Ⅱ 列王的纷争 Chapter32 珊莎
SANSA
“你让他等得越久，对你越没好处，”桑铎·克里冈警告她。
The longer you keep him waiting, the worse it will go for you,” Sandor Clegane warned her.
珊莎想加快速度，但指头就是不听话，纽扣和绳结一直系不好。她已经习惯了猎狗粗哑的话音，但今天他看她的眼神却令她恐惧。难道她和唐托斯爵士见面的事被乔佛里发现了？千万不要，她一边梳头一边想。唐托斯爵士是她惟一的希望。我要打扮得漂漂亮亮的，小乔喜欢我漂漂亮亮，每次我穿这件裙服他都喜欢，他喜欢这个颜色。她抚平衣服，发现胸部有些紧。
Sansa tried to hurry, but her fingers fumbled at buttons and knots. The Hound was always rough-tongued, but something in the way he had looked at her filled her with dread. Had Joffrey found out about her meetings with Ser Dontos? Please no, she thought as she brushed out her hair. Ser Dontos was her only hope. I have to look pretty, Joff likes me to look pretty, he’s always liked me in this gown, this color. She smoothed the cloth down. The fabric was tight across her chest.
一路上，珊莎走在猎狗右边，远离他灼伤的半边脸。“告诉我，我做错了什么？”
When she emerged, Sansa walked on the Hound’s left, away from the burned side of his face. “Tell me what I’ve done.”
“不是你。是你的国王哥哥。”
“Not you. Your kingly brother.”
“罗柏是个叛徒。”她机械地背诵，“我和他没有任何关系。”诸神保佑，千万别是弑君者出了事。如果罗柏杀了詹姆·兰尼斯特，她肯定性命不保。她眼前浮现出伊林爵士的面容，那张憔悴的麻子脸上，可怕的苍白眼珠冷酷地瞪着她。
“Robb’s a traitor.” Sansa knew the words by rote. “I had no part in whatever he did.” Gods be good, don’t let it be the Kingslayer. If Robb had harmed Jaime Lannister, it would mean her life. She thought of Ser Ilyn, and how those terrible pale eyes staring pitilessly out of that gaunt pockmarked face.
猎狗嗤之以鼻，“小小鸟，他们把你训练得真不错。”他领她走到下层庭院，靶场中聚集了一群人。一见他俩，人们忙不迭地让路。她听到盖尔斯伯爵的咳嗽，发现游荡的马夫们无礼地看着她，但霍拉斯·雷德温爵士在她经过时别开了脸，而他弟弟霍伯则假装没看到她。一只垂死的黄猫躺在地上，被弩箭穿透了肋骨，可怜地喵喵叫。珊莎绕开它，感到一阵恶心。
The Hound snorted. “They trained you well, little bird.” He conducted her to the lower bailey, where a crowd had gathered around the archery butts. Men moved aside to let them through. She could hear Lord Gyles coughing. Loitering stablehands eyed her insolently, but Ser Horas Redwyne averted his gaze as she passed, and his brother Hobber pretended not to see her. A yellow cat was dying on the ground, mewling piteously, a crossbow quarrel through its ribs. Sansa stepped around it, feeling ill.
唐托斯爵士骑着他的扫帚马过来；在比武会上，他由于醉酒无法上马，国王便下令从此之后他再也不许下马。“勇敢些，”他捏捏她的胳膊，轻声说。
Ser Dontos approached on his broomstick horse; since he’d been too drunk to mount his destrier at the tourney, the king had decreed that henceforth he must always go horsed. “Be brave,” he whispered, squeezing her arm.
乔佛里站在人群中央，正给一把华丽的弩弓上弦。柏洛斯爵士和马林爵士站在他身旁，看到他们，她的肠子绞成一团。
Joffrey stood in the center of the throng, winding an ornate crossbow. Ser Boros and Ser Meryn were with him. The sight of them was enough to tie her insides in knots.
“陛下。”她跪下来。
“Your Grace.” She fell to her knees.
“下跪也救不了你，”国王说，“起来。你哥哥又有新的叛国罪行，我要惩罚你。”
“Kneeling won’t save you now,” the king said. “Stand up. You’re here to answer for your brother’s latest treasons.”
