JON

52 瓊恩

Othor,”

announced Ser Jaremy Rykker, “beyond a doubt. And this one was Jafer Flowers.”

He turned the corpse over with his foot, and the dead white face stared up at

the overcast sky with blue, blue eyes. “They were Ben Stark’s men, both of

them.”

“這是奧瑟，”杰瑞米·萊克爵士宣布，“錯不了。另外那個是杰佛·佛花。”他用腳把尸體翻過來，死尸臉色慘白，藍澄澄的雙眼睜得老大，瞪著陰霾不開的天空?！八麄儍蓚€都是班·史塔克手下的人?！?/p>

My uncle’s men,

Jon thought numbly. He remembered how he’d pleaded to ride with them. Gods, I

was such a green boy. If he had taken me, it might be me lying here?.?.?.?

他們是叔叔手下的人，瓊恩木然地想。他憶起自己當初哀求與他們同去的模樣。諸神保佑，我果真是個稚氣未脫的孩子。假如叔叔帶的是我，或許就換我躺在這兒了……

Jafer’s right

wrist ended in the ruin of torn flesh and splintered bone left by Ghost’s jaws.

His right hand was floating in a jar of vinegar back in Maester Aemon’s tower.

His left hand, still at the end of his arm, was as black as his cloak.

杰佛的右臂被白靈齊腕咬斷，末端只剩一團血肉模糊。他的右手掌此刻正在伊蒙師傅的塔里，懸浮于醋罐之中。至于他的左掌，雖然還好端端地接在臂膀上，卻和他的斗篷一般黑。

“Gods have mercy,” the Old Bear muttered. He swung down from his

garron, handing his reins to Jon. The morning was unnaturally warm; beads of

sweat dotted the Lord Commander’s broad forehead like dew on a melon. His horse

was nervous, rolling her eyes, backing away from the dead men as far as her

lead would allow. Jon led her off a few paces, fighting to keep her from

bolting. The horses did not like the feel of this place. For that matter, neither

did Jon.

“諸神慈悲?！毙芾相馈Ｋ韽睦珩R背上跳下，把韁繩交給瓊恩。這是個異常暖和的清晨，守夜人司令寬闊的額間遍布汗珠，猶如甜瓜表面的露水。他的坐騎十分局促，一邊翻著白眼，一邊扯著韁繩，想從死人身邊退開。瓊恩牽它走開幾步，努力不讓它掙脫奔走。馬兒不喜歡此地的感覺，話說回來，瓊恩自己也不喜歡。

The dogs liked

it least of all. Ghost had led the party here; the pack of hounds had been

useless. When Bass the kennelmaster had tried to get them to take the scent

from the severed hand, they had gone wild, yowling and barking, fighting to get

away. Even now they were snarling and whimpering by turns, pulling at their

leashes while Chett cursed them for curs.

狗們更是深惡痛絕。帶領隊伍到這兒的是白靈，整群獵犬根本毫無用處。之前馴獸長貝斯試著拿斷手給它們聞，好讓它們記住氣味，結果狗群整個發狂，又吠又叫，拼死命要逃開。即便到現在，它們也依然時而咆哮時而哀嚎，用力拉扯狗鏈，齊特為此咒罵不已。

It is only a

wood, Jon told himself, and they’re only dead men. He had seen dead men

before?.?.?.?

這不過是座森林，狗兒聞到的只是尸臭罷了，瓊恩這么告訴自己。他剛見過死人……

Last night he

had dreamt the Winterfell dream again. He was wandering the empty castle,

searching for his father, descending into the crypts. Only this time the dream

had gone further than before. In the dark he’d heard the scrape of stone on

stone. When he turned he saw that the vaults were opening, one after the other.

As the dead kings came stumbling from their cold black graves, Jon had woken in

pitch-dark, his heart hammering. Even when Ghost leapt up on the bed to nuzzle

at his face, he could not shake his deep sense of terror. He dared not go back

to sleep. Instead he had climbed the Wall and walked, restless, until he saw

the light of the dawn off to the cast. It was only a dream. I am a brother of

the Night’s Watch now, not a frightened boy.

就在昨夜，他又作了那個臨冬城的夢。夢中他漫游在空蕩蕩的城堡，四處尋找父親，最后下樓梯進了墓窖。但這次夢境并未在此結束。在黑暗中他聽見石頭刮碰的聲音，猛一轉身，只見墓穴一個個打開來，死去已久的國王紛紛由冰冷黑暗的墳中蹣跚走出。瓊恩恍然驚醒，四周一片漆黑，心臟狂跳。連白靈跳上床，用嘴巴摩擦他的臉，也難減輕他心中深深的恐懼。他不敢再睡，便起身爬上長城，不安地漫步，直到東方初綻曙光。那不過是夢而已，如今我是守夜人軍團的一分子，不再是容易受驚的小孩兒了。

Samwell Tarly

huddled beneath the trees, half-hidden behind the horses. His round fat face

was the color of curdled milk. So far he had not lurched off to the woods to

retch, but he had not so much as glanced at the dead men either. “I can’t

look,” he whispered miserably.

山姆威爾·塔利蜷縮樹下，半躲在馬群后。他那張圓胖的臉顏色有如酸敗的牛奶。雖然他并未逃進森林上吐下瀉，可也沒正眼瞧過死尸?！拔也桓铱??！彼蓱z兮兮地低語。

“You have to look,” Jon told him, keeping his voice low so the others

would not hear. “Maester Aemon sent you to be his eyes, didn’t he? What good

are eyes if they’re shut?”

“你不能不看。”瓊恩對他說，一邊壓低聲音不讓別人聽見。“伊蒙師傅不是派你來當他的眼睛么？眼睛若是閉上了，那還有什么用呢？”

“Yes, but?.?.?.?I’m such a coward, Jon.”

“話是這樣說，可……瓊恩，我實在是個膽小鬼。”

Jon put a hand

on Sam’s shoulder. “We have a dozen rangers with us, and the dogs, even Ghost.

No one will hurt you, Sam. Go ahead and look. The first look is the hardest.”

瓊恩把手放到山姆肩膀。“我們身邊有十二個游騎兵，還有成群的獵狗，連白靈都跟來了。山姆，沒人傷得了你。去看看罷，第一眼總是最難?！?/p>

Sam gave a

tremulous nod, working up his courage with a visible effort. Slowly he swiveled

his head. His eyes widened, but Jon held his arm so he could not turn away.

山姆顫巍巍地點個頭，很明顯地努力鼓起勇氣，然后緩緩轉頭。他的雙眼頓時睜得老大，但瓊恩抓住他的手，不讓他轉開。

“Ser Jaremy,” the Old Bear asked gruffly, “Ben Stark had six men with

him when he rode from the Wall. Where are the others?”

“杰瑞米爵士，”熊老沒好氣地問，“班·史塔克出長城帶了六個人，其他人上哪兒去了？”

Ser Jaremy shook

his head. “Would that I knew.”

杰瑞米爵士搖搖頭?！拔胰羰侵谰秃昧??！?/p>

Plainly Mormont

was not pleased with that answer. “Two of our brothers butchered almost within

sight of the Wall, yet your rangers heard nothing, saw nothing. Is this what

the Night’s Watch has fallen to? Do we still sweep these woods?”

莫爾蒙對這答案顯然大為不滿。“兩個弟兄幾乎在長城的肉眼可見范圍內慘遭殺害，你的游騎兵卻什么也沒聽見，什么也沒看到，難道守夜人已經怠惰到這種地步了？我們到底有沒有派人掃蕩森林？”

“Yes, my lord, but...”

“當然是有的，大人，可是——”

“Do we still mount watches?”

“我們還有沒有派人騎馬巡邏？”

“We do, but...”

“有的，可是——”

“This man wears a hunting horn.” Mormont pointed at Othor. “Must I

suppose that he died without sounding it? Or have your rangers all gone deaf as

well as blind?”

“這家伙身上帶著獵號，”莫爾蒙指著奧瑟說，“莫非你要我相信他臨死前連一聲都沒吹？還是你的游騎兵不只眼睛瞎了，連耳朵也聾啦？”

Ser Jaremy

bristled, his face taut with anger. “No horn was blown, my lord, or my rangers

would have heard it. I do not have sufficient men to mount as many patrols as I

should like?.?.?.?and since Benjen was lost, we have stayed closer to the Wall

than we were wont to do before, by your own command.”

