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  She managed to maintain her balance, but she was forced to stand to avoid looking silly. She glared at the cambion.

  He went on, oblivious, «Oh, this is just too good. One of the highest drow priestesses in all of Menzoberranzan is trying to sneak incognito through my tiny little domain. And she's letting a wizard run his mouth at her. No caravans for more than a month, and now this. This is too much fun!»

  Kaanyr turned to face Aliisza once more, and upon seeing her glare, he cocked his head in confusion.

  «What? What's wrong?»

  The alu fumed, «You have no idea, do you?»

  Kaanyr spread his hands helplessly and shook his head.

  «Well, then I'm not going to tell you!» she snapped, and turned away from him.

  «Aliisza.» Vhok's voice was deep and commanding, and it sent shivers down her spine. He was angry, just as she'd hoped. «Aliisza, look at me.»

  She glanced back at him over her shoulder, letting one arched eyebrow rise questioningly He had risen from the throne and was standing with his hands on his hips.

  «Aliisza, I don't have time for this. Look at me!»

  She shivered in spite of herself and turned fully around to face her lover. His eyes smoldered and made her melt. She pouted just a little, to let him know that she didn't like being chastised, but she was finished playing the game.

  Vhok nodded slightly in satisfaction.

  His visage softened a bit, and he said, «Whatever I did, I'll make it up to you later. Right now, though, you have to get back over there and find out what's going on. See if you can get face to face with them and 'invite' them to pay us a visit. But be careful. I don't want this to explode in my face. If a high priestess and a draegloth are part of this group, then the rest of them are dangerous, too. Keep the Scourged close, to hem them in, but don't waste too many bodies on an all-out attack. But also don't make it too obvious that you're holding them back. Also, don't—»

  Aliisza rolled her eyes, feeling a little insulted.

  I've done this a time or two before, you know,» she interrupted, her voice thick with sarcasm. «I think I know what to do. But. .»

  She stepped closer to Kaanyr—Into him, really—rising up on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around his waist and curling one smooth, bare leg around the back of his calf. She drew herself close, let her body press against his, and continued.

  «When I'm done with this little task,» she said, her voice smoky with desire, «you're going to tend to my needs for a while.» She leaned up and nibbled on his ear, then whispered, «Your teasing Is working too well, love.»

  * * *

  Triel didn't like brooding, but she caught herself doing it frequently of late. This time, when she realized she was at it again, she was suddenly aware of the faces of the other seven matrons, looking at her expectantly. She blinked and stared back at them for a moment, trying to recall the words of the conversation that had droned m the background of her thoughts. She could remember voices but nothing more.

  «I asked,» Matron Miz'ri Mizzrym said, «what thoughts have you given to other courses of action, should your sister fail to return?»

  When Triel still did not respond, the hard-faced matron mother added, «There are thoughts floating around somewhere in there today, aren't there, Mother?»

  Triel blinked again, jolted fully back to the conversation at hand by the Mizzrym's biting words, focusing her attention where it ought to be instead of on the empty sensation she felt where the goddess's presence should have been. Other courses of action. .

  «Of course,» she replied at last. «I've been giving that considerable thought, but before we delve too deeply into alternatives, I think we must exercise some patience.»

  Matron Mez'Barris Armgo snorted. «Have you been listening to a word we've said in the last five minutes, Mother? Patience is a luxury we no longer have. We exhausted so much of our reserves of magic quelling the uprising we might—might, I say—be able to withstand another major insurrection, should one occur. As much as I love a good battle, putting down another slave rebellion would be wasteful, when it's only a matter of time before Gracklstugh or the survivors of Blingdenstone determine that we are powerless, without. .»

  The hulking, brutish matron mother faltered, unwilling, even as forward and tactless as she usually was, to put words to the crisis they all faced.

  «If they aren't already aware,» Zeerith Q'Xorlarrin interjected, glossing over Mez'Barris's unfinished thought. «Even now, one or more of the other nations could be amassing an army to drive to our gates. New voices could be whispering poison into the ears of the lesser creatures down in the Braeryn or the Bazaar, voices belonging to those clever enough to mask their true identities, their true intent. Its something we must consider and discuss.»

