Ⅳ 群鴉的盛宴 Chapter33 詹姆

JAIME

黃銅喇叭高奏，攪動了黃昏憂郁寂寞的空氣。喬斯敏·派克頓應(yīng)聲而起，一邊摸索主人的劍帶。

The trumpets made a brazen blare, and cut the still blue air of dusk. Josmyn Peckledon was on his feet at once, scrambling for his master’s swordbelt.

這孩子有本能。“土匪是不會吹喇叭預(yù)報(bào)的，”詹姆告訴他，“無須拿劍。這一定是我表弟，新任西境守護(hù)駕到。”

The boy has good instincts. “Outlaws don’t blow trumpets to herald their arrival,” Jaime told him. “I shan’t need my sword. That will be my cousin, the Warden of the West.”

他走出帳篷時(shí)，來客已紛紛下馬，包括六名騎士、四十名騎兵和馬弓手?！罢材?！”一名身穿鍍金鎖甲與狐皮披風(fēng)、胡子拉碴的男人大吼，“你瘦了，那么蒼白！還蓄了胡子！”

The riders were dismounting when he emerged from his tent; half a dozen knights, and twoscore mounted archers and men-at-arms. “Jaime!” roared a shaggy man clad in gilded ringmail and a fox-fur cloak. “So gaunt, and all in white! And bearded too!”

“這點(diǎn)毛嗎？和你相比，小巫見大巫嘍，老表。”達(dá)馮爵士豎立的鬢須長滿整個(gè)下巴，濃厚有如樹籬，頭上是一窩黃色亂發(fā)——被那頂他剛摘下來的頭盔壓得扁扁的。在滿臉毛發(fā)中，擠出來一只獅子鼻和一對炯炯有神的淡褐色眼睛，“嘖，嘖，你的剃刀被土匪偷了嗎？”

“This? Mere stubble, against that mane of yours, coz.” Ser Daven’s bristling beard and bushy mustache grew into sidewhiskers as thick as a hedgerow, and those into the tangled yellow thicket atop his head, matted down by the helm he was removing. Somewhere in the midst of all that hair lurked a pug nose and a pair of lively hazel eyes. “Did some outlaw steal your razor?”

“我發(fā)過毒誓，為父報(bào)仇之前，決不修面，”達(dá)馮·蘭尼斯特的模樣像獅子王，語氣卻十分隨意，“但很遺憾，那少狼主先我一步干掉卡史塔克，剝奪了我復(fù)仇的權(quán)利?！彼杨^盔遞給侍從，用手指狠狠梳理被壓得不成形的頭發(fā)?！敖Y(jié)果我發(fā)現(xiàn)自己喜歡上了這些毛。夜里越來越冷，正如大樹需要葉子，多幾根毛可以保持溫暖。而且吉娜姑媽說我的下巴像塊磚，哈！”他雙手抓住詹姆的胳膊。“囈語森林之后，我們都很為你擔(dān)心，聽說史塔克的冰原狼撕開了你的喉嚨。”

“I vowed I would not let my hair be cut until my father was avenged.” For a man who looked so leonine, Daven Lannister sounded oddly sheepish. “The Young Wolf got to Karstark first, though. Robbed me of my vengeance.” He handed his helm to a squire and pushed his fingers through his hair where the weight of the steel had crushed it down. “I like a bit of hair. The nights grow colder, and a little foliage helps to keep your face warm. Aye, and Aunt Genna always said I had a brick for a chin.” He clasped Jaime by the arms. “We feared for you after the Whispering Wood. Heard Stark’s direwolf tore out your throat.”

“你為我大哭一場，老表？”

“Did you weep bitter tears for me, coz?”

“半個(gè)蘭尼斯港都在哀悼——女人的那一半。”達(dá)馮注視著詹姆的斷肢。“不過這是真的，那幫雜種要了你用劍的手?！?/p>

“Half of Lannisport was mourning. The female half.” Ser Daven’s gaze went to Jaime’s stump. “So it’s true. The bastards took your sword hand.”

“抱歉，我有了一只新手，純金打造。其實(shí)單手有很多好處，比方說害怕打翻杯子出丑，就得少喝酒，再比如上朝時(shí)我也不大會撓癢癢摳屁股了?！?/p>

“I have a new one, made of gold. There’s much to be said for being one-handed. I drink less wine for fear of spilling and am seldom inclined to scratch my arse at court.”

“哈哈，有道理，搞不好哪天我把自己的手也切掉。”表弟大笑。“凱特琳·史塔克干的？”

“Aye, there’s that. Maybe I should have mine off as well.” His cousin laughed. “Was it Catelyn Stark who took it?”

“瓦格·霍特干的?！边@些事怎么流傳出去的？

“Vargo Hoat.” Where do these tales come from?

“科霍爾人？”達(dá)馮爵士啐口唾沫，“去他媽的勇士團(tuán)！我告訴你父親，我可以為他下鄉(xiāng)征集糧秣，但他拒絕了我，堅(jiān)持派傭兵。他說，有的任務(wù)適合獅子，但搶劫還是交給山羊和瘋狗?！?/p>

“The Qohorik?” Ser Daven spat. “That’s for him and all his Brave Companions. I told your father I would forage for him, but he refused me. Some tasks are fit for lions, he said, but foraging is best left for goats and dogs.”

