Ⅲ 冰雨的风暴 Chapter62 詹姆

JAIME

国王死了，人们告诉他，丝毫不知乔佛里既是他的君主更是他的儿子。

The king is dead, they told him, never knowing that Joffrey was his son as well as his sovereign.

“小恶魔用匕首割了国王的喉咙，”队伍在路边小旅馆过夜时，一名水果贩子大声传扬，“然后以大金杯喝陛下的血。”小贩根本没认出眼前这位胡子拉碴、缺一只手、盾牌上有个大蝙蝠的骑士是谁，店里没人认出来，所以詹姆听见了很多原本不可能听见的话。

“The Imp opened his throat with a dagger,” a costermonger declared at the roadside inn where they spent the night. “He drank his blood from a big gold chalice.” The man did not recognize the bearded one-handed knight with the big bat on his shield, no more than any of them, so he said things he might otherwise have swallowed, had he known who was listening.

“给毒死的！”店主反驳，“当时那孩子的脸黑得跟洋李子一样。”

“It was poison did the deed,” the innkeep insisted. “The boy’s face turned black as a plum.”

“愿天父公正地裁判陛下。”一名修士呢喃。

“May the Father judge him justly,” murmured a septon.

“侏儒的老婆是从犯，”一位穿罗宛家制服的弓箭手信誓旦旦，“完事以后，她撒一把硫磺，就着烟雾消失不见。有人还看见一只嘴里淌血的冰原狼幽灵在红堡内徘徊呢。”

“The dwarf’s wife did the murder with him,” swore an archer in Lord Rowan’s livery. “Afterward, she vanished from the hall in a puff of brimstone, and a ghostly direwolf was seen prowling the Red Keep, blood dripping from his jaws.”

詹姆静坐倾听，只觉言语左耳进右耳出，一角杯麦酒遗忘在左手中。乔佛里，我的血脉，我的初生儿，我的孩子。他试图回忆男孩的面容，但无论怎么想，脑海里出现的还是瑟曦。她一定万分悲痛，头发散乱，眼睛红肿，嘴唇颤抖得说不出话。等见到我，她会拼命忍耐，却又止不住泪流满面。除了和他独处时，姐姐很少哭，她不要别人以为她软弱，只肯把伤痕呈现在孪生弟弟面前。这回，她定然向我寻求慰藉和复仇。

Jaime sat silent through it all, letting the words wash over him, a horn of ale forgotten in his one good hand. Joffrey. My blood. My firstborn. My son. He tried to bring the boy’s face to mind, but his features kept turning into Cersei’s. She will be in mourning, her hair in disarray and her eyes red from crying, her mouth trembling as she tries to speak. She will cry again when she sees me, though she’ll fight the tears. His sister seldom wept but when she was with him. She could not stand for others to think her weak. Only to her twin did she show her wounds. She will look to me for comfort and revenge.

第二天，在詹姆的要求下，队伍改为急行军。儿子死了，姐姐需要我。

They rode hard the next day, at Jaime’s insistence. His son was dead, and his sister needed him.

当都城黑暗的瞟望塔出现在前方时，暮色已渐浓。詹姆·兰尼斯特策马骑到铁腿沃顿身边，前面是高举和平旗帜的纳吉。

When he saw the city before him, its watchtowers dark against the gathering dusk, Jaime Lannister cantered up to Steelshanks Walton, behind Nage with the peace banner.

“怎么回事？好臭！”北方人抱怨。

“What’s that awful stink?” the northman complained.

死亡的臭气啊，詹姆心想，但他说的却是：“烟尘、汗水和屎尿——欢迎来到君临。在这儿，鼻子灵的人，连叛徒也嗅得出来。对了，你从没闻过城市的气味么？”

Death, thought Jaime, but he said, “Smoke, sweat, and shit. King’s Landing, in short. If you have a good nose you can smell the treachery too. You’ve never smelled a city before?”

“有，我去过白港，那是全天下最臭的地方。”

“I smelled White Harbor. It never stank like this.”

“白港与君临相比，就如我弟弟提利昂和格雷果·克里冈爵士站在一起。”

“White Harbor is to King’s Landing as my brother Tyrion is to Ser Gregor Clegane.”

纳吉领他们走上一道小丘，七条长尾的和平旗帜高高举起，迎风飘扬，顶端锃亮的七芒星反射阳光。我很快就能见到瑟曦、提利昂和父亲了。弟弟真的杀了我儿子？詹姆不相信。

Nage led them up a low hill, the seven-tailed peace banner lifting and turning in the wind, the polished seven-pointed star shining bright upon its staff. He would see Cersei soon, and Tyrion, and their father. Could my brother truly have killed the boy? Jaime found that hard to believe.

实际上，他平静得出奇。当孩子逝去时，作父母的理应哀伤得发狂的，詹姆知道，我该扯烂头发，诅咒诸神，口出毒誓，立志复仇。可为何竟如此无动于衷？莫非因为他从生到死都以为自己是劳勃·拜拉席恩的种？

He was curiously calm. Men were supposed to go mad with grief when their children died, he knew. They were supposed to tear their hair out by the roots, to curse the gods and swear red vengeance. So why was it that he felt so little? The boy lived and died believing Robert Baratheon his sire.

没错，詹姆看着他降生，但主要关心的不是他，是瑟曦……而这一辈子，他没有哪怕一次机会抱抱孩子。“那怎么成？”当他提出要求时，姐姐如此警告，“你和小乔长得这么像，已经够危险了。”听罢此言，詹姆只好默不作声地放弃，从此以后，这个孩子，这个尖叫着的粉红小东西，占去了瑟曦的时间、她的爱和她的胸乳。他也一度成为劳勃的宠儿。

Jaime had seen him born, that was true, though more for Cersei than the child. But he had never held him. “How would it look?” his sister warned him when the women finally left them. “Bad enough Joff looks like you without you mooning over him.” Jaime yielded with hardly a fight. The boy had been a squalling pink thing who demanded too much of Cersei’s time, Cersei’s love, and Cersei’s breasts. Robert was welcome to him.

如今他死了。詹姆在脑海中勾勒出一副小乔静静躺卧、面容因剧毒而青紫的画面，却感觉不到丝毫悸动。或许自己真如别人所言，是一个怪物：如果天父给他机会，让他在儿子和右手之间挑选，他知道自己会毫不犹豫地选择右手。说到底，他还有一个儿子，还有种子足以生出许许多多儿子。瑟曦若想要，我就再给她一个……这次我要抱着他，异鬼也不能将父子分开。劳勃在坟墓里腐烂发臭，詹姆则受够了人间的谎言。

And now he’s dead. He pictured Joff lying still and cold with a face black from poison, and still felt nothing. Perhaps he was the monster they claimed. If the Father Above came down to offer him back his son or his hand, Jaime knew which he would choose. He had a second son, after all, and seed enough for many more. If Cersei wants another child I’ll give her one … and this time I’ll hold him, and the Others take those who do not like it. Robert was rotting in his grave, and Jaime was sick of lies.

