蛛后之战(被遗忘的国度系列英文版)-第8章

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tanding　in　the　family。
All　but　choking　on　their　loathing　of　one　another；　they　fought　a　duel　that　lasted　decades　and　enpassed　every　facet　of　their　existence；　and　gradually；　on　every　battlefield；　Greyanna　began　to　prevail。　She　sabotaged　many　of　Sabal's　plans　to　enhance　the　fortunes　of　House　Mizzrym　and　found　ways　to　take　credit　for　those　that　succeeded。　By　secretly　tainting　some　of　the　sacred　articles　in　this　very　shrine；　she　ensured　that　her　twin's　public　rituals　would　fail　to　produce　even　the　feeblest　sign　that　the　Spider　Queen　found　her　worship　acceptable。　She　sowed　doubt　about　Sabal's　petence　and　loyalty　in　the　ears　of　everyone　who　would　listen。
Over　time；　Greyanna　rose　to　bee　her　mother's　most　valued　aide；　while　Sabal　was　seen　as　a　dolt　fit　only　for　the　simplest　of　tasks。　She　was　forbidden　the　use　of　her　family's　more　powerful　magical　artifacts；　lest　she　break　them　or　turn　them　to　some　illconceived　purpose。　From　kin　to　slave　warriors；　any　member　of　the　household　who　might　once　have　supported　her　aspirations　shunned　her　as　if　she　were　diseased。　At　that　point；　Greyanna　could　have　killed　her　easily；　and　she　expected　she'd　get　around　to　it　eventually；　but　Sabal's　misery　was　so　satisfying　that　she　put　it　off。
Put　if　off　until　Pharaun　came　home　from　Sorcere。
Before　her　little　brother　departed　to　Tier　Breche；　Greyanna　had　barely　noticed　him。　Of　course；　you　didn't　pay　attention　to　young　males　unless　you　were　unlucky　enough　to　be　put　in　charge　of　them。　They　were　the　silent　little　shadows　creeping　about　the　house；　cleaning；　ever　cleaning；　straining　to　master　their　inherent　magical　abilities；　and　learning　their　subordinate　place　in　the　world；　all　under　the　impatient　eyes—and　whips—of　their　minders。　As　far　as　she　could　remember；　Pharaun　had　been　as　cowed　and　pathetic　as　the　rest。
The　Academy　transformed　him　into　something　considerably　more　interesting；　though；　to　say　nothing　of　dangerous。　Perhaps　it　was　mastering　the　formidable　powers　of　wizardry；　or　maybe　it　was　immersion　in　an　enclave　prised　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　brilliantly；　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　advance　of　her　twin。　Then　came　the　hard　part。　She　and　her　helpers　had　to　abduct　one　of　the　slatecolored　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　fetfulness　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　discovered；　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　weakness　from　all　who　might　discern　it　and　decide　to　exploit　it　to　kill　her；　torment　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　unusual　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　because　he　was　finding　the　situation　inside　oppressive。　Later　on；　the　suspicious；　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　pitiful；　had　Greyanna　been　susceptible　to　that　crippling　emotion。　Her　addled；　desperate　twin　tried　to　use　the　platinum　amulet　against　its　maker；　but　Greyanna　dispelled　its　powers　with　a　thought。　Then　Sabal　endeavored　to　cast　a　spell；　but　she　couldn't　recite　the　lines　with　the　proper　cadence　or　execute　the　gestures　with　the　necessary　precision。
Laughing；　Greyanna　and　the　other　waylayers　closed　in　on　their　victim；　and　they　didn't　even　have　to　strike　a　blow。　Their　mere　proximity　made　Sabal　wail；　clutch　at　her　heart；　and　fall　over　dead　as　a　stone。　Weak　to　the　last。
For　a　second；　Greyanna　felt　a　bit　cheated；　but　she　shook　the　feeling　off。　Sabal　was　dead；　that　was　the　main　thing；　and　with　a　bit　of　luck；　she　would　still　have　Pharaun　to　torture。
Chanting　words　that　sent　a　cold；　charnel　breeze　moaning　through　the　garden；　she　reanimated　Sabal's　corpse。　She　had　use　for　it；　first　as　a　lure　then　as　an　instrument　of　humiliation。　She　hoped　that　before　his　extermination；　her　brother　might　be　induced　to　spend　one　more　tender　interlude　with　it。
When　Pharaun　returned　to　House　Mizzrym　an　hour　later；　his　hair　and　garments　were　as　immaculate　as　ever；　but　he　reeked　of　wine　and　walked　with　a　slightly　weaving　and　excessively　careful　tread。　Evidently　he'd　been　drinking　his　troubles　away。　Perfect。
As　it　had　been　instructed；　the　zombie　stepped　out　of　a　doorway　at　the　other　end　of　the　hall。　Its　arms　were　extended　in　a　beseeching　gesture。
Pharaun　took　a　few　steps　toward　it　and　faltered。　Drunk　or　not；　he　had　finally　noticed　that；　despite　Greyanna's　efforts　to　keep　it　warm；　it　was　moving　stiffly；　awkwardly；　as　Sabal；　even　in　the　throes　of　her　illness；　never　had。　But　he'd　spotted　the　anomaly　too　late。　He'd　already　advanced　to　the　very　center　of　the　trap。
Greyanna