grrm.astormofswords-第241章

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e　only　fruit　and　never　flesh。　The　butterfly　spirits　sacred　to　their　Lord　of　Harmony　protected　their　isle　against　those　who　would　do　them　harm。　Many　conquerors　had　sailed　on　Naath　to　blood　their　swords；　only　to　sicken　and　die。　The　butterflies　do　not　help　them　when　the　slave　ships　e　raiding；　though。　〃I　am　going　to　take　you　home　one　day；　Missandei；〃　Dany　promised。　If　I　had　made　the　same　promise　to　Jorah；　would　he　still　have　sold　me？　〃I　swear　it。〃
　〃This　one　is　content　to　stay　with　you；　Your　Grace。　Naath　will　be　there；　always。　You　are　good　to　this…to　me。〃
　〃And　you　to　me。〃　Dany　took　the　girl　by　the　hand。　〃e　help　me　dress。〃
　Jhiqui　helped　Missandei　bathe　her　while　Irri　was　laying　out　her　clothes。　Today　she　wore　a　robe　of　purple　samite　and　a　silver　sash；　and　on　her　head　the　three…headed　dragon　crown　the　Tourmaline　Brotherhood　had　given　her　in　Qarth。　Her　slippers　were　silver　as　well；　with　heels　so　high　that　she　was　always　half　afraid　she　was　about　to　topple　over。　When　she　was　dressed；　Missandei　brought　her　a　polished　silver　glass　so　she　could　see　how　she　looked。　Dany　stared　at　herself　in　silence。　Is　this　the　face　of　a　conqueror？　So　far　as　she　could　tell；　she　still　looked　like　a　little　girl。
　No　one　was　calling　her　Daenerys　the　Conqueror　yet；　but　perhaps　they　would。　Aegon　the　Conqueror　had　won　Westeros　with　three　dragons；　but　she　had　taken　Meereen　with　sewer　rats　and　a　wooden　cock；　in　less　than　a　day。　Poor　Groleo。　He　still　grieved　for　his　ship；　she　knew。　If　a　war　galley　could　ram　another　ship；　why　not　a　gate？　That　had　been　her　thought　when　she　manded　the　captains　to　drive　their　ships　ashore。　Their　masts　had　bee　her　battering　rams；　and　swarms　of　freedmen　had　torn　their　hulls　apart　to　build　mantlets；　turtles；　catapults；　and　ladders。　The　sellwords　had　given　each　ram　a　bawdy　name；　and　it　had　been　the　mainmast　of　Meraxes…formerly　Joso's　Prank　that　had　broken　the　eastern　gate。　Joso's　Cock；　they　called　it。　The　fighting　had　raged　bitter　and　bloody　for　most　of　a　day　and　well　into　the　night　before　the　wood　began　to　splinter　and　Meraxes'　iron　figurehead；　a　laughing　jester's　face；　came　crashing　through。
　Dany　had　wanted　to　lead　the　attack　herself；　but　to　a　man　her　captains　said　that　would　be　madness；　and　her　captains　never　agreed　on　anything。　Instead　she　remained　in　the　rear；　sitting　atop　her　silver　in　a　long　shirt　of　mail。　She　heard　the　city　fall　from　half　a　league　away；　though；　when　the　defenders'　shouts　of　defiance　changed　to　cries　of　fear。　Her　dragons　had　roared　as　one　in　that　moment；　filling　the　night　with　flame。　The　slaves　are　rising；　she　knew　at　once。　My　sewer　rats　have　gnawed　off　their　chains。
　When　the　last　resistance　had　been　crushed　by　the　Unsullied　and　the　sack　had　run　its　course；　Dany　entered　her　city。　The　dead　were　heaped　so　high　before　the　broken　gate　that　it　took　her　freedmen　near　an　hour　to　make　a　path　for　her　silver。　Joso's　Cock　and　the　great　wooden　turtle　that　had　protected　it；　covered　with　horsehides；　lay　abandoned　within。　She　rode　past　burned　buildings　and　broken　windows；　through　brick　streets　where　the　gutters　were　choked　with　the　stiff　and　swollen　dead。　Cheering　slaves　lifted　bloodstained　hands　to　her　as　she　went　by；　and　called　her　〃Mother。〃
　In　the　plaza　before　the　Great　Pyramid；　the　Meereenese　huddled　forlorn。　The　Great　Masters　had　looked　anything　but　great　in　the　morning　light。　Stripped　of　their　jewels　and　their　fringed　tokars；　they　were　contemptible；　a　herd　of　old　men　with　shriveled　balls　and　spotted　skin　and　young　men　with　ridiculous　hair。　Their　women　were　either　soft　and　fleshy　or　as　dry　as　old　sticks；　their　face　paint　streaked　by　tears。　〃I　want　your　leaders；〃　Dany　told　them。　〃Give　them　up；　and　the　rest　of　you　shall　be　spared。〃
　〃How　many？〃　one　old　woman　had　asked；　sobbing。　〃How　many　must　you　have　to　spare　us？〃
　〃One　hundred　and　sixty…three；〃　she　answered。
　She　had　them　nailed　to　wooden　posts　around　the　plaza；　each　man　pointing　at　the　next。　The　anger　was　fierce　and　hot　inside　her　when　she　gave　the　mand；　it　made　her　feel　like　an　avenging　dragon。　But　later；　when　she　passed　the　men　dying　on　the　posts；　when　she　heard　their　moans　and　smelled　their　bowels　and　blood　。　。　。
