Ⅳ 群鴉的盛宴 Chapter36 瑟曦

CERSEI

天色凄暗陰濕，一上午都在下雨，到了下午，雨雖停了，仍然烏云密布，見不到太陽。連小王后也惴惴不安，她沒按慣例帶身邊那群小雞、衛(wèi)兵和仰慕者們出去騎馬，而是整天窩在處女居內(nèi)，聽藍(lán)詩人演唱。

The day had been cold and grey and wet. It had poured all morning, and even when the rain stopped that afternoon the clouds refused to part. They never saw the sun. Such wretched weather was enough to discourage even the little queen. Instead of riding with her hens and their retinue of guardsmen and admirers, she spent all day in the Maidenvault with her hens, listening to the Blue Bard sing.

瑟曦的心情也不愉快——黃昏時分才大為改觀。當(dāng)灰色的天空凝聚為漆黑，甜美瑟曦號隨晚潮入港，奧雷恩·維水求見。

Cersei’s own day was little better, till evenfall. As the grey sky began to fade to black, they told her that the Sweet Cersei had come in on the evening tide, and that Aurane Waters was without, begging audience.

太后立刻召見?？吹剿拇蟛阶?，她心知定有好消息?！氨菹?，”維水露出寬闊的笑容，“龍石島是您的了?！?/p>

The queen sent for him at once. As soon as he strode into her solar, she knew his tidings were good. “Your Grace,” he said with a broad smile, “Dragonstone is yours.”

“干得漂亮?！彼兆∷氖郑橇怂碾p頰。“托曼陛下一定會很高興。我們也可以就此釋放雷德溫大人的艦隊，好把鐵民驅(qū)趕出盾牌列島?！焙訛车胤矫?，一只烏鴉比一只烏鴉帶來的消息糟糕，鐵民似乎不滿足于新近攻占的石頭，他們集結(jié)軍隊，直溯曼德河，還襲擊青亭島及其周圍的小島。雷德溫的領(lǐng)海只留下十幾條戰(zhàn)船，至今要么被奪走，要么被擊沉。那個自稱鴉眼攸倫的瘋子甚至派長船進(jìn)入低語灣，威脅舊鎮(zhèn)。

“How splendid.” She took his hands and kissed him on the cheeks. “I know Tommen will be pleased as well. This will mean that we can release Lord Redwyne’s fleet, and drive the ironmen from the Shields.” The news from the Reach seemed to grow more dire with every raven. The ironmen had not been content with their new rocks, it seemed. They were raiding up the Mander in strength, and had gone so far as to attack the Arbor and the smaller islands that surrounded it. The Redwynes had kept no more than a dozen warships in their home waters, and all those had been overwhelmed, taken, or sunk. And now there were reports that this madman who called himself Euron Crow’s Eye was even sending longships up Whispering Sound toward Oldtown.

“甜美瑟曦號起航時，雷德溫大人正儲存物資，準(zhǔn)備回師。”維水大人報告，“不難設(shè)想，現(xiàn)下他的主力艦隊已出海了?！?/p>

“Lord Paxter was taking on provisions for the voyage home when Sweet Cersei raised sail,” Lord Waters reported. “I would imagine that by now his main fleet has put to sea.”

“祝他們一路順風(fēng)，氣候也比今天更好?！碧蟀丫S水帶到窗邊坐椅，并肩坐下?！霸蹅兊穆謇咕羰繉@場勝利可有作出貢獻(xiàn)？”

“Let us hope they enjoy a swift voyage, and better weather than today.” The queen drew Waters down into the window seat beside her. “Do we have Ser Loras to thank for this triumph?”

對方的笑容消失了，“不少人衷心欽佩他，陛下?！?/p>

His smile vanished. “Some will say so, Your Grace.”

“不少人，”她探詢地望著他，“你怎么看？”

“Some?” She gave him a quizzical look. “Not you?”

“我沒見過比他更勇敢的騎士，”維水道，“然而他把一場不流血的勝利變成了屠殺。一千人死亡或重傷，大部分是我們的人，陛下，不僅包括普通士兵，更有許多騎士和年輕領(lǐng)主，那些最優(yōu)秀和最勇敢的人?！?/p>

“I never saw a braver knight,” Waters said, “but he turned what could have been a bloodless victory into a slaughter. A thousand men are dead, or near enough to make no matter. Most of them our own. And not just common men, Your Grace, but knights and young lords, the best and the bravest.”

“洛拉斯爵士本人呢？”

“And Ser Loras himself?”

“他是第一千零一個。戰(zhàn)斗結(jié)束后，大家將他抬進(jìn)城內(nèi)，傷勢非常嚴(yán)重，由于失血過多，學(xué)士們都不敢為他吸血療傷。”

“He will make a thousand and one. They carried him inside the castle after the battle, but his wounds are grievous. He has lost so much blood that the maesters will not even leech him.”

“噢，真令人傷感。托曼一定會痛心疾首的，他十分仰慕咱們英勇的百花騎士?！?/p>

“Oh, how sad. Tommen will be heartbroken. He did so admire our gallant Knight of Flowers.”

“還有老百姓們，”她的海軍上將說，“如果洛拉斯死去，全國上下的少女將淚流成河?！?/p>

“The smallfolk too,” her admiral said. “We’ll have maidens weeping into their wine all across the realm when Loras dies.”

