EDDARD

58 艾德

The straw on the

floor stank of urine. There was no window, no bed, not even a slop bucket. He

remembered walls of pale red stone festooned with patches of nitre, a grey door

of splintered wood, four inches thick and studded with iron. He had seen them,

briefly, a quick glimpse as they shoved him inside. Once the door had slammed

shut, he had seen no more. The dark was absolute. He had as well been blind.

铺在地板的稻草充满尿臊昧。这里没有窗户，没有床，连个潲水桶都没有。他依稀记得墙壁是淡红色的，露出一片片硝石，有一扇碎木做的灰门，足有四尺厚，上面钉了铁钉。他被推进来时，短暂地看了屋内几眼，等门“轰”地一声关上，就什么也看不清了。这里没有一丝光线，他和瞎子无异。

Or dead. Buried

with his king. “Ah, Robert,” he murmured as his groping hand touched a cold

stone wall, his leg throbbing with every motion. He remembered the jest the

king had shared in the crypts of Winterfell, as the Kings of Winter looked on

with cold stone eyes. The king eats, Robert had said, and the Hand takes the

shit. How he had laughed. Yet he had gotten it wrong. The king dies, Ned Stark

thought, and the Hand is buried.

或者说，和死人无异。他和他的国王一同被埋在地底了。“啊，劳勃。”他喃喃说，探出手去，摸到冰冷的石墙，每动一下，受伤的脚就抽痛一次。他回忆起当时在临冬城的地下墓窖里，在历代冬境之王雕像的冷冷石眼注视下，国王所说的笑话。国王吃席，劳勃这么说，首相拉屎。那时他笑得好不开心哪，只可惜他弄错了。应该是国王一死，奈德·史塔克心想，首相陪葬。

The dungeon was

under the Red Keep, deeper than he dared imagine. He remembered the old stories

about Maegor the Cruel, who murdered all the masons who labored on his castle,

so they might never reveal its secrets.

地牢位于红堡之下，到底有多深，他不敢去想。他想起与“残酷的”梅葛有关的那些故事，传说所有为他建筑城堡的工匠都遭他谋害，如此一来他们便永不能泄露其中秘密。

He damned them

all: Littlefinger, Janos Slynt and his gold cloaks, the queen, the Kingslayer,

Pycelle and Varys and Ser Barristan, even Lord Renly, Robert’s own blood, who

had run when he was needed most. Yet in the end he blamed himself. “Fool,” he

cried to the darkness, “thrice-damned blind fool.”

他诅咒他们每个人小指头、杰诺·史林特和他的金袍卫队、王后、弑君者、派席尔、瓦里斯和巴利斯坦爵士，甚至劳勃的亲弟弟蓝礼公爵，因为他在自己最需要他的时候逃之夭夭。然而到了最后，他责怪的是自己。“蠢才！”他对着黑暗大喊，“你这个天杀的蠢才！”

Cersei

Lannister’s face seemed to float before him in the darkness. Her hair was full

of sunlight, but there was mockery in her smile. “When you play the game of

thrones, you win or you die,” she whispered. Ned had played and lost, and his

men had paid the price of his folly with their life’s blood.

瑟曦·兰尼斯特的脸庞在黑暗中浮现眼前。她的秀发宛若阳光，微笑中带着嘲弄。“在权力的游戏之中，你不当赢家，就只有死路一条。”她悄声说。奈德输了这场游戏，他的部属以鲜血和生命为他的愚蠢付出了代价。

When he thought

of his daughters, he would have wept gladly, but the tears would not come. Even

now, he was a Stark of Winterfell, and his grief and his rage froze hard inside

him.

思及两个女儿，他只想放声痛哭一场，可眼泪却硬是掉不下来。纵然到了这步田地，他依旧是个临冬城的史塔克，他的悲伤和狂怒都冻结在体内。

When he kept

very still, his leg did not hurt so much, so he did his best to lie unmoving.

For how long he could not say. There was no sun and no moon. He could not see

to mark the walls. Ned closed his eyes and opened them; it made no difference.

He slept and woke and slept again. He did not know which was more painful, the

waking or the sleeping. When he slept, he dreamed: dark disturbing dreams of

blood and broken promises. When he woke, there was nothing to do but think, and

his waking thoughts were worse than nightmares. The thought of Cat was as painful

as a bed of nettles. He wondered where she was, what she was doing. He wondered

whether he would ever see her again.

