Chapter 17 Chapter Fourteen When the Sands of Time Run Out

Entreri kept telling himself that stealing the Crystal Shard was his top priority.All he thought was that no matter how much Jarlaxle was going to suffer, he had to get the treasure into his own hands, but he still had a little sympathy for the mercenary leader.Entreri rehearsed his thoughts again and again, but he suspected that here at the center of the artifact's power, the Crystal Shard might not even be scanning his thoughts. In a circular room on the second floor of the crystal tower, two chairs and a small table were sparsely arranged, and Jarlaxle was waiting for him here.Entreri entered the room and found the mercenary leader standing by the wall opposite the door, and he realized at once that Jarlaxle was trying to get as far away from him as possible.

"Hello," Entreri said. Today's Jarlaxle didn't wear that blindfold for some reason.He touched the brim of his wide-brimmed hat lightly, and asked, "What are you doing here?" Entreri looked at him with feigned surprise, but the words formed a bitter irony in his mind: what on earth am I here for! Jarlaxle's expression was so out of character that the assassin deduced from this that the Crystal Shard must have heard his thoughts and passed them on to Jarlaxle.No doubt the Treasure must now have suggested to Jarlaxle that Entreri should be driven away, and Jarlaxle was clearly resisting the idea.

"You shouldn't be here," Jarlaxle could see the escalation in his inner struggle, and he didn't even speak as calmly as usual. "It's not doing you any good." Entreri dropped his weight on his heels in a pensive gesture. "Well, maybe I should leave," he said. Jarlaxle didn't even bat an eye. Although Entreri knew he couldn't be expected to be completely unguarded against a man like Jarlaxle, the killer charged anyway, lunging forward, rolling, standing up and shooting straight at him. His opponent runs away. Jarlaxle grabbed the pouch on his belt—he didn't even need to remove the Crystal Shard—while pointing his other hand at the killer.A stream of white pure energy emanated from his fingertips.

Entreri caught the energy with his magic gauntlet.But what he grasped was only a part of it, and this energy had already exceeded the range that the gauntlet could fully control.Even though it was only a small fraction of the Crystal Shard's power, the Killer felt pain and intense rage. How powerful is that thing?He couldn't help being awed, and realizing that he might be in a big trouble. The glove obviously couldn't hold the energy for long, so Entreri threw the spell.He didn't throw it at Jarlaxle, because he didn't want to kill the drow.He directed this energy onto the wall behind the dark elf.It exploded, the flames were dazzling, the sound was like thunder, and there was unbearable heat.Both humans and dark elves stepped back dazedly.

Jarlaxle's hands kept throwing the dagger's stream, but Entreri kept going, using his twin blades to deflect the throwing knives away one by one, twisting to dodge them.He then rushed forward quickly, trying to push the lighter dark elf down. But he missed the target completely, just crashing into the wall behind Jarlaxle. It quickly occurred to Entreri that the drow might be wearing a transposition cloak, or perhaps it was a magical addition to the hat that seemed entirely ornamental.But there was no time for him to think about it anymore, because he knew that he was extremely vulnerable to these magics.Turning around, he waved Charon's Claw at the same time, ordering it to emit smoke, obscuring the line of sight between the two of them.

Entreri's speed did not slow down in the slightest. He rushed out of the smoke barrier and ran directly towards Jarlaxle, confusing the latter for a moment. This opportunity allowed Entreri to get close to Jarlaxle and adjust angle of attack, thereby being able to cast his own "magic". With skill unmatched in the world, Entreri sheathed Charon's Claw and drew his dagger with his gloved right hand, while with the other he clutched the pouch containing the replica of the Crystal Shard .He walked around to Jarlaxle's side, the small bag on the dark elf's belt was in front of him, he deftly cut the rope at the mouth of the bag, caught it with his right hand before it hit the ground, and at the same time threw the fake bag in his left hand At the feet of the mercenary chief.

A series of violent attacks ensued, and Jarlaxle seemed to hit him with something like a hammer.Entreri dodged by rolling, and when he turned around, one of the throwing knives happened to fly, but the other hit his side.Groaning, he sped as fast as he could in the pain, away from his foe.He could see now that Jarlaxle held a small warhammer in his hand. "Do you think I need the help of the Crystal Shard to kill you?" Jarlaxle asked confidently while leaning over to pick up the bag.Then, he raised his warhammer and muttered a few incantations silently.The hammer shrunk, and Jarlaxle hid it under the brim of his hat.

