精灵血脉四部曲-第148部分

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　the　ground；　though；　as　Pwent　and　another　wild…eyed　dwarf　roared　in；　butting　the　minotaurs　head…to…head。

　　　A　globe　of　darkness　appeared　behind　the　tumble；　and　the　drow　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。

　　　Bidderdoo　wisely　began　his　spellcasting。　The　drow　were　here！　Just　as　Drizzt　had　figured；　the　dark　elves　were　ing　in　behind　the　kobold　fodder。　If　he　could　get　the　fireball　away　now；　if　he　could　drop　the　tunnel。。。

　　　He　had　to　force　the　words　through　a　guttural；　instinctual　growl　ing　from　somewhere　deep　in　his　throat。　He　had　the　urge　to　join　the　Gutbusters；　who　were　all　clamoring　over　the　fallen　minotaurs；　taking　the　brutes　apart　mercilessly。　He　had　the　urge　to　join　in　the　feast。

　　　〃The　feast？〃　he　asked　aloud。

　　　Bidderdoo　shook　his　head　and　began　again；　concentrating　on　the　spell。　Apparently　hearing　the　wizard's　rhythmic　cadence；　the　drow　came　out　of　the　darkness；　hand…crossbow　up　and　ready。

　　　Bidderdoo　closed　his　eyes；　forced　the　words　to　flow　as　fast　as　possible。　He　felt　the　sting　of　the　dart；　right　in　the　belly；　but　his　concentration　was　plete　and　he　did　not　flinch；　did　not　interrupt　the　spell。

　　　His　legs　went　weak　under　him；　he　heard　the　drow　ing；　imagined　a　shining　sword　poised　for　a　killing　strike。

　　　Bidderdoo's　concentration　held。　He　pleted　the　dweomer；　and　a　small；　glowing　ball　of　fire　leaped　out　from　his　hand；　soared　through　the　darkness　beyond；　down　the　tunnel。

　　　Bidderdoo　teetered　with　weakness。　He　opened　his　eyes；　but　the　cavern　about　him　was　blurry　and　wavering。　Then　he　fell　backward；　fell　as　though　the　floor　were　rushing　up　to　swallow　him。

　　　Somewhere　in　the　back　of　his　mind　he　expected　to　hit　the　stone　hard；　but　then　the　fireball　went　off。

　　　Then　the　tunnel　fell。



Chapter　21

ONE　FOR　THE　GOOD　GUYS



　　　A　heavy　burden　weighed　on　the　most　honored　burrow　warden's　strong　shoulders；　but　Belwar　did　not　stoop　as　he　marched　through　the　long；　winding　tunnels。　He　had　made　the　decision　with　a　clear　mind　and　definite　purpose；　and　he　simply　refused　to　second…guess　himself　all　the　way　to　Mithril　Hall。

　　　His　opponents　in　the　debate　had　argued　that　Belwar　was　motivated　by　personal　friendship；　not　the　best　interests　of　the　svirfnebli。　Firble　had　learned　that　Drizzt　Do'Urden；　Belwar's　drow　friend；　had　escaped　Menzoberranzan；　and　the　drow　march；　by　all　indications；　was　straight　for　Mithril　Hall；　no　doubt　motivated　in　part　by　Lloth's　proclaimed　hatred　of　the　renegade。

　　　Would　Belwar　lead　Blingdenstone　to　war；　then；　for　the　sake　of　a　single　drow？

　　　In　the　end；　that　vicious　argument　had　been　settled　not　by　Bel…war；　but　by　Firble；　another　of　the　oldest　svirfnebli；　another　of　those　who　had　felt　the　pain　most　keenly　when　Blingdenstone　had　been　left　behind。

　　　〃A　clear　choice　we　have；〃　Firble　had　said。　〃Go　now　and　see　if　we　can　aid　the　enemies　of　the　dark　elves；　or　a　new　home　we　must　find；　for　the　drow　will　surely　return；　and　if　we　stand　then；　we　stand　alone。〃

　　　It　was　a　terrible；　difficult　decision　for　the　council　and　for　King　Schnicktick。　If　they　followed　the　dark　elves　and　found　their　suspicions　confirmed；　found　a　war　on　the　surface；　could　they　even　count　on　the　alliance　of　the　surface　dwarves　and　the　humans；　races　the　deep　gnomes　did　not　know？

