瓊恩抖了抖信?！拔蚁胍彩??！彼麌@口氣，提起一支鵝毛筆，在信件底部潦草地署名。“準(zhǔn)備封蠟。”山姆在蠟燭上加熱一段黑蠟，滴了些到羊皮紙上，看著瓊恩把總司令的印鑒牢牢地摁在那攤?cè)谙炛??！按龝?huì)把這個(gè)帶給伊蒙師傅，”他命令，“讓他派烏兒送去君臨。”
Jon rattled the letter. “I suppose so.” He sighed, then took up a quill and scrawled a signature across the bottom of the letter. “Get the sealing wax.” Sam heated a stick of black wax over a candle and dribbled some onto the parchment, then watched as Jon pressed the Lord Commander’s seal down firmly on the puddle. “Take this to Maester Aemon when you leave,” he commanded, “and tell him to dispatch a bird to King’s Landing.”
“好的。”山姆猶豫不決，“大人，能否容我詢問……我剛才看見吉莉離開，她差點(diǎn)哭出來?！?/p>
“I will.” Sam hesitated. “My lord, if I might ask … I saw Gilly leaving. She was almost crying.”
“瓦邇又派她來給曼斯求情?！?/p>
“Val sent her to plead for Mance again.”
“哦?！蓖哌兪侨庵醯耐鹾蟮拿妹茫皇诽鼓崴购退氖窒路Q為“野人公主”。她姐姐妲娜死于陣中，卻并非被刀劍所傷，而是在生下曼斯·雷德的兒子時(shí)耗盡了生命。假如山姆聽到的流言不假，雷德很快就要隨她一起進(jìn)墳?zāi)沽恕！澳阍趺椿卮鹚?？?/p>
“Oh.” Val was the sister of the woman the King-beyond-the-Wall had taken for his queen. The wildling princess was what Stannis and his men were calling her. Her sister Dalla had died during the battle, though no blade had ever touched her; she had perished giving birth to Mance Rayder’s son. Rayder himself would soon follow her to the grave, if the whispers Sam had heard had any truth to them. “What did you tell her?”
“我答應(yīng)會(huì)向史坦尼斯求情，但我懷疑這不過是白費(fèi)口舌。國王的首要職責(zé)是保護(hù)國家，曼斯卻企圖攻打七大王國，陛下不可能忘記這點(diǎn)。我父親曾稱贊史坦尼斯·拜拉席恩為·人公正無私，但從來沒人提過他的寬容?！杯偠黝D了一下，皺起眉頭?！拔覍幵赣H手砍下曼斯的腦袋。他曾是守夜人的弟兄，按理，他的生命屬于我們。”
“That I would speak to Stannis, though I doubt my words will sway him. A king’s first duty is to defend the realm, and Mance attacked it. His Grace is not like to forget that. My father used to say that Stannis Baratheon was a just man. No one has ever said he was forgiving.” Jon paused, frowning. “I would sooner take off Mance’s head myself. He was a man of the Night’s Watch, once. By rights, his life belongs to us.”
“派普說梅莉珊卓打算燒死他，以便施行某種巫術(shù)?！?/p>
“Pyp says that Lady Melisandre means to give him to the flames, to work some sorcery.”
“派普應(yīng)該學(xué)會(huì)管住舌頭。我從不同的渠道都得到了這個(gè)信息。所謂國王之血，喚醒睡龍。但梅莉珊卓上哪兒去找沉睡的龍呢，沒人知道。我認(rèn)為這簡直是胡扯。曼斯跟我們大家一樣，哪有什么王室血統(tǒng)？他從沒戴上王冠，也沒坐上王座。他不過是個(gè)土霸王，血里面沒有力量。”
“Pyp should learn to hold his tongue. I have heard the same from others. King’s blood, to wake a dragon. Where Melisandre thinks to find a sleeping dragon, no one is quite sure. It’s nonsense. Mance’s blood is no more royal than mine own. He has never worn a crown nor sat a throne. He’s a brigand, nothing more. There’s no power in brigand’s blood.”
烏鴉從地板上抬起頭來。“血。”它尖叫。
The raven looked up from the floor. “Blood,” it screamed.
瓊恩不予理會(huì)?！拔乙鸭蛩妥??！?/p>
Jon paid no mind. “I am sending Gilly away.”
“噢?！鄙侥窓C(jī)械地點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭?！班牛菢印菢雍芎?，大人?！蹦菢訉λ詈?，去溫暖安全的地方，遠(yuǎn)離長城與戰(zhàn)爭。
“Oh.” Sam bobbed his head. “Well, that’s … that’s good, my lord.” It would be the best thing for her, to go somewhere warm and safe, well away from the Wall and the fighting.
“她和她的孩子一起走。如此，我們還需要給那孩子的乳奶兄弟再找個(gè)奶媽。”
“Her and the boy. We will need to find another wet nurse for his milk brother.”
