Chapter 第六十六章 提利昂（十二）

TYRION

那堆羊皮紙高的驚人。提利昂看著它們嘆了口氣。“我知道你們有一群的弟兄，但是這就是一個(gè)兄弟對(duì)另一個(gè)兄弟懷有的愛意么？信任在那里？那種只有一起戰(zhàn)斗的兄弟才會(huì)懂得的友誼、基礎(chǔ)的關(guān)心、深沉的愛戀？”

The pile of parchments was formidably high. Tyrion looked at it and sighed. “I had understood you were a band of brothers. Is this the love a brother bears a brother? Where is the trust? The friendship, the fond regard, the deep affection that only men who have fought and bled together can ever know?”

“那要等時(shí)間來檢驗(yàn)，”布朗·本·普拉姆說。

“All in time,” said Brown Ben Plumm.

“在你簽約后，”墨水瓶邊削一只羽毛筆邊說。

“After you sign,” said Inkpots, sharpening a quill.

狡猾的卡斯伯利歐摸著他的劍柄。“若你現(xiàn)在就想開始放血，我很樂意為你服務(wù)。”

Kasporio the Cunning touched his sword hilt. “If you would like to start the bleeding now, I will happ’ly oblige you.”

“真感謝您慷慨的提議，”提利昂說。“我想還是不了。”

“How kind of you to offer,” said Tyrion. “I think not.”

墨水瓶把羊皮紙鋪在提利昂面前并遞給他羽毛筆。“這是你的墨水，來自古瓦倫提斯。這個(gè)，和真正的學(xué)士的黑布一樣持久的斜紋布。你要做的就是簽名并把收據(jù)給我，剩下的我來就好。”

Inkpots placed the parchments before Tyrion and handed him the quill. “Here is your ink. From Old Volantis, this. ’Twill last as long as proper maester’s black. All you need do is sign and pass the notes to me. I’ll do the rest.”

提利昂給了他一個(gè)扭曲的微笑。“我能先看一看么？”

Tyrion gave him a crooked grin. “Might I read them first?”

“如果你愿意的話。他們總的來說都一樣。除了最底下的那個(gè)，不過我們過不了多久就會(huì)到那兒的。”

“If you like. They are all the same, by and large. Except for the ones at the bottom, but we’ll get to those in due course.”

哦，我確定我們會(huì)的。對(duì)大多數(shù)人來說，加入一個(gè)軍團(tuán)沒什么代價(jià)，但是他可不是什么“大多數(shù)”，他在墨水瓶里蘸了蘸羽毛筆，趴在第一張羊皮紙上，停了一下，向上看。“你介意我簽上尤羅或者雨果·希山么？”

Oh, I am sure we will. For most men, there was no cost to joining a company, but he was not most men. He dipped the quill into the inkpot, leaned over the first parchment, paused, looked up. “Would you prefer me to sign Yollo or Hugor Hill?”

布朗·本瞇起了眼。“你介意被遣回耶贊的繼承人那里或者掉腦袋么？”

Brown Ben crinkled up his eyes. “Would you prefer to be returned to Yezzan’s heirs or just beheaded?”

侏儒大笑著在羊皮紙上簽了名，蘭尼斯特家族的提利昂。當(dāng)他把羊皮紙遞給左邊的墨水瓶是，他翻了一下下面的那堆紙。“這有多少？50張？60張？我想你們軍團(tuán)有500人的規(guī)模吧？”

The dwarf laughed and signed the parchment, Tyrion of House Lannister. As he passed it left to Inkpots, he riffled through the pile underneath. “There are … what, fifty? Sixty? I’d thought there were five hundred Second Sons.”

“現(xiàn)階段是513人，”墨水瓶說。“你簽了我們就會(huì)有514人了。”

“Five hundred thirteen at present,” Inkpots said. “When you sign our book, we will be five hundred fourteen.”

“而其中十分之一會(huì)得到一張收據(jù)？那看起來不怎么公平。我還指望你們是有福同享有難同當(dāng)?shù)淖杂苫锇槟亍！彼炇鹆肆硪粡埍韱巍?/p>

“So only one in ten receives a note? That hardly seems fair. I thought you were all share-and-share-alike in the free companies.” He signed another sheet.

布朗·本輕笑。“哦，共享一切。但是各不相同。‘次子團(tuán)’不是不像個(gè)家庭……”

Brown Ben chuckled. “Oh, all share. But not alike. The Second Sons are not unlike a family …”

“而且每個(gè)家庭都有對(duì)它垂涎的表兄。”提利昂又簽署了另一張單子。當(dāng)他把羊皮紙遞給會(huì)計(jì)的時(shí)候它們清脆的折皺。“在凱巖城的地牢里，我的父親大人關(guān)著些我們中間最糟糕的。”他把羽毛筆插進(jìn)墨水瓶。蘭尼斯特家族的提利昂，他劃去了這個(gè)名字，承諾給受益人一百個(gè)金龍。每用羽毛筆寫下一次，我就變的越來越窮……或者將會(huì)，若我不在一開始就是個(gè)窮光蛋的話。有一天他會(huì)為這些簽名后悔的，但是不是今天，他吹了吹濕潤的墨水印，劃給會(huì)計(jì)羊皮紙然后簽下一張，一次又一次。“這實(shí)在太刺激人了，我會(huì)讓你知道的，”他在簽名之間告訴他們。“在維斯特洛，蘭尼斯特家的人可是一字千金。”

“… and every family has its drooling cousins.” Tyrion signed another note. The parchment crinkled crisply as he slid it toward the paymaster. “There are cells down in the bowels of Casterly Rock where my lord father kept the worst of ours.” He dipped his quill in the inkpot. Tyrion of House Lannister, he scratched out, promising to pay the bearer of the note one hundred golden dragons. Every stroke of the quill leaves me a little poorer … or would, if I were not a beggar to begin with. One day he might rue these signatures. But not this day. He blew on the wet ink, slid the parchment to the paymaster, and signed the one beneath. And again. And again. And again. “This wounds me deeply, I will have you know,” he told them between signatures. “In Westeros, the word of a Lannister is considered good as gold.”

墨水瓶聳了聳肩。“這不是維斯特洛。在狹海的另一側(cè)，我們?cè)诩埳铣兄Z。”每一張紙遞予他，他都用細(xì)沙在簽名上磨一磨吸收掉多余的墨水，然后抖掉它們，將紙放到一邊。“風(fēng)中簽署的債務(wù)容易被……遺忘，我們可以這樣說么？”

Inkpots shrugged. “This is not Westeros. On this side of the narrow sea, we put our promises on paper.” As each sheet was passed to him, he scattered fine sand across the signature to drink up excess ink, shook it off, and set the note aside. “Debts written on the wind tend to be … forgotten, shall we say?”

“我們不會(huì)。”提利昂再簽了另一張，再一張。現(xiàn)在他發(fā)現(xiàn)掌握了一種節(jié)奏。“蘭尼斯特有債必還。”

“Not by us.” Tyrion signed another sheet. And another. He had found a rhythm now. “A Lannister always pays his debts.”

普拉姆輕笑。“是啊，但是一個(gè)雇傭劍士的話就是放屁。”

Plumm chuckled. “Aye, but a sellsword’s word is worthless.”

恩，你的話，沒錯(cuò)，提利昂想，老天開眼。“沒錯(cuò)，但是在我簽署你的名冊(cè)前我還不是個(gè)雇傭劍士吧。”

Well, yours is, thought Tyrion, and thank the gods for that. “True, but I will not be a sellsword until I’ve signed your book.”

