grrm.astormofswords-第193部分

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smoked　meat　buried　in　her　cellars。〃
　〃And　fat　chests　of　gold；　silver；　and　gemstones　as　well；〃　Daario　reminded　them。　〃Let　us　not　forget　the　gemstones。〃
　〃I've　had　a　look　at　the　landward　walls；　and　I　see　no　point　of　weakness；〃　said　Ser　Jorah　Mormont。　〃Given　time；　we　might　be　able　to　mine　beneath　a　tower　and　make　a　breach；　but　what　do　we　eat　while　we're　digging？　Our　stores　are　all　but　exhausted。〃
　〃No　weakness　in　the　landward　walls？〃　said　Dany。　Meereen　stood　on　a　jut　of　sand　and　stone　where　the　slow　brown　Skahazadhan　flowed　into　Slaver's　Bay。　The　city's　north　wall　ran　along　the　riverbank；　its　west　along　the　bay　shore。　〃Does　that　mean　we　might　attack　from　the　river　or　the　sea？〃
　〃With　three　ships？　We'll　want　to　have　Captain　Groleo　take　a　good　look　at　the　wall　along　the　river；　but　unless　it's　crumbling　that's　just　a　wetter　way　to　die。〃
　〃What　if　we　were　to　build　siege　towers？　My　brother　Viserys　told　tales　of　such；　I　know　they　can　be　made。〃
　〃From　wood；　Your　Grace；〃　Ser　Jorah　said。　〃The　slavers　have　burnt　every　tree　within　twenty　leagues　of　here。　Without　wood；　we　have　no　trebuchets　to　smash　the　walls；　no　ladders　to　go　over　them；　no　siege　towers；　no　turtles；　and　no　rams。　We　can　storm　the　gates　with　axes；　to　be　sure；　but　。　。　。〃
　〃Did　you　see　them　bronze　heads　above　the　gates？〃　asked　Brown　Ben　Plumm。　〃Rows　of　harpy　heads　with　open　mouths？　The　Meereenese　can　squirt　boiling　oil　out　them　mouths；　and　cook　your　axemen　where　they　stand。〃
　Daario　Naharis　gave　Grey　Worm　a　smile。　〃Perhaps　the　Unsullied　should　wield　the　axes。　Boiling　oil　feels　like　no　more　than　a　warm　bath　to　you；　I　have　heard。〃
　〃This　is　false。〃　Grey　Worm　did　not　return　the　smile。　〃These　ones　do　not　feel　burns　as　men　do；　yet　such　oil　blinds　and　kills。　The　Unsullied　do　not　fear　to　die；　though。　Give　these　ones　rams；　and　we　will　batter　down　these　gates　or　die　in　the　attempt。〃
　〃You　would　die；〃　said　Brown　Ben。　At　Yunkai；　when　he　took　mand　of　the　Second　Sons；　he　claimed　to　be　the　veteran　of　a　hundred　battles。　〃Though　I　will　not　say　I　fought　bravely　in　all　of　them。　There　are　old　sellswords　and　bold　sellswords；　but　no　old　bold　sellswords。〃　She　saw　that　it　was　true。
　Dany　sighed。　〃I　will　not　throw　away　Unsullied　lives；　Grey　Worm。　Perhaps　we　can　starve　the　city　out。〃
　Ser　Jorah　looked　unhappy。　〃We'll　starve　long　before　they　do；　Your　Grace。　There's　no　food　here；　nor　fodder　for　our　mules　and　horses。　I　do　not　like　this　river　water　either。　Meereen　shits　into　the　Skahazadhan　but　draws　its　drinking　water　from　deep　wells。　Already　we've　had　reports　of　sickness　in　the　camps；　fever　and　brownleg　and　three　cases　of　the　bloody　flux。　There　will　be　more　if　we　remain。　The　slaves　are　weak　from　the　march。〃