“山羊奶也許可以支撐一陣子，在人奶找著之前，山羊奶比牛奶好。”這段建議是山姆從某本書里看到的。他在座位中挪了挪?！按笕?，我替你查編年史時(shí)，又找到一位少年總司令。大約在征服戰(zhàn)爭爆發(fā)的四百年前，歐斯里克·史塔克當(dāng)選，他當(dāng)時(shí)年方十歲，最終在職時(shí)間卻長達(dá)六十年。現(xiàn)在一共發(fā)現(xiàn)了四位比你年輕的總司令，大人，請寬心，在當(dāng)選者當(dāng)中，你根本不算最年輕的，迄今排在第五呢。”
“Goat’s milk might serve, until you do. It’s better for a babe than cow’s milk.” Sam had read that somewhere. He shifted in his seat. “My lord, when I was looking through the annals I came on another boy commander. Four hundred years before the Conquest. Osric Stark was ten when he was chosen, but he served for sixty years. That’s four, my lord. You’re not even close to being the youngest ever chosen. You’re fifth youngest, so far.”
“比我年輕的四位全是北境之王的兒子、兄弟或者私生子。算了，告訴我些有用的東西吧，告訴我關(guān)于我們敵人的信息?！?/p>
“The younger four all being sons, brothers, or bastards of the King in the North. Tell me something useful. Tell me of our enemy.”
“異鬼?！鄙侥诽蛱蜃齑??！熬幠晔分刑徇^它們，但不若我想象的頻繁——我是指我已經(jīng)找到并查閱過的紀(jì)錄，很明顯，還有更多的沒讀到。有些比較古老的書已散成紙片，當(dāng)我試圖翻看時(shí)，它們卻粉碎了。而那些真正的古書……或許是完全碎掉，或許是埋藏在我沒能檢查到的隱秘之地，或許……或許它們根本就不存在。我們最古老的歷史記載是安達(dá)爾人來到維斯特洛之后寫成的，先民只留下巖石上的符文，因此我們自認(rèn)為了解的關(guān)于黎明之紀(jì)元、英雄之紀(jì)元以及‘長夜’的所謂史實(shí)，統(tǒng)統(tǒng)都是數(shù)千年后修士們的補(bǔ)記。在學(xué)城，有的博士根本不相信這些。比如，上古傳說中提到很多統(tǒng)治時(shí)間長達(dá)數(shù)百年的國王，馳騁疆場一千年的騎士，而那時(shí)候根本連騎士都沒有呢。你是知道那些故事的，‘筑城者’布蘭登，‘星眼’賽米恩，夜王……我們說你是第九百九十八任守夜人軍團(tuán)總司令，但我即便從能找到的最早的名冊開始統(tǒng)計(jì)，也只數(shù)出六百七十四位總司令，那意味著……”
“The Others.” Sam licked his lips. “They are mentioned in the annals, though not as often as I would have thought. The annals I’ve found and looked at, that is. There’s more I haven’t found, I know. Some of the older books are falling to pieces. The pages crumble when I try and turn them. And the really old books … either they have crumbled all away or they are buried somewhere that I haven’t looked yet or … well, it could be that there are no such books, and never were. The oldest histories we have were written after the Andals came to Westeros. The First Men only left us runes on rocks, so everything we think we know about the Age of Heroes and the Dawn Age and the Long Night comes from accounts set down by septons thousands of years later. There are archmaesters at the Citadel who question all of it. Those old histories are full of kings who reigned for hundreds of years, and knights riding around a thousand years before there were knights. You know the tales, Brandon the Builder, Symeon Star-Eyes, Night’s King … we say that you’re the nine hundred and ninety-eighth Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, but the oldest list I’ve found shows six hundred seventy-four commanders, which suggests that it was written during …”
“最早的名冊……”瓊恩打斷他?！瓣P(guān)于異鬼有什么信息？”
“Long ago,” Jon broke in. “What about the Others?”
“書中提到龍晶。在英雄之紀(jì)元，森林之子每年贈(zèng)送給守夜人一百把黑曜石匕首。大多數(shù)故事聲稱，異鬼會(huì)在寒冷時(shí)到來，或者說寒冷是因?yàn)樗鼈兌絹?。有時(shí)候，它們在雪風(fēng)暴中出現(xiàn)，天晴時(shí)則融化殆盡。它們躲避日光，只在夜間行動(dòng)……或者說當(dāng)它們出現(xiàn)時(shí)天就變黑了。有些故事敘述它們騎著動(dòng)物的死尸，包括熊、冰原狼、長毛象、馬……反正都是已死亡的肌體。殺死小保羅的異鬼騎著一匹死馬，因此這段記述顯然是真實(shí)的。有的故事中還提到巨型冰蜘蛛，我不知道那是什么東西。還有，被異鬼殺死的人必須火化，否則尸體將會(huì)復(fù)活，成為它們的奴隸?！?/p>
“I found mention of dragonglass. The children of the forest used to give the Night’s Watch a hundred obsidian daggers every year, during the Age of Heroes. The Others come when it is cold, most of the tales agree. Or else it gets cold when they come. Sometimes they appear during snowstorms and melt away when the skies clear. They hide from the light of the sun and emerge by night … or else night falls when they emerge. Some stories speak of them riding the corpses of dead animals. Bears, direwolves, mammoths, horses, it makes no matter, so long as the beast is dead. The one that killed Small Paul was riding a dead horse, so that part’s plainly true. Some accounts speak of giant ice spiders too. I don’t know what those are. Men who fall in battle against the Others must be burned, or else the dead will rise again as their thralls.”