“很快就是了，”布朗·本說。“在那些票據(jù)簽署之后。”

“Soon enough,” said Brown Ben. “After the notes.”

“我正盡我所能飛快在紙上舞蹈呢。”他想笑，但是這就糟蹋了游戲了。普拉姆正享受著這一切，提利昂也沒興趣打碎他的樂趣。就讓他一直以為已經(jīng)折服了我操了我吧，我會(huì)繼續(xù)用羊皮紙龍埋藏鋼劍的。若他回去維斯特洛伊生命他與生俱來的權(quán)利的話，他會(huì)得到凱巖城所有的黃金來兌現(xiàn)承諾。若不去，他就去死好了，這樣他新晉的兄弟們就可以用羊皮紙來擦屁股了。也許有的傻瓜會(huì)拿著廢物跑到君臨試圖向他親愛的姐姐說明這些可以好好利用。若那樣我會(huì)精力旺盛的跑回去見證那些。

“I am dancing as fast as I can.” He wanted to laugh, but that would have ruined the game. Plumm was enjoying this, and Tyrion had no intention of spoiling his fun. Let him go on thinking that he’s bent me over and fucked me up the arse, and I’ll go on buying steel swords with parchment dragons. If ever he went back to Westeros to claim his birthright, he would have all the gold of Casterly Rock to make good on his promises. If not, well, he’d be dead, and his new brothers could wipe their arses with these parchments. Perhaps some might turn up in King’s Landing with their scraps in hand, hoping to convince his sweet sister to make good on them. And would that I could be a roach in the rushes to witness that.

在簽到一半時(shí)羊皮紙上的內(nèi)容開始變化。那些一百金龍的條約是給士官們的，下面的那些數(shù)目突然變大了。現(xiàn)在提利昂得承諾受益人1000金龍的獎(jiǎng)賞。他大笑著搖了搖頭繼續(xù)一張一張的簽。“所以，”他一邊龍飛鳳舞一邊說，“我在軍團(tuán)的職責(zé)是什么呢？”

The writing on the parchments changed about halfway down the pile. The hundred-dragon notes were all for serjeants. Below them the amounts suddenly grew larger. Now Tyrion was promising to pay the bearer one thousand golden dragons. He shook his head, laughed, signed. And again. And again. “So,” he said as he was scrawling, “what will be my duties with the company?”

“你作為波科克的孌童太丑了，”卡斯伯利歐說，“但是你作個(gè)箭靶倒是不錯(cuò)。”

“You are too ugly to be Bokkoko’s butt boy,” said Kasporio, “but you might do as arrow fodder.”

“比你所知的好得多呢，”提利昂說，拒絕上鉤。“一個(gè)小個(gè)子躲在一個(gè)大盾牌后面會(huì)讓任何一個(gè)弓箭手瘋掉的。一個(gè)比你聰慧的多的人曾這樣對(duì)我說。”

“Better than you know,” said Tyrion, refusing to rise to the bait. “A small man with a big shield will drive the archers mad. A wiser man than you once told me that.”

“你會(huì)和墨水瓶共事，”布朗·本·普拉姆說。

“You will work with Inkpots,” said Brown Ben Plumm.

“你會(huì)為墨水瓶工作，”墨水瓶說。“管理名冊(cè)，數(shù)錢，寫寫契約和信。”

“You will work for Inkpots,” said Inkpots. “Keeping books, counting coin, writing contracts and letters.”

“樂意之極，”提利昂說。“我愛紙頭工作。”

“Gladly,” said Tyrion. “I love books.”

“你還能做些啥？”卡斯伯利歐譏諷。“看看你，顯然你不能打打殺殺。”

“What else would you do?” sneered Kasporio. “Look at you. You are not fit to fight.”

“曾幾何時(shí)我還管過凱巖城所有的下水道呢，”提利昂委婉的說。“有些廢棄多年的我很快就讓它們開心的排水了。”他又把筆蘸了蘸墨水，還有一打，然后他就完事了。“也許我可以監(jiān)管營妓。我們可不能阻止男人尋歡，現(xiàn)在我們可以了么？”

“I once had charge of all the drains in Casterly Rock,” Tyrion said mildly. “Some of them had been stopped up for years, but I soon had them draining merrily away.” He dipped the quill in the ink again. Another dozen notes, and he would be done. “Perhaps I could supervise your camp followers. We can’t have the men stopped up, now can we?”

這個(gè)笑話沒有取悅布朗·本。“離娼妓們遠(yuǎn)點(diǎn)，”他警告。“他們中的大部分都無足輕重但是他們會(huì)閑言碎語。你不是第一個(gè)偷跑到我們這的奴隸，但是那不意味著我們會(huì)到處宣揚(yáng)你的存在。我可不會(huì)把你放到可能被看見的地方展示。盡量呆在帳篷里，要拉屎去馬桶解決。公廁太多眼線了，而且，沒有我的允許決不準(zhǔn)離開營地。我們可以把你塞進(jìn)什么侍從的盔甲，假裝你是喬拉的孌童，但是很多人一眼就會(huì)看穿。一旦拿下彌林，向維斯特洛前進(jìn)，你愿意穿著金紅怎么蹦跶都隨你。但是在那之前，你……”

That jape did not please Brown Ben. “Stay away from the whores,” he warned. “Most o’ them are poxy, and they talk. You’re not the first escaped slave to join the company, but that don’t mean we need to shout your presence. I won’t have you parading about where you might be seen. Stay inside as much as you can, and shit into your bucket. Too many eyes at the latrines. And never go beyond our camp without my leave. We can dress you up in squire’s steel, pretend you’re Jorah’s butt boy, but there’s some will see right through that. Once Meereen is taken and we’re away to Westeros, you can prance about all you like in gold and crimson. Till then, though …”

“我會(huì)住在石頭底下絕不發(fā)聲。你得到了我的承諾。”蘭尼斯特家族的提利昂，他又簽了一遍，用了點(diǎn)花體。那是最后一張羊皮紙了。還剩下三張票據(jù)，與其他的不一樣。其中的兩張寫在上好的牛皮紙上列出了受益人名字。給狡猾的卡斯伯利歐一萬金龍，對(duì)墨水瓶也一樣，他的真名原來叫提拜羅·伊斯塔里昂。“提拜羅？”提利昂說。“聽起來幾乎是個(gè)蘭尼斯特。你難道是哪位失蹤已久的老表？”

“… I shall live beneath a rock and never make a sound. You have my word on that.” Tyrion of House Lannister, he signed once more, with a flourish. That was the last parchment. Three notes remained, different from the rest. Two were written on fine vellum and made out by name. For Kasporio the Cunning, ten thousand dragons. The same for Inkpots, whose true name appeared to be Tybero Istarion. “Tybero?” said Tyrion. “That sounds almost Lannister. Are you some long-lost cousin?”

“也許吧。我也從不欠債，這是對(duì)一個(gè)會(huì)計(jì)的基本要求。簽字吧。”

“Perhaps. I always pay my debts as well. It is expected of a paymaster. Sign.”

他下筆了。

He signed.