　〃Freedmen；〃　Dany　corrected。　〃They　are　slaves　no　longer。〃
　〃Slave　or　free；　they　are　hungry　and　they'll　soon　be　sick。　The　city　is　better　provisioned　than　we　are；　and　can　be　resupplied　by　water。　Your　three　ships　are　not　enough　to　deny　them　access　to　both　the　river　and　the　sea。〃
　〃Then　what　do　you　advise；　Ser　Jorah？〃
　〃You　will　not　like　it。〃
　〃I　would　hear　it　all　the　same。〃
　〃As　you　wish。　I　say；　let　this　city　be。　You　cannot　free　every　slave　in　the　world；　Khaleesi。　Your　war　is　in　Westeros。〃
　〃I　have　not　forgotten　Westeros。〃　Dany　dreamt　of　it　some　nights；　this　fabled　land　that　she　had　never　seen。　〃If　I　let　Meereen's　old　brick　walls　defeat　me　so　easily；　though；　how　will　I　ever　take　the　great　stone　castles　of　Westeros？〃
　〃As　Aegon　did；〃　Ser　Jorah　said；　〃with　fire。　By　the　time　we　reach　the　Seven　Kingdoms；　your　dragons　will　be　grown。　And　we　will　have　siege　towers　and　trebuchets　as　well；　all　the　things　we　lack　here　。　。　。　but　the　way　across　the　Lands　of　the　Long　Summer　is　long　and　grueling；　and　there　are　dangers　we　cannot　know。　You　stopped　at　Astapor　to　buy　an　army；　not　to　start　a　war。　Save　your　spears　and　swords　for　the　Seven　Kingdoms；　my　queen。　Leave　Meereen　to　the　Meereenese　and　march　west　for　Pentos。〃
　〃Defeated？〃　said　Dany；　bristling。
　〃When　cowards　hide　behind　great　walls；　it　is　they　who　are　defeated；　Khaleesi；〃　Ko　Jhogo　said。
　Her　other　bloodriders　concurred。　〃Blood　of　my　blood；〃　said　Rakharo；　〃when　cowards　hide　and　burn　the　food　and　fodder；　great　khals　must　seek　for　braver　foes。　This　is　known。〃
　〃It　is　known；〃　Jhiqui　agreed；　as　she　poured。
　〃Not　to　me。〃　Dany　set　great　store　by　Ser　Jorah's　counsel；　but　to　leave　Meereen　untouched　was　more　than　she　could　stomach。　She　could　not　forget　the　children　on　their　posts；　the　birds　tearing　at　their　entrails；　their　skinny　arms　pointing　up　the　coast　road。　〃Ser　Jorah；　you　say　we　have　no　food　left。　If　I　march　west；　how　can　I　feed　my　freedmen？〃
　〃You　can't。　I　am　sorry；　Khaleesi。　They　must　feed　themselves　or　starve。　Many　and　more　will　die　along　the　march；　yes。　That　will　be　hard；　but　there　is　no　way　to　save　them。　We　need　to　put　this　scorched　earth　well　behind　us。〃
　Dany　had　left　a　trail　of　corpses　behind　her　when　she　crossed　the　red　waste。　It　was　a　sight　she　never　meant　to　see　again。　〃No；〃　she　said。　〃I　will　not　march　my　people　off　to　die。〃　My　children。　〃There　must　be　some　way　into　this　city。〃
　〃I　know　a　way。〃　Brown　Ben　Plumm　stroked　his　speckled　grey…andwhite　beard。　〃Sewers。〃
　〃Sewers？　What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Great　brick　sewers　empty　into　the　Skahazadhan；　carrying　the　city's　wastes。　They　might　be　a　way　in；　for　a　few。　That　was　how　I　escaped　Meereen；　after　Scarb　lost　his　head。〃　Brown　Ben　made　a　face。　〃The　smell　has　never　left　me。　I　dream　of　it　some　nights。〃
