按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
h pieces had gone out of fashion long before his birth； probably because no player had wanted to be the dwarves。
With its grid like board regulating movement and its playing pieces of varying capacities； sava resembled games devised by many cultures； but celebrating the chaos in their blood the drow had found a way to introduce an element of randomness into what would otherwise unfold with a mechanical precision。 Once per game； each player could fo his normal move to throw the sava dice。 If the spider came up on each； he could move one of his opponent's pieces to eliminate any man of its own color within its normal reach； a rule that acknowledged the dark elves' propensity for doing down their kin even in the face of a serious external threat。
Pharaun； who privately considered himself cleverer than Ryld； had always been a little chagrinned that he couldn't defeat the weapons master at sava； but alas； his friend wielded mother； priestess； wizard； warrior； orc slave soldier； and dice as brilliantly as he did a sword。 Indeed； he claimed that fighting and sava were the same thing； though Pharaun had never quite understood what the assertion meant。
The wizard clapped Ryld on the shoulder and said； 〃Play。 Amuse yourself。 Win their gold。 Just remember to make conversation while you're at it。 See what you can learn。 Meanwhile； I'll try my luck in the cellar。〃
Ryld nodded。
Pharaun navigated his way across the crowded room to the bar。 Behind it on a stool sat wizened； onelegged Nym； an elderly male who for sheer surly； unwavering misanthropy rivaled any demon the Master of Sorcere had ever conjured。 The old retired battle mage was happily engaged in snarling threats； obscenities； and orders at the goblin thralls pouring drinks； but he grudgingly suspended the harassment long enough to accept a handful of gold。 In return； he tendered a worn； numbered leather tab with several keys attached。
Thus equipped； Pharaun walked through the arch beside the bar and down another flight of steps。 At the bottom waited the real business of the Jewel Box and the reason Nym had not seen fit to hang a placard outside。
In Menzoberranzan； where a goddess and her priestesses reigned supreme； few female dark elves ever found it necessary to sell their bodies。 Only a handful of the sick and infirm； dwelling in the most abject need； had ever stooped to such a degradation。 Accordingly； one might assume that any male wishing to purchase intimate panionship would find his choice limited to these rare unappealing specimens or the females of one of the inferior species。
But that wasn't quite the case； at least not if a male had a heavy purse。 The reason was that； while they generally devoted their military efforts to fighting cloakers； svirfneblin； and other peting civilizations of the Underdark； drow cities on rare occasions waged war on one another。 Once in a while； such conflicts yielded female prisoners。
The prudent； legitimate thing to do with such potentially dangerous captives was interrogate； torture； and kill them。 That fact notwithstanding； Nym had on several occasions managed to bribe officers to give him their prisoners； whom he then smuggled into Menzoberranzan and down to the cellar of the Jewel Box。
Nym had gone to all this trouble based on the shrewd and wellproven assumption that a goodly number of Menzoberranyr males would pay handsomely for the privilege of dominating a female； and in his establishment； one could do anything one wanted with a captive。 Nym would even provide a customer with a bastinado； a brazier of coals； thumbscrews 。 。 。 his only stipulation being that one must pay a surcharge if one left a permanent mark。
Since the brothel's existence was an open secret； Pharaun wasn't sure why the matron mothers hadn't shut it down。 On the face of it； it certainly seemed to encourage disrespect for the ruling gender。 Perhaps they felt that if a male had a refuge in which to act out his resentments； it would make him all the more deferential to the females in his home。 More likely； Nym was slipping them a substantial portion of the take。
At any rate； the Jewel Box seemed a reasonable place to seek information concerning rogue males； especially if one had a spy in place。 Pharaun wasn't confident that he did anymore； but one never knew。
The stairs emptied into a hallway of numbered doors。 Moans of passions and grunts of pain sounded faintly from behind several of them。 It was busier than usual。
The mage strolled down the passage until he found number fourteen。 He hesitated for an instant； then scowled and turned the largest of his keys in the lock。 The door swung open。
Seated on the bed； shackles clutching her wrists and ankles； Pellanistra looked much as he remembered； the same powerful； shapely limbs and heartshaped face； with only a few more scars where one or another of her visitors had pressed down two hard； as well as a split lip and closed； puffy eye where a more recent caller had beaten her。
She lifted her face； saw him； and charged with her longnailed hands outstretched。 Then she staggered as one of her governing enchantments riddled her body with pain； and an instant later hit the end of the chains securing her to the wall。 She lost her balance and fell on her rump。
〃Hello； Pellanistra；〃 Pharaun said。
She spat at him； then screwed up her face at another flare of punishment。 The gobbet of saliva fell well short of the wizard's soft； high boots。
〃Much as I dislike descending to the obvious；〃 Pharaun said； 〃I feel pelled to observe that you're only hurting yourself。〃 He stepped forward and extended his hand。 〃e on； let's sit and have a talk； just like in the old days。 I'll even remove the shackles if you wish。〃
〃We had a bargain〃 she said。
〃I refuse to have an extended conversation with someone sitting on the floor。 It promises my dignity as much as it does yours。 e on； be sensible。 Take my hand。〃
She didn't do that； but； chains clinking； she did clamber to her bare feet unassisted。 He caught a whiff of some flowery scent that Nym had forced her to wear。
〃Now； isn't that better？〃 he asked。 〃Do you want the manacles off？〃
〃We had a pact； and I was holding up my end。〃
〃I wish you'd invite me to sit down。〃
〃You abandoned me〃
Pharaun spread his slender； longfingered hands and said； 〃All right； priestess。 If you think it necessary； we'll belabor the selfevident a bit longer。 Yes； I recruited you into my service。 Yes； you were doing splendidly—well on your way to earning your liberation—but my circumstances changed。 Surely you heard something about it。〃
〃Yes。 You backed the wrong sister； and Greyanna made a fool of you。 She killed her twin； and you were powerless to stop it。 If you hadn't turned tail and run away to Sorcere； she would have slain you； too。〃
Pharaun smiled crookedly。 〃I don't think I'll encourage the bards to put it quite that way when they pose the epic story of my life。〃
〃But after you established yourself up on Tier Breche； after you were free to e and go as you pleased； you could have returned here。〃
〃I have； on occasion； just not to call on you。 I thought it might be a little awkward。〃
〃I could have helped you the same as before。〃
〃Alas； no。 After my withdrawal from House Mizzrym； I no longer had a stake in the power struggles within my family or among the noble Houses； either。 I no longer needed intelligence about such matters。 The only rivalry that concerned me was the one among wizards； and even if you number the foremost practitioners of my art among your guests； I doubt they whisper the esoterica of their newly invented spells in your ears。 When it es to our discoveries； we wizards are a closemouthed breed。〃
〃You don't know what it was like for me 。 。 。 is like for me； abused and degraded by my inferiors； constrained in body； mind； and soul； unable to mune with Lolth。 。。。〃
Pharaun raised his hand。 〃Please； you're embarrassing yourself。 You sound like a whining human； or one of our foul cousins in the World Above。 Cease this tirade； take a breath； and think； then you will realize； enemy of Menzoberranzan； that my concern for your wellbeing has always been； at best； limited。 How could it be otherwise？ Sentiment certainly wasn't strong enough to make me spend a fortune buying you free of Nym； or