泰溫公爵確實(shí)是這么說的，詹姆清楚，父親的話聲猶在耳。“進(jìn)來吧，老表，我們談?wù)劇！?/p>

Lord Tywin’s very words, Jaime knew; he could almost hear his father’s voice. “Come inside, coz. We need to talk.”

加列特已點(diǎn)起火盆，燃燒的煤炭讓帳內(nèi)熱氣騰騰。達(dá)馮爵士抖開披風(fēng)，扔給小個(gè)子盧?！澳闶桥砂丶业陌?，孩子？”他嚷道，“長得真矮?！?/p>

Garrett had lit the braziers, and their glowing coals filled Jaime’s tent with a ruddy heat. Ser Daven shrugged out of his cloak and tossed it at Little Lew. “You a Piper, boy?” he growled. “You have a runty look to you.”

“我是林斯·派柏，愿為大人效勞?！?/p>

“I’m Lewys Piper, if it please my lord.”

“我曾在團(tuán)體比武中把你老哥打得很慘。那蠢東西也是個(gè)矮子，我問在他盾牌上跳舞的裸體少女是不是他妹妹，他便勃然大怒。”

“I beat your brother bloody in a mêlée once. The runty little fool took offense when I asked him if that was his sister dancing naked on his shield.”

“那是我們家族的紋章，我和我哥沒有姐妹?！?/p>

“She’s the sigil of our House. We don’t have a sister.”

“真可惜，紋章上的女人的乳頭頂漂亮。男人怎么會躲在裸女后面呢？活見鬼，我每敲你老哥的盾牌一下，就覺得自己不像個(gè)堂堂正正的騎士。”

“More’s the pity. Your sigil has nice teats. What sort of man hides behind a naked woman, though? Every time I thumped your brother’s shield, I felt unchivalrous.”

“夠了，”詹姆笑道，“你出去吧?！逼ぱ耪秊閮晌惶m尼斯特溫酒，并用勺子攪拌酒罐?！拔倚枰私獯_切情況。”

“Enough,” said Jaime, laughing. “Leave him be.” Pia was mulling wine for them, stirring the kettle with a spoon. “I need to know what I can expect to find at Riverrun.”

表弟聳聳肩，“無休無止的圍困。黑魚坐在城堡里面，我們坐在城堡外面。說實(shí)話，真他媽無聊。”達(dá)馮爵士拉過一張折椅坐下?！巴嚼J(rèn)死了當(dāng)縮頭烏龜，連一仗都沒打過。結(jié)果呢，結(jié)果佛雷家的人根本緊張不起來，凈他媽添亂，比方說那個(gè)萊曼，除了喝酒啥都不干，噢，艾德溫就更糟糕了，他沒他老爸那么胖，肚子里卻凈裝些壞水，活像個(gè)膿包。至于咱們的艾蒙爵士……噢，不不，該叫艾蒙老爺，七神保佑，怎么給了他這個(gè)頭銜……咱們的新任奔流城伯爵每天喋喋不休地指導(dǎo)我如何攻城。他要我拿下城堡，但又不準(zhǔn)傷它一根毫毛，因?yàn)檫@是他的領(lǐng)地?！?/p>

His cousin shrugged. “The siege drags on. The Blackfish sits inside the castle, we sit outside in our camps. Bloody boring, if you want the truth.” Ser Daven seated himself upon a camp stool. “Tully ought to make a sortie, to remind us all we’re still at war. Be nice if he culled some Freys too. Ryman, for a start. The man’s drunk more oft than not. Oh, and Edwyn. Not as thick as his father, but as full of hate as a boil’s full of pus. And our own Ser Emmon … no, Lord Emmon, Seven save us, must not forget his new title … our Lord of Riverrun does nought but try to tell me how to run the siege. He wants me to take the castle without damaging it, since it is now his lordly seat.”

“酒好了嗎？”詹姆扭頭問皮雅。

“Is that wine hot yet?” Jaime asked Pia.

“好了，大人?！迸⒄f話時(shí)，刻意用手掩住嘴巴。小派把酒放在鍍金盤子上端來，達(dá)馮爵士摘下手套，抓起一杯，“謝謝你，孩子。你又是誰呢？”

“Yes, m’lord.” The girl covered her mouth when she spoke. Peck served the wine on a golden platter. Ser Daven pulled off his gloves and took a cup. “Thank you, boy. Who might you be?”

“喬斯敏·派克頓，愿為大人效勞?！?/p>

“Josmyn Peckledon, if it please my lord.”

“小派是黑水河上的英雄，”詹姆插嘴，“殺了兩個(gè)騎士，還抓了兩個(gè)?！?/p>

“Peck was a hero on the Blackwater,” Jaime said. “He slew two knights and captured two more.”

“你一定比外表看上去更危險(xiǎn)，小子。那是胡子嗎，還是你忘了洗臉？聽說史坦尼斯·拜拉席恩的老婆會長胡子。你幾歲了？”

“You must be more dangerous than you look, lad. Is that a beard, or did you forget to wash the dirt off your face? Stannis Baratheon’s wife has a thicker mustache. How old are you?”

“十五歲，爵士先生?！?/p>

“Fifteen, ser.”

達(dá)馮爵士噴口鼻息，“你知道什么叫英雄，詹姆？就是年紀(jì)輕輕便一命嗚呼，把美女留給我們這號人的蠢貨?！闭f罷，他將杯子扔還給侍從。“再來一杯，我就會叫你英雄了，小子。我口渴?！?/p>

Ser Daven snorted. “You know the best thing about heroes, Jaime? They all die young and leave more women for the rest of us.” He tossed the cup back to the squire. “Fill that full again, and I’ll call you hero too. I have a thirst.”