　Ser　Jorah　looked　dubious。　〃Easier　to　go　out　than　in；　it　would　seem　to　me。　These　sewers　empty　into　the　river；　you　say？　That　would　mean　the　mouths　are　right　below　the　walls。〃
　〃And　closed　with　iron　grates；〃　Brown　Ben　admitted；　〃though　some　have　rusted　through；　else　I　would　have　drowned　in　shit。　Once　inside；　it　is　a　long　foul　climb　in　pitch…dark　through　a　maze　of　brick　where　a　man　could　lose　himself　forever。　The　filth　is　never　lower　than　waist　high；　and　can　rise　over　your　head　from　the　stains　I　saw　on　the　walls。　There's　things　down　there　too。　Biggest　rats　you　ever　saw；　and　worse　things。　Nasty。〃
　Daario　Naharis　laughed。　〃As　nasty　as　you；　when　you　came　crawling　out？　If　any　man　were　fool　enough　to　try　this；　every　slaver　in　Meereen　would　smell　them　the　moment　they　emerged。〃
　Brown　Ben　shrugged。　〃Her　Grace　asked　if　there　was　a　way　in；　so　I　told　her　。　。　。　but　Ben　Plumm　isn't　going　down　in　them　sewers　again；　not　for　all　the　gold　in　the　Seven　Kingdoms。　If　there's　others　want　to　try　it；　though；　they're　wele。〃
　Aggo；　Jhogo；　and　Grey　Worm　all　tried　to　speak　at　once；　but　Dany　raised　her　hand　for　silence。　〃These　sewers　do　not　sound　promising。〃　Grey　Worm　would　lead　his　Unsullied　down　the　sewers　if　she　manded　it；　she　knew；　her　bloodriders　would　do　no　less。　But　none　of　them　was　suited　to　the　task。　The　Dothraki　were　horsemen；　and　the　strength　of　the　Unsullied　was　their　discipline　on　the　battlefield。　Can　I　send　men　to　die　in　the　dark　on　such　a　slender　hope？　〃I　must　think　on　this　some　more。　Return　to　your　duties。〃
　Her　captains　bowed　and　left　her　with　her　handmaids　and　her　dragons。　But　as　Brown　Ben　was　leaving；　Viserion　spread　his　pale　white　wings　and　flapped　lazily　at　his　head。　One　of　the　wings　buffeted　the　sellsword　in　his　face。　The　white　dragon　landed　awkwardly　with　one　foot　on　the　man's　head　and　one　on　his　shoulder；　shrieked；　and　flew　off　again。　〃He　likes　you；　Ben　〃　said　Dany。
　〃And　well　he　might。〃　Brown　Ben　laughed。　〃I　have　me　a　drop　of　the　dragon　blood　myself；　you　know。〃
　〃You？〃　Dany　was　startled。　Plumm　was　a　creature　of　the　free　panies；　an　amiable　mongrel。　He　had　a　broad　brown　face　with　a　broken　nose　and　a　head　of　nappy　grey　hair；　and　his　Dothraki　mother　had　bequeathed　him　large；　dark；　almond…shaped　eyes。　He　claimed　to　be　part　Braavosi；　part　Summer　Islander；　part　Ibbenese；　part　Qohorik；　part　Dothraki；　part　Dornish；　and　part　Westerosi；　but　this　was　the　first　she　had　heard　of　Targaryen　blood。　She　gave　him　a　searching　look　and　said；　〃How　could　that　be？〃
　〃Well；〃　said　Brown　Ben；　〃there　was　some　old　Plumm　in　the　Sunset　Kingdoms　who　wed　a　dragon　princess。　My　grandmarna　told　me　the　tale。　He　lived　in　King　Aegon's　day。〃
　〃Which　King　Aegon？〃　Dany　asked。　〃Five　Aegons　have　ruled　in　Westeros。〃　Her　brother's　son　would　have　been　the　sixth；　but　the　Usurper's　men　had　dashed　his　head　aga