他陡然掉转马头，到队伍末端去找布蕾妮。天知道我干吗多事！她是我这辈子最倒霉、最郁闷、最糟糕的伙伴。妞儿不仅骑在最后，而且离开队伍几码之远，走在旁边，好像在声明她不是他们中的一员。路上，人们为她拼凑起一身男人的衣服：外套、披风、马裤和兜帽斗篷，甚至找到一件老旧的铁胸甲。穿上男人的服装，她看起来顺眼多了，但全天下没打扮能让她变得潇洒，也没打扮能让她愉快。刚出赫伦堡，她那猪脑袋又开始顽固起来。“请你归还我的武器和盔甲，”她坚持。“噢，没错，得想办法让你重新穿上铁皮，”詹姆回答，“尤其是头盔。等你闭上嘴巴、合上面甲，大家皆大欢喜。”

He turned abruptly and galloped back to find Brienne. Gods know why I bother. She is the least companionable creature I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet. The wench rode well behind and a few feet off to the side, as if to proclaim that she was no part of them. They had found men’s garb for her along the way; a tunic here, a mantle there, a pair of breeches and a cowled cloak, even an old iron breastplate. She looked more comfortable dressed as a man, but nothing would ever make her look handsome. Nor happy. Once out of Harrenhal, her usual pighead stubbornness had soon reasserted itself. “I want my arms and armor back,” she had insisted. “Oh, by all means, let us have you back in steel,” Jaime replied. “A helm, especially. We’ll all be happier if you keep your mouth shut and your visor down.”

布蕾妮果然照办，只是那阴郁的沉默和科本无休止的奉迎一样，彻底破坏了他的好心情。没想到，我竟会怀念克里奥·佛雷当伙伴的日子，诸神慈悲！他开始后悔没把她留给黑熊了。

That much Brienne could do, but her sullen silences soon began to fray his good humor almost as much as Qyburn’s endless attempts to be ingratiating. I never thought I would find myself missing the company of Cleos Frey, gods help me. He was beginning to wish he had left her for the bear after all.

“君临到了，”詹姆对她宣布，“我们的旅程结束了，亲爱的小姐，您守住了您的誓言，送我回到君临……虽然少了五根指头和一只手。”

“King’s Landing,” Jaime announced when he found her. “Our journey’s done, my lady. You’ve kept your vow, and delivered me to King’s Landing. All but a few fingers and a hand.”

布蕾妮眼神黯淡。“这只是我誓言的一半，我向凯特琳夫人保证带回她两个女儿，无论如何，至少带回珊莎。但现在……”

Brienne’s eyes were listless. “That was only half my vow. I told Lady Catelyn I would bring her back her daughters. Or Sansa, at the least. And now …”

她从未见过罗柏·史塔克，但哀悼他的程度比我哀悼小乔还要深。或许她哀悼的是凯特琳夫人吧。他们是在野猪林截获“消息”的，从一个气喘吁吁的肥胖骑士本特姆·毕斯柏里口中得来——他的纹章是黑黄条纹上的三个蜂窝。他告诉他们，昨天派柏大人的队伍刚打这儿经过，高举和平旗帜，朝君临飞奔，“少狼主已死，派柏无心恋战，况且他儿子还在孪河城被扣为人质。”布蕾妮惊得合不拢嘴，活像一头反刍中噎住的母牛，所以有关红色婚礼的细节只好由詹姆来问。

She never met Robb Stark, yet her grief for him runs deeper than mine for Joff. Or perhaps it was Lady Catelyn she mourned. They had been at Brindlewood when they had that news, from a red-faced tub of a knight named Ser Bertram Beesbury, whose arms were three beehives on a field striped black and yellow. A troop of Lord Piper’s men had passed through Brindlewood only yesterday, Beesbury told them, rushing to King’s Landing beneath a peace banner of their own. “With the Young Wolf dead Piper saw no point to fighting on. His son is captive at the Twins.” Brienne gaped like a cow about to choke on her cud, so it fell to Jaime to draw out the tale of the Red Wedding.

“七大家族麾下各有虎视眈眈的竞争者，随时在寻找取而代之的机会。”独处的时候，他对妞儿解释，“我父亲有塔贝克家和雷耶斯家，提利尔有佛罗伦家，霍斯特·徒利有瓦德·佛雷。只有主家力量强大，才能迫使他们安守本分，一旦被嗅着虚弱的气息……你知道么？在英雄纪元，波顿家的人还剥史塔克的皮，拿它们当斗篷呢。”她看上去可怜兮兮，詹姆不禁想给予安慰。

“Every great lord has unruly bannermen who envy him his place,” he told her afterward. “My father had the Reynes and Tarbecks, the Tyrells have the Florents, Hoster Tully had Walder Frey. Only strength keeps such men in their place. The moment they smell weakness … during the Age of Heroes, the Boltons used to flay the Starks and wear their skins as cloaks.” She looked so miserable that Jaime almost found himself wanting to comfort her.

从那天起，布蕾妮就是这副半死不活的样子，当面叫她“妞儿”也不能激起任何反应。她的力量已经散去。这个落石袭击罗宾·莱格，钝剑对决高大黑熊，咬下瓦格·赫特的耳朵，把詹姆·兰尼斯特打得喘不过气来的女人……如今彻底垮了。“我将好言规劝父亲，尽快把你送回塔斯，”他告诉她，“若想留下，我也会在宫里给你谋个职位。”

Since that day Brienne had been like one half-dead. Even calling her “wench” failed to provoke any response. The strength is gone from her. The woman had dropped a rock on Robin Ryger, battled a bear with a tourney sword, bitten off Vargo Hoat’s ear, and fought Jaime to exhaustion … but she was broken now, done. “I’ll speak to my father about returning you to Tarth, if it please you,” he told her. “Or if you would rather stay, I could perchance find some place for you at court.”

“做太后的女伴？”她麻木地问。

“As a lady companion to the queen?” she said dully.

他记得她穿那身粉红绸缎裙服的样子，老姐若是见了，真不知会如何讶异呢。“不，或许在都城守备队……”

Jaime remembered the sight of her in that pink satin gown, and tried not to imagine what his sister might say of such a companion. “Perhaps a post with the City Watch …”

“我决不为背誓者和杀人犯服务！”

“I will not serve with oathbreakers and murderers.”

你就不能停止做这些无聊声明吗？他想嘲笑反击，但把话咽了回去。“随你便吧，布蕾妮。”他单手掉转马头，离开了她。

Then why did you ever bother putting on a sword? he might have said, but he bit back the words. “As you will, Brienne.” One-handed, he wheeled his horse about and left her.