假如他安静不动，伤腿便不至于痛得太厉害，于是他尽可能地躺着不动。究竟躺了多久，他说不准。这里没有日升月落，什么也看不见，连在墙上做记号都不行。睁眼还是闭眼，一切都无分别。他睡了又醒，醒了又睡，不知睡着和醒来哪一个比较痛苦。睡着的时候会做梦，黑暗的、扰人的梦，充斥着血光以及不能遵守的约定；醒来的时候，除了思考，无事可做，然而他心中所想却比噩梦还可怕。想起凯特，有如躺在荨麻编成的床上那般苦痛。他幻想着此时此刻她置身何处，正在做些什么，却不知此生是否还能与她重逢。

Hours turned to

days, or so it seemed. He could feel a dull ache in his shattered leg, an itch

beneath the plaster. When he touched his thigh, the flesh was hot to his

fingers. The only sound was his breathing. After a time, he began to talk

aloud, just to hear a voice. He made plans to keep himself sane, built castles

of hope in the dark. Robert’s brothers were out in the world, raising armies at

Dragonstone and Storm’s End. Alyn and Harwin would return to King’s Landing

with the rest of his household guard once they had dealt with Ser Gregor.

Catelyn would raise the north when the word reached her, and the lords of river

and mountain and Vale would join her.

时间流逝，日子一天天过去，至少感觉起来是这样。石膏下的断腿隐隐作痛，开始发痒。他碰碰大腿，热得发烫。这里惟一的声音，是他的呼吸。时间一久，他开始大声说话，只为了能听见声音。他拟订计划，决心保持神智清醒，在黑暗中筑起希望的城堡。劳勃的两位弟弟安然无恙，此刻正在龙石岛和风息堡整军待发。埃林和哈尔温一旦解决格雷果爵士，便将率领他其余的卫士返回君临。而凯特琳一旦接获消息，便会号召北方诸侯揭竿而起，而三河流域和艾林谷的贵族都会与她并肩作战。

He found himself

thinking of Robert more and more. He saw the king as he had been in the flower

of his youth, tall and handsome, his great antlered helm on his head, his

warhammer in hand, sitting his horse like a horned god. He heard his laughter

in the dark, saw his eyes, blue and clear as mountain lakes. “Look at us, Ned,”

Robert said. “Gods, how did we come to this? You here, and me killed by a pig.

We won a throne together?.?.?.?”

他发现自己不断想起劳勃，一次又一次。他看到青春年少的国王，高大英俊，头戴鹿盔，手持战锤，骑在马上宛如长角巨神。黑暗中他听见他的笑声，望着他那对碧蓝澄澈宛如山中湖泊的眼睛。“奈德，你看看我们，”劳勃说，“诸神在上，我们怎会落到这步田地？你被关在这儿，我死在一头猪脚下。当初我们可是一起打下江山，赢得王位……”

I failed you,

Robert, Ned thought. He could not say the words. I lied to you, hid the truth.

I let them kill you.

劳勃，我对不起你，奈德心想，但他实在说不出口，我欺骗了你，隐瞒了真相，让他们害死了你。

The king heard

him. “You stiff-necked fool,” he muttered, “too proud to listen. Can you eat

pride, Stark? Will honor shield your children?” Cracks ran down his face,

fissures opening in the flesh, and he reached up and ripped the mask away. It

was not Robert at all; it was Littlefinger, grinning, mocking him. When he

opened his mouth to speak, his lies turned to pale grey moths and took wing.

但国王还是听到了。“你这个硬脖子的蠢蛋，”他喃喃道，“心高气傲，就是不肯听话。史塔克，自尊心能拿来吃吗？荣誉感能保护你的孩子吗？”他的脸一块块剥落，皮肤出现裂口，接着他伸手扯下面具。原来那根本不是劳勃，而是嘿嘿直笑、嘲弄着他的小指头。他张口想说话，但他的谎言变成灰白的蛾，拍拍翅膀飞走了。

Ned was

half-asleep when the footsteps came down the hall. At first he thought he

dreamt them; it had been so long since he had heard anything but the sound of

his own voice. Ned was feverish by then, his leg a dull agony, his lips parched

and cracked. When the heavy wooden door creaked open, the sudden light was

painful to his eyes.

脚步声从走廊上传来时，奈德正在半睡半醒之间，起初还以为是自己作梦，因为除了自言自语，他已经太久没听见别的声音。他发着高烧，嘴唇干裂，腿伤隐隐作痛。沉重的木门“咿呀”一声打开时，突如其来的光线刺痛了他的眼睛。

A gaoler thrust

a jug at him. The clay was cool and beaded with moisture. Ned grasped it with

both hands and gulped eagerly. Water ran from his mouth and dripped down

through his beard. He drank until he thought he would be sick. “How

long?.?.?.??” he asked weakly when he could drink no more.

一名狱卒丢了个罐子给他。陶罐很凉，表面密布水珠。奈德双手紧紧捧住，饥渴地大口吞咽。水从嘴角流下，滴进胡子里。他一直喝到不适方才停下。“过了多久……？”他虚弱地问。

The gaoler was a

scarecrow of a man with a rat’s face and frayed beard, clad in a mail shirt and

a leather half cape. “No talking,” he said as he wrenched the jug from Ned’s

hands.