  «Oh, yes,» Yasraena Dyrr said contemptuously. «Yes, let's sit here and discuss; not act, never act. We are afraid to venture forth into our own city!»

  «Bite your tongue!» Triel snapped, growing more and more incensed.

  She was angry not only at the direction of the conversation— suggestions of cowardice from the High Council! — but also at the ridicule, the unusually open vitriolic nature, of the other matrons' words. Ridicule directed at her.

  «If there is one among us afraid to walk our own streets, she need no longer sit on this Council. Are you one such, Yasraena?»

  The matron mother from House Agrach Dyrr grimaced at the chastisement she was receiving, and Triel realized it was not merely because Yasraena knew she had overstepped herself. It was the matron of House Baenre, supposedly an ally to Yasraena's house, that was administering this stern lecture. Triel intended it as such. It was time to send a message, to remind the other matron mothers that she still sat at the top of the power structure and she would not tolerate such insubordination from any of those sitting around her, ally or not.

  «Perhaps Matron Q'Xorlarrin is right,» Miz'ri Mizzrym said quietly, in an obvious attempt to steer the conversation in a new direction. «Perhaps we should consider not just who knows, not just who moves against us—covertly or otherwise—but who might be allying together against us. If even two or three of the other nations come together as our enemies …»

  She let the thought trail off, and the other drow in the chamber looked uncomfortable, considering its obvious conclusion.

  «We need to know what's going on,» she continued, «at the very least. Our spy network among the duergar, the illithids, and other deep races has not been best used of late or perhaps isn't as strong as we would like. But what's m place should be funneling more information back to us about the intentions of potential threats.»

  «Oh, it should be doing more than that,» Byrtyn Fey said. Triel raised her eyebrow in slight surprise, for the voluptuous matron mother of House Fey-Branche did not often find interest in discussions so far removed from her own hedonistic pleasures.

  «It should be looking for possible weaknesses among our enemies. It should be exploiting those weaknesses, setting potential allies against one another, and perhaps, it should be on the lookout for dissatisfied elements of those traditional enemies, elements that might even consider a new alliance.»

  «What, are you mad?» Mez'Barris snapped. «Allying with outsiders? Who is there to trust? No matter how we approach such an alliance, the moment we reveal that we cannot receive blessings from our own goddess, potential allies will either laugh uproariously or trip over themselves running to spread the news.»

  «Don't be dense,» Byrtyn snapped right back. «I know how fond you are of the straightforward, brutal-truth method for everything, but there are better, more subtle ways of luring an ally into your bed. Potential suitors need not know about your shortcomings until after you have partaken of their charms.»

  «Not being able to defend our own city from attack would be too obvious a shortcoming to try to hide,» Zeerith said, frowning. «Our own charms will have to be most convincing to blind such potential suitors from the truth. Still, the idea has merit
.»

  «It is impossible,» Matron Mez'Barris said, folding her thick arms and leaning back as though dismissing the discussion. «The risk of discovery by our enemies would only be magnified, and the rewards are certainly not worth it.»

  «Spoken like a hag with few to share her bed,» Byrtyn said smugly, stretching languidly to make certain her own well-rounded figure was plainly visible through the sheer fabric of her shimmering dress. «And one who's always trying to convince herself that she's better off without them, anyway.»

  Several of the other high priestesses gasped at the insult, but Mez'Barris only narrowed her piercing red eyes, staring daggers at Byrtyn.

  «Enough!» Triel said finally, interrupting the glaring contest between the two matron mothers. «This bickering is pointless, and it's beneath us all.»

  She looked pointedly at both Mez'Barris and Byrtyn until both of them ceased their glowering and turned their attention back to her.

  If only Jeggred were here, the matron mother of House Baenre thought.

  Triel wondered briefly if she should be disturbed that she was once again wishing for the draegloth's soothing presence in the face of such adversity. It was something else she had caught herself doing often of late, and she feared what it symbolized. Perhaps she had grown to rely too much on external protection rather than her own abilities. She feared that it was a weakness, and weakness was definitely something she could ill afford in the current climate.

