war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第33部分

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　the　bare　bones　of　a　strategy。
Finally　it　was　done。　The　priestesses　started　to　slip　out　the　way　they'd　e；　one　and　two　at　a　time。　The　more　restless　stood　in　a　clump　around　the　exit；　awaiting　their　turns。　T'risstree　was　among　them。
Drisinil　crossed　the　floor　in　as　relaxed　and　casual　a　manner　as　she　could　affect。　She　didn't　want　someone　to　realize　her　intent；　and；　surprised；　react　in　some　audible　way。
No　one　did。　All　dark　elves　were　actors　in　that　they　were　liars；　and　pernothaps　she　was　a　better　dissembler　than　most。　She　sauntered　within　arm's　reach　of　T'risstree；　took　hold　of　the　dirk　concealed　inside　her　long；　fringed　shawl；　and　drove　the　blade　into　the　high　priestess's　spine。　This　time；　for　whatever　reason；　the　stumps　of　her　severed　pinkies　didn't　hurt　a　bit。　T'risstree's　back　arched　in　a　spasm　of　agony；　and；　to　Drisinil's　surprise；　her　teacher　tried　to　flounder　around　to　face　her。　Her　arm　shaking；　T'ris…stree　lifted　the　falchion。
Drisinil　turned　along　with　the　high　priestess；　keeping　behind　her。　She　grabbed　hold　of　T'risstree's　hair；　jerked　her　head　back；　and　sliced　open　her　throat。　The　instructor　collapsed。　The　sword　slipped　from　her　fingers　and　clanked　on　the　floor。
The　onlookers　gawked。
〃T'risstree　T'orgh　meant　to　betray　us；〃　Drisinil　said。　〃I　saw　it　in　her　eyes　when　I　took　her　hands。　We　can　leave　the　carcass　here　for　the　time　being。　With　luck；　no　one　will　discover　it　until　after　Quenthel's　death。〃
Either　the　other　conspirators　believed　her　explanation；　or；　more　likely；　didn't　care　that　she'd　murdered　the　teacher。　A　few　congratulated　her　on　her　finesse；　and；　utterly　indifferent　to　the　corpse　sprawled　in　their　midst；　renotsumed　their　departures。
Drisinil　picked　up　and　examined　the　fallen　falchion。　Once　Quenthel　was　slain；　it　ought　to　look　nice　on　her　wall。

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Faeryl　prowled　the　rounded；　treacherous　surfaces　at　the　apex　of　the　amnotbassadorial　residence。　She　was　trying　to　monitor　all　four　sides　of　her　home；　which　entailed　clambering　about　with　a　certain　celerity。　Yet　she　was　also　trying　to　hide　from　anyone　who　might　be　peering　from　the　window　of　a　neighboring　mansion　or　up　from　one　of　the　quiet　residential　boulevards　of　prosperous　West　Wall；　and　the　faster　she　moved；　the　more　problematic　stealth　became。　She'd　sneaked　up　there　two　hours　ago；　when　everyone　else　thought　she　was　bundling　or　burning　documents；　and　she　still　wasn't　sure　she'd　struck　the　proper　balance　between　the　two　necessities。
She　wished　she　could　have　ordered　a　retainer　or　two　up　there　to　help　her　keep　her　vigil；　but　it　would　have　been　ill…advised；　considering　that　any　of　her　minions　might　be　the　object　of　her　hunt。
She　also　wished　she　had　more　cover。　Except　for　a　few　token　walkways　and　crenellations　so　small　as　to　be　essentially　ornamental；　the　apex　of　the　stalagmite　keep　was　bare　of　fortifications　or　even　level　places　to　stand。　If　Faeryl　looked　closely；　she　could　see　subtle　signs　that　at　one　time；　when　the　keep　had　served　another　purpose；　such　defenses　had　existed　in　abundance；　but　subsequently；　a　wizard　had　melted　the　ramparts　back　into　the　rest　of　the　calcite。　It　made　sense。　The　Menzoberranyr　would　see　no　reason　to　gift　an　outsider　with　any　notable　capacity　to　resist　a　siege。
Faeryl　perched　on　the　northeast　side　of　the　roof。　Outlined　in　blue；　green；　or　violent　phosphorescence；　the　homes　of　her　wealthier　neighbors　glowed　all　around　her。　Had　she　looked　from　a　distance；　she　would　have　observed　her　own　residence　shining　in　the　same　way。　Fortunately；　the　lunotminescence　only　defined　the　silhouette　of　the　tower　and　picked　out　several　spiders　sculpted　in　bas…relief。　As　long　as　she　stayed　away　from　the　images；　kept　silent；　and　enjoyed　a　measure　of　luck；　it　shouldn't　reveal　her　presence。
