The Diamond Read Online Free PDF Page A

apologized to me—and not only to me, but to
     
    all of Waterdeep!”
    As the young hero’s last few shouted words echoed around them, his father’s face grew sour. “My
    son, the great, self-righteous hero!” He sighed contemptuously, and then asked, “What good is it
    to be a hero if you lack any plan to make the public pay you benefits for your heroism? Eh?”
     
    Noph shook his head. How could a man—and not just any man; his father!—be this base?
    Wasn’t—
     
    “If I might ejaculate something between you—” a voice rumbled from nearby.
    Noph had thought this end of the dungeon was empty. He looked through the open doorway at
    the cell across the corridor. Jostling at its bars were the unlovely faces of the Brothers Boarskyr.
     
    Noph sighed. “Father, I believe your partners in cri—politics—have something to add.”
    “Thank you positively, young Hastacough,” Becil Boarskyr bellowed, clearing his throat.
    “Kastonoph.”
    “Right, Kastratoff. Listen well to your father’s patronizing speech. Your sire’s only trying to become
     
    a sire with a capital’s’, if you know what I’m hinting at around the bush. That would make you a
    sire with a lowly V at first, but soon enough, once your sire kicks off, he’ll leave it in your
    posterior.”
     
    “Posterity,” Lasker attempted a correction.
    “How’s about I have a look at your sword?” Bullard asked.
    “This is a private conversation,” Noph said flatly.
    “Not to fiddle about with another man’s privates,” replied Becil, “but our enterprise has got its
     
    smarmy speaker (that’s your progenital pater, there beside you), and two liberaltarian spenddrifts
    (that’s ours truly), and now all we need is a hero’s face to kiss the babies and shake the hands of
    men and ply his silvered tongue in every passing lady’s behalf—”
     
    “Arrgh! It’s useless!” Lasker screamed, tossing his hands into the air and stalking away down the
    corridor.
    Noph smiled at the two idiots. “I never thought I’d say this to you, but
    thanks.”
     
    Bullard nodded. “I never thought I’d say this, neither, but how’s about a look at your sword?”
    The younger and elder scions of House Nesher had scarce turned a corner in search of a cell
    when there was a great rush of black wool and imperious gestures along the passage. The
    whirlwind resolved itself into Khelben the Blackstaff even before the armsmen got their weapons
    out. A raised magely eyebrow sent the few drawn weapons hastily back into their sheaths.
     
    “Gather round, all of you,” he said. “Aye, those in the jakes, too.”
     
    The dungeon was suddenly alive with shuffling feet and nervously attentive armsmen crowding
    around the mage.
     
    Khelben looked around. “Is that all of you, at last? Good. The spells I’m about to cast on you are
    complex and costly; I don’t want to have to repeat a single one of them.”
     
    A final guard rushed up to join the group, hands darting beneath his belt where shirttails flapped.
     
    Khelben gave him a glare, and then turned his head to favor all of the other armsmen with it. “Any
    of you been under a stoneskin spell before?” There were a few nods. “‘Tis pretty simple; makes
    your skin as tough as stone. It’ll turn arrows, daggers, swords, and the like. It should keep you
    from hurting each other down here tonight. I’m casting it now.”
     
    In the silence that followed, the armsmen stared at a small pebble rolling hypnotically between
    Khelben’s fingers as the wizard shaped gestures in the air. With a sudden pop and a hiss, the
    stone collapsed into gray ash, and tracers of smoke whirled out from the mage’s fingers to smite
    each guard between the eyes.
     
    The silence held until Khelben spoke again. “This second enchantment will enable you to fight as a
    unit, for once.” Khelben made two quick gestures, uttering a word that sounded both old and
    cruel. “You’ll share an only slightly unpleasant