精灵血脉四部曲-第114部分

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　　　Drizzt　continued　to　look　at　the　ruby；　felt　himself　drawn　by　its　multiple　facets；　spiraling　down　to　depths　that　promised。。。

　　　The　drow　shook　his　head　and　forced　himself　to　look　away。　Even　without　one　to　mand　it；　the　enchanted　ruby　had　reached　out　for　him！　Never　had　he　witnessed　such　a　powerful　charm。　And　yet；　Jarlaxle；　the　mercenary；　had　given　it　back　to　him；　had　willingly　swapped　it　when　they　had　met　in　the　tunnels　outside　Menzoberranzan　after　Drizzt's　escape。　It　was　unexpected　and　important　that　Jarlaxle　had　given　it　back　to　Drizzt；　but　what　the　significance　might　be；　Drizzt　had　not　yet　discerned。

　　　〃You　should　be　careful　before　using　that　on　Berkthgar；〃　Regis　said；　drawing　Drizzt　from　his　thoughts。　〃He　is　proud；　and　if　he　figures　out　that　sorcery　was　used　against　him；　the　alliance　may　indeed　be　dissolved。〃

　　　〃True　enough；〃　Catti…brie　agreed。　She　looked　to　Drizzt。

　　　〃Only　if　we　need　it；〃　the　drow　remarked；　looping　the　chain　about　his　neck。　The　pendant　settled　near　his　breast　and　the　ivory　unicorn　head；　symbol　of　his　goddess；　that　rested　there。

　　　Another　dwarf　hit　the　door　and　bounced　off；　then　lay　groaning　on　the　floor。

　　　〃Bah！〃　they　heard　Pwent　snort。　〃Ye're　a　bunch　o'　elf…lickin'　pixies！　I'll　show　ye　how　it's　done！〃

　　　Regis　nodded梩hat　was　his　cue梐nd　immediately　began　to　turn　the　crank；　drawing　the　metal　plate　out　from　behind　the　portal。

　　　〃Watch　out；〃　he　warned　his　two　panions；　for　they　stood　in　the　general　direction　of　where　Pwent　would　make　his　door…busting　entrance。

　　　〃I'm　for　leaving；〃　Catti…brie　said；　starting　for　the　other；　normal；　door。　The　young　woman　had　no　desire　to　see　Pwent。　Likely；　he　would　pinch　her　cheek　with　his　grubby　fingers　and　tell　her　to　〃work　on　that　beard〃　so　that　she　might　be　a　beautiful　woman。

　　　Drizzt　didn't　take　much　convincing。　He　held　up　the　ruby；　nodded　a　silent　thanks　to　Regis；　and　rushed　out　into　the　hall　after　Catti…brie。

　　　They　hadn't　gone　a　dozen　steps　when　they　heard　the　training　door　explode；　followed　by　Pwent's　hysterical　laughter　and　the　admiring　〃oohs〃　and　〃aahs〃　of　the　naive　Gutbuster　Brigade。

　　　〃We　should　send　the　lot　of　them　to　Menzoberranzan；〃　Catti…brie　said　dryly。　〃Pwent'd　chase　the　whole　city　to　the　ends　of　the　world！〃

　　　Drizzt梬ho　had　grown　up　among　the　unbelievably　powerful　drow　houses　and　had　seen　the　wrath　of　the　high　priestesses　and　magical　feats　beyond　anything　he　had　witnessed　in　his　years　on　the　surface梔id　not　disagree。



　　　*****



　　　Councilor　Firble　ran　a　wrinkled　hand　over　his　nearly　bald　pate；　feeling　unfortable　in　the　torchlight。　Firble　was　a　svirfneblin；　a　deep　gnome；　eighty　pounds　of　wiry　muscles　packed　into　a　three…and…a…half…foot　frame。　Few　races　of　the　Underdark　could　get　along　as　well　as　the　svirfnebli；　and　no　race；　except　perhaps　the　rare　pech；　understood　the　ways　of　the　deep　stone　so　well。

　　　Still；　Firble　was　more　than　a　bit　afraid　now；　out　in　the　（hopefully）　empty　corridors　beyond　the　borders　of　Blingdenstone；　the　city　that　was　his　home。　He　hated　the　torchlight；　hated　any　light；　but　the　orders　from　King　Schnicktick　were　final　and　unarguable：　no　gnome　was　to　traverse　the　corridors　without　a　burning　torch　in　his　hand。

