grrm.astormofswords-第172节

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！


　〃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　against　a　wall。
　〃Five；　were　there？　Well；　that's　a　confusion。　I　could　not　give　you　a　number；　my　queen。　This　old　Plumm　was　a　lord；　though；　must　have　been　a　famous　fellow　in　his　day；　the　talk　of　all　the　land。　The　thing　was；　begging　your　royal　pardon；　he　had　himself　a　cock　six　foot　long。〃
　The　three　bells　in　Dany's　braid　tinkled　when　she　laughed。　〃You　mean　inches；　I　think。〃
　〃Feet；〃　Brown　Ben　said　firmly。　〃If　it　was　inches；　who'd　want　to　talk　about　it；　now？　Your　Grace。〃
　Dany　giggled　like　a　little　girl。　〃Did　your　grandmother　claim　she'd　actually　seen　this　prodigy？〃
　〃That　the　old　crone　never　did。　She　was　half…Ibbenese　and　half…Qohorik；　never　been　to　Westeros；　my　grandfather　must　have　told　her。　Some　Dothraki　killed　him　before　I　was　born。〃
　〃And　where　did　your　grandfather's　knowledge　e　from？〃
　〃One　of　them　tales　told　at　the　teat；　I'd　guess。〃　Brown　Ben　shrugged。　〃That's　all　I　know　about　Aegon　the　Unnumbered　or　old　Lord　Plumm's　mighty　manhood；　I　fear。　I　best　see　to　my　Sons。〃
　〃Go　do　that；〃　Dany　told　him。
　When　Brown　Ben　left；　she　lay　back　on　her　cushions。　〃If　you　were　grown；〃　she　told　Drogon；　scratching　him　between　the　horns；　〃I'd　fly　you　over　the　walls　and　melt　that　harpy　down　to　slag。〃　But　it　would　be　years　before　her　dragons　were　large　enough　to　ride。　And　when　they　are；　who　shall　ride　them？　The　dragon　has　three　heads；　but　I　have　only　one。　She　thought　of　Daario。　If　ever　there　was　a　man　who　could　rape　a　woman　with　his　eyes　。　。　。
　To　be　sure；　she　was　just　as　guilty。　Dany　found　herself　stealing　looks　at　the　Tyroshi　when　her　captains　came　to　council；　and　sometimes　at　night　she　remembered　the　way　his　gold　tooth　glittered　when　he　smiled。　That；　and　his　eyes。　His　bright　blue　eyes。　On　the　road　from　Yunkai；　Daario　had　brought　her　a　flower　or　a　sprig　of　some　plant　every　evening　when　he　made　his　report　。　。　。　to　help　her　learn　the　land；　he　said。　Waspwillow；　dusky　roses；　wild　mint；　lady's　lace；　daggerleaf；　broom；　prickly　ben；　harpy's　gold　。　。　。　He　tried　to　spare　me　the　sight　of　the　dead　children　too。　He　should　not　have　done　that；　but　he　meant　it　kindly。　And　Daario　Naharis　made　her　laugh；　which　Ser　Jorah　never　did。
　Dany　tried　to　imagine　what　it　would　be　like　if　she　allowed　Daario　to　kiss　her；　the　way　Jorah　had　kissed　her　on　the　ship。　The　thought　was　exciting　and　disturbing；　both　at　once。　It　is　too　great　a　risk。　The　Tyroshi　sellsword　was　not　a　good　man；　no　one　needed　to　tell　her　that。　Under　the　smiles　and　the　jests　he　was　dangerous；　even　cruel。　Sallor　and　Prendahl　had　woken　one　morning　as　his　partners；　that　very　night　he'd　given　her　their　heads。　Khal　Drogo　could　be　cruel　as　well；　and　there　was　never　a　man　more　dangerous。　She　had　e　to　love　him　all　the　same。　Could　I　love　Daario？　What　would　it　mean；　if　I　took　him　into　my　bed？　Would　that　make　him　one　of　the　heads　of　the　dragon？　Ser　Jorah　would　be　angry；　she　knew；　but　he　was　the　one　who'd　said　she　had　to　take　two　husbands。　Perhaps　I　should　marry　them　both　and　be　done　with　it。
　But　these　were　foolish　thoughts。　She　had　a　city　to　take；　and　dreaming　of　kisses　and　some　sellsword's　bright　blue　eyes　would　not　help　her　breach　the　walls　of　Meereen。　I　am　the　blood　of　the　dragon；　Dany　reminded　herself。　Her　thoughts　were　spinning　in　circles；　like　a　rat　chasing　its　tail。　Suddenly　she　could　not　stand　the　close　confines　of　the　pavilion　another　moment。　I　want　to　feel　the　wind　on　my　face；　and　smell　the　sea。　〃Missandei；〃　she　called；　〃have　my　silver　saddled。　Your　own　mount　as　well。〃
　The　little　scribe　bowed。　〃As　Your　Grace　mands。　Shall　I　summon　your　bloodriders　to　guard　you？〃
　〃We'll　take　Arstan。　I　do　not　mean　to　leave　the　camps。〃　She　had　no　enemies　among　her　children。　And　the　old　squire　would　not　talk　too　much　as　Belwas　would；　or　look　at　her　like　Daario。
　The　grove　of　burnt　olive　trees　in　which　she'd　raised　her　pavilion　stood　beside　the　sea；　between　the　Dothraki　camp　and　that　of　the　Unsullied。　When　the　horses　had　been　saddled；　Dany　and　her　panions　set　out　along　the　shoreline；　away　from　the　city。　Eve