一點沒錯。回想洛拉斯爵士出海那天，三千平民擠到爛泥門觀看，其中四分之三是女人。太后心里十分輕蔑，她好想大聲尖叫，痛罵這幫綿羊，告訴他們洛拉斯能給的只有微笑與鮮花，然而她不能——她反而宣布洛拉斯爵士是七大王國最勇敢的騎士，并微笑著目睹托曼賜予對方寶石佩劍。國王還順勢擁抱了他，這不在瑟曦計劃之內(nèi)，但現(xiàn)在已無關(guān)緊要了。反正太后表現(xiàn)得慷慨大方，而百花騎士已幾乎一命嗚呼。

He was not wrong, the queen knew. Three thousand smallfolk had crowded through the Mud Gate to see Ser Loras off the day he sailed, and three of every four were women. The sight had only served to fill her with contempt. She had wanted to scream at them that they were sheep, to tell them that all that they could ever hope to get from Loras Tyrell was a smile and a flower. Instead she had proclaimed him the boldest knight in the Seven Kingdoms, and smiled as Tommen presented him with a jeweled sword to carry into battle. The king had given him a hug as well, which had not been part of Cersei’s plans, but it made no matter now. She could afford to be generous. Loras Tyrell was dying.

“告訴我詳情，”瑟曦命令，“巨細(xì)無遺，從頭到尾慢慢講?！?/p>

“Tell me,” Cersei commanded. “I want to know all of it, from the beginning to the end.”

等維水說完，房間已變得黑暗。太后點起幾只蠟燭，并命多卡莎去廚房拿來面包、奶酪和一點山葵調(diào)味的煮牛肉。用餐時，她讓奧雷恩把故事又說了一遍，好把細(xì)節(jié)銘記在心，反復(fù)回味?！安还茉趺凑f，我可不忍心讓別人把這噩耗帶給親愛的瑪格麗，”瑟曦道，“我親自來。”

The room had grown dark by the time that he was done. The queen lit some candles and sent Dorcas to the kitchens to bring them up some bread and cheese and a bit of boiled beef with horseradish. As they supped, she bid Aurane to tell the tale again, so she would remember all the details correctly. “I do not want our precious Margaery to hear these tidings from a stranger, after all,” she said. “I will tell her myself.”

“陛下真是太好心了。”維水笑道。一臉壞笑，太后心想。由近觀之，奧雷恩實在沒有雷加王子的影子。不錯，他們頭發(fā)類似，然而如果傳說屬實，里斯城里半數(shù)的妓女不也一樣？雷加是個頂天立地的男子漢，眼前這位不過是會耍小聰明的孩子罷了。好在他有利用價值。

“Your Grace is kind,” said Waters with a smile. A wicked smile, the queen thought. Aurane did not resemble Prince Rhaegar as much as she had thought. He has the hair, but so do half the whores in Lys, if the tales are true. Rhaegar was a man. This is a sly boy, no more. Useful in his way, though.

瑪格麗正在處女居內(nèi)啜飲葡萄美酒，和三位表妹一起玩從瓦蘭提斯進(jìn)口的新游戲。天色雖晚，守衛(wèi)們還是當(dāng)即放瑟曦進(jìn)入?！氨菹?，”太后道，“我想最好由我親自來向你通報。奧雷恩從龍石島回來了，他告訴我，你哥哥成了英雄?！?/p>

Margaery was in the Maidenvault, sipping wine and trying to puzzle out some new game from Volantis with her three cousins. Though the hour was late, the guards admitted Cersei at once. “Your Grace,” she began, “it is best you hear the news from me. Aurane is back from Dragonstone. Your brother is a hero.”

“我知道。”瑪格麗淡淡地說，語氣不帶驚訝。她為什么要驚訝？從洛拉斯懇求統(tǒng)率大軍的那晚開始，她就知道會是這個結(jié)局。然而，當(dāng)瑟曦把故事和盤托出，小王后的雙頰仍舊閃爍著晶瑩的淚珠?！袄椎聹匾衙V工在城堡底下挖掘隧道，但百花騎士嫌進(jìn)展太慢。毫無疑問，他極為關(guān)切盾牌列島上的子民，渴望把他們從水深火熱中拯救出來。據(jù)維水大人說，接管指揮權(quán)不到半天，當(dāng)史坦尼斯的代理城主拒絕了一對一決斗的提議后，你哥哥便發(fā)動總攻。攻城錘撞破城門，洛拉斯當(dāng)先殺入，他騎馬沖入巨龍口中，一身白衣白甲，流星錘左右揮舞，大家說他勇不可擋?！?/p>

“I always knew he was.” Margaery did not seem surprised. Why should she? She expected this, from the moment Loras begged for the command. Yet by the time Cersei had finished with her tale, tears glistened on the cheeks of the younger queen. “Redwyne had miners working to drive a tunnel underneath the castle walls, but that was too slow for the Knight of Flowers. No doubt he was thinking of your lord father’s people suffering on the Shields. Lord Waters says he ordered the assault not half a day after taking command, after Lord Stannis’s castellan refused his offer to settle the siege between them in single combat. Loras was the first one through the breach when the ram broke the castle gates. He rode straight into the dragon’s mouth, they say, all in white and swinging his morningstar about his head, slaying left and right.”

