Baenre, " she continued, indicating the smallest of the three. "And Quenthel. Behind stand my sons, Dantrag and Berg'inyon, who is known to you.~~
"Well met, " Drizzt said cheerily to Berg'inyon. He managed a smile with his salutation and received another vicious slap from the matron mother.
"Six Baenres have come to see you, Drizzt Do'Urden, " Matron Baenre went on, and Drizzt wished that she would quit repeating his name with every sentence! "You should feel honored, Drizzt Do'Urden."
"I would clasp wrists, " Drizzt replied, "but. . ." He looked helplessly up to his chained hands and barely flinched as another stinging slap predictably came against his face.
"You know that you will be given to Lloth, " Baenre said.
Drizzt looked her straight in the eye. "In body, but never in soul."
"Good, " purred the matron mother. "You will not die quickly, I promise. You will prove a wellspring of information, Drizzt Do'Urden."
For the first time in the conversation, a dark cloud crossed Drizzt's features.
"I will torture him, Mother, " Vendes offered eagerly.
"Duk Tak!" Matron Baenre scolded, turning sharply on her daughter.
"Duk Tak, " Drizzt mouthed under his breath, then he recognized the name. In the Drow tongue, duk tak meant, literally, unholy executioner. It was also the nickname of one of the Baenre daughters, this one apparently, whose handiwork, in the form of dark elves turned into ebony statues, was often on display at the drow Academy.
"Wonderful, " Drizzt muttered.
"You have heard of my precious daughter?" Matron Baenre asked, spinning back to the prisoner. "She will have her time with you, I promise, Drizzt Do'Urden, but not before you provide me with valuable information."
Drizzt cast a doubting look the withered drow's way.
"You can withstand any torture, " Matron Baenre remarked. "That I do not doubt, noble fool." She lifted a wrinkled hand to stroke the illithid who had moved to her side. "But can you withstand the intrusions of a mind flayer?"
Drizzt felt the blood drain from his face. He had once been a prisoner of the cruel illithids, a helpless, hapless fool, his mind nearly broken by their overpowering wills. Could he fend such intrusions?
"You thought this would end, 0 noble fool!" Matron Baenre screeched. "You delivered the prize, stupid, arrogant, noble fool!"
Drizzt felt that sick feeling return tenfold. He couldn't hide his cringe as the matron mother went on, her logic following an inescapable course that tore into Drizzt Do'Urden's heart.
"You are but one prize, " she said. "And you will aid us in the conquest of another. Mithril Hall will be ours more easily now that King Bruenor Battlehammer's strongest ally is out of the way. And that very ally will show us the dwarven weaknesses.
"Methil!" she commanded, and the illithid walked directly in front of Drizzt. The ranger closed his eyes, but felt the four octopus like tentacles of the creature's grotesque head squirm across his face, as if looking for specific spots.
Drizzt cried out in horror, snapped his head about wildly, and even managed to bite one of the tentacles.
The illithid fell back.
"Duk Tak!" Matron Baenre commanded, and eager Vendes rushed forward, slamming a brass covered fist into Drizzt's cheek. She hit him again, and a third time, gaining momentum, feeding off the torture.
"Must he be conscious?" she asked, her voice pleading.
"Enough!" Drizzt heard Matron Baenre reply, though her voice seemed far away. Vendes smacked him once more, then he felt the tentacles squirm over his face again. He tried to protest, to move his head about, but he hadn't the strength.
The tentacles found a hold; Drizzt felt little pulses of energy run through his face.
His screams over the next ten minutes were purely instinctive, primal, as the mind flayer probed his mind, sent horrid images careening through his thoughts and devoured every mental counter Drizzt had to offer. He felt naked, vulnerable, stripped of his very emotions.
Through it all, Drizzt, though he did not know it, fought valiantly, and when Methil moved back from him, the illithid turned to Matron Baenre and shrugged.
"What have you learned?" the matron mother demanded.
This one is strong, Methil replied telepathically. It will take more sessions.
"Continue!" snapped Baenre.
"He will die, " Methil somehow said in a gurgling, watery sounding voice. "Tomorrow."
Matron Baenre thought for a moment, then nodded her accord. She looked to Vendes, her vicious Duk Tak, and snapped her fingers, sending the wild drow into a fierce rush.
Drizzt's world fell away into blackness.
Chapter 20 PERSONAL AGENDA
The female?" Triel asked impatiently, pacing Jarlaxle's private quarters in a secret