“這些我們都已經(jīng)知道了。真正的問題在于，該如何抵抗它們？”
“We knew all this. The question is, how do we fight them?”
“假設(shè)可以相信那些故事的話，很明顯，普通刀劍砍不進(jìn)異鬼的盔甲，”山姆道，“而且它們所使用的劍十分寒冷，足以令鋼鐵碎裂。只有火焰能影響它們，除此之外，黑曜石是它們的天敵?！彼浧鹱约涸诠碛吧种袑Ω兜哪莻€(gè)異鬼，被瓊恩制作的匕首刺入體內(nèi)后，那異鬼頓時(shí)融化了。“我找到一段關(guān)于‘長夜’的記敘，講的是最后的英雄用龍鋼之劍斬殺異鬼。它們應(yīng)該也無法抵御龍鋼。”
“The armor of the Others is proof against most ordinary blades, if the tales can be believed,” said Sam, “and their own swords are so cold they shatter steel. Fire will dismay them, though, and they are vulnerable to obsidian.” He remembered the one he had faced in the haunted forest, and how it had seemed to melt away when he stabbed it with the dragonglass dagger Jon had made for him. “I found one account of the Long Night that spoke of the last hero slaying Others with a blade of dragonsteel. Supposedly they could not stand against it.”
“龍鋼？”瓊恩皺緊眉頭，“瓦雷利亞鋼？”
“Dragonsteel?” Jon frowned. “Valyrian steel?”
“我首先想到的也是這個(gè)。”
“That was my first thought as well.”
“所以只要我說服七大王國的領(lǐng)主捐獻(xiàn)出家藏的瓦雷利亞鋼劍，大家就得救了？這不難啊。”他苦笑道，“你有沒有找到異鬼究竟是什么東西，它們從哪兒來，目的何在？”
“So if I can just convince the lords of the Seven Kingdoms to give us their Valyrian blades, all is saved? That won’t be hard.” His laugh had no mirth in it. “Did you find who the Others are, where they come from, what they want?”
“還沒有，大人，也許是我看的書不對。有數(shù)百本我連碰都沒來得及碰。再多給我點(diǎn)時(shí)間，能找到的話我一定會(huì)找到?！?/p>
“Not yet, my lord, but it may be that I’ve just been reading the wrong books. There are hundreds I have not looked at yet. Give me more time and I will find whatever there is to be found.”
“沒時(shí)間了。”瓊恩語調(diào)悲哀，“你去收拾行李，山姆，你跟吉莉一塊兒走?！?/p>
“There is no more time.” Jon sounded sad. “You need to get your things together, Sam. You’re going with Gilly.”
“走？”山姆一時(shí)沒弄明白，“我走？去東海望，大人？還是……我……”
“Going?” For a moment Sam did not understand. “I’m going? To Eastwatch, my lord? Or … where am I …”
“去舊鎮(zhèn)?！?/p>
“Oldtown.”
“去舊鎮(zhèn)？”他的聲音成了尖叫。角陵離舊鎮(zhèn)很近。回家。這個(gè)念頭讓他一陣暈眩。父親。
“Oldtown?” It came out in a squeak. Horn Hill was close to Oldtown. Home. The notion made him light-headed. My father.
“伊蒙也去?！?/p>
“Aemon as well.”
“伊蒙？伊蒙師傅？可……可他已經(jīng)一百零二歲了，大人，他不能……莫非你讓我跟他同行？那誰來照顧烏鴉？如果它們生病或者受傷，誰……”
“Aemon? Maester Aemon? But … he’s one hundred and two years old, my lord, he can’t … you’re sending him and me? Who will tend the ravens? If they’re sick or wounded, who …”
“克萊達(dá)斯。他跟隨伊蒙許多年了?！?/p>
“Clydas. He’s been with Aemon for years.”
“克萊達(dá)斯只是個(gè)事務(wù)官，眼睛又越來越差。你需要學(xué)士的輔佐。而且伊蒙學(xué)士如此虛弱，讓他出?！鄙侥废肫鹎嗤u和“青亭女王號”，幾乎咬到舌頭?！八昙o(jì)大了……也許……也許……”
“Clydas is only a steward, and his eyes are going bad. You need a maester. Maester Aemon is so frail, a sea voyage …” He thought of the Arbor and the Arbor Queen, and almost choked on his tongue. “It might … he’s old, and …”
“他的健康會(huì)有危險(xiǎn)，我很明白，山姆，但留下來的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)更大。史坦尼斯知道伊蒙是誰，假如紅袍女堅(jiān)持要國王之血來施展法術(shù)……”
“His life will be at risk. I am aware of that, Sam, but the risk is greater here. Stannis knows who Aemon is. If the red woman requires king’s blood for her spells …”
“哦?！鄙侥纺樕n白。
“Oh.” Sam paled.
