grrm.astormofswords-第79章

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　〃In　Yunkai　and　Meereen；　eunuchs　are　often　made　by　removing　a　boy's　testicles；　but　leaving　the　penis。　Such　a　creature　is　infertile；　yet　often　still　capable　of　erection。　Only　trouble　can　e　of　this。　We　remove　the　penis　as　well；　leaving　nothing。　The　Unsullied　are　the　purest　creatures　on　the　earth。〃　He　gave　Dany　and　Arstan　another　of　his　broad　white　smiles。　〃I　have　heard　that　in　the　Sunset　Kingdoms　men　take　solemn　vows　to　keep　chaste　and　father　no　children；　but　live　only　for　their　duty。　Is　it　not　so？〃
　〃It　is；〃　Arstan　said；　when　the　question　was　put。　〃There　are　many　such　orders。　The　macsters　of　the　Citadel；　the　septons　and　septas　who　serve　the　Seven；　the　silent　sisters　of　the　dead；　the　Kingsguard　and　the　Night's　Watch　。　。　。〃
　〃Poor　things；〃　growled　the　slaver；　after　the　translation。　〃Men　were　not　made　to　live　thus。　Their　days　are　a　torment　of　temptation；　any　fool　must　see；　and　no　doubt　most　succumb　to　their　baser　selves。　Not　so　our　Unsullied。　They　are　wed　to　their　swords　in　a　way　that　your　Sworn　Brothers　cannot　hope　to　match。　No　woman　can　ever　tempt　them；　nor　any　man。〃
　His　girl　conveyed　the　essence　of　his　speech；　more　politely。　〃There　are　other　ways　to　tempt　men；　besides　the　flesh；〃　Arstan　Whitebeard　objected；　when　she　was　done。
　〃Men；　yes；　but　not　Unsullied。　Plunder　interests　them　no　more　than　rape。　They　own　nothing　but　their　weapons。　We　do　not　even　permit　them　names。〃
　〃No　names？〃　Dany　frowned　at　the　little　scribe。　〃Can　that　be　what　the　Good　Master　said？　They　have　no　names？〃
　〃It　is　so；　Your　Grace。〃
　Kraznys　stopped　in　front　of　a　Ghiscari　who　might　have　been　his　taller　fitter　brother；　and　flicked　his　lash　at　a　small　bronze　disk　on　the　swordbelt　at　his　feet。　〃There　is　his　name。　Ask　the　whore　of　Westeros　whether　she　can　read　Ghiscari　glyphs。〃　When　Dany　admitted　that　she　could　not；　the　slaver　turned　to　the　Unsullied。　〃What　is　your　name？〃　he　demanded。
　〃This　one's　name　is　Red　Flea；　your　worship。〃
　The　girl　repeated　their　exchange　in　the　mon　Tongue。
　〃And　yesterday；　what　was　it？〃
　〃Black　Rat；　your　worship。〃
　〃The　day　before？〃
　〃Brown　Flea；　your　worship。〃
　〃Before　that？〃
　〃This　one　does　not　recall；　your　worship。　Blue　Toad；　perhaps。　Or　Blue　Worm。〃
　〃Tell　her　all　their　names　are　such；〃　Kraznys　manded　the　girl。　〃It　reminds　them　that　by　themselves　they　are　vermin。　The　name　disks　are　thrown　in　an　empty　cask　at　duty's　end；　and　each　dawn　plucked　up　again　at　random。〃
　〃More　madness；〃　said　Arstan；　when　he　heard。　〃How　can　any　man　possibly　remember　a　new　name　every　day？〃
　〃Those　who　cannot　are　culled　in　training；　along　with　those　who　cannot　run　all　day　in　full　pack；　scale　a　mountain　in　the　black　of　night；　walk　across　a　bed　of　coals；　or　slay　an　infant。〃
　Dany's　mouth　surely　twisted　at　that。　Did　he　see；　or　is　he　blind　as　well　as　cruel？　She　turned　away　quickly；　trying　to　keep　her　face　a　mask　until　she　heard　the　translation。　Only　then　did　she　allow　herself　to　say；　〃Whose　infants　do　they　slay？〃
　〃To　win　his　spiked　cap；　an　Unsullied　must　go　to　the　slave　marts　with　a　silver　mark；　find　some　wailing　newborn；　and　kill　it　before　its　mother's　eyes。　In　this　way；　we　make　certain　that　there　is　no　weakness　left　in　them。〃
　She　was　feeling　faint。　The　heat；　she　tried　to　tell　herself。　〃You　take　a　babe　from　its　mother's　arms；　kill　it　as　she　watches；　and　pay　for　her　pain　with　a　silver　coin？〃
　When　the　translation　was　made　for　him；　Kraznys　mo　Nakloz　laughed　aloud。　〃What　a　soft　mewling　fool　this　one　is。　Tell　the　whore　of　Westeros　that　the　mark　is　for　the　child's　owner；　not　the　mother。　The　Unsullied　are　not　permitted　to　steal。〃　He　tapped　his　whip　against　his　leg。　〃Tell　her　that　few　ever　fail　that　test。　The　dogs　are　harder　for　them；　it　must　be　said。　We　give　each　boy　a　puppy　on　the　day　that　he　is　cut。　At　the　end　of　the　first　year；　he　is　required　to　strangle　it。　Any　who　cannot　are　killed；　and　fed　to　the　surviving　dogs。　It　makes　for　a　good　strong　lesson；　we　find。〃
　Arstan　Whitebeard　tapped　the　end　of　his　staff　on　the　bricks　as　he　listened　to　that。　Tap　tap　tap。　Slow　and　steady。　Tap　tap　tap。　Dany　saw　him　turn　his　eyes　away；　as　if　he　could　not　bear　to　look　at　Kraznys　any　longer。
