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〃Is　this　how　you　attend　to　mindboggling　revelations？　I　suppose　I'm　lucky　you　don't　have　to　use　the　Jakes。　All　right；　here　it　is　。。。　Lolth　is　gone。　Well；　maybe　not　gone；　but　unavailable　at　least　in　the　sense　that　it's　no　longer　possible　for　her　Menzoberranyr　clerics　to　receive　spells　from　her。〃
For　a　moment；　Ryld　thought　he'd　misheard　the　words。　〃I　guess　that's　a　joke？〃　he　asked。　〃I'm　glad　you　didn't　make　it　while　we　were　in　the　middle　of　a　crowd。　There's　no　point　pounding　our　crimes　with　blasphemy。〃
〃Blasphemy　or　not；　it's　the　truth。〃
Rag　in　hand；　Ryld　scrubbed　tacky　blood　off　the　short　sword。
〃What　are　you　suggesting；〃　the　weapons　master　asked；　〃another　Time　of　Troubles？　Could　there　be　two　such　upheavals？〃
Pharaun　grinned　and　said；　〃Possibly；　but　I　think　not。　When　the　gods　were　forced　to　inhabit　the　mortal　world；　the　arcane　forces　we　wizards　mand　fluctuated　unpredictably。　One　day；　we　could　mold　the　world　like　clay。　The　next；　we　couldn't　turn　ice　to　water。　That　isn't　happening　now。　My　powers　remain　constant　as　ever；　from　which　I　tentatively　infer　this　is　not　the　Time　of　Troubles　e　again　but　a　different　sort　of　occurrence。〃
〃What　sort？〃
〃Oh；　am　I　supposed　to　know　that　already？　I　thought　I　was　doing　rather　well　to　detect　the　occurrence　at　all。〃
〃Only　if　it's　really　happening。〃
Ryld　inspected　the　point　of　the　short　stabbing　blade；　then　took　the　hone　to　it。　Bemused　by　Pharaun's　contention；　he　wondered　how　his　canny　friend　could　credit　such　a　ludicrous　idea。　
〃I　want　you　to　think　back　over　the　confrontation　from　which　we　just　emerged；〃　said　the　Master　of　Sorcere。　〃Did　you　even　once　see　Greyanna　or　the　other　priestess　cast　divine　magic　from　her　own　mind　and　inner　strength　as　opposed　to　off　a　scroll　or　out　of　some　device？〃
〃I　was　fighting　the　skeletons。〃
〃You　keep　track　of　every　foe　on　the　battleground。　I　know　you　do。　So；　did　you　see　them　casting　spells　out　of　their　own　innate　power？〃
Ryld　thought　that　of　course　he　had　。　。　。　then　realized　he　hadn't。
〃What　does　that　suggest？〃　Pharaun　asked。　〃They　have　no　spells　left　in　their　heads；　or　only　a　few；　which　they're　hoarding　desperately　because　they　can't　solicit　new　ones　from　their　goddess。　Lolth　has　withdrawn　her　favor　from　Menzoberranzan；　or　。。。　something。〃
〃Why　would　she　do　that？〃
〃Would　she　need　a　reason—or　at　any　rate；　one　her　mortal　children　can　prehend？　She　is　a　deity　of　chaos。　Perhaps　she's　testing　us　somehow；　or　else　she's　angry　and　deems　us　unworthy　of　her　patronage。
〃Or；　as　I　suggested　before；　the　cause　of　her　silence；　if　in　fact　she　is　mute　when　her　clerics　pray　to　her'and　not　just　uncooperative；　may　be　something　else　altogether。　Perhaps　even　another　happenstance　involving　all　the　gods。　Since　we　have　only　one　faith　and　clergy　in　Menzoberranzan；　it's　difficult　to　judge。〃
〃Wait；〃　Ryld　said。　He　unstoppered　his　little　bottle　of　oil。　The　sharp　smell　provided　a　wele　counterpoint　to　the　moist　stink　of　the　dung　fields。　〃I　admit；　I　didn't　see　Greyanna　or　any　of　the　lesser　priestesses　working　magic；　but　didn't　you　yourself　once　tell　me　that　in　the　turmoil　of　battle；　it's　often　easier　and　more　reliable　to　cast　your　effects　from　a　wand　or　parchment？〃
〃I　suppose　I　did。　Still；　under　normal　circumstances；　would　you　expect　a　pair　of　spell　casters　to　conjure　every　single　manifestation　that　way？　Just　before　our　exit；　I　saw　Greyanna　groping　in　the　ether　for　a　weapon　that　was　slow　in　ing　to　her　hand。　The　sister　I　remember　would　have　said　to　the　Hells　with　it　and　dumped　some　other　magic　on　our　heads。　That　is；　unless　something　had　circumscribed　her　options。〃
〃I　see　what　you　mean；〃　Ryld　conceded；　〃but　when　the　clerics　lost　their　powers　in　the　Time　of　Troubles；　it　destabilized　the　balance　of　power　among　the　noble　Houses。　Those　who　believed　the　change　made　them　stronger　in　relative　terms　struck　hard　to　supplant　their　rivals。　As　far　as　I　can　see；　that　isn't　happening　now；　just　the　usual　level　of　controlled　enmity。〃
He　laid　the　short　sword　aside　and　picked　up　Splitter。