杰瑞米爵士氣得毛發豎立，滿臉怒容?！按笕耍瑳]有人吹號角，否則我的游騎兵一定會聽見。如今人手不夠，根本無法照我的意圖仔細巡邏……更何況自從班揚失蹤，我們已經縮短了巡邏范圍，比以前更靠近長城——這可是大人您親自下的令?！?/p>

The Old Bear

grunted. “Yes. Well. Be that as it may.” He made an impatient gesture. “Tell me

how they died.”

熊老咕噥道：“唉，也是。那就算了罷?！彼荒蜔┑負]揮手?！案艺f說他們是怎么死的。”

Squatting beside

the dead man he had named Jafer Flowers, Ser Jaremy grasped his head by the

scalp. The hair came out between his fingers, brittle as straw. The knight

cursed and shoved at the face with the heel of his hand. A great gash in the

side of the corpse’s neck opened like a mouth, crusted with dried blood. Only a

few ropes of pale tendon still attached the head to the neck. “This was done

with an axe.”

杰瑞米爵士在杰佛·佛花身旁蹲下，揪著頭皮抓起頭顱。發束從他指間落下，松脆有如稻草。騎士罵了一聲，伸手把臉部翻過。尸體另一側的脖頸部位有道深深的傷口，好似一張大嘴，其中積滿了干涸的血塊。頭脖之間僅余幾條肌腱相連?！八墙o斧頭砍死的?！?/p>

“Aye,” muttered Dywen, the old forester. “Belike the axe that Othor

carried, m’lord.”

“沒錯，”老林務官戴文喃喃道，“大人，俺說就是奧瑟平日慣用的那把斧頭?！?/p>

Jon could feel

his breakfast churning in his belly, but he pressed his lips together and made

himself look at the second body. Othor had been a big ugly man, and he made a

big ugly corpse. No axe was in evidence. Jon remembered Othor; he had been the

one bellowing the bawdy song as the rangers rode out. His singing days were

done. His flesh was blanched white as milk, everywhere but his hands. His hands

were black like Jafer’s. Blossoms of hard cracked blood decorated the mortal

wounds that covered him like a rash, breast and groin and throat. Yet his eyes

were still open. They stared up at the sky, blue as sapphires.

瓊恩只覺早餐在胃里翻涌，但他強自抿緊嘴唇，逼自己朝第二具尸體望去。奧瑟生前是個高大丑陋的人，死后尸體也是又大又丑。但四下卻沒有斧頭的蹤影。瓊恩還記得奧瑟；他就是那個出發前高唱低俗小調的家伙?？磥硭璧娜兆邮峭炅恕Ｋ碾p手和杰佛一樣完全漆黑。傷口如疹子般覆蓋全身，從下體到胸部再到咽喉無一幸免，上面裝飾著一朵朵干裂的的血花。他的眼睛依舊睜開，藍寶石般的珠子直瞪天空。

Ser Jaremy

stood. “The wildlings have axes too.”

杰瑞米爵士站起身?！耙叭艘彩怯懈^的?！?/p>

Mormont rounded

on him. “So you believe this is Mance Rayder’s work? This close to the Wall?”

莫爾蒙語帶挑釁地對他說：“那依你之見，這是曼斯·雷德干的好事？在離長城這么近的地方？”

“Who else, my lord?”

“大人，不然還有誰呢？”

Jon could have

told him. He knew, they all knew, yet no man of them would say the words. The

Others are only a story, a tale to make children shiver. If they ever lived at

all, they are gone eight thousand years. Even the thought made him feel

foolish; he was a man grown now, a black brother of the Night’s Watch, not the

boy who’d once sat at Old Nan’s feet with Bran and Robb and Arya.

答案連瓊恩都說得出。不僅他知道，大家都很清楚，但沒有人愿意說出口。異鬼只是故事，用來嚇小孩的傳說。就算他們真的存在，也是八千年前的事。光是產生這個念頭都教他覺得愚蠢：他是個成年人，是守夜人的黑衣弟兄，已非當年與布蘭、羅柏和艾莉亞一同坐在老奶媽腳邊的小男孩啦。

Yet Lord

Commander Mormont gave a snort. “If Ben Stark had come under wildling attack a

half day’s ride from Castle Black, he would have returned for more men, chased

the killers through all seven hells and brought me back their heads.”

但莫爾蒙司令哼了一聲：“假如班·史塔克在距離黑城堡只有半天騎程的地方遭到野人攻擊，他定會回來增調人馬，追那些殺人犯到七層地獄，把他們的首級帶來給我?！?/p>

“Unless he was slain as well,” Ser Jaremy insisted.

“除非連他自己也遇害。”杰瑞米爵士堅持。

The words hurt,

even now. It had been so long, it seemed folly to cling to the hope that Ben

Stark was still alive, but Jon Snow was nothing if not stubborn.

即使到現在，聽到這些話依然令人心痛。過了這么久，期望班·史塔克還活著無異自欺欺人，但瓊恩·雪諾別的沒有，就是固執。

“It has been close on half a year since Benjen left us, my lord,” Ser

Jaremy went on. “The forest is vast. The wildlings might have fallen on him

anywhere. I’d wager these two were the last survivors of his party, on their

way back to us?.?.?.?but the enemy caught them before they could reach the

safety of the Wall. The corpses are still fresh, these men cannot have been

dead more than a day?.?.?.?.”

“大人，班揚離開我們已快半年，”杰瑞米爵士續道，“森林廣闊，隨處可能遭野人偷襲。我敢打賭，這兩個是他隊伍最后的幸存者，本準備回來找我們……只可惜在抵達長城之前被敵人追上。你瞧，這些尸體還很新鮮，死亡時間不會超過一天……”

“No,” Samwell Tarly squeaked.

“不對。”山姆威爾·塔利尖聲說。

Jon was

startled. Sam’s nervous, high-pitched voice was the last he would have expected

to hear. The fat boy was frightened of the officers, and Ser Jaremy was not

known for his patience.

瓊恩嚇了一跳，他說什么也沒料到會聽見山姆緊張而高亢的話音。胖男孩向來很怕官員，而杰瑞米爵士又素以壞脾氣出名。

“I did not ask for your views, boy,” Rykker said coldly.

“小子，我可沒問你意見?！比R克冷冷地說。

“Let him speak, ser,” Jon blurted.

“讓他說吧，爵士先生?！杯偠鳑_口而出。

Mormont’s eyes

flicked from Sam to Jon and back again. “If the lad has something to say, I’ll

hear him out. Come closer, boy. We can’t see you behind those horses.”

莫爾蒙的視線從山姆飄向瓊恩，然后又轉向山姆：“如果那孩子有話要說，就讓他說吧。小子，靠過來，躲在馬后面我們可瞧不見你?！?/p>

Sam edged past

Jon and the garrons, sweating profusely. “My lord, it?.?.?.?it can’t be a day

or?.?.?.?look?.?.?.?the blood?.?.?.?”

山姆擠過瓊恩和馬匹，汗如雨下。“大人，不……不可能只有一天……請看……那個血……”

“Yes?” Mormont growled impatiently. “Blood, what of it?”

“嗯？”莫爾蒙不耐煩地皺眉，“血怎么樣？”

“He soils his smallclothes at the sight of it,” Chett shouted out,

and the rangers laughed.

“他一見血就尿褲子啦。”齊特高喊，游騎兵們哄堂大笑。

Sam mopped at

the sweat on his brow. “You?.?.?.?you can see where Ghost?.?.?.?Jon’s

direwolf?.?.?.?you can see where he tore off that man’s hand, and yet?.?.?.?the

stump hasn’t bled, look?.?.?.?” He waved a hand. “My father?.?.?.?L-lord

Randyll, he, he made me watch him dress animals sometimes,

when?.?.?.?after?.?.?.?” Sam shook his head from side to side, his chins

quivering. Now that he had looked at the bodies, he could not seem to look

away. “A fresh kill?.?.?.?the blood would still flow, my lords.

Later?.?.?.?later it would be clotted, like a?.?.?.?a jelly, thick

and?.?.?.?and?.?.?.?” He looked as though he was going to be sick. “This

man?.?.?.?look at the wrist, it’s all?.?.?.?crusty?.?.?.?dry?.?.?.?like

?.?.?.?”