詹姆用左手舉起自己的酒杯，喝了一口。一股熱氣頓時(shí)在胸膛擴(kuò)散開來?！翱磥磉@幾位佛雷令你深惡痛絕，萊曼、艾德溫、艾蒙……”

Jaime lifted his own cup left-handed and took a swallow. The warmth spread through his chest. “You were speaking of the Freys you wanted dead. Ryman, Edwyn, Emmon …”

“還有瓦德·河文，”達(dá)馮說，“名副其實(shí)的婊子養(yǎng)的。他痛恨自己是個(gè)雜種，更恨別人不是雜種。除此之外嘛，派溫爵士正常些，至少可以忍受，不過他們家的女人也都不像話。據(jù)說我得迎娶她們中的一位。順帶一提，這事兒你父親本該跟我商量商量。我老爹在牛津過世前，替我向派克斯特·雷德溫求了親，你曉得嗎？他們家的嫁妝很豐厚……”

“And Walder Rivers,” Daven said, “that whoreson. Hates that he’s a bastard, and hates everyone who’s not. Ser Perwyn seems a decent fellow, though, might as well spare him. The women too. I’m to marry one, I hear. Your father might have seen fit to consult with me about this marriage, by the bye. My own father was treating with Paxter Redwyne before Oxcross, did you know? Redwyne has a nicely dowered daughter …”

“黛絲梅拉？”詹姆笑了，“你喜歡雀斑臉哪？”

“Desmera?” Jaime laughed. “How well do you like freckles?”

“要我在佛雷和雀斑臉之間選的話，嘿嘿……瓦德大人一半的種長得都像黃鼠狼。”

“If my choice is Freys or freckles, well … half of Lord Walder’s brood look like stoats.”

“一半？乖乖，我才在戴瑞城見識過藍(lán)賽爾的老婆?！?/p>

“Only half? Be thankful. I saw Lancel’s bride at Darry.”

“諸神在上，是‘門房’阿麗，對吧？我簡直不敢相信藍(lán)賽爾竟挑了她。那小子有毛病?。俊?/p>

“Gatehouse Ami, gods be good. I couldn’t believe that Lancel picked that one. What’s wrong with that boy?”

“他變虔誠了，”詹姆吐露，“不過挑老婆這事還真怨不了他。阿蕊麗夫人的老媽是戴瑞家的人，我叔叔認(rèn)為阿麗能幫藍(lán)賽爾穩(wěn)定戴瑞領(lǐng)地的民心?！?/p>

“He’s grown pious,” said Jaime, “but it wasn’t him who did the picking. Lady Amerei’s mother is a Darry. Our uncle thought she’d help Lancel win the Darry smallfolk.”

“怎么穩(wěn)定，靠操她嗎？你知不知道她那‘門房’的外號是怎么得來的？他們說她會為每個(gè)靠近的騎士打開城門。哈，藍(lán)賽爾應(yīng)該去找武器師傅為自己打造一頂綠頭盔才是?！?/p>

“How, by fucking them? You know why they call her Gatehouse Ami? She raises her portcullis for every knight who happens by. Lancel had best find an armorer to make him a horned helm.”

“不需要。咱們的老表已前往君臨，宣誓為總主教服務(wù)?！?/p>

“That won’t be necessary. Our coz is off to King’s Landing to take vows as one of the High Septon’s swords.”

即便詹姆告訴他藍(lán)賽爾要當(dāng)雜耍藝人肩上的猴子，達(dá)馮爵士也不會更吃驚了?！斑@不是真的吧？你一定在跟我開玩笑。門房阿麗的本事哪兒那么大，居然讓那小子……？”

Ser Daven could not have looked more astonished if Jaime had told him that Lancel had decided to become a mummer’s monkey. “Not truly? You are japing with me. Gatehouse Ami must be more stoatish than I’d heard if she could drive the boy to that.”

實(shí)際上，當(dāng)詹姆告別阿蕊麗夫人時(shí)，她只是輕輕哭泣，眼睜睜看著藍(lán)賽爾解除婚約，并任李勒·克雷赫安慰自己。然而教詹姆擔(dān)心的并非她的眼淚，而是庭院里她親戚們的神情?！跋Ｍ悴粫诨?，老表，”他告訴達(dá)馮，“佛雷家的人把婚約看得極重，我不想再讓他們失望了?！?/p>

When Jaime had taken his leave of Lady Amerei, she had been weeping softly at the dissolution of her marriage whilst letting Lyle Crakehall console her. Her tears had not troubled him half so much as the hard looks on the faces of her kin as they stood about the yard. “I hope you do not intend to take vows as well, coz,” he said to Daven. “The Freys are prickly where marriage contracts are concerned. I would hate to disappoint them again.”

達(dá)馮爵士哼了一聲，“放心，我會把我的黃鼠狼娶回家，我很清楚羅柏·史塔克的下場。就艾德溫透漏的情況來看，我最好是挑個(gè)還沒初潮的女孩，否則遲早會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己在吃黑瓦德的殘湯剩羹。我敢打賭，他上了門房阿麗很多次，或許這可以解釋藍(lán)賽爾的古怪行為和他父親的反應(yīng)?！?/p>

Ser Daven snorted. “I’ll wed and bed my stoat, never fear. I know what happened to Robb Stark. From what Edwyn tells me, though, I’d best pick one who hasn’t flowered yet, or I’m like to find that Black Walder has been there first. I’ll wager he’s had Gatehouse Ami, and more than thrice. Maybe that explains Lancel’s godliness, and his father’s mood.”