“陛下，我跟我那叛徒哥哥一点关系都没有。您知道的，求求您，请——”
“Your Grace, whatever my traitor brother has done, I had no part. You know that, I beg you, please—”
“拉她起来！”
“Get her up!”
猎狗不紧不慢地把她拉起来。
The Hound pulled her to her feet, not ungently.
“蓝赛尔爵士，”小乔道。“告诉她，她哥哥做了些什么好事。”
“Ser Lancel,” Joff said, “tell her of this outrage.”
珊莎一直认为蓝赛尔·兰尼斯特长相清秀，谈吐文雅，但他的眼神里却没有丝毫同情和善意。“史戴佛·兰尼斯特爵士屯军于兰尼斯港外三日骑程之处，而你哥哥以卑鄙的巫术控制成群恶狼攻击他。数千壮士在睡梦中横遭屠戮，甚至没有举剑还击的机会。屠杀之后，北方人用被害者的血肉大开筵席。”
Sansa had always thought Lancel Lannister comely and well spoken, but there was neither pity nor kindness in the look he gave her. “Using some vile sorcery, your brother fell upon Ser Stafford Lannister with an army of wargs, not three days ride from Lannisport. Thousands of good men were butchered as they slept, without the chance to lift sword. After the slaughter, the northmen feasted on the flesh of the slain.”
恐惧如冰冷的手，箍住了珊莎的喉咙。
Horror coiled cold hands around Sansa’s throat.
“你没话说了吧？”乔佛里问。
“You have nothing to say?” asked Joffrey.
“陛下，这可怜的孩子给吓傻了，”唐托斯爵士低声道。
“Your Grace, the poor child is shocked witless,” murmured Ser Dontos.
“闭嘴，小丑。”乔佛里抬起十字弓，瞄准她的脸。“你们史塔克家的人就跟你们的狼一样残忍。我可没忘记你那头怪物是如何攻击我的。”
“Silence, fool.” Joffrey lifted his crossbow and pointed it at her face. “You Starks are as unnatural as those wolves of yours. I’ve not forgotten how your monster savaged me.”
“那是艾莉亚的狼，”她说。“淑女从没伤害你，但你却杀了她。”
“That was Arya’s wolf,” she said. “Lady never hurt you, but you killed her anyway.”
“不是我，是你父亲干的。”小乔道，“但我杀了你父亲，只可惜没能亲自动手。昨晚我杀掉的人比你父亲还高大。他们来到城门口，大叫我的名字，喊着要面包，好像我是个面包师傅似的！所以我好好教训了他们一番，我瞄准那个叫得最响的家伙，射穿了他的喉咙。”
“No, your father did,” Joff said, “but I killed your father. I wish I’d done it myself. I killed a man last night who was bigger than your father. They came to the gate shouting my name and calling for bread like I was some baker, but I taught them better. I shot the loudest one right through the throat.”
“他死了？”丑陋的铁箭头正对着自己的脸，她想不出该说什么。
“And he died?” With the ugly iron head of the quarrel staring her in the face, it was hard to think what else to say.
“他当然死了，我一发命中呢。有个女人朝我扔石头，我也射了她，可惜只射中手臂。”他皱皱眉头，垂下十字弓。“我该把你也射死，但母亲说这样的话，他们会杀死詹姆舅舅，所以我只能惩罚你。我们会给你哥哥送信，告诉他要是不投降，你会有怎样的下场。狗，揍她！”
“Of course he died, he had my quarrel in his throat. There was a woman throwing rocks, I got her as well, but only in the arm.” Frowning, he lowered the crossbow. “I’d shoot you too, but if I do Mother says they’d kill my uncle Jaime. Instead you’ll just be punished and we’ll send word to your brother about what will happen to you if he doesn’t yield. Dog, hit her.”
