war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第52部分

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Those　high　priestnotesses；　hampered　by　their　dignity；　were　having　some　difficulty　making　themselves　fortable　among　the　haphazardly　stacked　boxes　and　tangles　of　furniture　littering　the　half…forgotten　storeroom。　Of　course；　it　didn't　help　that　they　hesitated　to　clear　away　the　shrouds　of　filthy　cobwebs　dangling　everywhere　for　fear　a　living　spider　remained　within。
Drisinil　wondered　if　that　particular　prohibition　made　sense　any　longer。　Perhaps　spiders　were　no　longer　sacred。
Then；　angry　at　herself；　she　pushed　the　blasphemous　thought　away。　Lolth　abided；　beyond　any　question；　and　was　likely　to　chastise　those　who　even　for　a　moment　imagined　otherwise。
Once　she　wrenched　her　mind　back　to　immediate　concerns；　Drisinil　was　momentarily　nonplussed　to　find　the　pany　regarding　her　expectantly。　Did　they　expect　her　to　preside　over　the　meeting？
But　then　again；　why　not？　She　might　be　a　novice；　but　she　was　Barrison　Del'Armgo　as　well；　and　breeding　mattered；　perhaps　more　than　ever　when　even　the　most　powerful　priestesses　were　running　out　of　magic。　Besides；　the　secret　gathering　had　been　her　idea。
〃Good　evening；〃　she　said。　〃Thank　you　all　for　attending；〃…she　smiled　wryly…〃and　for　not　reporting　me　to　Quenthel　Baenre。〃
〃We　still　could；〃　said　Vlondril　Tuin'Tarl；　a　strange　smile　on　her　wrinnotkled　lips。　〃Your　task　is　to　convince　us　we　shouldn't。〃
The　teacher　was　so　old　that　she　had　begun　to　wither　like　a　human　crone。　Most　folk　believed　her　mystical　contemplations　of　ultimate　chaos　had　left　her　a　little　mad。　No　one；　not　even　another　instructor；　had　opted　to　sit　in　her　immediate　vicinity。
〃With　respect；　Holy　Mother；〃　Drisinil　said；　〃isn't　that　self…evident？　The　goddess；　who　nurtured　and　exalted　our　city　since　its　founding；　has　turned　her　back　on　us。〃
Once　again；　Drisinil　couldn't　help　thinking　of　other　possibilities；　but　even　if　she'd　seen　a　point　to　it；　she　wouldn't　have　dared　to　mention　them。　No　one　would；　not　in　her　present　pany。
〃And　Quenthel　is　to　blame；〃　added　Molvayas　Barrison　Del'Armgo。
Though　stockier　and　shorter　than　Drisinil；　her　aunt　had　the　same　sort　of　sharp　nose　and　unmon　green　eyes。　Richly　clad；　the　elder　scion　of　the　House　carried　an　enemy's　soul　imprisoned　in　a　jade　ring；　and　at　quiet　moments　one　could　occasionally　hear　the　spirit　weeping　and　pleading　for　release。　Second　to　Quenthel　as　Barrison　Del'Armgo　was　ever　second　to　Baenre；　Molvayas　had　helped　her　niece　pass　word　of　the　meeting；　and　her　support　lent　it　a　certain　credibility。
〃How　do　you　know　that？〃　asked　T'risstree　T'orgh。
Deceptively　slender；　a　fully　trained　warrior　as　well　as　a　priestess；　she　was　notorious　for　carrying　a　naked　falchion　about　in　preference　to　the　usual　mace　or　whip　of　fangs；　and　gashing　the　exposed　flesh　of　any　student　who　displeased　her　with　a　fast　but　precisely　controlled　cut　to　the　face。　The　short；　curved　blade　lay　across　her　knees。
Drisinil　waited　a　beat　to　make　sure　Molvayas　intended　her　to　answer　the　question。　Apparently　she　did；　and　rightly　so；　since　it　was　the　younger　female　who　had　actually　conceived　the　argument。
〃When　Triel　was　mistress　here；〃　said　the　novice；　〃all　was　well。　Shortly　after　Quenthel　assumed　the　office；　Lolth　rejected　us。〃
〃　'Shortly'　being　a　relative　term；〃　said　a　sardonic　voice　from　somewhere　in　the　back　of　the　room。
〃Shortly　enough；〃　Drisinil　retorted。　〃Perhaps　the　goddess　gave　us　time　to　rectify　the　error。　We　failed　to　do　so；　so　now　she's　punishing　us。〃
〃She's　afflicting　all　Menzoberranzan；〃　T'risstree　said；　〃not　just　Tier　Breche。〃
〃Surely；〃　said　Drisinil；　〃you　didn't　expect　her　to　be　fair。　I　hope　a　priestnotess　knows　Lolth's　ways　better　than　that。　Her　wrath　is　as　boundless　as　her　might。　Besides　which；　Arach…Tinilith　is　the　repository　of　the　deepest　mysnotteries　and　thus　the　mystic　heart　of　Menzoberranzan。　It　makes　perfect　sense　that　whatever　befalls　us　here　should　touch　the　city　as　a　whole。
〃In　any　case；〃　the　novice　continued；　〃Lolth　has　shown　us　her　intent。　Despite　our　safeguards；　two　spirits　invaded　the　temple；　the　first　in　the　guise　of　a　spider；　the　second　a　living　darkness。　Spider　and　darkness；　reflecnottions　of　the　essence　of　the　goddess。　The　demons　injured　those　who　got　in　their　way。　They　bruised　them　and　broke　their　bones；　but　they　didn't　try　to　kill　any　of　us；　did　they？　They　were　plainly　seeking　Quenthel；　and　they　sought　to　kill　her　and　her　alone。〃
Some　of　the　other　priestesses　frowned　or　nodded　thoughtfully。
〃It　did　seem　that　way；〃　said　Vlondril；　〃but　what　do　you　think　is　unacnotceptable　about　Quenthel？　Isn't　she　doing　all　the　same　things　Triel　did？〃
〃We　don't　know　everything　she　does；〃　said　Drisinil；　〃and　we　don't　know　what　she　thinks。　Lolth　does。〃
〃But　yo