精灵血脉四部曲-第196部分

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　a　finger　the　drow's　way。　〃And　DD　for　Drizzt　Do'Urden！　FF　for　fog　of　fate；　and　SS　and　SS；　HH　and　DD！　And　you　。　。　。〃　he　pointed　at　Catti…brie。

　　　〃Doesn't　work；〃　the　young　woman　assured　him。

　　　〃Doesn't　matter；〃　Drizzt　added。　Deudermont　was　biting　hard　on　his　lip；　trying　not　to　steal　Harkle's　moment　of　glory　with　a　burst　of　laughter。

　　　〃Oh；　there's　something　in　the　letters；〃　Harkle　said；　speaking　to　himself　more　than　to　the　others。　〃I　must　explore　this！〃

　　　〃Explore　yer　mind；〃　Catti…brie　said　to　him；　and　then　she　added　under　her　breath；　so　that　only　Drizzt　and　Deudermont　could　hear；　〃Better　take　a　big　lantern　and　a　dwarf's　cave　pack。〃

　　　That　brought　a　snicker。

　　　〃But　your　father！〃　Harkle　yelled　suddenly；　leaping　at　Catti…brie。　She　barely　held　back　from　slugging　him；　so　great　was　her　surprise。

　　　〃Me　father？〃　she　asked。

　　　〃BB！〃　Harkle；　Drizzt；　and　Deudermont　all　said　together；　the　drow　and　the　captain　feigning　excitement。

　　　Catti…brie　groaned　again。

　　　〃Yes；　yes。　Bruenor　Battlehammer；〃　Harkle　said　to　himself；　and　started　walking　away。　〃BB。　Oh；　I　must　explore　the　correlation　of　the　letters；　yes；　I　must。〃

　　　〃While　ye're　thinkin'　on　it；　find　the　correlation　of　BF；〃　Catti…brie　said　to　him。　The　distracted　wizard　nodded　and　rambled　along；　making　a　straight　path　to　Deudermont's　private　quarters；　which　Harkle　had　practically　taken　over。

　　　〃BF？〃　the　captain　asked　Catti…brie。

　　　〃Babbling　fool；〃　she　and　Drizzt　replied　together；　drawing　yet　another　laugh　from　those　nearby。　Still；　neither　Drizzt　nor　Catti…brie；　Deudermont　nor　any　of　the　others　could　dismiss　the　fact　that　the　〃babbling　fool〃　had　apparently　saved　the　Sea　Sprite；　and　had　put　them　closer　to　their　goal。



Part　3

THE　NATURE　OF　EVIL



　　　They　are　the　absolutes；　the　pantheon　of　ideals；　the　goodly　gods　and　the　evil　fiends；　forever　locked　in　the　struggle　for　the　souls　of　the　mortals。　The　concept　that　is　Lloth　is　purely　evil；　that　of　Mielikki；　purely　good。　As　opposite　as　black　and　white；　with　no　shades　of　gray　in　between。　Thus　are　the　concepts；　good　and　evil。　Absolute；　rigid。　There　can　be　no　justification　for　a　truly　evil　act；　there　is　no　shade　of　gray。　While　an　act　of　good　often　brings　personal　gain；　the　act　itself　is　absolute　as　its　measure　is　based　on　intent。　This　is　epitomized　by　our　beliefs　in　the　pantheon；　but　what　of　the　mortal　races；　the　rational　beings梩he　humans　and　the　races　of　elvenkind　and　dwarvenkind；　the　gnomes　and　the　halflings；　the　goblinoids　and　giantkin？　Here　the　question　muddles；　the　absolutes　blend。

　　　To　many；　the　equation　is　simple：　I　am　drow；　drow　are　evil；　thus　I　am　evil。

　　　They　are　wrong。　For　what　is　a　rational　being　if　not　a　choice？　And　there　can　be　no　evil；　nor　any　good；　without　intent。　It　is　true　that　in　the　Realms　there　are　races　and　cultures；　particularly　the　goblinoids；　which　show　a　general　weal　of　evil；　and　those；　such　as　the　surface　elves；　which　lean　toward　the　concept　of　good。　But　even　in　these；　which　many　consider　personifications　of　an　absolute；　it　is　the　individual's　intents　and　actions　that　ultimately　decide。　I　have　known　a　goblin　who　was　not　evil；　I　am　a　drow　who　has　not　succumbed　to　the　ways　of　his　culture。　Still；　few　drow　and　fewer　goblins　can　make　such　claims；　and　so　the　generalities　hold。