“让我来打她！”唐托斯爵士挤到前面，锡制盔甲叮当作响。他手拿流星锤，顶端却是个甜瓜。我的佛罗理安。她满心感激，直想亲吻他满是污斑和琐碎血管的丑陋脸庞。他骑着扫帚，围着她打转，口中高喊“叛徒，叛徒”，并用甜瓜砸她的脑袋。珊莎举手遮挡，每当甜瓜砸到身上，便作势摇晃，砸了两下，她的头发已经粘乎乎。人们哈哈大笑。最后甜瓜裂成碎片，飞散开来。你笑啊，乔佛里，她祈祷着，果汁流下她的脸，流下她美丽的蓝色裙服，你就笑个够，然后放过我吧。
“Let me beat her!” Ser Dontos shoved forward, tin armor clattering. He was armed with a “morningstar” whose head was a melon. My Florian. She could have kissed him, blotchy skin and broken veins and all. He trotted his broomstick around her, shouting “Traitor, traitor” and whacking her over the head with the melon. Sansa covered herself with her hands, staggering every time the fruit pounded her, her hair sticky by the second blow. People were laughing. The melon flew to pieces. Laugh, Joffrey, she prayed as the juice ran down her face and the front of her blue silk gown. Laugh and be satisfied.
可惜乔佛里一丝笑意也无，“柏洛斯！马林！”
Joffrey did not so much as snigger. “Boros. Meryn.”
马林·特兰爵士抓住唐托斯的胳膊，粗暴地将他甩出去。红脸小丑摔了个四脚朝天，扫帚和甜瓜散落一地。柏洛斯爵士抓住了珊莎。
Ser Meryn Trant seized Dontos by the arm and flung him brusquely away. The red-faced fool went sprawling, broomstick, melon, and all. Ser Boros seized Sansa.
“不要打脸，”乔佛里命令，“我要她漂漂亮亮。”
“Leave her face,” Joffrey commanded. “I like her pretty.”
柏洛斯一拳打在珊莎肚子上，令她一阵窒息。等她弯腰，骑士便抓住她的头发，拔出剑来，在那恐怖的瞬间，她以为他肯定要割她喉咙，但他只用剑面敲打她的大腿，重击之下，她觉得自己的腿都要断了。珊莎大声尖叫，眼泪夺眶而出。很快就会过去的。不久之后，她已不知挨了多少打。
Boros slammed a fist into Sansa’s belly, driving the air out of her. When she doubled over, the knight grabbed her hair and drew his sword, and for one hideous instant she was certain he meant to open her throat. As he laid the flat of the blade across her thighs, she thought her legs might break from the force of the blow. Sansa screamed. Tears welled in her eyes. It will be over soon. She soon lost count of the blows.
“够了，”她听见猎狗粗哑的声音。
“Enough,” she heard the Hound rasp.
“不，还不够，”国王回答，“柏洛斯，扒光她的衣服。”
“No it isn’t,” the king replied. “Boros, make her naked.”
柏洛斯粗壮的手伸进珊莎的胸衣前襟，猛力一撕。丝绸碎裂，她一直裸到腰际。珊莎忙用双手护住胸口，耳边尽是残忍的窃笑。“狠狠揍她，”乔佛里说，“给他哥哥瞧瞧——”
Boros shoved a meaty hand down the front of Sansa’s bodice and gave a hard yank. The silk came tearing away, baring her to the waist. Sansa covered her breasts with her hands. She could hear sniggers, far off and cruel. “Beat her bloody,” Joffrey said, “we’ll see how her brother fancies—”
“你要干什么？”
“What is the meaning of this?”
小恶魔的声音如长鞭破空，抓住珊莎的手立时松开。她跌跌撞撞地跪下来，双臂交叉在胸，气喘吁吁。“这就是你的骑士精神，柏洛斯爵士？”提利昂·兰尼斯特愤怒地质问。他的心腹佣兵站在他旁边，此外那个一只眼的野蛮人也在。“何等骑士会殴打无助的少女？”
The Imp’s voice cracked like a whip, and suddenly Sansa was free. She stumbled to her knees, arms crossed over her chest, her breath ragged. “Is this your notion of chivalry, Ser Boros?” Tyrion Lannister demanded angrily. His pet sellsword stood with him, and one of his wildlings, the one with the burned eye. “What sort of knight beats helpless maids?”