诸神门大开，门外道路两旁排满二十多辆马车，装载着一桶桶果酒，一箱箱苹果和一捆捆干草，还有许多詹姆这辈子从未见过的大南瓜。每驾车边都有护卫：胸前绣小贵族纹章的士卒，穿锁甲和煮沸皮甲的佣兵，甚至有握着烈火淬硬的土矛的乡农之子，满脸稚嫩憨厚。詹姆边骑边朝他们微笑，走到门边，发现金袍卫士对进城商贩皆收取不菲的费用。“这是为何？”铁腿好奇地问。

The Gate of the Gods was open when they reached it, but two dozen wayns were lined up along the roadside, loaded with casks of cider, barrels of apples, bales of hay, and some of the biggest pumpkins Jaime had ever seen. Almost every wagon had its guards; men-at-arms wearing the badges of small lordlings, sellswords in mail and boiled leather, sometimes only a pink-cheeked farmer’s son clutching a homemade spear with a fire-hardened point. Jaime smiled at them all as he trotted past. At the gate, the gold cloaks were collecting coin from each driver before waving the wagons through. “What’s this?” Steelshanks demanded.

“根据首相大人和财政大臣的指示，凡货物进城一律严加苛税。”

“They got to pay for the right to sell inside the city. By command of the King’s Hand and the master of coin.”

詹姆望着马车、手推车和载重马组成的长长队列，“既然如此，还挤得车水马龙？”

Jaime looked at the long line of wayns, carts, and laden horses. “Yet they still line up to pay?”

“仗刚打完，钱好挣哪，”最近的马车上，一名磨坊主欢快地说。“现在城内由兰尼斯特当家，安全得很呢。他们的头儿是岩石城的泰温老大人，据说拉出的屎都是银子。”

“There’s good coin to be made here now that the fighting’s done,” the miller in the nearest wagon told them cheerfully. “It’s the Lannisters hold the city now, old Lord Tywin of the Rock. They say he shits silver.”

“金子，”詹姆干巴巴地纠正，“我发誓，小指头这家伙能从花草里榨出钱财来。”

“Gold,” Jaime corrected dryly. “And Littlefinger mints the stuff from goldenrod, I vow.”

“现任财政大臣是小恶魔。”城门队长说，“至少，在他因谋杀国王而被捕之前是。”他狐疑地盯着北方人。“你们这帮家伙是谁？”

“The Imp is master of coin now,” said the captain of the gate. “Or was, till they arrested him for murdering the king.” The man looked the northmen over suspiciously. “Who are you lot?”

“我们是波顿伯爵的下属，奉命前来君临公干，拜见首相阁下。”

“Lord Bolton’s men, come to see the King’s Hand.”

队长看着纳吉手中的和平旗帜。“嗯，前来屈膝臣服的吧。你们已经落后啦，进去，直接去城堡，别惹麻烦。”他挥手示意通过，接着继续处理马车。

The captain glanced at Nage with his peace banner. “Come to bend the knee, you mean. You’re not the first. Go straight up to the castle, and see you make no trouble.” He waved them through and turned back to the wagons.

君临的市民会为乔佛里国王哀悼么？至少詹姆看不出来。他只在种子街见到一位衣衫褴褛的乞丐帮兄弟替小乔的灵魂大声祈福，但路人视若无睹，仿佛当成了噪音。人人各归其位：穿黑锁甲巡逻的金袍卫士，卖果酱饼、面包和热派的小弟，胸衣半开、从窗户里探出头来揽客的妓女，一身屎尿臭气的贫民。五个男人将一匹死马从小巷里拖出来，一名杂耍艺人在为一群喝得醉醺醺的提利尔士兵和小孩们表演轮转匕首。

If King’s Landing mourned its dead boy king, Jaime would never have known it. On the Street of Seeds a begging brother in threadbare robes was praying loudly for Joffrey’s soul, but the passersby paid him no more heed than they would a loose shutter banging in the wind. Elsewhere milled the usual crowds; gold cloaks in their black mail, bakers’ boys selling tarts and breads and hot pies, whores leaning out of windows with their bodices half unlaced, gutters redolent of nightsoil. They passed five men trying to drag a dead horse from the mouth of an alley, and elsewhere a juggler spinning knives through the air to delight a throng of drunken Tyrell soldiers and small children.

同两百个北方人、一位无颈链的学士和一名丑陋的奇女子结伴走在熟悉的街道上，詹姆发现竟无人多看他一眼，真不知该烦恼还是庆幸。“他们认不得我了。”穿过鞋匠广场时，他忍不住对铁腿说。

Riding down familiar streets with two hundred northmen, a chainless maester, and an ugly freak of a woman at his side, Jaime found he scarcely drew a second look. He did not know whether he ought to be amused or annoyed. “They do not know me,” he said to Steelshanks as they rode through Cobbler’s Square.

“这不奇怪，你面容已变，手也没了，”北方人道，“况且他们有了新的弑君者。”

“Your face is changed, and your arms as well,” the northman said, “and they have a new Kingslayer now.”

红堡大门敞开，门外由十来个提枪的金袍子警卫。铁腿靠近时，他们将武器放低，但詹姆认出负责指挥的白骑士，“马林爵士。”

The gates to the Red Keep were open, but a dozen gold cloaks armed with pikes barred the way. They lowered their points as Steelshanks came trotting up, but Jaime recognized the white knight commanding them. “Ser Meryn.”

马林·特兰爵士无精打采的眼睛一闪，接着睁得大大的，“詹姆爵士？”

Ser Meryn Trant’s droopy eyes went wide. “Ser Jaime?”

“哟，不错，终于有人认得我了。让他们站开。”

“How nice to be remembered. Move these men aside.”

很久没有人如此干净利落地遵从他的指示，詹姆几乎忘了这感觉有多美妙。

It had been a long time since anyone had leapt to obey him quite so fast. Jaime had forgotten how well he liked it.

外庭中也有两名御林铁卫，皆为新进。哼，瑟曦任命我为铁卫队长，却又擅自往里面塞人。“看来，我多了两个新弟兄。”他边下马边打招呼。

They found two more Kingsguard in the outer ward; two who had not worn white cloaks when Jaime last served here. How like Cersei to name me Lord Commander and then choose my colleagues without consulting me. “Someone has given me two new brothers, I see,” he said as he dismounted.

“这是我们的荣幸，爵士先生。”穿白鳞甲和白丝衣的百花骑士如此俊俏精致，詹姆觉得自己犹如俗物，不堪入目。

“We have that honor, ser.” The Knight of Flowers shone so fine and pure in his white scales and silk that Jaime felt a tattered and tawdry thing by contrast.

他转向马林·特兰，“爵士，你有所失职，不曾向我们的新弟兄教诲最基本的职责。”

Jaime turned to Meryn Trant. “Ser, you’ve been remiss in teaching our new brothers their duties.”

“什么职责？”马林·特兰防卫性地说。

“What duties?” said Meryn Trant defensively.

“保护国王的生命。自我离城以来，死了几个国王？两个？”

“Keeping the king alive. How many monarchs have you lost since I left the city? Two, is it?”