山姆抹抹額上的汗珠?！澳窗嘴`……瓊恩的冰原狼……您看它咬斷手的地方，可是……斷肢沒有流血，您看……”他揮揮手。“家父……藍……藍道伯爵，他，他有時候會逼我看他處理獵物……在……之后……”山姆搖頭晃腦，下巴動個不休。這會兒他真看了，視線反而離不開尸體?！皠偹赖墨C物……大人，血還會流動。之后……之后才會凝結成塊，像是……像是肉凍，濃稠的肉凍，而且……而且……”他似乎要吐了?！斑@個人……請看，他的手腕很……很脆……又干又脆……像是……”

Jon saw at once

what Sam meant. He could see the torn veins in the dead man’s wrist, iron worms

in the pale flesh. His blood was a black dust. Yet Jaremy Rykker was

unconvinced. “If they’d been dead much longer than a day, they’d be ripe by

now, boy. They don’t even smell.”

瓊恩立刻明白了山姆的意思。他可以看見死人腕部斷裂的血管，活像慘白肌肉里的鐵蠕蟲，血也凍成黑粉末。但杰瑞米·萊克不以為然。“如果他們真死了一天以上，現在早就臭得要命。可他們一點味道也沒有?！?/p>

Dywen, the

gnarled old forester who liked to boast that he could smell snow coming on,

sidled closer to the corpses and took a whiff. “Well, they’re no pansy flowers,

but?.?.?.?m’lord has the truth of it. There’s no corpse stink.”

飽經風霜的老林務官戴文最愛夸耀自己嗅覺靈敏，常說連降雪都能聞出來。這會兒他悄悄走到尸體旁邊，嗅了一下?！班牛遣辉趺春寐劊贿^……大人說得沒錯，的確沒有尸臭。”

“They?.?.?.?they aren’t rotting.” Sam pointed, his fat finger shaking

only a little. “Look, there’s?.?.?.?there’s no maggots or?.?.?.?or?.?.?.?worms

or anything?.?.?.?they’ve been lying here in the woods, but they?.?.?.?they

haven’t been chewed or eaten by animals?.?.?.?only Ghost?.?.?.?otherwise

they’re?.?.?.?they’re?.?.?.?”

“他們……他們也沒有腐爛，”山姆指給大家看，胖手指顫抖不休。“請看，他們身上沒有……沒有生蛆，也……也……沒有其他的蟲子……他們在森林里躺了這么久，卻……卻沒有被動物撕咬或吃掉……若不是白靈……他們……”

“Untouched,” Jon said softly. “And Ghost is different. The dogs and

the horses won’t go near them.”

“可說毫發無傷。”瓊恩輕聲道，“而且白靈和其他動物不一樣。狗兒和馬都不愿靠近他們的尸體?！?/p>

The rangers

exchanged glances; they could see it was true, every man of them. Mormont

frowned, glancing from the corpses to the dogs. “Chett, bring the hounds

closer.”

游騎兵們彼此交換眼神，每個人都知道此話不假。莫爾蒙皺起眉頭，將視線從尸體移到狗群?！褒R特，把獵狗帶過來?！?/p>

Chett tried,

cursing, yanking on the leashes, giving one animal a lick of his boot. Most of

the dogs just whimpered and planted their feet. He tried dragging one. The

bitch resisted, growling and squirming as if to escape her collar. Finally she

lunged at him. Chett dropped the leash and stumbled backward. The dog leapt

over him and bounded off into the trees.

齊特連忙照辦，一邊咒罵，一邊拉扯狗鏈，還伸腿踢了狗一腳。但獵狗們多半嗚咽著，打定主意不肯挪動。他試著強拉一只母狗，結果它拼命頑抗，又吼又扭，企圖掙脫項圈，最后竟朝他撲去。齊特丟下繩子踉蹌后退，狗跳過他跑進森林去了。

“This?.?.?.?this is all wrong,” Sam Tarly said earnestly. “The

blood?.?.?.?there’s bloodstains on their clothes, and?.?.?.?and their flesh,

dry and hard, but?.?.?.?there’s none on the ground, or?.?.?.?anywhere. With

those?.?.?.?those?.?.?.?those?.?.?.?” Sam made himself swallow, took a deep

breath. “With those wounds?.?.?.?terrible wounds?.?.?.?there should be blood

all over. Shouldn’t there?”

“這……這很不對勁啊，”山姆·塔利急切地說，“看看這血……他們衣服上有血跡，而且……而且他們的皮膚如此干硬，可……可地上完全沒有血跡……這附近一丁點兒都沒有。照說他們……他們……他們……”山姆努力吞了口唾沫，深吸一口氣?！罢照f他們傷口那么深……那么可怕，鮮血應該濺得到處都是，對不對？”

Dywen sucked at

his wooden teeth. “Might be they didn’t die here. Might be someone brought ’em

and left ’em for us. A warning, as like.” The old forester peered down

suspiciously. “And might be I’m a fool, but I don’t know that Othor never had

no blue eyes afore.”

戴文吸了吸他的木假牙。“弄不好他們不是死在這里。弄不好是被人搬來棄尸，當作警告什么的?！崩狭謩展贊M腹狐疑地往下瞧?！盎蛟S是俺弄不清，可俺記得奧瑟從來就不是藍眼睛吶。”

Ser Jaremy

looked startled. “Neither did Flowers,” he blurted, turning to stare at the

dead man.

杰瑞米爵士似乎大為震驚?！胺鸹ㄒ膊皇??！彼摽诒愕?，一邊轉頭看著兩個死人。

A silence fell

over the wood. For a moment all they heard was Sam’s heavy breathing and the

wet sound of Dywen sucking on his teeth. Jon squatted beside Ghost.

寂靜籠罩森林，一時之間大家只聽見山姆沉重的呼吸和戴文吸吮假牙的濡濕聲。瓊恩在白靈身邊蹲下。

“Burn them,” someone whispered. One of the rangers; Jon could not

have said who. “Yes, burn them,” a second voice urged.

“燒了他們罷?！庇腥诵÷曊f。是某位游騎兵，但瓊恩聽不出是誰。“是啊，燒了罷。”又一個聲音在催促。

The Old Bear

gave a stubborn shake of his head. “Not yet. I want Maester Aemon to have a

look at them. We’ll bring them back to the Wall.”

熊老固執地搖搖頭。“還不行。我得先請伊蒙師傅看看。咱們把他們帶回長城去。”

Some commands

are more easily given than obeyed. They wrapped the dead men in cloaks, but

when Hake and Dywen tried to tie one onto a horse, the animal went mad,

screaming and rearing, lashing out with its hooves, even biting at Ketter when

he ran to help. The rangers had no better luck with the other garrons; not even

the most placid wanted any part of these burdens. In the end they were forced

to hack off branches and fashion crude slings to carry the corpses back on

foot. It was well past midday by the time they started back.

有些命令下達容易，執行卻難。他們用斗篷裹起尸首，然而當哈克和戴文試圖將其中一具綁上馬時，馬兒整個發了狂，它尖叫著后足站立，伸腿狂踢，跑去幫忙的凱特反被咬傷。游騎兵試了其他犁馬，同樣不聽使喚；即便最溫馴的馬也拼死不愿與尸體有任何接觸。最后迫不得已，人們只好砍下樹枝，做成粗陋的拖拉架，動身返回時，已經到了下午。

“I will have these woods searched,” Mormont commanded Ser Jaremy as

they set out. “Every tree, every rock, every bush, and every foot of muddy

ground within ten leagues of here. Use all the men you have, and if you do not

have enough, borrow hunters and foresters from the stewards. If Ben and the

others are out here, dead or alive, I will have them found. And if there is

anyone else in these woods, I will know of it. You are to track them and take

them, alive if possible. Is that understood?”

“派人把這片森林搜個徹底，”啟程之前，莫爾蒙命令杰瑞米爵士，“方圓十里格內每一棵樹、每一塊石頭、每一叢矮樹和每一寸泥地都必須翻找一遍。把你手下所有的人都派出來，如果人手不夠，就跟事務官借調獵人和林務官。假如班和他的手下就在其中，不論死活，你都必須找到。假如森林里有‘其他人’，也一定要報告，你必須負責追蹤并逮捕他們，能活捉最好，知道了嗎？”

“It is, my lord,” Ser Jaremy said. “It will be done.”

“知道了，大人?！苯苋鹈拙羰空f，“我一定辦妥?！?/p>

After that,

Mormont rode in silence, brooding. Jon followed close behind him; as the Lord

Commander’s steward, that was his place. The day was grey, damp, overcast, the

sort of day that made you wish for rain. No wind stirred the wood; the air hung

humid and heavy, and Jon’s clothes clung to his skin. It was warm. Too warm.

The Wall was weeping copiously, had been weeping for days, and sometimes Jon

even imagined it was shrinking.

