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ght。〃
〃Wonderful。〃
The echoing cries led Quenthel into a spacious candlelit hall filled with towering black marble sculptures of spiders； set there to make the temple's entryway as impressive as possible。 The battered valves of the great adamantine double door in the curved south wall gaped crookedly； half off their hinges； affording a glimpse of the plateau outside。 Several priestesses lay battered and insensible on the floor。 For a moment； Quenthel couldn't make out what had caused the mess； then the culprit scuttled across her field of vision toward another hapless servant of Lolth。
The intruder was a gigantic spider bearing a close resemblance to the gleaming black effigies around it； and upon seeing it； Quenthel scowled at an unfamiliar and unwele pang of doubt。
On the one hand； the demon； if that was what it truly was； was attacknoting her pupils and staff； but on the other； it was a kind of spider； sacred to Lolth。 Perhaps it was even her emissary； sent to punish the weak and heretical。 Maybe Quenthel should simply step aside and permit it to connottinue its rampage。
It sensed her somehow； turned； and rushed toward her as if it had been looking for her all along。 Though many spiders possessed several eyes； this one； she observed； was exceptional beyond the point of deformity。 The head behind the jagged mandibles was virtually nothing but a mass of bulging eyes； and a scatter of others opened here and there about the creature's shiny black bulb of a body。
Its peculiarities notwithstanding； the spider's manifest hostile intent renotsolved Quenthel's uncertainty in an instant。 She would kill the freakish thing。
The question was； how？ She did not feel weak…she never had and never would…but she knew it was scarcely the optimal time for her to fight such a battle。 On top of any other disadvantages； she wasn't even wearing her mail tunic or piwafwi。 She rarely did within the walls of Arach…Tinilith。 For the most part； her minions feared her too much to atnottempt an assassination； and she had always been confident that she wouldn't need armor to disappoint any who did not。
As she backed away from the charging spider； her slim； gleaming obsidnotian hands opened the pouch at her belt； extracted a roll of vellum； and unnotrolled it for her scrutiny； all with practiced ease and likewise with a certain annoyance； for the magical scroll was a treasure； and she was about to use it up。 But it was necessary； and the parchment was scarcely the only magnotical implement hoarded within those walls。
Rapidly； but with perfect rhythm and pronunciation； she read the verses； the golden characters vanishing from the page as she spoke the words。 Dark； heatless flame leaped from the vellum to the floor and shot across that polished surface faster than a wildfire propagating itself across a stand of dead； dry fungus； defining a path that led from herself to the demon。
The black conflagration washed over the demon's dainty bladed feet。 It should also have driven the many…eyed creature helplessly backward； but it didn't。 The arachnid kept ing nimbly as before； which was to say； considerably faster than the best effort of a drow。
〃The spirit has defenses against the magic！〃 cried K'Sothra； perhaps the least intelligent of the whip vipers and certainly the one most inclined to belabor the obvious。
Quenthel wouldn't have time to attempt another spell before the spider reached her； nor could she outrun it。 She would have to outmaneuver it instead。 Dropping the useless sheet of parchment； she turned and dived beneath the belly of one of the statues。 Unless it had the power to shrink or shape shift； the invader wouldn't be able to negotiate the same low space。
She slid on the floor； rubbing her elbows hot。 One of the snakes cursed foully when its scaly； wedge…shaped head rapped against the stone。 She rolled over and saw that she had only bought herself a moment。 No； the demon couldn't slip under the statue but； clustered eyes glaring； it was rapnotidly clambering over the top of it。 Up close； it had a foul； carrion smell。
Quenthel knew that if she permitted the spider to pounce down o