Entreri didn't hear what he said, didn't see him move.Although the flying knife missed the vital point and the wound was not deep, it was extremely painful.To make matters worse, a tune he's never heard begins to play in his head, ordering him to surrender immediately to the treasure he now holds. "I have a hundred ways to kill you, my former friend," Jarlaxle pointed out. "Perhaps Crenshinibon can tell me which of these methods is most effective. To be honest, I don't intend to torture you too much." Then, Jarlaxle clutched the pouch at his waist, and a strange expression crossed his face.

Still, Entreri could not notice Jarlaxle's words and actions.The ancient evil treasure attacked him, and its tentacles stretched straight into the depths of his heart, declaring absolute despair to him. Even such a powerful killer almost fell to his knees and burst into tears. Jarlaxle shrugged, wiped the sweat from his hands on the cloak, and commanded his magic bracers again to create a flood of throwing knives.He took a step back and began aiming at the seemingly defenseless humans, trying to deliver the killing blow. "Please tell me why I have to do this," Drow asked. "Could it be the Crystal Shard calling you? Perhaps your own ambition is overriding all else?"

Visions of despair, deeper than anything he had ever felt, assailed Entreri.But in Artemis Entreri's faltering mind, a thought emerged: Why hadn't the Crystal Shard summoned its power to destroy him here and now?Because it can't!Entreri's Will replied.Because I have it now, and the Crystal Shard doesn't like that at all! "Tell me!" Jarlaxle demanded. Entreri mustered all the will, every bit of self-control he had accumulated over the decades.He ordered the treasure to stop, he ordered it to close all links with him.The intelligent treasure resisted his commands, but not for long.Entreri's bulwarks were forged of sheer self-control and rage, and the Crystal Shard was completely sealed away, as it had been during Drizzt Do'Urden's possession.Drizzt, a good ranger, was able to seal the Crystal Shard by virtue of virtue, while Entreri relied on sheer willpower, but the effect was the same.The Crystal Shard is closed.