狱卒瘦得像个稻草人，生着一张老鼠脸，胡子割得长短不齐。他穿了一件甲衣，外罩半身皮革斗篷。“不准说话。”说着他把水罐从奈德手里夺走。

“Please,” Ned said, “my daughters?.?.?.?” The door crashed shut. He

blinked as the light vanished, lowered his head to his chest, and curled up on

the straw. It no longer stank of urine and shit. It no longer smelled at all.

“求求你，”奈德说，“我的女儿……”大门轰地关上，光线倏然消失。他眨眨眼，低下头，蜷缩在稻草上。稻草闻起来不再有尿水和粪便的味道，闻起来一点味道都没有了。

He could no

longer tell the difference between waking and sleeping. The memory came

creeping upon him in the darkness, as vivid as a dream. It was the year of

false spring, and he was eighteen again, down from the Eyrie to the tourney at

Harrenhal. He could see the deep green of the grass, and smell the pollen on

the wind. Warm days and cool nights and the sweet taste of wine. He remembered

Brandon’s laughter, and Robert’s berserk valor in the melee, the way he laughed

as he unhorsed men left and right. He remembered Jaime Lannister, a golden

youth in scaled white armor, kneeling on the grass in front of the king’s

pavilion and making his vows to protect and defend King Aerys. Afterward, Ser

Oswell Whent helped Jaime to his feet, and the White Bull himself, Lord

Commander Ser Gerold Hightower, fastened the snowy cloak of the Kingsguard

about his shoulders. All six White Swords were there to welcome their newest

brother.

他再也分不出睡着与醒来的差别。黑暗中，回忆悄然袭上心头，栩栩如生宛如幻境。那一年是“错误的春天”，他又回到了十八岁，陪着琼恩和劳勃从鹰巢城下山，远赴赫伦堡参加比武大会。他见到绿草长青，闻到风中花粉。温暖的白昼，凉爽的夜晚，甜美的酒香。他记得布兰登的笑，记得劳勃在团体比武中的狂暴威猛，记得他一边左劈右砍，将对手一个个击落马下，一边哈哈大笑的模样。他也记得身穿白色鳞甲的金发少年詹姆·兰尼斯特，跪在国王帐前的草地上，宣誓守护伊里斯国王。宣誓完毕之后，奥斯威尔·河安爵士扶詹姆起身，铁卫队长“白牛”杰洛·海塔尔爵士亲自为他系上御林铁卫的雪白披风。六位白骑士通通到场，欢迎他们新加入的弟兄。

Yet when the

jousting began, the day belonged to Rhaegar Targaryen. The crown prince wore

the armor he would die in: gleaming black plate with the three-headed dragon of

his House wrought in rubies on the breast. A plume of scarlet silk streamed

behind him when he rode, and it seemed no lance could touch him. Brandon fell

to him, and Bronze Yohn Royce, and even the splendid Ser Arthur Dayne, the

Sword of the Morning.

比武会持续了十日，但在关键的马上长枪比武中，只有雷加·坦格利安抢尽了风头。当年王太子身上所穿的盔甲与他日后战死那天无异：闪闪发光的黑铠，胸前是红宝石镶成的三头龙，正是他的家徽。他骑马奔驰，一条鲜红丝带在背后流动，没有长枪能碰他分毫。布兰登被他刺落马下，青铜约恩·罗伊斯亦然，就连“拂晓神剑”亚瑟·戴恩爵士也不例外。

Robert had been

jesting with Jon and old Lord Hunter as the prince circled the field after

unhorsing Ser Barristan in the final tilt to claim the champion’s crown. Ned

remembered the moment when all the smiles died, when Prince Rhaegar Targaryen

urged his horse past his own wife, the Dornish princess Elia Martell, to lay

the queen of beauty’s laurel in Lyanna’s lap. He could see it still: a crown of

winter roses, blue as frost.

当王太子在决胜战中击倒巴利斯坦爵士，绕场一周，准备接下优胜宝冠时，劳勃正与琼恩和老杭特伯爵作最后的拼斗。奈德记得雷加·坦格利安催马跑过自己的妻子——多恩领马泰尔家族的伊莉亚公主，将爱与美的皇后的桂冠放在莱安娜膝上。全场观众笑容消失的那一刻，至今依然历历在目，那是一顶冬雪玫瑰编织而成的皇冠，碧蓝如霜。

Ned Stark

reached out his hand to grasp the flowery crown, but beneath the pale blue

petals the thorns lay hidden. He felt them clawing at his skin, sharp and

cruel, saw the slow trickle of blood run down his fingers, and woke, trembling,

in the dark.