“你見過凱馮爵士？”

“You have seen Ser Kevan?”

“是啊。他西歸途中路過大營。我邀他協(xié)力攻城，卻被一口回絕。他一直悶悶不樂，不曉得想些什么，雖然面子上挺照顧大伙兒，但態(tài)度冷冰冰的。我對他發(fā)誓，我沒想當(dāng)這個(gè)西境守護(hù)，榮譽(yù)理應(yīng)屬于他，他卻說自己對我沒有半點(diǎn)意見——從他的口氣里，你可聽不出來。他在這里待了三天，對我說的話不超過三句。唉，他留下就好了，那樣不僅我能借重他，而且我們的佛雷朋友決不敢像怠慢我一樣怠慢凱馮爵士?！?/p>

“Aye. He passed here on his way west. I asked him to help us take the castle, but Kevan would have none of it. He brooded the whole time he was here. Courteous enough, but chilly. I swore to him that I never asked to be made Warden of the West, that the honor should have gone to him, and he declared that he held no grudge against me, but you would never have known it from his tone. He stayed three days and hardly said three words to me. Would that he’d remained, I could have used his counsel. Our friends of Frey would not have dared vex Ser Kevan the way that they’ve been vexing me.”

“怎么回事？”詹姆問。

“Tell me,” said Jaime.

“怎么回事，這從何說起呢？好吧，當(dāng)我忙著建造撞錘和攻城塔的時(shí)候，萊曼卻修了一座絞架。每天清晨，他都會把艾德慕·徒利帶上去，用繩索套住脖子，威脅說除非城堡投降，否則就吊死他們的公爵。黑魚對他的鬧劇漠不關(guān)心，弄他下不了臺，只能天天早上把艾德慕帶上去，晚上又放下來。對了，你知道艾德慕的老婆懷孩子了嗎？”

“I would, but where to begin? Whilst I’ve been building rams and siege towers, Ryman Frey has raised a gibbet. Every day at dawn he brings forth Edmure Tully, drapes a noose around his neck, and threatens to hang him unless the castle yields. The Blackfish pays his mummer’s show no mind, so come evenfall Lord Edmure is taken down again. His wife’s with child, did you know?”

啊？“難道說經(jīng)歷紅色婚禮之后，艾德慕還有閑情雅致睡她？”

He hadn’t. “Edmure bedded her, after the Red Wedding?”

“他是在紅色婚禮進(jìn)行時(shí)開她苞的。蘿絲琳是個(gè)可愛的小東西，半點(diǎn)也不像黃鼠狼，而且奇特的是，她竟真喜歡上了艾德慕。派溫聽見她祈禱自己生女兒。”

“He was bedding her during the Red Wedding. Roslin’s a pretty little thing, hardly stoatish at all. And fond of Edmure, queerly. Perwyn tells me she’s praying for a girl.”

詹姆思考半晌，“原來如此，若艾德慕有了兒子，瓦德大人就不需要他了?！?/p>

Jaime considered that a moment. “Once Edmure’s son is born, Lord Walder will have no more need of Edmure.”

“正是。咱們的姑丈艾蒙爵……呃，艾蒙老爺，又說錯(cuò)了……堅(jiān)持要立即吊死艾德慕。徒利公爵存在的事實(shí)讓他如鯁在喉，同樣他也不希望生出另一個(gè)。他天天跑來要求我讓萊曼爵士玩真的，簡直不厭其煩，加文·維斯特林大人則堅(jiān)決反對——他老婆被黑魚扣在城內(nèi)，外加他們家三個(gè)患兒，他害怕一旦佛雷家吊死艾德慕，徒利家就會報(bào)復(fù)到他頭上。他女兒曾是少狼主的老婆呢?！?/p>

“That’s how I see it too. Our good-uncle Emm … ah, Lord Emmon, that is … he wants Edmure hanged at once. The presence of a Tully Lord of Riverrun distresses him almost as much as the prospective birth of yet another. Daily he beseeches me to make Ser Ryman dangle Tully, never mind how. Meanwhile, I have Lord Gawen Westerling tugging at my other sleeve. The Blackfish has his lady wife inside the castle, along with three of his snot-nosed whelps. His lordship fears Tully will kill them if the Freys hang Edmure. One of them is the Young Wolf’s little queen.”

詹姆見過簡妮·維斯特林，但已記不得對方的長相。她一定很漂亮，因?yàn)樗蝗吮愀矞缌艘粋€(gè)王國。“布林登·徒利決不會對孩子下手，”詹姆向表弟擔(dān)保，“他外號黑魚，心可不黑。”他開始明白為何僵持不下了。“講講你的部署，老表?！?/p>

Jaime had met Jeyne Westerling, he thought, though he could not recall what she looked like. She must be fair indeed, to have been worth a kingdom. “Ser Brynden won’t kill children,” he assured his cousin. “He’s not as black a fish as that.” He was beginning to grasp why Riverrun had not yet fallen. “Tell me of your dispositions, coz.”