　　　Belwar　assured　them　they　could。　With　all　his　heart；　the　most　honored　burrow　warden　believed　that　Drizzt；　and　any　friends　Drizzt　had　made；　would　not　let　him　down。　And　Firble；　who　knew　the　outside　world　so　well　（but　was；　by　his　own　admission；　somewhat　ignorant　of　the　surface）；　agreed　with　Belwar；　simply　on　the　logic　that　any　race；　even　not…so…intelligent　goblins；　would　wele　allies　against　the　dark　elves。

　　　So　Schnicktick　and　the　council　had　finally　agreed；　but；　like　every　other　decision　of　the　ultimately　conservative　svirfnebli；　they　would　go　only　so　far。　Belwar　could　march　in　pursuit　of　the　drow；　and　Firble　with　him；　along　with　any　gnomes　who　volunteered。　They　were　scouts；　Schnicktick　had　emphasized；　and　no　marching　army。　The　svirfneblin　king　and　all　those　who　had　opposed　Belwar's　reasoning　were　surprised　to　find　how　many　volunteered　for　the　long；　dangerous　march。　So　many；　in　fact；　that　Schnicktick；　for　the　simple　sake　of　the　city　operation；　had　to　limit　the　number　to　fifteen　score。

　　　Belwar　knew　why　the　other　svirfnebli　had　e；　and　knew　the　truth　of　his　own　decision。　If　the　dark　elves　went　to　the　surface　and　overwhelmed　Mithril　Hall；　they　would　not　allow　the　gnomes　back　into　Blingdenstone。　Menzoberranzan　did　not　conquer；　then　leave。　No；　it　would　enslave　the　dwarves　and　work　the　mines　as　its　own；　then　pity　Blingdenstone；　for　the　svirfneblin　city　would　be　too　close　to　the　easiest　routes　to　the　conquered　land。

　　　So　although　all　of　these　svirfnebli；　Belwar　and　Firble　included；　were　marching　farther　from　Blingdenstone　than　they　had　ever　gone　before；　they　knew　that　they　were；　in　effect；　fighting　for　their　homeland。

　　　Belwar　would　not　second…guess　that　decision；　and；　keeping　that　in　mind；　his　burden　was　lessened。



　　　*****



　　　Bidderdoo　put　the　fireball　far　down　the　tunnel；　but　the　narrow　ways　could　not　contain　the　sheer　volume　of　the　blast。　A　line　of　fire　rushed　out　of　the　tunnel；　back　into　the　cavern；　like　the　breath　of　an　angry　red　dragon；　and　Bidderdoo's　own　clothes　lit　up。　The　mage　screamed梐s　did　every　dwarf　and　kobold　near　him；　as　did　the　next　line　of　minotaurs；　rushing　down　for　the　cavern；　as　did　the　skulking　dark　elves　behind　them。

　　　In　the　moment　of　the　wizard's　fireball；　all　of　them　screamed；　and；　just　as　quickly；　the　cries　went　away；　extinguished；　overwhelmed；　by　hundreds　of　tons　of　dropping　stone。

　　　Again　the　backlash　swept　into　the　cavern；　a　blast　so　strong　that　the　gust　of　it　blew　away　the　fires　licking　at　Bidderdoo's　robes。　He　was　flying　suddenly；　as　were　all　those　near　him；　flying　and　dazed；　pelted　with　stone；　and　extremely　lucky；　for　none　of　the　dropping；　stalactites　or　the　heavy　stone　displaced　in　the　cavern　squashed　him。

　　　The　ground　trembled　and　bucked；　one　of　the　cavern　walls　buckled；　and　one　of　the　side　chambers　collapsed。　Then　it　was　done；　and　the　tunnel　was　gone；　just　gone；　as　though　it　had　never　been　there；　and　the　chamber　that　had　been　named　for　the　dwarf　Tunult　seemed　much　smaller。

　　　Bidderdoo　pulled　himself　up　from　the　piled　dust　and　debris　shakily　and　brushed　the　dirt　from　his　glowing　gemstone。　With　all　the　dust　in　the　air；　the　light　from　the　enchanted　stone　seemed　meager　indeed。　The　wizard　looked　at　himself；　seeing　more　skin　than　clothing；　seeing　dozens　of　bruises　and　bright　red　on　one　arm；　under　the　clinging　dust；　where　the　fires　had　gotten　to　his　skin。

　　　A　helmet　spike；　bent　slightly　to　the　side；　protruded　from　a　pile　not　far　away。　Bidderdoo　was　about　to　speak　a　lament　for　the　battlerager；　who　had　gotten　him　to　the　spot；　but　Pwent　suddenly　burst　up　from　the　dust；　spitting　pebbles　and　smiling　crazily。