这时，巴隆爵士看到他的断肢，“您的手……”

Then Ser Balon saw the stump. “Your hand …”

詹姆逼自己微笑，“如今我用左手打，更有挑战性。我父亲大人在哪儿呢？”

Jaime made himself smile. “I fight with my left now. It makes for more of a contest. Where will I find my lord father?”

“在书房和提利尔大人、奥柏伦亲王谈话。”

“In the solar with Lord Tyrell and Prince Oberyn.”

梅斯·提利尔与红毒蛇共进晚餐？奇了，真奇了。“太后陛下也在？”

Mace Tyrell and the Red Viper breaking bread together? Strange and stranger. “Is the queen with them as well?”

“不，大人，”巴隆爵士答道，“陛下她在圣堂，为乔佛里国王——”

“No, my lord,” Ser Balon answered. “You’ll find her in the sept, praying over King Joff—”

“你！”

“You!”

最后一个北方人也下马后，洛拉斯·提利尔发现了布蕾妮。

The last of the northmen had dismounted, Jaime saw, and now Loras Tyrell had seen Brienne.

“洛拉斯爵士。”她抓着缰绳，愚蠢固执地昂头。

“Ser Loras.” She stood stupidly, holding her bridle.

洛拉斯·提利尔几个大步跨到她面前。“为什么？”他吼道，“告诉我为什么！他待你如此宽厚，还给你彩虹护卫的荣耀，为什么你要杀了他？”

Loras Tyrell strode toward her. “Why?” he said. “You will tell me why. He treated you kindly, gave you a rainbow cloak. Why would you kill him?”

“我没有做。我崇敬他，会为他而死。”

“I never did. I would have died for him.”

“噢，你会的。”洛拉斯爵士拔出长剑。

“You will.” Ser Loras drew his longsword.

“不是我杀的。”

“It was not me.”

“埃蒙·库伊爵士临死之前，发誓是你。”

“Emmon Cuy swore it was, with his dying breath.”

“当时他在营帐外，没看见——”

“He was outside the tent, he never saw—”

“当时除了你和史塔克夫人，营帐里没有别人。别告诉我那老女人竟能砍开陛下的护喉钢甲！”

“There was no one in the tent but you and Lady Stark. Do you claim that old woman could cut through hardened steel?”

“那里有道影子，我知道这听起来很疯狂，可……我正帮蓝礼穿戴铠甲，接着蜡烛熄灭，到处都是血。是史坦尼斯干的，凯特琳夫人向我保证，是他的……他的影子。我以我的荣誉发誓，与此事毫无关……”

“There was a shadow. I know how mad it sounds, but … I was helping Renly into his armor, and the candles blew out and there was blood everywhere. It was Stannis, Lady Catelyn said. His … his shadow. I had no part in it, on my honor …”

“你有狗屁荣誉！拔剑吧，我不杀空手之人。”

“You have no honor. Draw your sword. I won’t have it said that I slew you while your hand was empty.”

詹姆挡在两人之间，“放下武器，爵士。”

Jaime stepped between them. “Put the sword away, ser.”

洛拉斯爵士不依不饶地绕开他。“布蕾妮，你当了杀手还不够，还要当胆小鬼？我早该知道，你就是这样双手染满陛下的鲜血，然后逃之夭夭！拔剑哪，女人！”

Ser Loras edged around him. “Are you a craven as well as a killer, Brienne? Is that why you ran, with his blood on your hands? Draw your sword, woman!”

“你最好希望她不要，”詹姆又挡过来，“否则咱们待会多半得给你收尸。妞儿没格雷果·克里冈丑，却比他壮。”

“Best hope she doesn’t.” Jaime blocked his path again. “Or it’s like to be your corpse we carry out. The wench is as strong as Gregor Clegane, though not so pretty.”

“此事与你无关！”洛拉斯爵士将他一把推开。

“This is no concern of yours.” Ser Loras shoved him aside.

詹姆用左手抓住这小子，将他拉了回来。“我是御林铁卫的队长，你个不懂礼数的小兔崽子！只要你穿着白袍一天，就得听我的话。他妈的，把剑收回去，否则休怪我将它扔到连蓝礼都找不着的地方！”

Jaime grabbed the boy with his good hand and yanked him around. “I am the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, you arrogant pup. Your commander, so long as you wear that white cloak. Now sheathe your bloody sword, or I’ll take it from you and shove it up some place even Renly never found.”

小子犹豫片刻，巴隆·史文爵士忙插话进来：“照队长说的做，洛拉斯。”周围的金袍子已纷纷取出武器，恐怖堡的人也不甘示弱。漂亮，詹姆心想，我刚回宫，便挑起一场大混战。

The boy hesitated half a heartbeat, long enough for Ser Balon Swann to say, “Do as the Lord Commander says, Loras.” Some of the gold cloaks drew their steel then, and that made some Dreadfort men do the same. Splendid, thought Jaime, no sooner do I climb down off my horse than we have a bloodbath in the yard.

洛拉斯·提利尔爵士将长剑“砰”地一声，收回鞘中。

Ser Loras Tyrell slammed his sword back into its sheath.

“这玩意儿没那么沉吧，嗯？”

“That wasn’t so difficult, was it?”

“我要求逮捕她，”洛拉斯爵士坚持，“布蕾妮小姐，我指控你谋害蓝礼·拜拉席恩公爵。”

“I want her arrested.” Ser Loras pointed. “Lady Brienne, I charge you with the murder of Lord Renly Baratheon.”

“不管荣誉是珍宝还是狗屁，”詹姆说，“反正这妞儿有荣誉心，而且比我从你身上看到的要多得多。我相信她的话。让我告诉你，妞儿不是个聪明人，就连我的马说谎都比她强。既然你坚持指控，那好……巴隆爵士，请护送布蕾妮小姐到塔楼房间待讯，并安排守卫妥善保护。还有，安顿好铁腿和他的人马，以待我父亲择日召见。”

“For what it’s worth,” said Jaime, “the wench does have honor. More than I have seen from you. And it may even be she’s telling it true. I’ll grant you, she’s not what you’d call clever, but even my horse could come up with a better lie, if it was a lie she meant to tell. As you insist, however … Ser Balon, escort Lady Brienne to a tower cell and hold her there under guard. And find some suitable quarters for Steelshanks and his men, until such time as my father can see them.”

“遵命，大人。”

“Yes, my lord.”

当巴隆·史文爵士和十来个金袍子带她离开时，布蕾妮大大的蓝眼睛里充满了委屈。傻瓜，你该来亲吻我的，他心想，干吗我他妈做什么事都被人误解？是伊里斯，我一辈子都活在他的阴影里。詹姆不再打量妞儿，转身头也不回地穿过庭院。

Brienne’s big blue eyes were full of hurt as Balon Swann and a dozen gold cloaks led her away. You ought to be blowing me kisses, wench, he wanted to tell her. Why must they misunderstand every bloody thing he did? Aerys. It all grows from Aerys. Jaime turned his back on the wench and strode across the yard.