“戴利恩將在東海望與你們會(huì)合，我希望他的歌聲能在南方為我們贏得一些人手?！邙B號’載你們?nèi)ゲ祭鹚?，你們先到那邊，再自行安排前往舊鎮(zhèn)的行程。若你仍打算認(rèn)吉莉的孩子作私生子，就把她和嬰兒送去角陵；如果做不到，伊蒙會(huì)為她在學(xué)城中謀個(gè)仆人的差事。”
“Dareon will join you at Eastwatch. My hope is that his songs will win some men for us in the south. The Blackbird will deliver you to Braavos. From there you’ll arrange your own passage to Oldtown. If you still mean to claim Gilly’s babe as your bastard, send her and the child on to Horn Hill. Elsewise, Aemon will find a servant’s place for her at the Citadel.”
“我的私、私、私生子。”這事是他自己提出的，對，但是……水，大海，我會(huì)淹死的。船只經(jīng)常沉沒，秋天又是風(fēng)暴的季節(jié)。然而吉莉?qū)⑴c他在一起，嬰兒能夠安全長大?！笆?，我……我母親和妹妹會(huì)幫吉莉照顧孩子?！蔽铱梢詫懛庑?，不用親自去角陵。“沒有我，戴利恩也能護(hù)送她去舊鎮(zhèn)。我……我每天下午都遵照你的指示跟烏爾馬練習(xí)箭術(shù)……呃，除了在地窖的時(shí)候，但你叫我查異鬼的資料。真的，長弓讓我肩膀酸痛，手指起泡?！彼岩粋€(gè)破裂的水泡給瓊恩看?！拔疫€在練，有的時(shí)候能射中目標(biāo)了，但我仍是守夜人里面最差勁的射手。不過我喜歡烏爾馬的故事，該有人把它們記下來，收錄在書里?！?/p>
“My b-b-bastard.” He had said that, yes, but … All that water. I could drown. Ships sink all the time, and autumn is a stormy season. Gilly would be with him, though, and the babe would grow up safe. “Yes, I … my mother and my sisters will help Gilly with the child.” I can send a letter, I won’t need to go to Horn Hill myself. “Dareon could see her to Oldtown just as well as me. I’m … I’ve been working at my archery every afternoon with Ulmer, as you commanded … well, except when I’m in the vaults, but you told me to find out about the Others. The longbow makes my shoulders ache and raises blisters on my fingers.” He showed Jon where one had burst. “I still do it, though. I can hit the target more often than not now, but I’m still the worst archer who ever bent a bow. I like Ulmer’s stories, though. Someone needs to write them down and put them in a book.”
“你來寫啊。學(xué)城里有紙有墨，也有長弓——希望你不要就此荒廢箭術(shù)。不過山姆，守夜人軍團(tuán)縱有千百射手，卻只有少數(shù)幾人能讀會(huì)寫。我要你成為輔佐我的新任學(xué)士?！?/p>
“You do it. They have parchment and ink at the Citadel, as well as longbows. I will expect you to continue with your practice. Sam, the Night’s Watch has hundreds of men who can loose an arrow, but only a handful who can read or write. I need you to become my new maester.”
這話令他猛地一縮。不，天父保佑，我以后再也不多嘴了，以七神之名起誓。放過我，請放過我吧?！按笕耍摇业穆氊?zé)在這里，那些書……”
The word made him flinch. No, Father, please, I won’t speak of it again, I swear it by the Seven. Let me out, please let me out. “My lord, I … my work is here, the books …”
“……等你回來時(shí)它們還在?！?/p>
“… will be here when you return to us.”
山姆摸摸喉嚨，他幾乎能感覺到頸鏈的存在，勒得窒息?！按笕?，學(xué)城里……他們會(huì)讓我切尸體?！辈弊颖惶鬃〉母杏X如何？你想要鎖鏈，就嘗嘗滋味。曾有三天三夜，山姆的手腳被拷在墻上，醒了就哭，哭完就睡。喉嚨的鏈子勒得最緊，把皮都磨破了，而且只要他在睡夢中翻身，便無法呼吸。“我戴不了頸鏈?！?/p>
Sam put a hand to his throat. He could almost feel the chain there, choking him. “My lord, the Citadel … they make you cut up corpses there.” They make you wear a chain about your neck. If it is chains you want, come with me. For three days and three nights Sam had sobbed himself to sleep, manacled hand and foot to a wall. The chain around his throat was so tight it broke the skin, and whenever he rolled the wrong way in his sleep it would cut off his breath. “I cannot wear a chain.”
“你可以，而且一定得戴。伊蒙學(xué)士年老且盲，力量日漸衰退。以后的日子，誰來接替他呢？影子塔的穆林學(xué)士像戰(zhàn)士而不像學(xué)者，東海望的哈慕恩學(xué)士醉酒的時(shí)間多過清醒的時(shí)間?！?/p>
“You can. You will. Maester Aemon is old and blind. His strength is leaving him. Who will take his place when he dies? Maester Mullin at the Shadow Tower is more fighter than scholar, and Maester Harmune of Eastwatch is drunk more than he’s sober.”