布朗·本的票據(jù)在最后，那個(gè)接在一個(gè)帶毛的羊皮卷軸上。十萬金龍，50張來自富饒島嶼的獸皮，一座城堡和一個(gè)爵位。很好很好。這個(gè)普拉姆看起來不便宜。提利昂彈了彈他的傷疤想自己是不是該表現(xiàn)出點(diǎn)憤恨。你操一個(gè)男人的屁眼時(shí)你走希望他叫一兩聲。他可以指天罵地大叫打劫，拒絕簽署抵抗一陣子，再在頑抗中不清不愿的簽署。但是他懶得演戲，于是相反他擰著臉，嘆了口氣把卷軸遞給布朗·本。“你的老二就像故事里說的那么大，”他說。“我被你狠狠的操了一通，普拉姆大人。”

Brown Ben’s note was the last. That one had been inscribed upon a sheepskin scroll. One hundred thousand golden dragons, fifty hides of fertile land, a castle, and a lordship. Well and well. This Plumm does not come cheaply. Tyrion plucked at his scar and wondered if he ought to make a show of indignation. When you bugger a man you expect a squeal or two. He could curse and swear and rant of robbery, refuse to sign for a time, then give in reluctantly, protesting all the while. But he was sick of mummery, so instead he grimaced, signed, and handed the scroll back to Brown Ben. “Your cock is as big as in the stories,” he said. “Consider me well and truly fucked, Lord Plumm.”

布朗·本吹了吹他的簽名。“我的榮幸，小惡魔。現(xiàn)在，你是我們中的一員了。墨水瓶，拿來名冊(cè)。”

Brown Ben blew on his signature. “My pleasure, Imp. And now, we make you one o’ us. Inkpots, fetch the book.”

名冊(cè)由皮帶和鐵鏈綁著，大到足以讓人eat your supper off。在里面厚重木板上有著可以追溯到一世紀(jì)前的名字和日期。“‘次子團(tuán)’是最古老的自由軍團(tuán)，”墨水瓶一邊翻頁一邊說。“這是第四本名冊(cè)了。沒一個(gè)服役于軍團(tuán)的人的名字都寫在這里。當(dāng)他們加入的時(shí)候，他們?cè)谀睦飸?zhàn)斗，服役了多久，死亡的方式——全都記載在里面。你會(huì)在里面看見許多著名的名字，有些來自七大王國。伊戈?duì)枴ず游脑谌ソⅫS金團(tuán)之前曾在這里服役一年，苦鋼，你們這樣叫他。光明王子伊耿·坦格利安，他也是我們的一員。還有羅德里克·史塔克，游狼，他也是。不，不是那罐墨水，用這個(gè)。”他拔掉一個(gè)新罐子的塞子放下它。

The book was leather-bound with iron hinges, and large enough to eat your supper off. Inside its heavy wooden boards were names and dates going back more than a century. “The Second Sons are amongst the oldest of the free companies,” Inkpots said as he was turning pages. “This is the fourth book. The names of every man to serve with us are written here. When they joined, where they fought, how long they served, the manner of their deaths—all in the book. You will find famous names in here, some from your Seven Kingdoms. Aegor Rivers served a year with us, before he left to found the Golden Company. Bittersteel, you call him. The Bright Prince, Aerion Targaryen, he was a Second Son. And Rodrik Stark, the Wandering Wolf, him as well. No, not that ink. Here, use this.” He unstoppered a new pot and set it down.

提利昂豎起腦袋。“紅墨水？”

Tyrion cocked his head. “Red ink?”

“軍團(tuán)的傳統(tǒng)，”墨水瓶解釋。“曾經(jīng)每個(gè)新人都得用血書寫，但是事實(shí)上，血書沒有任何價(jià)值。”

“A tradition of the company,” Inkpots explained. “There was a time when each new man wrote his name in his own blood, but as it happens, blood makes piss-poor ink.”

“蘭尼斯特喜歡傳統(tǒng)。把刀給我。”

“Lannisters love tradition. Lend me your knife.”

墨水瓶抬起眉毛，聳了聳肩，從鞘里抽出匕首老遠(yuǎn)的遞過去。依舊會(huì)痛，“半學(xué)士”，真該好好謝謝你，提利昂在他用刀花開拇指頭時(shí)想。他將一大滴血滴入墨水瓶，用匕首換來羽毛筆然后潦草的簽了名，蘭尼斯特家的提利昂，凱巖王。

Inkpots raised an eyebrow, shrugged, slipped his dagger from its sheath, and handed it across hiltfirst. It still hurts, Halfmaester, thank you very much, thought Tyrion, as he pricked the ball of his thumb. He squeezed a fat drop of blood into the inkpot, traded the dagger for a fresh quill, and scrawled, Tyrion of House Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, in a big bold hand, just below Jorah Mormont’s far more modest signature.

板上釘釘，用黑體寫的名字，就在喬拉·莫爾蒙公正的的簽名下面。

And it’s done. The dwarf rocked back on the camp stool. “Is that all that you require of me? Don’t I need to swear an oath? Kill a baby? Suck the captain’s cock?”

好了，完事了。侏儒晃回了營地的木凳上。“你就像從我這里得到這么點(diǎn)？我難道不需要發(fā)個(gè)誓什么的？殺個(gè)小孩？嘗嘗老大的老二？”

“Suck whatever you like.” Inkpots turned the book around and dusted the page with a bit of fine sand. “For most of us, the signature suffices, but I would hate to disappoint a new brother-in-arms. Welcome to the Second Sons, Lord Tyrion.”

“你愛嘗什么嘗什么去。”墨水瓶轉(zhuǎn)過名冊(cè)，用點(diǎn)細(xì)沙拂過。“對(duì)我們大多數(shù)人愛說，簽名就行，但是我可不想讓我的新兄弟失望。歡迎來到次子團(tuán)，提利昂大人。”

Lord Tyrion. The dwarf liked the sound of that. The Second Sons might not enjoy the shining reputation of the Golden Company, but they had won some famous victories over the centuries. “Have other lords served with the company?”

提利昂大人。侏儒喜歡這個(gè)稱呼。次子團(tuán)可能不像黃金團(tuán)那頂頂大名，但是他們幾個(gè)世紀(jì)以來還是贏得了不少勝利的。“你們還有別的大人在服役么？”

“Landless lords,” said Brown Ben. “Like you, Imp.”

“失去了土地的大人們，”布朗·本說。“就像你，小惡魔。”

Tyrion hopped down from the stool. “My previous brother was entirely unsatisfactory. I hope for more from my new ones. Now how do I go about securing arms and armor?”

提利昂跳下凳子。“我的前任兄弟一點(diǎn)兒不能令人滿意。我希望我的新兄弟不會(huì)讓我失望。現(xiàn)在我該怎么獲得武器和盔甲？”

“Will you want a pig to ride as well?” asked Kasporio.

“你是不是還要只豬來騎騎？”卡斯伯利歐問。“為什么，我確實(shí)認(rèn)識(shí)你的老婆，”提利昂說。“你把他讓給我真是太慷慨了，但是我還是想要匹馬。”

“Why, I did not know your wife was in the company,” said Tyrion. “That’s kind of you to offer her, but I would prefer a horse.”

刺客的臉漲得通紅，但是墨水瓶大笑而布朗·本邊走遠(yuǎn)邊笑。“墨水瓶，帶他去看貨車。他可以自己挑選武器。那個(gè)女孩也是，給她一個(gè)頭盔，一套盔甲，那樣別人會(huì)把她當(dāng)成個(gè)男孩。”

The bravo reddened, but Inkpots laughed aloud and Brown Ben went so far as to chuckle. “Inkpots, show him to the wagons. He can have his pick from the company steel. The girl too. Put a helm on her, a bit o’ mail, might be some will take her for a boy.”