Entreri blinked, regaining consciousness, just as he saw a flurry of knives flying towards him.He dodged quickly and parried the flying knives with his own dagger. Although it was difficult to completely deflect the flying knives, it at least made them less deadly.One of the knives hit him just above the cheekbone, just below the eye, but before that he had changed the angle of the knife so that it hit him with the handle rather than the blade.Another throwing knife grazed his forearm, leaving a long gash. "If I had fought back I would have killed you already!" Entreri yelled in the midst of his fuss. Jarlaxle's arm swung again, and this time the throwing knife hit the kicker's foot in the dodging killer's underside.But the killer's words had an effect, the mercenary leader stopped, and did not throw the throwing knife he had prepared.He stared at Entreri suspiciously. "I can use your blows to kill you," Entreri howled in pain. "You're afraid you'll destroy the Crystal Shard," Jarlaxle reasoned. "The power of the Crystal Shard does not destroy itself!" Entreri retorted. "You came here to kill me," Jarlaxle declared. "No!" "Seize the Crystal Shard, whatever the cost!" Jarlaxle countered. Entreri's legs were already languishing in pain, and he leaned against the wall behind him, staring into the drow's with one eye—the other was swollen shut—gathering all his strength. determination. "I came here," he spoke slowly, emphasizing every word, "it is precisely through the treasure that you think my purpose is to capture the magic crystal shard." Jarlaxle showed a rarely seen puzzled expression on his face, and slowly lowered his hand holding the throwing knife. "What do you mean?" His anger seemed to have been replaced by curiosity. "They'll come for you," Entreri explained vaguely. "You have to be ready." "them?" "Lickie and Kim Murray," the killer explained. "They think it's time for your reign in the Dayet mercenary group to end. You have exposed the entire mercenary group to too many powerful enemies." Jarlaxle's expression varied, but generally ranged between confusion and anger.He looked down at the small bag containing the "Magic Shard" in his hand. "The treasure has deceived you," Entreri slowly straightened, as the pain finally began to ease.Reaching for the dagger, he withdrew the weapon with trembling fingers, and dropped it to the ground. "It pushes you beyond the boundaries of reason," he continued. "At the same time, it started to hate your ability..." He paused as Jarlaxle opened the bag and ran his hand over the Crystal Shard fake.But before he could speak again, he saw a blue flash in the air, across the room.Then, suddenly, as if at a window, he saw the land of the Dalabad Oasis. Lecky and Kim Murray came out of the portal, and behind them were Boyinyong Banrui and two other Dayet mercenary soldiers. Entreri forced himself to stand upright, roaring away the pain, knowing that unless he kept himself at his best, he would lose everything.Then, he noticed that Leckie had taken out the strange-looking lantern, but Kim Murray hadn't closed the portal. Maybe they were ready to bring down the crystal tower, or maybe Kim Murray was ready to run away at any moment. "You have not been granted permission to come," Jarlaxle told them, taking the Crystal Shard from the bag. "I will call you when I need you." The mercenary leader looked tall in front of these people, and his eyes were fixed on Lecky.Jarlaxle's expression suited him, Entreri thought, as a man of power. Lecky held the lantern up in front of him, its light silently illuminating Jarlaxle and the Crystal Shard. That was it, Entreri realized.This is the method used to suppress the broken magic crystal, and the main point that affects the growth and decline of the strength of both sides.The killer knew that the intruders had made a tactical error, and it was exactly what he expected.Their attention was focused on the Crystal Shard, as they had planned, but they didn't know that the real treasure had been traded away and that what Jarlaxle was holding was just a toy. You saw how they would deny your request, Entreri told the Crystal Shard in a silent thought, which lay safely in his waist pouch.And you would summon them to help you achieve the glory you desire? He felt the treasure's bewilderment, he felt the treasure answering: Lecky was only temporarily disabling it in order to get it, and after that... In this moment of bewilderment, Artemis Entreri struck, and with a mental yell to Cershennibon, he ordered it to tear down the crystal tower at once.At the same time, he drew Charon's Claw and leaped forward to join Jarlaxle. The unsuspecting Crystal Shard almost obeyed Entreri's orders.The crystal tower began to shake violently.Although it didn't cause any real damage, the shaking was enough to throw Bo Yinyong and two other soldiers off balance, who were about to intercept Entreri, and interrupt the magic that Leckie was casting. Entreri changed the direction of his sprint, charged at the nearest drow soldier, swung the longsword out of the off-balance drow's hand, and stabbed him viciously.The Dark Elf fell, and the Killer drew his sword and swung it up and down, releasing black smoke that befuddled the entire room. He rolled sideways and came near Jarlaxle.Jarlaxle still stood there blankly, staring at the "Magic Shard" in his hand, with an expression as if he had betrayed his relatives. "Leave it alone!" roared the killer, pulling Jarlaxle toward him as a poisoned crossbow flew past where the dark elf had stood. "The door is over there," he