grrm.astormofswords-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ngsguard。　Swear　it　by　your　sister's　life；　and　your　father's；　and　your　son's；　by　the　old　gods　and　the　new；　and　I'll　send　you　back　to　your　sister。　Refuse；　and　I　will　have　your　blood。〃　He　remembered　the　prick　of　the　steel　through　his　rags　as　she　twisted　the　point　of　the　sword。
　I　wonder　what　the　High　Septon　would　have　to　say　about　the　sanctity　of　oaths　sworn　while　dead　drunk；　chained　to　a　wall；　with　a　sword　pressed　to　your　chest？　Not　that　Jaime　was　truly　concerned　about　that　fat　fraud；　or　the　gods　he　claimed　to　serve。　He　remembered　the　pail　Lady　Catelyn　had　kicked　over　in　his　cell。　A　strange　woman；　to　trust　her　girls　to　a　man　with　shit　for　honor。　Though　she　was　trusting　him　as　little　as　she　dared。　She　is　putting　her　hope　in　Tyrion；　not　in　me。　〃Perhaps　she　is　not　so　stupid　after　all；〃　he　said　aloud。
　His　captor　took　it　wrong。　〃I　am　not　stupid。　Nor　deaf。〃
　He　was　gentle　with　her；　mocking　this　one　would　be　so　easy　there　would　be　no　sport　to　it。　〃I　was　speaking　to　myself；　and　not　of　you。　It's　an　easy　habit　to　slip　into　in　a　cell。〃
　She　frowned　at　him；　pushing　the　oars　forward；　pulling　them　back；　pushing　them　forward；　saying　nothing。
　As　glib　of　tongue　as　she　is　fair　of　face。　〃By　your　speech；　I'd　judge　you　nobly　born。〃
　〃My　father　is　Selwyn　of　Tarth；　by　the　grace　of　the　gods　Lord　of　Evenfall。〃　Even　that　was　given　grudgingly。
　〃Tarth；〃　Jaime　said。　〃A　ghastly　large　rock　in　the　narrow　sea；　as　I　recall。　And　Evenfall　is　sworn　to　Storm's　End。　How　is　it　that　you　serve　Robb　of　Winterfell？〃
　〃It　is　Lady　Catelyn　I　serve。　And　she　manded　me　to　deliver　you　safe　to　your　brother　Tyrion　at　King's　Landing；　not　to　bandy　words　with　you。　Be　silent。〃
　〃I've　had　a　bellyful。　of　silence；　woman。〃
　〃Talk　with　Ser　Cleos　then。　I　have　no　words　for　monsters。〃
　Jaime　hooted。　〃Are　there　monsters　hereabouts？　Hiding　beneath　the　water；　perhaps？　In　that　thick　of　willows？　And　me　without　my　sword！〃
　〃A　man　who　would　violate　his　own　sister；　murder　his　king；　and　fling　an　innocent　child　to　his　death　deserves　no　other　name。〃
　Innocent？　The　wretched　boy　was　spying　on　us。　All　Jaime　had　wanted　was　an　hour　alone　with　Cersei。　Their　journey　north　had　been　one　long　torment；　seeing　her　every　day；　unable　to　touch　her；　knowing　that　Robert　stumbled　drunkenly　into　her　bed　every　night　in　that　great　creaking　wheelhouse。　Tyrion　had　done　his　best　to　keep　him　in　a　good　humor；　but　it　had　not　been　enough。　〃You　will　be　courteous　as　concerns　Cersei；　wench；〃　he　warned　her。
　〃My　name　is　Brienne；　not　wench。〃
　〃What　do　you　care　what　a　monster　calls　you？〃
　〃My　name　is　Brienne；〃　she　repeated；　dogged　as　a　hound。