　Dany　put　the　glass　aside；　frowning。　It　was　just。　It　was。　I　did　it　for　the　children。
　Her　audience　chamber　was　on　the　level　below；　an　echoing　highceilinged　room　with　walls　of　purple　marble。　It　was　a　chilly　place　for　all　its　grandeur。　There　had　been　a　throne　there；　a　fantastic　thing　of　carved　and　gilded　wood　in　the　shape　of　a　savage　harpy。　She　had　taken　one　long　look　and　manded　it　be　broken　up　for　firewood。　〃I　will　not　sit　in　the　harpy's　lap；〃　she　told　them。　Instead　she　sat　upon　a　simple　ebony　bench。　it　served；　though　she　had　heard　the　Meereenese　muttering　that　it　did　not　befit　a　queen。
　Her　bloodriders　were　waiting　for　her。　Silver　bells　tinkled　in　their　oiled　braids；　and　they　wore　the　gold　and　jewels　of　dead　men。　Meereen　had　been　rich　beyond　imagining。　Even　her　sellswords　seemed　sated；　at　least　for　now。　Across　the　room；　Grey　Worm　wore　the　plain　uniform　of　the　Unsullied；　his　spiked　bronze　cap　beneath　one　arm。　These　at　least　she　could　rely　on；　or　so　she　hoped　。　。　。　and　Brown　Ben　Plumm　as　well；　solid　Ben　with　his　grey…white　hair　and　weathered　face；　so　beloved　of　her　dragons。　And　Daario　beside　him；　glittering　in　gold。　Daario　and　Ben　Plumm；　Grey　Worm；　Irri；　Jhiqui；　Missandei　。　。　。　as　she　looked　at　them　Dany　found　herself　wondering　which　of　them　would　betray　her　next。
　The　dragon　has　three　heads。　There　are　two　men　in　the　world　who　I　can　trust；　if　I　can　flnd　them。　I　will　not　be　alone　then。　We　will　be　three　against　the　world；　like　Aegon　and　his　sisters。
　〃Was　the　night　as　quiet　as　it　seemed？〃　Dany　asked。
　〃It　seems　it　was；　Your　Grace；〃　said　Brown　Ben　Plumm。
　She　was　pleased。　Meereen　had　been　sacked　savagely；　as　new…fallen　cities　always　were；　but　Dany　was　determined　that　should　end　now　that　the　city　was　hers。　She　had　decreed　that　murderers　were　to　be　hanged；　that　looters　were　to　lose　a　hand；　and　rapists　their　manhood。　Eight　killers　swung　from　the　walls；　and　the　Unsullied　had　filled　a　bushel　basket　with　bloody　hands　and　soft　red　worms；　but　Meereen　was　calm　again。　But　for　how　long？
　A　fly　buzzed　her　head。　Dany　waved　it　off；　irritated；　but　it　returned　almost　at　once。　〃There　are　too　many　flies　in　this　city。〃
　Ben　Plumm　gave　a　bark　of　laughter。　〃There　were　flies　in　my　ale　this　morning。　I　swallowed　one　of　them。〃
　〃Flies　are　the　dead　man's　revenge。〃　Daario　smiled；　and　stroked　the　center　prong　of　his　beard。　〃Corpses　breed　maggots；　and　maggots　breed　flies。〃
　〃We　will　rid　ourselves　of　the　corpses；　then。　Starting　with　those　in　the　plaza　below。　Grey　Worm；　will　you　see　to　it？〃
　〃The　queen　mands；　these　ones　obey。〃
　〃Best　bring　sacks　as　well　as　shovels；　Worm；〃　Brown　Ben　counseled。　〃Well　past　ripe；　those　ones。　Falling　off　those　poles　in　bits　and　pieces；　and　crawling　with　。　。　。〃
　〃He　knows。　So　do　L〃　Dany　remembered　the　horror　she　had　felt　when　she　had　seen　the　Plaza　of　Punishment　in　Astapor。　I　made　a　horror　just　as　great；　but　surely　they　deserved　it。　Harsh　justice　is　still　justice。
　〃Your　Grace；〃　said　Missandei；　〃Ghiscari　inter　their　honored　dead　in　crypts　below　their　manses。　if　you　would　boil　the　bones　clean　and　return　them　to　their　kin；　it　would　be　a　kindness。〃
　The　widows　will　curse　me　all　the　same。　〃Let　it　be　done。〃　Dany　beckoned　to　Daario。　〃How　many　seek　audience　this　morning？〃
　〃Two　have　presented　themselves　to　bask　in　your　radiance。〃
　Daario　had　plundered　himself　a　whole　new　wardrobe　in　Meereen；　and　to　match　it　he　had　redyed　his　trident　beard　and　curly　hair　a　deep　rich　purple。　It　made　his　eyes　look　almost　purple　too；　as　if　he　were　some　lost　Valyrian。　〃They　arrived　in　the　night　on　the　Indigo　Star；　a　trading　galley　out　of　Qarth。〃
　A　slaver；　you　mean。　Dany　frowned。　〃Who　are　they？〃
　〃The　Star's　master　and　one　who　claims　to　speak　for　Astapor。〃
　〃I　will　see　the　envoy　first。〃
　He　proved　to　be　a　pale　ferret…faced　man　with　ropes　of　pearls　and　spun　gold　hanging　heavy　about　his　neck。　〃Your　Worship！〃　he　cried。　〃My　name　is　Ghael。　I　bring　greetings　to　the　Mother　of　Dragons　from　King　Cleon　of　Astapor；　Cleon　the　Great。〃
　Dany　stiffened。　〃I　left　a　council　to　rule　Astapor。　A　healer；　a　scholar；　and　a　priest。〃
　〃Your　Worship；　those　sly