whispered to Jarlaxle, pushing him forward. "Fight, or you will die!" With a roar, Jarlaxle put the "Magic Crystal Shard" back into the bag, and began to fight with the killer.His hands kept shaking, and he shot a large number of throwing knives at Lecky, but they were all blocked by the mage's stone skin technique, which did not exert any effect.He unleashes the same attack on Kim Murray, and the psychic uses a kinetic barrier to absorb all attacks. "Just give them something!" Entreri yelled unexpectedly.He rushed to Jarlaxle, snatched the bag, and threw it in the direction of Lackie and Kim Murray—or, more correctly, far behind them, and the bag flew towards Kim in the far room. The other end of Murray's portal.Leckie turned around immediately, trying to keep the treasure within range of the lantern's light, while Kim Murray ran quickly to where the bag had fallen.Entreri saw an opportunity, an opportunity that would never come again. He grabbed the stunned Jarlaxle roughly and dragged him toward Kim Murray's portal. Bo Yinyon stood in front of the two, his swords savagely attacking Entreri, trying to find holes in the latter's defenses.As Drizzt Do'Urden's old enemy, the Killer was no stranger to opponents with twin swords.He dodged the drow warrior's attack with precision. Another dark elf soldier slashed at Jarlaxle with a sword. Jarlaxle leaned over to avoid it, and at the same time removed the large feather from his hat, put it to his lips, and blew hard.Immediately a mass of feathers appeared in the air in front of him. The soldiers roared and tried to push the things aside.But he hit something that wasn't going to be pushed away so easily, when he realized he was facing a Gundam Ten?I finally felt the fear when I was wearing the Trima bird. Entreri used the method of constantly waving the sword to emit smoke, which also had the effect of confusing the enemy.But no matter what, his goal is always to move towards the portal.He knew that if he was alone, he could easily achieve his goal, because the real crystal shard was now in his hands; He turned and grabbed Jarlaxle again, pulling the drow forward. The delay hurt him a little more.Lecky managed to unleash a few magic missiles on the Killer, sending him stinging.Entreri noticed that the hat absorbed all the magic bullets the mage threw at Jarlaxle, and the killer couldn't help feeling jealous.How many tricks does this guy have yet to use? "Kill them!" Kim Murray yelled in Entreri's ears, and at the same time he felt Bo Yinyong's deadly sword thrust into his back. Entreri felt dizzy suddenly, and then found himself rolling on the gravel of Dallabad. He soon realized that he had passed through Kim Murray's portal.But the killer managed to get up, grabbed Jarlaxle, who was suffering from the same dizziness, and pulled him up. "They took the Crystal Shard!" the mercenary leader protested. "Let them take it!" Entreri yelled back.He heard Lecky's maniacal laughter behind them on the other side of the portal.Yes, the drow mage thought he had the Crystal Shard now.He'd try to use it soon, no doubt calling a beam of energy to kill them the way Jarlaxle had killed the escaped spy.Maybe that's why those people didn't come out of the portal to hunt them down. Entreri ran forward, placing his hand on the real Crystal Shard again.He felt that the treasure was very angry and disturbed, and he knew that it was because when Entreri approached Jarlaxle just now, the treasure was also close to the light that could suppress the power of the treasure in Lyki's hand. "Close that magical portal," he commanded the treasure. "Trap them in and crush them to death." The killer looked back and found that Kim Murray's portal had disappeared.Since half of the gate is entirely within the domain of Crshinibon, closing it is a snap for Treasure. "Crystal Tower," Entreri ordered in his mind. "Tear it down now, and we'll build a million of them all over Faerûn!" There was enthusiasm and definite strength in this promise, and the Killer had promised the Crystal Shard the same way the Crystal Shard had promised its former owners, so the Treasure immediately obeyed his request. Entreri and Jarlaxle heard rumblings from below. They ran on, straight to the bivouac on the Dalabad Oasis.Behind them they heard the shouts of soldiers in the fortress, and the surprised screams of merchants resting in the oasis. When the merchants saw the two approaching, they just screamed harder: a dark elf is coming towards them! Entreri and Jarlaxle didn't have time to engage the bewildered and terrified crowd, though.They ran straight to the horses tied to a nearby carriage and quickly untied them.Within seconds, they put the yelling and cursing behind them, and the two rode out of Dalabad at breakneck speed, though riding in the scorching sun seemed to make Jarlaxle very uncomfortable. Entreri was a good rider, and although he hid under his horse's flanks to avoid the direct sun, he passed Jarlaxle quickly. "They took the Crystal Shard!" Jarlaxle yelled angrily. "How far can we run if we just run away?" "Their magic suppressed the Crystal Shard," Entreri lied. "The Crystal Shard can't help them track us now." Behind them, the main tower of the twin towers fell, while the other tower split in two from the top with a rumble like thunder.All energy was gone, and all magic quickly dissipated in the wind. Entreri wasn't under the illusion that the cataclysm would take the lives of Lyckie, Kim Murray, or any of their men.They are too sharp and too cunning.All the assassin had hoped was that the destruction