“如果你多問學(xué)城要幾個(gè)學(xué)士……”
“If you ask the Citadel for more maesters …”
“我有這打算，多多益善嘛。然而伊蒙·坦格利安的傳人是沒那么容易找到的。”瓊恩看上去很迷惑?！拔疫€以為你一定會(huì)高興。學(xué)城的書多得看不完，你可以在那兒過得很愉快，山姆，我相信你能學(xué)成本領(lǐng)?！?/p>
“I mean to. We’ll have need of every one. Aemon Targaryen is not so easily replaced, however.” Jon seemed puzzled. “I was certain this would please you. There are so many books at the Citadel that no man can hope to read them all. You would do well there, Sam. I know you would.”
“不行。我可以讀書，但……學(xué)士同時(shí)也是醫(yī)者，而血——血——血讓我暈眩?！彼斐鲆恢活澏兜氖纸o瓊恩看?！拔沂恰懶」怼侥?，不是什么‘殺手’?！?/p>
“No. I could read the books, but … a m-maester must be a healer and b-b-blood makes me faint.” He held out a shaky hand for Jon to see. “I’m Sam the Scared, not Sam the Slayer.”
“膽小鬼？說說，你還害怕什么？害怕老人們的斥責(zé)？山姆，你見過尸鬼涌上先民拳峰，如潮水一般的活死人，它們伸出黑色的雙手，臉上長著明亮的藍(lán)眼睛。你甚至親手殺了一個(gè)異鬼。”
“Scared? Of what? The chidings of old men? Sam, you saw the wights come swarming up the Fist, a tide of living dead men with black hands and bright blue eyes. You slew an Other.”
“是龍——龍——龍——龍晶殺的，不是我。”
“It was the d-d-d-dragonglass, not me.”
“夠了。你巧言密謀讓我當(dāng)上總司令，現(xiàn)下就得服從我的命令。你必須去學(xué)城鑄煉頸鏈，假如需要解剖尸體，那便乖乖照辦。至少，舊鎮(zhèn)的尸體不會(huì)起來抗議?！?/p>
“Be quiet. You lied and schemed and plotted to make me Lord Commander. You will obey me. You’ll go to the Citadel and forge a chain, and if you have to cut up corpses, so be it. At least in Oldtown the corpses won’t object.”
他不明白?！按笕耍鄙侥氛f，“我父——父——父——父親，藍(lán)道大人，他，他，他，他，他……他說學(xué)士的角色是服務(wù)效勞?！彼雷约赫Z無倫次。“塔利家族的兒子決不戴頸鏈，角陵的血脈不向小貴族們卑躬屈膝?！蹦阆胍i鏈，就嘗嘗滋味?！碍偠鳎也荒苓`抗父親?！?/p>
He doesn’t understand. “My lord,” Sam said, “my f-f-f-father, Lord Randyll, he, he, he, he, he … the life of a maester is a life of servitude.” He was babbling, he knew. “No son of House Tarly will ever wear a chain. The men of Horn Hill do not bow and scrape to petty lords.” If it is chains you want, come with me. “Jon, I cannot disobey my father.”
瓊恩，他叫的是瓊恩，然而瓊恩已經(jīng)不在了，面對他的是雪諾大人，灰色的眼睛如冰霜般冷酷?！澳銢]有父親，”雪諾大人說，“只有兄弟。只有我們。你的生命屬于守夜人，所以別再多言，回去收拾衣物，外加所有你想帶去舊鎮(zhèn)的東西，你們將在明天日出前一小時(shí)啟程。還有一道命令，從今以后，你再不能稱自己為膽小鬼。在過去一年中，你所經(jīng)歷的比大多數(shù)人一生經(jīng)歷的還要多。你一定能面對學(xué)城，而且你面對它時(shí)，必須作為堂堂正正誓言效命的守夜人弟兄。我不能命令你勇敢，但可以命令你隱藏恐懼。你立過誓，山姆，記得嗎？”
Jon, he’d said, but Jon was gone. It was Lord Snow who faced him now, grey eyes as hard as ice. “You have no father,” said Lord Snow. “Only brothers. Only us. Your life belongs to the Night’s Watch, so go and stuff your smallclothes into a sack, along with anything else you care to take to Oldtown. You leave an hour before sunrise. And here’s another order. From this day forth, you will not call yourself a craven. You’ve faced more things this past year than most men face in a lifetime. You can face the Citadel, but you’ll face it as a Sworn Brother of the Night’s Watch. I can’t command you to be brave, but I can command you to hide your fears. You said the words, Sam. Remember?”
我是黑暗中的利劍。但他的劍術(shù)慘不忍睹，而黑暗令他恐懼?！拔摇冶M力?！?/p>
I am the sword in the darkness. But he was wretched with a sword, and the darkness scared him. “I … I’ll try.”
“不是盡力不盡力的問題。你必須服從。”
“You won’t try. You will obey.”
“服從?！蹦獱柮傻臑貘f拍打著黑色的大翅膀。
“Obey.” Mormont’s raven flapped its great black wings.
