on an issue that she wanted to avoid.
As has Faen Tlabbar, Matron Baenre added slyly, referring to the city's fourth house and Oblodra's most hated rival. Baenre's words were an obvious threat, for with both House Baenre and House Barrison Del'Armgo on its side, Faen Tlabbar would move quickly to crush Oblodra and assume the city's third rank.
Matron Baenre slid back into her sapphire throne, never taking her gaze from K'yorl.
I do not have many house drow, K'yorl said, and it was the first time Jarlaxle had ever heard the upstart Oblodran sound hum bled.
No, but you have kobold fodder! Matron Baenre snapped. And do not dare to admit to six hundred. The tunnels of the Clawrift beneath House Oblodra are vast.
I will give to you three thousand, K'yorl answered, appar ently thinking the better of some hard bargaining.
Ten times that! Baenre growled.
K'yorl said nothing, merely cocked her head back and looked down her slender, ebon skinned nose at the first matron mother.
I'll settle for nothing less than twenty thousand, Matron Baenre said then, carrying both sides of the bargaining. The defenses of the dwarven stronghold will be cunning, and we'll need ample fodder to sort our way through.
The cost is great, K'yorl said.
Twenty thousand kobolds do not equal the cost of one drow life, Baenre reminded her, then added, just for effect, in Lloth's eyes.
K'yorl started to respond sharply, but Matron Baenre stopped her at once.
Spare me your threats! Baenre screamed, her thin neck seem ing even scrawnier with her jaw so tightened and jutting forward. In Lloth's eyes, this event goes beyond the fighting of drow houses, and I promise you, K'yorl, that the disobedience of House Oblodra will aid the ascension of Faen Tlabbar!
Jarlaxle's eyes widened with surprise and he looked at Dantrag, who had no explanation. Never before had the mercenary heard, or heard of, such a blatant threat, one house against another. No grin, no witty response, came from K'yorl this time. Studying the female, silent and obviously fighting to keep her features calm, Jarlaxle could see the seeds of anarchy. K'yorl and House Oblodra would not soon forget Matron Baenre's threat, and given Matron Baenre's arrogance, other houses would undoubtedly foster similar resent ments. The mercenary nodded as he thought of his own meeting with fearful Triel, who would likely inherit this dangerous situation.
Twenty thousand, K'yorl quietly agreed, if that many of the troublesome little rats can be herded.
The matron mother of House Oblodra was then dismissed. As she entered the marble cylinder, Dantrag dropped out of the end of the spider filament and climbed from the extradimensional pocket, into the throne room.
Jarlaxle went behind, stepping lightly to stand before the throne. He swept into a low bow, the diatryma feather sticking from the brim of his great hat brushing the floor. A most magnificent performance, he greeted Matron Baenre. It was my pleasure that I was allowed to witness.
Shut up, Matron Baenre, leaning back in her throne and full of venom, said to him.
Still grinning, the mercenary came to quiet attention.
K'yorl is a dangerous nuisance, Matron Baenre said. I will ask little from her house drow, though their strange mind powers would prove useful in breaking the will of resilient dwarves. All that we need from them is kobold fodder, and since the vermin breed like muck rats, their sacrifice will not be great.
What about after the victory? Jarlaxle dared to ask.
That is for K'yorl to decide, Matron Baenre replied immedi ately. She motioned then for the others, even her scribes, to leave the room, and all knew that she meant to appoint Jarlaxle's band to a scouting mission at the very least on House Oblodra.
They all went without complaint, except for wicked Bladen' Kerst, who paused to flash the mercenary a dangerous glare. Bladen'Kerst hated Jarlaxle as she hated all drow males, considering them nothing more than practice dummies on which she could hone her torturing techniques.
The mercenary shifted his eye patch to the other eye and gave her a lewd wink in response.
Bladen'Kerst immediately looked to her mother, as if askingi permission to beat the impertinent male senseless, but Matron Baenre continued to wave her away. I
You want Bregan D'aerthe to keep close watch on House Obloj dra, Jarlaxle reasoned as soon as he was alone with Baenre. Not such an easy task
No, Matron Baenre interrupted. Even Bregan D'aerthe could not readily spy on that mysterious house.
The mercenary was glad that