“为国王效命的骑士，小恶魔。”柏洛斯爵士举起剑，马林爵士也“唰”地一声拔出剑，跨上一步与他并肩。
“The sort who serves his king, Imp.” Ser Boros raised his sword, and Ser Meryn stepped up beside him, his blade scraping clear of its scabbard.
“你们招子放亮点，”侏儒的佣兵警告，“否则这身漂亮白袍就要沾血了。”
“Careful with those,” warned the dwarf’s sellsword. “You don’t want to get blood all over those pretty white cloaks.”
“谁给这女孩找点东西遮体？”小恶魔问。桑铎·克里冈解下自己的披风丢过去。珊莎用它牢牢裹住自己的胸膛，白羊毛料下拳头紧握。粗糙的织物磨得肌肤又刺又痒，却是她穿过最舒适的衣服。
“Someone give the girl something to cover herself with,” the Imp said. Sandor Clegane unfastened his cloak and tossed it at her. Sansa clutched it against her chest, fists bunched hard in the white wool. The coarse weave was scratchy against her skin, but no velvet had ever felt so fine.
“这女孩是你未来的王后，”小恶魔告诉乔佛里。“你就不在乎她的名誉？”
“This girl’s to be your queen,” the Imp told Joffrey. “Have you no regard for her honor?”
“我在惩罚她。”
“I’m punishing her.”
“为什么？她和她哥哥的战斗毫无瓜葛。”
“For what crime? She did not fight her brother’s battle.”
“她有狼的血统。”
“She has the blood of a wolf.”
“你有鹅的脑瓜。”
“And you have the wits of a goose.”
“你不能这样跟我说话！我是国王，想干什么就干什么！”
“You can’t talk to me that way. The king can do as he likes.”
“伊里斯·坦格利安想干什么就干什么。你母亲有没有告诉你他的下场？”
“Aerys Targaryen did as he liked. Has your mother ever told you what happened to him?”
柏洛斯·布劳恩爵士哼了一声，“没人敢在御林铁卫面前威胁国王陛下。”
Ser Boros Blount harrumphed. “No man threatens His Grace in the presence of the Kingsguard.”
提利昂·兰尼斯特扬起一边眉毛。“我不是在威胁国王，爵士，我是在教育外甥。波隆，提魅，柏洛斯爵士再张嘴，就宰了他。”侏儒微笑，“这才叫威胁，爵士，知道区别了吗？”
Tyrion Lannister raised an eyebrow. “I am not threatening the king, ser, I am educating my nephew. Bronn, Timett, the next time Ser Boros opens his mouth, kill him.” The dwarf smiled. “Now that was a threat, ser. See the difference?”
柏洛斯爵士的脸色涨成暗红，“这件事太后一定会知道！”
Ser Boros turned a dark shade of red. “The queen will hear of this!”
“毫无疑问。还等什么呢？乔佛里，我们这就派人去请你母亲？”
“No doubt she will. And why wait? Joffrey, shall we send for your mother?”
国王脸红了。
The king flushed.
“没话说了，陛下？”做舅舅的续道，“很好。学着多用耳朵少用嘴巴，否则你的王朝会比我的个头还短。任性残暴无法赢得人民爱戴……甚至得不到太后的喜欢。”
“Nothing to say, Your Grace?” his uncle went on. “Good. Learn to use your ears more and your mouth less, or your reign will be shorter than I am. Wanton brutality is no way to win your people’s love … or your queen’s.”
“不对，母亲说，宁叫他们怕你，也不要他们爱你。”乔佛里指着珊莎道，“她就很怕我。”
“Fear is better than love, Mother says.” Joffrey pointed at Sansa. “She fears me.”
小恶魔长叹一声。“是啊，这我知道。只可惜史坦尼斯和蓝礼都不是十二岁的小女孩。波隆，提魅，带她走。”
The Imp sighed. “Yes, I see. A pity Stannis and Renly aren’t twelve-year-old girls as well. Bronn, Timett, bring her.”
珊莎觉得自己浑如梦游。她以为小恶魔的手下会送她回梅葛楼的卧室，却不料他们领她去了首相塔。自父亲失势之日起，她头一次踏进这个地方，再度爬上那些阶梯，令她头晕目眩。
Sansa moved as if in a dream. She thought the Imp’s men would take her back to her bedchamber in Maegor’s Holdfast, but instead they conducted her to the Tower of the Hand. She had not set foot inside that place since the day her father fell from grace, and it made her feel faint to climb those steps again.
