctive。　My　friends　among　House　Jaelre　told　me　that　many　minotaurs　still　roam　the　wild　places　and　disused　passages　of　the　Labyrinth；　including　demonic　beasts　armed　with　powerful　sorcery。　Their　patrols　skirmished　with　the　monsters　regularly。〃
　　　〃One　wonders　whether　we　might　at　some　point　in　our　journey　happen　to　pass　through　a　realm　filled　with　cheerful；　civilized　folk　genuinely　concerned　for　our　well…being　and　eager　to　help　us　on　our　way；〃　Pharaun　muttered。　〃I　am　beginning　to　think　our　fair　city　lies　at　the　bottom　of　a　barrel　of　venomous　snakes。〃
　　　〃If　so；　we're　quicker；　stronger；　and　more　venomous　than　any　other　snake　in　the　barrel；〃　Quenthel　said　with　a　smile。　〃e；　let's　continue。　If　there　are　any　minotaurs　about；　they　would　be　well…advised　not　to　show　themselves　where　the　children　of　Menzoberranzan　choose　to　walk。〃
　　　The　pany　continued　on　for　several　hours　more　through　endless　gloomy　halls　and　contorted　passages　before　calling　a　halt　to　rest　and　replenish　their　strength。　The　stretch　of　the　Labyrinth　they　wandered　seemed　to　be　quite　deserted。　They　found　few　signs　that　anything；　even　the　mindless　predatory　creatures　of　the　Underdark；　had　passed　that　way　in　many　years。　The　air　was　preternaturally　still　and　silent。　Whenever　their　whispered　conversation　died　away　for　a　moment；　the　quiet　of　the　place　seemed　to　rush　in　upon　them；　pressing　close　with　a　strangely　hostile　quality；　as　if　the　very　stone　resented　their　presence。
　　　After　Valas　and　Ryld　had　been　set　to　watch；　the　rest　wrapped　themselves　in　their　piwafwis　and　made　themselves　as　fortable　as　possible　on　the　cold　stone　floor　of　the　cavern。　Halisstra　let　her　eyes　fall　half…closed　and　drifted　off　into　a　deep　Reverie；　dreaming　about　endless　tunnels　and　strange　old　secrets　buried　in　mold。　In　her　dream　she　thought　she　could　make　out　a　faint；　distant　rustling　or　whisper　in　the　quiet；　as　if　she　might　hear　something　more　if　only　she　moved　a　little　ways　off　from　the　others；　out　into　the　darkness　alone。　Despite　the　fact　that　the　air　was　pletely　still　and　motionless；　she　discerned　the　distant　deep　sighing　of　wind　far　off　in　the　tunnels；　a　low　moaning　sound　that　tickled　at　the　edge　of　her　awareness；　like　something　important　she　had　forgotten。　Lolth's　whispers　sometimes　came　to　one　in　that　fashion；　a　sibilant　sigh　of　wordless　intent　filling　a　priestess　with　knowledge　of　the　demon　queen's　desires。
　　　Hope　and　fear　stirred　in　Halisstra's　heart　and　she　came　closer　to　wakefulness。
　　　What　is　your　wish；　Goddess？　she　cried　out　in　her　mind。　Tell　me　how　House　Melarn　might　win　your　favor　again。　Tell　me　how　Ched　Nasad　might　be　made　whole。　I　will　do　anything　you　mand　of　me！
　　　Faithless　daughter；　the　wind　whispered　back　to　her。　Foolish　weakling。
　　　Horro