“我軍將城堡圍得水泄不通。萊曼爵士率佛雷家的人馬駐于騰石河北；紅叉河南岸由艾蒙老爺負(fù)責(zé)，佛勒·普萊斯特爵士率你的舊部也歸他節(jié)制，外加紅色婚禮后倒戈的三河諸侯——我必須承認(rèn)，他們中很多人并不高興，幸好到目前為止，其反感只悶在心里；麗河之間是我的大營，直面護(hù)城河與奔流城的大門。對了，我們在紅叉河上設(shè)置了攔阻堤壩，在城堡下游，由曼佛利·宇和雷那德·魯特格爾負(fù)責(zé)，確保沒人能自水路逃脫。我還準(zhǔn)備了若干漁網(wǎng)，交給他們在閑暇時(shí)多撈幾條魚回來。”

“We have the castle well encircled. Ser Ryman and the Freys are north of the Tumblestone. South of Red Fork sits Lord Emmon, with Ser Forley Prester and with what remains of your old host, plus the river lords who came over to us after the Red Wedding. A sullen lot, I don’t mind saying. Good for sulking in their tents, but not much more. Mine own camp is between the rivers, facing the moat and Riverrun’s main gates. We’ve thrown a boom across the Red Fork, downstream of the castle. Manfryd Yew and Raynard Ruttiger have charge of its defense, so no one can escape by boat. I gave them nets as well, to fish. It helps keep us fed.”

“這么說，能餓降奔流城嘍？”

“Can we starve the castle out?”

達(dá)馮爵士搖搖頭，“黑魚早把與防御無關(guān)的閑雜人等統(tǒng)統(tǒng)趕出城，并將城外搜刮一空。他目前儲存的糧草估計(jì)能支撐整整兩年?！?/p>

Ser Daven shook his head. “The Blackfish expelled all the useless mouths from Riverrun and picked this country clean. He has enough stores to keep man and horse alive for two full years.”

“那我們呢？”

“And how well are we provisioned?”

“只要河里有魚，我們還撐得住，然則馬兒怎么辦，我就不知道了。佛雷家源源不斷地把糧草從孿河城運(yùn)來，然而萊曼爵士聲稱他連自己人都滿足不了，要我軍另想辦法。我派去征集的人有一半沒回來，有的當(dāng)了逃兵，有的被吊死在樹上?！?/p>

“So long as there are fish in the rivers, we won’t starve, though I don’t know how we’re going to feed the horses. The Freys are hauling food and fodder down from the Twins, but Ser Ryman claims he does not have enough to share, so we must forage for ourselves. Half the men I send off to look for food do not return. Some are deserting. Others we find ripening under trees, with ropes about their necks.”

“我前天見過這場面?！闭材氛f。是亞當(dāng)·馬爾布蘭的斥候發(fā)現(xiàn)的，一棵碩大的蘋果樹上，吊滿臉色發(fā)黑的尸體。他們都沒穿衣服，各人嘴里咬一個(gè)蘋果。無人帶傷，顯然事先都投降了，結(jié)果卻像尖叫的豬一樣死去。見此狀況，壯豬勃然大怒，發(fā)下毒誓要?dú)灉邕@幫侮辱士兵的匪徒。

“We came on some, the day before last,” said Jaime. Addam Marbrand’s scouts had found them, hanging black-faced beneath a crabapple tree. The corpses had been stripped naked, and each man had a crabapple shoved between his teeth. None bore any wounds; plainly, they had yielded. Strongboar had grown furious at that, vowing bloody vengeance on the heads of any men who would truss up warriors to die like suckling pigs.

“或許是土匪干的，”詹姆把話說完后，達(dá)馮猜測，“或許不是。北軍的小股殘余仍在四處游蕩，而且依我看，河間地這幫領(lǐng)主即便彎下了膝蓋，他們內(nèi)心里……還是向著狼的?！?/p>

“It might have been outlaws,” Ser Daven said, when Jaime told the tale, “or not. There are still bands of northmen about. And these Lords of the Trident may have bent their knees, but methinks their hearts are still … wolfish.”

詹姆瞥瞥自己的兩名小侍從，他倆圍在火盆邊，假裝沒聽見。林斯·派柏與加列特·培吉都是三河諸侯的子嗣，他喜歡上了他們，如果有一天不得不把他們交給伊林爵士，他會很難過的。“絞繩聽起來是唐德利恩的主意?！?/p>

Jaime glanced at his two younger squires, who were hovering near the braziers pretending not to listen. Lewys Piper and Garrett Paege were both the sons of river lords. He had grown fond of both of them and would hate to have to give them to Ser Ilyn. “The ropes suggest Dondarrion to me.”

“閃電大王并非唯一會扎繩子的人，我也不想只盯住貝里伯爵。流言紛飛，他一會兒在這里，一會兒在那里，到處都有他的蹤影，但每每派軍圍剿，他的隊(duì)伍又像露水般融化。三河諸侯在暗中協(xié)助他，這毫無疑問，真令人難以置信，他們居然協(xié)助一個(gè)該死的邊疆的伯爵！前一天你聽說他死了，第二天傳來的消息卻稱他是不死之身。”達(dá)馮爵士放下酒杯。“我的斥候報(bào)告說河間地各處高地夜晚會有火光，多半是信號……這幫家伙簡直把我軍給反包圍了。村莊內(nèi)夜里也在燒火，似乎用來表達(dá)對某位新神的崇拜……”