would hold them back long enough for him and Jarlaxle to run further.He didn't know what the condition of his wound was, but he felt very painful and weak.The last thing he wanted was another fight with a mage, or a psychic, or a skilled swordsman like Boyinyon Baenre. Fortunately, an hour passed without anyone chasing them.They slowed down and stopped, both man and horse exhausted.Entreri heard the beautiful music of Cershennibon in his head, promising him the sanctuary and rest he so desperately needed if he could build another crystal tower here. He almost did that, and even forgot why he had the idea of ​​rejecting the Magic Crystal Shard. Isn't the method provided by the treasure the same as his own method and can achieve his goal? However, the assassin smiled - even though it was worse than a cry on his pained face - and declined the Crystal Shard's offer.Clashnibon is indeed very smart, it can always find people's weaknesses and exploit them. Artemis Entreri, on the other hand, did not flee from Dalabad Oasis into the Great Desert unprepared.He dismounted and found himself almost unable to stand.Still, he removed his backpack, dropped it on the ground in front of him, and got down on one knee to start unpacking it. Jarlaxle was at his side in no time and helped him open the knapsack. "Potion," Entreri explained, swallowing hard and gasping involuntarily. Jarlaxle rummaged through the package and pulled out a vial of blue-white liquid. "Healing potions?" he asked. Entreri nodded, motioning for the potion. Jarlaxle retracted his hand. "You need to explain something to me," he said. "You attacked me, and you gave those people the Crystal Shard." Entreri, with cold sweat on his brow, motioned for Jarlaxle again to pass the potion.He stretched out his hand to his side, and when he lifted it up again, it was covered in blood. "You cast well," he said to the dark elf. "To be honest, I really don't understand you at all, Artemis Entreri," Jarlaxle said, bringing the potion. "Maybe that's why I love walking with you so much." Entreri gulped down the potion, then immediately sank to the ground, closing his eyes, letting the potion heal some of his wounds.He would have liked to have five more of these potions, but this one was the only one he had and it had to meet his needs - and he believed it could.All he needs is to keep himself alive, and then his body will automatically start repairing to its optimum state. Jarlaxle watched him for a moment, but soon turned his attention to a more urgent and deadly problem, the burning sun in the sky. "This sun will dry us out," he pointed out. In reply, Entreri struggled again to retrieve a small brown tent from his knapsack.He put it in front of him, recited a few formulas silently, and then threw it aside.After a few seconds, the small tent began to grow in size, until it was big enough to hold a human, a dark elf, and two horses. "Enough!" said Entreri, when the tent was big enough. "It must have stood out in the open desert," Jarlaxle commented. "Things are not what you think," Entreri said, still panting with each word. "When we go in, it shrinks back to the size it started with." Jarlaxle smiled. "You never told me you had such a useful desert tool," he said. "Because I didn't have one until last night." "That is to say, you knew that things would turn out like this, and you knew that the two of us would run into the desert," the mercenary leader seemed quite satisfied with his ingenuity. Entreri didn't argue the way Jarlaxle expected, he just shrugged.Jarlaxle helped him up. "I hope it turns out this way," Killer said. Jarlaxle stared at him curiously, but did not press.Now is not the time.The dark elf looked back in the direction of Dalabad, obviously wondering why his former lieutenant did this, and why all this happened suddenly.Rarely had the wise and cunning Jarlaxle been so confused. "We've accomplished our biggest goal," Kim Murray said, trying to talk his tantrums out. "The Dayet Mercenaries are already under our leadership—we will soon return to the Underdark, and Menzoberranzan, where we belong." "That's not a Crystal Shard at all!" Lecky roared, throwing the fake on the ground. Kim Murray looked at him suspiciously. "Our goal is not to get the magic crystal shard?" "Jarrlaxle still has it," Rikki snarled back. "How long do you think he will allow us to lead the mercenary group? He must die, and the treasure must belong to me!" Although the mage's words were very strange, the hypocritical expression on Kim Murray's face did not change at all.He understood that Lecky spoke this way precisely because Crschinibon had summoned him to make him his slave.Yes, Yaras Creek did teach him a great deal about that mighty and dangerous treasure.But, on the other hand, the mighty Jarlaxle was still alive, and Kim Murray also thought their situation was delicate. All this time, Kim Murray hadn't wished to be an actual enemy of Jarlaxle—not because of any friendship he had with the older drow, but simply out of fear.Perhaps Jarlaxle is now on his way back to Menzoberranzan, and when he gets there, he will gather most of the Dayet mercenary troops who are far more powerful than the soldiers who came to the ground. Many, when Lecky and Kim Murray brought these people back to the drow city, they would undoubtedly be blocked by Jarlaxle.Perhaps Jarlaxle would call in the Archmage Gromph Baenre himself, who was groping for Bligh, to see if he or Rakki was the strongest mage. The prospect wasn't all that exciting, of course, but Murray knew full well that Leckie's