war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第12部分

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〃Watch　your　insolent　tongue！〃
Greyanna　sighed。　〃Yes；　Mother。　I　apologize。　I　didn't　mean　to　speak　out　of　turn。〃
〃See　that　you　refrain　from　doing　so　again。〃
Miz'ri　fell　silent；　perhaps　to　gather　her　thoughts；　perhaps　simply　in　an　effort　to　rattle　her　daughter's　nerves。　Such　petty；　pointless　attempts　at　innottimidation　were　virtually　a　reflex　with　her。
Greyanna　wondered　if　a　servant　had　been　instructed　to　fetch　her　a　chair　for　the　remainder　of　the　interview。　It　didn't　look　like　it。　That　was　typical　of　her　mother　as　well。
〃Your　brother　Pharaun　。。。〃　Miz'ri　said　at　last。
Greyanna's　eyes　opened　wide。　〃Yes？〃
〃I　think　it　might　finally　be　time　for　the　two　of　you　to　get　reacquainted。〃
The　younger　female　held　her　scarred　features　calm　and　posed。　It　was　rarely　a　good　idea　to　show　strong　emotion　to　anyone；　particularly　Mother。　If　you　showed　her　that　something　mattered　to　you；　she　would　find　a　way　to　hurt　you　with　it。　Even　so；　Greyanna　couldn't　quite　suppress　a　shiver　of　anticipation。
She　and　her　twin　sister　Sabal　had　loathed　one　another　from　the　cradle　onward。　Of　course；　in　the　noble　Houses　of　Menzoberranzan；　rivalry　benottween　sisters　was　expected　and　encouraged。　Certainly　Miz'ri　encouraged　it；　perhaps　simply　for　her　own　amusement。　But　for　some　reason…perhaps　it　had　something　to　do　with　the　fact　that　outwardly；　they　were　identical…　her　daughters'　enmity　far　transcended　even　her　expectations。　It　was　more　bitter　and　more　personal。　Each　yearned　to　injure　and　thwart　the　other　for　its　own　sake　at　least　as　much　as　to　improve　her　own　relative　standing　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　gradunotally；　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　ritnotuals　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　fornotbidden　the　use　of　her　family's　more　powerful　magical　artifacts；　lest　she　break　them　or　turn　them　to　some　ill…conceived　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；　Greynotanna　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　subnotordinate　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　innotteresting；　though；　to　say　nothing　of　dangerous。　Perhaps　it　was　mastering　the　formidable　powers　of　wizardry；　or　maybe　it　was　immersion　in　an　ennotclave　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　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　si