days were fought against the horrors of the Underdark,
monsters killed of necessity, Drizzt had not forgotten the
meeting in the chapel of House Do'Urden.
He knew that his scimitars soon would be put to use
against the flesh of drow elves.
Zaknafein looked out over Menzoberranzan, as he so of-
ten did when Drizzt's patrol group was out of the city. Zak
was torn between wanting to sneak out of the house to fight
at Drizzt's side, and hoping that the patrol would return
with the news that Drizzt had been slain.
Would Zak ever find the answer to the dilemma of the
youngest Do'Urden? he wondered. Zak knew that he could
not leave the house; Matron Malice was keeping a very close
eye on him. She sensed his anguish over Drizzt, Zak knew,
and she most definitely did not approve. Zak was often her
lover, but they shared little other than that.
Zak thought back to the battles he and Malice had fought
over Vierna, another child of common concern, centuries
before. Vierna was a female, her fate sealed from the mo-
ment of her birth, and Zak could do nothing to halt the as-
sault of the Spider Queen's overwhelming religion.
Did Malice fear that he might have better luck influencing
the actions of a male child? Apparently the matron did, but
even Zak was not so certain if her fears were justified; even
he couldn't measure his influence over Drizzt.
He peered out over the city now, silently watching for the
patrol group's return-waiting, as always, for Drizzt's safe
return, but secretly hoping, that his dilemma would be
ended by the claws and fangs of a lurking monster.
Chapter 18
The Black Room
"My greetings, Faceless One” the high priestess said,
pushing past Alton into his private chambers in Sorcere.
"And mine to you, Mistress Vierna” Alton replied, trying
to keep the fear out of his voice. Vierna Do'Urden coming to
see him at this time had to be more than coincidence. "What
act has brought me the honor of a visit from a mistress oL
Arach- Tinilith?"
"No longer a mistress” said Vierna. "I have returned to my
home”
Alton paused to consider the news. He knew that Dinin
Do'Urden had also resigned his position at the Academy.
"Matron Malice has brought her family back together”
Vierna continued. "There are stirrings of war. You have
heard them, no doubt?"
"Just rumors” Alton stuttered, now beginning to under-
stand why Vierna had come to call on him. House Do'Urden
had used the Faceless One before in its plotting-in its at-
tempt to assassinate Alton! Now, with rumors of war whis-
pered throughout Menzoberranzan, Matron Malice was
re-establishing her network of spies and assassins.
"You know of them?" Vierna asked sharply.
"I have heard little” Alton breathed, careful now not to
anger the powerful female. "Not enough to report to your
house. I did not even suspect that House Do'Urden was in-
volved until now, when you informed me” Alton could only
hope that Vierna had no detection spell aimed at his words.
Vierna relaxed, apparently appeased by the explanation.
"Listen more carefully to the rumors, Faceless One” she
said. "My brother and I have left the Academy; you are to be
the eyes and ears of House Do'Urden in this place”
"But. . “ Alton stuttered.
Vierna held up a hand to stop him. "We know of our fail-
ure in our last transaction” she said. She bowed low, some-
thing a high priestess rarely did to a male. "Matron Malice
sends her deepest apologies that the unguent you received
for the assassination of Alton DeVirdid not restore the fea-
tures to your face”
Alton nearly choked on the words, now understanding
why an unknown messenger had delivered the jar of heal-
ing salve some thirty years before. The cloaked figure was
an agent of House Do'Urden, come to repay the Faceless
One for his assassination of Alton! Of course, Alton had
never even tried the unguent. With his luck, it would have
worked, and would have restored the features of Alton
DeVir.
"This time, your payment cannot fail” Vierna went on,
though Alton, too caught up in the irony of it all, hardly lis-
tened. "House Do'Urden possesses a wizard's staff but no
wizard worthy to wield it. It belonged to Nalfein, my
brother, who died in the victory over DeVir”
Alton wanted to strike out at her. Even he wasn't that stu-
pid, though.
