grrm.astormofswords-第243章

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　〃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　of　flaming　arrows　over　the　walls；　Dany　had　sent　two　hundred　men　along　the　river　under　cover　of　darkness　to　fire　the　hulks　in　the　harbor。　But　that　was　only　to　hide　their　true　purpose。　As　the　flaming　ships　drew　the　eyes　of　the　defenders　on　the　walls；　a　few　half…mad　swimmers　found　the　sewer　mouths　and　pried　loose　a　rusted　iron　grating。　Ser　Jorah；　Ser　Barristan；　Strong　Belwas；　and　twenty　brave　fools　slipped　beneath　the　brown　water　and　up　the　brick　tunnel；　a　mixed　force　of　sellswords；　Unsullied；　and　freedmen。　Dany　had　told　them　to　choose　only　men　who　had　no　families　。　。　。　and　preferably　no　sense　of　smell。
　They　had　been　lucky　as　well　as　brave。　It　had　been　a　moon's　turn　since　the　last　good　rain；　and　the　sewers　were　only　thigh…high。　The　oilcloth　they'd　wrapped　around　their　torches　kept　them　dry；　so　they　had　light。　A　few　of　the　freedmen　were　frightened　of　the　huge　rats　until　Strong　Belwas　caught　one　and　bit　it　in　two。　One　man　was　killed　by　a　great　pale　lizard　that　reared　up　out　of　the　dark　water　to　drag　him　off　by　the　leg；　but　when　next　ripples　were　spied　Ser　Jorah　butchered　the　beast　with　his　blade。　They　took　some　wrong　turnings；　but　once　they　found　the　surface　Strong　Belwas　led　them　to　the　nearest　fighting　pit；　where　they　surprised　a　few　guards　and　struck　the　chains　off　the　slaves。　Within　an　hour；　half　the　fighting　slaves　in　Meereen　had　risen。
　〃You　helped　win　this　city；〃　she　repeated　stubbornly。　〃And　you　have　served　me　well　in　the　past。　Ser　Barristan　saved　me　from　the　Titan's　Bastard；　and　from　the　Sorrowful　Man　in　Qarth。　Ser　Jorah　saved　me　from　the　poisoner　in　Vaes　Dothrak；　and　again　from　Drogo's　bloodriders　after　my　sun…and…stars　had　died。〃　So　many　people　wanted　her　dead；　sometimes　she　lost　count。　〃And　yet　you　lied；　deceived　me；　betrayed　me。〃　She　turned　to　Ser　Barristan。　〃You　protected　my　father　for　many　years；　fought　beside　my　brother　on　the　Trident；　but　you　abandoned　Viserys　in　his　exile　and　bent　your　knee　to　the　Usurper　instead。　Why？　And　tell　it　true。〃
　〃Some　truths　are　hard　to　hear。　Robert　was　a　。　。　。　a　good　knight　。　。　。　chivalrous；　brave　。　。　。　he　spared　my　life；　and　the　lives　of　many　others　。　。　。　Prince　Viserys　was　only　a　boy；　it　would　have　been　years　before　he　was　fit　to　rule；　and　。　。　。　forgive　me；　my　queen；　but　you　asked　for　truth　。　。　。　even　as　a　child；　your　brother　Viserys　oft　seemed　to　be　his　father's　son；　in　ways　that　Rhaegar　never　did。〃
　〃His　father's　son？〃　Dany　frowned。　〃What　does　that　mean？〃
　The　old　knight　did　not　blink。　〃Your　father　is　called　'the　Mad　King'　in　Westeros。　Has　no　one　ever　told　you？〃
　〃Viserys　did。〃　The　Mad　King。　〃The　Usurper　called　him　that；　the　Usurper　and　his　dogs。〃　The　Mad　King。　〃It　was　a　lie。〃
　〃Why　ask　for　truth；〃　Ser　Barristan　said　softly；　〃if　you　close　your　ears　to　it？〃　He　hesitated；　then　continued。　〃I　told　you　before　that　I　used　a　false　name　so　the　Lannisters　would　not　know　that　I'd　joined　you。　That　was　less　than　half　of　it；　Your　Grace。　The　truth　is；　I　wanted　to　watch　you　for　a　time　before　pledging　you　my　sword。　To　make　certain　that　you　were　not　。　。　。〃
　〃　。　。　。　my　father's　daughter？〃　If　she　was　not　her　father's　daughter；　who　was　she？
　〃　。　。　。　mad；〃　he　finished。　〃But　I　see　no　taint　in　you。〃
　〃Taint？〃　Dany　bristled。
　〃I　am　no　maester　to　quote　history　at　you；　Your　Grace。　Swords　have　been　my　life；　not　books。　But　every　child　knows　that　the　Targaryens　have　always　danced　too　close　to　madness。　Your　father　was　not　the　first。　King　Jaehaerys　once　told　me　that　madness　and　greatness　are　two　sides　of　the　same　coin。　Every　time　a　new　Targaryen　is　born；　he　said；　the　gods　toss　the　coin　in　the　air　and　the　world　holds　its　breath　to　see　how　it　will　land。〃
　Jaehaerys。　This　old　man　knew　my　grandfather。　The　thought　gave　her　pause。　Most　of　what　she　knew　of　Westeros　had　e　from　her　brother；　and　the　rest　from　Ser　Jorah。　Ser　Barristan　would　have　forgotten　more　than　the　two　of　them　had　ever　known。　This　man　can　tell　me　what　I　came　from。　〃So　I　am　a　coin　in　the　hands　of　some　god；　is　that　what　you　are　saying；　ser？〃
