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"You
missed some treasure," Drizzt whispered.
The giant
looked around again, its movements showed that it was more than a little
interested. Not far to the side, one of its companions snored, coughed,
and rolled over.
"I will
share with you, fifty-fifty, and with your kin, if you believe we need
them," Drizzt said. "But not with the orcs."
A wicked
smile that crossed the giant's face told Drizzt that his understanding
of the race relationships within the enemy band was not far from the
mark.
"Let us
continue this discussion, but not here," Drizzt said, and he began
fading back into the shadows.
The giant
looked around yet again, then moved into a crouch and crept after him,
following eagerly into the night, moving quietly along a rocky trail to
a small clearing protected behind by a sheer cliff wall.
On a ledge
on that wall, some ten feet above the head of the towering giant, two
sets of curious eyes looked on.
"What
will Donnia Soldou think of this?" the giant asked.
"Donnia
need not know," Drizzt replied.
The giant's
shrug told him much, told him that Donnia, whoever she might be, was not
an overriding controlling force, but more likely just an associate. That
brought a bit of relief to the dark elf. He would hate to think that the
orcs and the giants were acting at the behest of a drow army.
"I will
take Geletha with me," the giant announced.
"Your friend
with whom you were speaking?"
The giant
nodded. "And we take two shares, you take one."
"That
hardly seems fair."
"You
cannot move the slab."
"You
cannot find the slab." Drizzt continued to banter, trying hard to
keep the giant unsuspicious while his friends moved into their final
positions.
He figured
he wouldn't have to keep it up for long.
When the
blue-streaking arrow shot out from behind him, zipping past, and thudded
hard into the giant's chest, the drow was not surprised.
The behemoth
groaned, but was not badly hurt. Drizzt drew his scimitars and leaped
around, turning to face Catti-brie's position, still playing the part of
the giant's ally.
"Where
did it come from?" he shouted. "Lift me that I might
see."
"Straight
ahead!" roared the great creature.
It started
to bend to accommodate the drow, and Drizzt turned fast and ran up the
treelike arm. His scimitars slashed hard across the behemoth's face,
drawing bright lines of red.
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