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eveal　all　his　capabilities　in　the　initial　moments　of　the　bout。〃
〃Something　like　that。　Greyanna　and　her　minions　have　seen　us　looking　like　ourselves；　so　if　we're　lucky　they　won't　expect　to　find　us　appearing　radically　different。　The　trick　won't　befuddle　them　forever；　but　perhaps　long　enough　for　us　to　plete　our　business　and　return　to　our　sedate；　cloistered　lives。〃
〃Does　that　mean　you've　figured　out　something　else？〃
〃Not　as　such；　but　you　know　I'm　prone　to　sudden　bursts　of　inspiration。〃
The　masters　entered　a　crowded　section　of　street　outside　of　what　was　evidently　a　popular　tavern；　with　a　howling；　barking　gnoll　song　shaking　the　calcite　walls。　Pharaun　had　never　had　occasion　to　walk　incognito　among　the　lower　orders。　It　felt　odd　weaving；　pausing；　and　twisting　to　avoid　bumps　and　jostles。　Had　they　known　his　true　identity；　his　fellow　pedestrians　would　have　scurried　out　of　his　way。
As　the　two　drow　reached　the　periphery　of　the　crowd；　Ryld　pivoted　and　struck　a　short　straight　blow　with　his　fist。　A　hunchbacked；　piebald　creature—the　product　of　a　mating　of　goblin　and　ore　perhaps—stumbled　backward　and　fell　on　his　rump。
〃Cutpurse；〃　the　warrior　explained。　〃I　hate　this　place。〃
〃No　pangs　of　nostalgia？〃
Ryld　glowered。　〃That　isn't　funny。〃
〃No？　Then　I　beg　your　pardon；〃　Pharaun　said　with　a　smirk。　〃I　wonder　why　this　precinct　always　seems　so　sordid；　even　on　those　rare　occasions　when　one　finds　oneself　alone　in　a　plaza　or　boulevard。　Well；　the　smell；　of　course。　We　don't　call　them　the　Stench　streets　for　nothing；　but　the　buildings；　though　generally　more　modest　than　those　encountered　elsewhere　in　the　city；　still　wear　the　same　graceful　shapes　our　ancestors　cut　from　the　living　rock。〃
The　teachers　paused　to　let　a　spider　with　legs　as　long　as　broadswords　scuttle　across　the　street。　The　Braeryn　notoriously　harbored　hordes　of　the　sacred　creatures。　Sacred　or　not；　Pharaun　reviewed　his　mental　list　of　ready　spells；　but　the　arachnid　ignored　the　disguised　dark　elves
〃That's　a　foolish　question；〃　said　Ryld。　〃Why　does　the　Braeryn　seem　foul？　The　inhabitants〃
〃Ah；　but　did　the　living　refuse　of　our　society　generate　the　atmosphere　of　the　district；　or　did　that　malignant　spirit　exist　from　the　beginning　and　lure　the　wretched　to　its　domain？〃
〃I'm　no　metaphysician；〃　said　Ryld。　〃All　I　know　is　that　somebody　should　clear　the　scavengers　out　of　here。〃
Pharaun　chuckled。　〃What　if　said　clearing　had　occurred　when　you　were　a　tyke？〃
〃I　don't　mean　exterminate　them—except　for　the　hopeless　cases—but　why　just　let　them　squat　here　in　their　dirt　like　a　festering　chancre　on　the　city？　Why　not　find　something　useful　for　them　to　do？〃
〃Ah；　but　they're　already　useful。　Status　is　all；　is　it　not？　Does　it　not　follow；　then；　that　no　Menzoberranyr　can　find　contentment　without　someone　upon　whom　she　can　look　down。〃
〃We　have　slaves。〃
〃They　won't　do。　Predicate　your　claim　to　selfrespect　on　their　existence　and　you　tacitly　acknowledge　you're　only　slightly　better　than　a　thrall　yourself。　Happily；　here　in　the　Stench　streets；　we　find　a　populace　starving；　filthy；　penniless；　riddled　with　disease；　living　twenty　or　thirty　to　a　room；　yet　nominally　free。　The　humblest　moner　in　Many　folk　or　even　Eastmyr　can　turn　up　his　nose　at　them　and　feel　smug。〃
〃You　really　think　that's　the　reason　Matron　Baenre　hasn't　ordered　the　slum　scoured　clean？〃
〃Well；　if　that　conjecture　seems　implausible；　here's　another：　Rumor　has　it　that　from　time　to　time；　someone　meets　the　goddess　herself　in　the　Braeryn。　Supposedly　she　likes　to　visit　here　in　mortal　guise。　The　matrons　may　feel　that　the　neighborhood　is；　in　some　sense；　under　her　protection。〃　　The　wizard　hesitated。　〃Though　if　Lolth　has　gone　away　for　good；　perhaps　they　don't　need　to　worry　about　it　anymore。〃
Ryld　shook　his　head。　〃It's　still　so　hard　to　belie—〃
Pharaun　pointed。　〃Look。〃
Ryld　turned。
On　a　curving　wall　below　a　dark　elf's　eye　level　was　a　sketch；　this　time　smeared　in　blue。　It　consisted　of　three　overlapping　ovals；　conceivably　representing　the　links　of　a　chain。
〃It's　a　different　mark；〃　said　Ryld。　〃Hobgoblin　maybe；　though　I　couldn't　tell　you　the　tribe。〃
〃Don't　be　intentionally　dim。　It's　the　same　peculiar；　reckless；　pointless　crime。〃