　〃No；〃　Ser　Barristan　replied。　〃You　are　the　trueborn　heir　of　Westeros。　To　the　end　of　my　days　I　shall　remain　your　faithful　knight；　should　you　find　me　worthy　to　bear　a　sword　again。　If　not；　I　am　content　to　serve　Strong　Belwas　as　his　squire。〃
　〃What　if　I　decide　you're　only　worthy　to　be　my　fool？〃　Dany　asked　scornfully。　〃Or　perhaps　my　cook？〃
　〃I　would　be　honored；　Your　Grace；〃　Selmy　said　with　quiet　dignity。　〃I　can　bake　apples　and　boil　beef　as　well　as　any　man；　and　I've　roasted　many　a　duck　over　a　campfire。　I　hope　you　like　them　greasy；　with　charred　skin　and　bloody　bones。〃
　That　made　her　smile。　〃I'd　have　to　be　mad　to　eat　such　fare。　Ben　Plumm；　e　give　Ser　Barristan　your　longsword。〃
　But　Whitebeard　would　not　take　it。　〃I　flung　my　sword　at　Joffrey's　feet　and　have　not　touched　one　since。　Only　from　the　hand　of　my　queen　will　I　accept　a　sword　again。〃
　〃As　you　wish。〃　Dany　took　the　sword　from　Brown　Ben　and　offered　it　hilt　first。　The　old　man　took　it　reverently。　〃Now　kneel；〃　she　told　him；　/land　swear　it　to　my　service。〃
　He　went　to　one　knee　and　lay　the　blade　before　her　as　he　said　the　words。　Dany　scarcely　heard　them。　He　was　the　easy　one；　she　thought。　The　other　will　be　harder。　When　Ser　Barristan　was　done；　she　turned　to　Jorah　Mormont。　〃And　now　you；　ser。　Tell　me　true。〃
　The　big　man's　neck　was　red；　whether　from　anger　or　shame　she　did　not　know。　〃I　have　tried　to　tell　you　true；　half　a　hundred　times。　I　told　you　Arstan　was　more　than　he　seemed。　I　warned　you　that　Xaro　and　Pyat　Pree　were　not　to　be　trusted。　I　warned　you…〃
　〃You　warned　me　against　everyone　except　yourself。〃　His　insolence　angered　her。　He　should　be　humbler。　He　should　beg　for　my　forgiveness。　〃Trust　no　one　but　Jorah　Mormont；　you　said　。　。　。　and　all　the　time　you　were　the　Spider's　creature！〃
　〃I　am　no　man's　creature。　I　took　the　eunuch's　gold；　yes。　I　learned　some　ciphers　and　wrote　some　letters；　but　that　was　all…〃
　〃All？　You　spied　on　me　and　sold　me　to　my　enemies！〃
　〃For　a　time。〃　He　said　it　grudgingly。　〃I　stopped。〃
　〃When？　When　did　you　stop？〃
　〃I　made　one　report　from　Qarth；　but　…
　〃From　Qarth？〃　Dany　had　been　hoping　it　had　ended　much　earlier。　〃What　did　you　write　from　Qarth？　That　you　were　my　man　now；　that　you　wanted　no　more　of　their　schemes？〃　Ser　Jorah　could　not　meet　her　eyes。　〃When　Khal　Drogo　died；　you　asked　me　to　go　with　you　to　Yi　Ti　and　the　jade　Sea。　Was　that　your　wish　or　Robert's？〃
　〃That　was　to　protect　you；〃　he　insisted。　〃To　keep　you　away　from　them。　I　knew　what　snakes　they　were　。　。　。〃
　〃Snakes？　And　what　are　you；　ser？〃　Something　unspeakable　occurred　to　her。　〃You　told　them　I　was　carrying　Drogo's　child　。　。　。〃
　〃Khaleesi　。　。　。〃
　〃Do　not　think　to　deny　it；　ser；〃　Ser　Barristan　said　sharply。　〃I　was　there　when　the　eunuch　told　the　council；　and　Robert　decreed　that　Her　Grace　and　her　child　must　die。　You　were　the　source；　ser。　There　was　even　talk　that　you　might　do　the　deed；　for　a　pardon。〃
　〃A　lie。〃　Ser　Jorah's　face　darkened。　〃I　would　never　。　。　。　Daenerys；　it　was　me　who　stopped　you　from　drinking　the　wine。〃
　〃Yes。　And　how　was　it　you　knew　the　wine　was　poisoned？〃
　〃I　。　。　。　I　but　suspected　。　。　。　the　caravan　brought　a　letter　from　Varys；　he　warned　me　there　would　be　attempts。　He　wanted　you　watched；　yes；　but　not　harmed。〃　He　went　to　his　knees。　〃If　I　had　not　told　them　someone　else　would　have。　You　know　that。〃
　〃I　know　you　betrayed　me。〃　She　touched　her　belly；　where　her　son　Rhaego　had　perished。　〃I　know　a　poisoner　tried　to　kill　my　son；　because　of　you。　That's　what　I　know〃
　〃No　。　。　。　no。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃I　never　meant　。　。　。　forgive　me。　You　have　to　forgive　me。〃
　〃Have　to？〃　It　was　too　late。　He　should　have　begun　by　begging　forgiveness。　She　could　not　pardon　him　as　she'd　intended。　She　had　dragged　the　wineseller　behind　her　horse　until　there　was　nothing　left　of　him。　Didn't　the　man　who　brought　him　deserve　the　same？　This　is　Jorah；　my　fierce　bear；　the　right　arm　that　never　failed　me。　I　would　be　dead　without　him；　but　。　。　。　〃I　can't　forgive　you；〃　she　said。　〃I　can't。〃
　〃You　forgave　the　old　man　。　。　。〃
　〃He　lied　to　me　about　his　name。　You　sold　my　secrets　to　the　men　who　killed　my　father　and　stole　my　bro