grrm.astormofswords-第234章

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　When　he　had　read　that；　Jon　had　dispatched　Zei　to　Mole's　Town　on　their　best　horse　to　plead　with　the　villagers　to　help　man　the　Wall。　She　never　returned。　When　he　sent　Mully　after　her；　he　came　back　to　report　the　whole　village　deserted；　even　the　brothel。　Most　likely　Zei　had　followed　them；　straight　down　the　kingsroad。　Maybe　we　should　all　do　the　same；　Jon　reflected　glumly。
　He　made　himself　eat；　hungry　or　no。　Bad　enough　he　could　not　sleep；　he　could　not　go　on　without　food　as　well。　Besides；　this　might　be　my　last　meal。　It　might　be　the　last　meal　for　all　of　us。　So　it　was　that　Jon　had　a　belly　full　of　bread；　bacon；　onions；　and　cheese　when　he　heard　Horse　shout；　〃IT'S　ING！〃
　No　one　needed　to　ask　what　〃it〃　was。　Nor　did　Jon　need　the　maester's　Myrish　eye　to　see　it　creeping　out　from　amongst　the　tents　and　trees。　〃It　doesn't　really　look　much　like　a　turtle；〃　Satin　mented。　〃Turtles　don't　have　fur。〃
　〃Most　of　them　don't　have　wheels　either；〃　said　Pyp。
　〃Sound　the　warhorn；〃　Jon　manded；　and　Kegs　blew　two　long　blasts；　to　wake　Grenn　and　the　other　sleepers　who'd　had　the　watch　during　the　night。　If　the　wildlings　were　ing；　the　Wall　would　need　every　man。　Gods　know；　we　have　fewenough。　Jon　looked　at　Pyp　and　Kegs　and　Satin；　Horse　and　Owen　the　Oaf；　Tim　Tangletongue；　Mully；　Spare　Boot；　and　the　rest；　and　tried　to　imagine　them　going　belly　to　belly　and　blade　to　blade　against　a　hundred　screaming　wildlings；　in　the　freezing　darkness　of　that　tunnel；　with　only　a　few　iron　bars　between　them。　That　was　what　it　would　e　down　to；　unless　they　could　stop　the　turtle　before　the　gate　was　breached。
　〃It's　big；〃　Horse　said。
　Pyp　smacked　his　lips。　〃Think　of　all　the　soup　it　will　make。〃　The　jape　was　stillborn。　Even　Pyp　sounded　tired。　He　looks　half　dead；　thought　Jon；　but　so　do　we　all。　The　King…beyond…the…Wall　had　so　many　men　that　he　could　throw　fresh　attackers　at　them　every　time；　but　the　same　handful　of　black　brothers　had　to　meet　every　assault；　and　it　had　worn　them　ragged。
　The　men　beneath　the　wood　and　hides　would　be　pulling　hard；　Jon　knew；　putting　their　shoulders　into　it；　straining　to　keep　the　wheels　turning；　but　once　the　turtle　was　flush　against　the　gate　they　would　exchange　their　ropes　for　axes。　At　least　Mance　was　not　sending　his　mammoths　today。　Jon　was　glad　of　that。　Their　awesome　strength　was　wasted　on　the　Wall；　and　their　size　only　made　them　easy　targets。　The　last　had　been　a　day　and　a　half　in　the　dying；　its　mournful　trumpetings　terrible　to　hear。
　The　turtle　crept　slowly　through　stones　and　stumps　and　brush。　The　earlier　attacks　had　cost　the　free　folk　a　hundred　lives　or　more。　Most　still　lay　where　they　had　fallen。　In　the　lulls　the　crows　would　e　and　pay　them　court；　but　now　the　birds　fled　screeching。　They　liked　the　look　of　that　turtle　no　more　than　he　did。
　Satin；　Horse；　and　the　others　were　looking　to　him；　Jon　knew；　waiting　for　his　orders。　He　was　so　tired；　he　hardly　knew　any　more。　The　Wall　is　mine；　he　reminded　himself。　〃Owen；　Horse；　to　the　catapults。　Kegs；　you　and　Spare　Boot　on　the　scorpions。　The　rest　of　you　string　your　bows。　Fire　arrows。　Let's　see　if　we　can　burn　it。〃　It　was　likely　to　be　a　futile　gesture；　Jon　knew；　but　it　had　to　be　better　than　standing　helpless。
　Cumbersome　and　slow…moving；　the　turtle　made　for　an　easy　shot；　and　his　archers　and　crossbowmen　soon　turned　it　into　a　lumbering　wooden　hedgehog　。　。　。　but　the　wet　hides　protected　it；　just　as　they　had　the　mantlets；　and　the　flaming　arrows　guttered　out　almost　as　soon　as　they　struck。　Jon　cursed　under　his　breath。　〃Scorpions；〃　he　manded。　〃Catapults。〃
　The　scorpions　bolts　punched　deep　into　the　pelts；　but　did　no　more　damage　than　the　fire　arrows。　The　rocks　went　bouncing　off　the　turtle's　roof；　leaving　dimples　in　the　thick　layers　of　hides。　A　stone　from　one　of　the　trebuchets　might　have　crushed　it；　but　the　one　machine　was　still　broken；　and　the　wildlings　had　gone　wide　around　the　area　where　the　other　dropped　its　loads。
　〃Jon；　it's　still　ing；〃　said　Owen　the　Oaf。