　　　〃Well　done！〃　the　battlerager　roared。　〃Do　it　again！〃

　　　Bidderdoo　started　to　respond；　but　then　he　swooned；　the　insidious　drow　poison　defeating　the　momentary　jolt　of　adrenaline。　The　next　thing　the　unfortunate　wizard　knew；　Pwent　was　holding　him　up　and　he　was　gagging　on　the　most　foul…tasting　concoction　ever　brewed。　Foul　but　effective；　for　Bidderdoo's　grogginess　was　no　more。

　　　〃Gutbuster！〃　Pwent　roared；　patting　the　trusty　flask　on　his　broad　belt。

　　　As　the　dust　settled；　the　bodies　stirred；　one　by　one。　To　a　dwarf；　the　Gutbuster　Brigade；　tougher　than　the　stone；　remained；　and　the　few　kobolds　that　had　survived　were　cut　down　before　they　could　plead。

　　　The　way　the　cavern　had　collapsed；　with　the　nearest　side　chamber　gone；　and　the　wall　opposite　that　having　buckled；　this　small　group　found　itself　cut　off　from　the　main　force。　They　weren't　trapped；　though；　for　one　narrow　passage　led　to　the　left；　back　toward　the　heart　of　Tunult's　Cavern。　The　fighting　in　there　had　resumed；　so　it　seemed　from　the　ring　of　metal　and　the　calls　of　both　dwarves　and　kobolds。

　　　Unexpectedly；　Thibbledorf　Pwent　did　not　lead　his　force　headlong　into　the　fray。　The　passage　was　narrow　at　this　end；　and　seemed　to　narrow　even　more　just　a　short　way　in；　so　much　so　that　Pwent　didn't　even　think　they　could　squeeze　through。　Also；　the　battlerager　spotted　something　over　Bidderdoo's　shoulder；　a　deep　crack　in　the　wall　to　the　side　of　the　dropped　tunnel。　As　he　neared　the　spot；　Pwent　felt　the　stiff　breeze　rushing　out　of　the　crack；　as　the　air　pressure　in　the　tunnels　beyond　adjusted　to　the　catastrophe。

　　　Pwent　hooted　and　slammed　the　wall　below　the　crack　with　all　his　strength。　The　loose　stone　gave　way　and　fell　in；　revealing　a　passageway　angling　into　the　deeper　corridors　beyond。

　　　〃We　should　go　back　and　report　to　King　Bruenor；〃　Bidderdoo　reasoned；　〃or　go　as　far　as　the　tunnel　takes　us；　to　let　them　know　we　are　in　here；　that　they　might　dig　us　out。〃

　　　Pwent　snorted。　〃Wouldn't　be　much　at　scoutin'　if　we　let　this　tunnel　pass；〃　he　argued。　〃If　the　drow　find　it；　they'll　be　back　quicker　than　Bruenor's　expectin'。　Now　that's　a　report　worth　givin'！〃

　　　In　truth；　it　was　difficult　for　the　outrageous　dwarven　warrior　to　ignore　those　tempting　sounds　of　battle；　but　Pwent　found　his　heart　seeking　the　promise　of　greater　enemies；　of　drow　and　minotaurs；　in　the　open　corridors　the　other　way。

　　　〃And　if　we　get　stuck　in　that　tunnel　there；〃　Pwent　continued；　pointing　back　toward　what　remained　of　Tunult's　Cavern；　〃the　damned　drow'll　walk　right　up　our　backs！〃

　　　The　Gutbuster　Brigade　formed　up　behind　their　leader；　but　Bidderdoo　shook　his　head　and　squeezed　into　the　passage。　His　worst　fears　were　quickly　realized；　for　it　did　indeed　narrow；　and　he　could　not　get　near　the　open　area　beyond；　where　the　fighting　continued；　could　not　even　get　close　enough　to　hope　to　attract　attention　above　the　tumult　of　battle。

　　　Perhaps　he　had　a　spell　that　would　aid　him；　Bidderdoo　reasoned；　and　he　reached　into　an　impossibly　deep　pocket　to　retrieve　his　treasured　spellbook。　He　pulled　out　a　lump　of　ruffled　pages；　smeared　and　singed；　many　with　ink　blotched　from　the　intense　heat。　The　glue　and　stitches　in　the　binding；　too；　had　melted；　and　when　Bidderdoo　held　the　mess　up；　it　fell　apart。

　　　The　wizard；　breathing　hard　suddenly；　feeling　as　if　the　world　were　closing　in　on　him；　gathered　together　as　many　of　the　parchments　as　he　could　and　scrambled　back　out　of　the　pa