奈德·史塔克伸手去抓那项花冠，但浅蓝色的花瓣底下却暗藏着剌。尖利残酷的刺撕扯皮肤，他看着鲜血缓缓流下手指。骤然惊醒，四周一片黑暗。

Promise me, Ned,

his sister had whispered from her bed of blood. She had loved the scent of

winter roses.

奈德，答应我，躺卧血床的妹妹朝他低语。她生前最爱冬雪玫瑰的芳香。

“Gods save me,” Ned wept. “I am going mad.”

“诸神救我，”奈德泣不成声。“我要疯了。”

The gods did not

deign to answer.

天上诸神没有回应。

Each time the

turnkey brought him water, he told himself another day had passed. At first he

would beg the man for some word of his daughters and the world beyond his cell.

Grunts and kicks were his only replies. Later, when the stomach cramps began,

he begged for food instead. It made no matter; he was not fed. Perhaps the

Lannisters meant for him to starve to death. “No,” he told himself. If Cersei

had wanted him dead, he would have been cut down in the throne room with his

men. She wanted him alive. Weak, desperate, yet alive. Catelyn held her

brother; she dare not kill him or the Imp’s life would be forfeit as well.

每当狱卒带水给他喝，他就告诉自己又过了一天。起初他还拜托来人，请他说说女儿的消息，以及外面发生了什么，但咕哝和脚踢是惟一的回答。几“天”后，他肚子抽筋，便改向狱卒求恳食物，结果还是相同，他依然没东西吃。或许兰尼斯特家打算把他生生饿死。“不对。”他对自己说。倘若瑟曦要置他于死地，他早就和部下一起被砍倒在王座厅了。她要他活着，不论如何虚弱，如何绝望，都要留下他一条命。凯特琳手上还握有她的弟弟；她若是杀他，那么小恶魔也会没命。

From outside his

cell came the rattle of iron chains. As the door creaked open, Ned put a hand

to the damp wall and pushed himself toward the light. The glare of a torch made

him squint. “Food,” he croaked.

囚室外传来铁链碰撞的声音。门突然打开，奈德伸手撑住潮湿的墙壁，往光明的地方爬去。火炬的强光刺得他眯起眼睛。“食物，”他哑着嗓子说。

“Wine,” a voice answered. It was not the rat-faced man; this gaoler

was stouter, shorter, though he wore the same leather half cape and spiked

steel cap. “Drink, Lord Eddard.” He thrust a wineskin into Ned’s hands.

“我带了酒来，”一个声音应道。不是那个老鼠脸；这次的狱卒比较矮胖，但同样穿着半身皮斗篷，戴了有刺钢盔。“艾德大人，您快喝吧。”他将一个酒袋塞进奈德手里。

The voice was

strangely familiar, yet it took Ned Stark a moment to place it. “Varys?” he

said groggily when it came. He touched the man’s face. “I’m not?.?.?.?not

dreaming this. You’re here.” The eunuch’s plump cheeks were covered with a dark

stubble of beard. Ned felt the coarse hair with his fingers. Varys had

transformed himself into a grizzled turnkey, reeking of sweat and sour wine.

“How did you?.?.?.?what sort of magician are you?”

这声音出奇地熟悉，但奈德·史塔克过了一阵子才想起来。“瓦里斯？”他虚弱不堪地说，伸手摸摸对方的脸。“我……我不是在作梦。真的是你。”太监肥胖的脸颊上覆盖着粗短的黑胡茬，奈德的手指感觉到它们的粗糙。瓦里斯把自己变成了大胡子狱卒，浑身上下散发着汗臭和劣酒的气味。“你是怎么……你到底是个什么样的魔术师？”

“A thirsty one,” Varys said. “Drink, my lord.”

“口很渴的魔术师。”瓦里斯道，“大人，快喝吧。”

Ned’s hands

fumbled at the skin. “Is this the same poison they gave Robert?”

奈德的手慌乱地捧着酒袋。“他们给劳勃喝的，就是这种毒药么？”

“You wrong me,” Varys said sadly. “Truly, no one loves a eunuch. Give

me the skin.” He drank, a trickle of red leaking from the corner of his plump

mouth. “Not the equal of the vintage you offered me the night of the tourney,

but no more poisonous than most,” he concluded, wiping his lips. “Here.”

“您错怪我了，”瓦里斯哀伤地说，“果真是没人喜欢太监啊。酒袋给我。”他喝了几口，红色的酒液从他肥厚的嘴角流淌下来。“这虽然不能和比武大会当晚您请我喝的酒相提并论，但也绝非毒药。”他抹抹嘴下了结论。“来。”

Ned tried a

swallow. “Dregs.” He felt as though he were about to bring the wine back up.