“提利昂大人，跟我來。”墨水瓶拉開帷帳好讓他搖擺的穿過去。“我會(huì)讓斯奈奇帶你去貨車那里，拉上你女人去廚帳那里等他。”

“Lord Tyrion, with me.” Inkpots held the tent flap to let him waddle through. “I will have Snatch take you to the wagons. Get your woman and meet him by the cook tent.”

“她不是我女人。也許你該帶著她。每晚她只會(huì)睡覺然后瞪著我。”

“She is not my woman. Perhaps you should get her. All she does of late is sleep and glare at me.”

“你得更狠的打她更多的操她。”會(huì)計(jì)熱心建議。“帶著她或者離開她，隨你便，斯奈奇不關(guān)心。你弄到自己的盔甲后來找我，我來帶你做賬。”

“You need to beat her harder and fuck her more often,” the paymaster offered helpfully. “Bring her, leave her, do what you will. Snatch will not care. Come find me when you have your armor, and I will start you on the ledgers.”

“如您所愿。”

“As you wish.”

利昂在他們的帳篷角落里找到了睡著的佩妮，蜷縮在一張薄薄的稻草床上，蓋著污穢的被子。當(dāng)他用腳尖踢了踢她時(shí)，他翻過身對(duì)他眨了眨眼，打著哈欠說。“雨果？怎么了？”

Tyrion found Penny asleep in a corner of their tent, curled up on a thin straw pallet beneath a heap of soiled bedclothes. When he touched her with the toe of his boot, she rolled over, blinked at him, and yawned. “Hugor? What is it?”

“我們有開始說話了嗎？”這比她平時(shí)的悶悶不樂好多了——全是因?yàn)閽仐壛四穷^豬和那條狗。我可是把我們兩個(gè)人從奴役中解救出來了啊，你說些什么感激的話才對(duì)嘛。“如果你繼續(xù)睡下去就要錯(cuò)過戰(zhàn)爭了。”

“Talking again, are we?” It was better than her usual sullen silence. All over an abandoned dog and pig. I saved the two of us from slavery, you would think some gratitude might be in order. “If you sleep any longer, you’re like to miss the war.”

“我很傷心。”她又打了個(gè)哈欠。“而且很累，累得很。”

“I’m sad.” She yawned again. “And tired. So tired.”

累了還是病了？提利昂跪在他她的破床旁。“你看上去蒼白的很。”他感到她皺了皺眉。那是不是很燙，或者是不是他有點(diǎn)發(fā)燒？他不敢出聲問。就算是次子團(tuán)的勇猛戰(zhàn)士也怕騎上一頭蒼白的母馬。若他們發(fā)現(xiàn)佩妮病了，會(huì)毫不猶豫的把她趕出去。他們甚至?xí)盐覀兯突匾澋膬鹤幽抢铮瑹o論簽沒簽約。“我已經(jīng)簽了他們的名冊(cè)了，用古老的方式，血。我現(xiàn)在是他們的一員了。”

Tired or sick? Tyrion knelt beside her pallet. “You look pale.” He felt her brow. Is it hot in here, or does she have a touch of fever? He dared not ask that question aloud. Even hard men like the Second Sons were terrified of mounting the pale mare. If they thought Penny was sick, they would drive her off without a moment’s hesitation. They might even return us to Yezzan’s heirs, notes or no notes. “I have signed their book. The old way, in blood. I am now a Second Son.”

佩妮坐起身，揉著眼睛驅(qū)走睡意。“那我呢？我能簽么？”

Penny sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “What about me? Can I sign too?”

“我想不行，有些自由軍團(tuán)據(jù)我所知會(huì)吸納女人，但是……畢竟他們不是什么次女團(tuán)。”

“I think not. Some free companies have been known to take women, but … well, they are not Second Daughters, after all.”

“我們，”她說。“若你成為他們的一員，你會(huì)說‘我們’而不是‘他們’。有任何人看到漂亮豬了么？墨水瓶說他會(huì)向他們所要她的。或者咬咬狗，有他的消息么？”

“We,” she said. “If you’re one of them, you should say we, not they. Has anyone seen Pretty Pig? Inkpots said he’d ask after her. Or Crunch, has there been word of Crunch?”

除非你相信卡斯伯利歐。普拉姆的不那么聰明的二把手聲稱有三個(gè)淵凱奴隸獵手在營地間逡巡尋找一對(duì)逃跑的侏儒。其中的一個(gè)帶著一把頂端插有狗頭的長矛，卡斯伯是這么說的。這種消息可不會(huì)讓佩妮好到下床。“沒什么消息，”他說了個(gè)謊。“來，我們得給你找件盔甲。”

Only if you trust Kasporio. Plumm’s not-so-cunning second-in-command claimed that three Yunkish slave-catchers were prowling through the camps, asking after a pair of escaped dwarfs. One of them was carrying a tall spear with a dog’s head impaled upon its point, the way that Kaspo told it. Such tidings were not like to get Penny out of bed, however. “No word as yet,” he lied. “Come. We need to find some armor for you.”

她給了他一個(gè)警惕的眼神。“盔甲？做什么？”

She gave him a wary look. “Armor? Why?”

“我以前的長官告訴我。‘千萬別裸身上戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)，男孩。’他說，我一直銘記在心。另外，我現(xiàn)在是個(gè)雇傭劍士，我真得有劍去賣啊。”她依舊沒有任何要?jiǎng)由淼嫩E象。提利昂抓住她的手腕把她拉起來，將一團(tuán)衣服丟到她臉上。“穿好衣服。把兜帽斗篷套上然后低下頭。我們要裝作是一對(duì)小男孩，以防努力獵手看見。”

“Something my old master-at-arms told me. ‘Never go to battle naked, lad,’ he said. I take him at his word. Besides, now that I’m a sellsword, I really ought to have a sword to sell.” She still showed no signs of moving. Tyrion seized her by the wrist, pulled her to her feet, and threw a fistful of clothing into her face. “Dress. Wear the cloak with the hood and keep your head down. We’re supposed to be a pair of likely lads, just in case the slave-catchers are watching.”

當(dāng)他們廚帳外披著斗篷帶著兜帽出現(xiàn)時(shí)，斯奈奇正在嚼著酸葉等著他們。“我聽說你們兩個(gè)也準(zhǔn)備為我們作戰(zhàn)，”高級(jí)律師說。“那估計(jì)會(huì)讓彌林人嚇得尿褲子了。你們中哪個(gè)殺過人？”

Snatch was waiting by the cook tent chewing sourleaf when the two dwarfs turned up, cloaked and hooded. “I hear the two o’ you are going to fight for us,” the serjeant said. “That should have them pissing in Meereen. Either o’ you ever killed a man?”

“我，”提利昂說。“我殺他們就像拍蒼蠅。”

“I have,” said Tyrion. “I swat them down like flies.”

“用什么？”

“What with?”

“一把斧頭，一把匕首，一句精選的評(píng)論。但是我的殺手锏是十字弓。”

“An axe, a dagger, a choice remark. Though I’m deadliest with my crossbow.”

斯奈奇用他的鉤子手抓了抓胡茬。“卑鄙的東西，一把十字弓。你用那玩意兒殺了幾個(gè)人？”

Snatch scratched at his stubble with the point of his hook. “Nasty thing, a crossbow. How many men you kill with that?”