　〃Lady　Brienne？〃　She　looked　so　unfortable　that　Jaime　sensed　a　weakness。　〃Or　would　Ser　Brienne　be　more　to　your　taste？〃　He　laughed。　〃No；　I　fear　not。　You　can　trick　out　a　milk　cow　in　crupper；　crinet；　and　charnfron；　and　bard　her　all　in　silk；　but　that　doesn't　mean　you　can　ride　her　into　battle。〃
　〃Cousin　Jaime；　please；　you　ought　not　speak　so　roughly。〃　Under　his　cloak；　Ser　Cleos　wore　a　surcoat　quartered　with　the　twin　towers　of　House　Frey　and　the　golden　lion　of　Lannister。　〃We　have　far　to　go；　we　should　not　quarrel　amongst　ourselves。〃
　〃When　I　quarrel　I　do　it　with　a　sword；　coz。　I　was　speaking　to　the　lady。　Tell　me；　wench；　are　all　the　women　on　Tarth　as　homely　as　you？　I　pity　the　men；　if　so。　Perhaps　they　do　not　know　what　real　women　look　like；　living　on　a　dreary　mountain　in　the　sea。〃
　〃Tarth　is　beautiful；　〃　the　wench　grunted　between　strokes。　〃The　Sapphire　Isle；　it's　called。　Be　quiet；　monster；　unless　you　mean　to　make　me　gag　you。〃
　〃She's　rude　as　well；　isn't　she；　coz？〃　Jaime　asked　Ser　Cleos。　〃Though　she　has　steel　in　her　spine；　I'll　grant　you。　Not　many　men　dare　name　me　monster　to　my　face。〃　Though　behind　my　back　they　speak　freely　enough；　I　have　no　doubt。
　Ser　Cleos　coughed　nervously。　〃Lady　Brienne　had　those　lies　from　Catelyn　Stark；　no　doubt。　The　Starks　cannot　hope　to　defeat　you　with　swords；　ser；　so　now　they　make　war　with　poisoned　words。〃
　They　did　defeat　me　with　swords；　you　chinless　cretin。　Jaime　smiled　knowingly。　Men　will　read　all　sorts　of　things　into　a　knowing　smile；　if　you　let　them。　Has　cousin　Cleos　truly　swallowed　this　kettle　of　dung；　or　is　he　striving　to　ingratiate　himself？　What　do　we　have　here；　an　honest　muttonhead　or　a　lickspittle？
　Ser　Cleos　prattled　blithely　on。　〃Any　man　who'd　believe　that　a　Sworn　Brother　of　the　Kingsguard　would　harm　a　child　does　not　know　the　meaning　of　honor。〃
　Lickspittle。　If　truth　be　told；　Jaime　had　e　to　rue　heaving　Brandon　Stark　out　that　window。　Cersei　had　given　him　no　end　of　grief　afterward；　when　the　boy　refused　to　die。　〃He　was　seven；　Jaime；〃　she'd　berated　him。　〃Even　if　he　understood　what　he　saw；　we　should　have　been　able　to　frighten　him　into　silence。〃
　〃I　didn't　think　you'd　want　…
　〃You　never　think。　If　the　boy　should　wake　and　tell　his　father　what　he　saw…〃
　〃If　if　if。〃　He　had　pulled　her　into　his　lap。　〃if　he　wakes　we'll　say　he　was　dreaming；　we'll　call　him　a　liar；　and　should　worse　e　to　worst　I'll　kill　Ned　Stark。〃
　〃And　then　what　do　you　imagine　Robert　will　do？〃
　〃Let　Robert　do　as　he　pleases。　I'll　go　to　war　with　him　if　I　must。　The　War　for　Cersei's　Cunt；　the　singers　will　call　it。〃
　〃Jaime；　let　go　of　me！〃　she　raged；　struggling　to　rise。
　Instead　he　had　kissed　her。　For　a　moment　she　resisted；　but　then　her　mouth　opened　under　his。　He　remembered　the　taste　of　wine　and　cloves　on　her　tongue。　She　gave　a　shudder。　His　hand　went　to　her　bodice　and　yanked；　tearing　the　silk　so　her　breasts　spilled　free；　and　for　a　time　the　Stark　boy　had　been　forgotten。
