war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第14部分

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　entirely　of　males；　but　somehow　he　emerged　from　his　schooling　polished；　clever；　and　bold；　possessed　of　a　sharp　wit　and　glib　tongue　that　frequently　danced　him　up　to　the　brink　of　chastisement　and　safely　back　again。
Amazingly；　he　threw　in　with　Sabal；　who　had　all　but　abandoned　hope　of　ever　climbing　higher　than　her　current　degraded　estate。　To　this　day；　Greyanna　could　only　explain　his　decision　by　positing　a　perverse　and　unnatural　bond　between　them；　but　whatever　his　reasons；　with　the　help　of　Pharaun's　ideas；　advocacy；　and　magic；　Sabal　essayed　new　ventures；　succeeded　brilnotliantly；　and　began　to　scale　the　ladder　of　status　once　more。　She　did　so　more　quickly　than　Greyanna　could　have　imagined；　and　the　family　came　once　more　to　regard　the　twins　as　peers；　equal　in　merit　and　promise。　Accordingly；　their　private　war　resumed；　even　more　vicious　and　murderous　than　before；　but　this　time　Sabal…say　Pharaun；　rather…proved　a　match　for　her。
Greyanna　tried　to　break　the　stalemate　by　convincing　Pharaun　to　change　sides。　She　expected　it　to　work；　for　after　all；　she　and　Sabal　looked　exactly　alike　and　shared　precisely　the　same　prospects。　Why；　then；　should　the　wizard　not　throw　in　with　the　stronger；　shrewder　sister　who　had　risen　to　the　top　of　House　Mizzrym　without　his　help？　Think　of　the　triumphs　they　could　acplish　together！　Though　inwardly　sickened　by　the　prospect；　she　even　smiled　lasciviously　and　offered　him　the　inducement　she　believed　Sabal　had　given　him。
Her　brother　laughed　at　her。　It　was　at　that　instant　that　Greyanna　came　to　hate　him　just　as　savagely　as　she　did　her　sister。
Perhaps　she　owed　him　a　debt　for　his　cutting　mockery。　Conceivably；　it　goaded　her　to　new　heights　of　ingenuity；　for　it　was　shortly　afterward　that　she　hit　on　the　stratagem　that　would　destroy　Sabal。
A　band　of　gray　dwarves　had　been　raiding　in　the　tunnels　southeast　of　the　city；　and　Sabal　was　leading　the　force　endeavoring　to　hunt　the　bandits　down。　Taking　extraordinary　measures；　driving　her　agents；　whether　mortal；　elemental；　or　demonic；　relentlessly；　Greyanna　located　the　duergar　in　adnotvance　of　her　twin。　Then　came　the　hard　part。　She　and　her　helpers　had　to　abduct　one　of　the　slate…colored　little　males　without　the　knowledge　of　his　fellows；　equip　him　with　a　platinum　amulet　that　her　subordinate　clerics；　mages；　and　her　personal　jeweler　had　created　in　an　amazingly　brief　time；　bind　the　marauder　with　spells　of　forgetfulness　and　persuasion；　and　slip　him　back　among　his　friends。
Sabal　found　the　duergar　two　days　later。　After　her　troops　exterminated　the　brigands；　they　looted　the　bodies　and　found　the　brooch；　which　was　valuable；　beautiful；　and；　as　those　wizards　who　were　present　soon　discovnotered；　conferred　several　useful　magical　abilities。　It　never　occurred　to　Sabal　that　a　treasure　plundered　from　a　dead　dwarf　might　constitute　a　trap　laid　by　a　sister　dark　elf；　and　she　happily　laid　claim　to　that　portion　of　the　spoils。
From　that　day　forward；　Sabal　slowly；　subtly　sickened　in　body；　mind；　and　spirit；　meanwhile　struggling　pathetically　to　hide　any　appearance　of　weaknotness　from　all　who　might　discern　it　and　decide　to　exploit　it　to　kill　her；　tornotment　her；　or　strip　her　of　her　rank。　Which；　of　course；　was　pretty　much　everyone　in　Menzoberranzan。
Pharaun　probably　recognized　her　deterioration；　but　he　was　unable　to　arrest　it。　Perhaps　he　didn't　even　know　she　was　constantly　carrying　an　unnotusual　new　magical　device　about　her　person。　The　curse　that　was　poisoning　her；　that　lay　insidiously　threaded　among　all　the　benign　enchantments；　made　her　cling　to　the　amulet　with　an　obsessive　fascination　and　fear　that　others　would　steal　it　if　she　didn't　keep　it　hidden。
During　the　several　months　of　Sabal's　malaise；　Greyanna　sometimes　wondered　if　Pharaun　would　ally　himself　with　her　if　asked　again。　She　didn't。　She　just　watched　and　waited　for　her　chance　to　finish　Sabal　off。　She'd　learned　her　lesson。　No　matter　how　unlikely　the　possibility　seemed；　she　would　not　leave　her　twin　alive　to　recoup　her　fortunes　yet　again。
One　night；　Pharaun　left　the　castle；　either　on　some　errand　or　simply　benotcause　he　was　finding　the　situation　inside　oppressive。　Later　on；　the　suspinotcious；　insomniac　Sabal　somehow　slipped　away　from　her　guards　and　servants　and　began　aimlessly　wandering　the　citadel　on　her　own。
Greyanna　and　half　a　dozen　of　her　minions　confronted　Sabal　in　the　fungus　garden；　where　the　topiarist　had　trimmed　the　phosphorescent　growths　into　fanciful　shapes；　fertilized　in　some　cases　with　the　ripe；　diced　remains　of　expired　slaves。　Sabal's　final　moments　might　have　seemed　pitinotful；　had　Greyanna　been　susceptible　to　that　crippling　emotion。　Her　addled；　desperate　twin　tried　to　use　the　platinum　amulet　agai