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蛛后之战(被遗忘的国度系列英文版)-第26部分

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g 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 house。 〃We came to see Smylla Nathos。〃
The hulking goblinoids just looked at him; as did several others creatures。 A scaly; naked little kobold tittered crazily。
Something was wrong; and the Master of MeleeMagthere didn't know what。 He felt a sudden tension and exhaled it away。 Looking nervous was a bad idea。
〃Isn't this Smylla's house?〃 he asked。
The shorter bugbear; who still loomed nearly as huge as an ogre; laughed and said; 〃No; not no more; but she still live here 。 。 。 kind of。〃
〃Can we see her?〃 said Ryld。
〃What for?〃 asked the bugbear with the severed goblin hand。
The weapons master hesitated。 He'd intended to say that he and Pharaun wished to consult Smylla in her professional capacity as a trader in information。 It was essentially the truth; though that didn't matter。 What did was that he hadn't expected it to provoke a hostile response。
Pharaun stepped up beside him。
〃Smylla sold our sister Iggra the secret of how to break into a merchant's strong room;〃 the wizard said in a creditably surly Orcish rasp。 〃How to get around all the traps。 。 。 。 Only she left one out; see? It squirted acid on Sis and burned her to death。 Slow。 Almost got us too。 It's Smylla's fault; and we e to 'talk' to her about it。〃
The smaller bugbear nodded。 〃You ain't the only ones wantin' that kind of talk。 Us; too; but we can't get at the bitch。〃
Pharaun cocked his head。 〃How e?〃 
〃A couple tendays ago;〃 said the bugbear with the severed hand necklace; 〃we decided we was tired of her bossing us and her lamps hurting our eyes。 We jumped her; hit her; but she chucked one of those stones that makes a flash of light。 It blinded us; and she run up to her room。〃 He nodded toward the head of a twisting staircase。 〃We can't get through the door。 She locked it with magic or somethin'。〃
Pharaun snorted。 〃Ain't no door my brother and me can't bust through。〃
The bugbears exchanged glances。 The smaller one; who; Ryld noticed; was missing several of his lower teeth; shrugged。
〃You can try;〃 the larger one said。 〃Only; Smylla belongs to us; too。 Hit her; bleed her; slice off a piece of her and eat it; but you can't keep her all to yourself。〃
〃It's a deal;〃 Pharaun said。
〃e on; then。〃
The bugbears led them through the crowded room and onto the stairs; where they still had to pick their way through lounging paupers。 Partway up; the brute wearing the decaying hand put it in his mouth and began slurping and sucking on it。
At the top of the steps were a small landing and a limestone door with a rounded top。 Two sentries; an ore and a caninefaced gnoll with sores on his muzzle; sat on the floor looking bored。
The disguised teachers made a show of examining the door。
〃Can you knock it down?〃 Pharaun whispered。
〃When the bugbears couldn't? Don't count on it。 Can you open it with magic?〃
〃Probably。 It's magically sealed; so a counter spell should suffice; but I don't want our friends to observe me casting it。 That really would promise my disguise。 Stand where you obstruct their view and do something distracting。〃
〃Right。〃 Ryld positioned himself in the appropriate spot and glowered up at the two bugbears。 〃We can open it。 What loot is inside?〃
The larger bugbear scowled and; the odious object in his mouth garbling his speech a little; said; 〃We made a deal。 It didn't say nothing about no loot。〃
〃Smylla took Sis's treasure;〃 Ryld replied。 〃We want it back; and extra too; for wergild。〃
〃Hell with that。〃
The bugbear with the missing teeth reached for the knife tucked through his belt。 Ryld could see it was a butcher's tool; not a proper fighting blade; but no doubt it served in the latter capacity well enough。
Ryld rested his hand on the hilt of his short sword; the weapon of choice for these tight quarters; and said; 〃You want to fight; we'll fight。 I'll slice your face off your skull and wear it like a breechcloth; but my brother and I came to kill Smylla; not you。 Let's talk。 If you never get the door—〃
〃Open;〃 Pharaun said。
White light shone at Ryld's back; making the bugbears wince。 Squinting; the warrior whirled and scrambled for the opening。
〃Hey〃 yelped the smaller bugbear。
Ryld felt a big hand fumble at his shoulder; trying to grab him; but it was an instant too slow。 He followed Pharaun over the threshold and slammed the door。
〃You need to hold it shut;〃 the wizard said。
〃I can't do it for long。〃
Leaning forward; Ryld planted his hands on the limestone slab and braced himself。
The door bucked inward。 For a split second; the dark elf's feet slid on the calcite floor; then they caught; and he held the barrier in place。 Barely。
Meanwhile; Pharaun was peering about。 He gave a little cry of satisfaction; picked up a small iron bar; and set it so it overlapped the edge of the door and the jamb about halfway up。 When he took his hand away; the charm remained in place。
〃This is quite a clever little device;〃 the wizard said。 〃Oh; and you can let go now。〃 Pharaun turned the mechanical locks his spell of opening had disengaged; snapping each shut in its turn。 It was actually the enchanted length of iron that had up to then kept the goblinoids out; but he thought he and Ryld might as well be as secure as possible。 It also seemed the courteous thing to do。
His hostess; however; didn't seem to appreciate the gesture。
〃Get out〃
The masters turned。 Smylla Nathos had lit her sparsely furnished room with a pair of slender brass rods; the tips of which emitted a steady magical glow。 They protruded from the necks of waxencrusted wine bottles like tapers sitting in candelabra; which they perhaps were meant to resemble。 Maybe Smylla missed the spell caster's traditional mode of illumination but couldn't obtain it anymore。
She herself lay at the limit of the light; on a cot in the shadows at the far end of the room。 Pharaun could just barely make her out。
〃Good afternoon; my lady;〃 the wizard said; bowing。 〃It shames me beyond measure to ignore your request。 Yet should this gentleman and I pass through your door a second time; the bugbears and their ilk will rush in; and that; I think; is the very eventuality you sought to forestall。〃
〃Wh
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