A　soft；　indefinable　sound　rose　from　the　northwest。　Grateful　that　she　at　least　still　had　the　brooch　that　would　make　her　weightless；　she　scuttled　quickly　along　the　sloping　pitch　of　the　roof；　fearless　in　the　knowledge　that　even　if　she　lost　her　footing；　she　needn't　fall。
In　a　few　seconds；　she　reached　the　northwest　aspect。　She　peered　over　the　drop　and　discovered　the　source　of　the　sound　in　the　plaza　below。
Bare　to　the　waist；　rapiers　in　one　hand　and　parrying　daggers　in　the　other；　two　males　circled　one　another。　They　stood　straight　and　stepped　lightly　in　the　manner　of　well…trained　fencers。　Their　discarded　piwafwi　s；　mail；　and　shirts　lay　where　they'd　tossed　them　on　the　ground　along　with　a　pair　of　empty　wineskins。　A　third　male　looked　on　from　beneath　an　overhanging　balcony　some　distance　away；　where　the　batants　quite　possibly　hadn't　noticed　him。
Faeryl　sighed。　This　little　tableau　was　mildly　intriguing；　but　it　clearly　had　nothing　to　do　with　her　own　situation。
After　her　frustrating　interview　with　Matron　Mother　Baenre；　she'd　realnotized　she　had　an　opponent。　Someone　who'd　traduced　her；　possibly　to　keep　her　from　departing　Menzoberranzan；　though　she　couldn't　imagine　why。　From　that　inference；　it　was　a　small　step　to　the　suspicion　that　the　enemy　had　an　agent　inside　her　household。　It　was　what　any　intelligent　foe　would　try　to　arrange；　and　it　arguably　explained　how　Faeryl's　intention　to　go　home　had　been　discerned　and　countered　with　a　word　in　Triel's　ear。
Seething　with　the　need　to　outwit　those　who　had　made　a　fool　of　her；　Faeryl　devised　a　ruse　to　unmask　the　spy。　She　surprised　her　retainers　with　the　order　to　pack。　They　were　slipping　out　of　Menzoberranzan　that　very　night。　She　thought　her　loyal　vassals　would　obey；　but　the　traitor　would　try　to　sneak　away　to　report　the　household's　imminent　flight。　Crouched　on　the　roof；　Faeryl　would　spot　her　when　she　did。
That　was　the　plan；　anyway。　The　ambassador　could　think　of　several　reanotsons　why　it　might　fail。　The　residence　had　means　of　egress　on　all　four　sides；　but　she　couldn't　survey　all　four　at　once；　not　unless　she　floated　well　above　the　roof；　and　that　option　presented　problems　of　its　own。　Most　dark　elf　boots　possessed　a　virtue　of　silence；　and　their　mantles；　one　of　obnotscuration。　The　traitor　might　even　have　some　more　potent　means　of　esnotcaping　notice；　such　as　a　talisman　of　invisibility。　Were　she　any　higher　above　the　ground；　Faeryl　might　have　no　hope　at　all　of　detecting　the　spy's　surreptitious　exit。
Of　course；　the　traitor　might　also　have　a　means　of　municating　with　her　confederates　via　clairaudience；　or　a　charm　of　instantaneous　transit；　in　which　case　the　envoy's　scheme　was　doomed　no　matter　what。　She'd　cling　to　the　roof　until　someone　in　authority；　a　pany　of　Baenre　guards；　perhaps；　showed　up　to　take　her　and　her　entourage　into　custody；　but　she'd　had　to　try　something。
She　crawled　on。　Below　and　behind　her；　one　of　the　duelists　groaned　as　his　foe's　blade　plunged　through　his　torso。　Magic　flickered　and　sizzled；　and　the　victor　dropped　as　well。　The　wizard　who'd　been　watching　from　a　disnottance　strolled　forward　to　inspect　the　steaming　corpses。
Faeryl　wondered　if　the　three　had　been　siblings；　and　the　wizard　was　the　clever　one。　She'd　had　a　brother　like　that　once；　until　an　even　trickier　male　turned　him　to　dust　and　absconded　with　his　wands　and　grimoires。　A　minor　setback　for　her　House；　but　interesting　to　watch。
Overhead；　something　snapped。　She　glanced　up。　Four　or　five　riders　on　wyvern…back　were　winging　their　way　east。　Above　them；　projecting　from　the　cavern　ceiling；　the　stalactite　castles　shone　with　their　own　enchantnotments；　a　far　lovelier　sight；　in　her　opinion；　than　the　miniscule　monochronotmatic　stars　that　speckled　the　night　sky　of　the　so…called　Lands　of　Light。
Then；　so　faintly　that　she　wondered　if　she'd　imagined　it；　something　brushed　against　something　else。　The　sound　had　issued　from　the　southwest。
Faeryl　scurried　over　to　that　part　of　the　roof　and　peered　down。　At　first　glance；　nothing　appeared　changed　since　the　l