chasm of the Underdark。 Her nostrils filled with a foul； acrid scent； and a soft muttering updraft streamed constantly from below。 Halisstra glanced into the abyss at her left hand and saw something gleaming there； a dull silver strand several miles away that sloped down through the darkness。 Lesser strands intersected it at odd intervals； and as she followed some of them with her eyes she saw that they climbed back up slowly and met the very ramp or buttress on which she stood。 The hot； stinking breeze grew momentarily stronger and actually managed to induce a great； gentle swaying in the monstrous strand。
〃It's a spiderweb；〃 Ryld muttered。 〃A gigantic spiderweb。〃
〃This surprises you？〃 Pharaun said with a sardonic smirk。
Danifae took a couple of cautious steps down the surface of the strand。 The whole thing was easily thirty or forty yards in diameter； yet because its surface was round； it was difficult to feel fortable walking more than a dozen feet or so from the centerline of the strand。 She knelt and brushed her fingers over the strand's surface； and grimaced。
〃Sticky； but not dangerously so…and we appear to be pletely physical again。〃 She straightened； and stretched languidly。 〃Do I have two bodies now？ One here； and one back in the Jaelre castle？〃
〃In fact； you do；〃 Tzirik said。 〃When one leaves the astral sea and enters another plane； the traveling spirit constructs for itself the physical body it expects。 You might say that your spirit must undergo a sort of condensation to resume a physical existence on another plane。 When you leave this place； your spirit will return to the Astral Plane； while this shell you have created for yourself will simply fade away into nothingness。〃
〃You seem well acquainted with the rigors of planar travel；〃 Halisstra observed。
〃Vhaeraun has called me to his service in the planes beyond Faerun on several occasions；〃 Tzirik admitted。 〃In fact； I have been in the Demonweb Pits before now。 All the gods of our race reside here； each in their own domain within this great chasm of webbing。 My previous business did not take me to Lolth's domain； though； and that was a good many years ago。〃
Quenthel scowled and said； 〃All of the Demonweb Pits are Lolth's domain； heretic。 She is the queen of this entire layer of the Abyss； and the other so…called gods of our people exist here only at her sufferance。〃
〃I am certain you have correctly parroted your faith's beliefs on the matter； and so I will not argue the point with you； priestess of Lolth。 For our purposes； the exact relationship of our pantheon's deities is not very important。〃
Tzirik turned his back on Quenthel and surveyed the black gulf surrounding the party。 He waved his hand in a sweeping gesture。
〃Somewhere below us we will find some kind of gate or border marking the place where this entryway opens to Lolth's own domain…which； as I understand it； is much like the rest of the Demonweb Pits； except subject to her every whim and caprice。〃
〃If the plane is infinite； then the spot we seek might be infinitely far away；〃 Pharaun observed。 〃How are we to get from here to there？〃
〃If we had simply materialized at some random point in this reality； you would be correct； wizard；〃 Tzirik replied。 〃However； the astral spell is not a random means of travel。 We are not too far from what we seek…an hour's march； perhaps a day's； but not much farther。 Since we know that Lolth's domain lies at the very nadir of this place； I would propose that we need only descend this strand and continue to descend each time we e to an intersection。 In the meantime； be alert。〃
〃There will be others；〃 Quenthel added。 〃The souls of the recent dead。 If you see anyone you recognize as a worshiper of the Spider Queen； we will follow them。〃
If Lolth is still calling them home； Halisstra thought。
The others seemed to be thinking the same thing。
The armored priest hefted his mace in his hand； adjusted the grip of his shield； and set off directly down the titanic gray strand； shoulders squared。 The Menzoberranyr exchanged looks； but turned to follow； picking their way down the steeply pitched column of webbing behind the Jaelre priest。
The surface of the strand proved surprisingly easy to negotiate。 Its surface was tacky； rather than truly adhesive； and it was posed of rough fibers that provided a sure footing。 It was springy enough that it cushioned the jarring footfalls of the sharply descending walk。
