grrm.astormofswords-第92章

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nsullied　in　a　spiked　helm。〃
　The　girl　told　them。　The　answer　was　still　no。
　Dany　frowned　in　annoyance。　〃Very　well。　Tell　them　I　will　pay　double；　so　long　as　I　get　them　all。〃
　〃Double？〃　The　fat　one　in　the　gold　fringe　all　but　drooled。
　〃This　little　whore　is　a　fool；　truly；〃　said　Khaznys　mo　Nakloz。　〃Ask　her　for　triple；　I　say。　She　is　desperate　enough　to　pay。　Ask　for　ten　times　the　price　of　every　slave；　yes。〃
　The　tall　Grazdan　with　the　spiked　beard　spoke　in　the　mon　Tongue；　though　not　so　well　as　the　slave　girl。　〃Your　Grace；〃　he　growled；　〃Westeros　is　being　wealthy；　yes；　but　you　are　not　being　queen　now。　Perhaps　will　never　being　queen。　Even　Unsullied　may　be　losing　battles　to　savage　steel　knights　of　Seven　Kingdoms。　I　am　reminding；　the　Good　Masters　of　Astapor　are　not　selling　flesh　for　promisings。　Are　you　having　gold　and　trading　goods　sufficient　to　be　paying　for　all　these　eunuchs　you　are　wanting？〃
　〃You　know　the　answer　to　that　better　than　I；　Good　Master；〃　Dany　replied。　〃Your　men　have　gone　through　my　ships　and　tallied　every　bead　of　amber　and　jar　of　saffron。　How　much　do　I　have？〃
　〃Sufficient　to　be　buying　one　of　thousands；〃　the　Good　Master　said；　with　a　contemptuous　smile。　〃Yet　you　are　paying　double；　you　are　saying。　Five　centuries；　then；　is　all　you　buy。〃
　〃Your　pretty　crown　might　buy　another　century；〃　said　the　fat　one　in　Valyrian。　〃Your　crown　of　the　three　dragons。〃
　Dany　waited　for　his　words　to　be　translated。　〃My　crown　is　not　for　sale。〃　When　Viserys　sold　their　mother's　crown；　the　last　joy　had　gone　from　him；　leaving　only　rage。　〃Nor　will　I　enslave　my　people；　nor　sell　their　goods　and　horses。　But　my　ships　you　can　have。　The　great　cog　Balerion　and　the　galleys　Vhagar　and　Meraxes。〃　She　had　warned　Groleo　and　the　other　captains　it　might　e　to　this；　though　they　had　protested　the　necessity　of　it　furiously。　〃Three　good　ships　should　be　worth　more　than　a　few　paltry　eunuchs。〃
　The　fat　Grazdan　turned　to　the　others。　They　conferred　in　low　voices　once　again。　〃Two　of　the　thousands；〃　the　one　with　the　spiked　beard　said　when　he　turned　back。　〃It　is　too　much；　but　the　Good　Masters　are　being　generous　and　your　need　is　being　great。〃
　Two　thousand　would　never　serve　for　what　she　meant　to　do。　I　must　have　them　all。　Dany　knew　what　she　must　do　now；　though　the　taste　of　it　was　so　bitter　that　even　the　persimmon　wine　could　not　cleanse　it　from　her　month。　She　had　considered　long　and　hard　and　found　no　other　way。　It　is　my　only　choice。　〃Give　me　all；〃　she　said；　〃and　you　may　have　a　dragon。〃
　There　was　the　sound　of　indrawn　breath　from　Jhiqui　beside　her。　Kraznys　smiled　at　his　fellows。　〃Did　I　not　tell　you？　Anything；　she　would　give　us。〃
　Whitebeard　stared　in　shocked　disbelief。　His　hand　trembled　where　it　grasped　the　staff。　〃No。〃　He　went　to　one　knee　before　her。　〃Your　Grace；　I　beg　you；　win　your　throne　with　dragons；　not　slaves。　You　must　not　do　this　thing…〃
　〃You　must　not　presume　to　instruct　me。　Ser　Jorah；　remove　Whitebeard　from　my　presence。〃
　Mormont　seized　the　old　man　roughly　by　an　elbow；　yanked　him　back　to　his　feet；　and　marched　him　out　onto　the　terrace。
　〃Tell　the　Good　Masters　I　regret　this　interruption；〃　said　Dany　to　the　slave　girl。　〃Tell　them　I　await　their　answer。〃
　She　knew　the　answer；　though；　she　could　see　it　in　the　glitter　of　their　eyes　and　the　smiles　they　tried　so　hard　to　hide。　Astapor　had　thousands　of　eunuchs；　and　even　more　slave　boys　waiting　to　be　cut；　but　there　were　only　three　living　dragons　in　all　the　great　wide　world。　And　the　Ghiscari　lust　for　dragons。　How　could　they　not？　Five　times　had　Old　Ghis　contended　with　Valyria　when　the　world　was　young；　and　five　times　gone　down　to　bleak　defeat。　For　the　Freehold　had　dragons；　and　the　Empire　had　none。
　The　oldest　Grazdan　stirred　in　his　seat　'　and　his　pearls　clacked　together　softly。　〃A　dragon　of　our　choice；〃　he　said　in　a　thin；　hard　voice。　〃The　black　one　is　largest　and　healthiest。〃
　〃His　name　is　Drogon。〃　She　nodded。
　〃All　your　goods；　save　your　crown　and　your　queenly　raiment；　which　we　will　allow　you　to　keep。　The　three　ships。　And　Drogon。〃
　〃Done；〃　she　said；　in　the　mon　Tongue。
　〃Done；〃　the　old　Grazdan　answered　in　his　thick　Valyrian。
