Red Magic - Jean Rabe [101]
The spirit naga backed away from his chair and concentrated. It was difficult for her because her mind was filled with questions. The transformation took longer than usual. All spirit nagas possessed the innate ability to change their appearance to human or demi-human bodies, although Asp only did so on Maligor's orders. She found the forms distasteful and at a disadvantage because they had legs instead of a tail.
Her beautiful features dissipated, running from her body like melting wax. She stood before Maligor a faceless, limbless column of flesh that began to take on new features. A head emerged from the column, bald and with pudgy cheeks. Eyelashes sprouted from the flesh over emerging, round eyes. Bulges appeared on the face and molded themselves into ears, a nose, and pale, bulbous lips. An age spot materialized below her left cheek-Asp remembered seeing that on a painting of the tharchion.
The transformation continued down the length of her body. A chest formed and became broader. Flab appeared along her midsection, and patches of black hair sprouted just above the breastbone and beneath the figure's flabby arms. The column of flesh separated below the man's groin, becoming stocky legs ending in short, wide feet.
The physical changes made, the naga created clothes-plain but functional, trappings she imagined someone like the tharchion would wear in the mines. The clothes looked like cloth and would feel like material to the touch, but because they were part of her body, they could not be removed. If necessary, she could polymorph them to appear different-sweat-stained perhaps, or of fine quality if the tharchion had to meet important guests.
"Excellent!" Maligor crowed with delight. "That's very close. You'll have to make a few adjustments here and there. His earlobes hung lower, I recall, and his fingers were shorter and thicker. I'll give you a mental image of the man in a little while, and you can make the necessary changes before we leave."
The naga had recovered a fraction of her pride and enough courage to pursue answers to her questions. "Tell me what this is about, Maligor. I know now it has something to do with the mines, but if you take the gnolls up there, they won't have a chance. Every wizard in the area will put his forces against you, especially the other zulkirs. The mines have been set up so no one wizard can control them. Your gnolls won't have a chance."
"You don't listen well, do you, dearest Asp? I told you the gnolls are after a wizard's land. There are enough gnolls to attract the attention of the nearby wizards. The gnolls will keep everyone occupied while we make our bid for the mine. No one will even notice."
Then Maligor told her of the multitude of darkenbeasts that would leave at dark when all eyes were on the gnolls.
"We'll leave with them, you and I. It will be truly glorious."
"A wonderful plan," Asp admitted with a hint of sarcasm. "But you will eventually be found out. If you take control of the mines-and even if you set me up as the tharchion-someone will notice when the gold goes into your pockets and the country gets nothing. Then you'll be undone."
Maligor beamed. He had been waiting to unravel the meat of his scheme.
"The country will be undone. But it will take time. Dear Asp, if everything goes well-and I am certain it will-no one in Thay will be the wiser that there has been any change in the operation of the mine. You see, with you in place, business will go on as usual, and the country will continue to have a steady stream of gold filling its coffers. However, during the next several years, we will skim the mined gold-in increasing amounts as the next decade draws to a close. You will claim that the veins are beginning to thin out, and all the slaves and workers who will be in my control will agree with you. And if any zulkirs care to investigate, we will use magic to hide certain rich tunnels. They will believe you, and we will become rich.
"Nor do I intend to stop there.