“遵命。伊蒙……伊蒙師傅知道這事嗎？”
“As my lord commands. Does … does Maester Aemon know?”
“他跟我意見一致?！杯偠鳛樗蜷_門。“沒有告別儀式。知情人越少越好。第一道日光出現(xiàn)之前一小時(shí)，墓地邊集合。”
“It was as much his idea as mine.” Jon opened the door for him. “No farewells. The fewer folk who know of this, the better. An hour before first light, by the lichyard.”
山姆不記得自己是如何離開軍械庫的，接下來他已經(jīng)在爛泥和積雪中踉踉蹌蹌地行走了。我可以躲起來，他告訴自己，我可以躲進(jìn)書堆中的地窖里，在下面跟老鼠一起生活，夜里悄悄上來偷食物。瘋狂的念頭，他知道這徒勞無益。若是他失蹤，地窖是兄弟們首先會(huì)搜的地方，另一方面，他們最不可能搜的地方則是長城之外。然而那更瘋狂。野人會(huì)逮住我，把我慢慢折磨至死。他們有可能活活燒死我，就像紅袍女打算燒死曼斯·雷德一樣。
Sam did not recall leaving the armory. The next thing he knew he was stumbling through mud and patches of old snow, toward Maester Aemon’s chambers. I could hide, he told himself. I could hide in the vaults amongst the books. I could live down there with the mouse and sneak up at night to steal food. Crazed thoughts, he knew, as futile as they were desperate. The vaults were the first place they would look for him. The last place they would look for him was beyond the Wall, but that was even madder. The wildlings would catch me and kill me slowly. They might burn me alive, the way the red woman means to burn Mance Rayder.
他在鴉巢下面找到伊蒙學(xué)士，交上瓊恩的信，然后滔滔不絕地道出自己的恐懼。“他不明白。”山姆感覺想嘔吐。“如果我戴上項(xiàng)鏈，我父——父——父——父親大人……他，他，他……”
When he found Maester Aemon in the rookery, he gave him Jon’s letter and blurted out his fears in a great green gush of words. “He does not understand.” Sam felt as if he might throw up. “If I don a chain, my lord f-f-f-father … he, he, he …”
“我父親也曾反對我選擇服務(wù)的生涯，”老人道，“是他的父親送我去學(xué)城的。戴倫王育有四子，其中三人又生下男丁。龍繁衍太多就跟太少一樣危險(xiǎn)，他們把我送走那天，我親耳聽到陛下告誡我父親?！币撩商グ甙唿c(diǎn)點(diǎn)的手，捻著懸垂于細(xì)脖子上、由多種金屬串連而成的頸鏈?！版溩雍艹?，山姆，但我祖父的決定是明智之舉。雪諾大人的決定也一樣?！?/p>
“My own father raised the same objections when I chose a life of service,” the old man said. “It was his father who sent me to the Citadel. King Daeron had sired four sons, and three had sons of their own. Too many dragons are as dangerous as too few, I heard His Grace tell my lord father, the day they sent me off.” Aemon raised a spotted hand to the chain of many metals that dangled loose about his thin neck. “The chain is heavy, Sam, but my grandsire had the right of it. So does your Lord Snow.”
“雪諾。”一只烏鴉低聲說?！把┲Z?！绷硪恢桓胶偷?。然后所有的烏鴉都跟著叫起來，“雪諾，雪諾，雪諾，雪諾，雪諾。”是山姆教會(huì)了他們這個(gè)詞，所以在這里他注定得不到支持。他認(rèn)為伊蒙學(xué)士跟他一樣進(jìn)退兩難。他會(huì)死在海上，他絕望地想，他年紀(jì)太大，很難度過這段旅途。吉莉的嬰兒也可能會(huì)夭折，他個(gè)子不若達(dá)拉的兒子那么大，也沒那么強(qiáng)壯。瓊恩是想除掉我們嗎？
“Snow,” a raven muttered. “Snow,” another echoed. All of them picked it up then. “Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow.” Sam had taught them that word. There was no help here, he saw. Maester Aemon was as trapped as he was. He will die at sea, he thought, despairing. He is too old to survive such a voyage. Gilly’s little son may die as well, he’s not as large and strong as Dalla’s boy. Does Jon mean to kill us all?
第二天早上，山姆發(fā)現(xiàn)自己在為馬上鞍，他曾騎著這匹母馬從角陵一路來到這里。隨后，他牽它沿著向東方的道路，朝墓地走去。鞍囊里鼓鼓囊囊的塞滿了奶酪、香腸、熟雞蛋，還有半只腌火腿——這火腿是三指哈布在他命名日時(shí)送他的禮物?！澳阈∽佣眯蕾p廚藝，殺手?！睆N子說，“你這樣的人多些就好了?！被鹜仁菬o價(jià)之寶，去東海望的路冰冷漫長，而長城的陰影下沒有村鎮(zhèn)，也沒有客棧。
The next morning, Sam found himself saddling the mare he’d ridden from Horn Hill and leading her toward the lichyard beside the eastern road. Her saddlebags bulged with cheese and sausages and hard-cooked eggs, and half a salted ham that Three-Finger Hobb had given him on his name day. “You’re a man who appreciates cooking, Slayer,” the cook had said. “We need more o’ your sort.” The ham would help, no doubt. Eastwatch was a long cold ride away, and there were no towns nor inns in the shadow of the Wall.