王家圣堂的门由另一位白甲骑士把守，此人个子很高，留一把黑胡子，宽阔肩膀，大鹰钩鼻。他看见詹姆，眯眼笑道，“你想上哪儿去？”

Another knight in white armor was guarding the doors of the royal sept; a tall man with a black beard, broad shoulders, and a hooked nose. When he saw Jaime he gave a sour smile and said, “And where do you think you’re going?”

“进圣堂，”詹姆抬起断肢朝大门一指，“就在你后面。我要见太后。”

“Into the sept.” Jaime lifted his stump to point. “That one right there. I mean to see the queen.”

“太后陛下正在服丧。你以为你什么人，想见陛下？”

“Her Grace is in mourning. And why would she be wanting to see the likes of you?”

妈的，我是她情人，她儿子的父亲，他几乎冲口而出。“七层地狱，你是谁？”

Because I’m her lover, and the father of her murdered son, he wanted to say. “Who in seven hells are you?”

“我是御林铁卫的骑士，放尊重点，残废，否则我把你另一只手也切下来，今后你只能趴着喝粥！”

“A knight of the Kingsguard, and you’d best learn some respect, cripple, or I’ll have that other hand and leave you to suck up your porridge of a morning.”

“我是太后的弟弟，爵士。”

“I am the queen’s brother, ser.”

白骑士哈哈大笑。“哟，您逃出来啦？在牢里还长高了哪，大人？”

The white knight thought that funny. “Escaped, have you? And grown a bit as well, m’lord?”

“我是她的长弟，白痴，御林铁卫的队长。赶紧给我站开，否则就有得瞧了。”

“Her other brother, dolt. And the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Now stand aside, or you’ll wish you had.”

听罢此言，白痴骑士好好打量了他一番。“您，您是……詹姆爵士，”他挺直身子，“非常抱歉，大人，恕我有眼无珠。我乃奥斯蒙·凯特布莱克爵士，很荣幸与您见面。”

The dolt took a long look this time. “Is it … Ser Jaime.” He straightened. “My pardons, milord. I did not know you. I have the honor to be Ser Osmund Kettleblack.”

荣幸？见鬼去吧，马屁精。“我想和姐姐单独谈谈，爵士先生，不准放任何人进入圣堂，做不到的话，你提头来见。”

Where’s the honor in that? “I want some time alone with my sister. See that no one else enters the sept, ser. If we’re disturbed, I’ll have your bloody head.”

“是，爵士，遵命，爵士。”奥斯蒙爵士忙不迭地开门。

“Aye, ser. As you say.” Ser Osmund opened the door.

瑟曦跪在圣母祭坛前，乔佛里的棺材则放在陌客的雕像下——是它负责指引死者到另一个世界。空气中有浓烈的薰香味，一百根蜡烛在燃烧，送出一百道祝福。愿小乔能享受这一百道祝福……

Cersei was kneeling before the altar of the Mother. Joffrey’s bier had been laid out beneath the Stranger, who led the newly dead to the other world. The smell of incense hung heavy in the air, and a hundred candles burned, sending up a hundred prayers. Joff’s like to need every one of them, too.

姐姐回头一瞥。“谁？”她问，接着惊呼，“詹姆？”她猛地站起来，眼含热泪。“真的是你吗？”她没有跑过来，她从来不会跑过来，他心想，她只会等，等我跑过去。她给予，但必须由我先要求。“你该早些回来的，”当他搂住她时，她低语道，“你为什么不早些回来？为什么不保护他？我的儿子……”

His sister looked over her shoulder. “Who?” she said, then, “Jaime?” She rose, her eyes brimming with tears. “Is it truly you?” She did not come to him, however. She has never come to me, he thought. She has always waited, letting me come to her. She gives, but I must ask. “You should have come sooner,” she murmured, when he took her in his arms. “Why couldn’t you have come sooner, to keep him safe? My boy …”

我们的儿子。“我尽了最大努力。”他挣脱她的拥抱，退开一步。“姐姐，外面在打仗。”

Our boy. “I came as fast I could.” He broke from the embrace, and stepped back a pace. “It’s war out there, Sister.”

“你好瘦，你的头发，金色的头发……”

“You look so thin. And your hair, your golden hair …”

“头发可以长回来，”詹姆举起断肢，她迟早得知道，“这个就不行了。”

“The hair will grow back.” Jaime lifted his stump. She needs to see. “This won’t.”

她眼睛瞪得老大。“史塔克竟敢……”

Her eyes went wide. “The Starks …”

“不，这是瓦格·赫特所为。”

“No. This was Vargo Hoat’s work.”

她根本不知道这名字。“谁？”

The name meant nothing to her. “Who?”

“赫伦堡的山羊，至少暂时如此。”

“The Goat of Harrenhal. For a little while.”

瑟曦别开头，望向小乔的棺材，人们用镀金的铠甲来装扮死去的国王，他看起来宛如年轻的詹姆。头盔的面甲合上，在蜡烛映照下，散发出淡淡的金光，展现出死者英勇光辉的形象。烛光也点燃了瑟曦丧服上的暗红宝石，她的头发垂下肩膀，未经梳理，蓬乱不堪。“是他杀的，詹姆，正如他威胁我的那样：‘总有一天，当你自以为平安快活时，喜乐会在嘴里化成灰烬。’我一直都记得他的毒誓。”

Cersei turned to gaze at Joffrey’s bier. They had dressed the dead king in gilded armor, eerily similar to Jaime’s own. The visor of the helm was closed, but the candles reflected softly off the gold, so the boy shimmered bright and brave in death. The candlelight woke fires in the rubies that decorated the bodice of Cersei’s mourning dress as well. Her hair fell to her shoulders, undressed and unkempt. “He killed him, Jaime. Just as he’d warned me. One day when I thought myself safe and happy he would turn my joy to ashes in my mouth, he said.”

“提利昂真这样说过？”詹姆不敢相信。弑亲比弑君更可恶，如今弟弟竟两样占全了，而且是在诸神看顾、世人齐集的婚宴席上。他明知这孩子是我的。诸神在上，我爱提利昂，我从来对他很好，呃，除了那一次……但弟弟并不知道真相。难道他知道了？“他杀小乔目的何在？”

“Tyrion said that?” Jaime had not wanted to believe it. Kinslaying was worse than kingslaying, in the eyes of gods and men. He knew the boy was mine. I loved Tyrion. I was good to him. Well, but for that one time … but the Imp did not know the truth of that. Or did he? “Why would he kill Joff?”

“为一个妓女。”她抓住他的左手，用双手紧紧抓住。“他甚至拿这个威胁过我。小乔知道凶手是谁，他临死时，拼命指向他，指向咱们该死的、畸形的、可恶的兄弟。”她吻了詹姆的指头，“你会为他报仇，对吧？你会为咱们的儿子报仇。”

“For a whore.” She clutched his good hand and held it tight in hers. “He told me he was going to do it. Joff knew. As he was dying, he pointed at his murderer. At our twisted little monster of a brother.” She kissed Jaime’s fingers. “You’ll kill him for me, won’t you? You’ll avenge our son.”

