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　　　Halisstra　snorted；　truly　irritated；　and　shook　her　hands　in　her　manacles。
　　　〃If　you　can　imagine　the　destruction　of　all　your　enemies　at　once；〃　Seyll　pressed；　〃you　can　certainly　imagine　the　faithfulness　of　a　friend　or　a　goddess　pleased　by　your　loyalty；　not　your　sacrifice。〃
　　　〃All　gods　demand　sacrifice。　You　delude　yourself　if　you　think　Eilistraee　is　any　different。　Perhaps　you're　simply　too　weak…minded　to　understand　your　bonds。〃　Halisstra　looked　away　and　added；　〃You　have　succeeded　in　boring　me　again。　You　may　leave　now。〃
　　　The　priestess　walked　to　the　door。　She　rapped　once　on　the　rusty　iron　and　waited；　turning　back　to　face　Halisstra。
　　　〃What　if　I　show　you　that　you're　wrong？〃　she　said　softly。　〃Tomorrow　night　we　dance　in　the　forest　for　Eilistraee's　delight。　I　will　bring　you　there；　and　you　will　see　for　yourself　what　our　goddess　demands　of　us。〃
　　　〃I　will　have　no　part　of　it；〃　Halisstra　snapped；　finally　irritated　enough　to　forget　her　resolve　to　feign　a　grudging　conversion　to　the　surface　dwellers'　vapid　beliefs。
　　　〃Your　faith　in　your　Spider　Queen　is　so　weak　you　can't　bear　to　watch　us　dance？〃　Seyll　asked。　〃Listen；　watch；　and　judge　for　yourself。　That's　all　I　ask。〃
　　　
　　　The　endless　black　gale　that　shrieked　up　through　the　vertical　streets　of　ruined　Chaulssin　weled　Nimor's　return　with　a　barrage　of　gusts　so　powerful　that　even　he　was　momentarily　rocked　on　his　feet。　His　white　hair　whipping　around　his　head　like　a　wild　halo；　the　Anointed　Blade　paused　a　moment　in　his　steps　to　allow　the　blast　to　die　away。
　　　He　could　not　remain　long　in　the　City　of　Wyrmshadows；　not　while　Menzoberranzan's　army　marched　and　the　Agrach　Dyrr　contingent　tramped　along　without　him；　but　he　wasn't　in　such　a　hurry　that　he　couldn't　tarry　a　moment　in　the　hidden　citadel　of　his　secret　House。　Nimor　Imphraezl　was　a　prince　of　Chaulssin；　after　all；　and　the　magnificent　ruin；　the　hell…carved　citadel；　was　his　domain。　He　had　not　been　born　there；　of　course；　nor　had　he　spent　his　childhood　years　in　the　shadow…haunted　city。　The　place　was　too　perilous　for　the　young；　so　the　Jaezred　Chaulssin　fostered　their　princes　in　a　dozen　minor　Houses　in　as　many　cities　throughout　the　Underdark。　From　the　time　he　reached　adulthood　and　came　into　his　ancient　birthright；　though；　Nimor　had　regarded　the　windswept　ruin　as　his　own　palace。
　　　The　gust　passed；　at　least　as　much　as　any　blast　of　wind　ever　did　in　the　black　chasm　yawning　around　the　city；　and　the　assassin　continued　on　his　way。　Menzoberranzan　was　little　more　than　an　hour　distant　through　the　Plane　of　Shadow；　and　so　it　was　fairly　easy　for　Nimor　to　manufacture　an　excuse　to　absent　himself　from　the　marching　column　to　tend　to　some　〃personal　matters。〃　Even　if　Andzrel　Baenre　summoned　the　House　captains　to　a　sudden　council　of　war　during　Nimor's　absence；　he　took　little　risk　in　leaving　for　a　short　time。　The　army　moved　quickly；　as　armies　go；　but　no　one　would　find　it　overly　suspicious　for　a　noble　to　tarry　in　the　city　for　a　short　time　before　riding　out　to　catch　up　to　the　column。
　　　He　reached　the　great；　spiraling　stair　cut　through　the　heart　of　Chaulssin's　stone　mountain　and　ascended　quickly；　taking　the　steps　two　at　a　time。　In　the　great　hall　at　the　top；　he　found　the　patron　fathers　assembled　again；　clustered　together　in　twos　and　threes　as　they　traded　news　and　fomented　plots　to　advance　the　House　during　their　time　of　remarkable　opportunity。　Grandfather　Mauzzkyl　turned　to　level　his　fearsome　glare　upon　Nimor　as　the　assassin　entered。
　　　〃Once　again　you　keep　us　waiting；〃　he　said。
　　　〃I　beg　your　forgiveness；　Revered　Grandfather；〃　Nimor　replied。　He　drew　up　into　the　circle　with　the　others　and　made　a　small　bow。　The　winds　outside　the　chamber　moaned　eerily　in　the　distance。　〃I　was　summoned　to　a　council　of　war　that　I　did　not　think　it　wise　to　miss。〃
　　　〃One　might　say　the　same　of　this　gathering；〃　observed　Patron　Father　Tomphael。
　　　Nimor　forced　a　smile　and　replied；　〃I　have　been　working　for　some　time　to　cultivate　a　particular　identity　and　level　of　responsibility　among　Menzoberranzan's　defenders；　Tomphael。　That　sort　of　effort　is　not　to　be　lightly　thrown　aside。　Until　the　revered　grandfather　instructs　me　otherwise；　I　will　keep　you　waiting　when　it　is　necessary　to　protect　our　plots　against　the　Spider　Queen's　favored…〃