梅歌·提利爾已哭出聲來?！八趺此赖?？”她問，“誰殺了他？”

Megga Tyrell was sobbing openly by then. “How did he die?” she asked. “Who killed him?”

“沒人殺得了他，”瑟曦道，“洛拉斯爵士中了冷箭，一箭射中大腿，一箭射穿肩膀，但他堅持奮戰(zhàn)，浴血搏斗。后來，他又被釘頭錘打碎了幾根肋骨。再后來……不……不，最可怕的部分還是別說的好?！?/p>

“No one man has that honor,” said Cersei. “Ser Loras took a quarrel through the thigh and another through the shoulder, but he fought on gallantly, though the blood was streaming from him. Later he suffered a mace blow that broke some ribs. After that … but no, I would spare you the worst of it.”

“告訴我，”瑪格麗說，“這是命令?！?/p>

“Tell me,” said Margaery. “I command it.”

命令？瑟曦頓了一頓，旋即決定不要破壞當(dāng)前的氣氛?！巴獬窍萋浜?，敵軍遁入內(nèi)城，洛拉斯窮追不舍。他被沸油當(dāng)頭淋下。”

Command it? Cersei paused a moment, then decided she would let that pass. “The defenders fell back to an inner keep once the curtain wall was taken. Loras led the attack there as well. He was doused with boiling oil.”

雅蘭小姐的臉色慘白猶如粉筆，她從屋子里逃了出去。

Lady Alla turned white as chalk, and ran from the room.

“維水大人親口保證，學(xué)士們做了一切能做的治療，但你哥哥的燒傷實在太嚴(yán)重?！鄙貓?zhí)起瑪格麗的手，以示安慰，“他拯救了王國?！彼H吻小王后的臉頰，嘗到淚水的咸味?！罢材窌阉挠⑿凼论E盡數(shù)收錄于白典之中，歌手們會將他的名諱傳唱千年。”

“The maesters are doing all they can, Lord Waters assures me, but I fear your brother is too badly burned.” Cersei took Margaery in her arms to comfort her. “He saved the realm.” When she kissed the little queen upon the cheek, she could taste the salt of her tears. “Jaime will enter all his deeds in the White Book, and the singers will sing of him for a thousand years.”

瑪格麗掙脫她的擁抱，用力之猛，幾乎讓瑟曦摔倒?！八麤]死！”

Margaery wrenched free of her embrace, so violently that Cersei almost fell. “Dying is not dead,” she said.

“不，不過學(xué)士們說——”

“No, but the maesters say—”

“沒死！”

“Dying is not dead!”

“我只想分擔(dān)你的——”

“I only want to spare you—”

“我知道你想干什么。出去?！?/p>

“I know what you want. Get out.”

現(xiàn)下你總算明白小喬去世那晚，我是什么心情了吧。太后鞠了一躬，穿上貴婦人的盔甲?！坝H愛的女兒，我真為你感到遺憾。我走了，請不要太過傷感?！?/p>

Now you know how I felt, the night my Joffrey died. She bowed, her face a mask of cool courtesy. “Sweet daughter. I am so sad for you. I will leave you with your grief.”

當(dāng)晚，瑪瑞魏斯夫人沒來陪寢，瑟曦發(fā)現(xiàn)自己無法入睡。若泰溫大人尚在人世，一定會稱贊我才是他真正的繼承人，凱巖城的傳人，她一邊想，一邊聽喬斯琳·史威佛在枕頭對面輕聲打鼾。瑪格麗很快就要流下她當(dāng)初為喬佛里所流的傷心淚了，梅斯·提利爾也會悲痛欲絕，、然而太后沒給他絲毫興師問罪的理由。再怎么說，她不正是把自己的榮譽(yù)托付給洛拉斯嗎？半個宮廷的人都看見百花騎士跪在她面前，言辭真摯地懇求披掛上陣。

Lady Merryweather did not appear that night, and Cersei found herself too restless to sleep. If Lord Tywin could see me now, he would know he had his heir, an heir worthy of the Rock, she thought as she lay abed with Jocelyn Swyft snoring softly into the other pillow. Margaery would soon be weeping the bitter tears she should have wept for Joffrey. Mace Tyrell might weep as well, but she had given him no cause to break with her. What had she done, after all, but honor Loras with her trust? He had requested the command on bended knee whilst half her court looked on.

他死后，我會為他樹立雕像，再給他一場君臨城從未見過的華麗葬禮。百姓們會喜歡，托曼也會?？蓱z的梅斯甚至?xí)蛑屑の?。至于梅斯那可惡的母親，諸神開眼，但愿這消息殺了她。

When he dies I must raise a statue of him somewhere, and give him a funeral such as King’s Landing has never seen. The smallfolk would like that. So would Tommen. Mace may even thank me, poor man. As for his lady mother, if the gods are good this news will kill her.

第二天日出是瑟曦多年未曾目睹的美景，坦妮婭也出現(xiàn)了，她聲稱自己昨晚一直在安慰瑪格麗那幫人，與她們一起飲酒、哭泣，談?wù)撀謇??！艾敻覃惾匀徽J(rèn)為哥哥沒死，”太后一邊聽瑪瑞魏斯夫人報告，一邊為上朝換裝，“她打算派自己的學(xué)士前去照料。她的表親們則不停地祈禱圣母慈悲?！?/p>

The sunrise was the prettiest that Cersei had seen in years. Taena appeared soon thereafter, and confessed to having spent the night consoling Margaery and her ladies, drinking wine and crying and telling tales of Loras. “Margaery is still convinced he will not die,” she reported, as the queen was dressed for court. “She plans to send her own maester to look after him. The cousins are praying for the Mother’s mercy.”

