grrm.astormofswords-第242章

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　Dany　stiffened。　〃I　left　a　council　to　rule　Astapor。　A　healer；　a　scholar；　and　a　priest。〃
　〃Your　Worship；　those　sly　rogues　betrayed　your　trust。　It　was　revealed　that　they　were　scheming　to　restore　the　Good　Masters　to　power　and　the　people　to　chains。　Great　Cleon　exposed　their　plots　and　hacked　their　heads　off　with　a　cleaver；　and　the　grateful　folk　of　Astapor　have　crowned　him　for　his　valor。〃
　〃Noble　Ghael；〃　said　Missandei；　in　the　dialect　of　Astapor；　〃is　this　the　same　Cleon　once　owned　by　Grazdan　mo　Ullhor？〃
　Her　voice　was　guileless；　yet　the　question　plainly　made　the　envoy　anxious。　〃The　same；〃　he　admitted。　〃A　great　man。〃
　Missandei　leaned　close　to　Dany。　〃He　was　a　butcher　in　Grazdan's　kitchen；〃　the　girl　whispered　in　her　ear。　〃It　was　said　he　could　slaughter　a　pig　faster　than　any　man　in　Astapor。〃
　I　have　given　Astapor　a　butcher　king。　Dany　felt　ill；　but　she　knew　she　must　not　let　the　envoy　see　it。　〃I　will　pray　that　King　Cleon　rules　well　and　wisely。　What　would　he　have　of　me？〃
　Ghael　rubbed　his　mouth。　〃Perhaps　we　should　speak　more　privily；　Your　Grace？〃
　〃I　have　no　secrets　from　my　captains　and　manders。〃
　〃As　you　wish。　Great　Cleon　bids　me　declare　his　devotion　to　the　Mother　of　Dragons。　Your　enemies　are　his　enemies；　he　says；　and　chief　among　them　are　the　Wise　Masters　of　Yunkai。　He　proposes　a　pact　between　Astapor　and　Meereen；　against　the　Yunkai'i。〃
　〃I　swore　no　harm　would　e　to　Yunkai　if　they　released　their　slaves；〃　said　Dany。
　〃These　Yunkish　dogs　cannot　be　trusted；　Your　Worship。　Even　now　they　plot　against　you。　New　levies　have　been　raised　and　can　be　seen　drilling　outside　the　city　walls；　warships　are　being　built；　envoys　have　been　sent　to　New　Ghis　and　Volantis　in　the　west；　to　make　alliances　and　hire　sellswords。　They　have　even　dispatched　riders　to　Vaes　Dothrak　to　bring　a　khalasar　down　upon　you。　Great　Cleon　bid　me　tell　you　not　to　be　afraid。
　Astapor　remembers。　Astapor　will　not　forsake　you。　To　prove　his　faith；　Great　Cleon　offers　to　seal　your　alliance　with　a　marriage。〃
　〃A　marriage？　To　me？〃
　Ghael　smiled。　His　teeth　were　brown　and　rotten。　〃Great　Cleon　will　give　you　many　strong　sons。〃
　Dany　found　herself　bereft　of　words；　but　little　Missandei　came　to　her　rescue。　〃Did　his　first　wife　give　him　sons？〃
　The　envoy　looked　at　her　unhappily。　〃Great　Cleon　has　three　daughters　by　his　first　wife。　Two　of　his　newer　wives　are　with　child。　But　he　means　to　put　all　of　them　aside　if　the　Mother　of　Dragons　will　consent　to　wed　him。〃
　〃How　noble　of　him；〃　said　Dany。　〃I　will　consider　all　you've　said；　my　lord。〃　She　gave　orders　that　Ghael　be　given　chambers　for　the　night；　somewhere　lower　in　the　pyramid。
　All　my　victories　turn　to　dross　in　my　hands；　she　thought。　Whatever　I　do；　all　I　make　is　death　and　horror。　When　word　of　what　had　befallen　Astapor　reached　the　streets；　as　it　surely　would；　tens　of　thousands　of　newly　freed　Meereenese　slaves　would　doubtless　decide　to　follow　her　when　she　went　west；　for　fear　of　what　awaited　them　if　they　stayed　。　。　。　yetit　might　well　be　that　worse　would　await　them　on　the　march。　Even　if　she　emptied　every　granary　in　the　city　and　left　Meereen　to　starve；　how　could　she　feed　so　many？　The　way　before　her　was　fraught　with　hardship；　bloodshed；　and　danger。　Ser　Jorah　had　warned　her　of　that。　He'd　warned　her　of　so　many　things　。　。　。　he'd　。　。　。　No；　I　will　not　think　of　forah　Mormont。　Let　him　keep　a　little　longer。　〃I　shall　see　this　trader　captain；〃　she　announced。　Perhaps　he　would　have　some　better　tidings。
　That　proved　to　be　a　forlorn　hope。　The　master　of　the　Indigo　Star　was　Qartheen；　so　he　wept　copiously　when　asked　about　Astapor。　〃The　city　bleeds。　Dead　men　rot　unburied　in　the　streets；　each　pyramid　is　an　armed　camp；　and　the　markets　have　neither　food　nor　slaves　for　sale。　And　the　poor　children！　King　Cleaver's　thugs　have　seized　every　highborn　boy　in　Astapor　to　make　new　Unsullied　for　the　trade；　though　it　will　be　years　before　they　are　trained。〃
