grrm.astormofswords-第258章

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　There　was　naught　that　Sam　could　do　but　watch　him　stride　off　toward　the　armory　and　the　practice　yard。　That　was　where　Jon　Snow　spent　most　of　his　waking　hours。　With　Ser　Endrew　dead　and　Ser　Alliser　disinterested；　Castle　Black　had　no　master…at…arms；　so　Jon　had　taken　it　on　himself　to　work　with　some　of　the　rawer　recruits；　Satin；　Horse；　Hop…Robin　with　his　clubfoot；　Arron　and　Emrick。　And　when　they　had　duties；　he　would　train　alone　for　hours　with　sword　and　shield　and　spear；　or　match　himself　against　anyone　who　cared　to　take　him　on。
　Sam；　you're　a　sweet　fool；　he　could　hear　Jon　saying；　all　the　way　back　to　the　maester's　keep。　Open　your　eyes。　It's　been　happening　for　days。　Could　he　be　right？　A　man　needed　the　votes　of　two…thirds　of　the　Sworn　Brothers　to　bee　the　Lord　mander　of　the　Night's　Watch；　and　after　nine　days　and　nine　votes　no　one　was　even　close　to　that。　Lord　Janos　had　been　gaining；　true；　creeping　up　past　first　Bowen　Marsh　and　then　Othell　Yarwyck；　but　he　was　still　well　behind　Ser　Denys　Mallister　of　the　Shadow　Tower　and　Cotter　Pyke　of　Eastwatch…by…the…Sea。　One　of　them　will　be　the　new　Lord　mander；　surely；　Sam　told　himself。
　Stannis　had　posted　guards　outside　the　maester's　door　too。　Within；　the　rooms　were　hot　and　crowded　with　the　wounded　from　the　battle；　black　brothers；　king's　men；　and　queen's　men；　all　three。　Clydas　was　shuffling　amongst　them　with　flagons　of　goats'　milk　and　dreamwine；　but　Maester　Aemon　had　not　yet　returned　from　his　morning　call　on　Mance　Rayder。　Sam　hung　his　cloak　upon　a　peg　and　went　to　lend　a　hand。　But　even　as　he　fetched　and　poured　and　changed　dressings；　Jon's　words　nagged　at　him。　Sam；　you're　a　sweet　fool。　Open　your　eyes。　It's　been　happening　for　days。
　It　was　a　good　hour　before　he　could　excuse　himself　to　feed　the　ravens。　On　the　way　up　to　the　rookery；　he　stopped　to　check　the　tally　he　had　made　of　last　night's　count。　At　the　start　of　the　choosing；　more　than　thirty　names　had　been　offered；　but　most　had　withdrawn　once　it　became　clear　they　could　not　win。　Seven　remained　as　of　last　night。　Ser　Denys　Mallister　had　collected　two　hundred　and　thirteen　tokens；　Cotter　Pyke　one　hundred　and　eighty…seven；　Lord　Slynt　seventy…four；　Othell　Yarwyck　sixty；　Bowen　Marsh　forty…nine；　Three…Finger　Hobb　five；　and　Dolorous　Edd　Tollett　one。　PYP　and　his　stupid　japes。　Sam　shuffled　through　the　earlier　counts。　Ser　Denys；　Cotter　Pyke；　and　Bowen　Marsh　had　all　been　falling　since　the　third　day；　Othell　Yarwyck　since　the　sixth。　Only　Lord　Janos　Slynt　was　climbing；　day　after　day　after　day。
　He　could　hear　the　birds　quorking　in　the　rookery；　so　he　put　the　papers　away　and　climbed　the　steps　to　feed　them。　Three　more　ravens　had　e　in；　he　saw　with　pleasure。　〃Snow；〃　they　cried　at　him。　〃Snow；　snow；　snow〃　He　had　taught　them　that。　Even　with　the　newers；　the　ravenry　seemed　dismally　empty。　Few　of　the　birds　that　Aemon　had　sent　off　had　returned　as　yet。　One　reached　Stannis；　though。　One　found　Dragonstone；　and　a　king　who　still　cared。　A　thousand　leagues　south；　Sam　knew；　his　father　had　joined　House　Tarly　to　the　cause　of　the　boy　on　the　Iron　Throne；　but　neither　King　Joffrey　nor　little　King　Tornmen　had　bestirred　himself　when　the　Watch　cried　out　for　help。　What　good　is　a　king　who　will　not　defend　his　realm？　he　thought　angrily；　remembering　the　night　on　the　Fist　of　the　First　Men　and　the　terrible　trek　to　Craster's　Keep　through　darkness；　fear；　and　falling　snow。　The　queen's　men　made　him　uneasy；　it　was　true；　but　at　least　they　had　e。
　That　night　at　supper　Sam　looked　for　Jon　Snow；　but　did　not　see　him　anywhere　in　the　cavernous　stone　vault　where　the　brothers　now　took　their　meals。　He　finally　took　a　place　on　the　bench　near　his　other　friends。　Pyp　was　telling　Dolorous　Edd　about　the　contest　they'd　had　to　see　which　of　the　straw　soldiers　could　collect　the　most　wildling　arrows。　〃You　were　leading　most　of　the　way；　but　Watt　of　Long　Lake　got　three　in　the　last　day　and　passed　you。〃
　〃I　never　win　anything；〃　Dolorous　Edd　plained。　〃The　gods　always　smiled　on　Watt；　though。　When　the　wildlings　knocked　him　off　the　Bridge　of　Skulls；　somehow　he　landed　in　a　nice　deep　pool　of　water。　How　lucky　was　that；　missing　all　those　rocks？〃
