grrm.astormofswords-第226章

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　〃And　my　brother　Ser　Garlan；〃　said　the　Knight　of　Flowers。
　〃Will　they　keep　him　safe？〃
　〃They　will；　my　lord。〃
　〃Be　seated；　then。〃　The　words　were　ritual。　Before　the　seven　could　meet　in　session；　the　king's　safety　must　be　assured。
　Ser　Boros　and　Ser　Meryn　sat　to　his　right；　leaving　an　empty　chair　between　them　for　Ser　Arys　Oakheart；　off　in　Dorne。　Ser　Osmund；　Ser　Balon；　and　Ser　Loras　took　the　seats　to　his　left。　The　old　and　the　new。　Jaime　wondered　if　that　meant　anything。　There　had　been　times　during　its　history　where　the　Kingsguard　had　been　divided　against　itself；　most　notably　and　bitterly　during　the　Dance　of　the　Dragons。　Was　that　something　he　needed　to　fear　as　well？
　It　seemed　queer　to　him　to　sit　in　the　Lord　mander's　seat　where　Barristan　the　Bold　had　sat　for　so　many　years。　And　even　queerer　to　sit　here　crippled。　Nonetheless；　it　was　his　seat；　and　this　was　his　Kingsguard　now。　Tommen's　seven。
　Jaime　had　served　with　Meryn　Trant　and　Boros　Blount　for　years；　adequate　fighters；　but　Trant　was　sly　and　cruel；　and　Blount　a　bag　of　growly　air。　Ser　Balon　Swann　was　better　suited　to　his　cloak；　and　of　course　the　Knight　of　Flowers　was　supposedly　all　a　knight　should　be。　The　fifth　man　was　a　stranger　to　him；　this　Osmund　Kettleblack。
　He　wondered　what　Ser　Arthur　Dayne　would　have　to　say　of　this　lot。　〃How　is　it　that　the　Kingsguard　has　fallen　so　low；〃　most　like。　〃It　was　my　doing；　〃　I　would　have　to　answer。　〃I　opened　the　door；　and　did　nothing　when　the　vermin　began　to　crawl　inside。〃
　〃The　king　is　dead；　〃　Jaime　began。　〃My　sister's　son；　a　boy　of　thirteen；　murdered　at　his　own　wedding　feast　in　his　own　hall。　All　five　of　you　were　present。　All　five　of　you　were　protecting　him。　And　yet　he's　dead。〃　He　waited　to　see　what　they　would　say　to　that；　but　none　of　them　so　much　as　cleared　a　throat。　The　Tyrell　boy　is　angry；　and　Balon　Swann's　ashamed；　he　judged。　From　the　other　three　Jaime　sensed　only　indifference。　〃Did　my　brother　do　this　thing？〃　He　asked　them　bluntly。　〃Did　Tyrion　poison　my　nephew？〃
　Ser　Balon　shifted　unfortably　in　his　seat。　Ser　Boros　made　a　fist。　Ser　Osmund　gave　a　lazy　shrug。　It　was　Meryn　Trant　who　finally　answered。　〃He　filled　Joffrey's　cup　with　wine。　That　must　have　been　when　he　slipped　the　poison　in。〃
　〃You　are　certain　it　was　the　wine　that　was　poisoned？〃
　〃What　else？〃　said　Ser　Boros　Blount。　〃The　Imp　emptied　the　dregs　on　the　floor。　Why；　but　to　spill　the　wine　that　might　have　proved　him　guilty？〃
　〃He　knew　the　wine　was　poisoned；〃　said　Ser　Meryn。
　Ser　Balon　Swann　frowned。　〃The　Imp　was　not　alone　on　the　dais。　Far　from　it。　That　late　in　the　feast；　we　had　people　standing　and　moving　about；　changing　places；　slipping　off　to　the　privy；　servants　were　ing　and　going　。　。　。　the　king　and　queen　had　just　opened　the　wedding　pie；　every　eye　was　on　them　or　those　thrice…damned　doves。　No　one　was　watching　the　wine　cup。〃