“Your lightning lord’s not the only man who knows how to tie a noose. Don’t get me started on Lord Beric. He’s here, he’s there, he’s everywhere, but when you send men after him, he melts away like dew. The river lords are helping him, never doubt it. A bloody marcher lord, if you can believe it. One day you hear the man is dead, the next they’re saying how he can’t be killed.” Ser Daven put his wine cup down. “My scouts report fires in the high places at night. Signal fires, they think … as if there were a ring of watchers all around us. And there are fires in the villages as well. Some new god …”

并非什么新神?！八髁_斯追隨唐德利恩，就那個(gè)以前常跟勞勃對飲的密爾胖和尚。”金手放在桌上，詹姆伸手碰了碰它，看著黃金反射陰暗的火光?！扒榉堑靡褧r(shí)，我們可以發(fā)動大掃蕩，把唐德利恩揪出來，但首先得解決黑魚。必須讓他搞清楚，他的事業(yè)已經(jīng)失敗。你沒和他談判嗎？”

No, an old one. “Thoros is with Dondarrion, the fat Myrish priest who used to drink with Robert.” His golden hand was on the table. Jaime touched it and watched the gold glimmer in the sullen light of the braziers. “We’ll deal with Dondarrion if we have to, but the Blackfish must come first. He has to know his cause is hopeless. Have you tried to treat with him?”

“萊曼爵士自告奮勇去談過。他喝得半醉，騎到城門前，大聲叫囂威脅。黑魚往城垛上站了站，但不愿在這么個(gè)蠢人身上浪費(fèi)時(shí)間，他一箭射中萊曼胯下戰(zhàn)馬的屁股，馬兒把佛雷甩在泥地里，笑得我喘不過氣，連尿都快笑出來了。哈哈，我在城上的話，一定會射穿萊曼那只懂得撒謊的喉嚨。”

“Ser Ryman did. Rode up to the castle gates half-drunk and blustering, making threats. The Blackfish appeared on the ramparts long enough to say that he would not waste fair words on foul men. Then he put an arrow in the rump of Ryman’s palfrey. The horse reared, Frey fell into the mud, and I laughed so hard I almost pissed myself. If it had been me inside the castle, I would have put that arrow through Ryman’s lying throat.”

“看來去談判時(shí)我得戴上護(hù)喉甲了，”詹姆似笑非笑地道，“我準(zhǔn)備提出優(yōu)厚條件。”倘若他能不流血地奪取奔流城，便算不上拿起武器反對徒利家族。

“I’ll wear a gorget when I treat with them,” said Jaime, with a half smile. “I mean to offer him generous terms.” If he could end this siege without bloodshed, then it could not be said that he had taken up arms against House Tully.

“你盡可以去試，大人，但我認(rèn)為只是浪費(fèi)口水。我們別無選擇，唯有強(qiáng)攻。”

“You are welcome to try, my lord, but I doubt that words will win the day. We need to storm the castle.”

從前，或者說不久之前，詹姆會毫不遲疑地贊同表弟的辦法。畢竟，他不可能坐等兩年，以便把黑魚餓出來?！盁o論怎么做，都得立刻動手，”他告訴達(dá)馮爵士，“我需要盡快返回君臨，回到國王身邊?！?/p>

There had been a time, not so long ago, when Jaime would doubtless have urged the same course. He knew he could not sit here for two years to starve the Blackfish out. “Whatever we do needs to be done quickly,” he told Ser Daven. “My place is back at King’s Landing, with the king.”

“是，”表弟道，“我知道你姐姐需要你。她怎么把凱馮趕走了？我一直以為她會任命他當(dāng)首相?！?/p>

“Aye,” his cousin said. “I don’t doubt your sister needs you. Why did she send off Kevan? I thought she’d make him Hand.”

“他不肯接受?！彼幌裎?，他不是瞎子。

“He would not take it.” He was not as blind as I was.

“論資格，凱馮或者你才該擔(dān)任西境守護(hù)。我提醒你，這并非說我不喜歡這份榮譽(yù)，但表叔的年齡有我兩倍大，指揮經(jīng)驗(yàn)也遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)比我豐富。我希望他弄清楚我從未爭奪過這份榮譽(yù)?！?/p>

“Kevan should be the Warden of the West. Or you. It’s not that I’m not grateful for the honor, mind you, but our uncle’s twice my age and has more experience of command. I hope he knows I never asked for this.”

“他很清楚?！?/p>

“He knows.”

“瑟曦怎么樣？還像以前那么標(biāo)致嗎？”

“How is Cersei? As beautiful as ever?”

“她美麗動人，”反復(fù)無常，“金光燦燦，”然而虛偽。昨晚他夢見姐姐跟月童做愛，于是便宰了弄臣，還用金手把姐姐的牙齒打成碎片，就像格雷果·克里岡對可憐的皮雅干的那樣。在夢中，詹姆總是有兩只手，其中一只雖是金制的，但運(yùn)用自如。“早一天解決奔流城，我便能早一天回到瑟曦身邊。”到時(shí)候該怎么做，詹姆便一點(diǎn)頭緒也沒有了。

“Radiant.” Fickle. “Golden.” False as fool’s gold. Last night he dreamed he’d found her fucking Moon Boy. He’d killed the fool and smashed his sister’s teeth to splinters with his golden hand, just as Gregor Clegane had done to poor Pia. In his dreams Jaime always had two hands; one was made of gold, but it worked just like the other. “The sooner we are done with Riverrun, the sooner I’ll be back at Cersei’s side.” What Jaime would do then he did not know.