黎明前一小時(shí)，黑暗沉寂，黑城堡寧靜得出奇。墓地里，兩輛雙輪拖車在等他，還有黑杰克·布爾威和十幾個(gè)經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的游騎兵，他們就像他們的矮種馬坐騎一樣結(jié)實(shí)強(qiáng)硬。白眼肯基用那只完好的眼睛看見了山姆，便大聲詛咒起來。“別理他，殺手，”黑杰克說，“他賭輸了，他說我們需要把尖叫著的你從床底下拽出來?！?/p>
The hour before dawn was dark and still. Castle Black seemed strangely hushed. At the lichyard, a pair of two-wheeled wayns awaited him, along with Black Jack Bulwer and a dozen seasoned rangers, tough as the garrons they rode. Kedge Whiteye cursed loudly when his one good eye spied Sam. “Don’t mind him, Slayer,” said Black Jack. “He lost a wager, said we’d need to drag you out squealing from beneath some bed.”
伊蒙學(xué)士身子太弱，騎不了馬，有一輛拖車便是為他準(zhǔn)備的。車板上獸皮堆得老高，頂上固定著皮革頂篷，以遮擋雨雪。吉莉和她的孩子將跟他一起乘坐。第二輛拖車負(fù)責(zé)運(yùn)載衣物，還有一箱伊蒙認(rèn)為學(xué)城或會(huì)缺少的稀有古書。山姆照著師傅列出的名單，花了半個(gè)晚上，才找到其中四分之一。這是件好事，否則我們還需要一輛車。
Maester Aemon was too frail to ride a horse, so a wayn had been made ready for him, its bed heaped high with furs, and a leather awning fastened overhead to keep off the rain and snow. Gilly and her child would ride with him. The second wayn would carry their clothing and possessions, along with a chest of rare old books that Aemon thought the Citadel might lack. Sam had spent half the night searching for them, though he’d found only one in four. And a good thing, or we’d need another wayn.
學(xué)士裹在一件有他三倍那么大的熊皮里，由克萊達(dá)斯領(lǐng)著往拖車走來，疾風(fēng)忽起，老人一個(gè)踉蹌。山姆趕緊沖到他身邊，用一條胳膊扶住。再來一陣風(fēng)，有可能把他吹過長城去。“抓緊我，師傅，馬上就到。”
When the maester appeared, he was bundled up in a bearskin three times his size. As Clydas led him toward the wayn, a gust of wind came up, and the old man staggered. Sam hurried to his side and put an arm about him. Another gust like that could blow him over the Wall. “Keep hold of my arm, maester. It’s not far.”
盲人點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，風(fēng)又掀開了他們的兜帽。“舊鎮(zhèn)總是很暖和。蜜酒河中有座小島，上面有家客棧，我還是個(gè)年輕學(xué)徒時(shí)常去那里。若能再坐在那兒呷蘋果酒，一定很愜意?！?/p>
The blind man nodded as the wind pushed back their hoods. “It is always warm in Oldtown. There is an inn on an island in the Honeywine where I used to go when I was a young novice. It will be pleasant to sit there once again, sipping cider.”
等他們把學(xué)士安頓到車上，吉莉懷抱著襁褓出現(xiàn)了。兜帽底下，她眼睛哭得紅紅的。瓊恩與憂郁的艾迪也同時(shí)趕到。“雪諾大人，”學(xué)士招呼，“我在我房里為你留了一本《玉海概述》，由瓦蘭提斯冒險(xiǎn)家柯洛闊·弗塔所著，他曾到東方旅行，造訪過玉海內(nèi)外所有土地。其中有一段你也許會(huì)感興趣，我讓克萊達(dá)斯標(biāo)了出來。”
By the time they got the maester into the wayn, Gilly had appeared, the child bundled in her arms. Beneath her hood her eyes were red from crying. Jon turned up at the same time, with Dolorous Edd. “Lord Snow,” Maester Aemon called, “I left a book for you in my chambers. The Jade Compendium. It was written by the Volantene adventurer Colloquo Votar, who traveled to the east and visited all the lands of the Jade Sea. There is a passage you may find of interest. I’ve told Clydas to mark it for you.”
“我一定會(huì)看。”瓊恩回答。
“I’ll be sure to read it,” Jon Snow replied.
一條白色的鼻涕從伊蒙師傅鼻子里流了出來，他用手套背面揩去?！爸R(shí)就是武器，瓊恩，戰(zhàn)斗之前先要武裝好自己。”
A line of pale snot ran from Maester Aemon’s nose. He wiped it away with the back of his glove. “Knowledge is a weapon, Jon. Arm yourself well before you ride forth to battle.”