奈德试着啜下一口。“这是酒糟。”他觉得自己快吐出来了。

“All men must swallow the sour with the sweet. High lords and eunuchs

alike. Your hour has come, my lord.”

“是啊，不管你是王公贵族还是太监走卒，酸的甜的都得学着吞。大人，您的时辰近了。”

“My daughters?.?.?.?”

“我女儿们……”

“The younger girl escaped Ser Meryn and fled,” Varys told him. “I

have not been able to find her. Nor have the Lannisters. A kindness, there. Our

new king loves her not. Your older girl is still betrothed to Joffrey. Cersei

keeps her close. She came to court a few days ago to plead that you be spared.

A pity you couldn’t have been there, you would have been touched.” He leaned

forward intently. “I trust you realize that you are a dead man, Lord Eddard?”

“您的小女儿从马林爵士手边逃脱了，”瓦里斯告诉他，“我到现在都没能找到她，兰尼斯特的人也找不到，这多少算是诸神慈悲罢，因为我们的新国王并不爱她。您的大女儿依然是乔佛里的未婚妻，瑟曦把她留在身边，她几天前刚上朝为您求情。只可惜您不在场，否则一定会大受感动。”他意图昭昭地往前靠。“艾德大人，想必您知道自己在劫难逃吧？”

“The queen will not kill me,” Ned said. His head swam; the wine was

strong, and it had been too long since he’d eaten. “Cat?.?.?.?Cat holds her

brother?.?.?.?”

“王后不会杀我，”奈德说。他开始头晕目眩；这酒太烈，他又太久没有进食。“凯特……凯特手里有她弟弟……”

“The wrong brother,” Varys sighed. “And lost to her, in any case. She

let the Imp slip through her fingers. I expect he is dead by now, somewhere in

the Mountains of the Moon.”

“但不是她爱的弟弟，”瓦里斯叹道，“而且这会儿也跑了。显然是她让小恶魔从手里钻了出去。我看他现在多半已经死在明月山脉里某个不知名的地方了吧。”

“If that is true, slit my throat and have done with it.” He was dizzy

from the wine, tired and heartsick.

“倘若真是这样，那快快割了我喉咙，做个了结。”酒劲上涌，他身心俱疲，头脑昏沉。

“Your blood is the last thing I desire.”

“我对您的血一点兴趣都没有。”

Ned frowned.

“When they slaughtered my guard, you stood beside the queen and watched, and said

not a word.”

奈德皱眉：“当他们屠杀我的手下时，你可是站在王后身边袖手旁观，一声不吭。”

“And would again. I seem to recall that I was unarmed, unarmored, and

surrounded by Lannister swords.” The eunuch looked at him curiously, tilting

his head. “When I was a young boy, before I was cut, I traveled with a troupe

of mummers through the Free Cities. They taught me that each man has a role to

play, in life as well as mummery. So it is at court. The King’s Justice must be

fearsome, the master of coin must be frugal, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard

must be valiant?.?.?.?and the master of whisperers must be sly and obsequious

and without scruple. A courageous informer would be as useless as a cowardly

knight.” He took the wineskin back and drank.

“换做是现在，我还是会那么做。我记得自己当时不但手无寸铁，没盔没甲，还被兰尼斯特的武士团团围住。”太监歪着头，好奇地打量他。“我小时候，还没被割之前，曾跟戏班子在自由贸易城邦巡回演出。他们教会我一件事，那就是每个人都有自己该扮演的角色，戏里戏外都一样。朝廷里也是如此，所以御前执法官必须模样凶神恶煞，财政大臣要勤俭成性，御林铁卫队长则需勇武过人……而情报总管呢，当然应该诡计多端、擅长逢迎拍捧、行事无孔不入。而一个勇气十足的情报头子，就和一个懦弱胆小的骑士一样没用。”

Ned studied the

eunuch’s face, searching for truth beneath the mummer’s scars and false

stubble. He tried some more wine. This time it went down easier. “Can you free

me from this pit?”

奈德审视着太监的脸，搜寻他的假疤痕和假胡子下的真相。他又试着喝了点酒，这回顺口多了。“你能把我从这地穴救出去吗？”

“I could?.?.?.?but will I? No. Questions would be asked, and the

answers would lead back to me.”

“我能……但我要不要这么做呢？当然不。到时候一定有人展开调查，而所有的线索都会指向我。”

Ned had expected

no more. “You are blunt.”

奈德原本也不期望他答应。“你还真是实话实说。”

“A eunuch has no honor, and a spider does not enjoy the luxury of

scruples, my lord.”

“大人，太监没有荣誉，蜘蛛也没有行事顾及自尊的福分。”

“Would you at least consent to carry a message out for me?”

