war of the spider queen 5 annihilation-第50部分

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　　　They　walked　on　and　on　and　finally　came　to　Lolth's　temple。　The　once　imposing；　otherworldly　structure　stood　in　ruin；　infected　by　the　same　decay　as　the　universe…spanning　web。　The　obsidian　stone　had　turned　brown　and　was　crumbled　away　in　spots。　Huge　columns　of　smoke　rose　from　the　interior。　Many　of　the　great　buttresses　stood　like　shattered　stumps；　amputated　by　some　inconceivable　power。　The　surrounding　plazas　were　difficult　to　traverse；　littered　with　boulders　of　carved　stone　and　iron　rusted　and　twisted　out　of　shape。　Bones　lay　everywhere…the　bones　of　millions　stacked　in　great　piles　or　scattered　as　if　by　the　cruel　winds　alone。　The　petrified　spider…things　they　had　marveled　at　before　were　gone；　leaving　holes　in　the　floor　of　the　plaza　and　along　the　buttresses　as　if　they'd　pulled　up　their　feet　from　the　stone　and　marched　away。
　　　The　party　traced　the　same　path　they　had　taken　when　in　astral　form　and　came　once　again　to　the　entrance　to　the　temple。　The　great　stone　face　was　itself　shattered；　revealing　glimpses　of　the　visage　of　Lolth　but　only　in　tiny；　enigmatic　fragments。
　　　The　doors　swung　wide。
　　　〃It　was　the　gods；〃　Valas　whispered；　his　voice　echoing　in　a　million　tiny　pings　across　the　ruined　plaza。
　　　Vhaeraun；　who　had　e　to　kill　Lolth　because　of　their　own　rash　decision　to　lead　one　of　his　priests　there；　had　been　confronted　by　Selvetarm…Lolth's　protector…at　the　temple　gates。　Their　duel　was　a　sight　that　would　be　burned　into　Pharaun's　memory　if　he　lived　to　be　ten　thousand　years　old；　and　the　contest　had　caused　much　damage；　but。　。　。　。
　　　〃Not　this；〃　the　Master　of　Sorcere　said；　his　own　voice　echoing；　though　in　not　quite　the　same　way。　〃This　is　different。　Older。〃
　　　〃Older？〃　the　draegloth　asked；　his　eyes　darting　from　rock　to　rock。
　　　〃He's　right；〃　said　Danifae；　who　was　crouching；　holding　the　skull　of　something　that　might　have　been　half　drow；　half　bat。　〃These　bones　are　dried　and　bleached；　almost　petrified。　The　stone　itself　is　crumbling　to　dust。　The　webs　are　rotten　and　brittle。〃
　　　〃This　place　was　razed　a　century　ago　or　more；〃　Pharaun　said。
　　　〃That's　not　possible；〃　Valas　argued；　staring　up　at　the　open　doors。　〃We　were　just　here…right　here；　and　the　doors　were　sealed；　and　。　。　。〃
　　　The　others　didn't　expect　him　to　finish。
　　　〃Lolth　has　left　this　place；〃　Quenthel　said；　her　voice　so　quiet　it　barely　managed　to　elicit　an　echo　at　all。
　　　〃She　has　left　the　Demonweb　Pits？〃　Danifae　asked。　〃How　could　that　be？〃
　　　〃She　has　left　the　Abyss；〃　the　Mistress　of　Arach…Tinilith　said。　〃Can't　you　feel　it？〃
　　　Danifae　shook　her　head；　but　her　eyes　answered　in　the　affirmative。　The　two　females　shared　a　long；　knowing　look　that　raised　the　hair　on　the　back　of　Pharaun's　neck。　He　sensed　similar　reactions　from　Jeggred　and　Valas。
　　　〃That's　it　then；〃　said　the　Bregan　D'aerthe　scout。　〃We　have　e　here　to　find　the　goddess　but　instead　we　have　found　nothing。　Our　mission　is　at　an　end。〃
　　　Quenthel　turned　to　glare　at　the　scout；　who　returned　it　with　a　steady；　even　gaze。　The　vipers　that　made　up　the　high　priestess's　scourge　writhed　and　spat；　but　Valas　paid　them　no　mind。
　　　〃She　isn't　here；〃　Quenthel　said；　〃but　that　doesn't　mean　she　isn't。　。　。　somewhere。〃
　　　The　scout　took　a　deep　breath　and　let　it　out　slowly；　looking　all　around　at　the　ruined　temple。
