put me to the question； employing whips and other toys。 Somehow I managed to resist the urge to make a spurious confession merely to stop the pain。 A fellow wizard cast a mind…reading spell； only to slap up against the denotfenses most mages erect to protect their thoughts。 I imagine an illithid would have smashed right through； but he was unequal to the challenge。〃
〃Then you passed the test？〃 Syrzan asked。
〃Alas； no；〃 Pharaun laughed。 〃The examiners deemed the results innotconclusive and accordingly asked a higher power to make the determinanottion。 They laid me on an obsidian altar； performed a dancing； keening； self…mutilating ritual together； and the torture chamber faded away。 You'd think I would have been glad of it； wouldn't you； but my new surroundings were no less ominous。〃
Pharaun's captors had ignored his silver ring； obviously thinking it mere jewelry； if they noticed it at all。 As soon as he'd looked at Syrzan； he'd disnotcovered its magic operated even within the confines of the lich's phantasnotmal creation。 He forced an idea into his subconscious and continued to prattle。
〃The priestesses had drugged me to prevent my resisting their attennottions； then used me with considerable brutality。 It took me a while just to lift my battered head and look around。 When I did； I perceived that I lay atop an enormous object with the shape of a staffer length of cord made of a substance that gave ever so slightly but was as strong as adamantine nonetheless。 Otherwise； it would have disintegrated under its own weight。 Far ahead； my perch fused at right angles with another such object； which connected with still others； the pattern spreading out to form； I suddenly realized； a spiderweb of insane plexity； huge enough to make a world。 If it was attached to anything； the anchor points were too distant for me to see。 Perhaps it just went on and on forever。〃
〃The Demonweb；〃 Syrzan said。
Pharaun surreptitiously examined his captor's talismans； using the magic in the silver ring； trying to figure out which one would allow an il…lithid to send a psionic 〃Call〃 to every ore and goblin in Menzoberranzan。
〃Very good；〃 the mage said。 〃I see you were paying attention when your teachers discoursed on the sundry planes of existence。 I was indeed exiled to that layer of the Abyss where Lolth holds sway。 I remembered hearing that the strands of the web were hollow and that much of the life of the place existed inside。 Well； I certainly couldn't see any source of food or water on the outside； let alone a portal to take me home； so； still dazed and sick from the clerics' attentions； I started crawling and searching for a means of entry。
〃Eventually； I might have found one； but I ran out of time。 The strand I was traversing began to tremble。 I peered about and saw her scuttling toward me。〃
〃Lolth？〃 Syrzan asked。
〃Who else？ Her priestesses say she travels her domain in a mobile iron fortress； but she must have left it behind that day。 I beheld the goddess herself in the guise of a spider as huge as the Great Mound of the Baenre。 She's appeared to others in the same shape only smaller； but she was colosnotsal when she came for me。
〃I was terrified； but what was one to do about it？ Run？ Fight？ Either effort would have been equally absurd。 I exercised the only sensible option。 I huddled atop the thread and covered my eyes。
〃Alas； she denied me the forts of blindness。 Her will took hold of me and forced me to look up。 She was looming over me； staring down with a circle of luminous ruby orbs。
〃I felt as if her gaze was not merely piercing but dissolving me。 The sennotsation was intolerable； I wanted to die； and in a way； she granted my wish。
〃Her legs were immense； but they tapered to points at the ends； and； moving with a dainty precision； she used the two front…most members to dissect me。 Did the process kill me？ I don't know。 By all rights； it should have； but if I lost my life； my spirit lingered in my divided flesh； still sufnotfering the horror and pain。
〃My soul was conscious； too； of its own destruction。 Somehow； as the Spider Queen picked apart my flesh and bones； she was filleting my mind and spirit as well。 It irks me that I can't describe how it felt。 I hail from a race of torturers and spellcasters； but I still lack the vocabulary。 Suffice it to say； it wasn't pleasant。
〃In the end； every aspect of my self lay in pieces before her…for innotspection； I realize now； though I was in too much agony and dread to work it out at the time。 When she'd looked her fill； she put me back together。〃
Still careful not to betray himself； keeping his mind focused on the story； Pharaun decided it was the triangle that would power the alhoon's Call。 The question then was what to do about it。 The real brooch hung on the chest of Syrzan's physical body； back in the material world。 The one inside his mind was a sort of echo。 An analogue。 Would depriving Syrzan of it acplish anything？
Pharaun continued； 〃Do you think she reconnected every subtle juncnotture of my intellect and spirit exactly as they'd been before？ Over the course of the next few years； I invested a fair amount of time brooding over that particular question； but it's unanswerable； so let it not detain us。
〃After the Mother of Lusts cobbled me together； she tossed me back to my native reality； back onto the altar； in fact； thus indicating she found me acceptable。 I imagine the clerics were disappointed。 I've never known an inquisitor to rejoice in a suspect's acquittal。
〃Perhaps they took a bit of solace in the discovery that I'd gone altonotgether mad。 They carted me back to my family； who strapped me to a bed and debated wh