Descent into the Depths of the Earth

then cleared her throat to attract the attention of the menfolk just behind her. “Ah, guys? Guys, we may have a problem.”

19

Apparently suspicious of why the party was loitering, the twohuge kuo-toa had come to escort them off the altar. Still, they ignored all of the travelers save Escalla. To the faerie, they spoke in their snapping, vicious tongue, crouching like mad carnivorous nightmares over the dainty faerie. The kuo-toa bid Escalla a farewell, then turned and left their guests standing alone and unguarded in the room.

The northern side of the huge temple had been carefully sculpted into palatial apartments. The rooms were perfectly squared with high ceilings rippled by an eerie underwater light. Walking slowly up sand-scattered steps, the Justicar and his companions might have been in a palace under the sea. Jus walked over shells and dried seaweed, past the gnawed remains of grizzly cannibalistic meals, and halted at the edges of the hall.

Escape lay only thirty yards away. The northwest tunnel opened into the underdark but was guarded by a team of kuo-toan warriors. On the sands just outside the palatial apartments, a group of them sparred carefully with weapons while a gnarled instructor taught the arts of the backstab and the garotte. The creatures paid no attention to the visitors behind them. Escalla looked about uncertainly, shrugged, then pointed to an entrance just beyond.

The new room had definite possibilities. At the far wall, two tall statues of the lobster-headed goddess flanked an ugly throne that had been studded with pearls. The throne depicted fish skulls and drowning humans being torn apart by crabs. The walls were carved into horrible bas-reliefs, the rippling lighting had taken on a darker, more sinister hue.

Sitting on a platform smothered with blood, the throne faced the massive temple cave. It clearly gave a wonderful view of sacrifices, executions, and the occasional leech attack. Escalla edged forward to the threshold. There were kuo-toa soldiers crouching in the corners of the room. One thin, misshapen creature crouching at the foot of the throne held a conch shell trumpet. Pillars carved to look like columns of fish-infested skulls held aloft the ceiling. Six taller, grimmer guards lurked by the columns-all watchingEscalla and her companions in silence as the girl crept timidly into the room.

Escalla rapped her knuckles against the doorframe, clearing her throat and giving a smile as she caught the attention of the guards.

“Um, hello.” Escalla advanced a little farther into the room.The fish simply stared, their fangs gleaming and their faces devoid of emotion.

At the foot of the throne, a huge clamshell pool glinted in the light. Within it, tiny fishes swam, and brilliant sea shells gleamed. The shells caught Escalla’s eye. The girl edged a tad closer, gave a nervous,placatory wave to the guards, and peered into the pool.

“Jus, what do cone shells look like?”

“They’re sea shells, and they’re conical.”

“That’s great, Jus.” Unamused, Escalla put her fistson her hips as she hovered, glaring back at her friend. “Can you tell when ashell is venomous, or can’t you?”

“Just hold it to your ear.” The Justicar walked forward,apparently ignoring the guards. “If you hear the ocean, it’s harmless. If itkills you, it was a cone shell.”

“Funny.”

Funny! Cinders’ grin twinkled like jagged mountainpeaks.

The pool held quite a few interesting life forms-tiny blueringed octopi and sea snails with conical shells. Giving the pool a cautious glance, the Justicar kept carefully clear.

“Don’t fall in.”

“Well dub!” The faerie made a droll little face. “Anyother good advice?”

“Yes. Go talk to the chamberlain.”

Stealing silently in from a side entrance way, a hunched, thin kuo-toa came onto the dais. The creature’s eyes swiveled independently,taking in Polk and Henry, Escalla and the Justicar. The black presence of Cinders and the faerie’s golden hair seemed to impress the creature, and it madea simple little spell pass with its hand.

The creature spoke, its cruel fangs clacking. A disembodied voice, eerily suave, feminine, and calm, drifted out from somewhere in midair. “Greetings, air child. We had not looked for your return so soon.”

Biting her lip, Escalla decided that the creature was talking to her. “Well, I just can’t keep away! You know how I love this temple.”

The fish creature bobbed, its savage voice gargling. It made motions with its hands, and the female voice echoed from above. “Your gift ofsacrifices has gained you great credit with us. May we assist you?”

Escalla took on a sly look, hid it with a false blonde innocence, and clasped her hands together. “Well yes. Just a little thing fornow.” Escalla blinked brightly. “Do you remember me borrowing a deadly coneshell from you a while ago?”

“Yes.” The fish creature bobbed. “In return, you paidus with the hearts of many upworld slaves.”

“Oh, how very… outgoing of me.” Escalla looked a littlesick. “Anyway, silly me-must have slipped my mind- but can I just trouble you fora receipt?” The girl gave a polite little clasp of her hands. “It’s for myrecords, you know?”

Not quite comprehending, the kuo-toa simply stared. Escalla signaled Polk for a piece of parchment and a pen, then flew over to present them to the fish creature. “It’s an upworld thing! Sorry. Don’t mean to be a bother.”

“It is necessary?”

“I’m a faerie. Would I lie to you?” Escalla put the pen intothe creature’s clawed hands. “So if you could just write out my name and theexchange deal… you know, ‘We, the temple of the sea goddess, acknowledgethat we gave a venomous cone shell to so-and-so for the purposes of an assassination…’ That kind of thing.”

“So-and-so?”

“You know… my name.” A true mistress of fast talk, Escallawas beside the kuo-toa, helping it write out the receipt. “Just scribble it inthere. My full name. Nice and legal.”

The kuo-toa scribbled its foul script, then paused. “Please write in your name.”

“No, you do it. Just put it in here.”

“I do not recall your alien name. Phase refresh my memory.”

Frustrated, Escalla tried fishing for ideas. “Well, it’s justI forget what name I left with you guys. I have so many! Let’s see what jogsyour memory.” Escalla tried her mother’s name. “Let’s try Ifurela, LadyNightshade. No? How about Tielle?” The girl watched carefully, but the kuo-toanever twitched. “Lord Faen? Lord Ushan?”

With a sinking feeling, Jus made ready to strike with his sword. Above him, Cinders was stoking his flames. Escalla waved her hands, making less and less as she went on.

“Otiluke? Tensor? Bigby?” The girl threw up her hands. “Comeon. Gimme something to work with here!”

The kuo-toa turned and began to write. Relieved, Escalla fell back toward her friends and whispered avidly in their ears, “He’s doing it! Imean, she’s doing it! We’re getting a receipt!” The girl gave a hugegesture of relief. “So that’s it! We get the receipt, and we run for home. Nodrow city!”

With his eyes nervously fixed on the kuo-toa, Henry cleared his throat. “What about the captives from Sour Patch?”

“Yeah, too bad about that reward.” Escalla shot a guiltyglance at Jus and Henry. “Ah, I mean too bad about all those poor souls, butthey’re in the clutches of the drow, man. Nothing we can do about it. Can’t behelped!”

“We’re going after them.” The Justicar stood with his feetplanted and his eyes seeing every tiny little