“九個(gè)。”顯然他那老爹至少值那么多。凱巖城的領(lǐng)主，西邊境之王，蘭尼斯特港的守護(hù)者，國王之手，丈夫，兄弟，父親，父親，父親。

“Nine.” His father counted for at least that many, surely. Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, Shield of Lannisport, Hand of the King, husband, brother, father, father, father.

“九個(gè)。”斯奈奇嗤之以鼻，吐了口紅痰。他本來應(yīng)該是瞄準(zhǔn)提利昂的腳的但是它最后落到了膝蓋上。顯然這就是他對(duì)“九個(gè)”的看法。高級(jí)律師的手指被他剛剛咀嚼的酸葉汁弄的星星點(diǎn)點(diǎn)。他含了兩根手指吹了個(gè)口哨。“凱姆！過來這里，你這個(gè)小尿壺。”凱姆急匆匆的跑來了。“把小惡魔大人和夫人帶到貨車那去，讓海姆爾用軍團(tuán)的兵器把他們武裝起來。”

“Nine.” Snatch snorted and spat out a mouthful of red slime. Aiming for Tyrion’s feet, perhaps, but it landed on his knee. Plainly that was what he thought of “nine.” The serjeant’s fingers were stained a mottled red from the juice of the sourleaf he chewed. He put two of them into his mouth and whistled. “Kem! Get over here, you fucking pisspot.” Kem came running. “Take Lord and Lady Imp to the wagons, have Hammer fix them up with some company steel.”

“海姆爾只怕喝得爛醉，”凱姆警告。

“Hammer might be passed-out drunk,” Kem cautioned.

“對(duì)著他的臉撒泡尿，那樣就能弄醒他。”斯奈奇轉(zhuǎn)身面對(duì)提利昂和佩妮。“我們這可沒來過該死的侏儒，但是從不缺少男孩。不是這個(gè)婊子的崽子就是那個(gè)的，離家出走來探險(xiǎn)的小白癡，侍從還有其他的。也許他們留下的垃圾夠小，正適合你們。

“Piss in his face. That’ll wake him up.” Snatch turned back to Tyrion and Penny. “We never had no bloody dwarfs before, but boys we never lacked for. Sons o’ this whore or that one, little fools run off from home to have adventures, butt boys, squires, and the like. Some o’ their shit might be small enough to fit imps. It’s the shit they were wearing when they died, like as not, but I know that won’t bother fuckers fierce as you two. Nine, was it?” He shook his head and walked away.

那些垃圾都是從他們次子團(tuán)把他們的盔甲存在停在營地中心的六個(gè)巨大貨車?yán)铩P姆帶路，晃著他的長矛好像那是根手杖一樣。“一個(gè)君臨的小伙子怎么流落到自由兵團(tuán)里來了？”提利昂問。

The Second Sons kept their company armor in six big wayns drawn up near the center of their camp. Kem led the way, swinging his spear as if it were a staff. “How does a King’s Landing lad end up with a free company?” Tyrion asked him.

男孩小心的看了他一眼。“誰告訴你我是君臨來的？”

The lad gave him a wary squint. “Who told you I was from King’s Landing?”

“沒人。”你說的每句話都散發(fā)著Flea Bottom的惡臭。“你的智慧出賣了你。據(jù)說沒有什么人比得上君臨人的智慧。”

“No one.” Every word out of your mouth reeks of Flea Bottom. “Your wits gave you away. There’s no one clever as a Kingslander, they say.”

那似乎讓他吃了一驚。“誰說的？”

That seemed to startle him. “Who says that?”

“每個(gè)人。”我。

“Everyone.” Me.

“什么時(shí)候？”

“Since when?”

剛剛。“多年來，”他胡說道。“我父親經(jīng)常這樣說。你聽說過泰溫大人把，凱姆？”

Since I just made it up. “For ages,” he lied. “My father was wont to say it. Did you know Lord Tywin, Kem?”

“國王之手。由此我看到他騎馬上山。他的手下穿著紅色斗篷戴著獅子徽章的頭盔，我喜歡那些頭盔。”他閉上了嘴。“但我不喜歡國王之手，他洗劫了城市然后在黑水河上擊潰了我們。”

“The Hand. Once I saw him riding up the hill. His men had red cloaks and little lions on their helms. I liked those helms.” His mouth tightened. “I never liked the Hand, though. He sacked the city. And then he smashed us on the Blackwater.”

“你當(dāng)時(shí)在那兒？”

“You were there?”

“和史坦尼斯。泰溫大人連同藍(lán)禮的鬼魂一起出現(xiàn)在我們的側(cè)翼。我丟下長矛逃跑了，但是到了船上著該死的騎士說，‘你的長矛你，男孩？我們沒有空位給膽小鬼，’然后他們就溜走了，剩下我還有其他數(shù)千人。接著我聽說了你父親是如何處置他們的讓他們?nèi)ゴ蜷L城的史坦尼斯。所以我逃過狹海加入了次子團(tuán)。”

“With Stannis. Lord Tywin come up with Renly’s ghost and took us in the flank. I dropped my spear and ran, but at the ships this bloody knight said, ‘Where’s your spear, boy? We got no room for cravens,’ and they buggered off and left me, and thousands more besides. Later I heard how your father was sending them as fought with Stannis to the Wall, so I made my way across the narrow sea and joined up with the Second Sons.”

“你想念君臨么？”

“Do you miss King’s Landing?”

“有點(diǎn)，我想念一個(gè)男孩，他……他是我一個(gè)朋友的孩子。還有我的兄弟，肯尼特，但是他在艦橋上戰(zhàn)死了。”

“Some. I miss this boy, he … he was a friend of mine. And my brother, Kennet, but he died on the bridge of ships.”

“那天死了太多好人。”提利昂的疤癢的厲害，于是他用指甲挖了挖。

“Too many good men died that day.” Tyrion’s scar was itching fiercely. He picked at it with a fingernail.

“我也懷念那些食物，”凱姆惆悵的說。

“I miss the food too,” Kem said wistfully.

“你的媽媽媽的杰作？”

“Your mother’s cooking?”

“老鼠也不會(huì)吃我媽做的菜。那的確有這樣一個(gè)湯店，從沒有人做出他們那種褐湯。如此粘稠你都可以將勺子豎直地插在里面，里面有好多東西。你喝過這樣的褐湯么，半人？”

“Rats wouldn’t eat my mother’s cooking. There was this pot shop, though. No one ever made a bowl o’ brown like them. So thick you could stand your spoon up in the bowl, with chunks of this and that. You ever have yourself a bowl o’ brown, Halfman?”

“一兩次吧。歌手的佳肴，我這樣叫它。”

“A time or two. Singer’s stew, I call it.”

“干嘛那樣叫？”

“Why’s that?”

“味道好到我想唱歌。”

“It tastes so good it makes me want to sing.”

凱姆很喜歡那個(gè)。“歌手的佳肴。若我回到Flea Bottom我會(huì)這樣稱呼它來它一碗。你懷念什么呢，半人？”

Kem liked that. “Singer’s stew. I’ll ask for that next time I get back to Flea Bottom. What do you miss, Halfman?”