在西境守護(hù)告辭之前，他們又談了一個(gè)鐘頭。談完后，詹姆戴上金手，披掛褐色披風(fēng)，前去視察營地。

He talked with his cousin for another hour before the Warden of the West finally took his leave. When he was gone, Jaime donned his gold hand and brown cloak to walk amongst the tents.

說實(shí)話，這才是他喜歡的生活。在沙場上，走在士兵中間，比待在宮中舒服多了。部下都很愛戴他。一堆營火前，三名十字弓兵邀他共享逮住的野兔，一名年輕騎士則請他指導(dǎo)如何防御戰(zhàn)錘攻擊。他沿河向下游漫步，看見兩個(gè)洗衣婦騎在兩個(gè)大兵肩上，于淺灘上比武。那兩個(gè)女孩喝得半醉，衣裳不整，嘻嘻哈哈笑著去抓對方凌亂的衣服，而其他十幾個(gè)士兵圍著加油助威。詹姆為甜嘴拉夫背上的金發(fā)女子下注一個(gè)銅星，結(jié)果這對組合顛覆在蘆葦叢中，使他輸了錢。

If truth be told, he liked this life. He felt more comfortable amongst soldiers in the field than he ever had at court. And his men seemed comfortable with him as well. At one cookfire three crossbowmen offered him a share of a hare they’d caught. At another a young knight asked his counsel on the best way to defend against a warhammer. Down beside the river, he watched two washerwomen jousting in the shallows, mounted on the shoulders of a pair of men-at-arms. The girls were half-drunk and half-naked, laughing and snapping rolled-up cloaks at one another as a dozen other men urged them on. Jaime bet a copper star on the blond girl riding Raff the Sweetling, and lost it when the two of them went down splashing amongst the reeds.

河對面，狼群仍在嗥叫，凜冽的秋風(fēng)穿過柳樹叢，枝條翻騰，低語沉吟。詹姆發(fā)現(xiàn)伊林·派恩爵士獨(dú)坐在帳篷外，拿油石磨劍?！皝??！彼f，沉默的騎士便站起來隨他走，臉上掛著淡淡的微笑。他享受這樣的時(shí)刻，詹姆意識到，每天晚上都能羞辱我，他感到很滿意，甚至比殺了我更滿意。詹姆相信自己正在提高，然而進(jìn)度過于緩慢，代價(jià)十分高昂。在鐵甲、羊毛外套與皮甲下面，詹姆·蘭尼斯特的肌膚就是一面由創(chuàng)口、割痕與淤傷拼成的織錦。

Across the river wolves were howling, and the wind was gusting through a stand of willows, making their branches writhe and whisper. Jaime found Ser Ilyn Payne alone outside his tent, honing his greatsword with a whetstone. “Come,” he said, and the silent knight rose, smiling thinly. He enjoys this, he realized. It pleases him to humiliate me nightly. It might please him even more to kill me. He liked to believe that he was getting better, but the improvement was slow and not without cost. Underneath his steel and wool and boiled leather Jaime Lannister was a tapestry of cuts and scabs and bruises.

他們牽馬離開營地時(shí)，哨兵上來盤問，詹姆用金手拍了拍對方的肩膀，“好好站著，外面有狼?！苯又鴥扇搜丶t叉河騎到一個(gè)被燒毀的村落，他們下午曾于此路過。就在這里，兩人進(jìn)行日常的午夜比劍，周圍是燒焦的石頭和冷硬的灰燼。有一段時(shí)間，詹姆竟然占到上風(fēng)，似乎從前的技藝又統(tǒng)統(tǒng)回來了——他允許自己這么想，或許今天該輪到派恩遍體鱗傷地回去睡覺。

A sentry challenged them as they led their horses from the camp. Jaime clapped the man’s shoulder with his golden hand. “Stay vigilant. There are wolves about.” They rode back along the Red Fork to the ruins of a burned village they had passed that afternoon. It was there they danced their midnight dance, amongst blackened stones and old cold cinders. For a little while Jaime had the better of it. Perhaps his old skill was coming back, he allowed himself to think. Perhaps tonight it would be Payne who went to sleep bruised and bloody.

伊林爵士似乎讀到了他的想法。他懶洋洋地?fù)跸抡材返墓?，隨即迅猛反擊，把詹姆驅(qū)趕進(jìn)河里，使他的鞋子陷進(jìn)了濕泥。于是須臾之間，詹姆便已雙膝跪地，劍被打飛，沉默的騎士則用劍抵住他咽喉。月光照耀下，派恩臉上的麻子活像一個(gè)個(gè)坑，他又發(fā)出那種似乎是嘲笑的粗嘎聲音，把劍往上抬，一直抬到詹姆的嘴唇。最后才退開一步，收劍回鞘。

It was as if Ser Ilyn heard his thoughts. He parried Jaime’s last cut lazily and launched a counterattack that drove Jaime back into the river, where his boot slipped out from under him in the mud. He ended on his knees, with the silent knight’s sword at his throat and his own lost in the reeds. In the moonlight the pockmarks on Payne’s face were large as craters. He made that clacking sound that might have been a laugh and drew his sword up Jaime’s throat till the point came to rest between his lips. Only then did he step back and sheathe his steel.

