Those high priestnotesses； hampered by their dignity； were having some difficulty making themselves fortable among the haphazardly stacked boxes and tangles of furniture littering the half…forgotten storeroom。 Of course； it didn't help that they hesitated to clear away the shrouds of filthy cobwebs dangling everywhere for fear a living spider remained within。
Drisinil wondered if that particular prohibition made sense any longer。 Perhaps spiders were no longer sacred。
Then； angry at herself； she pushed the blasphemous thought away。 Lolth abided； beyond any question； and was likely to chastise those who even for a moment imagined otherwise。
Once she wrenched her mind back to immediate concerns； Drisinil was momentarily nonplussed to find the pany regarding her expectantly。 Did they expect her to preside over the meeting？
But then again； why not？ She might be a novice； but she was Barrison Del'Armgo as well； and breeding mattered； perhaps more than ever when even the most powerful priestesses were running out of magic。 Besides； the secret gathering had been her idea。
〃Good evening；〃 she said。 〃Thank you all for attending；〃…she smiled wryly…〃and for not reporting me to Quenthel Baenre。〃
〃We still could；〃 said Vlondril Tuin'Tarl； a strange smile on her wrinnotkled lips。 〃Your task is to convince us we shouldn't。〃
The teacher was so old that she had begun to wither like a human crone。 Most folk believed her mystical contemplations of ultimate chaos had left her a little mad。 No one； not even another instructor； had opted to sit in her immediate vicinity。
〃With respect； Holy Mother；〃 Drisinil said； 〃isn't that self…evident？ The goddess； who nurtured and exalted our city since its founding； has turned her back on us。〃
Once again； Drisinil couldn't help thinking of other possibilities； but even if she'd seen a point to it； she wouldn't have dared to mention them。 No one would； not in her present pany。
〃And Quenthel is to blame；〃 added Molvayas Barrison Del'Armgo。
Though stockier and shorter than Drisinil； her aunt had the same sort of sharp nose and unmon green eyes。 Richly clad； the elder scion of the House carried an enemy's soul imprisoned in a jade ring； and at quiet moments one could occasionally hear the spirit weeping and pleading for release。 Second to Quenthel as Barrison Del'Armgo was ever second to Baenre； Molvayas had helped her niece pass word of the meeting； and her support lent it a certain credibility。
〃How do you know that？〃 asked T'risstree T'orgh。
Deceptively slender； a fully trained warrior as well as a priestess； she was notorious for carrying a naked falchion about in preference to the usual mace or whip of fangs； and gashing the exposed flesh of any student who displeased her with a fast but precisely controlled cut to the face。 The short； curved blade lay across her knees。
Drisinil waited a beat to make sure Molvayas intended her to answer the question。 Apparently she did； and rightly so； since it was the younger female who had actually conceived the argument。
〃When Triel was mistress here；〃 said the novice； 〃all was well。 Shortly after Quenthel assumed the office； Lolth rejected us。〃
〃 'Shortly' being a relative term；〃 said a sardonic voice from somewhere in the back of the room。
〃Shortly enough；〃 Drisinil retorted。 〃Perhaps the goddess gave us time to rectify the error。 We failed to do so； so now she's punishing us。〃
〃She's afflicting all Menzoberranzan；〃 T'risstree said； 〃not just Tier Breche。〃
〃Surely；〃 said Drisinil； 〃you didn't expect her to be fair。 I hope a priestnotess knows Lolth's ways better than that。 Her wrath is as boundless as her might。 Besides which； Arach…Tinilith is the repository of the deepest mysnotteries and thus the mystic heart of Menzoberranzan。 It makes perfect sense that whatever befalls us here should touch the city as a whole。
〃In any case；〃 the novice continued； 〃Lolth has shown us her intent。 Despite our safeguards； two spirits invaded the temple； the first in the guise of a spider； the second a living darkness。 Spider and darkness； reflecnottions of the essence of the goddess。 The demons injured those who got in their way。 They bruised them and broke their bones； but they didn't try to kill any of us； did they？ They were plainly seeking Quenthel； and they sought to kill her and her alone。〃
Some of the other priestesses frowned or nodded thoughtfully。
〃It did seem that way；〃 said Vlondril； 〃but what do you think is unacnotceptable about Quenthel？ Isn't she doing all the same things Triel did？〃
〃We don't know everything she does；〃 said Drisinil； 〃and we don't know what she thinks。 Lolth does。〃
〃But yo