詹姆，提利昂想。雪伊。泰莎，我的妻子，我想念我的妻子雖然我?guī)缀醪徽J(rèn)識(shí)她。“紅酒，妓女和財(cái)富，”他回答。“特別是財(cái)富，有錢才能買到紅酒和妓女。”還有劍以及舉劍的許許多多凱姆。

Jaime, thought Tyrion. Shae. Tysha. My wife, I miss my wife, the wife I hardly knew. “Wine, whores, and wealth,” he answered. “Especially the wealth. Wealth will buy you wine and whores.” It will also buy you swords, and the Kems to wield them.

“關(guān)于凱巖城的便壺都是金子做的的傳說是真的么？”凱姆問。

“Is it true the chamber pots in Casterly Rock are made of solid gold?” Kem asked him.

“你不該相信任何你聽說的東西，特別是關(guān)于蘭尼斯特家族的。”

“You should not believe everything you hear. Especially where House Lannister is concerned.”

“他們都說蘭尼斯特們是狡猾的毒蛇。”

“They say all Lannisters are twisty snakes.”

“毒蛇？”提利昂笑道。“那你聽說的是我的父親大人，在他的墓穴里滑行呢。我們是獅子，或者說我們喜歡這么說。但是這不打緊，凱姆。無論你踩上毒蛇還是獅子的尾巴，你就死定了。”

“Snakes?” Tyrion laughed. “That sound you hear is my lord father, slithering in his grave. We are lions, or so we like to say. But it makes no matter, Kem. Step on a snake or a lion’s tail, you’ll end up just as dead.”

正說著他們就來到了軍械庫。鐵匠，傳說中的海姆爾和床文中一樣是個(gè)看起來畸形的巨人。他的左臂有右臂兩倍寬厚。“看顯然喝的爛醉，”凱姆說。“布朗·本對(duì)此熟視無睹但是有一天我們會(huì)給自己找到個(gè)真正的武器師傅。”海姆爾的學(xué)徒是個(gè)叫內(nèi)爾的精瘦紅發(fā)小伙。當(dāng)然，還能有誰呢？提利昂暗忖。當(dāng)他們來到鍛造間時(shí)還摩爾就像海姆預(yù)測(cè)的那樣正呼呼大睡以醒酒，但是內(nèi)爾對(duì)兩個(gè)侏儒吃力的爬上貨車顯然沒有異議。“大多數(shù)都是些破銅爛鐵，”他警告他們，“但是任君挑選。”

By then they had reached the armory, such as it was. The smith, this fabled Hammer, proved to be a freakish-looking hulk with a left arm that appeared twice as thick as his right. “He’s drunk more than not,” Kem said. “Brown Ben lets it go, but one day we’ll get us a real armorer.” Hammer’s apprentice was a wiry red-haired youth called Nail. Of course. What else? mused Tyrion. Hammer was sleeping off a drunk when they reached the forge, just as Kem had prophesied, but Nail had no objection to the two dwarfs clambering through the wagons. “Crap iron, most of it,” he warned them, “but you’re welcome to anything you can use.”

在朽木和硬皮構(gòu)成的屋頂下，貨車底部有堆積如山的舊兵器和盔甲。提利昂拿起一個(gè)看看然后嘆了口氣，憶起凱巖城地下蘭尼斯特家族的武器庫里那一排排錚亮的刀槍劍棍。“這恐怕有得挑了，”他表示。

Under roofs of bent wood and stiffened leather, the wagon beds were heaped high with old weaponry and armor. Tyrion took one look and sighed, remembering the gleaming racks of swords and spears and halberds in the armory of the Lannisters below Casterly Rock. “This may take a while,” he declared.

“這還是有點(diǎn)兒完好的兵器的，如果你有幸找到的話，”一個(gè)低沉的嗓音如是說。“沒什么精致的，但是至少能當(dāng)下劍攻。”

“There’s sound steel here if you can find it,” a deep voice growled. “None of it is pretty, but it will stop a sword.”

一個(gè)大個(gè)子的其實(shí)從貨車后面走下來，從頭到腳包裹著軍團(tuán)的鐵甲。他的左護(hù)腿與右邊的不稱，護(hù)喉則銹跡斑斑，而臂甲則華美精致，上面鑲有烏銀花紋。他的右手上套著龍蝦鋼的護(hù)手，左邊則是露指的銹鎧。而強(qiáng)健的胸甲的乳頭上穿了一對(duì)鐵環(huán)。他的全盔則有一系列凹痕，有一個(gè)甚至被打穿了。

A big knight stepped down from the back of a wagon, clad head to heel in company steel. His left greave did not match his right, his gorget was spotted with rust, his vambraces rich and ornate, inlaid with niello flowers. On his right hand was a gauntlet of lobstered steel, on his left a fingerless mitt of rusted mail. The nipples on his muscled breastplate had a pair of iron rings through them. His greathelm sported a ram’s horns, one of which was broken.

當(dāng)他摘下它，顯示出喬拉·莫爾蒙傷痕累累的臉。

When he took it off, he revealed the battered face of Jorah Mormont.

提利昂發(fā)現(xiàn)他看起來完全沒有那個(gè)從耶贊的籠子里拖出來的半殘的家伙的樣子，徹徹底底的是個(gè)雇傭劍士的樣了。他的淤青大部分已經(jīng)好了，臉也不那么腫了，所以莫爾蒙看起來又有個(gè)人樣了……但只是大致看起來像他。他下半輩子只能與右頰上奴隸主烙上的顯示他是個(gè)危險(xiǎn)而反抗的奴隸的魔鬼標(biāo)志相伴了。喬拉爵士從沒可能被稱為一個(gè)英俊的男人，而那個(gè)烙印則讓他看起來很嚇人。

He looks every inch a sellsword and not at all like the half-broken thing we took from Yezzan’s cage, Tyrion reflected. His bruises had mostly faded by now, and the swelling in his face had largely subsided, so Mormont looked almost human once again … though only vaguely like himself. The demon’s mask the slavers had burned into his right cheek to mark him for a dangerous and disobedient slave would never leave him. Ser Jorah had never been what one might call a comely man. The brand had transformed his face into something frightening.

提利昂咧嘴笑起來。“是要我比你看起來好看點(diǎn)兒，我就很開心了。”他轉(zhuǎn)向佩妮。“你去那個(gè)貨車找找，我留下看看這個(gè)。”

Tyrion grinned. “As long as I look prettier than you, I will be happy.” He turned to Penny. “You take that wagon. I’ll start with this one.”

“若我們一起找的話能快點(diǎn)而。”她拔起一個(gè)生銹的半盔傻笑道，將它戴到頭頂問。“我看起來是不是很可怕？”

“It will go faster if we look together.” She plucked up a rusted iron halfhelm, giggled, and stuck it on her head. “Do I look fearsome?”

你看起來像個(gè)套了一個(gè)壺的小丑。“那是個(gè)半盔，你得弄個(gè)全盔。”他找到一個(gè)然后換下佩妮的半盔。

You look like a mummer girl with a pot on her head. “That’s a halfhelm. You want a greathelm.” He found one, and swapped it for the halfhelm.

“它太大了。”佩妮的聲音在鐵中交鳴。“我看不到外面了。”她取下頭盔扔到一邊。“半盔怎么不好了？”

“It’s too big.” Penny’s voice echoed hollowly inside the steel. “I can’t see out.” She took the helm off and flung it aside. “What’s wrong with the halfhelm?”