我倒不如背個(gè)婊子，去跟甜嘴拉夫比武，詹姆一邊把金手上的泥巴抖掉，一邊想。他心里有股沖動，直想把這只沒用的手扯下來，狠狠地扔進(jìn)河里，丟個(gè)無影無蹤。但這沒用，也不可能讓左手變強(qiáng)。伊林爵士走回馬兒旁邊，留他一個(gè)人找鞋子。媽的，至少我不是瘸子。

I would have done better to challenge Raff the Sweetling, with a whore upon my back, Jaime thought as he shook mud off his gilded hand. Part of him wanted to tear the thing off and fling it in the river. It was good for nothing, and the left was not much better. Ser Ilyn had gone back to the horses, leaving him to find his own feet. At least I still have two of those.

最后一天的路程陰冷多風(fēng)，秋風(fēng)一刻不停地刮，光禿禿的褐色樹林里枝椏婆娑，紅叉河邊的蘆葦被壓彎了腰。即便穿著御林鐵衛(wèi)那套白羊毛的冬季服裝，詹姆仍能感覺到寒風(fēng)冰冷的利齒。表弟達(dá)馮爵士騎在他身旁，一直走到太陽快落山，方才看見位于騰石城注入紅叉河的三角洲尖端的奔流城。徒利的家堡猶如滔滔江水中披波斬浪的巨型石船，砂巖墻壘沐浴著金紅陽光，似乎比以往更高大更厚實(shí)了。固若金湯，他郁悶地想，但若黑魚不肯談判，他又只能打破對凱特琳·史塔克的誓言——無論如何，他對國王的誓言在先。

The last day of their journey was cold and gusty. The wind rattled amongst the branches in the bare brown woods and made the river reeds bow low along the Red Fork. Even mantled in the winter wool of the Kingsguard, Jaime could feel the iron teeth of that wind as he rode beside his cousin Daven. It was late afternoon when they sighted Riverrun, rising from the narrow point where the Tumblestone joined the Red Fork. The Tully castle looked like a great stone ship with its prow pointed downriver. Its sandstone walls were drenched in red-gold light, and seemed higher and thicker than Jaime had remembered. This nut will not crack easily, he thought gloomily. If the Blackfish would not listen, he would have no choice but to break the vow he’d made to Catelyn Stark. The vow he’d sworn his king came first.

攔江堤壩和圍城大軍的三座營寨正如表弟描繪的那樣。萊曼·佛雷位于騰石河北岸的營地規(guī)模最大，然而也最混亂。營區(qū)之上高聳著一座灰色絞架，像投石機(jī)那么高，一個(gè)孤獨(dú)的人影站在下面，脖子套著繩索。艾德慕·徒利，詹姆忽然覺得很悲哀，讓他日復(fù)一日、套著繩索站在那里……倒不如砍頭來得干凈。

The boom across the river and the three great camps of the besieging army were just as his cousin had described. Ser Ryman Frey’s encampment north of the Tumblestone was the largest, and the most disorderly. A great grey gallows loomed above the tents, as tall as any trebuchet. On it stood a solitary figure with a rope about his neck. Edmure Tully. Jaime felt a stab of pity. To keep him standing there day after day, with that noose around his neck … better to have his head off and be done with it.

然而絞架之下，帳篷與營火是如此無序，四散蔓延，佛雷家人和他們麾下的騎士把自己的營帳舒舒服服地搭在便池上游，下游則盡是污穢不堪的小帳篷、馬車和牛車。“萊曼爵士不忍心教自己的兵過無聊的軍旅生活，因此特意準(zhǔn)備了營妓、斗雞和野豬游戲，”達(dá)馮爵士解說道，“他甚至為自己找了個(gè)該死的歌手。你相信嗎？就因?yàn)樵蹅兊墓脣尠选咨⑿Α滋貜奶m尼斯港帶來，他便要攀比一番。咱能不能放水淹死這幫佛雷啊，老表？”

Behind the gallows, tents and cookfires spread out in ragged disarray. The Frey lordlings and their knights had raised their pavilions comfortably upstream of the latrine trenches; downstream were muddy hovels, wayns, and oxcarts. “Ser Ryman don’t want his boys getting bored, so he gives them whores and cockfights and boar baiting,” Ser Daven said. “He’s even got himself a bloody singer. Our aunt brought Whitesmile Wat from Lannisport, if you can believe it, so Ryman had to have a singer too. Couldn’t we just dam the river and drown the whole lot of them, coz?”

詹姆看見城齒間有弓箭手來來回回，徒利家的旗幟迎風(fēng)飄揚(yáng)，銀色鱒魚毫無懼色地騰躍在紅藍(lán)條紋之上。然而在最高的塔樓，卻飄揚(yáng)著另一面旗——長長的白色橫幅繡史塔克的冰原奔狼?！拔翌^一次來奔流城時(shí)，還嫩得像夏天的青草，”詹姆告訴表弟，“老薩姆納·克雷赫差我去送信，他說這封信關(guān)系重大，不能信托烏鴉。信送到后，霍斯特大人以仔細(xì)回復(fù)的名義拖拉了半個(gè)月，每次用餐，都讓他女兒萊莎坐到我身旁?！?/p>

Jaime could see archers moving behind the merlons on the castle ramparts. Above them streamed the banners of House Tully, the silver trout defiant on its striped field of red and blue. But the highest tower flew a different flag; a long white standard emblazoned with the direwolf of Stark. “The first time I saw Riverrun, I was a squire green as summer grass,” Jaime told his cousin. “Old Sumner Crakehall sent me to deliver a message, one he swore could not be entrusted to a raven. Lord Hoster kept me for a fortnight whilst mulling his reply, and sat me beside his daughter Lysa at every meal.”