Extinction

Unlike Quenthel, who was listening avidly as the demon spoke, Valas seemed not to be listening; his attention was focused on cleaning the sticky black streaks of demon's blood from his dagger. Danifae stood behind them, an openly skeptical look upon her face, toying with a ring. Jeggred, bored, was licking the wound on his wrist.

"This information is useless," Quenthel said. "How are we to find this ship?assuming it exists? I've never heard of a city by that name."

"I have," Valas said. As the others turned to the mercenary, he gave a final polish to the kukri, then shoved it back into its sheath. "It's an aboleth city."

Pharaun rolled his eyes and said, "It just gets better and better, doesn't it? Those fish-folk are the last creatures I want to deal with."

Danifae suddenly stirred.

"Mistress," she said, "Pharaun's right. Shouldn't we be?"

"Silence," Quenthel spat. "I've noted your cowering?how you kept to the rear, like a whimpering male?and am tired of it. If I want your opinion, priestess, I'll ask for it.

Danifae did as she was told, pursing her lips shut in a tight, angry line.

"Zanhoriloch isn't far from here," Valas continued. "It's in Lake Thoroot."

"In Lake Thoroot?" Quenthel asked.

"Aboleths live underwater."

"How far?" the high priestess asked.

The scout frowned, thinking.

"If I can find the right tunnel," he said, "the journey would take no longer than it would for the heat to rise through Narbondel."

Quenthel considered that, then asked, "How big is this lake?"

"Enormous," Valas answered. "Big enough to cover a city, at any rate."

"Or a ship," Quenthel mused. "If the ship of chaos had just left Zanhoriloch when it ran into the storm, it may be at the bottom of the lake. If it is, the only ones who would know of its existence would be the aboleths." She glanced at Belshazu, and her expression hardened. "Assuming, that is, the ship is still intact. You said it was 'lost' in a storm, Belshazu? How badly damaged was it?"

Belshazu shrugged and said, "The mane said it was intact."

Quenthel's eyes narrowed.

"Then why didn't the demons try to recover it?" she asked.

Belshazu's eyes blazed.

"Weren't you listening, drow? I said it was lost?on this, the foulest of planes. How were we to find it?"

Pharaun, listening quietly, noticed that Danifae was staring at him. She'd shifted slightly, so that Quenthel was between her and the demon. When she had Pharaun's attention, she spoke to him in sign, behind Quenthel's back.

The demons know where the city is now. The minute you release this one?

Pharaun gave a quick flick of his fingers: Yes.

More than that, he did not offer. For all he knew, Belshazu could read the silent speech.

It was Valas, as usual, who asked the practical question, "Once we find the ship, and raise it from the lake, how do we sail it?"

Belshazu gave him a sly grin and replied, "The ship has a mouth. All you need do is feed it a soul."

Quenthel matched the demon's lascivious smile with one of her own. Seeing her glance in his direction, Pharaun had no doubt whatsoever about whom she'd most like to shove into the demon ship's gullet.

"And?" Valas asked, still focused on the practicalities. "Once the ship's been fed, what do we do next?"

"Sail it," Belshazu answered derisively. "It has sails, and lines, and a tiller. Catch the wind and go. Continue up the River of Shadows, and sail the breadth of the Shadow Deep. The river branches as it reaches the Abyss. Smaller streams empty into the pits that pock the Plain of Infinite Portals. One of those portals leads to the sixty-sixth layer. Follow the right branch, and the ship will carry you into the Demonweb Pits."

Pharaun said nothing. It all sounded highly doubtful to him. Quenthel, however, had a gleam in her eye. The serpents in her whip lashed in apparent eagerness for their mistress to begin the search for the ship of chaos?at once.

"Our thanks, Belshazu," she told the demon in a purring voice. "And my apologies for the indignities this mage has subjected you to." She stared coldly down at Pharaun, and gave a terse order: "Release him."

Behind her, Danifae gestured rapidly at Pharaun, No! The demon will only be waiting at the ship when we?

With the speed of one of her serpents, Quenthel turned and, in one smooth motion, pulled the whip from her belt. Hissing with glee, the vipers lashed out at Danifae.

"I ordered you not to speak!" Quenthel shrieked.

Caught by surprise, Danifae was slow to react. She reared back?but not before the longest of the serpents grazed her cheek with its teeth. Its work done, the viper curled back, eyeing the livid red lines it had drawn in the drow's soft flesh. As its venom flowed through Danifae's body, she sagged to her knees, already gasping for air.

Quenthel stood staring coldly down at Danifae, stroking the head of the viper that had inflicted the near-fatal kiss.