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ir bidding。 Sometimes the creanottures stalked the physical plane of their own volition； slaughtering any mortal who crossed their path； not excepting the drow； who were by some accounts their kindred。
The founders of the Academy had shielded Tier Breche in general and Arach…Tinilith in particular with enchantments devised to keep out any spirit save those the occupants saw fit to wele。 Countless generations of priestesses had deemed those wards impregnable； but if the ear…splitting alarm told true； the barriers were falling one by one。
The blare seemed to be ing from the south。 The pleasures of chasnottisement forgotten； Quenthel ran in that direction past countless chapels； altars； and icons of Lolth in both her dark elf and spider forms； past the classrooms where the faculty gave instruction in dogma； ritual； divine magic； torture； sacrifice； and all the other arts the novices needed to learn。 Their books； chalkboards； and whimpering； half…dissected slave victims forgotten； some of the teachers and students appeared on the brink of vennotturing out to investigate the alarm； while others still looked startled and confused。
The blaring stopped。 Either the demon had given up attempting to force its way in； or else it had breached every single ward。 Quenthel susnotpected the latter was the case； and when the screaming started； she knew she was right。
〃Do you know what's breaking through？〃 she panted。
〃No；〃 hissed Yngoth； perhaps the wisest of the whip vipers。 〃The innottruder has shielded itself from the Sight。〃
〃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 disappoin