“我也會加入祈禱。明天，和我一起去貝勒大圣堂吧，我們要為英勇的百花騎士點起一百根蠟燭?！彼D(zhuǎn)向侍女?！岸嗫ㄉ?，把王冠拿來。對，新的那頂?！边@一頂比原先的輕，然而淡白色金箍上嵌有祖母綠，稍微扭頭便閃閃發(fā)光。

“I shall pray as well. On the morrow, come with me to Baelor’s Sept, and we will light a hundred candles for our gallant Knight of Flowers.” She turned to her handmaid. “Dorcas, bring my crown. The new one, if you please.” It was lighter than the old, pale spun gold set with emeralds that sparkled when she turned her head.

“今天有四個人帶來侏儒的消息。”喬斯琳將求見的奧斯蒙爵士帶入。

“There are four come about the Imp this morning,” Ser Osmund said, when Jocelyn admitted him.

“四個？”太后感到一陣幸福的驚訝。近來，至紅堡覲見的形色人等越來越多，各各聲稱有提利昂的線索。然而一天來四個還是破天荒頭一遭。

“Four?” The queen was pleasantly surprised. A steady stream of informers had been making their way to the Red Keep, claiming knowledge of Tyrion, but four in one day was unusual.

“是的，”奧斯蒙道，“其中一個帶來了人頭?！?/p>

“Aye,” said Osmund. “One brought a head for you.”

“那我先見他。把他帶進(jìn)書房?！边@次不會再錯了吧。等了這么久，我也應(yīng)該報仇雪恨，讓小喬安息了。修士們說七乃是神圣的數(shù)字，如果真是這樣，那這第七顆人頭當(dāng)能遂她心愿。

“I will see him first. Bring him to my solar.” This time, let there be no mistakes. Let me be avenged at long last, so Joff can rest in peace. The septons said that the number seven was sacred to the gods. If so, perhaps this seventh head would bring her the balm her soul desired.

來人是泰洛西人，生得矮小粗胖，諂媚的笑容讓她不由得想起了瓦里斯。此人分叉的胡須染成綠粉兩色。瑟曦厭惡他的外表，但若他箱子里裝的真是提利昂的人頭，這些便不算什么。箱子由雪松木所制，以象牙雕出藤蔓與鮮花的圖案，用白金鑲邊并做搭扣。名貴之極，但太后只關(guān)心里面的內(nèi)容。至少，箱子夠大，提利昂人小畸形，頭大得不成比例。

The man proved to be Tyroshi; short and stout and sweaty, with an unctuous smile that reminded her of Varys and a forked beard dyed green and pink. Cersei misliked him on sight, but was willing to overlook his flaws if he actually had Tyrion’s head inside the chest he carried. It was cedar, inlaid with ivory in a pattern of vines and flowers, with hinges and clasps of white gold. A lovely thing, but the queen’s only interest lay in what might be within. It is big enough, at least. Tyrion had a grotesquely large head, for one so small and stunted.

“陛下，”泰洛西人深深鞠躬，低沉地說，“您就跟傳說中一樣美麗。即使在狹海對岸，您的絕世風(fēng)采仍舊被人們傳誦贊揚(yáng)。我們也為您的不幸而悲傷，它該是如何地折磨著您溫柔的心靈啊。是的，沒有人可以把您勇敢的兒子還給您，但我希望自己至少能減輕您的痛苦?！彼咽址旁谘┧赡鞠渥由??！拔医o您帶來了正義，我?guī)砹四腣ALONQAR的首級?！?/p>

“Your Grace,” the Tyroshi murmured, bowing low, “I see you are as lovely as the tales. Even beyond the narrow sea we have heard of your great beauty, and the grief that tears your gentle heart. No man can restore your brave young son to you, but it is my hope I can at least offer you some balm for your pain.” He laid his hand upon his chest. “I bring you justice. I bring you the head of your valonqar.”

這個古老的瓦雷利亞詞匯令她不禁汗毛直豎，卻也給了她無窮的希翼?！靶耗Р皇俏业男值?，以前不是，現(xiàn)在更不是，”她大聲宣布，“我也不愿說他的名字。那個名字曾屬于偉人，但他玷污了它?！?/p>

The old Valyrian word sent a chill through her, though it also gave her a tingle of hope. “The Imp is no longer my brother, if he ever was,” she declared. “Nor will I say his name. It was a proud name once, before he dishonored it.”

“在泰洛西，我們稱他為‘血手’，因為他雙手染滿鮮血——國王的血，父親的血，有人說他還殺了母親，用尖利的爪子撕開子宮降生于世。”

“In Tyrosh we name him Redhands, for the blood running from his fingers. A king’s blood, and a father’s. Some say he slew his mother too, ripping his way from her womb with savage claws.”