打那之后，莫爾蒙默默地騎馬沉思。瓊恩緊隨在后——身為司令的私人事務官，這是他的位置。天色灰暗，彌漫水氣，陰霾不開，正是那種令人急盼降雨的天氣。林中無風，空氣潮濕而沉重，瓊恩的衣服黏緊皮膚。天氣很溫暖。太溫暖了。長城連日以來“淚”如泉涌，有時候瓊恩不禁想像它正在萎縮。

The old men

called this weather spirit summer, and said it meant the season was giving up

its ghosts at last. After this the cold would come, they warned, and a long

summer always meant a long winter. This summer had lasted ten years. Jon had

been a babe in arms when it began.

老人們管這種天氣叫“鬼夏”，傳說這意味著夏季的鬼魂終于逃脫束縛，四處飄蕩。他們還警告說，在這之后，酷寒便會降臨，而長夏之后總是漫長的冬季。這次的夏天已經持續了十年，夏季剛開始時，瓊恩還是大人懷抱里的小孩兒。

Ghost ran with

them for a time and then vanished among the trees. Without the direwolf, Jon felt

almost naked. He found himself glancing at every shadow with unease. Unbidden,

he thought back on the tales that Old Nan used to tell them, when he was a boy

at Winterfell. He could almost hear her voice again, and the click-click-click

of her needles. In that darkness, the Others came riding, she used to say,

dropping her voice lower and lower. Cold and dead they were, and they hated

iron and fire and the touch of the sun, and every living creature with hot

blood in its veins. Holdfasts and cities and kingdoms of men all fell before

them, as they moved south on pale dead horses, leading hosts of the slain. They

fed their dead servants on the flesh of human children?.?.?.?

白靈跟著他們跑了一段，然后消失在樹林。身邊少了冰原狼，瓊恩覺得自己赤裸裸的。他帶著懷疑的目光，不安地瞄著每一處陰影。他不由得想起自己還是個小男孩時，臨冬城的老奶媽給他們講過的故事。她的嗓音和縫衣針的“嗟嗟”聲猶在耳際。在一片黑暗之中，異鬼騎馬到來，這是她最拿手的開頭，之后她不斷壓低聲音，他們渾身冰冷，散發著死亡的氣息，痛恨鋼鐵、烈火和陽光，以及所有流淌著溫熱血液的生命。他們騎著慘白的死馬，率領在戰爭中遇害的亡靈大軍一路南下，橫掃農村、城市和王國。他們還拿人類嬰兒的肉來飼養手下的死靈仆役……

When he caught

his first glimpse of the Wall looming above the tops of an ancient gnarled oak,

Jon was vastly relieved. Mormont reined up suddenly and turned in his saddle.

“Tarly,” he barked, “come here.”

當瓊恩終于自一棵扭曲的老橡樹枝間瞥見遠方高聳的長城時，不禁感到如釋重負。這時莫爾蒙突然勒住韁繩，在馬鞍上轉過頭?！八?，”他喊道，“你過來?！?/p>

Jon saw the

start of fright on Sam’s face as he lumbered up on his mare; doubtless he

thought he was in trouble. “You’re fat but you’re not stupid, boy,” the Old

Bear said gruffly. “You did well back there. And you, Snow.”

山姆笨重地爬下馬，瓊恩看見他臉上的恐懼之色：他想必認為自己有麻煩了。“小子，你胖歸胖，人倒是不笨?！毙芾洗致曊f，“剛才干得不錯。雪諾，你也是?！?/p>

Sam blushed a

vivid crimson and tripped over his own tongue as he tried to stammer out a

courtesy. Jon had to smile.

山姆立刻滿面通紅，急忙想要道謝，舌頭卻不聽使喚。瓊恩忍不住笑了。

When they

emerged from under the trees, Mormont spurred his tough little garron to a

trot. Ghost came streaking out from the woods to meet them, licking his chops,

his muzzle red from prey. High above, the men on the Wall saw the column

approaching. Jon heard the deep, throaty call of the watchman’s great horn,

calling out across the miles; a single long blast that shuddered through the

trees and echoed off the ice.

出森林后，莫爾蒙雙腳一蹬，驅使他那匹健壯的小犁馬向前疾馳。白靈自林間躥出來與他們會合。他舔著下巴，口鼻沾滿獵物的鮮血。遠處，居高臨下的長城守衛發現漸近的隊伍，接著那低沉渾厚的號角便響徹原野；那是一聲長長的巨鳴，顫抖著穿越樹林，回蕩于冰原之上。

UUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooo.

喔喔喔喔喔喔喔嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚

The sound faded

slowly to silence. One blast meant rangers returning, and Jon thought, I was a

ranger for one day, at least. Whatever may come, they cannot take that away

from me.

號音漸弱，終歸寂靜。一聲號角代表兄弟歸來，瓊恩心想，起碼我也當了一天的游騎兵兄弟。無論將來如何，沒有人能否認。

Bowen Marsh was

waiting at the first gate as they led their garrons through the icy tunnel. The

Lord Steward was red-faced and agitated. “My lord,” he blurted at Mormont as he

swung open the iron bars, “there’s been a bird, you must come at once.”

當他們牽馬穿過冰封隧道時，發現波文·馬爾錫正站在第一道大門內?？倓臻L滿臉通紅，顯得焦慮不安?！按笕?，”他一邊拉開鐵柵門，一邊迫不及待地對莫爾蒙說，“有只鳥兒捎信來，請您立刻來一趟?！?/p>

“What is it, man?” Mormont said gruffly.

“嗯？到底怎么回事？”莫爾蒙不耐煩地問。

Curiously, Marsh

glanced at Jon before he answered. “Maester Aemon has the letter. He’s waiting

in your solar.”

奇怪的是，馬爾錫竟先瞄了瓊恩一眼，然后才作答：“信在伊蒙師傅手中，他在您的書房等您?！?/p>

“Very well. Jon, see to my horse, and tell Ser Jaremy to put the dead

men in a storeroom until the maester is ready for them.” Mormont strode away

grumbling.

“好罷。瓊恩，馬就交給你了。告訴杰瑞米爵士把尸體先放進儲藏室，等學士來處理。”莫爾蒙咕噥著跨步離去。

As they led

their horses back to the stable, Jon was uncomfortably aware that people were

watching him. Ser Alliser Thorne was drilling his boys in the yard, but he

broke off to stare at Jon, a faint half smile on his lips. One-armed Donal Noye

stood in the door of the armory. “The gods be with you, Snow,” he called out.

瓊恩和其他人牽著坐騎回到馬廄時，他很不自在地發覺大家都盯著他瞧。艾里沙·索恩爵士正在校場訓練新兵，但他也暫停手邊工作，瞪著瓊恩，嘴上掛著一抹微笑。獨臂的唐納·諾伊站在兵器庫門口?！把┲Z，愿諸神與你同在。”他喊道。

Something’s

wrong, Jon thought. Something’s very wrong.

一定發生了什么事，瓊恩心想，非常不好的事。

The dead men

were carried to one of the storerooms along the base of the Wall, a dark cold

cell chiseled from the ice and used to keep meat and grain and sometimes even

beer. Jon saw that Mormont’s horse was fed and watered and groomed before he

took care of his own. Afterward he sought out his friends. Grenn and Toad were

on watch, but he found Pyp in the common hall. “What’s happened?” he asked.

兩具死尸被抬進長城腳下的一間儲藏室內，那是個從冰墻里鑿出的陰冷房間，專門用來存放肉類和谷物，有時連啤酒也拿來這里。瓊恩先喂莫爾蒙的馬吃草喝水，梳過毛后，方才去照料自己的坐騎。之后他去找自己那伙朋友，葛蘭和陶德正在站崗，但他在大廳里找到派普?！俺鍪裁词铝?？”他問。

Pyp lowered his

voice. “The king’s dead.”

派普壓低聲音。“國王死了。”

Jon was stunned.

Robert Baratheon had looked old and fat when he visited Winterfell, yet he’d

seemed hale enough, and there’d been no talk of illness. “How can you know?”

瓊恩大感震驚。勞勃·拜拉席恩上次來訪臨冬城，雖然那模樣既老又胖，卻似乎很健康，也沒聽人說他得了什么病?！澳阍趺粗?？”

“One of the guards overheard Clydas reading the letter to Maester

Aemon.” Pyp leaned close. “Jon, I’m sorry. He was your father’s friend, wasn’t

he?”

