war of the spider queen 3 condemnation-第83章

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　nondimensional　feeling　of　attraction　or　acceleration　that　dragged　her　psychic　form　in　a　direction　she　couldn't　even　begin　to　prehend。　It　didn't　hurt；　but　it　felt　so　alien；　so　dislocating；　that　Halisstra　gasped　in　shock　and　distress；　shuddering　violently　in　the　grip　of　the　astral　maelstrom。
　　　Goddess；　help　me！　she　pleaded　in　the　silence　of　her　own　mind；　as　she　flailed　her　arms　and　tried　to　extricate　herself　from　the　spinning　mass。　There　was　another　long　moment　of　indescribable　motion；　and…
　　　She　was　through。
　　　Halisstra　swayed　drunkenly　with　the　return　of　gravity　and　struggled　to　catch　her　balance。　She　opened　her　eyes　and　found　herself　standing　on　something　silver…gray；　a　steeply　sloping　ramp　or　wall　top　that　dropped　away　an　incredible　distance　before　her。　The　rest　of　the　party　stood　close　by；　looking　around　in　silence　as　they　rubbed　their　limbs　nervously　or　fingered　their　weapons。
　　　All　around　there　was　nothing　but　a　black；　smothering　emptiness　darker　and　more　forbidding　than　the　blackest　chasm　of　the　Underdark。　Her　nostrils　filled　with　a　foul；　acrid　scent；　and　a　soft　muttering　updraft　streamed　constantly　from　below。　Halisstra　glanced　into　the　abyss　at　her　left　hand　and　saw　something　gleaming　there；　a　dull　silver　strand　several　miles　away　that　sloped　down　through　the　darkness。　Lesser　strands　intersected　it　at　odd　intervals；　and　as　she　followed　some　of　them　with　her　eyes　she　saw　that　they　climbed　back　up　slowly　and　met　the　very　ramp　or　buttress　on　which　she　stood。　The　hot；　stinking　breeze　grew　momentarily　stronger　and　actually　managed　to　induce　a　great；　gentle　swaying　in　the　monstrous　strand。
　　　〃It's　a　spiderweb；〃　Ryld　muttered。　〃A　gigantic　spiderweb。〃
　　　〃This　surprises　you？〃　Pharaun　said　with　a　sardonic　smirk。
　　　Danifae　took　a　couple　of　cautious　steps　down　the　surface　of　the　strand。　The　whole　thing　was　easily　thirty　or　forty　yards　in　diameter；　yet　because　its　surface　was　round；　it　was　difficult　to　feel　fortable　walking　more　than　a　dozen　feet　or　so　from　the　centerline　of　the　strand。　She　knelt　and　brushed　her　fingers　over　the　strand's　surface；　and　grimaced。
　　　〃Sticky；　but　not　dangerously　so…and　we　appear　to　be　pletely　physical　again。〃　She　straightened；　and　stretched　languidly。　〃Do　I　have　two　bodies　now？　One　here；　and　one　back　in　the　Jaelre　castle？〃
　　　〃In　fact；　you　do；〃　Tzirik　said。　〃When　one　leaves　the　astral　sea　and　enters　another　plane；　the　traveling　spirit　constructs　for　itself　the　physical　body　it　expects。　You　might　say　that　your　spirit　must　undergo　a　sort　of　condensation　to　resume　a　physical　existence　on　another　plane。　When　you　leave　this　place；　your　spirit　will　return　to　the　Astral　Plane；　while　this　shell　you　have　created　for　yourself　will　simply　fade　away　into　nothingness。〃
　　　〃You　seem　well　acquainted　with　the　rigors　of　planar　travel；〃　Halisstra　observed。
　　　〃Vhaeraun　has　called　me　to　his　service　in　the　planes　beyond　Faerun　on　several　occasions；〃　Tzirik　admitted。　〃In　fact；　I　have　been　in　the　Demonweb　Pits　before　now。　All　the　gods　of　our　race　reside　here；　each　in　their　own　domain　within　this　great　chasm　of　webbing。　My　previous　business　did　not　take　me　to　Lolth's　domain；　though；　and　that　was　a　good　many　years　ago。〃
　　　Quenthel　scowled　and　said；　〃All　of　the　Demonweb　Pits　are　Lolth's　domain；　heretic。　She　is　the　queen　of　this　entire　layer　of　the　Abyss；　and　the　other　so…called　gods　of　our　people　exist　here　only　at　her　sufferance。〃
　　　〃I　am　certain　you　have　correctly　parroted　your　faith's　beliefs　on　the　matter；　and　so　I　will　not　argue　the　point　with　you；　priestess　of　Lolth。　For　our　purposes；　the　exact　relationship　of　our　pantheon's　deities　is　not　very　important。〃
　　　Tzirik　turned　his　back　on　Quenthel　and　surveyed　the　black　gulf　surrounding　the　party。　He　waved　his　hand　in　a　sweeping　gesture。
　　　〃Somewhere　below　us　we　will　find　some　kind　of　gate　or　border　marking　the　place　where　this　entryway　opens　to　Lolth's　own　domain…which；　as　I　understand　it；　is　much　like　the　rest　of　the　Demonweb　Pits；　except　subject　to　her　every　whim　and　caprice。〃