负责照顾她的女仆们说着一些毫无意义的安慰话语，试图让她停止颤抖。其中一位脱去她身上残留的裙服和内衣，另一位为她沐浴，洗去她满头满脸粘粘的瓜汁。她们用肥皂替她搓洗，用温水冲淋她的头，但此刻她眼中所见惟有靶场上那些脸。骑士立誓帮助弱小，保护妇女，为正义而战，可他们一样也没做到。伸出援手的只有唐托斯爵士，但他已不是骑士，小恶魔也不是，猎狗也不是……记得“猎狗”最恨骑士……我也恨他们，珊莎心想。因为他们不是真正的骑士，他们都不是。
Some serving girls took charge of her, mouthing meaningless comforts to stop her shaking. One stripped off the ruins of her gown and smallclothes, and another bathed her and washed the sticky juice from her face and her hair. As they scrubbed her down with soap and sluiced warm water over her head, all she could see were the faces from the bailey. Knights are sworn to defend the weak, protect women, and fight for the right, but none of them did a thing. Only Ser Dontos had tried to help, and he was no longer a knight, no more than the Imp was, nor the Hound … the Hound hated knights … I hate them too, Sansa thought. They are no true knights, not one of them.
待她清洗干净，姜黄色头发、胖胖的法兰肯学士来照料她。他让她脸朝下趴在床垫上，随后用药膏涂抹她腿背那些红肿的伤痕，并为她调配了一剂安眠酒，加入一点蜂蜜，以利下咽。“好好睡会儿，孩子。等你醒来，你会发现一切都只是个恶梦。”
After she was clean, plump ginger-headed Maester Frenken came to see her. He bid her lie facedown on the mattress while he spread a salve across the angry red welts that covered the backs of her legs. Afterward he mixed her a draught of dreamwine, with some honey so it might go down easier. “Sleep a bit, child. When you wake, all this will seem a bad dream.”
不，不会，才不会，你这个蠢笨的家伙，珊莎心想，但她还是喝下安眠酒，然后睡着了。
No it won’t, you stupid man, Sansa thought, but she drank the dreamwine anyway, and slept.
等她再次醒来，天已全黑，屋子既熟悉又陌生，令她不知身在何处。她站起身，一阵刺痛立刻贯穿双腿，带回所有的记忆，泪水又涌了上来。床边有为她准备的袍子。珊莎滑进长袍中，然后打开门。门外赫然站着一个面色严峻、棕黑皮肤像皮革一般的女人，细瘦的脖子上围了三条项链。一条金，一条银，还有一条竟是人耳穿成！“她想去哪里？”那女人倚在一支高高的长矛上问。
It was dark when she woke again, not quite knowing where she was, the room both strange and strangely familiar. As she rose, a stab of pain went through her legs and brought it all back. Tears filled her eyes. Someone had laid out a robe for her beside the bed. Sansa slipped it on and opened the door. Outside stood a hard-faced woman with leathery brown skin, three necklaces looped about her scrawny neck. One was gold and one was silver and one was made of human ears. “Where does she think she’s going?” the woman asked, leaning on a tall spear.
“神木林。”她必须找到唐托斯爵士，求他现在就带她回家，她实在受不了了。
“The godswood.” She had to find Ser Dontos, beg him to take her home now before it was too late.
“半人说她不能离开，”女人说，“她就在这儿祈祷，神听得到。”
“The halfman said you’re not to leave,” the woman said. “Pray here, the gods will hear.”
