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.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 come 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 displeasure, 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 possess a scrying crystal with which we recently managed to pierce the obscuring 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 archmage's plan as well as the identity of his minion.Now, if you must, you may excitedly babble your brother's name.""I imagine Gromph told him this is his one big chance to redeem himself.""Exactly.The question is, how shall we priestesses respond?""I gather there's a reason you don't just tell Gromph you're on to his plan.""Of course, several.For one, our first confrontation with him was courteous and rnild, but who knows, a second might be less so.As things stand, we hesitate to push him very hard.For another, we don't want him to know we can eavesdrop on him.He'd either block us out or hatch his plots elsewhere.It's better all around simply to take his pawn out of play.Given that Pharaun is a secret operative, whatever may befall him, the archmage can hardly take exception to it.The catch being that dealing with your brother is a formidable undertaking, arguably on any occasion but certainly at the moment."Greyanna nodded."Because he's a wizard, and we are.what we are.""So where, the Council wondered, can we find a priestess so bold, so motivated, that even now she'll be eager to hunt the male when he descends to the city.I told the others I thought I knew of a candidate.""You were right.""The beauty of it is that you do have a personal score to settle.If people see you do something unpleasant to Pharaun, they won't have to wonder what the reason is.""Yes, I see that.May I draw on all the resources of our House to aid me in my efforts?""I can only give you a few helpers.If people saw you descend on the city with House Mizzrym's entire army at your back, they wouldn't assume it's a personal matter.You can have your pick of magic weapons from the armory.Don't waste them, though.Expend only what you need."Greyanna inclined her head."I'll start preparing right away."Miz'ri finally smiled, and somehow, in defiance of any reasonable expectation, it made her face more threatening, not less.FOURThe Silken Rack was not, as visitors to Menzoberranzan sometimes assumed, a fine cloth emporium.It was, technically, a massage parlor, but only a vulgarian would call it that.Rather, it was a palace of delight, where the most skilled body servants in the Underdark provided what many dark elves considered to be most exquisite of all pleasures.Waerva Baenre was herself of that opinion.She had already soaked her pampered, voluptuous form in warm, scented oil, and she would have liked nothing better to lose herself utterly in the touch of her masseur.But that, alas, was not possible.She'd come to this shrine of the senses on business, business that could be conducted far more safely and discreetly there than in the Baenre citadel or the ambassador's residence in West Wall.That was why she, by nature gregarious, had hired a cozy private room containing only two contoured couches and a pair of hulking deaf-mute human masseurs in preference to her supremely girted Tluth.Happily, the tongueless slave she'd chosen for herself was also highly competent.He kneaded her neck muscles in a way that was pain and bliss at the same time, wringing a groan of sweet release out of her.Naturally, it was at this somewhat undignified moment that Umrae came though the door.Not that Waerva's momentary discomposure made Umrae smile.The Baenre couldn't imagine what it would take to accomplish that.A rather gaunt, homely female, her skin the unhealthy dull gray-black color of charcoal, the cut of her nondescript garments subtly divergent from the styles of Menzoberranzan, Umrae always arrived at these clandestine meetings stiff and awkward with nervous tension.Waerva supposed that was the difference between commoners and nobles.No matter how perilous the situation, an aristocrat always managed a certain grace."She's looking at maps!" declared Umrae.Her voice matched her appearance.There was no music in it."I'm not surprised," Waerva replied."Your mistress is reasonably clever.I never thought she would remain complacent forever." The body servant dug his fingertips into Waerva's upper back, and she shivered."We'll talk about it, but first, please, set my mind at ease.Tell me that no one who matters saw you enter this particular room."Umrae scowled, apparently irked by the very suggestion."No, of course not.""Then for pity's sake, take off your clothes.You supposedly came here for a deepstroke, and you want to look as if you've had one when you get back home.Besides, these fellows are worth the rent."Still frowning as if she suspected Waerva was perpetrating some sort of joke at her expense, Umrae gestured brusquely to the human, slightly smaller and less muscular than his compatriot, whom the Baenre had left for her use
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