frustration wasn't from letting Jarlaxle escape, but from not being able to get the Crystal Shard. "We've got to find them," Leckie said after a while. "I want Jarlaxle dead. How can I have respite unless he is dead?" "You are now the head of Menzoberranzan's only male mercenary company," Kim Murray replied. "You won't have a chance to catch your breath. The Matriarchs never stop playing dangerous games. Such is the sign of power, my partner." The look on Leckie's face was by no means indicative of friendship.He was angry, Kim Murray had never seen him so angry.He was desperate to get the Crystal Shard.Kim Murray knew, and so did Yarras Creek.If they could catch up with Jarlaxle and Cshishinibon, the psychic would surely try to get the illithid the treasure.Let Yaras Creek, and all the powerful mind flayers, control Cershshinbon, study it, and finally destroy it.Even that would be much better than letting Lecky take it back to Menzoberranzan—though perhaps the Crystal Shard itself would not have agreed to go to Menzoberranzan, because Yaras Creek had said to Kim Murray, The power of the treasure comes from the sun.If Kim Murray had to accept Crshynibon as an ally, he would have to continue to be on the defensive.Treasure will never accept him, because as a psychic, he can resist its invasion and control of the mind. He really wanted to start fighting Lecky now and stop the mage from looking for Jarlaxle, but he knew clearly that Jarlaxle was a powerful enemy regardless of whether he had the Crystal Shard on him, and such an enemy must not be easily let go. he runs away. A knock on the door interrupted his meditation.The door opened, and Boyinyong Banrui came in, followed by several drow soldiers, dragging the chained Charlotta Vespa.More drow soldiers swarmed in, and behind them, a potbellied and pretentious ratman also entered the room. Kim Murray motioned for the soldiers holding Charlotta to stand aside so that he could face the Rat Man. "God Abrix, I am willing to serve you, honorable Kim Murray Obroza," the Rat Man bowed deeply. Kim Murray glared at him hard. "Are you the leader of the Ratmen of Calimport now?" he asked in his poorly spoken Common Tongue. Gord nodded. "All the ratmen serve the Basadoni Guild," he said. "It's all about—" "That's all you need to know, and don't say more if you're smart," Leckie snarled at him.Despite his majestic gesture, the Rat Man cringed, subconsciously trying to keep away from all the dark elves. "Take him away," Kim Murray instructed the drow soldiers in his own language. "Tell him he'll be called when we decide on a new course of action for the Ratmen." Gord Abrix bowed as best he could before being led out of the room. "And what about you?" Kim Murray asked Charlotte.He could converse with her in his own language—and that was enough to remind him that this woman was indeed resourceful, and therefore potentially useful. "What did I do, and why are you doing this to me?" The question Charlotte asked, despite her desperate situation, was overwhelming. "Do you think it must be because of something you did that we did this to you?" Kim Murray replied calmly. Charlotta tried to refute, but soon realized that there was really no way she could refute the simple logic of the question. "We sent you to meet with Pasha Daklan, it was very necessary, but you didn't go," Leckie reminded her. "I was tricked by Entreri and caught," the woman protested. "Failure is failure," Leckie said. "Failure comes with punishment—maybe worse." "But I managed to escape and warn you that Entreri has gone over to Jarlaxle's side," Charlotte argued. "Escaped?" Leckie asked suspiciously. "According to my information, the halfling didn't dare to keep you with her, so she let you out." The words buzzed ominously in Kim Murray's mind.Perhaps this was part of Entreri's plan?Maybe that's why Kim Murray and Lecky didn't get to the Crystal Tower in Dalabad at the right time?Perhaps that was why Entreri had time to hide the real Crystal Shard and sabotage all their previous efforts with a fake?The idea was tempting, the drow psychic mused, maybe he could capture the halfling named Varvel Tigovis and torture him. "I'll come to you right away," Charlotte said in a blunt and fierce tone, as if she finally realized that she had nothing to lose. "Failure is failure," Leckie repeated, with the same intensity. "But we're not without mercy," Kim Murray added quickly. "I even think there is still a chance of redemption. According to you, it was Artemis Entreri who got you into such a bad situation, so you should go find him and kill him. Give his head to I'll bring it, or I'll cut off your head." Charlotta spread her hands helplessly. "Where to start?" she asked. "What resources are available to me—" "All resources, including the Basadoni Guild and all the soldiers in Dalabad, as well as the assistance that the Ratman and his subordinates can provide," Kim Murray replied. Suspicion was still written on Charlotta's face, but there was a gleam in her eyes, and Kim Murray noticed it.She was also very angry about Artemis Entreri, at least as angry as Lykki and Kim Murray.Yes, she was cunning enough to be his opponent.She'll be trying to find Entreri and try to kill him, which will be of great help to Lykie and Kim Murray in their quest to find Jarlaxle and get the Crystal Shard. "When do I start?" Charlotte asked. "Why are you still here?" Kim Murray asked back. The woman took the cue and staggered to her feet.The drow soldiers also understood this hint, they rushed up to lift her up, and quickly unchained her.