grrm.astormofswords-第228部分

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　〃Yes？〃　Jaime　prompted；　sensing　a　doubt。
　〃The　gorget　was　cut　through。　One　clean　stroke；　through　a　steel　gorget。　Renly's　armor　was　the　best；　the　finest　steel。　How　could　she　do　that？　I　tried　myself；　and　it　was　not　possible。　She's　freakish　strong　for　a　woman；　but　even　the　Mountain　would　have　needed　a　heavy　axe。　And　why　armor　him　and　then　cut　his　throat？〃　He　gave　Jaime　a　confused　look。　〃If　not　her；　though　。　。　。　how　could　it　be　a　shadow？〃
　〃Ask　her。〃　Jaime　came　to　a　decision。　〃Go　to　her　cell。　Ask　your　questions　and　hear　her　answers。　If　you　are　still　convinced　that　she　murdered　Lord　Renly；　I　will　see　that　she　answers　for　it。　The　choice　will　be　yours。　Accuse　her；　or　release　her。　All　I　ask　is　that　you　judge　her　fairly；　on　your　honor　as　a　knight。〃
　Ser　Loras　stood。　〃I　shall。　On　my　honor。〃
　〃We　are　done；　then。〃
　The　younger　man　started　for　the　door。　But　there　he　turned　back。　〃Renly　thought　she　was　absurd。　A　woman　dressed　in　man's　mail；　pretending　to　be　a　knight。〃
　〃If　he'd　ever　seen　her　in　pink　satin　and　Myrish　lace；　he　would　not　have　plained。〃
　〃I　asked　him　why　he　kept　her　close；　if　he　thought　her　so　grotesque。　He　said　that　all　his　other　knights　wanted　things　of　him；　castles　or　honors　or　riches；　but　all　that　Brienne　wanted　was　to　die　for　him。　When　I　saw　him　all　bloody；　with　her　fled　and　the　three　of　them　unharmed　。　。　。　if　she's　innocent；　then　Robar　and　Emmon　。　。　。〃　He　could　not　seem　to　say　the　words。
　Jaime　had　not　stopped　to　consider　that　aspect　of　it。　〃I　would　have　done　the　same；　ser；〃　The　lie　came　easy；　but　Ser　Loras　seemed　grateful　for　it。
　When　he　was　gone；　the　Lord　mander　sat　alone　in　the　white　room；　wondering。　The　Knight　of　Flowers　had　been　so　mad　with　grief　for　Renly　that　he　had　cut　down　two　of　his　own　Sworn　Brothers；　but　it　had　never　occurred　to　Jaime　to　do　the　same　with　the　five　who　had　failed　Joffrey。　He　was　my　son；　my　secret　son　。　。　。　What　am　I；　if　I　do　not　lift　the　hand　I　have　left　to　avenge　mine　own　blood　and　seed？　He　ought　to　kill　Ser　Boros　at　least；　just　to　be　rid　of　him。
　He　looked　at　his　stump　and　grimaced。　I　must　do　something　about　that。　if　the　late　Ser　Jacelyn。　Bywater　could　wear　an　iron　hand；　he　should　have　a　gold　one。　Cersei　might　like　that。　A　golden　hand　to　stroke　her　golden　hair；　and　hold　her　hard　against　me。
　His　hand　could　wait；　though。　There　were　other　things　to　tend　to　first。　There　were　other　debts　to　pay。
　
　CHAPTER　68
　SANSA
　
　The　ladder　to　the　forecastle　was　steep　and　splintery；　so　Sansa　accepted　a　hand　up　from　Lothor　Brune。　Ser　Lothor；　she　had　to　remind　herself；　the　man　had　been　knighted　for　his　valor　in　the　Battle　of　the　Blackwater。　Though　no　proper　knight　would　wear　those　patched　brown　breeches　and　scuffed　boots；　nor　that　cracked　and　waterstained　leather　jerkin。　A　square…faced　stocky　man　with　a　squashed　nose　and　a　mat　of　nappy　grey　hair；　Brune　spoke　seldom。　He　is　stronger　than　he　looks；　though。　She　could　tell　by　the　ease　with　which　he　lifted　her；　as　if　she　weighed　nothing　at　all。
