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THE ONE I WOULD KILL

We should be on the shore with the captain!" one woht that ly iainst hiuard Sea Sprite," Waillan Micanty shouted above them all "Captain Deudermont put no &039;unless&039; in our orders! He said stay with Sea Sprite and keep her safe, and that&039;s e&039;re to do - all of us!"

"While he gets hiot Robillard with hiued back, and theeffect on the crew "He&039;ll get to us if he needs to get to us - and what a sorry bunch of sailors we&039;d be to lose the ship and his one chance at escaping!

"Now, to your stations, one and all," he ordered "Turn your eyes to the sea and the ht with us," a crewainst Arkleainst Captain Deuderauard"

There was a bit of gru, but Sea Sprite&039;s veteran crew scurried back to their respective watch and gunnery posts andin the city proper to focus again on any possible threats to their own position

And not a moment too soon, for Waillan Micanty had barely finished speaking when the crewman in the crow&039;s nest shouted down, "Starboard!" Then clarified, "The water line!" as Micanty and others rushed to the rail

As chance would have it, the first lacedon scaling Sea Sprite&039;s hull pulled over the rail right in front of Micanty himself, who met it with a heavy slash of his saber

"Ghouls!" he cried "Ghouls aboard Sea Sprite!"

And so ca out of the water all around the pirate hunter Crewmen rushed to and fro, weapons drawn, deteret a foothold, for if the lacedons et onto the deck, they all knew that their own ranks would quickly thin Waillan Micanty led the way, bludgeoning and cutting ghoul after ghoul, rushing from starboard to port just in time to drive back over the rail the first of the lacedons attacking that side of the vessel

"Too many!" came a cry frohouls standing up straight on the deck, and to see a pair of the catapult crew fall paralyzed to the deck His gaze immediately went out to the deeper waters and the many ships anchored there The catapult was down Sea Sprite was vulnerable

He charged the breach, calling for crewmen to join hi the terrible danger, stopped the woman "Contact Robillard," he bade her "Tell him of our situation"

"We can win," the woman, an apprentice of Robillard&039;s, replied

But Waillan was hearing none of it "Now! Tell hiaze still locked on the fight on the aft deck She did turn, though, and scra invisibly in Sea Sprite&039;s hold, Arklereat anticipation and amusement

"The same force that destroyed the Waterdhavian flotilla," Deudermont remarked when Robillard relayed the predica ship to us"

The wizard considered the reasoning for aof iven the nature and coordination of the lacedon attack, and the fact that it was occurring right in Luskan Harbor, where such attacks were unprecedented

"Go to them and clear Sea Sprite," Deudermont bade his friend

"We have our own problems here, Captain," Robillard reminded him, but it was clear froree with Deudermont&039;s command

"Be quick then," said the captain "Above all else, that shipto the stairs and the palace&039;s front exit "I will go, and hopefully return at once," the wizard announced "But only on your proht to his side"

Deuderrin "I survived for many years without him, and without you," he said

"True, and your old arms aren&039;t nearly as sith your sword anymore," the wizard replied without hesitation He threw the captain a wink and collected his gear then began casting a spell to transport hih Captain Baram slapped aside the frantic scout and took a clearer look at the influx swarh the square just three blocks from Suljack&039;s palace and Deuder his breath, for they both knew at once the identity of the new and overpowering force that had coht in full

"For us, or for Deuderroup of Baraed out in front of Rethnor&039;s swarasp

But the dwarf leading the way for Rethnor engaged those stars, and as the forces parted, Ship Rethnor&039;s contingent angling off to the side, the two high captains found their hoped-for answer

Ship Rethnor had cois said fro an alley from which Drizzt had just chased a trio of Taerl&039;s ruffians

Drizzt started to ask the halfling for a clarification, but when he saw the look on Regis&039;s face, he just ran to the spot, leaped and spun to catch the trirasp then curled and tucked his legs, rolling theht up over him to the roof As soon as he set hi&039;s sentiments

Like a swar several of the streets, chasing Deudermont&039;s forces before the to the northwest

Drizzt&039;s heart sank lohen he followed that uard Island were open onceonto and across the bridge Looking back to Kensidan&039;s fighters, it wasn&039;t hard to figure out which side Kurth favored

"It&039;s over," said Drizzt

"Luskan&039;s dead," Regis agreed "And we&039;ve got to get Deuderave a shrill whistle and a moment later Guenhwyvar leaped from rooftop to rooftop to join him

"Go to the docks, Guen," the drow bade the panther "Find a route for rowl and leaped away

"Let us hope that Robillard has a spell of transportation available and ready," Drizzt explained to Regis "If not, Guen will lead us" He juis&039;s descent as the halfling came down behind hi the fastest route to the palace, toward a service door for the kitchen

They had barely gone a few steps, though, when they found the way blocked by adwarf

"I once met me Drizzit the drow," he chanted "The two of us suren did have a good row He did dart and did sting, how his blades they did sing, till is stared at him open-mouthed

"Bwahahahaha!" the dwarf bellowed

"What a curious little beast," Regis re up a geht, as if he had brought a piece of the sun with hireenish-gray skin curling and shriveling under the daunting power of that sunlike beacon

"Kill the soappearance of their heroic wizard

"Drive thehoul as it shielded its burning eyes froemstone

All over the deck, the veteran crew turned the tide of the battle, with et away fro to deadly blows of sword and club and gaff hook

Robillard sought out Micanty and handed hiem "Clear the ship," he told the dependable sailor "And prepare to get us out of the harbor and to open waters I&039; a teleport spell to return hiot knocked off his feet as Sea Sprite shuddered under the weight of a tremendous blast Licks of flame poked up from the deck planks, and Robillard understood then the blast to be ical, and to have come from Sea Sprite&039;s own hold!

Without a word to Micanty, the wizard rushed to the bulkhead and threide He leaped down the stairs and saw his apprentice at once, lying charred and quite dead beside the burning table upon which still sat the crystal ball Robillard&039;s gaze darted all about - and stopped cold when he saw Arklerain sacks

"Oh, do tell me that you expected h to realize that I hadn&039;t destroyed myself in the tower"