long, there was always the chance that the merchant she'd charmed to part with Danifae's new arms would recover his wits and report the incident to the authorities. Had they simply murdered the merchants . . . but no, if they'd been caught at that, they would already have paid with their lives.
She tugged at the long hem of the mail hauberk and wriggled to settle it better on her shoulders.
"Master Argith, how long will it take the duergar army to march?" Halisstra asked.
"Soon," Ryld said. "They can't keep that many pack lizards in harness for long. The question is how long after the army sallies before they allow travel to resume. If we wait them out, we might be delayed for days."
"Delayed - or disposed of," Danifae warned.
"We will set out at once," Quenthel said, putting a halt to the debate.
The Mistress of the Academy dressed for battle, her face set in a black scowl, her whips writhing in agitation.
"That begs the question that was raised a moment ago - which way do we go?" asked Ryld.
The weapons master finished with his supplies and pickedup the hole, rolling it tightly and slipping it into his pack.
"I can retrace our steps back to Mantol-Derith," Pharaun offered, "but it will be difficult to move forward from here. I don't know the way to the Labyrinth, so any stroll we took on the Plane of Shadow would doubtless lead us to a strange and cheerless end. There are too many of you for me to teleport us all together, so unless someone feels like answering to the gray dwarves for the rest of the company's sudden departure, I suppose that's out as well."
"What about a spell to conceal our identities?" Ryldasked.
"Regrettably," the wizard replied, "gray dwarves are notoriously resist-ant to illusions of any kind."
Halisstra added, "If only one saw through a disguise and saw a party of dark elves. ..."
"Better to simply render us all invisible," the Master of Sorcere said. "Yes, that would be the most expedient solution to this little conundrum. It quite reminds me of a time when - "
"Enough." Quenthel shifted in her seat and asked Valas, "Do we need to set out for the Labyrinth from here, or could you find a way around Gracklstugh if we retraced our steps a bit?"
"It will take several more days to circle the city," the scout answered, "but I could guide you past Gracklstugh's borders."
"Fine," Quenthel said. "We will head back for the docks and make use of Coalhewer's boat. It's the most direct route out of the city from here, and unless I miss my guess, the lakeside will be less heavily guarded than the tunnels. Is everybody armed?" She looked around quickly. No one re-quested more time to prepare, so the Baenre priestess nodded with a small gesture of approval and turned to Pharaun. "What must we do for your spell to succeed?"
"Join hands and stay close to me,"Pharaun said, "or wander off if you like, in which case you will find yourself inconveniently visible. I will not be held responsible for any difficulties that ensue."
Fully armed and armored, packs shouldered, all but Valas joined hands and waited. The Master of Sorcere, standing in their center, hissed out a sibilant string of arcane words and wove his hands in mystic passes. They all vanished from view. Halisstra could feel Danifae's hand on her left shoulder, and she clasped Ryld's cuirass with her own right hand, but as far as her eyes could tell, only the scout was in the room.
"Are you ready, Master Hune?" Pharaun asked, unseen.
Valas offered a small nod. He was dressed in what passed for his own finery, a simple vest of chain mail over a good shirt of spider silk and dark breeches, hispiwafwi thrown over one shoulder in a rakish fashion. Odd badges and tokens pinned here and there to his clothing, the defenses and charms of half a dozen races, completed his ensemble.
"I'll dawdle in the courtyard a moment. Make sure you're all out swiftly; it will look less suspicious if I don't stand around for long. I'll join you atCoalhewer's boat in ten minutes."
"You'll be tailed," Ryld said.
Valas Hune seemed honestly offended.
"No one alive can follow me when I do not wish to be followed," he said.
Valas went out into the courtyard, throwing open the door to their room and taking a long moment to stretch. Halisstra felt Ryld shuffle for-ward, and she did likewise, crowding close behind him as Danifae