　　　No　gnome　except　for　one。　Firble's　panion　this　day　carried　no　torch；　for　he　possessed　no　hands。　Belwar　Dissengulp；　Most　Honored　Burrow　Warden　of　Blingdenstone；　had　lost　his　hands　to　drow；　to　Drizzt　Do'Urden's　brother　Dinin；　many　years　before。　Unlike　so　many　other　Underdark　races；　though；　the　svirfnebli　were　not　without　passion；　and　their　artisans　had　fashioned　marvelous　replacements　of　pure；　enchanted　mithril：　a　block…headed　hammer　capping　Belwar's　right　arm　and　a　two…headed　pickaxe　on　his　left。

　　　〃pleted　the　circuit；　we　have；〃　Firble　remarked。　〃And　back　to　Blingdenstone　we　go！〃

　　　〃Not　so！〃　Belwar　grumbled。　His　voice　was　deeper　and　stronger　than　those　of　most　svirfnebli；　and　was　fitting；　considering　his　stout；　barrel…chested　build。

　　　〃There　are　no　drow　in　the　tunnels；〃　Firble　insisted。　〃Not　a　fight　in　three　weeks！〃　It　was　true　enough；　after　months　of　battling　drow　from　Menzoberranzan　in　the　tunnels　near　Blingdenstone；　the　corridors　had　gone　strangely　quiet。　Belwar　understood　that　Drizzt　Do'Urden；　his　friend；　had　somehow　played　a　part　in　this　change；　and　he　feared　that　Drizzt　had　been　captured　or　killed。

　　　〃Quiet；　it　is；〃　Firble　said　more　softly；　as　if　he　had　just　realized　the　danger　of　his　own　volume。　A　shudder　coursed　the　smaller　svirfneblin's　spine。　Belwar　had　forced　him　out　here梚t　was　his　turn　in　the　rotation；　but　normally　one　as　experienced　and　venerable　as　Firble　would　have　been　excused　from　scouting　duties。　Belwar　had　insisted；　though；　and　for　some　reason　Firble　did　not　understand；　King　Schnicktick　had　agreed　with　the　most　honored　burrow　warden。

　　　Not　that　Firble　was　unaccustomed　to　the　tunnels。　Quite　the　contrary。　He　was　the　only　gnome　of　Blingdenstone　with　actual　contacts　in　Menzoberranzan；　and　was　more　acquainted　with　the　tunnels　near　the　drow　city　than　any　other　deep　gnome。　That　dubious　distinction　was　causing　Firble　fits　these　days；　particularly　from　Belwar。　When　a　disguised　Catti…brie　had　been　captured　by　the　svirfnebli；　and　subsequently　recognized　as　no　enemy；　Firble；　at　great　personal　risk；　had　been　the　one　to　show　her　quicker；　secret　ways　into　Menzoberranzan。

　　　Now　Belwar　wasn't　worried　about　any　drow　in　the　tunnels；　Firble　knew。　The　tunnels　were　quiet。　The　gnome　patrols　and　other　secret　allies　could　find　no　hint　that　any　drow　were　about　at　all；　not　even　along　the　dark　elves'　normal　routes　closer　to　Menzoberranzan。　Something　important　had　happened　in　the　drow　city；　that　much　was　obvious；　and　it　seemed　obvious；　too；　that　Drizzt　and　that　troublesome　Catti…brie　were　somehow　involved。　That　was　the　real　reason　Belwar　had　forced　Firble　out　here；　Firble　knew；　and　he　shuddered　again　to　think　that　was　why　King　Schnicktick　had　so　readily　agreed　with　Belwar。

　　　〃Something　has　happened；〃　Belwar　said；　unexpectedly　playing　his　cards；　as　though　he　understood　Firble's　line　of　silent　reasoning。　〃Something　in　Menzoberranzan。〃

　　　Firble　eyed　the　most　honored　burrow　warden　suspiciously。　He　knew　what　would　soon　be　asked　of　him；　knew　that　he　would　soon　be　dealing　with　that　trickster　Jarlaxle　again。

　　　〃The　stones　themselves　are　uneasy；〃　Belwar　went　on。

　　　〃As　if　the　drow　will　soon　march；〃　Firble　interjected　dryly。

　　　〃Cosim　camman　denoctusd；〃　Belwar　agreed；　in　an　ancient　svirfneblin　saying　that　translated　roughly　into　〃the　settled　ground　before　the　earthquake；〃　or；　as　it　was　more　monly　known　to　surface　dwellers；　〃the　calm　before　the　storm。〃

　　　〃That　I　meet　with　my　drow　informant；　King　Schnicktick　desires；〃　Firble　reasoned；　seeing　no　sense　in　holding　back　the　guess　any　longer。　He　knew　he　would　not　be　suggesting　something　that　Belwar　wasn't　about　to　suggest　to　him。