　The　others　echoed　that　old　man　of　the　pearl　fringe。　〃Done；〃　the　slave　girl　translated；　〃and　done；　and　done；　eight　times　done。〃
　〃The　Unsullied　will　learn　your　savage　tongue　quick　enough；〃　added　Kraznys　mo　Nakloz；　when　all　the　arrangements　had　been　made；　〃but　until　such　time　you　will　need　a　slave　to　speak　to　them。　Take　this　one　as　our　gift　to　you；　a　token　of　a　bargain　well　struck。〃
　〃I　shall；〃　said　Dany。
　The　slave　girl　rendered　his　words　to　her；　and…hers　to　him。　if　she　had　feelings　about　being　given　for　a　token；　she　took　care　not　to　let　them　show。
　Arstan　Whitebeard　held　his　tongue　as　well；　when　Dany　swept　by　him　on　the　terrace。　He　followed　her　down　the　steps　in　silence；　but　she　could　hear　his　hardwood　staff　tap　tapping　on　the　red　bricks　as　they　went。　She　did　not　blame　him　for　his　fury。　It　was　a　wretched　thing　she　did。　The　Mother　of　Dragons　has　sold　her　strongest　child。　Even　the　thought　made　her　ill。
　Yet　down　in　the　Plaza　of　Pride；　standing　on　the　hot　red　bricks　between　the　slavers'　pyramid　and　the　barracks　of　the　eunuchs；　Dany　turned　on　the　old　man。　〃Whitebeard；〃　she　said；　〃I　want　your　counsel；　and　you　should　never　fear　to　speak　your　mind　with　me　。　。　。　when　we　are　alone。　But　never　question　me　in　front　of　strangers。　Is　that　understood？〃
　〃Yes；　Your　Grace；〃　he　said　unhappily。
　〃I　am　not　a　child；〃　she　told　him。　〃I　am　a　queen。〃
　〃Yet　even　queens　can　err。　The　Astapori　have　cheated　you；　Your　Grace。　A　dragon　is　worth　more　than　any　army。　Aegon　proved　that　three　hundred　years　ago；　upon　the　Field　of　Fire。〃
　〃I　know　what　Aegon　proved。　I　mean　to　prove　a　few　things　of　my　own。〃　Dany　turned　away　from　him；　to　the　slave　girl　standing　meekly　beside　her　litter。　〃Do　you　have　a　name；　or　must　you　draw　a　new　one　every　day　from　some　barrel？〃
　〃That　is　only　for　Unsullied；〃　the　girl　said。　Then　she　realized　the　question　had　been　asked　in　High　Valyrian。　Her　eyes　went　wide。　〃Oh。〃
　〃Your　name　is　Oh？〃
　〃No。　Your　Grace；　forgive　this　one　her　outburst。　Your　slave's　name　is　Missandei；　but　。　。　。〃
　〃Missandei　is　no　longer　a　slave。　I　free　you；　from　this　instant。　e　ride　with　me　in　the　litter；　I　wish　to　talk。〃　Rakharo　helped　them　in；　and　Dany　drew　the　curtains　shut　against　the　dust　and　heat。　〃If　you　stay　with　me　you　will　serve　as　one　of　my　handmaids；〃　she　said　as　they　set　off。　〃I　shall　keep　you　by　my　side　to　speak　for　me　as　you　spoke　for　Kraznys。　But　you　may　leave　my　service　whenever　you　choose；　if　you　have　father　or　mother　you　would　sooner　return　to。〃
　〃This　one　will　stay；〃　the　girl　said。　〃This　one　。　。　。　I　。　。　。　there　is　no　place　for　me　to　go。　This　。　。　。　I　will　serve　you；　gladly。〃
　〃I　can　give　you　freedom；　but　not　safety；〃　Dany　warned。　〃I　have　a　world　to　cross　and　wars　to　fight。　You　may　go　hungry。　You　may　grow　sick。　You　may　be　killed。〃
　〃Valar　morghuhs；〃　said　Missandei；　in　High　Valyrian。
　〃All　men　must　die；〃　Dany　agreed；　〃but　not　for　a　long　while；　we　may　pray。〃　She　leaned　back　on　the　pillows　and　took　the　girl's　hand。　〃Are　these　Unsullied　truly　fearless？〃
　〃Yes；　Your　Grace。〃
　〃You　serve　me　now。　is　it　true　they　feel　no　pain？〃
　〃The　wine　of　courage　kills　such　feelings。　By　the　time　they　slay　their　sucklings；　they　have　been　drinking　it　for　years。〃
　〃And　they　are　obedient？〃
　〃Obedience　is　all　they　know。　If　you　told　them　not　to　breathe；　they　would　find　that　easier　than　not　to　obey。〃
　Dany　nodded。　〃And　when　I　am　done　with　them？〃
　〃Your　Grace？〃
　〃When　I　have　won　my　war　and　claimed　the　throne　that　was　my　father's；　my　knights　will　sheathe　their　swords　and　return　to　their　keeps；　to　their　wives　and　children　and　mothers　。　。　。　to　their　lives。　But　these　eunuchs　have　no　lives。　What　am　I　to　do　with　eight　thousand　eunuchs　when　there　are　no　more　battles　to　be　fought？〃
　〃The　Unsullied　make　flne　guards　and　excellent　watchmen；　Your　Grace；〃　said　Missandei。　〃And　it　is　never　hard　to　find　a　buyer　for　such　fine　well…blooded　troops。〃
　〃Men　are　not　bought　and　sold　in　Westeros；　they　tell　me。〃
　〃With　all　respect；　Your　Grace；　Unsullied　are　not　men。〃
　〃If　I　did　resell　them；　how　would　I　know　they　could　not　be　used　against　me？〃　Dany　asked　pointedly。　〃Would　they　do　that？　Fight　against　me；　even　do　me　harm？〃