　　　〃Enough；　Nimor；〃　Mauzzkyl　rumbled。　〃How　do　things　proceed　in　Menzoberranzan？〃
　　　〃Very　well；　Revered　Grandfather。　Crown　Prince　Horgar　Steelshadow　of　Gracklstugh　marches　an　army　of　nearly　five　thousand　duergar　on　Menzoberranzan。　The　matron　mothers　have　decided　to　meet　the　duergar　in　the　field　instead　of　awaiting　a　siege；　since　they　fear　the　belligerence　of　other　Underdark　realms。　I　have；　however；　arranged　for　the　crown　prince's　army　to　steal　a　march　on　the　Menzoberranyr；　and　I　also　have　mand　of　a　contingent　of　troops　who　can　be　turned　at　the　right　moment　to　help　assure　the　oute　we　desire。　Finally；　I　have　convinced　the　cambion　warlord　Kaanyr　Vhok　to　bring　his　army　of　tanarukks　against　Menzoberranzan　as　well；　though　I　am　less　certain　of　the　Scoured　Legion。　Vhok　may　or　may　not　show；　and　if　he　does；　he　has　little　allegiance　to　our　cause。〃
　　　〃You　intend　to　destroy　the　forces　of　Menzoberranzan　in　detail；　then；〃　Patron　Xorthaul　observed。　The　black…armored　priest　stroked　his　chin。　〃What　if　the　Menzoberranyr　prove　more　resilient　than　you　expect；　and　defeat　the　duergar　instead？　Or　Kaanyr　Vhok　proves　unfaithful？　It　might　have　been　better　to　lure　a　smaller　force　into　your　trap；　Anointed　Blade。　Your　first　play　is　too　risky。〃
　　　〃If　I　had　presented　the　duergar　as　less　of　a　threat；　the　matron　mothers　would　have　been　sorely　tempted　to　ignore　them　altogether。　As　matters　stand；　one　of　three　results　may　e　of　the　battle　between　Gracklstugh　and　Menzoberranzan。　The　duergar　might　win；　it　could　be　in　effect　a　draw；　or　the　drow　could　prevail。　We're　doing　what　we　can　to　deliver　Menzoberranzan's　army　into　the　crown　prince's　hands；　but　even　if　he　fails　to　destroy　the　Lolthites　outright；　there　is　an　excellent　chance　the　duergar　will　badly　maul　the　Menzoberranyr…in　which　case；　the　duergar　may　weaken　our　enemies　so　badly　we　can　overthrow　them　ourselves。　At　the　worst；　if　Gracklstugh　is　routed；　well。　。　。　other　than　the　failure　of　our　plan；　we　lose　little。〃
　　　〃Remember；　Patron　Xorthaul；　our　strategy　against　Menzoberranzan　is　a　strategy　of　attrition；〃　Mauzzkyl　said。　〃The　city　is　too　strong　to　take　in　one　stroke；　so　we　must　bleed　it　to　death　with　a　dozen　cuts。〃
　　　〃Menzoberranzan's　wizards　will　certainly　divine　the　existence　of　such　a　great　army　so　close　to　their　city；〃　Patron　Tomphael；　himself　a　wizard；　observed。　〃The　matron　mothers　will　recall　their　force；　or　reverse　your　ambush　on　the　duergar　instead。〃
　　　〃Our　allies　in　Agrach　Dyrr　have　helped　us　with　this；〃　said　Nimor。　〃Gromph　Baenre　has　vanished。　The　Masters　of　Sorcere　are　quite　naturally　testing　each　other's　resolve　and　resources　to　determine　who　shall　be　the　next　archmage。〃
　　　〃There　are　many　powerful　wizards　serving　the　city's　Houses；　Nimor；〃　Tomphael　replied。　〃They　will　not　be　distracted　by　an　opportunity　at　Sorcere。〃
　　　Nimor　permitted　himself　a　rueful　nod　and　said；　〃True；　but　as　we　well　know；　House　wizards　tend　to　spend　a　lot　of　their　time　spying　out　the　weaknesses　of　other　Houses。　So　far；　no　one　seems　to　have　e　forward　to　dispute　the　version　of　events　I　advanced　to　the　Council。〃
　　　〃It　would　be　no　more　than　the　better　part　of　wisdom　to　set　your　plans　with　the　assumption　that　your　plots　will　be　unmasked　at　the　most　inconvenient　time　possible；〃　Patron　Xorthaul　said。　〃What　will　you　do　if　some　raw　apprentice　in　some　second…rate　House　happens　to　scry　the　approach　of　the　crown　prince's　army；　and　the　matron　mothers　recall　theirs？　They　might　stand　a　siege　forever。〃
　　　〃Now　you　understand；〃　Nimor　said　patiently；　〃why　I　went　so　far　as　to　approach　Agrach　Dyrr　with　an　open　offer　of　alliance；　and　decided　to　risk　bringing　Kaanyr　Vhok　into　the　equation。　We　need　the　Fifth　House　against　that　very　possibility；　to　admit　Horgar's　army…or　the　Scoured　Legion…into　the　city；　if　it　es　to　that。〃
　　　Mauzzkyl　folded　his　arms　and　lowered　his　fiery　gaze。
　　　〃In　either　case；　we　shall　have　them；〃　the　revered　grandfather　said；　a　smile　of　dark　satisfaction　twisting　his　feat