胡說，瑟曦心想?！按蟾攀前桑彼龖?yīng)道，“如果小惡魔的人頭真在箱子里面，我將當(dāng)場賜封你為伯爵，并賞予城堡和土地?！鳖^銜不過是廉價品，而河間地多的是廢棄的堡壘，它們荒涼地矗立在焚毀的村落與野草蔓生的田野之中?！俺⑦€等著我開會，你快快把箱子打開?！?/p>

What nonsense, Cersei thought. “ ’Tis true,” she said. “If the Imp’s head is in that chest, I shall raise you to lordship and grant you rich lands and keeps.” Titles were cheaper than dirt, and the riverlands were full of ruined castles, standing desolate amidst untended fields and burned villages. “My court awaits. Open the box and let us see.”

泰洛西人用浮華夸張的姿勢掀開箱子，微笑著退離兩步。箱子里面，淡藍(lán)色天鵝絨布上，一顆侏儒的頭瞪視著她。

The Tyroshi threw open the box with a flourish, and stepped back smiling. Within, the head of a dwarf reposed upon a bed of soft blue velvet, staring up at her.

瑟曦瞧了很長時間?！斑@不是我弟弟?！彼炖飮L到苦味。我抱著這么大希望，尤其是在洛拉斯的事件之后，我還以為諸神……“這個人雙眼都是棕色，而提利昂的眼睛一黑一碧?！?/p>

Cersei took a long look. “That is not my brother.” There was a sour taste in her mouth. I suppose it was too much to hope for, especially after Loras. The gods are never that good. “This man has brown eyes. Tyrion had one black eye and one green.”

“眼睛，眼睛……哦，陛下，很不幸，您弟弟的眼睛已經(jīng)……已經(jīng)腐爛了。我用玻璃來代替……然而顏色剛巧弄錯了，請您原諒?！?/p>

“The eyes, just so … Your Grace, your brother’s own eyes had … somewhat decayed. I took the liberty of replacing them with glass … but of the wrong color, as you say.”

這話讓她更憤怒?！八遣Ａе樽?，我臉上長的可是雪亮招子。告訴你，就算龍石島上的石像鬼雕像也比這家伙長得更像小惡魔。他禿了頂，而且年紀(jì)有我弟弟的兩倍，還有，牙齒哪兒去了？這怎么回事？”

That only annoyed her further. “Your head may have glass eyes, but I do not. There are gargoyles on Dragonstone that look more like the Imp than this creature. He’s bald, and twice my brother’s age. What happened to his teeth?”

泰洛西人在她的怒火面前似乎縮了一圈?！八懈鄙虾玫慕鹧溃菹?，可我們……很抱歉……”

The man shrank before the fury in her voice. “He had a fine set of gold teeth, Your Grace, but we … I regret …”

“噢，沒到你說抱歉的時候。你會后悔的?！蔽艺嫦氘?dāng)場扼死他，教他掙扎呼吸，直到面孔變黑，就像我親愛的兒子那樣。她幾乎叫出口來。

“Oh, not yet. But you will.” I ought to have him strangled. Let him gasp for breath until his face turns black, the way my sweet son did. The words were on her lips.

“這是個誤會，誠實的誤會，侏儒們長得太像，所以……對了，陛下您看，他也沒鼻子……”

“An honest mistake. One dwarf looks so much like another, and … Your Grace will observe, he has no nose …”

“他當(dāng)然沒鼻子，因為被你砍掉了！”

“He has no nose because you cut it off.”

“不是！”泰洛西人額頭密布的汗珠出賣了他。

“No!” The sweat on his brow gave the lie to his denial.

“不是？”一絲滿含怨毒的甜蜜滲入瑟曦的語調(diào)中，“至少你還不算太笨，上一個白癡居然要我相信某位雇傭巫師讓侏儒的鼻子長了回來。不過呢，既然你欠侏儒一個鼻子，那好，蘭尼斯特有債必還，馬林爵士，把這騙子扔給科本。”

“Yes.” A poisonous sweetness crept into Cersei’s tone. “At least you had that much sense. The last fool tried to tell me that a hedge wizard had regrown it. Still, it seems to me that you owe this dwarf a nose. House Lannister pays its debts, and so shall you. Ser Meryn, take this fraud to Qyburn.”

馬林·特蘭爵士抓住泰洛西人的胳膊，將抗議不止的矮子拖了出去。他們走后，瑟曦轉(zhuǎn)向奧斯蒙·凱特布萊克?！皧W斯蒙爵士，清掉這顆頭，再帶其他三個線人來見我?！?/p>

Ser Meryn Trant took the Tyroshi by the arm and hauled him off, still protesting. When they were gone, Cersei turned to Osmund Kettleblack. “Ser Osmund, get this thing out of my sight, and bring in the other three who claim knowledge of the Imp.”

“是，陛下?！?/p>

“Aye, Your Grace.”

