I Read What?!

So last time, Zak killed a shit ton of space squids, and Clacker is in bad shape.



So we start this chapter back in Menzoberranzan. Matron Malice and Matron Baenre are having a confab of sorts. Malice is in bad shape:

Deep lines of worry creased Malice’s once smooth face, and her stark white hair, which had been the envy of her generation, was, for one of the very few times in five centuries, frazzled and unkempt. Most striking, though, were Malice’s eyes, once radiant and alert but now dark with weariness and sunken in the sockets of her dark skin.

She is rather understandably frustrated as Zaknafein had been so close to killing Drizzt. But she's quick to say that Zak's on his trail again. Matron Baenre is surprisingly encouraging, and we get another look at the comparative status of Do'Urden vs. Baenre, as Malice notes that the entire Do'Urden complex could fit in the Baenre chapel area, and the entire family and soldiers, multiplied by ten, wouldn't fill the benches.

There's also a very tacky sounding illusionary image of a drow woman that turns into a spider and back again.

Anyway, Matron Baenre is still very encouraging, telling her that Lolth wouldn't have done this, or accepted the sacrifice of SiNafay if she didn't approve.

She bolsters the faltering Malice by reminding her that fear is a distraction, and will power and trust in Lolth are the most important part. Malice is indeed encouraged, and through Baenre's viewpoint, we learn that the reason that she's so encouraging is because Lolth told her to be. Interesting.

Malice is actually here for another reason: she's worried that her house is vulnerable. Even though Zin-carla is an honor, and she herself is exempt from attack by custom, they're still recovering from their war. She's worried because being eighth house is an enviable position and Lolth hasn't clearly favored them yet.

Baenre grants a gift: two hundred Baenre soldiers to bolster Do'Urden's numbers. She must really want Malice to succeed. Or, well...

Malice leaves, and Jarlaxle appears out of nowhere. He and Matron Baenre seem to have a good rapport, and I know why, but I'm not sure when exactly that comes up, so I'll keep quiet. He thinks that Malice is pitiful, and she's not the same person he met before. He asks if she'll fail. Matron Baenre doesn't know, but "our" soldiers will lend comfort and support for the task.

I'm not sure if, by that, she means that Bregan D'aerthe are included in that number. I'm assuming so.

They both seem to believe that Do'Urden's rise is part of Lolth's will. Jarlaxle asks an interesting question: why hasn't Lolth just crushed Drizzt herself. But we get some interesting theological theory here:

“He has forsaken the Spider Queen,” Baenre replied, “fully and with all his heart. Lolth has no power over Drizzt and has determined him to be Matron Malice’s problem.”

Matron Baenre is contemplative because she's been through the ritual twice before herself. She succeeded and that was part of why she's ranked so high now, but that's also why she's so withered and old looking.

Jarlaxle is simply ambitious. He figures if Malice wins, he/Bregan D'aerthe will have another powerful ally. If she loses, they can go after Drizzt for an even higher bounty. Win/win.

--

We shift scenes to a jubilant Malice. She's still anxious, but right now, there's some reassurance since Baenre is basically Lolth's voice in the city. She contemplates the ninth house, their biggest challenger: Fey-Branch, and what their matron might think of all these soldiers.

Dinin on the other hand has a different perspective:

Privately, though, Dinin couldn’t ignore his disturbing suspicions that many of the Baenre soldiers, drow warriors he had never had the occasion to meet before, looked vaguely familiar. One of them even shot a sly wink at the elderboy of House Do’Urden.

Jarlaxle’s magical whistle being blown on the balcony of House Do’Urden came vividly to Dinin’s mind.

Well, that would confirm my guess. And Jarlaxle is continuing to court Dinin through proxy I see.

The chapter ends here. It's short enough that I would probably add the next chapter. But we're also in the last day or two of NaNoWriMo. So. Bye!!!