war of the spider queen 2 insurrection-第70章

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had　figured　that　out；　it　was　too　late。　They　had　all　missed　that；　and　she　refused　to　accept　sole　blame　for　it。
　　　Still；　the　damage　could　have　been　contained；　if　only　that　double…crossing　fool　Khorrl　had　done　his　duty。　She　had　paid　him　a　matron　mother's　ransom。　He　should　have　jumped　at　her　every　beck　and　call；　but　instead　he　turned　his　back　on　her；　gathered　his　mercenaries；　and　was　preparing　to　pull　out　of　Ched　Nasad　all　together。　The　loss　of　his　support　was　a　tough　blow；　but　what　galled　her　more　was　how　foolish　he'd　made　her　look…foolish　in　the　eyes　of　her　peers。
　　　The　other　matron　mothers；　upon　hearing　that　the　duergar　were　no　longer　in　House　Zauvirr's　service；　had　washed　their　hands　of　the　alliance；　immediately　withdrawing　their　support　for　Ssipriina's　claims。　They　had　their　own　Houses　to　consider　and　couldn't　afford　to　weaken　themselves　further　in　a　lost　cause。
　　　Lost　cause！　Yes；　she　had　been　made　to　look　foolish；　and　she　would　not　have　that。　Ssipriina　Zauvirr　would　show　them　what　a　lost　cause　was。
　　　Let　the　rest　of　them　distance　themselves　from　her。　Let　them　rot　at　the　bottom　of　the　chasm。　She　was　not　going　to　let　these　setbacks　foil　her　plans。　Half　the　city　might　burn；　but　when　the　smoke　cleared；　House　Zauvirr　would　sit　at　the　top　of　the　heap。
　　　Khorrl　Xornbane　was　going　to　pay　as　well；　but　would　her　remaining　troops　be　enough？　Between　her　own　House　and　those　from　House　Melarn　who　had　switched　allegiance；　she　had　assembled　a　potent　army；　but　so　many　had　been　lost。
　　　That　was　Clan　Xornbane's　fault；　too。　They'd　let　the　battle　around　House　Melarn　get　out　of　control。　It　was　their　horrible　firepots　that　made　the　stone　burn；　that　allowed　the　House　to　fall。　It　was　needless　destruction；　brought　about　after　needless　fighting。
　　　Ssipriina　had　no　doubt　that　the　gray　dwarf　captain　had　spoken　the　truth。　Zammzt　could　very　well　have　been　behind　the　premature　exposure　of　her　mercenaries；　but　why？　Which　matron　mother　was　he　in　league　with？　Which　of　them　had　something　to　gain　by　watching　her　plans　build　up；　then　teeter　to　disaster？　There　were　so　many；　but　she　would　have　to　determine　that　later。
　　　Ssipriina　would　miss　Zammzt。　She　needed　his　efficiency；　his　battle　acumen。　She　didn't　have　enough　strategists　to　put　in　charge　of　the　forces　she'd　assembled。　The　ugly　male　would　have　served　in　that　capacity　nicely。　Faeryl　would　be　a　suitable　replacement；　but　she'd　not　been　seen　since　the　chaos　at　the　end　of　the　gathering　of　matron　mothers。　Ssipriina　suspected　that　her　daughter　had　perished　when　the　estate　crumbled　into　the　bottom　of　the　cavern。
　　　Foolish　girl；　the　matron　mother　thought。　Good　riddance。
　　　Sighing；　Ssipriina　shook　herself　out　of　her　musings　and　swept　her　gaze　one　last　time　over　her　undersized　army。　They　would　have　to　be　enough。　She　would　lead　them　herself；　and　they　would　be　enough。
　　　〃Gather　yourselves；〃　the　matron　mother　said；　moving　to　a　protected　place　in　the　middle　of　the　milling　mass　of　drow。　〃It's　time　to　claim　what's　ours。〃
　　　EIGHTEEN
　　　Pharaun　tried　to　stay　near　the　perimeter　of　the　city　as　he　made　his　way　toward　the　Flame　and　Serpent。　For　one　thing；　he　didn't　relish　the　thought　of　being　crushed　at　any　moment　by　falling　debris　from　above。　Though　it　had　only　happened　once；　he'd　been　far　too　intimately　involved　with　it　than　he　cared　to　remember。　He　would　avoid　a　repeat　incident；　if　he　could。
　　　Secondly；　the　wizard　knew　that　navigation　would　be　easier　if　he　followed　the　wall　of　the　chasm；　rather　than　trying　to　work　his　way　through　the　central　section　of　the　city。　Even　then；　the　thick　smoke　caused　him　difficulty　in　flying。　He　was　surprised　at　how　haze…choked　the　cavern　had　bee。　More　than　once；　he　nearly　careened　off　a　trench　wall；　still　intact　web　street；　or　building。　Nonetheless；　he　still　considered　the　challenge　of　navigating　through　that　to　be　far　safer　than　having　to　maneuver　through　the　center　of　Ched　Nasad；　where　the　sound　of　fighting　was　constant。　Occasionally　he　heard　explosions；　loud　pops；　and　howling　winds　in　the　distance　as　fierce　magical　battles　raged。　Arcane　forces　were　being　unleashed　on　gathering　troops。　There　was　no　doubt　about　it…the　entire　city　was　engaged　in　a　desperate　struggle　for　control　of　the　streets。