　Off　the　bow　of　the　Merling　King　stretched　a　bare　and　stony　strand；　windswept；　treeless；　and　uninviting。　Even　so；　it　made　a　wele　sight。　They　had　been　a　long　while　clawing　their　way　back　on　course。　The　last　storm　had　swept　them　out　of　sight　of　land；　and　sent　such　waves　crashing　over　the　sides　of　the　galley　that　Sansa　had　been　certain　they　were　all　going　to　drown。　Two　men　had　been　swept　overboard；　she　had　heard　old　Oswell　saying；　and　another　had　fallen　from　the　mast　and　broken　his　neck。
　She　had　seldom　ventured　out　on　deck　herself。　Her　little　cabin　was　dank　and　cold；　but　Sansa　had　been　sick　for　most　of　the　voyage　。　。　。　sick　with　terror；　sick　with　fever；　or　seasick　。　。　。　she　could　keep　nothing　down；　and　even　sleep　came　hard。　Whenever　she　closed　her　eyes　she　saw　Joffrey　tearing　at　his　collar；　clawing　at　the　soft　skin　of　his　throat；　dying　with　flakes　of　pie　crust　on　his　lips　and　wine　stains　on　his　doublet。　And　the　wind　keening　in　the　lines　reminded　her　of　the　terrible　thin　sucking　sound　he'd　made　as　he　fought　to　draw　in　air。　Sometimes　she　dreamed　of　Tyrion　as　well。　〃He　did　nothing；〃　she　told　Littlefinger　once；　when　he　paid　a　visit　to　her　cabin　to　see　if　she　were　feeling　any　better。
　〃He　did　not　kill　Joffrey；　true；　but　the　dwarf's　hands　are　far　from　clean。　He　had　a　wife　before　you；　did　you　know　that？〃
　〃He　told　me。〃
　〃And　did　he　tell　you　that　when　he　grew　bored　with　her；　he　made　a　gift　of　her　to　his　father's　guardsmen？　He　might　have　done　the　same　to　you；　in　time。　Shed　no　tears　for　the　Imp；　my　lady。〃
　The　wind　ran　salty　fingers　through　her　hair；　and　Sansa　shivered。　Even　this　close　to　shore；　the　rolling　of　the　ship　made　her　tummy　queasy。　She　desperately　needed　a　bath　and　a　change　of　clothes。　I　must　look　as　haggard　as　a　corpse；　and　smell　of　vomit。
　Lord　Petyr　came　up　beside　her；　cheerful　as　ever。　〃Good　morrow。　The　salt　air　is　bracing；　don't　you　think？　It　always　sharpens　my　appetite。〃　He　put　a　sympathetic　arm　about　her　shoulders。　〃Are　you　quite　well？　You　look　so　pale。〃
　〃It's　only　my　tummy。　The　seasickness。〃
　〃A　little　wine　will　be　good　for　that。　We'll　get　you　a　cup；　as　soon　as　we're　ashore。〃　Petyr　pointed　to　where　an　old　flint　tower　stood　outlined　against　a　bleak　grey　sky；　the　breakers　crashing　on　the　rocks　beneath　it。　〃Cheerful；　is　it　not？　I　fear　there's　no　safe　anchorage　here。　We'll　put　ashore　in　a　boat。〃
　〃Here？〃　She　did　not　want　to　go　ashore　here。　The　Fingers　were　a　dismal　place；　she'd　heard；　and　there　was　something　forlorn　and　desolate　about　the　little　tower。　〃Couldn't　I　stay　on　the　ship　until　we　make　sail　for　White　Harbor？〃