很不幸，這三位自稱曉得小惡魔行蹤的白癡比泰洛西人更沒用。其中一人說小惡魔藏在舊鎮(zhèn)的妓院，靠嘴巴取悅男人維生，這是副滑稽的圖景，但瑟曦根本不信；第二個人說侏儒在布拉佛斯加入了雜耍藝人的劇團(tuán)；第三個人則稱提利昂在河間地某個山頭上裝神弄鬼。對他們?nèi)耍囟际窍嗤幕卮??！叭绻隳苤敢吟庀掠赂业尿T士們?nèi)プ侥玫叫耗?，一定重重有賞，”她承諾，“聽清楚，得是小惡魔本人，如果不是他……好吧，我的騎士不會容忍欺騙行徑，也不會容忍白癡的胡言亂語。若報告有誤，便割舌頭?！贝搜砸怀?，三位線人無一例外都躊躇起來，紛紛聲稱自己見到的小惡魔有可能是別的侏儒。

Sad to say, the three would-be informers proved no more useful than the Tyroshi. One said that the Imp was hiding in an Oldtown brothel, pleasuring men with his mouth. It made for a droll picture, but Cersei did not believe it for an instant. The second claimed to have seen the dwarf in a mummer’s show in Braavos. The third insisted Tyrion had become a hermit in the riverlands, living on some haunted hill. The queen made the same response to each. “If you will be so good as to lead some of my brave knights to this dwarf, you shall be richly rewarded,” she promised. “Provided that it is the Imp. If not … well, my knights have little patience for deception, nor fools who send them chasing after shadows. A man could lose his tongue.” And quick as that, all three informers suddenly lost faith, and allowed that perhaps it might have been some other dwarf they saw.

瑟曦沒想到世上竟有這么多侏儒?！疤煜乱驯贿@些扭曲的小怪物占滿了嗎？”最后一個線人帶下去之后，她抱怨道，“他們究竟有多少？”

Cersei had never realized there were so many dwarfs. “Is the whole world overrun with these twisted little monsters?” she complained, whilst the last of the informers was being ushered out. “How many of them can there be?”

“反正現(xiàn)在比以前少了，”瑪瑞魏斯夫人微笑，“我能有幸陪陛下上朝嗎？”

“Fewer than there were,” said Lady Merryweather. “May I have the honor of accompanying Your Grace to court?”

“你能忍受朝會的冗長與煩瑣的話，就來吧，”瑟曦說，“勞勃在大多數(shù)事情上都很傻，但這一樁他是對的：統(tǒng)治王國是多么乏味的工作啊?！?/p>

“If you can bear the tedium,” said Cersei. “Robert was a fool about most things, but he was right in one regard. It is wearisome work to rule a kingdom.”

“看到陛下如此煩惱，我很難過。依我之見，咱們不如悠閑一會兒，讓國王之手去聽取那些無聊的請愿吧。咱們可以扮成女仆，到市場里玩耍，聽聽他們怎么議論龍石島的陷落。我知道藍(lán)詩人沒被小王后聘為幕僚之前常獻(xiàn)藝的酒館，我還知道一個魔術(shù)師的地窖，在那里，魔術(shù)師能把水銀變成黃金，清水化為美酒，女孩變成男孩?；蛟S他能為你我二人施下魔咒，陛下，您介意做一夜的男人嗎？”

“It saddens me to see Your Grace so careworn. I say, run off and play and leave the King’s Hand to hear these tiresome petitions. We could dress as serving girls and spend the day amongst the smallfolk, to hear what they are saying of the fall of Dragonstone. I know the inn where the Blue Bard plays when he is not singing attendance on the little queen, and a certain cellar where a conjurer turns lead into gold, water into wine, and girls into boys. Perhaps he would work his spells on the two of us. Would it amuse Your Grace to be a man one night?”

如果能當(dāng)男人，我要成為詹姆，太后心想，如果能當(dāng)男人，我要以自己之名而非托曼之名君臨七大王國?！安唤橐猓灰氵€做女人，”瑟曦道，她心知這是坦妮婭想要的回答，“你拿這些色迷迷的東西來引誘我，真是個小壞蛋，不過，身為攝政王太后，我怎能把朝政交給那個雙手顫抖不休的哈瑞斯·史威佛呢？”

If I were a man I would be Jaime, the queen thought. If I were a man I could rule this realm in my own name in place of Tommen’s. “Only if you remained a woman,” she said, knowing that was what Taena wanted to hear. “You are a wicked thing to tempt me so, but what sort of queen would I be if I put my realm in the trembling hands of Harys Swyft?”

坦妮婭撅起嘴巴，“陛下太嚴(yán)肅了?！?/p>

Taena pouted. “Your Grace is too diligent.”

“沒錯，”瑟曦同意，“每天結(jié)束時我都會為此后悔?！彼炱瓞斎鹞核狗蛉说母觳??！白甙??！?/p>

“I am,” Cersei allowed, “and by day’s end I shall rue it.” She slipped her arm through Lady Merryweather’s. “Come.”

今日賈拉巴·梭爾第一個來請愿，作為流放中的王子，他身份最高。只見他穿著明亮的羽毛披風(fēng)，外表十分光鮮，說出口的卻是卑謙的求懇。瑟曦等他說完慣常的言語——無非是要鐵王座資助他軍隊好去奪回家鄉(xiāng)紅花谷島云云——隨后道：“陛下有自己的戰(zhàn)爭要打，賈拉巴王子，目前沒有一兵一卒可以抽調(diào)。等明年吧，再看看情況?！边@是勞勃慣常的回答，她決定盡快改變，等到明年，她將宣布永不遠(yuǎn)征盛夏群島。但今日有龍石島的大喜事，還是別再影響心情了。

Jalabhar Xho was the first to petition her that day, as befit his rank as a prince in exile. Splendid as he looked in his bright feathered cloak, he had only come to beg. Cersei let him make his usual plea for men and arms to help him regain Red Flower Vale, then said, “His Grace is fighting his own war, Prince Jalabhar. He has no men to spare for yours just now. Next year, perhaps.” That was what Robert always told him. Next year she would tell him never, but not today. Dragonstone was hers.

