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the scout approach。
〃Are you injured？〃 the mercenary asked him。
The scout's voice rose and fell on the wind； sounding distant though it came from only the few inches between his lips to Pharaun's ear。
〃No；〃 Pharaun answered； hearing his own voice echo in the same way。 〃I'm quite fine； actually。 Thank you for asking； Master Hune。〃
〃I'm no one's master；〃 Valas replied； not looking the mage in the eye。
He stood and began to wander slowly back in the direction of the debris field。
Pharaun asked of all three of them； 〃Has anyone seen Quenthel？〃
〃I will thank you；〃 Quenthel said from behind him； 〃to refer to me as 'Mistress。' 〃
Pharaun didn't bother to turn。 Quenthel walked past him； looking all around； apparently not giving the mage a second thought。
〃My apologies； Mistress；〃 he said。 〃I will extend Ma 。 。 。 Valas's question to the rest of you。 Are you all all right？〃
Quenthel； Danifae； and Jeggred variously shrugged； nodded； or ignored him； and Pharaun decided that was good enough。
〃Frankly；〃 Pharaun added； 〃I'm utterly shocked we survived that crash。 That was impressive； even by my standards。 What an entrance。〃
The others only sneered at him； except Valas； who shrugged and began to shift though the wreckage。
〃Yes； quite an entrance； but I'm getting worried about our exit；〃 Danifae said。 〃How do you plan to get us back？〃
Pharaun opened his mouth to speak then clamped his teeth shut。
He didn't say anything to Danifae but assumed his silence was explanation enough。 Pharaun had no idea how they were going to get back to their home plane； home world； and home city without the ship of chaos。
〃Lolth；〃 Quenthel said； 〃will provide。〃
No one looked at the high priestess or mented on how little faith was evident in her voice。
Danifae scanned around her and up into the air as the phantasms continued to drop from the sky； only to form columns then pitch themselves headlong into one of the endless array of black； puckered pits that looked like bottomless craters scattered around them as far as the eye could see in all directions。 None of them were marked in any way that Pharaun recognized； and he hadn't the faintest clue which of the pits would take them to the Demonweb Pits； the sixty…sixth layer of that endless infernal plane。
〃What are they？〃 Danifae asked； looking around at the falling apparitions。
〃The dead；〃 Quenthel answered； her voice barely audible through all the unnatural echoes that the air around them threw in and around her words。
〃Departed souls from all over the Prime；〃 Pharaun added。 〃Anyone who served one of the Abyssal gods in life will pass through here then jump into the appropriate portal and they're on their way。 Each of these pits leads to a different layer； almost an entirely different world。 There are an endless number of them。 This plain literally goes on into infinity in all directions。〃
Jeggred snorted； stood； and shook blood； water； and sand from his fur。
〃So？〃 the draegloth asked。
Pharaun shrugged and said； 〃Actually I was hoping you could tell us more； Jeggred。 After all you were sired by a native of the Abyss； and even a half…blooded tanar'ri should have some sensitivity to…〃
〃Never been here；〃 the draegloth grunted。 〃You've mentioned my sire for the last time； too； wizard。〃
Pharaun was interrupted before he could answer the draegloth's unsubtle threat。
〃How do we find the right one？〃 Danifae asked。 〃The right portal； mean。
Jeggred growled once and said； 〃There is only one entrance for each layer； but there are an infinite number of layers。 We could be standing right next to the pit that will take us to the Demonweb Pits； or it could be a thousand miles or more in any direction 。。。 a million miles even。〃
〃Not likely； actually；〃 said Pharaun； 〃but thank you for the vote of confidence anyway； honored half…breed…〃 Danifae put a hand on Jeggred's arm when the draegloth lurched for Pharaun at the sound of that word…〃but I was guiding the ship； at least up until the very end there； and I was willing it not simply to take us to the Plain of Infinite Portals but to the one portal that would take us where we wanted to go。 Even though we crashed； we must be close by it。 The ship was moving us at least in its general direction before things went astray。〃
〃Well it's good to know that you're not entirely inept； Pharaun；〃 Quenthel said； her voice louder and oddly more confident than it had been in a long while； 〃but I will take it。。。 take us； from here。〃
Pharaun watched another ghostly orc step past him。 It dropped into a deep back hole in the ground。 There was no sound； nothing at all to signal that it had hit bottom or that anything had happened to it at all。 It was gone。
〃My first instinct；〃 Valas said； 〃would be to pick out a column of drow and follow them。〃
〃Do you see any drow？〃 Quenthel asked。
〃No；〃 Danifae whispered。
The sound of her voice made Pharaun's skin crawl。
〃So what do we do？〃 the draegloth asked。
〃Follow me；〃 the high priestess replied。 〃I'll know the right pit when I see it。〃
〃How？〃 Pharaun asked。
Quenthel said； 〃I've passed through it before。〃
The Mistress of Arach…Tinilith set out before any of them realized she meant to leave right away。 Danifae and Jeggred watched her go then shared a look that made it obvious that neither of them believed the high priestess。
Valas followed her； as did Pharaun； albeit as reluctantly as Danifae and Jeggred。
Aliisza watched from a safe distance as the dark elves brushed themselves off and regrouped。
Have I underestimated you？ she thought； watching Pharaun struggle to his feet。
She whispered； 〃Probably not；〃 to herself and mulled over her next move。
Kaanyr Vhok's instructions were clear； even if they hadn't included helping the drow get to the Abyss in the first place。 She was supposed to watch them； so she would do that at least until she got bored。
Aliisza looked out over the Plain of Infinite Portals； the gateway to the Abyss； and sighed。 It had been a very long time since she'd been home； and at first it looked the same。 She watched the ship of chaos fall through a red sky she used to fly through as a girl； then crash on sand she once sculpted into monsters from faraway universes…monsters like solars； ki…rin； and humans。 It looked the same； but it wasn't…not quite。
Perhaps she had spent too much time with the goddess…obsessed dark elves； but Aliisza was sure there was something different about the Abyss； as if a piece of it were missing。
The feeling didn't make sense； and it confused the alu…fiend and made her unfortable； so she pushed it out of her mind。
Aliisza forced herself to smile even though she didn't feel like smiling； as she followed the drow from a safe distance and invisible。
The alu…fiend wasn't the only demonic creature that watched the drow just then。 Another looked on from a similar far vantage point； cloaked in invisibility and other defensive spells。 The creature seethed with hatred。
Flo