At first Halisstra thought the place was as empty as the silvery seas of the Astral Plane； since the vast distances from strand to strand of the webbing gave the whole place a sense of immense vacancy。 Yet the farther she went； the more she became conscious of an active malevolence in the very air of the place； as if the entire plane watched their intrusion and seethed with anger。 Strange； rasping rustling and oddly insectile tittering sounds rode on the fetid updraft from below； a crawling sound of distant movement and activity that carried no small menace with it。
Sometimes Halisstra spied motion on neighboring strands； even though the sagging gray cables were miles away across the bottomless space。 She could make out frenetic activity here and there； the creatures or objects responsible so far distant that it was impossible to guess what they might be。 More than once she sensed presences in the airy voids around their strand； slow； foul things that glided on the noisome exhalations from below； wheeling and drifting closer to the drow travelers as if sizing up an easy meal。
They began to pass corpses at odd intervals； hulking forms of nightmare that bined the worst features of spiders and demons。 Great rents had been torn in the chitinous shells of the monsters； limbs twisted off； hairy thoraxes crushed and oozing sour green paste。 Winged vulture…demons lay in shabby piles of filthy feathers； their foul beaks agape in death。 Bloated； froglike things hung suspended in the ropy fibers of the great strand； swaying slowly in the hot stench of the place。 Some of the demons still clung to life； too horribly damaged to do more than quiver and rasp； or croak dire threats at the drow as the pany carefully climbed down past them。
〃This place is a charnel house of devils；〃 Ryld muttered； holding one hand over his nose and mouth。 〃Is it always like this？〃
〃I saw nothing like this on my previous visit；〃 Tzirik said。 〃What it means； I cannot say； but I would not care to meet that which tears apart demons。〃
〃It is not like I recall； either；〃 Quenthel said。 Her face was set in a thoughtful frown； her voice quiet and strained。 〃Change is the essence of chaos； and chaos is an aspect of Lolth。〃
〃Indeed；〃 Pharaun said。 The fastidious wizard held a handkerchief to his nose and picked his way around a huge spider corpse whose bulbous abdomen had burst entirely； strewing the strand with its horrid contents。 〃It seems not unlikely that they did this to themselves。 Demons are violent creatures； after all。 In the absence of a powerful； manding presence； they often turn on each other。〃
〃An absence 。 。 。〃 Halisstra repeated。 She frowned； studying the carnage。 〃There are no drow bodies here。〃
Having descended a goodly ways； the neighboring strands were closer； and the intersections more frequent。 Halisstra could see more broken forms clinging to the tattered strands nearby。 Whatever battle had raged there must have spanned dozens of strands and miles of gaping darkness。
〃The Spider Queen 。。。〃 said Halisstra。 〃She has abandoned the denizens of her own plane； just as she has abandoned us。 Much as we have done in Ched Nasad； the demons of her realm have destroyed each other。〃 She closed her eyes； trying to shut out the awful sight。 The smell soured her stomach and left her light…headed with nausea。 〃Goddess； what is the purpose？〃 she murmured aloud。
〃The Spider Queen will explain her purposes if she sees fit to do so；〃 Quenthel answered。 〃We can only beseech the restoration of her favor； and trust that we will find approval in her eyes。〃
〃We can also move along a little quicker； and stop gawking；〃 Valas Hune called。 He was at the rear of the band； an arrow laid across the string of his double…curved bow。 The scout stood peering up the strand behind them； his face pinched in a worried frown。 〃Excuse the interruption； but we have pany。 Something is following us down the strand。〃
Halisstra followed the scouts gaze upward； swaying awkwardly as she lost her balance。 She hadn't realized just how far they'd descended until she looked back up the massive strand； sloping upward steeper and steeper into the darkness overhead。 Something was following them； a crawling horde of tiny； spiderlike figures that swarmed over the strand's entire circumference； heedless of whether they clung to the web's top； sides； or bottoms。 They were still many hundreds of yards behind the pany； but even at that distance Halisstra could tell that they were ogre…sized monstrosities； and the alacrity of their pursuit certainly didn't seem to be a good sign。
〃I don't like the looks of that；〃 Ryld said。
〃Nor do I；〃 Quenthel agreed。 〃P