按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
k for the city's enemies？ They could use it to smuggle their spies and assassins in and to smuggle stolen secrets and treasure out。〃
〃I'm sure they do。 That's certainly the way our agents operate in marnotketplaces elsewhere in the Underdark。〃
An orc female came scurrying through the crowd with her head down and a parchment clutched in her hand。 Perhaps her master had threatened her with a whipping if she didn't deliver a message quickly。 She tried to dodge through the narrow space between Pharaun and another pedestrian； misstepped； and bumped into the wizard。
The pig…faced slave looked up and saw that she'd just jostled an elenotgantly and expensively dressed dark elf。 Her mouth with its prominent lower canines fell open in terror。 With a flick of his fingers； Pharaun bade her begone。 She turned and ran。
〃Then the Council should control the Bazaar properly；〃 said Ryld。 〃Don't just send the occasional patrol marching through to discourage thievery。 License the merchants。 Conduct routine searches of their pack animals； tents； and kiosks。〃
〃From what I understand；〃 said Pharaun； 〃it's been tried； and every time it was； the Bazaar became less profitable and wound up pouring fewer coins into the coffers of the matron mothers。 I daresay the same thing would happen today。 Regulation would also inconvenience all the Houses who are themselves running illicit operations hereabouts。 I assure you； a goodly number of them do。〃
Pharaun should know。 Before his exile from his own family； he and Sabal had played a substantial role in House Mizzrym's covert and highly illegal trade with the deep gnomes； or svirfneblin； arguably the deadliest of the dark elves' many foes。
〃If you say so；〃 said Ryld。 〃Not being a noble； I wouldn't know about things like that。〃
The wizard sighed。 It was true； his friend was about as humbly born as a dark elf could be； but during his climb to his present eminence； he had perforce bee fully acquainted with the ways of the aristocracy。 It was just that at odd moments he took an obscure satisfaction in pretending to a peasant like ignorance。
〃Well； I rejoice that you remain so close to your roots；〃 Pharaun said。 〃I'm counting on your familiarity with the slums to see me safely through my encounters with the lower orders。〃
〃I've been wondering when that's going to happen。 Shouldn't we have gone to Eastmyr or the Braeryn straightaway？〃
〃No point going there blind if we can acquire some intelligence first。〃
Pharaun supposed that in fact； they'd better collect it quickly； but it was a pity。 He could have used some idle time drifting through emporia like； for instance； Daelein Shimmerdark's Decanter with its astonishing collecnottion of wines； liquors； and； for those who knew how to ask； potions and poisons from all over the world。 Perhaps it would clear his head。
Or maybe it would only give him another enigma to ponder； for though there was still plenty to buy； it seemed to him the Bazaar as a whole was offering fewer goods than usual。 Why was that？ Could it possibly have anything to do with the runaway males？
And what about the demon spider that had materialized above him and Ryld on the plateau and proceeded to break into Arach…Tinilith？ Did that tie in； or was it simply a gambit in one of Menzoberranzan's innumerable secret feuds that had nothing at all to do with his concerns？
He had to grin。 He knew so little； and what little he had gleaned was scarcely a source of reassurance。
〃There it is；〃 said Ryld。
〃Indeed。〃
Carved from a long； relatively low protrusion of stone； the Jewel Box sat just inches beyond what custom decreed to be the limit