詹姆将手抽离，“不管怎么说，他都是我亲弟弟。”他把断肢举到她面前，好让她看清楚，“而且，我这样子怎么杀人？”

Jaime pulled away. “He is still my brother.” He shoved his stump at her face, in case she failed to see it. “And I am in no fit state to be killing anyone.”

“你还有一只手，对吧？我又不要你跟猎狗决斗，提利昂只是个关在牢里的侏儒。况且没有守卫敢拦你。”

“You have another hand, don’t you? I am not asking you to best the Hound in battle. Tyrion is a dwarf, locked in a cell. The guards would stand aside for you.”

姐姐的念头让他大感不安。“不行，我必须知道实情，不能光凭一面之词。”

The thought turned his stomach. “I must know more of this. Of how it happened.”

“你会知道实情，”瑟曦保证，“即将进行一场审判，到时候就水落石出了，你会比我更想杀他。”她抚摸他的脸，“没有你，詹姆，我好失落。我好怕史塔克会把你的人头送回来。噢，那样我会受不了的。”她吻他，很轻，只是嘴唇轻轻扫了一下，但他能感觉到对方浑身颤抖，于是伸手紧紧抱住了她，“没有你，我也不完整。”

“You shall,” Cersei promised. “There’s to be a trial. When you hear all he did, you’ll want him dead as much as I do.” She touched his face. “I was lost without you, Jaime. I was afraid the Starks would send me your head. I could not have borne that.” She kissed him. A light kiss, the merest brush of her lips on his, but he could feel her tremble as he slid his arms around her. “I am not whole without you.”

他的回吻毫无轻柔，唯有饥渴。她则将嘴张开，容纳他的舌头。“不要，”当他向她颈部以下吻去时，她虚弱地抗议，“不能在这里，修士们……”

There was no tenderness in the kiss he returned to her, only hunger. Her mouth opened for his tongue. “No,” she said weakly when his lips moved down her neck, “not here. The septons …”

“去他妈的修士，都给异鬼抓走吧，”他继续吻，沉静地吻，绵长地吻，直到她发出呻吟。接下来他扫开蜡烛，将她举到圣母祭坛上，掀起裙服和里面的丝衣。她用拳头轻轻捶打他的胸膛，呢喃着风险、危机、父亲、修士、亵渎神诸如此类的话题，但他根本不在意。他解开马裤，也爬上祭坛，分开她白皙的大腿，将左手滑进其中，伸到短裤里面，一把撕开。她正在月经，但这无所谓。

“The Others can take the septons.” He kissed her again, kissed her silent, kissed her until she moaned. Then he knocked the candles aside and lifted her up onto the Mother’s altar, pushing up her skirts and the silken shift beneath. She pounded on his chest with feeble fists, murmuring about the risk, the danger, about their father, about the septons, about the wrath of gods. He never heard her. He undid his breeches and climbed up and pushed her bare white legs apart. One hand slid up her thigh and underneath her smallclothes. When he tore them away, he saw that her moon’s blood was on her, but it made no difference.

“快，”她轻声说，“快呀，快呀，快来，快干，快干我，噢，詹姆詹姆詹姆。”她用自己的手指引他。“对，”当他插进去抽搐时，她说，“弟弟，好弟弟，对，就这样，对，我要你，你回家了，你回家了，你回家了。”她吻了他的耳朵，摸摸他粗短的头发，詹姆则在肉欲中迷失了知觉。他能感觉她的心跳，正如能感觉自己的心跳，两者业已合为一体，鲜血与精液融合，牢不可分。

“Hurry,” she was whispering now, “quickly, quickly, now, do it now, do me now. Jaime Jaime Jaime.” Her hands helped guide him. “Yes,” Cersei said as he thrust, “my brother, sweet brother, yes, like that, yes, I have you, you’re home now, you’re home now, you’re home.” She kissed his ear and stroked his short bristly hair. Jaime lost himself in her flesh. He could feel Cersei’s heart beating in time with his own, and the wetness of blood and seed where they were joined.

但完事之后，太后却立刻道，“拉我起来，如果被发现……”

But no sooner were they done than the queen said, “Let me up. If we are discovered like this …”

他心不甘情不愿地起身，将她扶下祭坛。白色大理石台上血迹斑斑，詹姆用衣袖擦拭干净，然后弯腰捡起被他扫开的蜡烛。很幸运，它们落地时都熄灭了，否则即使圣堂刚才烧起来，我们也不会在意。

Reluctantly he rolled away and helped her off the altar. The pale marble was smeared with blood. Jaime wiped it clean with his sleeve, then bent to pick up the candles he had knocked over. Fortunately they had all gone out when they fell. If the sept had caught fire I might never have noticed.

“这是件蠢事，”瑟曦边整理裙服边说，“父亲就在城中……詹姆，我们必须小心。”

“This was folly.” Cersei pulled her gown straight. “With Father in the castle … Jaime, we must be careful.”

“我受够了小心。坦格利安都是兄妹通婚，凭什么我们就不行？嫁给我吧，瑟曦，勇敢地站出来，说你爱的就是我。我会为你举办一场盛大的结婚典礼，接着诞生新的儿子，以代替乔佛里。”

“I am sick of being careful. The Targaryens wed brother to sister, why shouldn’t we do the same? Marry me, Cersei. Stand up before the realm and say it’s me you want. We’ll have our own wedding feast, and make another son in place of Joffrey.”

她退开一步，“这不好笑。”

She drew back. “That’s not funny.”

“你觉得我在开玩笑？”

“Do you hear me chuckling?”

“你把所有的理智都忘在奔流城了么？”她的声音逐渐高亢，“你很清楚，托曼的王位继承权始自劳勃。”

“Did you leave your wits at Riverrun?” Her voice had an edge to it. “Tommen’s throne derives from Robert, you know that.”

“他将来会继承凯岩城，还不够么？去他的，就让父亲当国王好了，我要的只有你。”他想摸她的脸，但老习惯难改，伸出的是右手。

“He’ll have Casterly Rock, isn’t that enough? Let Father sit the throne. All I want is you.” He made to touch her cheek. Old habits die hard, and it was his right arm he lifted.

她躲开他的断肢。“别……别说这种话，你把我吓傻了，詹姆，别做傻事。你知道吗？这些话只要传出去一星半点，我们就完了。他们到底对你做了什么？”

Cersei recoiled from his stump. “Don’t … don’t talk like this. You’re scaring me, Jaime. Don’t be stupid. One wrong word and you’ll cost us everything. What did they do to you?”

“他们砍了我的手。”

“They cut off my hand.”

