war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第81章

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a　dark　elf；　a　lord　of　the　Underdark；　if　you　don't　exploit　the　slave　races　to　the　utmost？〃
〃Hmm。　I　admit　they　might　be　no　worse　than　one　of　those　priestesses　who　demand　you　grovel　and　do　exactly　as　you're…〃
〃Hush！〃
The　drum　had　stopped。
〃Something's　happening；〃　Pharaun　added。
Ryld　saw　that　his　friend　was　correct。　A　stir　ran　through　the　crowd　and　they　started　to　shout；　〃Prophet！　Prophet！　Prophet！〃
The　master　of　Melee…Magthere　didn't　know　what　he　expected　to　see　next；　but　it　certainly　wasn't　the　figure　in　the　nondescript　cloak　and　hood　whose　upper　body　appeared　above　the　heads　of　the　crowd。　Perhaps　he'd　climbed　up　on　a　bench　or　table；　or　maybe　he'd　simply　levitated；　for　this　〃Prophet；〃　plainly　beloved　of　the　lower　orders；　appeared　to　be　a　handsome　drow　male。
The　Prophet　let　his　followers　chant　and　shout　for　a　minute　or　so；　then　he　raised　his　slender　hands　and　gradually　they　subsided。　Pharaun　leaned　close　to　Ryld　again。
〃It's　possible　the　fellow's　not　really　one　of　us；〃　the　wizard　said。　〃He's　wrapped　in　a　glamour　somewhat　like　ours；　but　his　spell　makes　every　obnotserver　perceive　him　in　a　favorable　light。　I　imagine　the　goblins　see　him　as　a　goblin；　the　gnolls；　as　one　of　their　own；　and　so　forth。〃
〃What's　inside　the　illusion？〃
〃I　don't　know。　The　enchantment　is　peculiar。　I've　never　encountered　anynotthing　quite　like　it。　I　can't　see　through　it；　but　I　suspect　we're　about　to　learn　his　intentions。〃
〃My　brothers　and　sisters；〃　the　Prophet　said。
His　voice　sparked　another　round　of　cheering；　and　he　waited　for　it　to　run　its　course。
〃My　brothers　and　sisters；〃　he　repeated。　〃Since　the　founding　of　this　city；　the　Menzoberranyr　have　held　our　peoples　in　bondage　or　in　conditions　equally　degraded。　They　work　us　until　we　die　of　exhaustion。　They　torture　and　kill　us　on　a　whim。　They　condemn　us　to　starve；　sicken；　and　live　in　squalor。〃
The　audience　growled　its　agreement。
〃You　witness　our　misery　everywhere　you　look；〃　the　hooded　orator　connottinued。　〃Yesterday；　I　walked　through　Manyfolk。　I　saw　a　hobgoblin　girl…child；　surely　no　older　than　five　or　six；　trying　to　pick　up　a　scrap　of　mushroom　from　the　street。　With　her　teeth！　Her　hands　wouldn't　serve。　Some　drow　had　magically　fused　them　together　behind　her　back　so　she　would　live　and　die　a　cripple　and　a　freak。〃
The　crowd　snarled　in　outrage；　even　though　their　races　monly　ennotgaged　in　tortures　equally　cruel；　albeit　far　less　varied　and　imaginative。
〃I　walked　through　Narbondellyn；〃　the　Prophet　said。　〃I　saw　an　ore；　parnotalyzed　in　some　manner；　lying　on　the　ground。　A　dark　elf　slit　his　chest；　spread　the　flaps　of　skin；　cut　some　ribs　with　a　saw；　and　whistled　his　riding　lizard　over　to　feed　on　the　still…living　thrall's　organs。　The　drow　told　a　notpanion　that　he　gave　the　reptile　one　such　meal　every　tenday　to　make　it　a　faster　racer。〃
The　audience　howled　its　wrath。　One　female　ore；　transported　with　fury；　gashed　her　cheeks　and　brow　with　a　piece　of　broken　glass。
The　Prophet's　litany　of　atrocities　ran　on　and　on；　and　Ryld　gradually　felt　a　strange　emotion　overtaking　him。　He　knew　it　couldn't　be　guilt…no　dark　elf　experienced　that　ridiculous　condition…but　perhaps　it　was　a　kind　of　shame；　a　disgust　at　the　sheer　waste　and　childishness　manifest　in　Menzoberranzan's　abuse　of　its　undercreatures　and　a　desire　to　rectify　the　situanottion　if　he　could。
The　feeling　was　irrational；　of　course。　The　goblins　and　their　kin　existed　only　to　serve　the　pleasure　of　the　drow；　and　if　you　ruined　one；　you　just　caught　or　bought　another。　The　weapons　master　gave　his　head　a　shake；　clearing　it；　then　turned　to　Pharaun。
Even　through　his　ore　mask；　the　wizard's　amusement　was　apparent。
〃Resolved　to　mend　your　wicked　ways？〃
〃I　gather　you　feel　the　influence；　too；〃　said　Ryld。　〃What's　happening？〃
〃The　Prophet　has　magic　buttressing　his　oratory；　again；　in　a　sort　of　connotfiguration　I　don't　quite　understand。〃
〃Right；　but　what's　the　point　of　all　this　bellyaching？'
〃I　assume　he'll　get　around　to　telling　us。'
The　speaker　continued　in　the　same　vein　a　while　longer；　goading　the　crowd　to　the　brink　of　hysteria。
At　last　he　cried；　〃But　it　does　not　have　to　be　that　way！'
The　undercreatures　howled；　and　for　a　moment；