“有個守衛偷聽到克萊達斯讀信給伊蒙師傅聽，”派普靠過來?！碍偠鳎液苓z憾。他是你老爸的好朋友，對不對？”

“They were as close as brothers, once.” Jon wondered if Joffrey would

keep his father as the King’s Hand. It did not seem likely. That might mean

Lord Eddard would return to Winterfell, and his sisters as well. He might even

be allowed to visit them, with Lord Mormont’s permission. It would be good to

see Arya’s grin again and to talk with his father. I will ask him about my

mother, he resolved. I am a man now, it is past time he told me. Even if she

was a whore, I don’t care, I want to know.

“他們情同手足。”瓊恩暗忖喬佛里是否會繼續讓父親擔任御前首相一職。他覺得不大可能。也就是說，艾德公爵即將返回臨冬城，還有他的兩個妹妹。假如他能得到莫爾蒙大人的允許，說不定還可以去探望他們。能再見到艾莉亞機靈的笑容，并和父親談談，一定會是件很棒的事。到時候我定要問他母親的事，他下定決心，如今我已長大成人，說什么他都該告訴我了。即便她是個妓女我也不在乎，我一定要知道。

“I heard Hake say the dead men were your uncle’s,” Pyp said.

“我聽哈克說，那兩個死人是你叔叔的部下?！迸善盏馈?/p>

“Yes,” Jon replied. “Two of the six he took with him. They’d been

dead a long time, only?.?.?.?the bodies are queer.”

“是啊，”瓊恩回答，“他帶去的那六個人中的兩個。他們死了好長一段時間，只是……尸體有些古怪?！?/p>

“Queer?” Pyp was all curiosity. “How queer?”

“古怪？”派普一聽，興致就來了。“怎么個古怪法？”

“Sam will tell you.” Jon did not want to talk of it. “I should see if

the Old Bear has need of me.”

“去問山姆吧，”瓊恩不想談這個。“我該去照顧熊老了?！?/p>

He walked to the

Lord Commander’s Tower alone, with a curious sense of apprehension. The

brothers on guard eyed him solemnly as he approached. “The Old Bear’s in his

solar,” one of them announced. “He was asking for you.”

他獨自走向司令塔，心里有種莫名的焦慮。守門的弟兄們肅穆地看他走近?！靶芾显跁坷铮逼渲幸蝗诵?，“他正要找你?！?/p>

Jon nodded. He

should have come straight from the stable. He climbed the tower steps briskly.

He wants wine or a fire in his hearth, that’s all, he told himself.

瓊恩點點頭。他應該直接從馬廄過來的。他快步爬上高塔樓梯，一邊告訴自己：司令他要的不過是一杯好酒或爐里的暖火罷了。

When he entered

the solar, Mormont’s raven screamed at him. “Corn!” the bird shrieked. “Corn!

Corn! Corn!”

一進書房，莫爾蒙的烏鴉便朝他尖叫?！坝衩祝　兵B兒厲聲喊道，“玉米！玉米！玉米！”

“Don’t you believe it, I just fed him,” the Old Bear growled. He was

seated by the window, reading a letter. “Bring me a cup of wine, and pour one

for yourself.”

“別信他。我剛喂過哪。”熊老咕噥著。他坐在窗邊，正讀著信?！敖o我弄杯酒來，你自己也倒上一杯。”

“For myself, my lord?”

“大人，我也要？”

Mormont lifted

his eyes from the letter to stare at Jon. There was pity in that look; he could

taste it. “You heard me.”

莫爾蒙將視線自信上抬起，瞪著瓊恩。那眼神里充滿憐憫，他感覺得出來?！澳銢]聽錯?！?/p>

Jon poured with

exaggerated care, vaguely aware that he was drawing out the act. When the cups

were filled, he would have no choice but to face whatever was in that letter.

Yet all too soon, they were filled. “Sit, boy,” Mormont commanded him. “Drink.”

瓊恩格外小心地斟酒，隱約明白自己是在拖延時間。等酒杯倒滿，他就別無選擇，不得不面對信中之事了。即便如此，酒杯卻很快就滿了。“孩子，坐下。”莫爾蒙命令他?！昂攘T。”

Jon remained

standing. “It’s my father, isn’t it?”

瓊恩站住不動?！笆俏腋赣H的事，對不對？”

The Old Bear

tapped the letter with a finger. “Your father and the king,” he rumbled. “I

won’t lie to you, it’s grievous news. I never thought to see another king, not

at my age, with Robert half my years and strong as a bull.” He took a gulp of

wine. “They say the king loved to hunt. The things we love destroy us every

time, lad. Remember that. My son loved that young wife of his. Vain woman. If

not for her, he would never have thought to sell those poachers.”

熊老用一根指頭彈彈信紙。“是你父親和國王的事?！彼事曊f，“我也不瞞你，信上寫的都是壞消息。我本以為自己這么大把年紀，勞勃的歲數只有我的一半，又壯得像頭牛似的，說什么也沒機會碰上新國王?！彼嗔丝诰?。“據說國王愛打獵。我告訴你，孩子，我們愛什么，到頭來就會毀在什么上面。給我記清楚了。我兒子愛死了他的年輕老婆。那個愛慕虛榮的女人，要不是為了她，他也不會把腦筋動到盜獵者頭上去?！?/p>

Jon could

scarcely follow what he was saying. “My lord, I don’t understand. What’s

happened to my father?”

瓊恩根本不明白他在說什么。“司令大人，我不懂。我父親到底怎么了？”

“I told you to sit,” Mormont grumbled. “Sit,” the raven screamed.

“And have a drink, damn you. That’s a command, Snow.”

“我不是叫你坐下么？”莫爾蒙咕噥道?！白拢　睘貘f尖叫?！叭ツ愕?，把酒喝了。雪諾，這是命令?！?/p>

Jon sat, and took

a sip of wine.

瓊恩坐下，啜了一口酒。

“Lord Eddard has been imprisoned. He is charged with treason. It is

said he plotted with Robert’s brothers to deny the throne to Prince Joffrey.”

“艾德大人目前人在獄中。他被控叛國，信上說他與勞勃的兩個弟弟共謀奪取喬佛里的王位。”

“No,” Jon said at once. “That couldn’t be. My father would never

betray the king!”

“不可能！”瓊恩立刻說，“絕不可能！父親他說什么也不會背叛國王！”

“Be that as it may,” said Mormont. “It is not for me to say. Nor for

you.”

“是真的也好，假的也罷，”莫爾蒙道，“總之輪不到我來講。當然，更輪不到你說?！?/p>

“But it’s a lie,” Jon insisted. How could they think his father was a

traitor, had they all gone mad? Lord Eddard Stark would never dishonor

himself?.?.?.?would he?

“可這是謊言。”瓊恩堅持。他們怎么能把父親當成叛徒？難道他們都瘋了？艾德·史塔克公爵最不可能做的，就是玷污自身名節之事……是吧？

He fathered a

bastard, a small voice whispered inside him. Where was the honor in that? And

your mother, what of her? He will not even speak her name.

那他怎么還有個私生子？一個小小的聲音在瓊恩心里低語，這有何榮譽可言？還有你母親啊，她怎么樣了？他連她的名字都不肯講。

“My lord, what will happen to him? Will they kill him?”

“大人，他會怎么樣？他們會殺他嗎？”

“As to that, I cannot say, lad. I mean to send a letter. I knew some

of the king’s councillors in my youth. Old Pycelle, Lord Stannis, Ser

Barristan?.?.?.?Whatever your father has done, or hasn’t done, he is a great

lord. He must be allowed to take the black and join us here. Gods knows, we

need men of Lord Eddard’s ability.”

“孩子，這我就說不準了。我打算寫封信去。我年輕時認識幾位國王的重臣，像是老派席爾、史坦尼斯大人、巴利斯坦爵士……無論你父親有沒有做這些，他都是個了不得的領主。一定要讓他有穿上黑衣加入我們的機會。天知道我們有多需要像艾德大人這么有才干的人?！?/p>

Jon knew that

other men accused of treason had been allowed to redeem their honor on the Wall

in days past. Why not Lord Eddard? His father here. That was a strange thought,

and strangely uncomfortable. It would be a monstrous injustice to strip him of

Winterfell and force him to take the black, and yet if it meant his life?.?.?.?