“不，不止如此，你变了。”她又退开一步，“明日再谈吧，我把珊莎·史塔克的侍女们关在塔楼房间，现在得去审讯……你去见父亲。”

“No, it’s more, you’re changed.” She backed off a step. “We’ll talk later. On the morrow. I have Sansa Stark’s maids in a tower cell, I need to question them … you should go to Father.”

“我翻越千山万水，损失掉自己最珍贵的东西，只为见你一面。请你不要就这么让我离开。”

“I crossed a thousand leagues to come to you, and lost the best part of me along the way. Don’t tell me to leave.”

“你去见父亲吧。”她重复，一边别过了头。

“Leave me,” she repeated, turning away.

詹姆系好马裤，照她说的做了。他虽疲惫，却不敢倒头就睡，因为这会儿回城的消息肯定已传到父亲大人耳中。

Jaime laced up his breeches and did as she commanded. Weary as he was, he could not seek a bed. By now his lord father knew that he was back in the city.

首相塔守卫是兰尼斯特家族的亲兵，一眼就将他认出来。“诸神慈悲，终于让您回来了，爵士先生。”一名士兵边开门边感叹。

The Tower of the Hand was guarded by Lannister household guards, who knew him at once. “The gods are good, to give you back to us, ser,” one said, as he held the door.

“诸神与此毫无瓜葛，是凯特琳·史塔克放的我，嗯，还有恐怖堡的波顿大人。”

“The gods had no part in it. Catelyn Stark gave me back. Her, and the Lord of the Dreadfort.”

他爬上楼梯，不待敲门便走进书房，发现父亲独坐在壁炉边。谢天谢地，他可不想让梅斯·提利尔或红毒蛇看见他的断肢，两人一起，那就更糟了。

He climbed the stairs and pushed into the solar unannounced, to find his father sitting by the fire. Lord Tywin was alone, for which Jaime was thankful. He had no desire to flaunt his maimed hand for Mace Tyrell or the Red Viper just now, much less the two of them together.

“詹姆，”泰温公爵说，那语调好像彼此早餐时才刚碰过面，“根据波顿大人的信件，我还期待你能早些回来，以便参加婚礼呢。”

“Jaime,” Lord Tywin said, as if they’d last seen each other at breakfast. “Lord Bolton led me to expect you earlier. I had hoped you’d be here for the wedding.”

“途中耽搁了一下。”詹姆轻轻关上门，“听说姐姐过度铺张浪费，是不是？七十七道大餐和一场弑君戏，真是前所未闻。您何时得知我获得自由的？”

“I was delayed.” Jaime closed the door softly. “My sister outdid herself, I’m told. Seventy-seven courses and a regicide, never a wedding like it. How long have you known I was free?”

“你逃跑之后没几天，太监就得到了消息，于是我即刻派人前往河间地搜索。格雷果·克里冈、山姆威尔·斯派瑟、普棱兄弟等人统统出动。瓦里斯还向河间地一些势力通报了情况，要求对方予以协助，但没大肆声张，我们都同意越少人知情，你就越安全。”

“The eunuch told me a few days after your escape. I sent men into the riverlands to look for you. Gregor Clegane, Samwell Spicer, the brothers Plumm. Varys put out the word as well, but quietly. We agreed that the fewer people who knew you were free, the fewer would be hunting you.”

“瓦里斯提起过这个么？”他走到壁炉边，让父亲看个清楚。

“Did Varys mention this?” He moved closer to the fire, to let his father see.

泰温公爵陡地起身，咬牙切齿。“谁干的？凯特琳夫人——”

Lord Tywin pushed himself out of his chair, breath hissing between his teeth. “Who did this? If Lady Catelyn thinks—”

“不，凯特琳夫人只用剑指着我喉咙，逼我答应送还她的两个女儿。这是你的山羊干的好事，瓦格·赫特，赫伦堡领主！”

“Lady Catelyn held a sword to my throat and made me swear to return her daughters. This was your goat’s work. Vargo Hoat, the Lord of Harrenhal!”

泰温一脸憎恶地别过头。“不再是了，格雷果爵士已夺回城堡，他则被手下佣兵们抛弃。从前河安伯爵夫人的仆人们主动为我军打开一道边门，克里冈进去后，发现山羊独坐在百炉厅，因伤口感染导致的高烧和疼痛而发了狂。听说他耳朵被咬掉了。”

Lord Tywin looked away, disgusted. “No longer. Ser Gregor’s taken the castle. The sellswords deserted their erstwhile captain almost to a man, and some of Lady Whent’s old people opened a postern gate. Clegane found Hoat sitting alone in the Hall of a Hundred Hearths, half-mad with pain and fever from a wound that festered. His ear, I’m told.”

詹姆拍案叫绝。多甜美的复仇！耳朵！他等不及要把这消息告诉布蕾妮，即便妞儿不会为此大笑也罢。“他死了吗？”

Jaime had to laugh. Too sweet! His ear! He could scarcely wait to tell Brienne, though the wench wouldn’t find it half so funny as he did. “Is he dead yet?”

“快了。克里冈依次砍下他的双手双脚，似乎想慢慢观赏科霍尔人唾沫横飞的样子。”

“Soon. They have taken off his hands and feet, but Clegane seems amused by the way the Qohorik slobbers.”

詹姆收住笑容，“勇士团的其他成员呢？”

Jaime’s smile curdled. “What about his Brave Companions?”

“几个留在赫伦堡顽抗的人被杀死或处决，余众四散流窜，大概想逃往港口，或在森林里躲藏起来。”他终于回望向詹姆的断肢，嘴唇因愤怒而抿紧。“我要他们的脑袋，一个都逃不掉。对了，你左手还能用剑么？”

“The few who stayed at Harrenhal are dead. The others scattered. They’ll make for ports, I’ll warrant, or try and lose themselves in the woods.” His eyes went back to Jaime’s stump, and his mouth grew taut with fury. “We’ll have their heads. Every one. Can you use a sword with your left hand?”

我左手连衣服都穿不了。詹姆伸出胳膊，回答父亲的疑问。“还不是四根指头，一个拇指，没什么两样。为何不能用剑呢？”

I can hardly dress myself in the morning. Jaime held up the hand in question for his father’s inspection. “Four fingers, a thumb, much like the other. Why shouldn’t it work as well?”

“很好，”父亲坐下来，“非常好，我给你准备了一件礼物，原本为了纪念你的平安归来。呃，先前瓦里斯这样说……”

“Good.” His father sat. “That is good. I have a gift for you. For your return. After Varys told me …”

“不会刚巧是只新手吧？算了，这个问题待会再谈。”詹姆在父亲对面落座。“乔佛里怎么死的？”

“Unless it’s a new hand, let it wait.” Jaime took the chair across from him. “How did Joffrey die?”

“是毒药。症状和食物噎住雷同，但我命学士打开他的喉咙，却找不到任何堵塞物。”

“Poison. It was meant to appear as though he choked on a morsel of food, but I had his throat slit open and the maesters could find no obstruction.”

“瑟曦认为是提利昂干的。”

“Cersei claims that Tyrion did it.”