“那你可否至少替我送封信？”

“That would depend on the message. I will gladly provide you with

paper and ink, if you like. And when you have written what you will, I will

take the letter and read it, and deliver it or not, as best serves my own

ends.”

“得视信的内容而定。您要的话，我很乐意提供纸笔。等你写好之后，我会把信拿来读一遍，至于要不要送出去，则要看信是否合乎我个人目的了。”

“Your own ends. What ends are those, Lord Varys?”

“你的目的？瓦里斯大人，敢问您的目的又是什么？”

“Peace,” Varys replied without hesitation. “If there was one soul in

King’s Landing who was truly desperate to keep Robert Baratheon alive, it was

me.” He sighed. “For fifteen years I protected him from his enemies, but I

could not protect him from his friends. What strange fit of madness led you to

tell the queen that you had learned the truth of Joffrey’s birth?”

“和平。”瓦里斯毫不迟疑地回答，“假如说君临城里有哪个灵魂真心诚意想保住劳勃·拜拉席恩的性命，那便是我。”他叹了口气。“十五年来，我尽心竭力保护他免遭敌人伤害，到头来却免不了他为朋友所害。您脑筋里究竟是有些什么疯狂念头，让您跑去告诉太后，说您知道乔佛里的真实身份？”

“The madness of mercy,” Ned admitted.

“仁慈的疯狂念头。”奈德坦承。

“Ah,” said Varys. “To be sure. You are an honest and honorable man,

Lord Eddard. Ofttimes I forget that. I have met so few of them in my life.” He

glanced around the cell. “When I see what honesty and honor have won you, I

understand why.”

“啊，”瓦里斯道，“可不是么？艾德大人，您是个正直磊落的人，我常常忘记这点，因为我这辈子很少遇见您这样的人。”他环顾囚室四周。“当我见到诚实和荣誉给您带来何种下场之后，我终于明白这是为什么了。”

Ned Stark laid

his head back against the damp stone wall and closed his eyes. His leg was

throbbing. “The king’s wine?.?.?.?did you question Lancel?”

奈德·史塔克低头枕在潮湿的石墙上，闭上了眼睛。他的伤腿隐隐作痛。“国王喝的酒……你查问过蓝赛尔吗？”

“Oh, indeed. Cersei gave him the wineskins, and told him it was

Robert’s favorite vintage.” The eunuch shrugged. “A hunter lives a perilous

life. If the boar had not done for Robert, it would have been a fall from a

horse, the bite of a wood adder, an arrow gone astray?.?.?.?the forest is the

abbatoir of the gods. It was not wine that killed the king. It was your mercy.”

“当然问了。酒袋是瑟曦给他的，还告诉他那是劳勃最喜欢的佳酿。”太监耸耸肩。“打猎本来就危险，纵使那头猪没杀死劳勃，他也会摔下马来，被毒蛇咬，或者是一枝射偏的箭……森林是天上诸神的屠宰场。但是，杀死国王的不是药酒，而是您的‘仁慈’。”

Ned had feared

as much. “Gods forgive me.”

奈德就怕这个。“诸神饶恕我。”

“If there are gods,” Varys said, “I expect they will. The queen would

not have waited long in any case. Robert was becoming unruly, and she needed to

be rid of him to free her hands to deal with his brothers. They are quite a

pair, Stannis and Renly. The iron gauntlet and the silk glove.” He wiped his

mouth with the back of his hand. “You have been foolish, my lord. You ought to

have heeded Littlefinger when he urged you to support Joffrey’s succession.”

“假如世间真有神灵存在，”瓦里斯道，“我想他们不会苛责您的。反正瑟曦也不会等太久。劳勃越来越难驾驭，她必须先除掉他，才能放手对付他两个弟弟。史坦尼斯和蓝礼两个还真是一对，一个铁甲拳，一个丝手套。”他用手背抹抹嘴。“大人，您太蠢了，当初您应该听从小指头的建议，拥护乔佛里登基。”

“How?.?.?.?how could you know of that?”

“你……你怎么知道？”

Varys smiled. “I

know, that’s all that need concern you. I also know that on the morrow the queen

will pay you a visit.”

瓦里斯微微一笑。“您只要知道我知道这件事就够了。我还知道太后明天会来拜访您。”

Slowly Ned

raised his eyes. “Why?”

奈德缓缓抬眼。“为什么？”

“Cersei is frightened of you, my lord?.?.?.?but she has other enemies

she fears even more. Her beloved Jaime is fighting the river lords even now.

Lysa Arryn sits in the Eyrie, ringed in stone and steel, and there is no love

lost between her and the queen. In Dorne, the Martells still brood on the

murder of Princess Elia and her babes. And now your son marches down the Neck

with a northern host at his back.”