　　　Mostly；　the　reverberations　of　conflict　reached　the　mage's　ears　from　his　level　or　below。　What　had　in　all　likelihood　begun　in　the　plaza　outside　of　House　Melarn　had　quickly　spread；　engulfing　the　citizens　and　visitors　all　across　the　city；　on　every　level。　The　wizard　wondered　how　many　had　actually　managed　to　flee　into　the　caverns　surrounding　the　City　of　Shimmering　Webs。　Though　the　team　from　Menzoberranzan　had　been　indisposed　for　much　of　the　Initial　martial　activity；　he　recalled　that；　since　their　escape　from　the　collapse　of　House　Melarn；　they　had　seen　surprisingly　few　ordinary　folk　in　the　streets。　Of　course；　that　was　also　because　they'd　spent　most　of　their　time　high　in　the　city；　where　only　the　nobles　prowled。　Farther　down；　in　the　lower　sections；　he　imagined　a　much　different　scene。　There；　he　supposed；　the　general　rabble　had　gotten　caught　up　in　the　fighting；　much　like　the　rebellion　back　home。
　　　The　uprising　had　taken　a　decidedly　different　twist　than　the　insurrection　in　Menzoberranzan；　though。　The　insurgents　involved　in　the　upheavals　in　Ched　Nasad　were　the　noble　Houses　themselves。　Their　own　infighting　was　the　flash　point。　Pharaun　counted　himself　fortunate　that　the　Houses　of　Menzoberranzan　had　proven　less　prone　to　petty　backbiting。　If　they　had；　there　might　not　be　a　city　for　him　to　return　to。　The　mage　grimaced；　thinking　of　Gromph's　attempts　on　Quenthel's　life；　and　his　own　sister　Greyanna's　failed　efforts　to　kill　him。
　　　There　might　not　be　anything　left；　he　thought；　before　this　is　pletely　finished。
　　　As　he　neared　the　section　of　the　city　where　the　inn　was　located；　the　wizard　noticed　that　the　damage　was　less　severe　there。　In　fact；　the　Flame　and　Serpent　was　thus　far　unscathed。　Immediately　he　saw　the　reason　why。　A　horde　of　mismatched　drow　and　other　creatures；　probably　residents　of　the　inn；　self…reliant　mercenaries；　and　whatnot　had　formed　a　perimeter　defense　around　the　place。　It　didn't　appear　that　they　were　under　fire　at　the　moment；　but　an　intense　battle　must　have　raged　there　earlier；　judging　by　the　number　of　bodies　present。
　　　Not　wanting　to　be　either　attacked　or　drawn　into　the　midst　of　the　siege；　Pharaun　elected　to　circle　around　to　the　back　side　of　the　inn　and　enter　it　that　way。　He　recalled　the　window　of　the　room　he　shared　with　Valas　and　Ryld；　the　one　that　looked　out　on　the　wall　of　the　massive　cavern　that　Ched　Nasad　called　home；　and　he　made　for　that。　He　approached　from　the　roof　and　settled　down　between　the　wall　of　the　building　and　the　wall　of　the　trench。　It　was　just　wide　enough　for　him　to　levitate　down　between　the　two；　and　he　hovered　there　while　he　contemplated　how　best　to　get　through　the　opening　without　attracting　attention。
　　　He　had　just　the　spell；　the　Master　of　Sorcere　realized；　a　minor　incantation　that　would　open　the　window　from　the　inside；　so　that　he　wouldn't　have　to　break　it　to　get　through。　Reaching　into　his　piwafwi；　he　fumbled　around　in　three　or　four　pockets　before　he　found　what　he　was　looking　for。　He　pulled　out　a　brass　key　and　tapped　it　softly　against　the　window　as　he　uttered　the　words　that　would　plete　the　spell。　The　window　opened　without　resistance；　and　Pharaun　squirmed　inside　the　room。
　　　The　wizard；　the　weapons　master；　and　the　scout　had　taken　all　of　their　belongings　when　they'd　left　the　inn　upon　being　summoned　to　attend　the　〃party〃　in　their　honor。　That　seems　almost　a　lifetime　ago；　Pharaun　mused　as　he　made　his　way　out　the　door　and　down　the　hall　to　Quenthel's　chambers。
　　　Upon　reaching　the　door；　the　mage　hesitated；　wondering　if　the　high　priestess　had　placed　some　sort　of　protective　enchantment　on　it　before　leaving；　but　then　he　remembered　that　Ryld　and　Valas　had　invaded　the　room　when　they　came　seeking　healing　magic。　Chuckling；　he　tried　the　door　and　found　it　locked。
　　　Of　course；　Pharaun　silently　muttered。　Leave　it　to　Valas　to　put　it　back　the　way　he　found　it。
　　　Shrugging；　the　wizard　dug　around　in　the　pockets　of　his　piwafwi　yet　again；　drawing　forth　a　pinch　of　clay　and　a　small　vial　of　water。　Sprinkling　the　water　ov