　　　〃So　where　is　she？〃　he　asked。　〃How　much　farther　do　we　go？　Do　we　search　the　limitless　multiverse　for　her；　plane　by　plane；　universe　by　universe？　She's　a　creature　of　the　Demonweb　Pits；　and　here　we　stand　on　the　sixty…sixth　layer　of　the　gods…cursed　Abyss　and　she's　gone。　If　you　don't　know　where　she's　gone　to…and　she　could　be　anywhere…and　she　won't　tell　you　where　she　is；　maybe　we　all　have　to　accept　the　fact　that　she　doesn't　want　to　be　found。〃
　　　It　was　the　most　Pharaun　had　ever　heard　Valas　say　all　at　once；　and　the　words　made　his　heart　sink。
　　　〃He's　right；〃　said　the　Master　of　Sorcere。
　　　To　his　surprise；　Quenthel　nodded。　Danifae's　eyes　widened；　and　Jeggred　growled　low　in　his　throat。　The　draegloth　moved　slowly；　in　that　fluid；　stalking　way　of　his；　and　went　to　stand　next　to　the　former　battle…captive。
　　　〃This　is　sacrilege；〃　Danifae　whispered。　〃Heresy　of　the　worst　sort。〃
　　　Quenthel　turned　to　look　at　the　other　priestess　and　silently　raised　an　eyebrow。
　　　〃You　presume　to　allow　some…〃　Danifae　turned　to　briefly　glare　at　Valas…　〃male　to　speak　for　Lolth？　Does　he　decide　the　goddess's　intentions　now？〃
　　　〃Do　you？〃　Pharaun　couldn't　help　but　ask。
　　　Surprisingly；　Danifae　smiled　when　she　said；　〃Perhaps　I　do。　Certainly　I　have　more　claim　to　that　right　than　Master　Hune。　Capable　a　scout　as　he　is；　this　is　the　business　of　priestesses　now。〃
　　　Quenthel　stood　a　little　straighter；　though　her　shoulders　still　hunched。　Pharaun　marveled　at　how　old　she　looked。　The　high　priestess　had　aged　decades　in　the　past　tenday；　and　exhaustion　was　plain　in　her　heavy…lidded　eyes　and　blunt　temper。
　　　Pharaun　couldn't　look　at　her；　so　he　looked　down　at　the　floor　of　the　plaza。　He　scuffed　his　boot　through　brown…powdered　stone。
　　　〃I　was　wrong；〃　the　Master　of　Sorcere　said。　He　could　feel　the　others　looking　at　him；　could　sense　their　surprise；　but　he　didn't　look　up。　〃This　didn't　happen　a　century　ago。　This　place　was　destroyed　。　。　。　no；　a　battle　was　fought　here；　and　it　was　fought　a　millennium　past　at　least。　At　least。〃
　　　〃How　can　you　say　that；　wizard？〃　asked　the　draegloth。　〃You　were　just　here。　Weren't　you？　Isn't　this　the　same　place　Tzirik　brought　you？
　　　Pharaun。　nodded　and　said；　〃It　is　indeed；　Jeggred；　but　the　fact　remains　that　what　we　see　all　around　us　is　an　ancient　ruin；　the　corpse　of　a　battlefield　that's　lain　cold　for　a　thousand　years　or　more。〃
　　　〃We　were　only　just　here；〃　said　Valas。
　　　〃We　aren't　in　the　Underdark　anymore；　Master　Hune；〃　said　Pharaun。　〃Time　might　move　very　differently　here；　in　fits　and　starts　like　distance　in　the　Shadow　Deep。　This　could　all　be　more　illusion　than　real；　the　whim　of　Lolth　or　some　other　godly　power。　It　could　be　that　we　simply　see　a　ruin　where　there　is　nothing；　see　a　ruin　where　there　is　in　fact　an　intact　temple；　or　everything　we　see　is　real　and　made　a　millennium　old　by　a　power　so　vast　that　it　can　manipulate　time　and　matter　and　the　aether　itself。〃
　　　〃The　Spider　Queen　isn't　here；〃　Valas　added。
　　　〃If　the　priestesses　say　that　she　is　not　here；〃　Pharaun　replied；　〃then　I'm　content　to　believe　that's　true。〃
　　　The　Master　of　Sorcere　looked　up　at　the　enormous　open　doorway；　big　enough　for　House　Baenre　to　pass　through　it　intact。　The　others　followed　his　gaze。
　　　〃These　doors　were　sealed　shut　before；〃　Pharaun　said；　〃but　now　they're　open。　Why？〃
　　　〃Because　Lolth　wants　us　to　step　through　them；〃　Danifae　said；　her　voice　carrying　a　certainty　that　surprised　Pharaun。　〃Who　else　could　have　opened　them？〃
　　　Pharaun　shrugged　and　looked　at　Quenthel；　who　was　nodding　slowly。