　〃Who　else　was　on　the　dais？〃　asked　Jaime。
　Ser　Meryn　answered。　〃The　king's　family；　the　bride's　family；　Grand　Maester　Pycelle；　the　High　Septon　。　。　。〃
　〃There's　your　poisoner；〃　suggested　Ser　Oswald　Kettleblack　with　a　sly　grin。　〃Too　holy　by　half；　that　old　man。　Never　liked　the　look　o'　him；　myself。〃　He　laughed。
　〃No；〃　the　Knight　of　Flowers　said；　unamused。　〃Sansa　Stark　was　the　poisoner。　You　all　forget；　my　sister　was　drinking　from　that　chalice　as　well。　Sansa　Stark　was　the　only　person　in　the　hall　who　had　reason　to　want　Margaery　dead；　as　well　as　the　king。　By　poisoning　the　wedding　cup；　she　could　hope　to　kill　both　of　them。　And　why　did　she　run　afterward；　unless　she　was　guilty？〃
　The　boy　makes　sense。　Tyrion　might　yet　be　innocent。　No　one　was　any　closer　to　finding　the　girl；　however。　Perhaps　Jaime　should　look　into　that　himself。　For　a　start；　it　would　be　good　to　know　how　she　had　gotten　out　of　the　castle。　Varys　may　have　a　notion　or　two　about　that。　No　one　knew　the　Red　Keep　better　than　the　eunuch。
　That　could　wait；　however。　just　now　Jaime　had　more　immediate　concerns。　You　say　you　are　the　Lord　mander　of　the　Kingsguard；　his　father　had　said。　Go　do　your　duty。　These　five　were　not　the　brothers　he　would　have　chosen；　but　they　were　the　brothers　he　had；　the　time　had　e　to　take　them　in　hand。
　〃Whoever　did　it；〃　he　told　them；　〃Joffrey　is　dead；　and　the　iron　Throne　belongs　to　Tornmen　now。　I　mean　for　him　to　sit　on　it　until　his　hair　turns　white　and　his　teeth　fall　out。　And　not　from　poison。〃　Jaime　turned　to　Ser　Boros　Blount。　The　man　had　grown　stout　in　recent　years；　though　he　was　big…boned　enough　to　carry　it。　〃Ser　Boros；　you　look　like　a　man　who　enjoys　his　food。　Henceforth　you'll　taste　everything　Tommen　eats　or　drinks。〃
　Ser　Osmund　Kettleblack　laughed　aloud　and　the　Knight　of　Flowers　smiled；　but　Ser　Boros　turned　a　deep　beet　red。　〃I　am　no　food　taster！　I　am　a　knight　of　the　Kingsguard！〃
　〃Sad　to　say；　you　are。〃　Cersei　should　never　have　stripped　the　man　of　his　white　cloak。　But　their　father　had　only　pounded　the　shame　by　restoring　it。　〃My　sister　has　told　me　how　readily　you　yielded　my　nephew　to　Tyrion's　sellswords。　You　will　find　carrots　and　pease　less　threatening；　I　hope。　When　your　Sworn　Brothers　are　training　in　the　yard　with　sword　and　shield；　you　may　train　with　spoon　and　trencher。　Tornmen　loves　applecakes。　Try　not　to　let　any　sellswords　make　off　with　them。〃
　〃You　speak　to　me　thus？　You？〃
　〃You　should　have　died　before　you　let　Tommen　be　taken。〃
　〃As　you　died　protecting　Aerys；　ser？　〃　Ser　Boros　lurched　to　his　feet；　and　clasped　the　hilt　of　his　sword。　〃I　won't　。　。　。　I　won't　suffer　this。　You　should　be　the　food　taster；　it　seems　to　me。　What　else　is　a　cripple　good　for？〃
