I Read What?!

So this next part is an interlude between parts two (Zaknafein) and three (the Academy). It's another monologue from Drizzt and it's short enough that I really should just move onto the next chapter.

But since I did the last one separately, I feel like, for the sake of symmetry, I should do this one separately as well.

My general laziness has nothing to do with it.



So Drizzt's monologue this time is about the Academy, and he's both eloquent and effusive in his scorn:

It is the propagation of the lies that bind drow society together, the ultimate perpetration of falsehoods repeated so many times that they ring true against any contrary evidence. The lessons young drow are taught of truth and justice are so blatantly refuted by everyday life in wicked Menzoberranzan that it is hard to understand how any could believe them. Still they do.

Drizzt thinks about how he's still scared of the place, not because of remembered physical pain or threat of death (he has, OF COURSE, "trod down many roads equally as dangerous") - instead, he's frightened when he thinks about the survivors that come from it.

Drizzt always has a level of judgment when it comes to his fellows, that I don't always enjoy. I suppose I can't blame him. He's the one who grew up there and he's had a better look than most at his society.

But at the same time, I don't remember him ever really reaching out to try to find out if there are other drow like him, like Zaknafein, who are unhappy here. Now that may not be fair, it's been years since I read these books. I may have just forgotten.

(I do know that in later books, the much older Drizzt doesn't even seem to spare that much empathy toward Zaknafein himself! But that's a rant for many years from now, assuming I get that far.)

The entire monologue actually is really well done. And a part of me kind of wants to excerpt the whole thing here. It's short enough. But that's a bad habit to get into.

He talks about the drow belief in self gratification, anything being acceptable if you can get away with it, and power coming only from strength and cunning - snatching it from the people who don't deserve it. Compassion and harmony have no place here.

I like this:

Lies engulf the drow in fear and mistrust, refute friendship at the tip of a Lolth-blessed sword The hatred and ambition fostered by these amoral tenets are the doom of my people, a weakness that they perceive as strength. The result is a paralyzing, paranoid existence that the drow call the edge of readiness.

Drizzt credits Zaknafein for why he was able to get through the Academy without internalizing their lessons. And I really really like this line:

Through the experiences of Zak’s long years, which embittered him and cost him so much, I came to hear the screams: the screams of protest against murderous treachery; the screams of rage from the leaders of drow society, the high priestesses of the Spider Queen, echoing down the paths of my mind, ever to hold a place within my mind. The screams of dying children.

So because of my laziness, I'm going to stop here, but next time, we'll see if the Academy lives up to its hype.