  No, she corrected herself, not just now, not ever.

  But the need for allies, however brief and volatile such alliances tended to be, were a necessary part of her life.

  Maybe Byrtyn is right, she thought. Maybe that's what Menzober-ranzan needs: an ally. Another nation, a race from the Underdark, to aid the noble Houses until this crisis has passed.

  Triel tightened her jaw and shook her head softly, determined to banish such silly notions from her mind.

  Nonsense, she told herself firmly. Menzoberranzan is the strongest city in the Underdark. We need no one. We will prevail as we always nave, through cunning, and guile, and the favor of the goddess. Wherever she is. …

  I know very well the state of things in Menzoberranzan,» Triel said, looking eye to eye with each matron mother present. «The crisis we face tests us—tests us more severely than any ever confronted by the ruling Houses in all the city's history—but we cannot let it get in the way of resolute administration of the city. The moment we begin to squabble, the moment we do not show a united front to the other Houses, to Tier Breche or Bregan D'aerthe, is the moment we show it to the rest of the world, and by then all is already lost.

  «For the time being, we continue to show patience. Discussion of ways to deal with the crisis is welcome—calm, respectful discussion—«and Triel once again inclined her head toward the two matron mothers—«or suggestions for new ways to explore what has happened to Lolth, but there is to be no more of this talk of fear or cowardice, and no more of these Insults. That is the behavior of foolish males or the lesser races. We conduct the business of our Houses and our council as we have always done.»

  Triel made certain to catch each and every matron mother with her own gaze this time, staring intently into each pair of red eyes in turn, wanting to ensure that everyone present got her message—that and to ensure that she was showing a strong face.

  Slowly, one by one, the other matron mothers nodded, willing, at least for the time being, to acquiesce to the Baenres demands.

  Wielding power always requires such a delicate touch Triel reminded herself as the group broke apart and the other high priestesses went their separate ways, returning to their homes. Like a supple switch, if you swing it about too vigorously, you just end up breaking it on the slave you are trying to goad.

  TWO

  «I told you coming this way was a mistake,» Pharaun panted as he pulled up from his headlong run.

  The passage before the drow wizard ended abruptly, blocked by a great gray mass of spongy material that completely filled the tunnel. Turning back to face the direction from which he'd come, the dark elf quickly sloughed off his finely crafted knapsack, lowered it to the rocky floor, and scooted it out of the way with his foot.

  «Don't gloat, Mizzrym,» Quenthel said, her scowl heavy, stumbling up beside him.

  The five snake heads that dangled, writhing, from the whip at the Baenre high priestess's hip rose up and hissed their own displeasure at the wizard, duplicating their mistress's mood, as usual. Quenthel yanked the scourge free of her belt and took up a position beside Pharaun, waiting.

  The draegloth was right on the haughty drow's heels. Jeggred bore not one but two heavy bundles, and when the four-armed fiend reached the pair of dark elves, he tossed the supplies to the floor, apparently not the least bit winded from bearing them. He flashed a savage, twisted smile that exposed his yellowish fangs and turned around, advancing a few steps to position himself between Quen-chel and anything that might come from the other direction, a low growl rumbling deep in his demonic throat.

  The Master of Sorcere was in no mood for putting up with the high priestess's foul temper, and he grimaced as he considered several spells. Settling on one, he fished around in hispiwafwi, fetching from a pocket inside the extravagant cloak the reagents he would need to weave the chosen magic. Eventually, he produced a bit of squid tentacle. He had warned them they would be trapped if they came this way, and so had Valas, but Quenthel had insisted. As usual, it was up to Pharaun to extricate them all.

  Faeryl Zauvirr was the next to stumble into view, her breathing labored. The ambassador from Ched Nasad spotted the blockage in the passage and groaned, sliding her pack from her back and tossing it with a thud to the rocky floor next to the others'. She wearily produced a small crossbow from her own piwafwi and placed herself on the wizard's other side.

  «They're right behind us,» Ryld Argith announced as he and the last member of the drow contingent, Valas Hune, sprinted from around the curve of the passage.