〃Fair　enough；　and　it's　still　irrelevant　to　our　endeavors。〃
〃It's　a　dull　mind　that　never　transcends　pragmatics。　Two　signs；　representing　two　races；　implying　two　specimens　of　the　lesser　races　demented　in　precisely　the　same　way？　Unlikely；　yet　why　would　a　single　artist　daub　an　emblem　not　his　own？〃
〃Coincidence？〃
〃I　doubt　it；　but　as　yet　I　can't　provide　a　better　answer。〃
〃It's　a　puzzle　for　another　day；　remember？〃
〃Indeed。〃
The　masters　walked　on。
〃Still；〃　pressed　Pharaun；　〃don't　you　wonder　how　many　scrawled　signs　we　passed　without　noticing　and　exactly　what　form　they　took？〃
Ignoring　the　question；　Ryld　pointed　and　said；　〃That's　our　destination。〃
The　house's　limestone　door　stood　open；　most　likely　for　ventilation；　for　the　interior　radiated　a　perceptible　warmth；　the　product　of　a　multitude　of　tenants　crammed　in　together。　It　also　emitted　a　muddled　drone　and　a　thick　stink　considerably　fouler　than　the　unpleasant　smell　that　clung　to　the　Braeryn　as　a　whole。
Ryld　had　been　born　in　a　similar　warren；　had　fought　like　a　demon　to　escape　it；　and　he　felt　a　strange　reluctance　to　venture　in；　as　if　squalor　　wouldn't　let　him　escape　a　second　time。　Unwilling　to　appear　timid　and　foolish　in　the　eyes　of　his　friend；　he　hid　the　feeling　behind　an　impassive　warrior's　countenance。
Pharaun；　however；　freely　demonstrated　his　own　distaste。　The　porcine　eyes　in　his　illusory　ore　face　watered；　and　he　swallowed；　no　doubt　trying　to　quell　a　surge　of　queasiness。
〃Get　used　to　it；〃　said　Ryld。
〃I'll　be　all　right。　I've　visited　the　Braeryn　frequently　enough　to　have　some　notion　of　what　these　little　hells　are　like；　though　I　confess　I　never　entered　one。〃
〃Then　stick　close　and　let　me　do　the　talking。　Don't　stare　at　anybody；　or　look　anyone　in　the　eye。　They're　likely　to　take　it　as　an　insult　or　challenge。　Don't　touch　anyone　or　anything　if　you　can　avoid　it。　Half　the　residents　are　sick　and　probably　contagious。〃
〃Really？　And　their　palace　gives　off　such　a　salubrious　air　Ah；　well；　lead　on。”
Ryld　did　as　his　friend　had　asked。　Beyond　the　threshold　was　the　claustrophobic　nightmare　he　remembered。　Kobolds；　goblins；　ores；　gnolls；　bugbears；　hobgoblins；　and　a　sprinkling　of　less　mon　creatures　squeezed　into　every　available　space。　Some；　the　warrior　knew；　were　runaway　slaves。　Others　had　entered　the　service　of　Menzoberranyr　travelers　who　picked　them　up　in　far　corners　of　the　world；　took　them　back　to　the　city；　and　dismissed　them　without　any　means　of　making　their　way　home。　The　rest　were　descendants　of　unfortunate　souls　in　the　first　two　categories。
Wherever　they　came　from；　the　paupers　were　trapped　in　the　Braeryn；　begging；　stealing；　scavenging；　preying　on　one　another—often　in　the　most　literal　sense—and　hiring　on　for　any　dangerous；　filthy　job　anyone　cared　to　give　them。　It　was　the　only　way　they　could　survive。
This　particular　lot　had　likewise　learned　to　live　packed　into　the　mon　space　without　the　slightest　vestige　of　privacy。　Undercreatures　babbled；　cooked；　ate；　drank；　tended　a　still；　brawled；　twitched　and　moaned　in　the　throes　of　sickness；　shook　and　cuffed　their　shrieking　infants；　threw　dice；　fornicated；　relieved　themselves；　and；　amazingly；　slept；　all　in　plain　view　of　anyone　with　the　ill　luck　to　look　in　their　direction。
As　Ryld　had　expected；　within　moments　of　their　entrance；　a　pair　of　toughs—in　this　instance　bugbears—slouched　forward　to　accost　them。　With　their　coarse；　shaggy　manes　and　square；　prominent　jaws；　bugbears　were　the　largest　and　strongest　of　the　goblin　peoples；　towering　over　the　rest—and　dark　elves；　too；　for　that　matter。　This　pair　was；　by　the　standards　of　their　destitute　household；　relatively　wellfed　and　adequately　dressed。　They　likely　bullied　tribute　out　of　the　rest。
〃You　don't　live　here；〃　rumbled　the　taller　of　the　two。
He　wore　what　appeared　to　be　a　severed　goblin　hand　strung　around　his　burly　neck。　Drow　occasionally　affected　similar　ornaments；　usually　mementos　of　hated　enemies；　but　they　sent　them　to　a　taxidermist　first。　It　was　too　bad　the　bugbear　hadn't　done　the　same。　It　would　have　prevented　the　rot　and　the　carrion　smell。
〃No；〃　Ryld　said；　tossing　the　bugbear　a　shaved　coin；　paying　the　toll　to　pass　in　and　out　of　the　h