Extinction

Oothoon ate him? K'Sothra asked.

Be silent! Yngoth shot back. Then, to Quenthel, the viper said, Tell him you knew this would happen?that you were counting on his resourcefulness.

Quenthel smiled and said, "I expected no less of you, Master Pharaun. You are truly resourceful."

Pharaun returned the smile with eyes just as cold as Quenthel's. The looks they exchanged made it clear that knives had been drawn?and would be plunged home when the time was right.

"Thank you," Pharaun said, acknowledging her false compliment. "You are wiser. . Mistress. . than I thought. How clever of you to escape the aboleth. Your 'death' was in fact a ruse of the highest order. You have the very mind of a demon, when it comes to trickery, and I commend you for it. No doubt you managed to get the location of the ship out of Oothoon, in return for my life?"

Quenthel frowned. Had the mage deliberately hissed when using her title? It was almost as if he suspected the idea had come from her serpents all along. Which it only partially had.

The vipers had made a few suggestions, it was true, but it had been Quenthel who had pulled everything together, who had seen the pattern those suggestions wove.

Of course it was your idea, Hsiv soothed.

We are but your servants, added Yngoth.

You are a priestess of the great Spider Queen, and we bow to your wisdom in all things, Zinda said.

Quenthel nodded and absently stroked the largest viper's head.

K'Sothra twisted around to look at Hsiv and said, But she?

Silence, the elder viper interrupted.

Yes, silence, Quenthel snapped, her irritation rising to the surface once more. I can barely hear myself think, with all of you talking at once.

She squeezed the rest of the way into the cavern, Jeggred following close behind.

"I did discover the location of the ship of chaos," she told Pharaun and the others. "It went down in the Lake of Shadows." She turned to Valas and asked, "I assume you've heard of this lake?"

The Bregan D'aerthe scout chewed a moment?a

"It's a large lake," the scout continued, obviously sensing the high priestess's impatience, "about the same size as Lake Thoroot. The two are co

"Flowing in which direction?" Quenthel asked.

"Toward Lake Thoroot, from the northwest."

"How far?" asked Pharaun.

"About the same distance away as the Fireflow," Valas said, and Pharauns eyes lit with recognition. "By surface and tu

Quenthel nodded, pleased to see they were getting somewhere at last.

Turning to Pharaun, she said, "We'll set out for the Lake of Shadows at once. Prepare your water-breathing spells."

Pharaun's eyebrows rose and he asked, "You intend that we swim there?"

"Of course," Quenthel said.

"That won't work."

Quenthel squeezed her whip handle so tightly the serpents spat venom.

"Why not?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"For one thing, if we use an underwater route, the aboleth will follow us," Pharaun said. "We're too tasty a treat to let go, and we'd end up fighting them all the way. For another, as our able scout mentioned, if the co

Quenthel was furious?but even through her rage, she could see that the mage was right.

Why didn't you think of this? she thought furiously at her whip vipers.

A hissing match ensued, in which each of the vipers berated the other four for not realizing something so obvious.

At last, Hsiv answered. Our apologies, Mistress. It will not happen again.

Valas cleared his throat and said, "There is more than one approach to the Lake of Shadows. Chosing the wrong one, farther from the ship, could cost us days. . even tendays. Did Oothoon mention anything else about the ship of chaos, Mistress? Anything that might help me to find it in such a large body of water?"

Quenthel, still glaring at Pharaun, started to shake her head. Then she remembered a passing comment the aboleth matriarch had made.

"Only one thing," she said, "that the air above the lake was thick with bats. That's what gave the lake its name. . the shadows they make against the cavern ceiling."

"That's not the only reason, Mistress. There are … oddities there," Valas said. "It's said to be a gateway of sorts to the Plane of Shadow. Anyway, I know where the Lake of Shadows is, and I know of two different ways to reach it that are reasonably safe."

Finally, Quenthel thought then asked, "What are they?"

"The lake is co

Quenthel considered that?briefly. She wasn't about to subject herself to a cold, snowy trudge through bright sunlight again.

"We're not going back to the surface," she decided.

That's wise, Hsiv's voice breathed in her ear. House Jaelre's warriors will still be looking for us.

"We want to avoid House Jaelre's warriors," Quenthel explained to Valas. "They either killed or captured Ryld Argith, the best warrior we had. We don't want to lose anyone else."

Valas's eyes narrowed slightly, and Quenthel wondered if he was silently questioning her order. To remind him or his place, she drew her whip?but held it by her side.

Ha! K'Sothra chortled. That pricked his pride.

Valas glanced at the vipers.

"As you command, Mistress," he acquiesced. "We'll keep to the Underdark. But that leaves only one other means of reaching the Lake of Shadows?and it's a dangerous one."

"Go on," Quenthel prompted.

"There is an ancient portal that gives access to a lake. It's a march of about four cycles from here, northward through a series of co

Quenthel nodded, unperturbed by Valas's grim tone. Everything in life was difficult?only those who rose above difficulties were worthy of Lolth's favors.

"We'll make for the portal," she told the mercenary. "Pack your things, everyone. We'll set out at once."

"This portal," Pharaun said slowly. "What makes it so difficult to reach?"

"It lies directly under the ruins of Myth Dra

"Myth Dra

"We wouldn't be facing a beholder, this time," Valas said. "Which is probably just as well, since we don't have our 'best warrior' here to dispatch it, like he did the last one."

"What would we be facing?" Pharaun asked.

Valas muttered something too low for Quenthel to hear, but Pharaun's reply was loud enough for her ears to catch.

"Too bad our spiders have lost their venom," he said, glancing at Quenthel and Danifae.