war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第36部分

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ip　of　one　of　Umrae's　wings。
Faeryl　stared　for　another　moment；　then　jumped　when　she　finally　spotnotted　Umrae。　Her　tattered　cloak　flapping　between　her　wings；　the　transnotformed　secretary　was　already　hurtling　down　like　a　raptor　from　the　World　Above　diving　to　plunge　its　talons　into　a　rodent。
Hoping　Umrae　hadn't　seen　her　react　to　the　sight　of　her；　Faeryl　kept　turning　and　peering。　When　she　felt　the　disturbance　in　the　air；　or　perhaps　simply　the　urgent　prompting　of　her　instincts；　she　jumped　aside；　pivoted；　and　swung　the　war　hammer　in　an　overhand　blow。
Under　those　circumstances；　she　had　little　chance　of　smashing　the　thing's　heart；　but　she'd　seen　that　Umrae　could　suffer　pain。　Perhaps　the　initial　blow　would　freeze　the　undead　thing　in　place　for　an　instant；　affording　Faeryl　the　opportunity　for　what　she　prayed　would　be　the　finishing　stroke。
The　ambassador　had　timed　the　move　properly；　and　the　weapon's　basalt　head　smashed　into　Umrae's　flank。　Deprived　of　her　victim；　unexpectedly　battered；　the　ghoul　slammed　into　the　smooth　stone　surface　of　the　street　with　a　satisfying　crash。　Scraps　of　flesh　broke　away　from　her　raddled　body；　releasing　a　fresh　puff　of　stench。
Faeryl　marked　her　target；　the　place　on　Umrae's　chest　beneath　which　her　heart　ought　to　lie；　and　swung　Mother's　Kiss　back　for　the　follow…up　attack。　The　traitor　rolled　and　scrambled　to　her　knees。　Faeryl　struck；　and　Umrae　lashed　out　with　a　taloned　hand。　The　ghoul　caught　the　war　hammer　in　mid…flight；　tore　it　out　of　the　ambassador's　grip；　and　sent　it　spinning　to　clack　down　on　the　ground　ten　feet　away。
Faeryl　felt　a　crazy　impulse　to　turn　and　go　after　the　thing；　but　she　knew　Umrae　would　rip　her　apart　if　she　tried。　She　back　stepped　instead。　The　innothumanly　gaunt　spy　leaped　to　her　feet…she　looked　like　a　pile　of　sticks　spontaneously　assembling　themselves　into　a　crude　facsimile　of　a　person…　and　pursued。
While　retreating；　Faeryl　started　edging　around　in　a　looping　course　that　might　ultimately　bring　her　to　the　spot　where　the　hammer　lay。　Leernoting；　Umrae　moved　sideways　right　along　with　her　in　a　way　that　demonnotstrated　she　knew　exactly　what　her　mistress　had　in　mind　and　would　never　permit　it。
Well；　the　aristocrat　still　had　one　weapon…pitifully　inadequate　to　the　situation　though　it　was…a　knife　hidden　in　the　belt　that　gathered　her　light；　supple　coat　of　mail　at　the　waist。　The　gold　buckle　was　the　hilt；　and　when　she　pulled　on　it；　the　stubby　adamantine　blade　would　slide　free。　She　started　to　reach　for　it；　then　hesitated。
Against　Umrae's　talons；　long　reach；　and　resistance　to　harm；　the　dagger　really　would　be　useless　。　。　。　unless　Faeryl　could　get　in　close　enough　to　use　it；　and　unless　she　attacked　by　surprise。
But　how　in　the　name　of　the　Demonweb　was　she　to　acplish　that？　Umrae　was　rapidly　closing　the　distance；　snapping　her　wings　every　few　steps　to　lengthen　a　stride；　and　for　three　unnerving　backward　paces；　Faeryl's　mind　was　blank。
Then　she　remembered　the　cloak；　or　rather；　the　remnants　of　it；　still　clutched　in　her　offhand。　Perhaps　she　could　employ　it　to　conceal　her　drawnoting　of　the　knife。　The　piwafwi　was　just　a　sad　little　mass　of　tatters；　and　she　was　no　juggler　adept　at　sleight…of…hand；　but　curse　it；　if　clumsy　Umrae　had　palmed　a　potion　vial　without　her　mistress　noticing　until　it　was　too　late；　surely　the　mistress　could　do　as　well。
Faeryl　had　been　reflexively　moving　the　cloak　around　the　whole　time；　so　it　shouldn't　look　suspicious　for　her　to　cover　her　waist　with　it。　At　the　same　time；　she　hooked　the　fingers　of　her　weapon　hand　in　the　oval　hollow　at　the　center　of　the　buckle　and　pulled。　She　had　never　before　had　occasion　to　employ　this　last　desperate　means　of　defense；　but　in　the　sixteen　years　since　an　artisan　had　made　it　to　her　specifications；　she　had　always　kept　the　knife　and　scabbard　oiled；　and　the　blade　easily　slid　free。