“半盔露臉。”提利昂捏了捏她的鼻子。“我喜歡你的鼻子，當(dāng)然是它留在你臉上的時(shí)候。”

“It’s open-faced.” Tyrion pinched her nose. “I am fond of looking at your nose. I would rather that you kept it.”

她的眼睛睜大了。“你喜歡我的鼻子？”

Her eyes got big. “You like my nose?”

哦，七神救我。提利昂轉(zhuǎn)身開始在貨車后部翻找破盔爛甲。

Oh, Seven save me. Tyrion turned away and began rooting amongst some piles of old armor toward the back of the wagon.

“我還有哪部分你喜歡的？”佩妮問。

“Are there any other parts of me you like?” Penny asked.

也許她希望聽起來戲謔些，但是聽起來只有悲傷。“我喜歡你的各個(gè)部分，”提利昂說，希望結(jié)束進(jìn)一步討論這個(gè)話題，“當(dāng)然我更喜歡自己的。”

Perhaps she meant that to sound playful. It sounded sad instead. “I am fond of all of your parts,” Tyrion said, in hopes of ending any further discussion of the subject, “and even fonder of mine own.”

“我們干嘛要帶盔甲？我們只是伶人。我們只是假裝要戰(zhàn)斗。”

“Why should we need armor? We’re only mummers. We just pretend to fight.”

“你裝的真好，”提利昂說，檢查一個(gè)看起來像被蟲蛀了一樣全是窟窿的重甲上衣。哪種蛀蟲吃鎖子甲？“在戰(zhàn)斗中裝死尸是一種活下來的方法，好的盔甲是另一種。”但是對(duì)于那點(diǎn)還是有點(diǎn)夸大其詞的。在綠叉河，他戰(zhàn)斗時(shí)穿的是一身從萊佛德大人的貨車?yán)镎业降牟缓仙淼钠奇z甲和一個(gè)錐頂?shù)目雌饋硐裼腥丝哿藗€(gè)馬桶在他頭上的水桶盔。這些軍團(tuán)的盔甲就更糟了，不光舊而不合身，而且瀕臨報(bào)廢，滿是裂縫，一打就爛。那是干涸的血或只是鐵銹？他聞了聞，依舊無法分辨。

“You pretend very well,” said Tyrion, examining a shirt of heavy iron mail so full of holes that it almost looked moth-eaten. What sort of moths eat chainmail? “Pretending to be dead is one way to survive a battle. Good armor is another.” Though there is precious little of that here, I fear. At the Green Fork, he had fought in mismatched scraps of plate from Lord Lefford’s wagons, with a spiked bucket helm that made it look as if someone had upended a slops pail over his head. This company steel was worse. Not just old and ill fitting, but dinted, cracked, and brittle. Is that dried blood, or only rust? He sniffed at it but still could not be sure.

“這里有個(gè)十字弓。”佩妮向他展示。

“Here’s a crossbow.” Penny showed it to him.

提利昂看了一眼。“我采不上鐙型絞車，我的腿不夠長。對(duì)我來說一個(gè)曲柄倒是不錯(cuò)。”但是若真說起來，他不想要個(gè)十字弓，得花太長時(shí)間重裝箭，就算他能潛伏在公廁旁邊等著某位敵人跑來蹲坑，他失敗的幾率大于發(fā)生爭執(zhí)可不是什么好兆頭。

Tyrion glanced at it. “I cannot use a stirrup winch. My legs are not long enough. A crank would serve me better.” Though, if truth be told, he did not want a crossbow. They took too long to reload. Even if he lurked by the latrine ditch waiting for some enemy to take a squat, the chances of his loosing more than one quarrel would not be good.

于是相反他撿起一把晨星，晃了晃它然后又丟下了它。太重了。他走過一把戰(zhàn)錘（太長），一根狼牙棒（依舊太重），在他終于找到一個(gè)稱手的匕首簽他還挑過半打的長劍，那把匕首是個(gè)惡心的三棱刃的小型鐵器。“這個(gè)還差不多，”他說。刀刃有點(diǎn)生銹但是這不影響它讓它邊的更惡劣。他又找到了一個(gè)皮木做的合適刀鞘然后將匕首插了進(jìn)去。

Instead he picked up a morningstar, gave it a swing, put it down again. Too heavy. He passed over a warhammer (too long), a studded mace (also too heavy), and half a dozen longswords before he found a dirk he liked, a nasty piece of steel with a triangular blade. “This might serve,” he said. The blade had a bit of rust on it, but that would only make it nastier. He found a wood-and-leather sheath that fit and slipped the dirk inside.

“一把合適小個(gè)子的小劍？”佩妮開玩笑。

“A little sword for a little man?” joked Penny.

“它是把合適巨人的匕首。”提利昂給了她一把長劍。“這才是劍，拿著它。”

“It’s a dirk and made for a big man.” Tyrion showed her an old longsword. “This is a sword. Try it.”

佩妮拿起它，晃了晃，擰起了眉。“太重了。”

Penny took it, swung it, frowned. “Too heavy.”

“鐵比木頭中多了。用那玩意兒穿過一個(gè)人的喉嚨，可不會(huì)讓腦袋變成一個(gè)甜瓜。”他拿回了她手里的劍更仔細(xì)的檢查了一下。“廉價(jià)的鐵器，盡是豁口。這兒，看到了沒？我收回剛才說的話，我得找個(gè)好點(diǎn)兒的利器用來砍頭。”

“Steel weighs more than wood. Chop through a man’s neck with that thing, though, and his head is not like to turn into a melon.” He took the sword back from her and inspected it more closely. “Cheap steel. And notched. Here, see? I take back what I said. You need a better blade to hack off heads.”

“我不想去砍頭。”

“I don’t want to hack off heads.”

“你是不該，膝蓋下的領(lǐng)域才屬于你。小腿，旁腱和腳踝……若你砍掉他們的腳連巨人都會(huì)倒下。他們倒下之后即使你也不是個(gè)小矮子了。”

“Nor should you. Keep your cuts below the knee. Calf, hamstring, ankle … even giants fall if you slice their feet off. Once they’re down, they’re no bigger than you.”

佩妮看起來快哭了。“昨晚我夢(mèng)到我的兄弟沒死，我們?cè)谝恍┐笕饲岸簶罚T著咬咬狗和美麗豬，大家都向我們拋擲著玫瑰。我們很開心……”

Penny looked as though she was about to cry. “Last night I dreamed my brother was alive again. We were jousting before some great lord, riding Crunch and Pretty Pig, and men were throwing roses at us. We were so happy …”

提利昂扇了她一巴掌。

Tyrion slapped her.

這是輕柔的一擊，總的來說只是用手腕輕彈了一下，但是背后潛藏著力量。它甚至沒在她臉上留下一點(diǎn)痕跡，但是她依舊讓她含滿了淚。

It was a soft blow, all in all, a little flick of the wrist, with hardly any force behind it. It did not even leave a mark upon her cheek. But her eyes filled with tears all the same.

“若你想做夢(mèng)，就回去睡覺，”他告訴她，“你清醒的時(shí)候我們就依舊是圍城期間的逃跑奴隸。咬咬狗死了，那頭豬下場(chǎng)大概也差不多。現(xiàn)在找點(diǎn)盔甲穿上，別管它是不是磨人。啞劇表演結(jié)束了，要么戰(zhàn)斗要么藏起來要么尿褲子，看你如何選擇了，但是無論你怎么選，都得在盔甲里進(jìn)行。

“If you want to dream, go back to sleep,” he told her. “When you wake up, we’ll still be escaped slaves in the middle of a siege. Crunch is dead. The pig as well, most like. Now find some armor and put it on, and never mind where it pinches. The mummer show is over. Fight or hide or shit yourself, as you like, but whatever you decide to do, you’ll do it clad in steel.”