過去，被控叛國的人的確有到長城贖罪的先例，這瓊恩知道。為什么艾德大人不行呢？父親大人會來這里？真是個怪異的念頭，而且不知怎地令人十分不安。奪走他的臨冬城，強迫他穿上黑衣，這是何等的不公不義??？然而，假如他能因此逃過一劫……

And would

Joffrey allow it? He remembered the prince at Winterfell, the way he’d mocked

Robb and Ser Rodrik in the yard. Jon himself he had scarcely even noticed;

bastards were beneath even his contempt. “My lord, will the king listen to

you?”

可喬佛里會答應嗎？他憶起王太子在臨冬城時，是如何在校場上嘲弄羅柏和羅德利克爵士。他倒是沒注意瓊恩；對他而言，私生子太過微賤，連被他輕蔑都不配。“大人，國王會聽您的話嗎？”

The Old Bear

shrugged. “A boy king?.?.?.?I imagine he’ll listen to his mother. A pity the

dwarf isn’t with them. He’s the lad’s uncle, and he saw our need when he

visited us. It was a bad thing, your lady mother taking him captive...”

熊老聳聳肩。“國王還是個孩子……我看他會聽母親的話罷?？上琴宀辉谒麄兩磉?。他是那孩子的舅舅，也親眼目睹我們亟需援助的迫切。你母親大人就那樣把他抓起來，實在是不妥……”

“Lady Stark is not my mother,” Jon reminded him sharply. Tyrion

Lannister had been a friend to him. If Lord Eddard was killed, she would be as

much to blame as the queen. “My lord, what of my sisters? Arya and Sansa, they

were with my father, do you know...”

“史塔克夫人不是我母親?！杯偠髡Z氣銳利地提醒他。提利昂·蘭尼斯特待他如友。倘若艾德大人當真遇害，她和王后要負同樣的責任。“大人，我的妹妹們呢？艾莉亞和珊莎都跟我父親在一起，您可知道——”

“Pycelle makes no mention of them, but doubtless they’ll be treated

gently. I will ask about them when I write.” Mormont shook his head. “This

could not have happened at a worse time. If ever the realm needed a strong

king?.?.?.?there are dark days and cold nights ahead, I feel it in my

bones?.?.?.?” He gave Jon a long shrewd look. “I hope you are not thinking of

doing anything stupid, boy.”

“派席爾信上沒說，但相信她們定會受到妥善照顧。我在回信中會問問她們的情形?！蹦獱柮蓳u搖頭?！笆裁磿r候不好，偏偏挑這種時候。王國正需要一個強有力的統治者……眼看黑暗和寒夜就要來臨，我這身老骨頭都感覺得到……”他意味深長地看了瓊恩一眼。“小子，我希望你別做傻事?！?/p>

He’s my father,

Jon wanted to say, but he knew that Mormont would not want to hear it. His

throat was dry. He made himself take another sip of wine.

可他是我父親啊，瓊恩想說，但他知道說給莫爾蒙聽也沒用。他只覺喉嚨干燥，便逼自己又喝了口酒。

“Your duty is here now,” the Lord Commander reminded him. “Your old

life ended when you took the black.” His bird made a raucous echo. “Black.”

Mormont took no notice. “Whatever they do in King’s Landing is none of our

concern.” When Jon did not answer, the old man finished his wine and said,

“You’re free to go. I’ll have no further need of you today. On the morrow you

can help me write that letter.”

“如今你的職責所在是這里。”司令提醒他。“從你穿上黑衣那一刻起，過去的你便已經死去。”他的鳥兒粗聲應和，“黑衣?！蹦獱柮刹患永頃！安还芫R發生了什么，都與我們無關?！崩先搜劭喘偠鞑淮鹪挘銓⒕埔伙嫸M，然后說，“你可以走了。我今天都用不著你，明天你再來幫我寫信罷?！?/p>

Jon did not

remember standing or leaving the solar. The next he knew, he was descending the

tower steps, thinking, This is my father, my sisters, how can it be none of my

concern?

瓊恩恍如夢中，他不記得自己站起，更不記得如何離開書房。等他回過神，自己正一邊走下高塔樓梯，一邊想：出事的是我父親和我妹妹，怎么可能與我無關呢？

Outside, one of

the guards looked at him and said, “Be strong, boy. The gods are cruel.”

到了外面，一名守衛看著他說：“小子，堅強點。諸神很殘酷的。”

They know, Jon

realized. “My father is no traitor,” he said hoarsely. Even the words stuck in

his throat, as if to choke him. The wind was rising, and it seemed colder in

the yard than it had when he’d gone in. Spirit summer was drawing to an end.

瓊恩這才明白，原來他們都知道?！拔腋赣H不是叛徒?！彼麊≈ぷ诱f。連這番話也卡在喉嚨里，仿佛要噎死他。風勢轉強，與先前相比，廣場上似乎更冷了。鬼夏儼然已近尾聲。

The rest of the

afternoon passed as if in a dream. Jon could not have said where he walked,

what he did, who he spoke with. Ghost was with him, he knew that much. The

silent presence of the direwolf gave him comfort. The girls do not even have

that much, he thought. Their wolves might have kept them safe, but Lady is dead

and Nymeria’s lost, they’re all alone.

接下來的大半個下午，就如一場夢般浮過。瓊恩不知道自己去過什么地方，做過什么事，跟什么人講過話。白靈跟在身邊，只有這點他還知道。冰原狼沉默的存在給了他一點稍微的安慰?？擅妹盟齻冞B這點安慰都沒有，他想。小狼原本可以保護她們，然而淑女已死，娜梅莉亞又行蹤成謎，她們都是孤身一人啊。

A north wind had

begun to blow by the time the sun went down. Jon could hear it skirling against

the Wall and over the icy battlements as he went to the common hall for the

evening meal. Hobb had cooked up a venison stew, thick with barley, onions, and

carrots. When he spooned an extra portion onto Jon’s plate and gave him the

crusty heel of the bread, he knew what it meant. He knows. He looked around the

hall, saw heads turn quickly, eyes politely averted. They all know.

日落時分，吹起一陣北風。前往大廳吃晚餐時，瓊恩聽見它襲上長城，越過冰砌高墻的尖利聲響。哈布煮了大鍋的鹿肉濃湯，里面有大麥、洋蔥和胡蘿卜。當他特別多舀了一匙放進瓊恩盤子里，又給了他面包最香脆的部分時，他立刻明白這是什么意思。他也知道。瓊恩環顧大廳，看見一個個趕忙別開的頭，一只只禮貌垂下的眼睛。他們通通都知道。

His friends

rallied to him. “We asked the septon to light a candle for your father,”

Matthar told him. “It’s a lie, we all know it’s a lie, even Grenn knows it’s a

lie,” Pyp chimed in. Grenn nodded, and Sam clasped Jon’s hand, “You’re my

brother now, so he’s my father too,” the fat boy said. “If you want to go out to the

weirwoods and pray to the old gods, I’ll go with you.”

他的朋友們簇擁過來。“我們請修士為你父親點了根蠟燭?！泵飞掣嬖V他。“他們騙人，我們都知道他們騙人，連葛蘭都知道他們說謊?！迸善詹暹M來。葛蘭點點頭，接著山姆握住瓊恩的手?！澳阄椰F在是兄弟，所以他也是我的父親?！迸帜泻⒄f，“如果你想到魚梁木樹林里去向舊神禱告，我就陪你去?！?/p>

The weirwoods

were beyond the Wall, yet he knew Sam meant what he said. They are my brothers,

he thought. As much as Robb and Bran and Rickon?.?.?.?

魚梁木樹林遠在長城之外，但他知道山姆并非說空話。他們真是我的兄弟啊，他心想，就和羅柏、布蘭和瑞肯一樣……

And then he

heard the laughter, sharp and cruel as a whip, and the voice of Ser Alliser

Thorne. “Not only a bastard, but a traitor’s bastard,” he was telling the men

around him.

就在這時，他聽見艾里沙·索恩爵士的笑聲，銳利、殘忍，有如皮鞭抽打。“原來他不但是個野種，還是個賣國賊的野種哩。”他正忙不迭地告訴身邊的人。

In the blink of

an eye, Jon had vaulted onto the table, dagger in his hand. Pyp made a grab for

him, but he wrenched his leg away, and then he was sprinting down the table and

kicking the bowl from Ser Alliser’s hand. Stew went flying everywhere,

spattering the brothers. Thorne recoiled. People were shouting, but Jon Snow

did not hear them. He lunged at Ser Alliser’s face with the dagger, slashing at

those cold onyx eyes, but Sam threw himself between them and before Jon could

get around him, Pyp was on his back clinging like a monkey, and Grenn was

grabbing his arm while Toad wrenched the knife from his fingers.

