Elminster in Myth Drannor - Ed Greenwood [59]
"We are already doing so," Sylmae replied, "by meeting thus, and striving to act in concert. It is not something the proud lords of any House but those I've named last would tolerate, if they knew about it. She-elves are only for dancing, bedecking with gems, and begetting young on, know you not?"
"Cooking," Ajhalanda said. "You forgot cooking."
Sylmae shrugged and smiled. "I was ever a poor dutiful she-elf."
Yathlanae shrugged. "There are males in this land who are poor dutiful lords, if it comes to that."
"Aye, too many of them," Holone said, "or making one human an armathor would be no more than idle news.
"I see Cormanthor in peril of destruction, if we act not wisely and swiftly, when the time comes," Sylmae told them.
"Then let us do so," Holone replied, and the others all echoed, "Aye, let us do so."
As if that had been a cue, the balefire went out; someone had sent scrying magic their way. Without another word or light, they parted and slipped away, leaving the air high above the palace to the bats and the glittering stars… who seemed quite comfortable there until morning.
Eight
The Uses Of A Human
The elves of Cormanthor have always been known for their calm, measured responses to perceived threats. They often consider for half a day or more before going out and killing them.
Shalheira Talandren, High Elven Bard of Summerstar
from Silver Blades And Summer Nights:
An Informal But True History of Cormanthor
published in The Year of the Harp
"They're so beautiful," Symrustar murmured. "See, coz?"
Amaranthae bent to look at the silktails, circling and wriggling in the glass cylinder as they danced for the best position below Symrustar's fingers, from which they knew food would soon fall. "I love the way the sun turns their scales into tiny rainbows," she replied diplomatically, having resolved long since that whatever it took, her cousin would never learn just how much Amaranthae hated fish.
Symrustar had over a thousand finned and scaled pets here. From the crowning bowl where she now scattered morsels of the secret food she mixed herself (Amaranthae had heard it said that its chief ingredients were the ground flesh, blood, and bones of unsuccessful suitors), Symrustar's glass fish tank descended more than a hundred feet to the ground, in a fantastic sculpture of pipes, spheres, and larger chambers of hollow glass shaped like dragons and other beasts. Amaranthae wanted to be around-but not too close-on the day Symrustar's father discovered that a certain large tank, out near the end of the branch, resembled him in all-too-unflattering detail.
Lord Auglamyr was not known for his gentle temper. "A thundercloud of towering pride, sweeping all before it" was the way one senior lady of the court had once described him, and her words had been overgentle.
Perhaps that was where Symrustar had acquired her utterly amoral ruthlessness. Amaranthae was very careful to remain supportive and helpful to her ambitious cousin at all times, for she had no doubt that Symrustar Auglamyr would betray her in a twinkling instant, best friends notwithstanding, if Amaranthae ever got in her way in even the smallest degree.
I'm no more free than all these fish, Amaranthae thought, leaning out from the bowl-shaped bower where they sat, at the base of the longest branch left in this westernmost shadowtop of House Auglamyr. Pipe after column after sphere of glass gleamed back the morning light, in the fantastic assemblage that housed Symrustar's finned pets. The servants knew better than to disturb them-or rather, Symrustar-here, and used the speaking chimes instead.
Morning after morning they spent here, reclining on cushions and sipping cool fermented forest fruit juices, while the Auglamyr heiress schemed and plotted aloud how to further her every ambition-and some of them seemed to heart-weary Amaranthae to be no more than manipulating acquaintances for the sake of deft manipulation-and her cousin listened and said supportive things at the right moments.
This morning Symrustar was truly excited,