Move 384:  The Money Tree

Smooth Caverns--Early, Day 39 (Marpenoth 21)

One of the bloodstones fruits nearest the spot where Echo's voice was last heard disappeared from the tree. Echo suffered no ill effects, as she indicated a few moments later, and nothing obviously bad happened, even after a pause to wait for it.   The crystal leaves of the tree tinkled together quietly as they shook when the gems were plucked. The sound seemed sad, a mournful rustling from a tree that never had the wind blow through its branches.

The group was able to gather about thirty gems off the tree. The monster was gutted as well as a being consisting almost entirely of rocks, pebbles, and dirt can be, but its innards were empty. There did not seem to be anything else of interest here in the maze's center.

"Echo, think it's time to do that spy-spell thingie of yours again or am I just being over-anxious?" Jana asked the space where she'd last heard Echo.

"At least there are some things of beauty to be found in this dark world," Renn's voice came from near the tree. A trio of the crystal leaves became separated from a branch and quickly disappeared.

"I'd like something to remember this place by," Renn said softly once the leaves were packed away.

"Maybe we should wait a little longer," Echo replied.   "I don't think it's been that long. Let's get out of this maze though."

"Yeah, who knows if that thing," she said, pointing to the dead critter, "has friends."

"Who could've built this place?" Echo asked quietly.  "Is this something the drow could do?"

"While it's possible, I..I don't really think this is the work of my evil brethren," Renn replied cautiously. "I don't know their style of art that well, so I could be wrong."

"I'm for gettin' while the gettin' is good. At least we got a take home prize." Blacky agreed with Jana.

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