“大人，瑟曦虽然怕你……但她更怕别人。她亲爱的詹姆此刻正与河间贵族作战，莱莎·艾林高据鹰巢城，占有天险，兵力雄厚，而她和太后向来不睦。多恩领方面，马泰尔家族至今依旧对伊莉亚公主和她小婴儿的死怀恨在心。更何况这会儿令公子又带着北方诸侯大军越过颈泽往南来了。”

“Robb is only a boy,” Ned said, aghast.

“罗柏只是个孩子。”奈德大惊失色。

“A boy with an army,” Varys said. “Yet only a boy, as you say. The

king’s brothers are the ones giving Cersei sleepless nights?.?.?.?Lord Stannis

in particular. His claim is the true one, he is known for his prowess as a

battle commander, and he is utterly without mercy. There is no creature on

earth half so terrifying as a truly just man. No one knows what Stannis has

been doing on Dragonstone, but I will wager you that he’s gathered more swords

than seashells. So here is Cersei’s nightmare: while her father and brother

spend their power battling Starks and Tullys, Lord Stannis will land, proclaim

himself king, and lop off her son’s curly blond head?.?.?.?and her own in the

bargain, though I truly believe she cares more about the boy.”

“是个握有大军的孩子。”瓦里斯道，“不过如您所说，他毕竟只是个孩子。真正令瑟曦寝食难安的是国王的两个弟弟。……尤其是史坦尼斯大人。他的继承权名正言顺，本人又能征善战，而且绝不心软。这世上再没有谁比一个绝对刚正不阿的人更可怕。这段时间史坦尼斯在龙石岛做些什么，没有人知道，可我敢打赌，他是在招聚兵马，决非收集贝壳。所以啰，瑟曦怕的就是：当她的父亲和弟弟对付史塔克家和徒利家的时候，史坦尼斯趁机登陆，自立为王，并砍掉她儿子那个生了漂亮卷发的头……当然，她自己也难保性命，虽说我真的相信她比较在乎孩子。”

“Stannis Baratheon is Robert’s true heir,” Ned said. “The throne is

his by rights. I would welcome his ascent.”

“史坦尼斯·拜拉席恩是劳勃真正的继承人，”奈德说，“王位本归他所有，我欢迎他登基为王。”

Varys tsked.

“Cersei will not want to hear that, I promise you. Stannis may win the throne,

but only your rotting head will remain to cheer unless you guard that tongue of

yours. Sansa begged so sweetly, it would be a shame if you threw it all away.

You are being given your life back, if you’ll take it. Cersei is no fool. She

knows a tame wolf is of more use than a dead one.”

瓦里斯啐了一声。“我跟您保证，瑟曦可不想听到这句。史坦尼斯虽有可能夺得王位，但您要是不多管管自己的舌头，到时候恐怕就只剩一颗烂掉的头欢迎他了。珊莎那么努力地为您求情，若是不把握机会，实在太可惜。老实说，眼下只要您愿意，可以逃过一劫。瑟曦不笨，她知道驯服的狼比一条死狼有用得多。”

“You want me to serve the woman who murdered my king, butchered my

men, and crippled my son?” Ned’s voice was thick with disbelief.

“这女人谋害我的国王，屠杀我的部下，还把我儿子摔成残废，你竟然要我为她效力？”奈德难以置信。

“I want you to serve the realm,” Varys said. “Tell the queen that you

will confess your vile treason, command your son to lay down his sword, and

proclaim Joffrey as the true heir. Offer to denounce Stannis and Renly as

faithless usurpers. Our green-eyed lioness knows you are a man of honor. If you

will give her the peace she needs and the time to deal with Stannis, and pledge

to carry her secret to your grave, I believe she will allow you to take the

black and live out the rest of your days on the Wall, with your brother and

that baseborn son of yours.”

“我要你为国家效力，”瓦里斯道，“您只需对太后承诺愿意坦白邪恶的叛国罪行，命令你儿子放下武器，尊乔佛里为真正的国王，并指称史坦尼斯和蓝礼是忘恩负义的叛逆，这样就行了。我们的碧眼母狮子知道您是个言行一致的人，只要您给她时间和力气对付史坦尼斯，并保证死也不说出她的秘密，那么我相信她会同意您穿上黑衣，在长城和您弟弟，还有您那私生子一起度过余生。”

The thought of

Jon filled Ned with a sense of shame, and a sorrow too deep for words. If only

he could see the boy again, sit and talk with him?.?.?.?pain shot through his

broken leg, beneath the filthy grey plaster of his cast. He winced, his fingers

opening and closing helplessly. “Is this your own scheme,” he gasped out at

Varys, “or are you in league with Littlefinger?”

