war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第5部分

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nsity；　their　graceful　lines；　and　the　ornamentation　sculpted　about　their　walls。　Most　of　the　carvings　featured　spiders　and　webs；　scarcely　surprising；　Ryld　supposed；　in　a　realm　where　Lolth　was　the　only　deity　anyone　worshiped；　and　her　clergy　ruled　in　the　temporal　sense　as　well　as　the　spiritual　one。
For　some　reason；　Ryld　found　the　persistence　of　the　motif　vaguely　opnotpressive；　so　he　shifted　his　attention　to　other　details。　If　a　drow　had　good　eyes；　he　could　make　out　the　frigid　depths　of　the　lake　called　Donigarten　at　the　narrow　eastern　end　of　the　vault。　Cattle…like　beasts　called　rothe　and　the　goblin　slaves　who　herded　them　lived　on　an　island　in　the　center　of　the　lake。
And　there　was　Narbondel　itself；　of　course。　It　was　the　only　piece　of　un…worked　stone　remaining　on　the　cavern　floor；　a　thick；　irregular　column　exnottending　all　the　way　to　the　ceiling。　At　the　start　of　every　day；　the　Archmage　of　Menzoberranzan　cast　a　spell　into　the　base　of　it；　heating　it　until　the　rock　glowed。　Since　the　radiance　rose　through　the　stone　at　a　constant　rate；　its　progress　enabled　the　residents　of　the　city　to　tell　the　time。
In　their　way；　the　Master　of　Melee…Magthere　supposed；　he　and　Pharaun　were；　if　nowhere　near　as　grand　a　sight　as　the　vista　before　them；　at　least　a　peculiar　one　by　virtue　of　the　contrasts　between　them。　With　his　slender　build；　graceful　manner；　foppish；　elegant　attire；　and　intricate　coiffure；　the　Mizzrym　mage　epitomized　what　a　sophisticated　noble　and　wizard　should　be。　Ryld；　on　the　other　hand　was　an　oddity。　He　was　huge　for　a　member　of　his　sex；　bigger　than　many　females；　with　a　burly；　broad…shouldered　frame　better　suited　to　a　brutish　human　than　a　dark　elf。　He　pounded　his　strangeness　by　wearing　a　dwarven　breastplate　and　vambraces　in　preference　to　light；　supple　mail。　The　armor　sometimes　caused　others　to　eye　him　askance；　but　he'd　found　that　it　maximized　his　effectiveness　as　a　warrior；　and　that；　he'd　always　believed；　was　what　really　mattered。
Ryld　and　Pharaun　walked　to　the　edge　of　Tier　Breche　and　sat　down　with　their　legs　dangling　over　the　sheer　drop…off。　They　were　only　a　few　yards　from　the　head　of　the　staircase　that　connected　the　Academy　with　the　city　below；　and　at　the　top　of　those　steps；　beside　the　twin　pillars；　a　pair　of　sennottries…last…year　students　of　Melee…Magthere…stood　watch。　Ryld　thought　that　he　and　Pharaun　were　distant　enough　for　privacy　if　they　kept　their　voices　low。
Low；　but　not　silent；　curse　it。　Ever　the　sensualist；　the　mage　sat　savoring　the　panorama　below　him；　obviously　prolonging　his　contemplation　well　past　the　point　where　Ryld's　mouth　had　begun　to　tighten　with　impatience；　and　never　mind　that　on　the　walk　up；　he'd　admired　the　view　himself。
〃We　drow　don't　love　one　another；　except　in　the　carnal　sense；〃　Pharaun　remarked　at　last；　〃but　I　think　one　could　almost　love　Menzoberranzan　itself；　don't　you？　Or　at　least　take　a　profound　pride　in　it。〃
Ryld　shrugged。　〃If　you　say　so。〃
〃You　sound　less　than　rhapsodic。　Feeling　morose　again　today？〃
〃I'm　all　right。　Better；　at　least；　now　that　I　see　you　still　alive。〃
〃You　assumed　Gromph　had　executed　me？　Does　my　offense　seem　so　grievous；　then？　Have　you　never　annihilated　a　single　specimen　of　our　tender　young　cadets？〃
〃That　depends　on　how　you　look　at　it；〃　Ryld　replied。　〃bat　training　is　inherently　dangerous。　Accidents　happen；　but　no　one　has　ever　questioned　that　they　were　accidents　occurring　during　the　course　of　Melee…Magthere's　legitimate　business。　The　goddess　knows；　I　never　lost　seven　in　a　single　hour；　two　of　them　from　Houses　with　seats　on　the　Council。　How　does　such　a　thing　happen？〃
〃I　needed　seven　assistants　with　a　degree　of　magical　expertise　to　help　me　perform　the　summoning　ritual。　Had　I　called　upon　full…fledged　wizards；　they　would　have　joined　the　experiment　as　equal　partners。　They　would　have　emerged　from　the　ritual　possessed　of　the　same　newly　discovered　secrets　as　myself；　equally　able　to　conjure　and　control　the　Sarthos　demon。　Naturally　I　wished　to　avoid　such　a　sharing；　so　I　opted　to　use　apprentices　instead。〃
Pharaun　grinned　and　continued；　〃In　retrospect；　I　must　admit　that　it　may　not　have　been　a　good　idea。　The　fiend　didn't　even　require　seven　heartnotbeats　to　smash　them　all。〃
An　updraft　wafted　past　Ryld's　face；　carrying　the　constant　murmur　of　the　metropolis　below。　He　caught　its　scent　as　well；　a　plex　odor　made　of　cooking　smoke；　incense；　perfume；　the　stink　of　unwashed　thralls；　and　a　thousand　other　things。
〃Why　perform　such　a　dangerous　ritual　in　the　first　place？〃　he　asked。
Pharaun　smiled　as　if　it　was　a　silly　question。　Perhaps　it　was。
〃To　bee　more　powerful；　of　course；〃　the　wizard　answered。　〃At　presnotent；　I'm　one　of　the　thirty　most　puissant　mages　in　the