只一眨眼功夫，瓊恩便已躍上長桌，匕首在手。派普想抓住他，但他猛地抽開腿，跳到桌子彼端，踢翻艾里沙爵士手中的碗。肉湯飛濺，灑得附近弟兄一身。索恩向后退開。周圍喊聲四起，然而瓊恩什么也聽不見。他擎著匕首朝艾里沙爵士那張臉撲去，對著那雙冰冷的瑪瑙色眼睛猛砍?？伤€來不及沖到對方身邊，山姆便擋在兩人中間，接著派普像猴子似地跳到他背上緊抓不放，葛蘭抓住他的手，陶德則撥開手指，拿走匕首。

Later, much

later, after they had marched him back to his sleeping cell, Mormont came down

to see him, raven on his shoulder. “I told you not to do anything stupid, boy,”

the Old Bear said. “Boy,” the bird chorused. Mormont shook his head, disgusted.

“And to think I had high hopes for you.”

后來，過了很久，在他們把他押回寢室之后，莫爾蒙下樓來見他，烏鴉停在肩上?！靶∽?，我不是叫你別做傻事么？”熊老說?！靶∽?！”烏鴉也附和。莫爾蒙厭惡地搖搖頭。“我本來對你寄予厚望，結果卻是這樣?！?/p>

They took his

knife and his sword and told him he was not to leave his cell until the high

officers met to decide what was to be done with him. And then they placed a

guard outside his door to make certain he obeyed. His friends were not allowed

to see him, but the Old Bear did relent and permit him Ghost, so he was not

utterly alone.

他們搜走他的短刀和佩劍，叫他待在房里，不得離開，直到高層官員決定如何處置。他們還派了一個人在門外看守，以確保他遵守命令。他的朋友們也不準前來探視，但熊老總算網開一面，允許白靈跟他待在一起，所以他不至于完全孤獨。

“My father is no traitor,” he told the direwolf when the rest had

gone. Ghost looked at him in silence. Jon slumped against the wall, hands

around his knees, and stared at the candle on the table beside his narrow bed.

The flame flickered and swayed, the shadows moved around him, the room seemed

to grow darker and colder. I will not sleep tonight, Jon thought.

“我父親不是叛徒。”眾人離去之后，他對冰原狼說。白靈靜靜地看著他。瓊恩雙手抱膝，頹然靠在墻上，盯著窄床邊桌子上的蠟燭。燭焰搖曳閃動，影子在他周圍晃個不休，房間似乎更顯陰暗，也更冰冷。我今晚絕對不睡，瓊恩心想。

Yet he must have

dozed. When he woke, his legs were stiff and cramped and the candle had long

since burned out. Ghost stood on his hind legs, scrabbling at the door. Jon was

startled to see how tall he’d grown. “Ghost, what is it?” he called softly. The

direwolf turned his head and looked down at him, baring his fangs in a silent

snarl. Has he gone mad? Jon wondered. “It’s me, Ghost,” he murmured, trying not

to sound afraid. Yet he was trembling, violently. When had it gotten so cold?

然而他多半還是打了瞌睡吧。醒來時只覺雙腿僵硬，酸麻無比，蠟燭也早已燃盡。白靈后腳站立，前腳扒著房門。瓊恩看它突然間變得那么高，嚇了一跳。“白靈，怎么了？”他輕聲喚道。冰原狼轉過頭，向下看著他，露出利齒，無聲地咆哮。它瘋了嗎？瓊恩暗忖。“白靈，是我啊?！彼驼Z，試圖遮掩聲音里的恐懼?？闪硪环矫?，他又在不由自主地劇烈顫抖。什么時候變得這么冷？

Ghost backed

away from the door. There were deep gouges where he’d raked the wood. Jon

watched him with mounting disquiet. “There’s someone out there, isn’t there?”

he whispered. Crouching, the direwolf crept backward, white fur rising on the

back of his neck. The guard, he thought, they left a man to guard my door,

Ghost smells him through the door, that’s all it is.

白靈從門邊退開，木門被他刨出深深的爪痕。瓊恩看著它，心中的不安節節升高?！巴忸^有人，是吧？”他輕聲說。冰原狼四肢貼地向后爬開，脖頸的白毛根根豎立。一定是那個守衛，他心想，他們派一個人留下看守，看來白靈不喜歡他的味道。

Slowly, Jon

pushed himself to his feet. He was shivering uncontrollably, wishing he still

had a sword. Three quick steps brought him to the door. He grabbed the handle

and pulled it inward. The creak of the hinges almost made him jump.

瓊恩緩緩起身。他完全無法克制地發著抖，心里希望劍還在手中。上前三步，他來到門邊，握住門把往里拉，只聽鉸鏈一陣嘎吱，差點沒嚇他跳起來。

His guard was

sprawled bonelessly across the narrow steps, looking up at him. Looking up at

him, even though he was lying on his stomach. His head had been twisted

completely around.

守衛軟綿綿地橫躺在狹窄的過道上，頭朝上看他。頭朝上看他！腹朝下趴地。他的頭被整整扭了一百八十度。

It can’t be, Jon

told himself. This is the Lord Commander’s Tower, it’s guarded day and night,

this couldn’t happen, it’s a dream, I’m having a nightmare.

不可能，瓊恩對自己說，這是司令大人的居塔，日夜都有人看守，絕不可能發生這種事，我一定是在作夢，我在作噩夢。

Ghost slid past

him, out the door. The wolf started up the steps, stopped, looked back at Jon.

That was when he heard it; the soft scrape of a boot on stone, the sound of a

latch turning. The sounds came from above. From the Lord Commander’s chambers.

白靈從他身邊溜到門外，朝樓上走去，途中停下腳步，回頭看著瓊恩。就在這時，他聽見靴子在石板上的摩擦，以及門閂打開的響動。聲音是從樓上傳來的，從總司令的房間傳來的。

A nightmare this

might be, yet it was no dream.

這或許是一場噩夢，但他絕非置身夢境。

The guard’s

sword was in its sheath. Jon knelt and worked it free. The heft of steel in his

fist made him bolder. He moved up the steps, Ghost padding silently before him.

Shadows lurked in every turn of the stair. Jon crept up warily, probing any

suspicious darkness with the point of his sword.

守衛的劍還在鞘里。瓊恩俯身抽出，武器在手，他的膽子也大了起來。他步上臺階，白靈無聲地當著前鋒。樓梯的每個轉角都有陰影潛伏。瓊恩小心翼翼地前進，一遇可疑暗處，便用劍尖捅刺兩下。

Suddenly he

heard the shriek of Mormont’s raven. “Corn,” the bird was screaming. “Corn,

corn, corn, corn, corn, corn.” Ghost bounded ahead, and Jon came scrambling

after. The door to Mormont’s solar was wide open. The direwolf plunged through.

Jon stopped in the doorway, blade in hand, giving his eyes a moment to adjust.

Heavy drapes had been pulled across the windows, and the darkness was black as

ink. “Who’s there?” he called out.

突然，他聽到莫爾蒙烏鴉的尖叫?！坝衩?！”鳥兒扯著嗓門喊，“玉米！玉米！玉米！玉米！玉米！玉米！”白靈向前竄去，瓊恩也快步登上樓梯。莫爾蒙書房的門大敞。冰原狼沖了進去。瓊恩站在門口，手握利劍，以讓眼睛適應黑暗。厚重的垂簾蓋住窗戶，房里黑暗如墨。“是誰？”他叫道。

Then he saw it,

a shadow in the shadows, sliding toward the inner door that led to Mormont’s

sleeping cell, a man-shape all in black, cloaked and hooded?.?.?.?but beneath

the hood, its eyes shone with an icy blue radiance?.?.?.?

然后他看見了：一個陰影中的陰影，一個全身漆黑的人形，身披斗篷、戴著兜帽，正朝莫爾蒙臥室的門滑曳過去……但在兜帽下面，那雙眼睛卻閃著冰冷的藍芒。

Ghost leapt. Man

and wolf went down together with neither scream nor snarl, rolling, smashing

into a chair, knocking over a table laden with papers. Mormont’s raven was

flapping overhead, screaming, “Corn, corn, corn, corn.” Jon felt as blind as

Maester Aemon. Keeping the wall to his back, he slid toward the window and

ripped down the curtain. Moonlight flooded the solar. He glimpsed black hands

buried in white fur, swollen dark fingers tightening around his direwolf’s

throat. Ghost was twisting and snapping, legs flailing in the air, but he could

not break free.