　　　〃We　go　on；〃　the　high　priestess　said。
　　　Without　a　glance　at　the　others；　Quenthel　walked　toward　the　mammoth　doorway。　One　by　one　the　others　followed：　Danifae；　then　Jeggred；　then　Pharaun；　and　Valas　at　the　rear。　Each　stepped　more　reluctantly　than　the　last。
　　　
　　　On　the　planes　of　chaos　there　were　so　many　names　for　it；　Aliisza　didn't　remember　them　all：　temporal　flux　zones；　slipped　time　layers；　millennia　sinks。　。。。　It　had　been　a　very　long　time　since　she'd　seen　one；　and　it　took　her　almost　as　long　to　realize　what　was　happening。
　　　The　sixty…sixth　layer　of　the　Abyss　had　been　abandoned。　The　glue　that　held　the　planes　together　was　the　gods　themselves；　and　in　the　planes　of　chaos；　just　as　in　the　planes　of　law；　when　all　the　gods　left　a　particular　place；　entropy　progressed　in　fits　and　starts；　and　even　chaos　itself　spiraled　out　of　control。
　　　In　the　case　of　the　sixty…sixth　layer；　there　was　the　rest　of　the　Abyss　to　hold　it　together　and　to　provide　echoes　of　its　past　that　were　strong　enough　to　keep　its　physical　form…in　that　there　still　was　a　sixty…sixth　layer。　Time　was　moving　forward　faster　at　times；　then　slower；　then　it　might　reverse　itself。　It　was　impossible　to　pin　down；　even　for　a　tanar'ri　like　Aliisza。　Places　like　that　were　better　left　alone；　better　avoided；　better　forgotten。
　　　She　watched　Pharaun　and　his　panions　walk　through　the　massive　temple　gates　with　a　heavy　heart。　She　didn't　know　exactly　what　they　would　find　in　there；　but　she　was　sure　that　whatever　it　was　it　would　be　disappointing　for　them。　They　had　traveled　to　the　sixty…sixth　layer　to　find　Lolth；　but　Lolth　wasn't　there。　It　was　a　guess　on　her　part；　but　an　educated　one：　the　plane　had　been　abandoned　for　longer　than　anyone　imagined…longer　than　Lolth　had　been　silent。
　　　〃There's　a　lot　you　never　told　them；〃　Aliisza　whispered　to　the　Spider　Queen。
　　　If　the　goddess　could　hear　her…and　Aliisza　had　no　reason　to　believe　she　could…Lolth　didn't　answer。
　　　The　alu…fiend　absently　scratched　a　doodle　in　the　brown　dust　on　the　underside　of　the　massive　web　strand　onto　which　she　clung：　a　bit　of　graffiti　no　eyes　would　ever　see。　Her　mind　was　racing；　she　had　a　lot　to　think　about。
　　　Aliisza　had　abandoned　Pharaun　and　the　others；　leaving　them　to　crash　into　the　Plain　of　Infinite　Portals　simply　on　a　whim。　It　pleased　her　that　Pharaun　survived；　but　she　didn't　give　the　others　a　second　thought。　Still；　Aliisza　had　made　her　choice；　and　it　was　an　obvious　one。　She　chose　Kaanyr　Vhok。
　　　Though　she　knew　she　would　go　back　to　him；　she　also　knew　that　she　had　helped　Pharaun　and　his　expedition　along　a　bit　more　effectively　than　Vhok　would　have　approved　of。　He　might　not　have　asked　her　to　stop　them；　but　he　certainly　hadn't　asked　her　to　help　them。　Aliisza　knew　the　cambion　well　enough；　though；　to　know　that　the　more　she　came　back　with；　the　more　forgiving　he　would　be。
　　　Pharaun　and　the　other　drow　disappeared　into　the　abandoned　ruin；　and　Aliisza　closed　her　eyes。
　　　She　was　a　tanar'ri　and　as　such　could　move　about　the　planes　with　a　bit　more　ease　than　most。　With　a　thought　she　was　back　in　the　Astral；　floating　free　in　the　endless　aether。
　　　〃You　left　the　Abyss；〃　Aliisza　whispered　to　herself；　though　she　addressed　Lolth；　〃before　you　fell　silent；　so　。　。　。〃
　　　She　didn't　bother　finishing　the　thought；　only　concentrated　on　a　name：　Lolth。
　　　She　closed　her　eyes　again　and　let　the　name　roll　over　and　over　again　in　her　mind；　and　after　a　time；　h