　Had　Cersei　remembered　him　afterward　and　hired　this　man　Lady　Catelyn　spoke　of；　to　make　sure　the　boy　never　woke？　If　she　wanted　him　dead　she　would　have　sent　me。　And　it　is　not　like　her　to　chose　a　catspaw　who　would　make　such　a　royal　botch　of　the　killing。
　Downriver；　the　rising　sun　shimmered　against　the　wind…whipped　surface　of　the　river。　The　south　shore　was　red　clay；　smooth　as　any　road。　Smaller　streams　fed　into　the　greater；　and　the　rotting　trunks　of　drowned　trees　clung　to　the　banks。　The　north　shore　was　wilder。　High　rocky　bluffs　rose　twenty　feet　above　them；　crowned　by　stands　of　beech；　oak；　and　chestnut。　Jaime　spied　a　watchtower　on　the　heights　ahead；　growing　taller　with　every　stroke　of　the　oars。　Long　before　they　were　upon　it；　he　knew　that　it　stood　abandoned；　its　weathered　stones　overgrown　with　climbing　roses。
　When　the　wind　shifted；　Ser　Cleos　helped　the　big　wench　run　up　the　sail；　a　stiff　triangle　of　striped　red…and…blue　canvas。　Tully　colors；　sure　to　cause　them　grief　if　they　encountered　any　Lannister　forces　on　the　river；　but　it　was　the　only　sail　they　had。　Brienne　took　the　rudder。　Jaime　threw　out　the　leeboard；　his　chains　rattling　as　he　moved。　After　that；　they　made　better　speed；　with　wind　and　current　both　favoring　their　flight。　〃We　could　save　a　deal　of　traveling　if　you　delivered　me　to　my　father　instead　of　my　brother；〃　he　pointed　out。
　〃Lady　Catelyn's　daughters　are　in　King's　Landing。　I　will　return　with　the　girls　or　not　at　all。〃
　Jaime　turned　to　Ser　Cleos。　〃Cousin；　lend　me　your　knife。〃
　〃No。〃　The　woman　tensed。　〃I　will　not　have　you　armed。〃　Her　voice　was　as　unyielding　as　stone。
　She　fears　me；　even　in　irons。　〃Cleos；　it　seems　I　must　ask　you　to　shave　me。　Leave　the　beard；　but　take　the　hair　off　my　head。〃
　〃You'd　be　shaved　bald？〃　asked　Cleos　Frey。
　〃The　realm　knows　Jaime　Larmister　as　a　beardless　knight　with　long　golden　hair。　A　bald　man　with　a　filthy　yellow　beard　may　pass　unnoticed。　I'd　sooner　not　be　recognized　while　I'm　in　irons。〃
　The　dagger　was　not　as　sharp　as　it　might　have　been。　Cleos　hacked　away　manfully；　sawing　and　ripping　his　way　through　the　mats　and　tossing　the　hair　over　the　side。　The　golden　curls　floated　on　the　surface　of　the　water；　gradually　falling　astern。　As　the　tangles　vanished；　a　louse　went　crawling　down　his　neck。　Jaime　caught　it　and　crushed　it　against　his　thumbnail。　Ser　Cleos　picked　others　from　his　scalp　and　flicked　them　into　the　water。　Jaime　doused　his　head　and　made　Ser　Cleos　whet　the　blade　before　he　let　him　scrape　away　the　last　inch　of　yellow　stubble。　When　that　was　done；　they　trimmed　back　his　beard　as　well。
　The　reflection　in　the　water　was　a　man　he　did　not　know。　Not　only　was　he　bald；　but　he　looked　as　though　he　had　aged　five　years　in　that　dungeon；　his　face　was　thinner；　with　hollows　under　h