“你弟弟亲手将毒酒献给国王，厅内千名宾客可以为证。”

“Your brother served the king the poisoned wine, with a thousand people looking on.”

“是吗？他可真蠢啊。”

“That was rather foolish of him.”

“我已拘留了提利昂的侍从和他妻子的侍女们，着手进行详细调查。亚当爵士的金袍卫士负责搜查那史塔克女孩，瓦里斯也为此公布了赏格。总而言之，国王的律法必须得到伸张。”

“I have taken Tyrion’s squire into custody. His wife’s maids as well. We shall see if they have anything to tell us. Ser Addam’s gold cloaks are searching for the Stark girl, and Varys has offered a reward. The king’s justice will be done.”

国王的律法。“您打算处决自己的儿子？”

The king’s justice. “You would execute your own son?”

“他受到弑亲和弑君两项重罪的指控。如果是无辜的，那他无须害怕，但我们首先得听取两方面的证据。”

“He stands accused of regicide and kinslaying. If he is innocent, he has nothing to fear. First we must needs consider the evidence for and against him.”

证据。在这座谎言之城，詹姆明白会有什么样的证据，“蓝礼之死不也很奇特吗？时机恰好符合史坦尼斯的利益。”

Evidence. In this city of liars, Jaime knew what sort of evidence would be found. “Renly died strangely as well, when Stannis needed him to.”

“蓝礼公爵是被贴身护卫害死的，据报是位来自塔斯岛的女人。”

“Lord Renly was murdered by one of his own guards, some woman from Tarth.”

“多亏了这位塔斯岛的女人，我今天才能坐在这里和您谈话。为安抚洛拉斯爵士，我把她暂时关了起来，但要我认定是她杀了蓝礼，倒不如让我相信蓝礼的鬼魂能够现世。依我看，史坦尼斯——”

“That woman from Tarth is the reason I’m here. I tossed her into a cell to appease Ser Loras, but I’ll believe in Renly’s ghost before I believe she did him any harm. But Stannis—”

“够了，世上没有巫术，杀害乔佛里的也只是毒药。”泰温公爵再度望向詹姆的断肢。“不能用剑，你就无须保持御林铁卫的身——”

“It was poison that killed Joffrey, not sorcery.” Lord Tywin glanced at Jaime’s stump again. “You cannot serve in the Kingsguard without a sword hand—”

“我当然要保持，”他打断父亲，“而且一定得保持。我看过《白典》，知道不少先例，无论残废与否，御林铁卫只要宣誓，必须效命终身。”

“I can,” he interrupted. “And I will. There’s precedent. I’ll look in the White Book and find it, if you like. Crippled or whole, a knight of the Kingsguard serves for life.”

“当瑟曦以年老为名，虢夺巴利斯坦爵士的职务时，传统已被打破。现下，我们只需慷慨赠予总主教一份礼物，想必他会很乐意解除你的义务。诚然，你姐姐驱逐赛尔弥是件大蠢事，但从另一方面讲，也为我们打开了大门——”

“Cersei ended that when she replaced Ser Barristan on grounds of age. A suitable gift to the Faith will persuade the High Septon to release you from your vows. Your sister was foolish to dismiss Selmy, admittedly, but now that she has opened the gates—”

“——因此得有人挺身而出把它关好，”詹姆站起来，“父亲，我受够了别人的闲言碎语，可不想再增添一笔烦恼。再说，我并非自己要当御林铁卫的队长，但活儿既然落到头上，就有责任——”

“—someone needs to close them again.” Jaime stood. “I am tired of having highborn women kicking pails of shit at me, Father. No one ever asked me if I wanted to be Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, but it seems I am. I have a duty—”

“你当然有责任，”泰温公爵也站起来，“对兰尼斯特家族的责任。你从前是凯岩城的继承人，以后也应当是。我决定把托曼交给你管教，让他作你的侍从和养子，只有在凯岩城，他才能学会如何当一个真正的兰尼斯特。我不要他母亲惯坏他，相反，我会为瑟曦找个丈夫。奥柏伦·马泰尔应该不错，但我得先说服提利尔大人此事不会损害高庭的利益。你也该结婚了，提利尔家坚持要把玛格丽转嫁托曼，我打算用你来代替——”

“You do.” Lord Tywin rose as well. “A duty to House Lannister. You are the heir to Casterly Rock. That is where you should be. Tommen should accompany you, as your ward and squire. The Rock is where he’ll learn to be a Lannister, and I want him away from his mother. I mean to find a new husband for Cersei. Oberyn Martell perhaps, once I convince Lord Tyrell that the match does not threaten Highgarden. And it is past time you were wed. The Tyrells are now insisting that Margaery be wed to Tommen, but if I were to offer you instead—”

“不！”詹姆天旋地转，几乎站不住。不，不不不。他受够了，受够了贵族们的谎言，受够了父亲和姐姐，受够了这整个肮脏的交易。“不行，不行，不行，不行，不行！我要说几次‘不行’您才会听？奥柏伦·马泰尔？这是个恶名昭彰的家伙，剑上涂毒反而只算他的小过恶，您知道吗？他的杂种比劳勃还多，他……他跟男孩睡觉！此外，您竟以为我会娶乔佛里的遗孀……”

“NO!” Jaime had heard all that he could stand. No, more than he could stand. He was sick of it, sick of lords and lies, sick of his father, his sister, sick of the whole bloody business. “No. No. No. No. No. How many times must I say no before you’ll hear it? Oberyn Martell? The man’s infamous, and not just for poisoning his sword. He has more bastards than Robert, and beds with boys as well. And if you think for one misbegotten moment that I would wed Joffrey’s widow …”

“提利尔大人保证她还是处女。”

“Lord Tyrell swears the girl’s still maiden.”

“她活到八十岁还是处女都与我无关！我不要她，也不要你的凯岩城！”

“She can die a maiden as far as I’m concerned. I don’t want her, and I don’t want your Rock!”

“你是我儿子——”

“You are my son—”

“我是御林铁卫的骑士！御林铁卫的队长！这才是我活着的意义！”

“I am a knight of the Kingsguard. The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard! And that’s all I mean to be!”

炉火照在泰温公爵结实的金胡须上，反射金光，衬托脸庞。父亲脖子上一根青筋暴突，但他没有说话，没有说话，没有说话。

Firelight gleamed golden in the stiff whiskers that framed Lord Tywin’s face. A vein pulsed in his neck, but he did not speak. And did not speak. And did not speak.

紧张与沉默延续，直至最后詹姆感到几分歉意。“父亲……”他道。

The strained silence went on until it was more than Jaime could endure. “Father …” he began.

“你不是我儿子。”泰温公爵转头。“你说你是御林铁卫的队长，那才是你活着的意义。很好，爵士先生，我就不耽误你履行公务了。”

“You are not my son.” Lord Tywin turned his face away. “You say you are the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and only that. Very well, ser. Go do your duty.”