The king spider makes a horrible sound that may or may not be laughter. “The food wishes to hunt for us! Ha ha! Goblins? The dwarfy things with the foul smell? My spiders have tasted their meat and found it unwholesome. Now they wish to taste human flesh. Can I blame them? Even though I was once human myself?”
The other spiders move about furtively, clicking and hissing among themselves.
The king goes on, still in Ercacian. “You are surprised, perhaps? Indeed, I was even the King of Men. I tried to become the King of Dwarves, but I became the King of Spiders instead!” It makes the horrible laughing sound again. “The King of Darkness and Bird Blood!” Its minions seem distraught.
“You've made me think. I offer you this deal instead. You will accept it. Yes. Go up to the highest floor. To the room of three thrones. We will take you there. Three silver scepters lie in that room. I desire them, but they are too heavy for a spider to carry. Bring them back to my nest and you shall all go free. Wake the armored one. He will come, too.”
He switches back to the tongue of spiders and sounds as though he is issuing commands. This leads to considerable uproar, but after much protest and posturing, the other spiders finally seem to acquiesce. Most of them slink off into the darkness. The king and four others leap down into the main hall and prowl around Talia and Elendil.
“Send your other two up the stairs to bring the armored one down,” Gragor splutters, and then he begins humming softly to himself.
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