“我會(huì)謹(jǐn)記。”這時(shí)，天空中下起小雪，朵朵柔軟的雪花緩緩飄落。瓊恩轉(zhuǎn)向黑杰克·布爾威?！氨M量加快速度，但別冒愚蠢的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。你帶著老人和嬰兒，要照顧好他們，保證他們穿暖吃飽。”
“I will.” A light snow had begun to fall, the big soft flakes drifting down lazily from the sky. Jon turned to Black Jack Bulwer. “Make as good a time as you can, but take no foolish risks. You have an old man and a suckling babe with you. See that you keep them warm and well fed.”
“您也是，大人，”吉莉說，“您對另一個(gè)孩子也要一視同仁。替他再找個(gè)奶媽，正如您答應(yīng)我的。那男孩……達(dá)拉的兒子……我是說，小王子……你要給他找個(gè)好女人，讓他長得高大強(qiáng)壯?！?/p>
“You do the same, m’lord,” said Gilly. “You do the same for t’other. Find another wet nurse, like you said. You promised me you would. The boy … Dalla’s boy … the little prince, I mean … you find him some good woman, so he grows up big and strong.”
“我保證?！杯偠鳌ぱ┲Z莊嚴(yán)地說。
“You have my word,” Jon Snow said solemnly.
“別給他取名字，別，直到他滿兩歲。還在吃奶時(shí)就取名字不吉利。你們?yōu)貘f也許不知道，但那是真的?！?/p>
“Don’t you name him. Don’t you do that till he’s past two years. It’s ill luck to name them when they’re still on the breast. You crows may not know that, but it’s true.”
“遵命，小姐?！?/p>
“As you command, my lady.”
吉莉臉上掠過一陣怒氣?！皠e這樣叫我。我是個(gè)母親，不是什么小姐。我是卡斯特的妻子，卡斯特的女兒，現(xiàn)在成了母親！”
A spasm of anger flashed across Gilly’s face. “Don’t you call me that. I’m a mother, not a lady. I’m Craster’s wife and Craster’s daughter, and a mother.”
憂郁的艾迪接過孩子，讓吉莉爬進(jìn)拖車，用發(fā)霉的獸皮蓋住雙腿。東方的天空已由黑變灰，“左手”盧急于出發(fā)。艾迪把嬰兒遞上，吉莉?qū)⑺г谛乜诔阅?。這也許是我最后一次看到黑城堡了，山姆一邊想，一邊爬上母馬。盡管他一度很討厭黑城堡，離別卻讓他難受得如同被生生撕裂。
Dolorous Edd took the babe as Gilly climbed into the wayn and covered her legs with some musty pelts. By then the eastern sky was more grey than black. Left Hand Lew was anxious to be off. Edd handed the infant up and Gilly put him to her breast. This may be the last I ever see of Castle Black, thought Sam as he hoisted himself atop his mare. As much as he had once hated Castle Black, it was tearing him apart to leave it.
“我們走?！辈紶柾铝?。鞭子一甩，拖車隆隆起步，在飄落的雪花中沿著布滿車轍的道路緩慢前進(jìn)。山姆在克萊達(dá)斯、憂郁的艾迪和瓊恩。雪諾身邊多逗留了片刻?！昂冒?，”他說，“再見。”
“Let’s do this,” Bulwer commanded. A whip snapped, and the wayns began to rumble slowly down the rutted road as the snow came down around them. Sam lingered beside Clydas and Dolorous Edd and Jon Snow. “Well,” he said, “farewell.”
“再見，山姆，”憂郁的艾迪道，“你的船不會(huì)沉，我認(rèn)為不會(huì)，只有我在船上它們才會(huì)沉?！?/p>
“And to you, Sam,” said Dolorous Edd. “Your boat’s not like to sink, I don’t think. Boats only sink when I’m aboard.”
瓊恩注視著拖車?！拔业谝淮我姷郊驎r(shí)，”他說，“她緊張地背靠著卡斯特堡壘的墻壁。她是個(gè)瘦小的黑發(fā)女孩，挺著大肚子，畏畏縮縮地躲避白靈。他抓了她的兔子，我想她害怕他會(huì)撕開她肚皮，吞食里面的嬰兒……但她真正害怕的并非那頭狼，對嗎？”
Jon was watching the wayns. “The first time I saw Gilly,” he said, “she was pressed back against the wall of Craster’s Keep, this skinny dark-haired girl with her big belly, cringing away from Ghost. He had gotten in among her rabbits, and I think she was frightened that he would tear her open and devour the babe … but it was not the wolf she should have been afraid of, was it?”
對，山姆心想，危險(xiǎn)來自于卡斯特，她的親生父親。
No, Sam thought. Craster was the danger, her own father.
“她不明白自己有多大的勇氣?！?/p>
“She has more courage than she knows.”
“你也一樣，山姆。祝愿你們的旅途迅捷而又平安，替我好好照顧她和伊蒙，還有孩子?！杯偠髂瞧婷畹奈⑿χ型钢А！袄鸲得卑?，山姆，瞧，雪花在你發(fā)際融化呢。”
“So do you, Sam. Have a swift, safe voyage, and take care of her and Aemon and the child.” Jon smiled a strange, sad smile. “And pull your hood up. The snowflakes are melting in your hair.”