　　　〃If　the　plane　is　infinite；　then　the　spot　we　seek　might　be　infinitely　far　away；〃　Pharaun　observed。　〃How　are　we　to　get　from　here　to　there？〃
　　　〃If　we　had　simply　materialized　at　some　random　point　in　this　reality；　you　would　be　correct；　wizard；〃　Tzirik　replied。　〃However；　the　astral　spell　is　not　a　random　means　of　travel。　We　are　not　too　far　from　what　we　seek…an　hour's　march；　perhaps　a　day's；　but　not　much　farther。　Since　we　know　that　Lolth's　domain　lies　at　the　very　nadir　of　this　place；　I　would　propose　that　we　need　only　descend　this　strand　and　continue　to　descend　each　time　we　e　to　an　intersection。　In　the　meantime；　be　alert。〃
　　　〃There　will　be　others；〃　Quenthel　added。　〃The　souls　of　the　recent　dead。　If　you　see　anyone　you　recognize　as　a　worshiper　of　the　Spider　Queen；　we　will　follow　them。〃
　　　If　Lolth　is　still　calling　them　home；　Halisstra　thought。
　　　The　others　seemed　to　be　thinking　the　same　thing。
　　　The　armored　priest　hefted　his　mace　in　his　hand；　adjusted　the　grip　of　his　shield；　and　set　off　directly　down　the　titanic　gray　strand；　shoulders　squared。　The　Menzoberranyr　exchanged　looks；　but　turned　to　follow；　picking　their　way　down　the　steeply　pitched　column　of　webbing　behind　the　Jaelre　priest。
　　　The　surface　of　the　strand　proved　surprisingly　easy　to　negotiate。　Its　surface　was　tacky；　rather　than　truly　adhesive；　and　it　was　posed　of　rough　fibers　that　provided　a　sure　footing。　It　was　springy　enough　that　it　cushioned　the　jarring　footfalls　of　the　sharply　descending　walk。
　　　At　first　Halisstra　thought　the　place　was　as　empty　as　the　silvery　seas　of　the　Astral　Plane；　since　the　vast　distances　from　strand　to　strand　of　the　webbing　gave　the　whole　place　a　sense　of　immense　vacancy。　Yet　the　farther　she　went；　the　more　she　became　conscious　of　an　active　malevolence　in　the　very　air　of　the　place；　as　if　the　entire　plane　watched　their　intrusion　and　seethed　with　anger。　Strange；　rasping　rustling　and　oddly　insectile　tittering　sounds　rode　on　the　fetid　updraft　from　below；　a　crawling　sound　of　distant　movement　and　activity　that　carried　no　small　menace　with　it。
　　　Sometimes　Halisstra　spied　motion　on　neighboring　strands；　even　though　the　sagging　gray　cables　were　miles　away　across　the　bottomless　space。　She　could　make　out　frenetic　activity　here　and　there；　the　creatures　or　objects　responsible　so　far　distant　that　it　was　impossible　to　guess　what　they　might　be。　More　than　once　she　sensed　presences　in　the　airy　voids　around　their　strand；　slow；　foul　things　that　glided　on　the　noisome　exhalations　from　below；　wheeling　and　drifting　closer　to　the　drow　travelers　as　if　sizing　up　an　easy　meal。
　　　They　began　to　pass　corpses　at　odd　intervals；　hulking　forms　of　nightmare　that　bined　the　worst　features　of　spiders　and　demons。　Great　rents　had　been　torn　in　the　chitinous　shells　of　the　monsters；　limbs　twisted　off；　hairy　thoraxes　crushed　and　oozing　sour　green　paste。　Winged　vulture…demons　lay　in　shabby　piles　of　filthy　feathers；　their　foul　beaks　agape　in　death。　Bloated；　froglike　things　hung　suspended　in　the　ropy　fibers　of　the　great　strand；　swaying　slowly　in　the　hot　stench　of　the　place。　Some　of　the　demons　still　clung　to　life；　too　horribly　damaged　to　do　more　than　quiver　and　rasp；　or　croak　dire　threats　at　the　drow　as　the　pany　carefully　climbed　down　past　them。
　　　〃This　place　is　a　charnel　house　of　devils；〃　Ryld　muttered；　holding　one　hand　over　his　nose　and　mouth。　〃Is　it　always　like　this？〃
　　　〃I　saw　nothing　like　this　on　my　previous　visit；〃　Tzirik　said。　〃What　it　means；　I　cannot　say；　but　I　would　not　care　to　meet　that　which　tears　apart　demons。〃
　　　〃It　is　not　like　I　recall；　either；〃　Quenthel　said。　Her　face　was　set　in　a　thoughtful　frown；　her　voice　quiet　and　strained。　〃Change　is　the　essence　of　chaos；　and　chaos　is　an　aspect　of　Lolth。〃
　　　〃Indeed；〃　Pharaun　said。　The　fastidious　wizard　held　a　handkerchief　to　his　nose　and　picked　his　way　around　a　huge　spider　corpse　whose　bulbous　abdomen　had　burst　entirely；　strewing　the　strand　with　its　horrid　contents。　〃It　seems　not　unlikely　that　they　did　this　to　themselves。　Demons　are　violent　creatures；　after　all。　In　the　absence　of　a　powerful；　manding　presence；　they　often　turn　on　each　other。〃
　　　〃An　absence　。　。　。〃　Halisstra　repeated。　She　frown