珊莎乖乖垂下视线，退回房里。她忽然意识到自己为什么对这里如此熟悉。原来他们把我安置在艾莉亚从前的房间，那时父亲还是首相。她的东西都被清理过，家具也移了位置，但的确是同一个房间……
Meekly, Sansa dropped her eyes and retreated back inside. She realized suddenly why this place seemed so familiar. They’ve put me in Arya’s old bedchamber, from when Father was the Hand of the King. All her things are gone and the furnishings have been moved around, but it’s the same …
没过多久，一个女仆端着托盘进来，盛有奶酪、面包和橄榄，以及一壶凉水。“拿走，”珊莎命令，但那女孩还是将食物留在了桌上。她发现自己真的口渴，只好忍痛走到屋子对面取水，每走一步大腿都像刀扎一般。她刚喝下两杯，正咬起一颗橄榄时，有人开始敲门。
A short time later, a serving girl brought a platter of cheese and bread and olives, with a flagon of cold water. “Take it away,” Sansa commanded, but the girl left the food on a table. She was thirsty, she realized. Every step sent knives through her thighs, but she made herself cross the room. She drank two cups of water, and was nibbling on an olive when the knock came.
她紧张地转身，抚平长袍上的皱褶。“请进。”
Anxiously, she turned toward the door, smoothed down the folds of her robe. “Yes?”
门开了，提利昂·兰尼斯特走进来。“小姐。我没打扰你吧？”
The door opened, and Tyrion Lannister stepped inside. “My lady. I trust I am not disturbing you?”
“我是您的囚犯？”
“Am I your prisoner?”
“你是我的客人。”他戴着首相项链，一条金手串成的链子。“我想我们得谈谈。”
“My guest.” He was wearing his chain of office, a necklace of linked golden hands. “I thought we might talk.”
“遵命。”珊莎发现自己很难不看他的脸；他的面容实在太丑，竟让她觉得有股奇特的吸引力。
“As my lord commands.” Sansa found it hard not to stare; his face was so ugly it held a queer fascination for her.
“食物和衣服都还满意？”他问。“还需要什么，你尽管开口。”
“The food and garments are to your satisfaction?” he asked. “If there is anything else you need, you have only to ask.”
“您真是太仁慈了。今天下午……感谢您救了我。”
“You are most kind. And this morning … it was very good of you to help me.”
“乔佛里如此恼怒是有原因的。六天之前，你哥哥袭击了我叔叔史戴佛，他当时驻军在一个叫牛津的村子，离凯岩城三日骑程。你们北方人赢得了压倒性的胜利。我们今早才接到消息。”
“You have a right to know why Joffrey was so wroth. Six nights gone, your brother fell upon my uncle Stafford, encamped with his host at a village called Oxcross not three days ride from Casterly Rock. Your northerners won a crushing victory. We received word only this morning.”
罗柏会把你们通通杀死，她欣喜地想。“这……这真可怕，大人。我哥哥是个可恶的叛徒。”
Robb will kill you all, she thought, exulting. “It’s … terrible, my lord. My brother is a vile traitor.”
侏儒无力地微笑，“嗯，他不是个毛头小鬼，这一点毋庸置疑。”
The dwarf smiled wanly. “Well, he’s no fawn, he’s made that clear enough.”
“蓝赛尔爵士说罗柏带着一群恶狼……”
“Ser Lancel said Robb led an army of wargs …”
小恶魔轻蔑地大笑。“蓝赛尔爵士是咱们的酒袋战士，多半连恶狼和恶瘤都分不清。你哥哥带着他的冰原狼，我想仅此而已。北方人潜入我叔叔的营地，割断系马的绳索，随后史塔克大人放狼进去。如此一来，训练有素的战马也发了疯。许多骑士被踩死在帐篷里，其余的乌合之众惊醒之后四散奔逃，为了赶路，连武器也不顾。史戴佛爵士在追马时被瑞卡德·卡史塔克伯爵当胸刺杀。卢伯特·布拉克斯爵士、莱蒙·维卡瑞爵士、克雷赫伯爵和贾斯特伯爵据传也都战死。五十多名贵族被俘，其中包括贾斯特的几个儿子和我侄子马丁·兰尼斯特。侥幸逃过一劫的人到处胡说八道，说什么北方的旧神跟你哥哥一起参战。”
The Imp gave a disdainful bark of laughter. “Ser Lancel’s a wineskin warrior who wouldn’t know a warg from a wart. Your brother had his direwolf with him, but I suspect that’s as far as it went. The northmen crept into my uncle’s camp and cut his horse lines, and Lord Stark sent his wolf among them. Even war-trained destriers went mad. Knights were trampled to death in their pavilions, and the rabble woke in terror and fled, casting aside their weapons to run the faster. Ser Stafford was slain as he chased after a horse. Lord Rickard Karstark drove a lance through his chest. Ser Rubert Brax is also dead, along with Ser Lymond Vikary, Lord Crakehall, and Lord Jast. Half a hundred more have been taken captive, including Jast’s sons and my nephew Martyn Lannister. Those who survived are spreading wild tales and swearing that the old gods of the north march with your brother.”