白靈凌空一躍，人狼同時撲倒，卻無尖叫，亦無咆哮。他們連翻帶滾，撞碎椅子，碰倒堆滿紙張的書桌。莫爾蒙的烏鴉在空中振翅飛舞，一邊尖叫：“玉米！玉米！玉米！玉米！”在這里面，瓊恩覺得自己像伊蒙師傅一樣目不視物。于是他背貼墻走到窗邊，伸手扯下簾幕。月光涌進書房，他瞥見一雙黑手深埋于白毛之中，腫脹的手指正漸漸掐緊冰原狼的咽喉。白靈又踢又扭，四肢在空中抽動，但無法脫身。

Jon had no time

to be afraid. He threw himself forward, shouting, bringing down the longsword

with all his weight behind it. Steel sheared through sleeve and skin and bone,

yet the sound was wrong somehow. The smell that engulfed him was so queer and

cold he almost gagged. He saw arm and hand on the floor, black fingers

wriggling in a pool of moonlight. Ghost wrenched free of the other hand and

crept away, red tongue lolling from his mouth.

瓊恩沒有時間恐懼。他縱身向前，出聲大喊，使盡渾身力氣揮劍劈下。鋼鐵劃過衣袖、皮膚和骨頭，卻不知怎地，聲音很不對勁。他包圍的氣息奇怪而冰冷，差點將他噎住。他看見地上的斷臂，黑色的手指正在一泓月光里蠕動。白靈從另外一只手中掙脫，伸著紅彤彤的舌頭爬到一邊。

The hooded man

lifted his pale moon face, and Jon slashed at it without hesitation. The sword

laid the intruder open to the bone, taking off half his nose and opening a gash

cheek to cheek under those eyes, eyes, eyes like blue stars burning. Jon knew

that face. Othor, he thought, reeling back. Gods, he’s dead, he’s dead, I saw

him dead.

戴著兜帽的人抬起他那張慘白的圓臉，瓊恩毫不遲疑，舉劍就砍。利劍將他的鼻子劈成兩半，砍出一道深可見骨、貫穿臉頰的裂口，正好在那雙有如燃燒的湛藍星星般的眼睛下方。瓊恩認得這張臉。奧瑟，他踉蹌后退，諸神保佑，他死了，他死了，我明明看見他死了。

He felt

something scrabble at his ankle. Black fingers clawed at his calf. The arm was

crawling up his leg, ripping at wool and flesh. Shouting with revulsion, Jon

pried the fingers off his leg with the point of his sword and flipped the thing

away. It lay writhing, fingers opening and closing.

他覺得有東西在扒自己腳踝。低頭一看，只見漆黑的手指緊緊鉗住他的小腿，那條斷臂正往大腿上爬，一邊撕扯羊毛和肌肉。瓊恩感到一陣劇烈的惡心，他大叫一聲，連忙用劍尖把腳上的手指撬開，然后把那東西丟掉。斷臂在地上蠕動，手指不斷開開闔闔。

The corpse

lurched forward. There was no blood. One-armed, face cut near in half, it

seemed to feel nothing. Jon held the longsword before him. “Stay away!” he

commanded, his voice gone shrill. “Corn,” screamed the raven, “corn, corn.” The

severed arm was wriggling out of its torn sleeve, a pale snake with a black

five-fingered head. Ghost pounced and got it between his teeth. Finger bones crunched.

Jon hacked at the corpse’s neck, felt the steel bite deep and hard.

尸體蹣跚著向他逼近。它一滴血都沒流，雖然少了一只手，臉也被幾乎劈成兩半，但它好像毫無知覺。瓊恩把長劍舉在面前?！安灰^來！”他命令，聲音刺耳?！坝衩?！”烏鴉尖叫，“玉米！玉米！”地上那條斷臂正從裂開的衣袖里鉆出來，宛如一條生了五個黑頭的白蛇。白靈揮爪一攫，張口咬住斷臂，立即傳來指骨碎裂的聲音。瓊恩朝尸體的脖子砍下，感覺劍鋒深深陷了進去。

Dead Othor

slammed into him, knocking him off his feet.

奧瑟的尸體沖過來，把他撞倒在地。

Jon’s breath

went out of him as the fallen table caught him between his shoulder blades. The

sword, where was the sword? He’d lost the damned sword! When he opened his

mouth to scream, the wight jammed its black corpse fingers into Jon’s mouth.

Gagging, he tried to shove it off, but the dead man was too heavy. Its hand

forced itself farther down his throat, icy cold, choking him. Its face was

against his own, filling the world. Frost covered its eyes, sparkling blue. Jon

raked cold flesh with his nails and kicked at the thing’s legs. He tried to

bite, tried to punch, tried to breathe?.?.?.?

瓊恩的肩胛骨碰到翻倒的書桌，登時痛得喘不過氣。劍在哪里？劍到哪兒去了？他竟然弄丟了那把天殺的劍！瓊恩張口欲喊，尸鬼卻將黑色的手指塞進他嘴里。他一邊噎氣，一邊想把手推開，但尸體實在太重，鬼手硬是朝他喉嚨深處鉆，冷得像冰，令他窒息。那張尸臉緊貼他的臉，遮住了整個世界。那對眼睛覆滿詭異的冰霜，閃著非人的藍光。瓊恩用指甲扒它冰冷的肌肉，踢它的腿，試著用嘴巴咬，用手捶，試著呼吸……

And suddenly the

corpse’s weight was gone, its fingers ripped from his throat. It was all Jon

could do to roll over, retching and shaking.

突然間尸體的重量消失，喉嚨上的手指也被扯開。瓊恩惟一能做的就只有翻身，拼命嘔吐，不斷發抖。

Ghost had it

again. He watched as the direwolf buried his teeth in the wight’s gut and began

to rip and tear. He watched, only half conscious, for a long moment before he

finally remembered to look for his sword?.?.?.?

原來是白靈再度攻擊。他看著冰原狼的利齒咬進尸鬼的內臟，又撕又扯。他就這么意識模糊地看了好一陣子，才想起來自己該把劍找到……

?.?.?.?and saw

Lord Mormont, naked and groggy from sleep, standing in the doorway with an oil

lamp in hand. Gnawed and fingerless, the arm thrashed on the floor, wriggling

toward him.

……回身看見渾身赤裸，剛從睡夢中驚醒，還很虛弱的莫爾蒙司令，提著一盞油燈站在過道。那條被咬得稀爛，又少了指頭的斷臂正在地板上猛烈擺動，蠕動著朝他爬去。

Jon tried to

shout, but his voice was gone. Staggering to his feet, he kicked the arm away

and snatched the lamp from the Old Bear’s fingers. The flame flickered and

almost died. “Burn!” the raven cawed. “Burn, burn, burn!”

瓊恩想要大喊，卻沒了聲音。他踉蹌地站起來，一腳把斷臂踢開，伸手從熊老手中搶過油燈。只見燈焰晃動，險些就要熄滅?！盁。　睘貘f哇哇大叫，“燒??！燒??！燒啊！”

Spinning, Jon

saw the drapes he’d ripped from the window. He flung the lamp into the puddled

cloth with both hands. Metal crunched, glass shattered, oil spewed, and the

hangings went up in a great whoosh of flame. The heat of it on his face was

sweeter than any kiss Jon had ever known. “Ghost!” he shouted.

瓊恩在原地忙亂轉圈，瞥見先前從窗戶扯下的簾幕，便兩手握住燈，朝那一團布縵擲去。金屬油燈落地，玻璃罩應聲碎裂，燈油濺灑出來，窗簾立刻轟地一聲，燃起熊熊烈焰。撲面而來的熱氣比瓊恩嘗過的任何一個吻都來得甜美?！鞍嘴`！”他叫道。

The direwolf

wrenched free and came to him as the wight struggled to rise, dark snakes

spilling from the great wound in its belly. Jon plunged his hand into the

flames, grabbed a fistful of the burning drapes, and whipped them at the dead

man. Let it burn, he prayed as the cloth smothered the corpse, gods, please,

please, let it burn.

冰原狼從那正掙扎著爬起的尸鬼身上猛地一扭，抽身跳開。黑色的液體自死尸腹部的大裂口緩緩流出，好似一條條黑蛇。瓊恩探手到火里抓起一把燃燒的布塊，朝尸鬼扔去。燒啊，看著布塊蓋住尸體，他暗自祈禱，天上諸神，求求你們，求求你們讓它燒啊。