Queen of the Demonweb Pits

Lolth, and look what happened to Keggle Bend.'

The Justicar held Escalla protectively in his arms.

'No. Lolth was always going to kill, but we did determine what world she would strike.' Even here, Jus's sword was only a handspan away. 'Her victims need justice.'

'Here's to Justice.'

They shared a cup of river water. Retrieving clothes, Escalla sat on the moss with her heels tucked into her rump and turned the problem over in her mind.

'Lolth didn't hit Keggle Bend just because we were there.'

'She's invading.' The Justicar ran his hands across the velvet stubble of his skull. 'If we don't stop her, there'll be more towns going the same way as Keggle Bend.'

Escalla thoughtfully combed moss out of her hair.

'All right, so we go for Lolth. Stop Lolth, and you also should stop Tielle and Recca. Without Lolth, her armies are toast. All those monsters would be at each other's throats in a minute!'

'That's the way. That's the weakness.' Jus scowled at the water. 'But she's a tanar'ri, a powerful one. The tanar'ri lords only truly die if they die on their own home plane. We have to kill her when she's in the Abyss.' He skimmed a rock into the stream. 'When she returns to the Abyss, we have to be there.'

Escalla stared at splashes in the stream. 'Can we take out a god?'

'Like any other god, Lolth is a deity only because she says she is. Gods are just creatures with enough power to bully and destroy.' The Justicar looked at the old holy symbol that hung about his neck-a solar symbol cut through by a blow of his own sword long, long ago. 'If it lives, then it can die. It's time we brought the gods a taste of Justice.'

Escalla winced. 'Some honeymoon!'

'There's another problem. Recca and Tielle will be trying to find our trail. We'll have to move fast, before they reason out what we're going to do.'

'Ambush the ambushers?' Escalla shrugged. 'Bring 'em on.' The girl ran fingers through her hair and thought a moment. 'Right. The Abyss. Fine! So what gear do we need? We need crossbow bolts for Henry.'

'We'll take them from the enemy.'

'We need gems for Enid so she can make ink for her stun symbol.'

Jus gave a snort. 'Polk kept five emeralds. He was going to use them to buy booze.'

'Fine.' Escalla ticked off the last point on her list. 'Most of all, we need to protect you. I can do a stoneskin spell that'll block the first half dozen hits you take, but for that, I need to powder up a diamond.'

'Diamond.' The Justicar hissed and scowled. 'There's no diamond.'

Escalla gave a wan little grimace and waved her engagement ring. She threw it into the party fund.

'No point having a rock with no husband. Get me a bigger one from Lolth.'

They rose, dressed, and held each other quietly by the river. Finally Escalla ruffled Jus's stubble and gave him a smile.

'Someone finally touched the faerie.'

Jus smiled. They paused at the edge of the boulders. Jus held up his fingers, and Escalla clasped them in her hand.

'Forever and always?'

'Forever and always.'

They drew apart in a thin attempt to pretend they were as pure as driven snow. Escalla flew gaily on ahead, suddenly in the grip of a food frenzy. Left behind, Jus felt suddenly weak at the knees.

He sagged and held onto a tree for support.

Jutting through his belt, the sword Benelux was scandalized. Sir. I am agog! I realized a warrior's weapon must always be at hand. But sir, there are limits to what I can try not to overhear!

Mortified, Jus blushed. 'So you, ah, heard?'

I did indeed! Most undecorous! Benelux gave a sniff. What question did you keep asking her, and why did she keep agreeing so vigorously?

The Justicar ducked his head and walked doggedly through the trees.

'Never mind!'

About twenty large fish were smoking over the fire when Escalla came out of the bushes. She looked neither right nor left, blushed bright pink, and held herself stiff as a brush. She busied herself ineffectually arranging the fish, while Enid crept over to her side.

They worked side by side where Henry could not hear. Enid kept her voice a little whisper. 'Psst! Did he…?'

'Uh-huh!'

'Did you…?'

'Uh-huh.'

'Was it…?'

'Unbelievable!' Escalla snatched food and headed for the nearest place where they could gossip.

14

In all the legions of all the armies of all the forces of Lolth, not one officer had the foresight to bring along a map of the Flanaess. It was left to Morag to churn through the burned remnants of Keggled Bend's library. Filthy with soot and cursing bitterly, she tried to make sense out of the scraps of ash and rubbish left by a thousand rampaging demons.

She summoned her own vassal tanar'ri-hopping demons shaped like frogs, vultures, or rotting canines with crab claws. None of them were any earthly use. They merely upset the piles of scorched shelves and rubbish to make yet more mess. Apparently the only creature in the Abyss with any hint of intelligence, Morag did the filthy job herself, digging through ruins that still reeked of blood and fire.

Fastidious as a cat, Morag swore at each smudge and smear. Rotted bodies, putrefied entrails, blood, and sludge revolted her. All she wanted was a little home-a neat tower made of bone she would set beside a waterfall. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere clean. Somewhere a book could be left open without a quasit ripping out the pages to line its nest! There should be more to life than this! Cleanliness! Friends! Someone to talk to-even someone to curl up against. No more pain, no more blood, no more fear. But she was trapped. Lolth had discovered her secret, true name, and now Morag was bound to centuries of servitude. There was nothing Morag could do-no escape, no freedom, nothing while Lolth still held Morag's true name in her claws!

Morag heaved over a fresh pile of intermingled bodies, burned books, and fallen roofing tiles, swearing openly as she set about her work.

'I could have taken service with Demogorgon. I could have been with Jubilex, but no-o-o-o-o!' She worked in a flurry, all six arms hurling ruined parchments to the winds. 'The queen of the drow will have manners! The queen of the drow will have dry quarters! Intrigue, cunning, plot, adventure! We'll get it all from the queen of the drow!'

'Mora-a-a-a-ag? Morag!'

An imperious summons came from the streets. Cursing as she pulled her sleek black clothing straight, Morag slithered over to a broken window and looked out.

There she was-near naked, wild, and magnificent. Lolth, looking rested, relaxed, and competent, walked upon a carpet of terrified slaves as she conferred with her generals.

'Morag? Where have you slithered off to now, you slimy little spinster?'

With a weary sigh, Morag perched herself in the window and called, 'Yes, your Magnificence?'

'Morag!' Lolth looked over at the ruins in disdain. 'What are you doing? You look like a charcoal burner.'

'I am searching for maps, Magnificence.'