　He　could　see　that　for　himself。　Inch　by　inch；　yard　by　yard；　the　turtle　crept　closer；　rolling；　rumbling　and　rocking　as　it　crossed　the　killing　ground。　Once　the　wildlings　got　it　flush　against　the　Wall；　it　would　give　them　all　the　shelter　they　needed　while　their　axes　crashed　through　the　hastily…repaired　outer　gates。　Inside；　under　the　ice；　they　would　clear　the　loose　rubble　from　the　tunnel　in　a　matter　of　hours；　and　then　there　would　be　nothing　to　stop　them　but　two　iron　gates；　a　few　half…frozen　corpses；　and　whatever　brothers　Jon　cared　to　throw　in　their　path；　to　fight　and　die　down　in　the　dark。
　To　his　left；　the　catapult　made　a　thunk　and　filled　the　air　with　spinning　stones。　They　plonked　down　on　the　turtle　like　hail；　and　caromed　harmlessly　aside。　The　wildling　archers　were　still　loosing　arrows　from　behind　their　mantlets。　One　thudded　into　the　face　of　a　straw　man；　and　Pyp　said；　〃Four　for　Watt　of　Long　Lake！　We　have　a　tie！　〃　The　next　shaft　whistled　past　his　own　ear；　however。　〃Fie！〃　he　shouted　down。　〃I'm　not　in　the　tourney！〃
　〃The　hides　won't　burn；〃　Jon　said；　as　much　to　himself　as　to　the　others。　Their　only　hope　was　to　try　and　crush　the　turtle　when　it　reached　the　Wall。　For　that；　they　needed　boulders。　No　matter　how　stoutly　built　the　turtle　was；　a　huge　chunk　of　rock　crashing　straight　down　on　top　of　it　from　seven　hundred　feet　was　bound　to　do　some　damage。　〃Grenn；　Owen；　Kegs；　it's　time。〃
　Alongside　the　warming　shed　a　dozen　stout　oaken　barrels　were　lined　up　in　a　row。　They　were　full　of　crushed　rock；　the　gravel　that　the　black　brothers　customarily　spread　on　the　footpaths　to　give　themselves　better　footing　atop　the　Wall。　Yesterday；　after　he'd　seen　the　free　folk　covering　the　turtle　with　sheepskins；　Jon　told　Grerm　to　pour　water　into　the　barrels；　as　much　as　they　would　take。　The　water　would　seep　down　through　the　crushed　stone；　and　overnight　the　whole　thing　would　freeze　solid。　It　was　the　nearest　thing　to　a　boulder　they　were　going　to　get。
　〃Why　do　we　need　to　freeze　it？〃　Grerm　had　asked　him。　〃Why　don't　we　just　roll　the　barrels　off　the　way　they　are？〃
　Jon　answered；　〃If　they　crash　against　the　Wall　on　the　way　down　they'll　burst；　and　loose　gravel　will　spray　everywhere。　We　don't　want　to　rain　pebbles　on　the　whoresons。〃
　He　put　his　shoulder　to　the　one　barrel　with　Grenn；　while　Kegs　and　Owen　were　wrestling　with　another。　Together　they　rocked　it　back　and　forth　to　break　the　grip　of　the　ice　that　had　formed　around　its　bottom。　〃The　bugger　weighs　a　ton；〃　said　Grenn。
　〃Tip　it　over　and　roll　it；〃　Jon　said。　〃Careful；　if　it　rolls　over　your　foot　you'll　end　up　like　Spare　Boot。〃
　Once　the　barrel　was　on　its　side；　Jon　grabbed　a　torch　and　waved　it　above　the　surface　of　the　Wall；　back　and　forth；　just　enough　to　melt　the　ice　a　little。　The　thin　film　of　water　helped　the　barrel　roll　more　easily。　Too　easily；　in　fact；　they　almost　lost　it。　But　finally；　with　four　of　them　pooling　their　efforts；　they　rolled　their　boulder　to　the　edge　and　stood　it　up　again。
　They　had　four　of　the　big　oak　barrels　lined　up　above　the　gate　by　the　time　Pyp　shouted；　〃There's　a　turtle　at　our　door！〃　Jon　braced　his　injured　leg　and　leaned　out　for　a　look。　Hoardings；　Marsh　should　have　built　hoardings。　So　many　things　they　should　have　done。　The　wildlings　were　dragging　the　dead　giants　away　from　the　gate。　Horse　and　Mully　were　dropping　rocks　down　on　them；　and　Jon　thought　he　saw　one　man　go　down；　but　the　stones　were　too　small　to　have　any　effect　on　the　turtle　itself。　He　wondered　what　the　free　folk　would　do　about　the　dead　mammoth　in　the　path；　but　then　he　saw。　The　turtle　was　almost　as　wide　as　a　longhall；　so　they　simply　pushed　it　over　the　carcass。　His　leg　twitched；　but　Horse　caught　his　arm　and　drew　him　back　to　safety。　〃You　shouldn't　lean　out　like　that；〃　the　boy　said。
　〃We　should　have　built　hoardings。〃　Jon　thought　he　could　hear　the　crash　of　axes　on　wood；　but　that　was　probably　just　fear　ringing　in　his　ears。　He　looked　to　Grenn。　〃Do　it。〃
　Grerm　got　behind　a　barrel；　put　his　shoulder　against　it；　grunted；　and　began　to　push。　Owen　and　Mully　moved　to　help　him。　They　shoved　the　barrel　out　a　foot；　and　then　another。　And　suddenly　it　was　gone。
　They　heard　the　thump　as　it　struck　the　Wall　on　the　way　down；　and　then；　much　louder；　the　crash　and　crack　of　splintering　wood；　followed　by　shouts　and　screams。　Satin　whooped　and　Owen　the　Oaf　danced　in　circles；　while　Pyp　leaned　out　and　called；　〃The　turt