war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第17部分

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〃Shoot　him！〃　she　shouted；　pointing　at　the　rapidly　receding　target。　〃Shoot！〃
With　mendable　haste；　they　obeyed。　They　took　up　their　crossbows；　aimed；　and　the　bolts　leaped　forth　in　a　ragged　clatter。
Pharaun's　foulwing　lurched；　then　plummeted　down　and　down　and　down；　crashing　to　earth　somewhere　amid　the　hollowed　stalagmite　edifices　of　the　city。
〃Got　him；〃　said　the　captain　of　the　guard。
Bigger　and　stronger　than　he；　Greyanna　had　no　difficulty　knocking　the　male　to　the　floor。
〃You　got　the　foulwing；〃　she　said。　〃We　don't　know　that　you　hit　Pharaun　at　all。　We　don't　know　that　he　didn't　use　his　wizardry　or　his　levitation　to　cushion　his　fall。　We　don't　know　that　he　isn't　down　there　alive　and　well　laughing　at　us。　I　need　to　see　his　corpse；　and　one　way　or　the　other；　you　will　fetch　it　for　me。　Turn　out　every　available　priestess；　wizard；　and　warrior…　drow　or　slave。　Jump
Jump　he　did。　It　was　the　last　bit　of　satisfaction　that　was　to　e　her　way。
Her　mortal　agents　flooded　the　streets；　while　she　remained　in　her　pernotsonal　sanctum　in　House　Mizzrym；　summoning　spirits　and　casting　divinanottions　to　aid　the　search。　Astonishingly；　maddeningly；　it　was　all　to　no　avail。　When　light　flowered　in　the　base　of　Narbondel；　signaling　the　advent　of　the　new　day；　she　was　forced　to　admit　that　at　least　for　the　time　being；　Pharaun　had　eluded　her。
A　month　later；　she　learned　that　her　brother　had　somehow　made　his　way　all　the　way　up　to　Tier　Breche　and　begged　the　Archmage　of　Menzoberranzan　himself　for　a　place　in　Sorcere；　and；　remembering　the　wizardly　talent　the　younger　male　had　demonstrated　throughout　his　training；　Gromph　had　seen　fit　to　take　him　in。
The　news　came　as　a　considerable　relief。　She'd　feared　her　brother　had　fled　Menzoberranzan　and　placed　himself　permanently　beyond　her　reach。　Innotstead；　he'd　simply　hopped　up　on　a　shelf　above　the　city。　He　was　bound　to　hop　down　again　eventually；　and　she　would　have　him。
Or　so　she　thought；　until　her　mother　sent　for　her。　Possessed　of　the　same　intelligence　concerning　her　fugitive　son's　whereabouts；　Miz'ri　had　formed　a　very　different　idea　of　what　ought　to　be　done　about　it：　Nothing。
Even　though　they　were　only　males；　the　Masters　of　Sorcere　possessed　both　a　degree　of　practical　autonomy　and　an　abundance　of　mystical　power；　and；　always　weaving　her　labyrinthine　schemes　to　elevate　the　status　of　House　Mizzrym；　Mother　had　decided　not　to　unnecessarily　provoke　the　wizards。　Which　was　to　say；　as　Pharaun　had　obtained　a　place　in　that　cloisnottered；　many…spired　tower；　he　was　more　significant　in　exile　than　he　had　ever　been　at　home；　and　Greyanna　would　have　to　let　him　live。　She　had　achieved　what　ought　to　have　been　her　primary　goal；　preeminence　among　her　sisters　and　cousins；　but　her　vengeance　would　remain　unfinished。
Through　all　the　decades　that　followed；　it　galled　her。　A　hundred　times　she　planned　to　defy　her　mother's　mand　and　kill　Pharaun　anyway；　only　to　abandon　her　stratagems　just　short　of　implementation。　As　fiercely　as　she　hated　him；　she　feared　Miz'ri's　displeasure　even　more。
Was　it　possible　that　at　long　last　the　matron　mother　had　changed　her　mind？　Or　was　this　some　new　cruelty；　was　Miz'ri　perhaps　going　to　somenothow　force　Greyanna　into　an　odious　proximity　with　a　brother　who　was　still　untouchable？
〃It　might　be　nice　to　see　Pharaun　again；〃　the　younger　female　said　in　the　blandest　tone　she　could　muster。
Miz'ri　laughed。　〃Oh；　I　daresay　it　would；　to　see　him　and　kill　him；　isn't　that　the　way　of　it？〃
〃If　you　say　so。　You　know　our　history。　We　played　out　the　whole　sava　game　under　your　nose。〃　I　imagine　you　relished　every　minute　of　it；　she　thought。
〃Yes；　you　did；　and　so　I　know　this　will　interest　you。　Sadly；　a　problem　has　arisen　that　even　supercedes　my　desire　to　get　along　with　the　mages　of　the　Academy。　While　you　were　away；　males　continued　to　desert…〃
〃Pharaun　ran　off　from　Sorcere？〃　Greyanna　interrupted；　her　eyes　narrowed。　〃Were　they　finally　going　to　punish　him　for　getting　those　novices　killed？〃
〃No；　and　no！　Shut　your　mouth；　let　me　tell　the　tale；　and　we'll　e　to　your　little　obsession　in　a　moment。〃
〃Yes；　Mother。〃
〃Males　continue　to　elope；　and　despite　our　warning　him　off；　Gromph　still　intends　to　investigate　the　matter。　Hoping　to　escape　our　notice　and　disnotpleasure；　he　decided　to　do　so　by　proxy；　and　summoned　a　suitable　agent　to　his　office　to　discuss　the　matter。　Happily；　we　members　of　the　Council　posnotsess　a　scrying　crystal　with　which　we　recently　managed　to　pierce　the　obnotscuring　enchantments　shrouding　the　room。　Some　of　them；　anyway。　We　still　can't　see　in；　but　we　can　hear　what　goes　on；　and　that　sufficed　to　reveal　the　arch　mage　s　plan　as　well　as　the　identity　of　his　minion。　Now；　if　you　must；　you　may　excitedly　b