想到琼恩，奈德满怀羞耻，以及一种言词难以形容的深深哀恸。如果能再看看那孩子，坐下来和他好好谈心就好了……剧痛从断腿脏污的灰色石膏底下传来，他皱紧眉头，手指无助地又张又阖。“这是你的主意，”他喘着气对瓦里斯说，“还是你和小指头一起想出来的？”

That seemed to

amuse the eunuch. “I would sooner wed the Black Goat of Qohor. Littlefinger is

the second most devious man in the Seven Kingdoms. Oh, I feed him choice

whispers, sufficient so that he thinks I am his?.?.?.?just as I allow Cersei to

believe I am hers.”

这话似乎令太监甚觉有趣。“要我跟他同伙，那我宁可娶一只科霍尔的黑羊。小指头是七国上下第二狡猾的人。哎，我是会给他挑一些有用的消息，刚好足以让他‘以为’我是他的人……就好像我让瑟曦也如此相信。”

“And just as you let me believe that you were mine. Tell me, Lord

Varys, who do you truly serve?”

“就好像你让我也如此相信。瓦里斯大人，请您告诉我，您到底为谁效力？”

Varys smiled

thinly. “Why, the realm, my good lord, how ever could you doubt that? I swear

it by my lost manhood. I serve the realm, and the realm needs peace.” He

finished the last swallow of wine, and tossed the empty skin aside. “So what is

your answer, Lord Eddard? Give me your word that you’ll tell the queen what she

wants to hear when she comes calling.”

瓦里斯浅浅一笑。“唉，大人，这还用说吗？我当然是为国效力了。我以我失去的命根子发誓，我为国家效命，而国家需要的正是和平。”他喝完最后一口酒，把空酒袋丢到一边。“所以啰，艾德大人，您的回答是什么？请您向我保证，等太后到来时，您会说出她想听的话。”

“If I did, my word would be as hollow as an empty suit of armor. My

life is not so precious to me as that.”

“如果我作这种保证，那我的誓言与没人穿的空洞铠甲何异？我的命不至于珍贵到那种地步。”

“Pity.” The eunuch stood. “And your daughter’s life, my lord? How

precious is that?”

“可惜。”太监起身。“那么大人，您女儿的性命呢？那又有多珍贵？”

A chill pierced

Ned’s heart. “My daughter?.?.?.?”

一股寒意袭上奈德心头。“我女儿……”

“Surely you did not think I’d forgotten about your sweet innocent, my

lord? The queen most certainly has not.”

“大人，您总不会以为我忘记了您纯真的乖女儿呢？太后她可是绝对不会忘记。”

“No,” Ned pleaded, his voice cracking. “Varys, gods have mercy, do as

you like with me, but leave my daughter out of your schemes. Sansa’s no more

than a child.”

“不要，”奈德哑着嗓子哀求。“瓦里斯，诸神慈悲，要杀要剐我任你处置，但别把我女儿牵扯进来。珊莎不过是个孩子。”

“Rhaenys was a child too. Prince Rhaegar’s daughter. A precious

little thing, younger than your girls. She had a small black kitten she called

Balerion, did you know? I always wondered what happened to him. Rhaenys liked

to pretend he was the true Balerion, the Black Dread of old, but I imagine the

Lannisters taught her the difference between a kitten and a dragon quick

enough, the day they broke down her door.” Varys gave a long weary sigh, the sigh

of a man who carried all the sadness of the world in a sack upon his shoulders.

“The High Septon once told me that as we sin, so do we suffer. If that’s true,

Lord Eddard, tell me?.?.?.?why is it always the innocents who suffer most, when

you high lords play your game of thrones? Ponder it, if you would, while you

wait upon the queen. And spare a thought for this as well: The next visitor who

calls on you could bring you bread and cheese and the milk of the poppy for

your pain?.?.?.?or he could bring you Sansa’s head.

“雷加王子的女儿雷妮丝公主不也是个孩子？她是个讨人喜欢的小宝贝，年纪比您两个女儿都要小。您可知道，她养了一只小黑猫，名叫贝勒里恩？到现在我始终不知道那只猫的下落。雷妮丝老爱把它当作真正的黑死神贝勒里恩。不过呢，我想在兰尼斯特军撞开她房门那天，他们很快就让她知道小猫和飞龙之间的差异了罢。”瓦里斯疲倦地一声长叹，仿佛肩负着全世界的哀伤。“总主教大人曾对我说，因为我们有罪，所以我们受苦。假如这是真的，艾德大人，请告诉我……为何在你们这些王公贵族的权力游戏里面，永远是无辜的人受苦最多？您愿意的话，就在王后到来之前，好好想一想罢。除此之外，更请您想清楚：下一个来探访您的人可能带着面包乳酪，以及减轻痛苦的罂粟花奶……却也可能带着珊莎的项上人头。”

“The choice, my dear lord Hand, is entirely yours.”

“要选哪一种呢，亲爱的首相大人，完完全全看您的决定了。”