She　studied　Umrae。　As　far　as　the　envoy　could　tell；　the　imitation　ghoul　hadn't　seen　her　bare　the　dagger；　but　she　doubted　she　could　keep　it　hidden　for　more　than　a　second　or　two。　She　had　to　manufacture　a　chance　for　hernotself　quickly　if　she　was　to　have　one　at　all。
She　pretended　to　stumble。　She　hoped　her　unsteadiness　looked　genuine。　Umrae　had　touched　her；　after　all；　so　it　might　seem　credible　that　her　strength　was　failing。
The　ghoul　took　the　bait。　She　leaped　forward　and　seized　Faeryl　by　the　forearms。　This　time；　her　claws　punched　through　the　envoy's　layer　of　mail　and　jabbed　their　tips　into　her　flesh。　At　once；　a　surge　of　nausea　wracked　Faeryl；　then　another。　Retching；　she　wasn't　sure　she　could　still　use　the　knife　in　any　sort　of　controlled　manner。　Perhaps　she'd　just　served　herself　up　to　her　foe　like　a　plate　of　mushrooms。
Umrae　grinned　at　Faeryl's　seeming…or　genuine…helplessness。　The　envoy　felt　the　clerk's　fingers　tense；　preparing　to　flense　the　meat　from　her　bones；　even　as　she　pulled　the　noble　closer　and　opened　her　jaws　to　bite　down　on　her　head。
Fighting　the　sickness　and　weakness；　Faeryl　tried　to　thrust　her　hand　fornotward。　The　effort　strained　her　flesh　against　the　ghoul's　talons；　tearing　her　wounds　larger　and　bringing　a　burst　of　pain…but　then　her　arm　jerked　free。　The　blade　rammed　into　Umrae's　withered　chest；　slipping　cleanly　between　two　ribs　and　plunging　in　all　the　way　up　to　Faeryl's　knuckles。
Umrae　convulsed　and　threw　back　her　head　for　a　silent　scream。　The　spasms　jerked　her　hands　and　threatened　to　rip　Faeryl　apart　even　without　the　traitor's　conscious　intent。　Umrae　froze；　and　toppled　backward；　carrynoting　her　assailant　with　her。
In　contradiction　of　every　tale　Faeryl　had　ever　heard；　the　shape　shifter　didn't　revert　to　her　original　form　when　true　death　claimed　her。　Still　horrinotbly　sick；　the　envoy　lay　for　some　time　in　the　ghoul's　fetid　embrace。　Evennottually；　however；　she　mustered　the　trembling　strength　to　pull　free　of　the　claws　embedded　in　her　bleeding　limbs；　after　which　she　crawled　a　few　feet　away　from　the　winged　corpse。
Gradually；　despite　the　sting　of　her　punctures　and　bruises；　she　started　to　feel　a　little　better。　Physically；　anyway。　Inside　her　mind；　she　was　berating　herself　for　an　oute　that　wasn't　really　a　victory　at　all。
Given　that　she　needed　to　learn　what　Umrae　knew；　not　kill　her；　she'd　bungled　their　encounter　from　the　beginning。　She　supposed　she　should　have　agreed　to　the　traitor's　terms；　but　she'd　been　too　angry　and　too　proud。　She　should　also　have　spotted　the　vial　and　fought　more　skillfully。　If　not　for　luck；　it　would　be　she　and　not　her　erstwhile　scribe　lying　dead　on　the　stone。
She　wondered　if　her　sojourn　in　Menzoberranzan　had　diminished　her。　Back　in　Ched　Nasad；　she　had　enemies　in…　and　outside　House　Zauvirr　to　keep　her　strong　and　sharp；　but　in　the　City　of　Spiders　none　had　wished　her　ill。　Had　she　forgotten　the　habits　that　protected　her　for　her　first　two　hundred　years　of　life？　If　so；　she　knew　she'd　better　remember　them　quickly。
The　enemy　hadn't　finished　with　her。　She　wasn't　so　dull　and　rusty　that　she　didn't　recall　how　these　covert　wars　unfolded。　It　was　like　a　sava　game；　progressing　a　step　at　a　time；　gradually　escalating　in　ferocity。　Her　unknown　adversary's　first　move；　though　she　hadn't　known　it　at　the　time；　had　been　to　turn　Umrae　and　lie　to　Triel。　Faeryl's　countermove　was　to　capture　the　spy　and　remove　her　from　the　board。　As　soon　as　Umrae　missed　some　prenotarranged　rendezvous；　the　foe　would　know　her　pawn　had　been　taken　and　advance　another　piece。　Perhaps　it　would　be　the　mother。　Perhaps　the　foe　would　suggest　to　Matron　Baenre　that　the　time　had　e　to　throw　Faeryl　in　a　dungeon。
But　life　wasn't　really　a　sava　game。　Faeryl　could　cheat　and　make　two　moves　in　a　row；　which　in　this　instance　meant　truly　fleeing　Menzoberranzan　as　soon　as　possible；　before　the　enemy　learned　of　her　agent's　demise。
Light…headed　and　sour…mouthed　from　her　exertions；　Faeryl　dragged　hers