　　　〃Cosim　camman　denoctusd；〃　Belwar　said　again；　this　time　more　determinedly。　Belwar　and　Schnicktick；　and　many　others　in　Blingdenstone；　were　convinced　that　the　drow　would　soon　march　in　force。　Though　the　most　direct　tunnels　to　the　surface；　to　where　Drizzt　Do'Urden　called　home；　were　east　of　Blingdenstone；　beyond　Menzoberranzan；　the　drow　first　would　have　to　set　out　west；　and　would　e　unfortably　close　to　the　gnome　city。　So　unsettling　was　that　thought　that　King　Schnicktick　had　ordered　scouting　parties　far　to　the　east　and　south；　as　far　from　home　and　Menzoberranzan　as　the　svirfnebli　had　ever　roamed。　There　were　whispers　of　deserting　Blingdenstone　altogether；　if　the　rumors　proved　likely　and　a　new　location　could　be　found。　No　gnome　wanted　that；　Belwar　and　Firble　perhaps　least　of　all。　Both　were　old；　nearing　their　second　full　century；　and　both　were　tied；　heart　and　soul；　to　this　city　called　Blingdenstone。

　　　But　among　all　the　svirfnebli；　these　two　understood　the　power　of　a　drow　march；　understood　that　if　Menzoberranzan's　army　came　to　Blingdenstone；　the　gnomes　would　be　obliterated。

　　　〃Set　up　the　meeting；　I　will；〃　Firble　said　with　a　resigned　sigh。　〃He　will　tell　me　little；　I　do　not　doubt。　Never　does　he；　and　high　always　is　the　price！〃

　　　Belwar　said　nothing；　and　sympathized　little　for　the　cost　of　such　a　meeting　with　the　greedy　drow　informant。　The　most　honored　burrow　warden　understood　that　the　price　of　ignorance　would　be　much　higher。　He　also　realized　that　Firble　understood；　as　well；　and　that　the　councilor's　apparent　resignation　was　just　a　part　of　Firble's　bluster。　Belwar　had　e　to　know　Firble　well；　and　found　that　he　liked　the　oft…plaining　gnome。

　　　Now　Belwar；　and　every　other　svirfneblin　in　Blingdenstone；　desperately　needed　Firble　and　his　contacts。



Chapter　3

AT　PLAY



　　　Drizzt　and　Catti…brie　skipped　down　the　rocky　trails；　weaving　in　and　out　of　boulder　tumbles　as　effortlessly　and　spiritedly　as　two　children　at　play。　Their　trek　became　an　impromptu　race　as　each　hopped　breaks　in　the　stone；　leaped　to　catch　low　branches；　then　swung　down　as　far　as　the　small　mountain　trees　would　carry　them。　They　came　onto　one　low；　level　spot　together；　where　each　leaped　a　small　pool　（though　Catti…brie　didn't　quite　clear　it）　and　split　up　as　they　approached　a　slab　of　rock　taller　than　either　of　them。　Catti…brie　went　right　and　Drizzt　started　left；　then　changed　his　mind　and　headed　up　the　side　of　the　barrier　instead。

　　　Catti…brie　skidded　around　the　slab；　pleased　to　see　that　she　was　first　to　the　other　side。

　　　〃My　lead！〃　she　cried；　but　even　as　she　spoke　she　saw　her　panion's　dark；　graceful　form　sail　over　her　head。

　　　〃Not　so！〃　Drizzt　corrected；　touching　down　so　lightly　that　it　seemed　as　if　he　had　never　been　off　the　ground。　Catti…brie　groaned　and　kicked　into　a　run　again；　but　pulled　up　short；　seeing　that　Drizzt　had　stopped。

　　　〃Too　fine　a　day；〃　the　dark　elf　remarked。　Indeed；　it　was　as　fine　a　day　as　the　southern　spur　of　the　Spine　of　the　World　ever　offered　once　the　autumn　winds　began　to　blow。　The　air　was　crisp；　the　breeze　cool；　and　puffy　white　clouds梘igantic　snowballs；　they　seemed梤aced　across　the　deep　blue　sky　on　swift　mountain　winds。

　　　〃Too　fine　for　arguing　with　Berkthgar；〃　Catti…brie　added；　thinking　that　was　the　direction　of　the　drow's　statement。　She　bent　a　bit　and　put　her　hands　to　her　thighs　for　support；　then　turned　her　head　back　and　up；　trying　to　catch　her　breath。

　　　〃Too　fine　to　leave　Guenh