"If you can discern which house plots against House
Do'Urden” Vierna promised, "the staff will be yours! A trea-
sure indeed for such a small act”
"I will do what I can” Alton replied, having no other re-
sponse to the incredible offer.
"That is all Matron Malice asks of you” said Vierna, and
she left the wizard, quite certain that House Do'Urden had
secured a capable agent within the Academy.
"Dinin and Vierna Do'Urden have resigned their posi-
tions” said Alton excitedly as the diminutive matron mother
came to him later that same evening.
"This is already known to me” replied SiNafay Hun'ett.
She looked around disdainfully at the littered and scorched
room, then took a seat at the small table.
"There is more” Alton said quickly, not wanting SiNafay to
get upset about being disturbed over old news. "} have had a
visitor this day, Mistress Vierna Do'Urden'"
"She suspects?" Matron SiNafay growled.
"No, no!" Alton replied. "Quite the opposite. House Do'Ur-
den wishes to employ me as a spy, as it once employed the
Faceless One to assassinate me'"
SiNafay paused for a moment, stunned, then issued a
laugh straight from her belly. "Ah, the ironies of our lives!"
she roared.
"had heard that Dinin and Vierna were sent to the Acad-
emy only to oversee the education of their younger
brother” remarked Alton.
"An excellent cover” SiNafay replied. "Vierna and Dinin
were sent as spies for the ambitious Matron Malice. My
compliments to her”
"Now they suspect trouble” Alton stated, sitting opposite
his matron mother.
"They do” agreed SiNafay. "Masoj patrols with Drizzt, but
House Do'Urden has also managed to plant Dinin in the
group”
"Then Masoj is in danger” reasoned Alton.
"No” said SiNafay. "House Do'Urden does not know that
House Hun'ell perpetrates the threat against it, else it would
not have come to you for information. Matron Malice
knows your identity”
A look of terror crossed Alton's face.
"Not your true identity” SiNafay laughed at him. "She
knows the Faceless One as Gelroos Hun'ell, and she would
not have come to a Hun'ell if she suspected our house”
"Then we have an excellent opportunity to throw House
Do'Urden into chaos!" Alton cried. "If I implicate another
house, even Baenre, perhaps, our position will be strength-
ened” He chuckled at the possibilities. "Malice will reward
me with a staff of great power-a weapon I will turn against
her at the proper moment!"
"Matron Malice!" SiNafay corrected sternly. Even though
she and Malice were soon to be open enemies, SiNafay
would not permit a male to show such disrespect to a ma-
tron mother. "Do you really believe that you could carry out
such a deception?"
"When Mistress Vierna returns. . “
"You will not deal with a lesser priestess with such valued
information, foolish DeVir. You will face Matron Malice her-
self, a formidable foe. If she sees through your lies, do you
know what she will do to your body?"
Alton gulped audibly. "I am willing to take the risk” he
said, crossing his arms resolutely on the table.
"What of House Hun'ett when the biggest lie is revealed?"
SiNafay asked. "What advantage will we enjoy when Ma-
tron Malice knows the Faceless One's true identity?"
"I understand” Alton answered, crestfallen but unable to
refute SiNafay's logic. "Then what are we to do? What am I
to do?"
Matron SiNafay was already considering their next
moves. "You will resign your tenure” she said at length. "Re-
turn to House Hun'ett, within my protection”
"Such an act might also implicate House Hun'ett to Matron
Malice” Alton reasoned.
"It may” replied SiNafay, "but it is the safest route. I will go
to Matron Malice in feigned anger, telling her to leave House
Hun'ett out of her troubles. If she wishes to make an inform-
ant of a member of my family, then she should come to me
for permission-though I'll not grant it this time!"
SiNafay smiled at the possibilities of such an encounter.
"My anger, my fear, alone could implicate a greater house
against House Do'Urden, even a conspiracy between more
than one house” she said, obviously enjoying the added ben-
efits. "Matron Malice will certainly have much to think
about, and much to worry about!"
