war of the spider queen 3 condemnation-第85部分

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iend　Aliisza　followed　sinuously；　stretching　her　wings　as　she　emerged。　Finally；　Zammzt　climbed　out　of　the　warlord's　coach。
　　　〃Well；　I　have　e；〃　Kaanyr　said　in　his　powerful　voice。　He　studied　the　assembled　gray　dwarves；　and　regarded　Nimor　as　well。　〃We　have　driven　the　dark　elves　back　to　their　city　in　disarray。　Now　how　do　we　finish　the　job？　And；　more　importantly；　how　shall　we　divide　the　spoils？〃
　　　〃Divide　the　spoils？〃　Horgar　rasped。　〃I　think　not。　You　will　not　help　yourself　to　part　of　my　prize　after　my　army　shouldered　the　brunt　of　the　hard　work　in　defeating　the　drow　at　the　Pillars　of　Woe。　You　will　be　paid　fairly　for　your　assistance；　but　do　not　presume　to　claim　a　share　of　my　victory。〃
　　　Kaanyr's　handsome　brow　creased　in　an　angry　frown。
　　　〃I　am　not　a　beggar　crying　out　for　your　largesse；　dwarf；〃　the　cambion　said。　〃Without　my　army's　approach；　you　would　still　be　fighting　your　way　toward　Menzoberranzan；　one　step　at　a　time。〃
　　　Horgar　started　to　pose　an　angry　retort；　but　Nimor　quickly　stepped　between　the　gray　dwarf　and　the　half…demon　and　raised　his　arms。
　　　〃My　lords！〃　he　cried。　〃The　only　way　the　Menzoberranyr　can　defeat　you　is　if　the　two　of　you　turn　on　each　other。　If　you　cooperate；　if　you　bine　your　efforts　intelligently；　the　city　will　fall。〃
　　　〃Indeed；〃　said　Zammzt。　The　plain…faced　assassin　stood　by　Vhok's　palanquin；　shrouded　in　his　dark　cloak。　〃There　is　little　point　in　dividing　the　spoils　of　a　city　that　you　have　yet　to　capture。　There　is　even　less　point　in　allowing　the　effort　of　dividing　the　spoils　to　prevent　the　city's　fall　in　the　first　place。〃
　　　〃That　may　be　true；〃　Kaanyr　said；　folding　his　powerful　arms　across　his　broad　chest；　〃but　I　will　not　be　forgotten　when　the　city　is　plundered。　You　brought　me　here；　assassins。〃
　　　〃You　brought　me　here；　as　well；〃　Horgar　rumbled；　〃and　you　brought　the　Agrach　Dyrr。　I　suspect　that　your　secret　House　will　be　hard…pressed　to　honor　your　promises　to　all　three　of　your　allies。　Which　of　us　do　you　mean　to　betray；　I　wonder？〃
　　　For　the　first　time；　Nimor　found　himself　wondering　if　perhaps　he　had　arrayed　too　many　enemies　against　Menzoberranzan　all　at　once。　That　was　the　nature　of　diplomacy　in　the　Underdark；　after　all。　No　alliance　outlived　its　usefulness；　not　even　by　a　heartbeat。
　　　To　his　surprise；　he　was　rescued　by　Aliisza。
　　　The　alu…fiend　draped　herself　at　Kaanyr's　side　and　said；　〃He　will　not　honor　his　promises　to　either　of　you；　as　long　as　the　city　stands。　How　can　he？　We　will　all　go　home　empty…handed　if　you　cannot　e　to　an　agreement。〃
　　　Nimor　inclined　his　head　in　gratitude；　making　a　very　conscious　effort　not　to　allow　his　eyes　to　linger　on　Aliisza　for　too　long　when　she　stood　next　to　Kaanyr　Vhok。　Somehow　he　doubted　that　she'd　shared　with　her　master　the　exact　details　of　her　visit　to　Gracklstugh；　and　he　didn't　want　to　give　the　half…demon　any　reason　to　bee　curious。
　　　〃Lady　Aliisza's　wisdom　is　as　great　as　her　beauty；〃　he　said。　〃For　the　sake　of　avoiding　argument；　I　propose　this：　To　Horgar；　five…tenths　of　Menzoberranzan's　wealth；　populace；　and　territory；　to　Kaanyr　Vhok；　three…tenths；　and　for　my　own　House；　two…tenths；　out　of　which　I　will　e　to　terms　with　the　Agrach　Dyrr。　All　subject　to　final　negotiation　and　adjustment　when　Menzoberranzan　is　ours；　of　course。〃
　　　〃My　army　outnumbers　the　cambion's　by　better　than　two　to　one；　so　why　does　he　gain　a　share　better　than　half　of　my　own？〃　Horgar　said。
　　　〃Because　he　is　here；〃　Nimor　said。　〃Take　your　army　and　go　home　if　you　like；　Horgar；　but　look　around　you　before　you　depart。　We　stand　at　the　Lustrum；　the　mithral　mines　of　House　Xorlarrin。　Menzoberranzan　controls　dozens　of　treasures　such　as　this；　and　its　castles　and　vaults　are　filled　with　the　wealth　of　five　thousand　years。　If　you　do　not　fight；　your　share　will　be　nothing。〃
　　　That　was　the　other　reason　Nimor　had　chosen　the　Lustrum　as　the　place　to　hold　his　parley。　It　served　as　a　tantalizing　reminder　of　the　true　prize　that　waited。