　Jaime　smiled。　〃I　agree。　I　am　as　unfit　to　guard　the　king　as　you　are。　So　draw　that　sword　you're　fondling；　and　we　shall　see　how　your　two　hands　fare　against　my　one。　At　the　end　one　of　us　will　be　dead；　and　the　Kingsguard。　will　be　improved。〃　He　rose。　〃Or；　if　you　prefer；　you　may　return　to　your　duties。〃
　〃Bah！〃　Ser　Boros　hawked　up　a　glob　of　green　phlegm；　spat　it　at　Jaime's　feet；　and　walked　out；　his　sword　still　in　its　sheath。
　The　man　is　craven；　and　a　good　thing。　Though　fat；　aging；　and　never　more　than　ordinary；　Ser　Boros　could　still　have　hacked　him　into　bloody　pieces。　But　Boros　does　not　know　that；　and　neither　must　the　rest。　They　feared　the　man　I　was；　the　man　I　am　they'd　pity。
　Jaime　seated　himself　again　and　turned　to　Kettleblack。　〃Ser　Osmund。　I　do　not　know　you。　I　find　that　curious。　I've　fought　in　tourneys；　m6l6es；　and　battles　throughout　the　Seven　Kingdoms。　I　know　of　every　hedge　knight；　freerider；　and　upjumped　squire　of　any　skill　who　has　ever　presumed　to　break　a　lance　in　the　lists。　So　how　is　it　that　I　have　never　heard　of　you；　Ser　Osmund？〃
　〃That　I　couldn't　say；　my　lord。〃　He　had　a　great　wide　smile　on　his　face；　did　Ser　Osmund；　as　if　he　and　Jaime　were　old　rades　in　arms　playing　some　jolly　little　game。　〃I'm　a　soldier；　though；　not　no　tourney　knight。〃
　〃Where　had　you　served；　before　my　sister　found　you？〃
　〃Here　and　there；　my　lord。〃
　〃I　have　been　to　Oldtown　in　the　south　and　Winterfell　in　the　north。　I　have　been　to　Lannisport　in　the　west；　and　King's　Landing　in　the　east。　But　I　have　never　been　to　Here。　Nor　There。〃　For　want　of　a　finger；　Jaime　pointed　his　stump　at　Ser　Osmund's　beak　of　a　nose。　〃I　will　ask　once　more。　Where　have　you　served？〃
　〃In　the　Stepstones。　Some　in　the　Disputed　Lands。　There's　always　fighting　there。　I　rode　with　the　Gallant　Men。　We　fought　for　Lys；　and　some　for　Tyrosh。〃
　You　fought　for　anyone　who　would　pay　you。　〃How　did　you　e　by　your　knighthood？〃
　〃On　a　battlefield。〃
　〃Who　knighted　you？〃
　〃Ser　Robert　。　。　。　Stone。　He's　dead　now；　my　lord。〃
　〃To　be　sure。〃　Ser　Robert　Stone　might　have　been　some　bastard　from　the　Vale；　he　supposed；　selling　his　sword　in　the　Disputed　Lands。　On　the　other　hand；　he　might　be　no　more　than　a　name　Ser　Osmund　cobbled　together　from　a　dead　king　and　a　castle　wall。　What　was　Gersei　thinking　when　she　gave　this　one　a　white　cloak？
　At　least　Kettleblack　would　likely　know　how　to　use　a　sword　and　shield。　Sellswords　were　seldom　the　most　honorable　of　men；　but　they　had　to　have　a　certain　skill　at　arms　to　stay　alive。　〃Very　well；　ser；〃　Jaime　said。　〃You　may　go。〃
　The　man's　grin　returned。　He　left　swaggering。
　〃Ser　Meryn。〃　Jaime　smiled　at　the　sour　knight　with　the　rust…red　hair　and　the　pouches　under　his　eyes。　〃I　have　heard　it　said　that　Joffrey　made　use　of　you　to　chastise　Sansa　Stark。〃　He　turned　the　White　Book　around