Alton hadn't even heard SiNafay's last comments. The
words about granting her permission "this time" had
brought a disturbing notion into his mind. " And did she?" he
dared to ask, though his words were barely audible.
"What do you mean?" asked SiNafay, not following his
thoughts.
"Did Matron Malice come to you?" Alton continued,
frightened but needing an answer. "Thirty years ago. Did
Matron SiNafay grant her permission for Gelroos Hun'ett to
becom~ an agent, an assassin to complete House DeVir's
elimination?"
A wide smile spread across SiNafay's face, but it vanished
in the blink of an eye as she threw the table across the room,
grabbed Alton by the front of his robes, and pulled him
roughly to within an inch of her scowling visage.
"Never confuse personal feelings with politics!" the tiny
but obviously strong matron growled, her tone carrying the
unmistakable weight of an open threat. t, And never ask me
such a question again!"
She threw Alton to the floor but didn't release him from
her penetrating glare.
Alton had known all along that he was merely a pawn in
the intrigue between House Hun'ett and House Do'Urden, a
necessary link for Matron SiNafay to carry out her treach-
erous plans. Every now and then, though, Alton's personal
grudge against House Do'Urden caused him to forget his
lowly place in this conflict. Looking up now at SiNafay's
bared power, he realized that he had overstepped the
bounds of his position.
At the back end of the mushroom grove, the southern
wall of the cavern that housed Menzoberranzan, was a
small, heavily guarded cave. Beyond the ironbound doors
stood a single room, used only for gatherings of the city's
eight ruling matron mothers.
The smoke of a hundred sweet-smelling candles perme-
ated the air; the matron mothers liked it that way. After al-
most half a century of studying scrolls in the candlelight of
Sorcere, Alton did not mind the light, but he was indeed un-
comfortable in the chamber. He sat at the back end of a
spider-shaped table, in a small, unadorned chair reserved
for guests of the council. Between the table's eight hairy legs
were the ruling matron mothers' thrones, all jeweled and
dazzling in the candlelight.
The matrons filed in, pompous and wicked, casting belit-
tling glares at the male. SiNafay, at Alton's side, put a hand
on his knee and gave him a reassuring wink. She would not
have dared to request a gathering of the ruling council if she
was not certain of the worthiness of her news. The ruling
matron mothers viewed their seats as honorary in nature
and did not appreciate being brought together except in
times of crisis.
At the head of the spider table sat Matron Baenre, the
most powerful figure in all of Menzoberranzan, an ancient
and withered female with malicious eyes and a mouth unac-
customed to smiles.
"We are gathered, SiNafay” Baenre said when all eight
members had found their appointed chairs. "For what rea-
son have you summoned the council?"
"To discuss a punishment” SiNafay replied.
"Punishment?" Matron Baenre echoed, confused. The re-
cent years had been unusually quiet in the drow city, with-
out an incident since the Thken'duis-Freth conflict. To the
First Matron's knowledge, no acts had been committed that
might require a punishment, certainly none so blatant as to
force the ruling council to action. "What individual deserves
this?"
"Not an individual” explained Matron SiNafay. She
glanced around at her peers, measuring their interest. "A
house” she said bluntly. "Daerrnon N'a'shezbaernon, House
Do'Urden” Several gasps of disbelief came in reply, as SiNa-
fay had expected.
"House Do'Urden?" Matron Baenre questioned, surprised
that any would implicate Matron Malice. By all of Baenre's
knowledge, Malice remained in high regard with the Spider
Queen, and House Do'Urden had recently placed two in-
structors in the Academy.
"For what crime do you dare to charge House Do'Urden?"
asked one of the other matrons.
Are these words of fear, SiNafay?" Matron Baenre had to
ask. Several of the ruling matrons had expressed concern
about House Do'Urden. It was well known that Matron Mal-
ice desired a seat on the ruling council, and, by all measures
of the power of her house, she seemed destined to get it.
"I have appropriate cause” SiNafay insisted.
"The others seem to doubt you” replied Matron Baenre.
"You should explain your accusation-quickly, if you value