　〃The　Good　Master　has　said　that　these　eunuchs　cannot　be　tempted　with　coin　or　flesh；〃　Dany　told　the　girl；　〃but　if　some　enemy　of　mine　should　offer　them　freedom　for　betraying　me　。　。　。〃
　〃They　would　kill　him　out　of　hand　and　bring　her　his　head；　tell　her　that；〃　the　slaver　answered。　〃Other　slaves　may　steal　and　hoard　up　silver　in　hopes　of　buying　freedom；　but　an　Unsullied　would　not　take　it　if　the　little　mare　offered　it　as　a　gift。　They　have　no　life　outside　their　duty。　They　are　soldiers；　and　that　is　all。〃
　〃It　is　soldiers　I　need；〃　Dany　admitted。
　〃Tell　her　it　is　well　she　came　to　Astapor；　then。　Ask　her　how　large　an　army　she　wishes　to　buy。〃
　〃How　many　Unsullied　do　you　have　to　sell？〃
　〃Eight　thousand　fully　trained　and　available　at　present。　We　sell　them　only　by　the　unit；　she　should　know。　By　the　thousand　or　the　century。　Once　we　sold　by　the　ten；　as　household　guards；　but　that　proved　unsound。　Ten　is　too　few。　They　mingle　with　other　slaves；　even　freemen；　and　forget　who　and　what　they　are。〃　Kraznys　waited　for　that　to　be　rendered　in　the　mon　Tongue；　and　then　continued。　〃This　beggar　queen　must　understand；　such　wonders　do　not　e　cheaply。　In　Yunkai　and　Meereen；　slave　swordsmen　can　be　had　for　less　than　the　price　of　their　swords；　but　Unsullied　are　the　finest　foot　in　all　the　world；　and　each　represents　many　years　of　training。　Tell　her　they　are　like　Valyrian　steel；　folded　over　and　over　and　hammered　for　years　on　end；　until　they　are　stronger　and　more　resilient　than　any　metal　on　earth。〃
　〃I　know　of　Valyrian　steel；〃　said　Dany。　〃Ask　the　Good　Master　if　the　Unsullied　have　their　own　officers。〃
　〃You　must　set　your　own　officers　over　them。　We　train　them　to　obey；　not　to　think。　If　it　is　wits　she　wants；　let　her　buy　scribes。〃
　〃And　their　gear？〃
　〃Sword；　shield；　spear；　sandals；　and　quilted　tunic　are　included；〃　said　Kraznys。　〃And　the　spiked　caps；　to　be　sure。　They　will　wear　such　armor　as　you　wish；　but　you　must　provide　it。〃
　Dany　could　think　of　no　other　questions。　She　looked　at　Arstan。　〃You　have　lived　long　in　the　world；　Whitebeard。　Now　that　you　have　seen　them；　what　do　you　say？〃
　〃I　say　no；　Your　Grace；〃　the　old　man　answered　at　once。
　〃Why？〃　she　asked。　〃Speak　freely。〃　Dany　thought　she　knew　what　he　would　say；　but　she　wanted　the　slave　girl　to　hear；　so　Kraznys　mo　Nakloz　might　hear　later。
　〃My　queen；〃　said　Arstan；　〃there　have　been　no　slaves　in　the　Seven　Kingdoms　for　thousands　of　years。　The　old　gods　and　the　new　alike　hold　slavery　to　be　an　abomination。　Evil。　If　you　should　land　in　Westeros　at　the　head　of　a　slave　army；　many　good　men　will　oppose　you　for　no　other　reason　than　that。　You　will　do　great　harm　to　your　cause；　and　to　the　honor　of　your　House。〃
　〃Yet　I　must　have　some　army；〃　Dany　said。　〃The　boy　Joffrey　will　not　give　me　the　Iron　Throne　for　asking　politely。〃
　〃When　the　day　es　that　you　raise　your　banners；　half　of　Westeros　will　be　with　you；〃　Whitebeard　promised。　〃Your　brother　Rhaegar　is　still　remembered；　with　great　love。〃
　〃And　my　father？〃　Dany　said。
　The　old　man　hesitated　before　saying；　〃King　Aerys　is　also　remembered。　He　gave　the　realm　many　years　of　peace。　Your　Grace；　you　have　no　need　of　slaves。　Magister　Illyrio　can　keep　you　safe　while　your　dragons　grow；　and　send　secret　envoys　across　the　narrow　sea　on　your　behalf；　to　sound　out　the　high　lords　for　your　cause。〃
　〃Those　same　high　lords　who　abandoned　my　father　to　the　Kingslayer　and　bent　the　knee　to　Robert　the　Usurper？〃
　〃Even　those　who　bent　their　knees　may　yearn　in　their　hearts　for　the　return　of　the　dragons。〃
　〃May；〃　said　Dany。　That　was　such　a　slippery　word；　may。　In　any　language。　She　turned　back　to　Kraznys　mo　Nakloz　and　his　slave　girl。　〃I　must　consider　carefully。〃
　The　slaver　shrugged。　〃Tell　her　to　consider　quickly。　There　are　many　other　buyers。　Only　three　days　past　I　showed　these　same　Unsullied　to　a　corsair　king　who　hopes　to　buy　them　all。〃
　〃The　corsair　wanted　only　a　hundred；　your　worship；〃　Dany　heard　the　slave　girl　say。
　He　poked　her　with　the　end　of　the　whip。　〃Corsairs　are　all　liars。　He'll　buy　them　all。　Tell　her　that；　girl。〃
　Dany　knew　she　would　take　more　than　a　hundred；　if　she　took　any　at　all。　〃Remind　your　Good　Master　of　who　I　a