  Past the burly warrior and the diminutive scout, Pharaun could see the red glow of multiple pairs of eyes advancing on the group's position. The creatures peered forward eagerly, and the wizard estimated nearly two dozen tanarukks.

  Stooped forward as though afflicted with a hunched back, the creatures were reminiscent of ores, though their features were decidedly more demonic, with their scaled, sloping foreheads and their prominent tusks. They wore little armor, for their hides were scaly and tough, but the battle-axes many of them brandished were heavy and vicious-looking.

  Pharaun shook his head in resignation and prepared to weave a spell.

  The tanarukks howled in delight and lunged forward, eager, it seemed, to take the battle to their cornered prey. Several swarmed at Jeggred, and the fiend bellowed his own war cry, crouching and slashing wildly. He tossed one of the tanarukks aside effortlessly, slamming it against the far wall, near Rylds position.

  Pharaun gaped for a moment at the unbridled might and ferocity the draegloth displayed, even as two more of the humanoid attackers went down before the precision slashing of Splitter, the enchanted greatsword wielded with greater skill by Ryld Argith. Faeryl fired her crossbow from beside Pharaun then stooped to reload it. Quenthel, in the meantime, seemed content to watch her subordinates at work. More of the tanarukks swarmed in, though, and the wizard almost didn't react in time to one that slipped through the line of defense that Jeggred and Ryld had formed.

  The slavering, green-skinned tanarukk leaped toward the wizard, its axe cocked back for a savage blow. Pharaun was just able to backpedal enough to avoid the slashing blade as it swooshed through the air where his face had been a heartbeat before. He considered calling the magical rapier from the enchanted ring that held it, tiny and out of the way until needed, but he knew the effort would be futile. The thin blade would never withstand the force of the axe, and besides, he couldn't get enough room between himself and the beast to use the more nimble weapon effectively, He was quickly running out of s
pace to maneuver.

  When the tanarukk arched its back and howled in pain and fury, Pharaun saw that Quenthel was behind it, already drawing her arm back for another swipe with her dreaded whip. The tanarukk whirled around, still screaming in anger. It raised its axe high for a killing blow, but before either it or the high priestess could finish their attacks, a flash of shadow materialized at the edge of Pharaun's field of vision—and the shadow became Valas Hune.

  The mercenary scout darted in low behind the green-skinned creature and pulled one of his kukris harshly across the tanarukks hamstring, crippling it with the oddly curved knife. Black blood spurted everywhere from the deep wound as the beast sank to one knee, flailing feebly with its hands, trying to find the source of its torment. As quickly as Valas had appeared, he was gone, vanished again in the shadows.

  Quenthel took the opportunity to bring the whip down on the tanarukk again, and Pharaun saw the fangs of the snake heads sink deeply into the flesh of the creature's face and neck. Already, it was beginning to cough and choke, its face and tongue bloating, poisoned by the lashes from the whip. It dropped its axe and crumpled to the floor, spasming and crying out in anguish.

  Pharaun realized he was holding his breath and exhaled sharply, regaining his wits. Disgusted with himself for being so undisciplined, he remembered the tiny piece of squid tentacle that he had in his hand. Righting himself, he made a rapid inspection of the battlefield in order to determine where best to place the spell he had in mind.

  A host of dead tanarukks had piled up around Jeggred and Ryld, but still the remaining creatures fought their way to get nearer the pair, snarling and leaping about, looking for an opening where they could use their axes. The wizard decided he could easily position the magic behind those few savage humanoids that remained, but then he paused, startled.

  A face had caught the drow mage's eye at the far back of the passage. He blinked and peered more carefully, not trusting his assumption. Lurking in the darkness, watching the battle, was a beautiful woman. Pharaun found her attractive, despite the fact that she was not a drow but appeared human. Black curly hair framed her face, and she was dressed in a tight, shiny leather corset that hugged her curves like a second skin. She seemed to be saying something to the last rank of humanoids, giving them orders and gesturing, but when she noticed Pharaun staring at her, she smiled, her highly arched eyebrows raising even farther in a bemused grin. That was when the wizard also noticed the black, leathery wings sprouting from her back. She wasn't human after all.