　〃Was　it　a　long　fall？〃　Grenn　wanted　to　know。　〃Did　landing　in　the　pool　of　water　save　his　life？〃
　〃No；〃　said　Dolorous　Edd。　〃He　was　dead　already；　from　that　axe　in　his　head。　Still；　it　was　pretty　lucky；　missing　the　rocks。〃
　Three…Finger　Hobb　had　promised　the　brothers　roast　haunch　of　mammoth　that　night；　maybe　in　hopes　of　cadging　a　few　more　votes。　If　that　was　his　notion；　he　should　have　found　a　younger　mammoth；　Sam　thought；　as　he　pulled　a　string　of　gristle　out　from　between　his　teeth。　Sighing；　he　pushed　the　food　away。
　There　would　be　another　vote　shortly；　and　the　tensions　in　the　air　were　thicker　than　the　smoke。　Cotter　Pyke　sat　by　the　fire；　surrounded　by　rangers　from　Eastwatch。　Ser　Denys　Mallister　was　near　the　door　with　a　smaller　group　of　Shadow　Tower　men。　fanos　Slynt　has　the　best　place；　Sam　realized；　halfway　between　the　flames　and　the　drafts。　He　was　alarmed　to　see　Bowen　Marsh　beside　him；　wan…faced　and　haggard；　his　head　still　wrapped　in　linen；　but　listening　to　all　that　Lord　Janos　had　to　say。　When　he　pointed　that　out　to　his　friends；　Pyp　said；　〃And　look　down　there；　that's　Ser　Alliser　whispering　with　Othell　Yarwyck。〃
　After　the　meal　Maester　Aernon　rose　to　ask　if　any　of　the　brothers　wished　to　speak　before　they　cast　their　tokens。　Dolorous　Edd　got　up；　stone…faced　and　glum　as　ever。　〃I　just　want　to　say　to　whoever　is　voting　for　me　that　I　would　certainly　make　an　awful　Lord　mander。　But　so　would　all　these　others。〃　He　was　followed　by　Bowen　Marsh；　who　stood　with　one　hand　on　Lord　Slynt's　shoulder。　〃Brothers　and　friends；　I　am　asking　that　my　name　be　withdrawn　from　this　choosing。　My　wound　still　troubles　me；　and　the　task　is　too　large　for　me；　I　fear　。　。　。　but　not　for　Lord　Janos　here；　who　manded　the　gold　cloaks　of　King's　Landing　for　many　years。　Let　us　all　give　him　our　support。〃
　Sam　heard　angry　mutters　from　Cotter　Pyke's　end　of　the　room；　and　Ser　Denys　looked　at　one　of　his　panions　and　shook　his　head。　It　is　too　late；　the　damage　is　done。　He　wondered　where　Jon　was；　and　why　he　had　stayed　away。
　Most　of　the　brothers　were　unlettered；　so　by　tradition　the　choosing　was　done　by　dropping　tokens　into　a　big　potbellied　iron　kettle　that　Three…Finger　Hobb　and　Owen　the　Oaf　had　dragged　over　from　the　kitchens。　The　barrels　of　tokens　were　off　in　a　corner　behind　a　heavy　drape；　so　the　voters　could　make　their　choice　unseen。　You　were　allowed　to　have　a　friend　cast　your　token　if　you　had　duty；　so　some　men　took　two　tokens；　three；　or　four；　and　Ser　Denys　and　Cotter　Pyke　voted　for　the　garrisons　they　had　left　behind。
　When　the　hall　was　finally　empty；　save　for　them；　Sam　and　Clydas　upended　the　kettle　in　front　of　Maester　Aemon。　A　cascade　of　seashells；　stones；　and　copper　pennies　covered　the　table。　Aemon's　wrinkled　hands　sorted　with　surprising　speed；　moving　the　shells　here；　the　stones　there；　the　pennies　to　one　side；　the　occasional　arrowhead；　nail；　and　a　off　to　themselves。　Sam　and　Clydas　counted　the　piles；　each　of　them　keeping　his　own　tally。
　Tonight　it　was　Sam's　turn　to　give　his　results　first。　〃Two　hundred　and　three　for　Ser　Denys　Mallister；〃　he　said。　〃One　hundred　and　sixty…nine　for　Cotter　Pyke。　One　hundred　and　thirty…seven　for　Lord　Janos　Slynt；　seventy…two　for　Othell　Yarwyck；　five　for　Three…Finger　Hobb；　and　two　for　Dolorous　Edd。〃
　〃I　had　one　hundred　and　sixty…eight　for　Pyke；〃　Clydas　said。　〃We　are　two　votes　short　by　my　count；　and　one　by　Sam's。〃
　〃Sam's　count　is　correct；〃　said　Maester　Aemon。　〃Jon　Snow　did　not　cast　a　token。　it　makes　no　matter。　No　one　is　close。〃
　Sam　was　more　relieved　than　disappointed。　Even　with　Bowen　Marsh's　support；　Lord　Janos　was　still　only　third。　〃Who　are　these　five　who　keep　voting　for　Three…Finger　Hobb？〃　he　wondered。
　〃Brothers　who　want　him　out　of　the　kitchens？〃　said　Clydas。
　〃Ser　Denys　is　down　ten　votes　since　yesterday；〃　Sam　pointed　out。　〃And　Cotter　Pyke　is　down　almost　twenty。　That's　not　good。〃
　〃Not　good　for　their　hopes　of　being　Lord　mander；　certainly；〃　said　Maester　Aemon。　〃Yet　it　may　be　good　for　the　Night's　Watch；　in　the　end。　That　is　not　for　us　to　say。　Ten　days　is　not　unduly　long。　There　was　once　a　choosing　that　lasted　near　two　years；　some　seven　hundred　votes。　The　brothers　will　e　to　a　decision　in　their　own　time。〃
　Yes；　Sa