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g a small spherical object in front of one eye as he chanted the words to a spell。
Quenthel's ears hadn't lied。 It was Pharaun； alive； whole； and without a single aboleth tooth mark anywhere on him。
〃Ah； Mistress；〃 the Master of Sorcere said； stopping in mid…incantation and lowering the glass sphere。 〃I was just casting a spell to help me look for you。〃
Quenthel stood frozen in the cavern entrance； mouth hanging open。 Even her serpents had stopped their usual writhing and were rigid with surprise； eyes staring； unblinking。 Then； as Valas and Danifae looked up…and gaped back at her…Quenthel realized how foolish she must have looked。
Pharaun tucked the sphere inside a pocket of his piwafwi。
〃You're wondering why I'm still alive；〃 he said； addressing the question she hadn't dared to ask。 〃The answer is simple： a contingency spell that I prepared before visiting Zanhoriloch。 I was expecting something like that little surprise you gave the aboleth matriarch； though I'm surprised you were willing to part with one of your beads of force。 Still； it served its purpose； I suppose。〃
〃What contingency spell？〃 Quenthel asked； still not understanding。
Valas； having quickly recovered from the shock of seeing Quenthel alive； bit off a chunk of fungus loaf and chewed。 Danifae sprang to her feet and clambered down the shelf of rock toward Quenthel； exclaiming her relief and joy at the fact that her mistress was alive。 Quenthel stared at Pharaun； ignoring both the lesser priestess…who was kneeling before her in a bow…and Jeggred； who was crowding close behind her to stare over her shoulder。
〃You see？〃 Jeggred grunted； his foul breath hot in her ear。 〃He came back。〃
〃Before teleporting to Zanhoriloch I cast a number of spells；〃 Pharaun explained at last。 〃One of them was a contingency that would teleport me back to these tunnels if certain events occurred。 I made the condition simple； and specific。 The spell was triggered the moment an aboleth…Oothoon； as it turned out…tried to eat me。〃
Oothoon ate him？ K'Sothra asked。
Be silent！ Yngoth shot back。 Then； to Quenthel； the viper said； Tell him you knew this would happen…that you were counting on his resourcefulness。
Quenthel smiled and said； 〃I expected no less of you； Master Pharaun。 You are truly resourceful。〃
Pharaun returned the smile with eyes just as cold as Quenthel's。 The looks they exchanged made it clear that knives had been drawn…and would be plunged home when the time was right。
〃Thank you；〃 Pharaun said； acknowledging her false pliment。 〃You are wiser 。 。 。 Mistress 。 。 。 than I thought。 How clever of you to escape the aboleth。 Your 'death' was in fact a ruse of the highest order。 You have the very mind of a demon； when it es to trickery； and I mend you for it。 No doubt you managed to get the location of the ship out of Oothoon； in return for my life？〃
Quenthel frowned。 Had the mage deliberately hissed when using her title？ It was almost as if he suspected the idea had e from her serpents all along。 Which it only partially had。 The vipers had made a few suggestions； it was true； but it had been Quenthel who had pulled everything together； who had seen the pattern those suggestions wove。
Of course it was your idea； Hsiv soothed。
We are but your servants； added Yngoth。
You are a priestess of the great Spider Queen； and we bow to your wisdom in all things； Zinda said。
Quenthel nodded and absently stroked the largest viper's head。
K'Sothra twisted around to look at Hsiv and said； But she…
Silence； the elder viper interrupted。
Yes； silence； Quenthel snapped； her irritation rising to the surface once more。 I can barely hear myself think； with all of you talking at once。
She squeezed the rest of the way into the cavern； Jeggred following close behind。
〃I did discover the location of the ship of chaos；〃 she told Pharaun and the others。 〃It went down in the Lake of Shadows。〃 She turned to Valas and asked； 〃I assume you've heard of this lake？〃
The Bregan D'aerthe scout chewed a moment…annoying Quenthel； who was used to more prompt answers。 Her hand fell to the handle of her whip； and she was just about to draw it and threaten to flog an answer out of him when he stood； wiping the last crumbs of fungus loaf from his mouth。 Why couldn't he be like Danifae who； she was pleased to see； had scurried back a pace or two？ The lesser priestess was suitably cowed by the vipers； which were nearly spitting in anticipation of tasting flesh once more。
〃It's a large lake；〃 the scout continued； obviously sensing the high priestess's impatience； 〃about the same size as Lake Thoroot。 The two are connected by an underground river。〃
〃Flowing in which direction？〃 Quenthel asked。
〃Toward Lake Thoroot； from the northwest。〃
〃How far？〃 asked Pharaun。
〃About the same distance away as the Fireflow；〃 Valas said； and Pharauns eyes lit with recognition。 〃By surface and tunnel； that's about a tenday's march from here。 The river might be longer； especially moving upstream。〃
Quenthel nodded； pleased to see they were getting somewhere at last。
Turning to Pharaun； she said； 〃We'll set out for the Lake of Shadows at once。 Prepare your water…breathing spells。〃
Pharaun's eyebrows rose and he asked； 〃You intend that we swim there？〃
〃Of course；〃 Quenthel said。
〃That won't work。〃
Quenthel squeezed her whip handle so tightly the serpents spat venom。
〃Why not？〃 she asked through gritted teeth。
〃For one thing； if we use an underwater route； the aboleth will follow us；〃 Pharaun said。 〃We're too tasty a treat to let go； and we'd end up fighting them all the way。 For another； as our able scout mentioned； if the connecting river flows from the Lake of Shadows to Lake Thoroot； we'll be swimming against the current。 That could make the journey much longer than a tenday； and there will be no place for me to stop and re…study my spell along the way。 When its magic runs out； we'll all drown。〃
Quenthel was furious…but even through her rage； she could see that the mage was right。
Why didn't you think of this？ she thought furiously at her whip vipers。
A hissing match ensued； in which each of the vipers berated the other four for not realizing something so obvious。
At last； Hsiv answered。 Our apologies； Mistress。 It will not happen again。
Valas cleared his throat and said； 〃There is more than one approach to the Lake of Shadows。 Chosing the wrong one； farther from the ship； could cost us days 。 。 。 even tendays。 Did Oothoon mention anything else about the ship of chaos； Mistress？ Anything that might help me to find it in such a large body of water？〃
Quenthel； still glaring at Pharaun； started to shake her head。 Then she remembered a passing ment the aboleth matriarch had made。
〃Only one thing；〃 she said； 〃that the air above the lake was thick with bats。 That's what gave the lake its name 。 。 。 the shadows they make against the cavern ceiling。〃
〃That's not the only reason； Mistress。 There are 。。。 oddities there；〃 Valas said。 〃It's said to be