　〃From　here　the　King　turns　east　for　Braavos。　Without　us。〃
　〃But　。　。　。　my　lord；　you　said　。　。　。　you　said　we　were　sailing　home。〃
　〃And　there　it　stands；　miserable　as　it　is。　My　ancestral　home。　It　has　no　name；　I　fear。　A　great　lord's　seat　ought　to　have　a　name；　wouldn't　you　agree？　Winterfell；　the　Eyrie；　Riverrun；　those　are　castles。　Lord　of　Harrenhal　now；　that　has　a　sweet　ring　to　it；　but　what　was　I　before？　Lord　of　Sheepshit　and　Master　of　the　Drearfort？　It　lacks　a　certain　something。〃　His　grey…green　eyes　regarded　her　innocently。　〃You　look　distraught。　Did　you　think　we　were　making　for　Winterfell；　sweetling？　Winterfell　has　been　taken；　burned；　and　sacked。　All　those　you　knew　and　loved　are　dead。　What　northmen　who　have　not　fallen　to　the　ironmen　are　warring　amongst　themselves。　Even　the　Wall　is　under　attack。　Winterfell　was　the　home　of　your　childhood；　Sansa；　but　you　are　no　longer　a　child。　You're　a　woman　grown；　and　you　need　to　make　your　own　home。〃
　〃But　not　here；〃　she　said；　dismayed。　〃It　looks　so。　。
　〃　。　。　。　small　and　bleak　and　mean？　It's　all　that；　and　less。　The　Fingers　are　a　lovely　place；　if　you　happen　to　be　a　stone。　But　have　no　fear；　we　shan't　stay　more　than　a　fortnight。　I　expect　your　aunt　is　already　riding　to　meet　us。〃　He　smiled。　〃The　Lady　Lysa　and　I　are　to　be　wed。〃
　〃Wed？〃　Sansa　was　stunned。　〃You　and　my　aunt？〃
　〃The　Lord　of　Harrenhal　and　the　Lady　of　the　Eyrie。〃
　You　said　it　was　my　mother　you　loved。　But　of　course　Lady　Catelyn　was　dead；　so　even　if　she　had　loved　Petyr　secretly　and　given　him　her　maidenhood；　it　made　no　matter　now。
　〃So　silent；　my　lady？〃　said　Petyr。　〃I　was　certain　you　would　wish　to　give　me　your　blessing。　It　is　a　rare　thing　for　a　boy　born　heir　to　stones　and　sheep　pellets　to　wed　the　daughter　of　Hoster　Tully　and　the　widow　of　Jon　Arryn。〃
　〃I　。　。　。　I　pray　you　will　have　long　years　together；　and　many　children；　and　be　very　happy　in　one　another。〃　It　had　been　years　since　Sansa　last　saw　her　mother's　sister。　She　will　be　kind　to　me　for　my　mother's　sake；　surely。　She's　my　own　blood。　And　the　Vale　of　Arryn　was　beautiful；　all　the　songs　said　so。　Perhaps　it　would　not　be　so　terrible　to　stay　here　for　a　time。
　Lothor　and　old　Oswell　rowed　them　ashore。　Sansa　huddled　in　the　bow　under　her　cloak　with　the　hood　drawn　up　against　the　wind；　wondering　what　awaited　her。　Servants　emerged　from　the　tower　to　meet　them；　a　thin　old　woman　and　a　fat　middle…aged　one；　two　ancient　white…haired　men；　and　a　girl　of　two　or　three　with　a　sty　on　one　eye。　When　they　recognized　Lord　Petyr　they　knelt　on　the　rocks。　〃My　household；〃　he　said。　〃I　don't　know　the　child。　Another　of　Kella's　bastards；　I　suppose。　She　pops　one　out　every　few　years。〃
　The　two　old　men　waded　out　up　to　their　thighs　to　lift　Sansa　from　th