佩妮摸了摸他摑過的臉。“我們不需要逃跑啊，我們不是雇傭劍士，我們不是任何劍士。和耶贊在一起并不是那么糟的，不是啊。看護(hù)的確有時(shí)候殘酷了點(diǎn)但是耶贊從不是。我們是他最喜歡的，他的……他的……”

Penny touched the cheek he’d slapped. “We should never have run. We’re not sellswords. We’re not any kind of swords. It wasn’t so bad with Yezzan. It wasn’t. Nurse was cruel sometimes but Yezzan never was. We were his favorites, his … his …”

“奴隸。你想說的是奴隸。”

“Slaves. The word you want is slaves.”

“奴隸，”她說，她唰的臉紅了。“但我們是他的特別的奴隸，就像糖果，他的寶貝。”

“Slaves,” she said, flushing. “We were his special slaves, though. Just like Sweets. His treasures.”

他的寵物，提利昂想。他是如此的愛我們于是把我們送到獸坑喂獅子。

His pets, thought Tyrion. And he loved us so much that he sent us to the pit, to be devoured by lions.

她在有些事上說的沒錯(cuò)。耶贊的奴隸比七大王國的許多農(nóng)夫都吃的好藥而在即將到來的嚴(yán)冬中也不太可能餓死。奴隸是財(cái)產(chǎn)，沒錯(cuò)。他們會(huì)被買賣鞭打和烙印，滿足主人的肉欲，生出更多的奴隸。從哪方面將他們與畜生相比好不了多少。但是大多數(shù)的大人們對(duì)待他們的畜生倒是很好。驕傲的男人可能會(huì)叫囂他們寧愿死也不做奴隸，但是自尊是廉價(jià)的玩意兒。當(dāng)磨刀霍霍時(shí)，這樣叫囂的人馬上就少到和龍齒一樣珍貴了；要不是那樣，這個(gè)世界也不會(huì)到處都是奴隸了。沒有什么奴隸的身份不是自己選擇的，侏儒想到，即使他們只有奴役和死亡兩個(gè)選項(xiàng)，也一直有選擇的余地。

She was not all wrong. Yezzan’s slaves ate better than many peasants back in the Seven Kingdoms and were less like to starve to death come winter. Slaves were chattels, aye. They could be bought and sold, whipped and branded, used for the carnal pleasure of their owners, bred to make more slaves. In that sense they were no more than dogs or horses. But most lords treated their dogs and horses well enough. Proud men might shout that they would sooner die free than live as slaves, but pride was cheap. When the steel struck the flint, such men were rare as dragon’s teeth; elsewise the world would not have been so full of slaves. There has never been a slave who did not choose to be a slave, the dwarf reflected. Their choice may be between bondage and death, but the choice is always there.

體諒·蘭尼斯特對(duì)自己沒什么期望。他的舌頭在開始已經(jīng)給他的背上帶來不少鞭痕，但很快他就學(xué)會(huì)取悅與看護(hù)和耶贊大人。喬拉·莫爾蒙的抗?fàn)帟r(shí)間要長和艱苦的多，但是他最后也屈服了。

Tyrion Lannister did not except himself. His tongue had earned him some stripes on the back in the beginning, but soon enough he had learned the tricks of pleasing Nurse and the noble Yezzan. Jorah Mormont had fought longer and harder, but he would have come to the same place in the end.

至于佩妮，好吧……

And Penny, well …

佩妮自從他的兄弟格羅特掉了腦袋后就一直在尋找一個(gè)新的主人，她想找個(gè)能照顧她的人，一個(gè)告訴她該怎么做的人。

Penny had been searching for a new master since the day her brother Groat had lost his head. She wants someone to take care of her, someone to tell her what to do.

雖然這么說很殘忍。于是相反，提利昂說。“耶贊的特別的奴隸也逃不過白死病。（繼黑死病灰死病后又來了個(gè)白死病，在馬丁把大家都折磨死前，都扔染缸里走了一回……）他們都死了，全部，糖果是最先走的。”他們逃走的那天他們身形龐大的主人就死了，布朗·本·普拉姆這樣告訴他。但他和卡斯伯利歐還有其他的雇傭劍士不知道耶贊其他的怪人團(tuán)的下場(chǎng)……但若佩妮需要謊言來阻止她做夢(mèng)，他會(huì)毫不猶豫的撒謊。“若你想在成為一個(gè)奴隸，我就在這場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)爭結(jié)束后替你找個(gè)好心的，當(dāng)然我會(huì)換到足以讓我回家的金子，”提利昂保證說。“我會(huì)找些其他的不錯(cuò)的淵凱人讓他為你打造另一個(gè)掛著鈴鐺的金項(xiàng)圈，這樣你走到哪兒就響到哪兒。但首先你得留著條命，沒人會(huì)去買一個(gè)死掉的小丑。”

It would have been too cruel to say so, however. Instead Tyrion said, “Yezzan’s special slaves did not escape the pale mare. They’re dead, the lot of them. Sweets was the first to go.” Their mammoth master had died on the day of their escape, Brown Ben Plumm had told him. Neither he nor Kasporio nor any of the other sellswords knew the fate of the denizens of Yezzan’s grotesquerie … but if Pretty Penny needed lies to stop her mooning, lie to her he would. “If you want to be a slave again, I will find you a kind master when this war is done, and sell you for enough gold to get me home,” Tyrion promised her. “I’ll find you some nice Yunkishman to give you another pretty golden collar, with little bells on it that will tinkle everywhere you go. First, though, you will need to survive what’s coming. No one buys dead mummers.”

“或者死掉的侏儒，”喬拉·莫爾蒙說。“到戰(zhàn)爭結(jié)束我們大概都已經(jīng)是蟲子們的盤中餐了。淵凱人已經(jīng)輸?shù)袅藨?zhàn)爭但是他們還不知道。彌林有著無垢者軍團(tuán)，全世界最好的軍團(tuán)。另外彌林還有龍，三條，一旦女王歸來，她會(huì)的，而且必須。我們呢就只有兩排淵凱老爺們，各領(lǐng)著一隊(duì)訓(xùn)練不周的猴子。踩著高蹺的奴隸和帶著鏈子的奴隸……他們還有有著瞎子和癱瘓幼童的軍隊(duì)，我可不會(huì)指望他們。”

“Or dead dwarfs,” said Jorah Mormont. “We are all like to be feeding worms by the time this battle is done. The Yunkai’i have lost this war, though it may take them some time to know it. Meereen has an army of Unsullied infantry, the finest in the world. And Meereen has dragons. Three of them, once the queen returns. She will. She must. Our side consists of two score Yunkish lordlings, each with his own half-trained monkey men. Slaves on stilts, slaves in chains … they may have troops of blind men and palsied children too, I would not put it past them.”

“哦，我知道，”提利昂說。“次子團(tuán)是站在失敗的一方的，他們得現(xiàn)在就倒戈，雖然這也不是第一次了。”他笑道。“這交給我來辦。”

“Oh, I know,” said Tyrion. “The Second Sons are on the losing side. They need to turn their cloaks again and do it now.” He grinned. “Leave that to me.”