war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第67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！


of　your　good　sense。　It　would　be　a　pity　if　you　turned　your　back　on　your　salvation。〃
〃What　are　you　saying？〃
〃I　can　take　away　your　sickness。〃
〃You're　lying。　How　could　you　do　what　the　priestesses　cannot？〃
〃Because　I'm　a　wizard。〃　Pharaun　snapped　his　fingers　and　dissolved　his　mask　of　illusion。　〃My　name　is　Pharaun　Mizzrym。　You　may　have　heard　of　me。　If　not；　you've　surely　heard　of　the　Masters　of　Sorcere。〃
She　was　impressed；　though　trying　not　to　show　it。
〃Who　aren't　healers；〃　she　said。
〃Who　are　transmuters。　I　can　change　you　into　a　drow；　or；　if　you　prefer；　a　member　of　another　race。　Whatever　we　choose；　the　transformation　will　purge　the　sickness　from　your　new　body。〃
〃If　that's　true；〃　she　said；　〃then　why　do　your　people　fear　illness？〃
〃Because　this　remedy　is　inappropriate　for　them。　It's　unthinkable　for　a　drow；　one　of　the　goddess's　chosen　people；　to　permanently　assume　the　form　of　a　lesser　creature　except　as　a　punishment。　Also；　most　wizards　can't　cast　the　spell　deftly　enough　to　purge　a　disease。　It　requires　a　certain　facility；　which　happily；　I　possess。〃
He　grinned。
〃And　you'll　use　it　to　help　me？〃
〃Well；　to　aid　myself；　really。〃
The　soothsayer　scowled；　pondering　the　offer。
Eventually　she　said；　〃What　do　I　have　to　lose？〃
〃Exactly。〃
〃But　you　have　to　change　me　first。〃
〃No；　first　of　all；　we　must　establish　that　you　do　indeed　possess　the　innotformation　my　colleague　and　I　require。　We're　seeking　a　number　of　runaway　males　hailing　from　noble　and　humble　residences　alike。〃
〃We　have　a　handful　of　drow　hiding　out　in　the　Braeryn。　Some　are　sick　like　me。　Some　are　outcast　for　some　other　offense。　A　couple　are　just　taking　a　long　illicit　holiday　from　their　responsibilities　and　female　relations。　I　can　tell　you　where　to　find　most　of　them。〃
〃I'm　sure；〃　said　Pharaun；　〃but　I　imagine　they've　resided　here　for　a　while；　have　they　not？　We're　seeking　rogues　of　more　recent　vintage。　Menzoberranzan　has　suffered　a　mass　migration　in　recent　tendays。〃
Smylla　frowned。　From　a　subtle　shift　of　expression；　the　mage　knew　she　was　deciding　whether　or　not　to　lie。
〃More　drow　males　than　usual　have　visited　the　Braeryn；〃　she　said。　〃Innotdulging　their　most　sordid　impulses；　I　assumed；　but　as　far　as　I　know　they　didn't　stay　here。　If　they　did；　I　don't　know　where。〃
Ryld　sighed。　Pharaun　knew　how　he　felt。　Generally　speaking；　the　wizard　relished　a　baffling；　brain…cramping　puzzle；　but　even　he　was　growing　impanottient　at　their　lack　of　progress。
Given　the　lack　of　any　sensible　leads；　he　resolved　to　follow　where　intunotition　led。　Still　caught　up　in　his　role　of　sympathizer；　he　dared　to　step　to　the　cot　and　pat　Smylla　on　her　bony　shoulder。　She　gasped。　In　all　likelihood；　no　one　had　touched　her　for　a　long　while；　either。
〃Don't　abandon　hope；〃　Pharaun　said。　〃Perhaps　we　can　still　make　a　trade。　Fortunately；　my　rade　and　I　are　interested　in　other　matters　as　well。　Has　anything　peculiar　occurred　in　the　Braeryn　of　late？〃
The　clairvoyant　rasped　out　another　painful…sounding　laugh。
〃You　mean　aside　from　the　fact　that　last　tenday；　the　animals　rose　up　against　me？〃
〃I　do　find　that　interesting。　As　you　confessed；　your　magical　talents　withered　away　some　time　ago。　Since　then；　you've　dominated　the　gobnotlins　through　bluff　and　force　of　personality；　and　it　worked　until　a　few　days　ago。　What　changed？　Where　did　the　Undercreatures　find　the　courage　to　turn　against　you？　Have　you　noticed　anything　that　might　acnotcount　for　it？〃
〃Well；〃　said　Smylla；　〃it　could　just　be　they　saw　me　failing　physically；　but…〃　Her　cracked　lips　stretched　into　a　grin。　〃You're　good；　Master　Mizzrym。　You　give　me　a　smile；　friendly　conversation；　a　soft　touch　on　the　arm；　and　my　tongue　starts　to　flap。　That's　loneliness　for　you。　But　I　will　have　my　cure　before　I　give　up　anything　of　importance。〃
〃Very　sensible。〃　Pharaun　extracted　an　empty　cocoon　from　one　of　his　pockets。　〃What　do　you　wish　to　bee？〃
〃One　of　you；〃　she　said；　leering。　〃I　once　heard　a　philosopher　say　that　everyone　bees　the　thing　he　hates。〃
〃He　must　have　been　a　cheery　fellow　to　have　about。　Now；　brace　yourself。　This　will　only　take　a　moment；　but　it　may　hurt　a　little。〃
Employing　greater　care　than　usual；　he　recited　the　incantation　and　used　the　ridged　silken　case　to　write　a　symbol　on　the　air。
Magic　shrilled　through　the　air；　and　the　temperature　plummeted。　For　a　moment；　the　whole　room　rippled　and　shimmered；　then　the　distortion　concentrated　itself　on　Smylla's　shriveled　body。　Tendons　standing　out　in　her　neck；　she　screamed。
Beyond　the　door；　one　of　the　bugbears　shouted；　〃We　want　to　get　even；　too！　We　had　a　bargain！〃
Smylla's　sores　faded　away；　and　her　emaciated　form　filled　out　into　a　healthy　slimness。　Her　ashen　skin　darkened　to　a　gleaming　black；　he