“那……没有什么巫术喽？”
“Then … there was no sorcery?”
兰尼斯特嗤之以鼻。“巫术是笨蛋掩饰无能的借口，涂抹在失败外面的佐料。看来我那没脑子的叔叔甚至没有设置岗哨。他的军团都是新手——学徒、矿工、农民、渔夫，兰尼斯港里的垃圾。惟一的谜团是你哥哥如何能突袭他们？我们的军队仍然控制着坚固的金牙城，他们发誓他没经过那里。”侏儒焦躁地耸耸肩。“总之呢，罗柏·史塔克是我父亲的心病，乔佛里则是我的心病。告诉我，你觉得我那当国王的外甥怎样？”
Lannister snorted. “Sorcery is the sauce fools spoon over failure to hide the flavor of their own incompetence. My mutton-headed uncle had not even troubled to post sentries, it would seem. His host was raw—apprentice boys, miners, fieldhands, fisherfolk, the sweepings of Lannisport. The only mystery is how your brother reached him. Our forces still hold the stronghold at the Golden Tooth, and they swear he did not pass.” The dwarf gave an irritated shrug. “Well, Robb Stark is my father’s bane. Joffrey is mine. Tell me, what do you feel for my kingly nephew?”
“我全心全意地爱着他，”珊莎立刻答道。
“I love him with all my heart,” Sansa said at once.
“真的？”他并不信服，“现在也是？”
“Truly?” He did not sound convinced. “Even now?”
“我对陛下的爱更胜以往。”
“My love for His Grace is greater than it has ever been.”
小恶魔纵声大笑，“好好好，总算你有个好老师，说谎学得不错，或许将来有一天，你会为此心怀感激，孩子……哦，你还是个孩子，对吗？还是你已经来了初潮？”
The Imp laughed aloud. “Well, someone has taught you to lie well. You may be grateful for that one day, child. You are a child still, are you not? Or have you flowered?”
珊莎脸红了。这是个无礼的问题，但比起在半个城堡的人面前被扒光衣服，这点羞耻又算不上什么。“没有，大人。”
Sansa blushed. It was a rude question, but the shame of being stripped before half the castle made it seem like nothing. “No, my lord.”
“那最好。听着，我不想让你嫁给乔佛里，希望这算是一点安慰。发生了这么多事，只怕联姻已无法令史塔克家族和兰尼斯特家族和解。真可惜，这桩婚事本是劳勃国王少有的明智之举，却被乔佛里搞砸了。”
“That’s all to the good. If it gives you any solace, I do not intend that you ever wed Joffrey. No marriage will reconcile Stark and Lannister after all that has happened, I fear. More’s the pity. The match was one of King Robert’s better notions, if Joffrey hadn’t mucked it up.”
她知道自己该说些什么才对，但言词卡在了喉咙里。
She knew she ought to say something, but the words caught in her throat.
“你很安静，”提利昂·兰尼斯特评论。“你得遂心愿了吗？你希望终止婚约吗？”
“You grow very quiet,” Tyrion Lannister observed. “Is this what you want? An end to your betrothal?”
“我……”珊莎不知该说什么才好。这莫非是个陷阱？如果我说出真话，他会不会惩罚我？她凝视着侏儒凶恶而突出的额头，凝视着他冷冷的黑眼珠和狡黠的绿眼珠，还有弯曲的牙齿和金属丝般的胡子。“我只想乖巧忠诚。”
“I …” Sansa did not know what to say. Is it a trick? Will he punish me if I tell the truth? She stared at the dwarf’s brutal bulging brow, the hard black eye and the shrewd green one, the crooked teeth and wiry beard. “I only want to be loyal.”