煉金術(shù)士公會的哈林大人第二個前來，他請求若在剛收復(fù)的龍石島上發(fā)現(xiàn)龍蛋，讓他手下的火術(shù)士來加以孵化?！叭绻旋埖按嬖?，史坦尼斯早就賣來換錢，以支持叛亂了?！碧蟪獾馈Ｋ鞠氪蟠筚H損這瘋狂的想法一番，自坦格利安家族最后的巨龍死去以后，所有試圖將龍喚回世間的努力不僅徒勞，而且?guī)砹怂劳?、?zāi)禍與恥辱。

Lord Hallyne of the Guild of Alchemists presented himself, to ask that his pyromancers be allowed to hatch any dragon’s eggs that might turn up upon Dragonstone, now that the isle was safely back in royal hands. “If any such eggs remained, Stannis would have sold them to pay for his rebellion,” the queen told him. She refrained from saying that the plan was mad. Ever since the last Targaryen dragon had died, all such attempts had ended in death, disaster, or disgrace.

一群商人要鐵王座居中調(diào)解他們與布拉佛斯鐵金庫之間的糾紛。布拉佛斯人要求立即歸還大筆款項，而且拒絕新一輪借貸。我們需要自己的銀行，瑟曦決定，“藍(lán)尼斯港金庫”就挺好?；蛟S等托曼的王位鞏固之后，她便著手操辦此事，目前，她只好吩咐商人們盡量償付這幫布拉佛斯的吸血鬼。

A group of merchants appeared before her to beg the throne to intercede for them with the Iron Bank of Braavos. The Braavosi were demanding repayment of their outstanding debts, it seemed, and refusing all new loans. We need our own bank, Cersei decided, the Golden Bank of Lannisport. Perhaps when Tommen’s throne was secure, she could make that happen. For the nonce, all she could do was tell the merchants to pay the Braavosi usurers their due.

教會代表是她的老朋友雷那德修士。六名戰(zhàn)士之子護(hù)送他穿過城市，一行七人，神圣而吉祥。新任總主教——或者照月童所言，新任大麻雀——做什么都要合乎“七”的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，連騎士們的劍帶都染成七色條紋。此外，水晶裝飾在騎士的長劍圓頭和巨盔頂上，他們的盾牌更是自征服戰(zhàn)爭以來就不多見的風(fēng)箏盾，上面的徽章幾世紀(jì)之久未曾亮出：黑底上閃耀的七彩寶劍?？票菊f，迄今已有近百名騎士宣誓加入戰(zhàn)士之子，愿意為之獻(xiàn)身，而且數(shù)目每天都在增長。天下的白癡還真多咧！

The delegation from the Faith was headed by her old friend Septon Raynard. Six of the Warrior’s Sons escorted him across the city; together they were seven, a holy and propitious number. The new High Septon—or High Sparrow, as Moon Boy had dubbed him—did everything by sevens. The knights wore swordbelts striped in the seven colors of the Faith. Crystals adorned the pommels of their longswords and the crests of their greathelms. They carried kite shields of a style not common since the Conquest, displaying a device not seen in the Seven Kingdoms for centuries: a rainbow sword shining bright upon a field of darkness. Close to a hundred knights had already come forth to pledge their lives and swords to the Warrior’s Sons, Qyburn claimed, and more turned up every day. Drunk on the gods, the lot of them. Who would have thought the realm contained so many of them?

加入的騎士大多是諸侯的門客或雇傭騎士之流，但也有少數(shù)出自名門望族，如無繼承權(quán)的次子幼子、地方領(lǐng)主或企圖洗刷罪孽的老人，甚至藍(lán)賽爾也在內(nèi)。當(dāng)科本告訴她，她那白癡表弟放棄了剛得來的城堡、領(lǐng)地和老婆，回到都城加入重生的戰(zhàn)士之子時，瑟曦認(rèn)為簡直是個天大的笑話——而眼下，他竟堂而皇之地站在眼前這群故作虔誠的白癡當(dāng)中。

Most had been household knights and hedge knights, but a handful were of high birth; younger sons, petty lords, old men wanting to atone for the old sins. And then there was Lancel. She had thought Qyburn must be japing when he had told her that her mooncalf cousin had forsaken castle, lands, and wife and wandered back to the city to join the Noble and Puissant Order of the Warrior’s Sons, yet there he stood with the other pious fools.

瑟曦厭惡他們，她更厭惡大麻雀忘恩負(fù)義，無休無止地前來騷擾。“總主教閣下呢？”她劈面質(zhì)問雷那德，“我要見他本人?！?/p>

Cersei liked that not at all. Nor was she pleased by the High Sparrow’s endless truculence and ingratitude. “Where is the High Septon?” she demanded of Raynard. “It was him I summoned.”

雷那德修士抱歉地說：“總主教閣下派我作他的代表，他要我向陛下聲明：他受七神托付，必須與邪惡之行做殊死搏斗。”

Septon Raynard assumed a regretful tone. “His High Holiness sent me in his stead, and bade me tell Your Grace that the Seven have sent him forth to battle wickedness.”