Pharaun　nodded　and　said；　〃You'll　recall　that　none　of　the　Houses　attempting　to　exploit　the　Time　of　Troubles　ultimately　profited　thereby。　To　the　contrary；　the　Baenre　and　others　punished　them　for　their　temerity。　Perhaps　the　matron　mothers　took　the　lesson　to　heart。〃
〃So　instead　of　hatching　schemes　to　topple　one　another；　they　。　。　。　what？　Enlisted　every　single　priestess　in　a　grand　conspiracy　to　conceal　their　fall　from　grace？　If　your　mad　idea　is　right；　that's　what　they　must　have　done。〃
〃Why　is　that　implausible？　Picture　the　day—a　few　tendays　past？—when　they　lost　the　ability　to　draw　power　from　their　goddess。　Clerics　of　Lolth　routinely　collaborate　in　magical　rituals；　so　they　would　have　discovered　fairly　quickly　that　they　were　all　similarly　afflicted。　Apprised　of　the　scope　of　the　situation；　Triel　Baenre；　possibly　in　hurried　consultation　with　our　esteemed　Mistress　Quenthel　and　the　matrons　of　the　Council；　might　well　have　decided　to　conceal　the　priesthood's　debility　and　sent　the　word　round　in　time　to　keep　anyone　from　blabbing。〃
〃The　word　would　have　to　pass　pretty　damn　quickly；〃　said　Ryld；　examining　Splitter's　edge。　As　he'd　expected；　despite　all　the　bone　it　had　just　bitten　through；　it　was　as　preternaturally　keen　and　free　of　notches　and　chips　as　ever。
〃Oh；　I　don't　know；〃　the　wizard　said。　〃If　you　lost　the　strength　of　your　arms；　would　you　be　eager　to　announce　it；　knowing　the　news　would　find　its　way　to　everyone　who'd　ever　taken　a　dislike　to　you？　Anyway；　since　this　is　the　first　we've　learned　of　the　problem；　the　deception　obviously　did　anize　in　time。〃
〃Or　else　everything　is　as　it　always　was；　and　the　plot　exists　only　in　your　imagination。〃
〃Oh；　it's　real。　I'm　sure　Triel　deemed　the　ruse　necessary　to　make　sure　no　visitor　would　discern　Menzoberranzan's　sudden　weakness。〃　He　grinned　and　added；　〃And　to　fix　it　so　we　poor　males　wouldn't　swoon　with　terror　upon　learning　that　our　betters　had　lost　a　measure　of　their　ability　to　guide　and　protect　us。〃
〃Well；　it's　an　amusing　fancy。〃　
〃Fire　and　glare；　you're　a　hard　boy　to　convince；　and　I'll　be　cursed　if　I　know　why。　You've　already　lived　through　the　Time　of　Troubles；　the　previous　Matron　Baenre's　death；　and　the　defeat　of　Menzoberranzan　by　a　gaggle　of　wretched　dwarves。　Why　do　you　assume　our　world　cannot　have　altered　in　some　fundamental　way　when　you've　watched　it　change　so　many　times　before？　Open　your　mind；　and　you'll　see　my　hypothesis　makes　sense　of　all　that　has　puzzled　us。〃
〃What　do　you　mean？〃
〃Whatever　they're　up　to；　how　is　it　that　for　the　past　month　an　unusual　number　of　males　have　dared　to　elope　from　their　families？　Because　they　somehow　tumbled　to　the　fact　that　a　priestess's　wrath　now　constitutes　less　of　a　threat。〃
〃While　the　clerics；〃　said　Ryld；　catching　the　thread　of　the　argument；　〃are　eager　to　catch　them　because　they　want　to　know　how　the　males　know　about　the　Silence；　if　we're　going　to　call　it　that。　Hells；　if　all　those　males　had　the　nerve　to　run　away；　maybe　they　even　know　more　about　the　problem　than　the　females　do。〃
〃Conceivably；〃　said　Pharaun。　〃The　priestesses　can't　rule　it　out　until　they　strap　a　few　of　them　to　torture　racks；　can　they？　But　they　don't　want　Gromph　involved　with　capturing　the　rogues　because　。　。　。　？〃
〃They　don't　want　him　to　find　out　what　the　runaways　know。〃
〃Very　good；　apprentice。　We'll　make　a　logician　of　you　yet。〃
〃Do　you　think　the　archmage　already　knows　the　divines　have　lost　their　magic？〃
〃I'd　bet　your　left　eye　on　it；　but　he's　in　the　same　cart　as　the　high　priestesses。　He　posits　that　the　fugitives　might　know　even　more。〃
Ryld　nodded。　〃In　a　war；　or　any　crisis；　you　have　to　cover　every　possibility。〃
〃The　notion　of　the　Silence　even　explains　why　the　Jewel　Box　was　so　crowded；　and　why　some　of　the　patrons　were　in　a　belligerent　humor　or　even　bruised　and　battered。　Females　divested　of　their　magic　might　well　feel　weak　and　vulnerable。　Consciously　or　otherwise；　they'd　worry　about　losing　control　of　the　folk　in　their　household　and　pensate　by　instituting　a　harsher　discipline　than　usual。〃　〃I　see　that；〃　said　Ryld。
〃Of　course　you　do。　As　I　said；　the　one　hypothesis　accounts　for　every　anomaly。　That's　why　we　can　be　confident　the　idea　is　valid。〃
〃How　does　it　account　for　the　relative　paucity　of　goods　in　the　Bazaar？〃
Pharaun　blinked；　narrowed　his　eyes　in　thought；　and　finally　laughed。　〃You　know；　it's　di