　The　thing　that　surprised　Dany　most　was　how　unsurprised　she　was。　She　found　herself　remembering　Eroeh；　the　Lhazarene　girl　she　had　once　tried　to　protect；　and　what　had　happened　to　her。　It　will　be　the　same　in　Meereen　once　I　march；　she　thought。　The　slaves　from　the　fighting　pits；　bred　and　trained　to　slaughter；　were　already　proving　themselves　unruly　and　quarrelsome。　They　seemed　to　think　they　owned　the　city　now；　and　every　man　and　woman　in　it。　Two　of　them　had　been　among　the　eight　she'd　hanged。　There　is　no　more　I　can　do；　she　told　herself。　〃What　do　you　want　of　me；　Captain？〃
　〃Slaves；〃　he　said。　〃My　holds　are　full　to　bursting　with　ivory；　ambergris；　zorse　hides；　and　other　fine　goods。　I　would　trade　them　here　for　slaves；　to　sell　in　Lys　and　Volantis。…
　〃We　have　no　slaves　for　sale；〃　said　Dany。
　〃My　queen？〃　Daario　stepped　forward。　〃The　riverside　is　full　of　Meereenese；　begging　leave　to　be　allowed　to　sell　themselves　to　this　Qartheen。　They　are　thicker　than　the　flies。〃
　Dany　was　shocked。　〃They　want　to　be　slaves？〃
　〃The　ones　who　e　are　well　spoken　and　gently　born；　sweet　queen。　Such　slaves　are　prized。　In　the　Free　Cities　they　will　be　tutors；　scribes；　bed　slaves；　even　healers　and　priests。　They　will　sleep　in　soft　beds；　eat　rich　foods；　and　dwell　in　manses。　Here　they　have　lost　all；　and　live　in　fear　and　squalor。〃
　〃I　see。〃　Perhaps　it　was　not　so　shocking；　if　these　tales　of　Astapor　were　true。　Dany　thought　a　moment。　〃Any　man　who　wishes　to　sell　himself　into　slavery　may　do　so。　Or　woman。〃　She　raised　a　hand。　〃But　they　may　not　sell　their　children；　nor　a　man　his　wife。〃
　〃In　Astapor　the　city　took　a　tenth　part　of　the　price；　each　time　a　slave　changed　hands；〃　Missandei　told　her。
　〃We'll　do　the　same；〃　Dany　decided。　Wars　were　won　with　gold　as　much　as　swords。　〃A　tenth　part。　In　gold　or　silver　coin；　or　ivory。　Meereen　has　no　need　of　saffron；　cloves；　or　zorse　hides。〃
　〃It　shall　be　done　as　you　mand；　glorious　queen；〃　said　Daario。　〃My　Stormcrows　will　collect　your　tenth。〃
　If　the　Stormcrows　saw　to　the　collections　at　least　half　the　gold　would　somehow　go　astray；　Dany　knew。　But　the　Second　Sons　were　just　as　bad；　and　the　Unsullied　were　as　unlettered　as　they　were　incorruptible。　〃Records　must　be　kept；〃　she　said。　〃Seek　among　the　freedmen　for　men　who　can　read；　write；　and　do　sums。〃
　His　business　done；　the　captain　of　the　Indigo　Star　bowed　and　took　his　leave。　Dany　shifted　unfortably　on　the　ebony　bench。　She　dreaded　what　must　e　next；　yet　she　knew　she　had　put　it　off　too　long　already。　Yunkai　and　Astapor；　threats　of　war；　marriage　proposals；　the　march　west　looming　over　all　。　。　。　I　need　my　knights。　I　need　their　swords；　and　I　need　their　counsel。　Yet　the　thought　of　seeing　Jorah　Mormont　again　made　her　feel　as　if　she'd　swallowed　a　spoonful　of　flies；　angry；　agitated；　sick。　She　could　almost　feel　them　buzzing　round　her　belly。　I　am　the　blood　of　the　dragon。　I　must　be　strong。　I　must　have　flre　in　my　eyes　when　I　face　them；　not　tears。　〃Tell　Belwas　to　bring　my　knights；〃　Dany　manded；　before　she　could　change　her　mind。　〃My　good　knights。〃
　Strong　Belwas　was　puffing　from　the　climb　when　he　marched　them　through　the　doors；　one　meaty　hand　wrapped　tight　around　each　man's　arm。　Ser　Barristan　walked　with　his　head　held　high；　but　Ser　Jorah　stared　at　the　marble　floor　as　he　approached。　The　one　is　proud；　the　other　guilty。
　The　old　man　had　shaved　off　his　white　beard。　He　looked　ten　years　younger　without　it。　But　her　balding　bear　looked　older　than　he　had。　They　halted　before　the　bench。　Strong　Belwas　stepped　back　and　stood　with　his　arms　crossed　across　his　scarred　chest。　Ser　Jorah　cleared　his　throat。　〃Khaleesi。。　。〃
　She　had　missed　his　voice　so　much；　but　she　had　to　be　stem。　〃Be　quiet。　I　will　tell　you　when　to　speak。〃　She　stood。　〃When　I　sent　you　down　into　the　sewers；　part　of　me　hoped　I'd　seen　the　last　of　you。　It　seemed　a　fitting　end　for　liars；　to　drown　in　slavers'　filth。　I　thought　the　gods　would　deal　with　you；　but　instead　you　returned　to　me。　My　gallant　knights　of　Westeros；　an　informer　and　a　tumcloak。　My　brother　would　have　hanged　you　both。〃　Viserys；　would　have；　anyway。　She　did　not　know　what　Rhaegar　would　have　done。　〃I　will　admit　you　helped　win　me　this　city　。　。　。〃
　Ser　Jorah's　mouth　tightened。　〃We　won　you　this　city。　We　sewer　rats。〃
　〃Be　quiet；〃　she　said　again。。　。　though　there　was　truth　to　what　he　said。　While　joso's　Cock　and　the　other　rams　were　battering　the　city　gates　and　her　archers　were　firing　flights　o