　　　Horgar's　eyes　darkened；　but　the　duergar　prince　turned　aside　to　study　the　chasm　and　the　gaping　adits　nearby。　Marshal　Borwald　leaned　close　and　whispered　something　to　the　crown　prince；　and　the　other　lairds　muttered　among　themselves。　After　a　moment；　Horgar　shifted　his　thick　hands　to　his　belt　and　cleared　his　throat。
　　　〃All　right；　then。　Subject　to　final　negotiation；　we　agree。　So　how　do　you　intend　to　reduce　the　city？〃
　　　〃You　will　crush　Menzoberranzan　between　your　two　armies；〃　Nimor　said。　〃Given　your　victory　at　the　Pillars　of　Woe；　the　Lolthites　are　mitted　to　awaiting　your　assault　in　the　city　proper；　but　thanks　to　this　maze　of　passages　surrounding　the　city；　they　can't　know　where　you'll　make　your　attack。　That　means　the　Menzoberranyr　will　have　to　maintain　a　strong　force　in　waiting　somewhere　near　the　city's　center　to　respond　to　whatever　point　is　threatened。　The　Scoured　Legion　will　provide　that　threat；　and　when　we　force　the　Lolthites　to　mit　to　battle；　the　army　of　Gracklstugh　will　mence　its　attack　and　break　into　the　city。〃
　　　〃It's　not　a　bad　plan；〃　Kaanyr　Vhok　observed。　〃However；　it　is　exactly　what　the　Menzoberranyr　must　expect　us　to　try；　given　the　situation。　They'll　be　very　careful　in　mitting　their　strength　to　any　one　threat。〃
　　　〃Aye；〃　Horgar　said。　〃How　will　you　draw　them　out；　now　that　you've　taught　them　caution　at　the　Pillars　of　Woe？〃
　　　Nimor　smiled。　It　didn't　escape　him　that　Horgar　and　Kaanyr　were　examining　the　tactical　problem　of　defeating　Menzoberranzan；　instead　of　quarreling　over　what　they　expected　to　gain　from　their　efforts。
　　　〃My　brothers　and　I　expect　to　help　in　that　regard；〃　he　said。　〃We're　not　numerous　but　we're　well…placed；　and；　my　lords；　you　have　forgotten　House　Agrach　Dyrr。〃
　　　Horgar　and　Kaanyr　exchanged　a　nod；　even　a　smile。
　　　Prepare　well；　Menzoberranzan；　Nimor　thought。　I'm　ing。
　　　
　　　〃I　never　imagined　so　many　demons　in　my　life；〃　Ryld　grunted。　He　leaned　on　Splitter；　watching　as　a　huge；　bat…winged；　bloated　form　spiraled　feebly　down　into　the　darkness；　vainly　trying　to　fly　with　its　wings　savaged　by　blows　of　the　weapons　master's　greatsword。　He　straightened　and　wiped　the　back　of　one　hand　across　his　brow。　〃It's　getting　hotter；　too。　I　hope　we're　close　to　whatever　we're　looking　for。〃
　　　Halisstra　and　the　rest　of　the　pany　stood　nearby；　swaying　with　nausea　or　trembling　with　fatigue　as　the　environment　and　their　exertions　warranted。　For　what　seemed　like　hours；　they'd　continued　to　fight　their　way　down　strand　after　strand。　Sometimes　they　descended　for　miles　past　strands　that　were　empty　or　held　nothing　but　corpses；　but　more　and　more　frequently　they　encountered　demons　that　were　alive　and　hungry。　Most　of　the　infernal　creatures　threw　themselves　headlong　into　battle　as　if　all　reason　had　deserted　them；　but　a　few　retained　enough　of　their　intelligence　to　employ　their　formidable　magical　abilities　against　the　interlopers。
　　　With　fang；　claw；　sting；　and　unholy　sorcery　the　denizens　of　the　Demonweb　Pits　scoured　and　scored　the　drow　pany。　It　didn't　help　that　Quenthel　had　manded　Pharaun　to　hoard　his　spells　carefully　so　that　the　pany　met　each　new　demonic　threat　with　steel；　not　the　wizard's　magic。
　　　〃Save　your　breath；　Master　Argith；〃　Quenthel　said。　She　slowly　straightened　from　her　own　fighting　crouch；　her　whip　splattered　with　the　gore　of　a　dozen　demons。　〃We　must　press　on。〃
　　　The　pany　hadn't　gone　more　than　another　forty　yards　before　their　strand　shuddered；　and　an　enormous　taloned　hand　appeared　from　beneath。　Clawing　its　way　around　from　the　unseen　bottom　side　of　the　web；　a　massive；　bison…headed　demon　with　foul；　coarse　fur　sprouting　from　its　shoulders　and　back　hauled　itself　to　the　top　of　the　strand　and　bellowed　a　vast　challenge。
　　　〃A　goristro！〃　Pharaun　cried。　〃What　in　all　the　hells　is　that　doing　here？〃
　　　〃Some　pet　of　Lolth's　that's　gotten　loose；　I　don't　doubt；〃　Tzirik　replied。
　　　The　Vhaeraunite　priest　began　to　chant　a　spell；　while　the　others　leaped　into　action。　Before　the　monster　could　clamber　to　its　feet；　Valas　feathered　it　with　at　least　three　arrows；　the　black　shafts　sprouting　from　its　shoulders　and　thick　neck　like　pins　in　a　cushion。　The　goristro　snorted　in　pain　and　anger；　and　reached　out　one　hulking　hand　to　pick　up　the　corpse　of　a　small　spider…demon　nearby。　It　flung　the　corpse　at　Valas；　catching　th