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THE PROVERBIAL STRAW
Deuderathered in the governor&039;s war room shared a profound sense of dread from the look on Waillan Micanty&039;s face as he entered the room
"Waterdhavian flotilla came in," the man said
"And?" Deudermont prorowled
"Battered, and with her crew half dead," Micanty reported "All that&039;s left of the flotilla So empty or have been sent to the bottoth to ask a question or offer a response, or even, it seemed, to draw breath
"Was lacedons, they said," Micanty went on "Sea ghouls Scores of &039;e ships with fire that came up from the deep"
"Those ships were supposed to be guarded!" Robillard fumed
"Aye, and so they were," Waillan Micanty replied, "but not from below Hundreds of men dead and most all of the supplies lost to the waves"
Deudermont slipped into his chair, and it seeht have just fallen over
"The folk of Luskan won&039;t like this," Regis re card," Deuderhouls as a new, coh captains that we have to join together to win back the shipping lanes"
Robillard scoffed loudly
"It&039;s so, perhaps," Deuderis&039;s surprise overnor went on, addressing Robillard ainst these monstrosities We can sail all the way to Waterdeep and fill our holds with - "
"You&039;ve lost your h captains will join an expedition that will only secure your power?"
"For their own good as well," the governor argued "To save Luskan"
"Luskan is already dead," said Robillard
Drizzt wanted to argue with the wizard, but found no words to suffice
"Send word to the high captains for parlay," Deudermont ordered "They will see the wisdom in this"
"They will not!" Robillard insisted
"We have to try!" Deuderain and turned away
Regis sent a concerned look Drizzt&039;s way, but the drow had little comfort to offer hi in the streets around Suljack&039;s palace, and both knew that Luskan teetered on the brink of disaster, if indeed she wasn&039;t already there The onlyfactor see up from Waterdeep, and if most of those were not to arrive
"We have to try," Deuderain, his tone and timbrethe desperation and fear embedded in that voice
Baram and Taerl wouldn&039;t cole ee Kurth and Kensidan didn&039;t even answer his request for a parlay
Deuderood face on the rejection, but whenever he thought that Robillard or Drizzt weren&039;t looking his way, he sighed
"Twenty-seven?" Robillard asked in a , a dozen ot to show for our work are twenty-seven prisoners, and not a one of the that they&039;re out of the fight, so if in" Drizzt started to reply
Robillard cut him off with a slanced at Deudermont, then went on, "When in, these round Of that much, I&039;m sure"
"That isn&039;t , having little evidence to prove the wizard wrong They had held Suljack&039;s palace that first day, but the ene streets were fully under the control of Barahters, and who kne many more had been killed out in the streets near the palace?
Deudermont couldn&039;t win a war of attrition He didn&039;t have thousands behind hiainst Arkleht have renewed that faith in hi else had arrived
Regis entered the war room then to announce the arrival of Bara out of his seat and rushed past the other two, urging Regis along to the audience cha with a hairline that had receded to the back of his scalp, wild gray strands hanging all about hi his nose as Deudermont entered the roo off to the floor and staring at Deuderht look upon a cornered rodent - hardly the usual look Captain Deudere rat
"Baram and Taerl should have co a seat before the man "They had my word that no harived to Suljack, not a doubt"
"You believe I was involved in the death of Suljack?" Deudered as if it hardly mattered "Baram and Taerl ain&039;t no fools, like Suljack," he said "They&039;d be needing more than yer word to believe the likes of Captain Deudermont"
"They project their own sense of honor upon me, it would seem I&039;m a man of my word," he paused and motioned for the man to properly introduce himself