“乖巧忠诚，”矮子若有所思地说，“并远离兰尼斯特家的人。真难为了你，我在你这个年纪的时候，也这么想。”他笑了笑。“他们告诉我，你天天造访神木林。你都祈祷些什么，珊莎？”
“Loyal,” the dwarf mused, “and far from any Lannisters. I can scarce blame you for that. When I was your age, I wanted the same thing.” He smiled. “They tell me you visit the godswood every day. What do you pray for, Sansa?”
我祈祷罗柏的胜利和乔佛里的死亡……我为家乡，为临冬城祈祷。“我祈祷战争早日结束。”
I pray for Robb’s victory and Joffrey’s death … and for home. For Winterfell. “I pray for an end to the fighting.”
“快了，孩子。你哥哥罗柏和我父亲大人之间很快会爆发决战，由此解决一切争端。”
“We’ll have that soon enough. There will be another battle, between your brother Robb and my lord father, and that will settle the issue.”
罗柏会打败他，珊莎心想。他打败了你叔叔和你哥哥詹姆。他也会打败你父亲。
Robb will beat him, Sansa thought. He beat your uncle and your brother Jaime, he’ll beat your father too.
侏儒似乎把她的脸当成了一本打开的书，将她的心思看得一清二楚。“别太看重牛津之战，小姐，”他客气地告诉她，“一场战斗无法决定战争的胜负，而我那史戴佛叔叔完全不能与我父亲大人同日而语。下次去神木林，就祈祷你哥哥能明智地屈膝臣服吧。一旦北方归顺国王的统治，我就送你回家。”他跳下窗边坐椅，“你今晚就睡这儿。我会派我的人为你把守，请放心，石鸦部的人——”
It was as if her face were an open book, so easily did the dwarf read her hopes. “Do not take Oxcross too much to heart, my lady,” he told her, not unkindly. “A battle is not a war, and my lord father is assuredly not my uncle Stafford. The next time you visit the godswood, pray that your brother has the wisdom to bend the knee. Once the north returns to the king’s peace, I mean to send you home.” He hopped down off the window seat and said, “You may sleep here tonight. I’ll give you some of my own men as a guard, some Stone Crows perhaps—”
“不，”珊莎惊慌地夺口而出。如果她被锁在首相塔里，日夜由侏儒的手下看守，唐托斯爵士又如何能救她自由呢？
“No,” Sansa blurted out, aghast. If she was locked in the Tower of the Hand, guarded by the dwarf’s men, how would Ser Dontos ever spirit her away to freedom?
“你喜欢黑耳部？如果女人在身边你觉得自在些，我就把齐拉留给你。”
“Would you prefer Black Ears? I’ll give you Chella if a woman would make you more at ease.”
“不不，求求您不要，大人，我害怕这些野蛮人。”
“Please, no, my lord, the wildlings frighten me.”
他咧嘴笑笑，“我也一样。但关键在于，他们能吓住乔佛里和那窝称之为御林铁卫的毒蛇和马屁精。有齐拉和提魅在旁，没人敢加害于你。”
He grinned. “Me as well. But more to the point, they frighten Joffrey and that nest of sly vipers and lickspittle dogs he calls a Kingsguard. With Chella or Timett by your side, no one would dare offer you harm.”
“可我宁愿睡自己的床，一个谎言出现在脑海，如此恰如其分，她当即脱口而出，“这座塔是我父亲的部下被残杀的地方，他们的鬼魂留在这里，会让我做噩梦的。我不管往哪里看，都能看到他们的血。”
“I would sooner return to my own bed.” A lie came to her suddenly, but it seemed so right that she blurted it out at once. “This tower was where my father’s men were slain. Their ghosts would give me terrible dreams, and I would see their blood wherever I looked.”
提利昂·兰尼斯特端详着她的脸。“我对噩梦并不陌生，珊莎。也许你比我想像的更明智。那好吧，至少允许我将你安全地护送回去。”
Tyrion Lannister studied her face. “I am no stranger to nightmares, Sansa. Perhaps you are wiser than I knew. Permit me at least to escort you safely back to your own chambers.”