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sit therenot roaring or staggering about. While he's gaping at his gentle lady turned lion, you can tell him
off good and proper, and announce that you see no need for all the roistering."
"And then what?" Duilya said, face white at the very thought of facing down her lord.
"And then you could drag him off to bed in front of the whole household," Phuingara said firmly, "and tell
him that drinking every night's no excuse for stum-bling about like an idiot, making a mockery of the
honor of the House, while you're neglected."
There was a moment of silence, and then laughter began around the pool low at first, but then rising
swiftly as the full import of Phuingara's words hit home.
It was Cilivren who stopped first. "You want us to practice drinking tripleshroom sherry until we can
drain a bottle without showing it? Phuingara, we'lldie." She winced. "I mean it; that stuff burns the
in-sides like fire!"
The Lady Lhoril shrugged. "So we'll master it enough to down a few glasses without tears or trem-bling,
and work up a spell, just for ourselves, that'll turn what passes our lips to water as we down it. It's the
respect we're after, not to drown our worries about the realm the way our lords do. Why d'you think
they drink the way they do? They've seen what Ithrythra has, and just don't want to face it."
"So I get my Ihimbraskar up to the bedchamber, after humiliating him in front of the entire household,"
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Duilya said in a small voice, "and what then? He'll strike me silly, toss my bones out the window, and go
seeking a new and younger lady in the morn!"
"Not if you sit him down and give him the same blazing words Ithrythra gave us," Alaglossa told her.
"Even if he doesn't agree, he'll be so astonished at your thinking about such things, that he'll probably
argue with you like an equal whereupon you tell him that such disputes are precisely what you'refor,
and then take him to bed."
Duilya stared at her for a moment, and then started to laugh wildly. "Oh, Hanali bless us all! If I thought I
had the strength to carry it through . . ."
"Lady Evendusk," Ithrythra said formally, "would you mind terribly if the four of us were linked to you
with a spell or two, to ah, assist with the words you need, at the awkward moments?"
Duilya gaped at her, and then looked slowly around the pool. "You'd do that?"
"We all might benefit from such a spell," Phuingara said slowly. "Clever, Ithrythra." She turned to
Ala-glossa. "Get that sherry, Lady Tornglara; I can feel a toast coming on."
* * * * *
"Though in time to come I and others shall teach you some of the spells of our People," the Srinshee
said, "a time of great danger awaits you now, Elmin-ster." She smiled. "You didn't need me to tell you
that."
El nodded. "That's why ye brought me here." He looked around at the dark and dusty walls and asked,
"But what is this place?"
"A sacred tomb of our people a haunted tower, once the home of the first proud and noble House to
try to make themselves greater than the rest of us. The Dlardrageth."
"What happened to them?"
"They courted incubi and succubi, seeking to breed a stronger race. Few survived such dealings, fewer
still the birthings that followed, and all elven peoples turned against them. The few survivors were walled
in here by our strongest spells, until the end of their days." The Srinshee dusted her hand across a pillar
thoughtfully, uncovering a relief carving of a leering face. "Some of those spells still linger, though daring
young Cormanthan lords broke in more than a thou-sand years ago to despoil this castle of the riches of
House Dlardrageth. They found little of value, and took away what they did find. They also took back
word of the ghosts that linger here."
"Ghosts?" Elminster asked calmly. The Srinshee nodded.
"Oh, there are a few, but nothing that need be feared. What matters most is that we won't be disturbed."
"Ye're going to teach me magic?"
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"No," the Srinshee said, drawing close so that she stood looking up at him. "You're going to teachme
magic."
El raised both brows. "I ?"
"With this," she said calmly, as she spread her empty hands and they suddenly filled with his spellbook.
She staggered a trifle, under its weight, and he au-tomatically took it from her, peering at it. Aye, it was
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