　　　Most　curious　and　most　diverse　among　the　races　are　the　humans。　Here　the　equation　and　the　expectations　muddle　most　of　all。　Here　perception　reins　supreme。　Here　intent　is　oft　hidden；　secret。　No　race　is　more　adept　than　humans　at　weaving　a　mask　of　justification。　No　race　is　more　adept　than　humans　at　weaving　a　mask　of　excuses；　at　ultimately　claiming　good　intent。　And　no　race　is　more　adept　at　believing　its　own　claims。　How　many　wars　have　been　fought；　man　against　man；　with　both　armies　espousing　that　god；　a　goodly　god；　was　on　their　side　and　in　their　hearts？

　　　But　good　is　not　a　thing　of　perception。　What　is　〃good〃　in　one　culture　cannot　be　〃evil〃　in　another。　This　might　be　true　of　mores　and　minor　practices；　but　not　of　virtue。　Virtue　is　absolute。

　　　It　must　be。　Virtue　is　the　celebration　of　life　and　of　love；　the　acceptance　of　others　and　the　desire　to　grow　toward　goodness；　toward　a　better　place。　It　is　the　absence　of　pride　and　envy；　the　willingness　to　share　our　joys　and　to　bask　in　the　acplishments　of　others。　It　is　above　justification　because　it　is　what　truly　lies　in　each　and　every　heart。　If　a　person　does　an　evil　act；　then　let　him　weave　his　mask；　but　it　will　not　hide　the　truth；　the　absolute；　from　what　is　naked　within　his　own　heart。

　　　There　is　a　place　within　each　of　us　where　we　cannot　hide　from　the　truth；　where　virtue　sits　as　judge。　To　admit　the　truth　of　our　actions　is　to　go　before　that　court；　where　process　is　irrelevant。　Good　and　evil　are　intents；　and　intent　is　without　excuse。

　　　Cadderly　Bonaduce　went　to　that　place　as　willingly　and　pletely　as　any　man　I　have　known。　I　recognize　that　growth　within　him；　and　see　the　result；　the　Spirit　Soaring；　most　majestic　and　yet　most　humble　of　human　acplishments。

　　　Artemis　Entreri　will　go　to　that　place。　Perhaps　not　until　the　moment　of　his　death；　but　he　will　go；　as　we　all　must　eventually　go；　and　what　agony　he　will　realize　when　the　truth　of　his　evil　existence　is　laid　bare　before　him。　I　pray　that　he　goes　soon；　and　my　hope　is　not　born　of　vengeance；　for　vengeance　is　an　empty　prayer。　May　Entreri　go　of　his　own　volition　to　that　most　private　place　within　his　heart　to　see　the　truth　and；　thus；　to　correct　his　ways。　He　will　find　joy　in　his　penance；　true　harmony　that　he　can　never　know　along　his　present　course。

　　　I　go　to　that　place　within　my　heart　as　often　as　I　am　able　in　order　to　escape　the　trap　of　easy　justification。　It　is　a　painful　place；　a　naked　place；　but　only　there　might　we　grow　toward　goodness；　only　there；　where　no　mask　can　justify；　might　we　recognize　the　truth　of　our　intents；　and　thus；　the　truth　of　our　actions。　Only　there；　where　virtue　sits　as　judge；　are　heroes　born。

　　　桪rizzt　Do'Urden



Chapter　13

THE　SPIRIT　SOARING



　　　Drizzt；　Catti…brie；　Deudermont；　and　Harkle　encountered　no　trouble　as　they　left　Carradoon　for　their　trek　into　the　Snowflake　Mountains。　The　drow　kept　the　cowl　of　his　cloak　pulled　low；　and　everyone　in　town　was　so　excited　by　the　presence　of　the　schooner　that　none　paid　too　much　attention　to　the　group　as　they　departed。

　　　Once　they　got　past　the　gate；　the　foursome　found　the　going　easy　and　safe。　Guided　around　any　potential　problems　by　the　drow　ranger；　they　found　nothing　remarkable；　nothing　exciting。

　　　Given　what　they　had　all　been　through　over　the　last　few　weeks；　that　was　just　the　way　they　wanted　it。