“搏斗？怎么搏斗？在絲綢街里宣揚(yáng)貞潔嗎？他以為妓女禱告之后就會變回處子？”

“How? By preaching chastity along the Street of Silk? Does he think praying over whores will turn them back to virgins?”

“我們的身軀由天父與圣母形塑而成，雌雄結(jié)合，代代繁衍，”雷那德答道，“婦女出賣身上最神圣的部位乃是罪大惡極?！?/p>

“Our bodies were shaped by our Father and Mother so we might join male to female and beget trueborn children,” Raynard replied. “It is base and sinful for women to sell their holy parts for coin.”

若非太后心知肚明雷那德修士在絲綢街的每家妓院都是熟客，這番虔誠的聲明好歹能留下一點影響。毫無疑問，他覺得背誦大麻雀的廢話總比擦地板舒服?！皠e對我傳教，”她告訴他，“妓院老板們來抱怨過了，而且說得在理?！?/p>

The pious sentiment would have been more convincing if the queen had not known that Septon Raynard had special friends in every brothel on the Street of Silk. No doubt he had decided that echoing the High Sparrow’s twitterings was preferable to scrubbing floors. “Do not presume to preach at me,” she told him. “The brothel keepers have been complaining, and rightly so.”

“罪人們的言語，有何可聽之處？”

“If sinners speak, why should the righteous listen?”

“罪人們維持著國庫，”太后直截了當(dāng)?shù)氐?，“有了‘侏儒的銅板’，我才能支付金袍衛(wèi)士的工資，才能建造戰(zhàn)艦來保衛(wèi)海岸。此外，還有貿(mào)易問題，如果君臨城連間妓院都沒有，那商船寧可去暮谷城或海鷗鎮(zhèn)也不會來這里，明白嗎？總主教閣下曾向我親口保證會維持市井的安寧，窯子嘛，正是維持安寧所不可或缺的東西。一旦剝奪了人們行淫的權(quán)利，人們就會轉(zhuǎn)向強(qiáng)暴，所以，從今往后，叫總主教閣下待在自己的圣堂里好好禱告，那才是此類活動該當(dāng)進(jìn)行的地方?！?/p>

“These sinners feed the royal coffers,” the queen said bluntly, “and their pennies help pay the wages of my gold cloaks and build galleys to defend our shores. There is trade to be considered as well. If King’s Landing had no brothels, the ships would go to Duskendale or Gulltown. His High Holiness promised me peace in my streets. Whoring helps to keep that peace. Common men deprived of whores are apt to turn to rape. Henceforth let His High Holiness do his praying in the sept where it belongs.”

太后以為蓋爾斯大人會緊接著來抱怨財政，出現(xiàn)的卻是派席爾國師，他臉色灰敗，用懊惱的語調(diào)訴說羅斯比本人已病得下不了床?！昂苓z憾，恐怕蓋爾斯大人很快就會與他尊貴的先祖?zhèn)儓F(tuán)聚了。愿天父公正地裁判他?！?/p>

The queen had expected to hear from Lord Gyles as well, but instead Grand Maester Pycelle appeared, grey-faced and apologetic, to tell her that Rosby was too weak to leave his bed. “Sad to say, I fear Lord Gyles must join his noble forebears soon. May the Father judge him justly.”

羅斯此死后，梅斯·提利爾和小王后會不會順勢強(qiáng)迫我接受粗胖的加爾斯？“蓋爾斯大人咳嗽了這么多年，只當(dāng)是家常便飯，偏偏在這節(jié)骨眼上……”瑟曦抱怨，“他咳嗽著度過了勞勃的一半統(tǒng)治期和喬佛里的朝代，現(xiàn)在要死，只能證明有人故意害他。”

If Rosby dies, Mace Tyrell and the little queen will try and force Garth the Gross on me again. “Lord Gyles has had that cough for years, and it never killed him before,” she complained. “He coughed through half of Robert’s reign and all of Joffrey’s. If he is dying now, it can only be because someone wants him dead.”

派席爾國師滿腹狐疑地眨巴眼睛，“陛下？誰想害蓋爾斯大人?。俊?/p>

Grand Maester Pycelle blinked in disbelief. “Your Grace? Wh-who would want Lord Gyles dead?”

“他的繼承人，或許吧?！倍喟胧切⊥鹾蟆！坝只蛟S是他得罪過的女人。”瑪格麗、梅斯和荊棘女王合謀，有何不可？畢竟蓋爾斯擋了她們的道?！霸倩蛘呤鞘裁闯鹑速頂持?，甚至就是你干的。”

“His heir, perhaps.” Or the little queen. “Some woman he once scorned.” Margaery and Mace and the Queen of Thorns, why not? Gyles is in their way. “An old enemy. A new one. You.”

老人大吃一驚，“陛——陛下說想吧。我……我替蓋爾斯大人清腸、放血、敷藥、治療……用霧汽水減輕他的痛苦，以甜睡花教他少受咳嗽的折磨，不過最近他的肺腔開始出血……”

The old man blanched. “Y-your Grace japes. I … I have purged his lordship, bled him, treated him with poultices and infusions … the mists give him some relief and sweetsleep helps with the violence of his coughing, but he is bringing up bits of lung with the blood now, I fear.”

“算了算了，你回去告訴蓋爾斯大人，我不準(zhǔn)他死?！?/p>

“Be that as it may. You will return to Lord Gyles and inform him that he does not have my leave to die.”