　　　They　chatted　easily；　mostly　with　Drizzt　explaining　to　them　the　nature　of　the　wildlife　about　them梬hich　birds　went　with　which　chatter；　and　how　many　deer　had　made　the　beds　of　flattened　needles　near　to　one　grove　of　pines。　Occasionally　the　conversation　drifted　to　the　task　at　hand；　to　the　blind　seer's　poem。　This　put　poor　Harkle　in　quite　a　predicament。　He　knew　that　the　others　were　missing　obvious　points；　possibly　critical　points　in　the　verse；　for　with　his　journal；　he　had　been　able　to　scrutinize　the　poem　thoroughly。　The　wizard　wasn't　sure　how　much　he　could　intervene；　though。　Fog　of　fate　had　been　created　as　a　passive　spell；　a　method　for　Harkle　to　facilitate；　and　then　witness　dramatic　unfolding　events。　If　he　became　an　active　participant　in　those　events　by　letting　another　of　the　players　in　this　drama　glance　at　his　enchanted　journal；　or　by　using　what　the　journal　had　shown　to　him；　he　would　likely　ruin　the　spell。

　　　Certainly　Harkle　could　use　his　other　magical　abilities　if　fate　led　them　to　battle；　and　certainly　he　could　use　his　intuition；　as　in　the　discussion　on　the　Sea　Sprite　when　they　had　first　agreed　that　they　needed　to　see　a　sorcerer　or　a　priest。　But　direct　intervention；　using　information　given　by　the　facilitation　of　the　spell；　would　alter　the　future　perhaps；　and　thus　defeat　the　intentions　of　fate。　Harkle's　spell　had　never　been　created　for　such　a　purpose；　the　magic　had　its　edges。　Poor　Harkle　didn't　know　how　far　he　could　push　that　boundary。　In　living　his　forty　years　surrounded　by　wizards　at　least　as　outrageous　as　he；　he　understood　all　too　well　the　potentially　grave　side　effects　of　pushing　magic　too　far。

　　　So　Harkle　let　the　other　three　babble　through　their　discussions　of　the　poem；　nodding　his　head　and　agreeing　with　whatever　seemed　to　be　the　most　accepted　interpretation　of　any　given　line。　He　avoided　any　direct　questions；　though　his　halfhearted　shrugs　and　mumbled　responses　brought　many　curious　looks。

　　　The　trails　climbed　higher　into　the　mountains；　but　the　going　remained　easy；　for　the　path　was　well…worn　and　oft…traveled。　When　the　foursome　came　out　from　under　the　gloom　of　the　mountain　canopy；　off　the　path　and　onto　a　flat　meadow　near　to　the　edge　of　one　steep　drop；　they　understood　why。

　　　Drizzt　Do'Urden　had　seen　the　splendors　of　Mithril　Hall；　so　had　Catti…brie。　With　his　magic；　Harkle　Harpell　had　visited　many　exotic　places；　such　as　the　Hosttower　of　the　Arcane　in　Luskan。　Deudermont　had　sailed　the　Sword　Coast　from　Water…deep　to　exotic　Calimport。　But　none　of　those　places　had　ever　taken　the　breath　from　any　of　the　four　like　the　sight　before　them　now。

　　　It　was　called　the　Spirit　Soaring；　a　fitting　name　indeed　for　a　gigantic　temple梐　cathedral梠f　soaring　towers　and　flying　buttresses；　of　great　windows　of　colored　glass　and　a　gutter　system　finished　at　every　corner　with　an　exotic　gargoyle。　The　lowest　edges　of　the　cathedral's　main　roof　were　still　more　than　a　hundred　feet　from　the　ground；　and　three　of　the　towers　climbed　to　more　than　twice　that　height。

　　　The　Baenre　pound　was　larger；　of　course；　and　the　Host…tower　was　more　obviously　a　free…flowing　creation　of　magic。　But　there　was　something　more　solemn　about　this　place；　more　reverent　and　holy。　The　stone　of　the　cathedral　was　gray　and　brown；　unremarkable　really；　but　it　was　the　construction　of　that　stone；　the　earthly；　and　even　greater；　strength　of　the　place　that　gave　them　awe。　It　was　as　though　the　cathedral's　roots　were　deep　in　the　mountains　and　its　soaring　head　touched　the　heavens　themselves。

　　　A　beautiful　melody；　a　voice　rich　and　sweet；　wafted　out　of　the　temple；　reverberated　off　the　stones。　It　took　the　four　a　moment　to　even　realize　that　it　was　a　voice；　a　human　voice；　for　the　Spirit　Soaring　seemed　to　ha