grrm.astormofswords-第184部分

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　a　septa　and　wrote　to　me。　That　was　the　first　I　knew　of　your　existence。〃　He　fingered　his　beard。　〃Do　you　think　you　can　remember　all　that？〃
　〃I　hope。　It　will　be　like　playing　a　game；　won't　it？〃
　〃Are　you　fond　of　games；　Alayne？〃
　The　new　name　would　take　some　getting　used　to。　〃Games？　I　。　。　。　I　suppose　it　would　depend　。　。　。〃
　Grisel　reappeared　before　he　could　say　more；　balancing　a　large　platter。　She　set　it　down　between　them。　There　were　apples　and　pears　and　pomegranates；　some　sad…looking　grapes；　a　huge　blood　orange。　The　old　woman　had　brought　a　round　of　bread　as　well；　and　a　crock　of　butter。　Petyr　cut　a　pomegranate　in　two　with　his　dagger；　offering　half　to　Sansa。　〃You　should　try　and　eat；　my　lady。〃
　〃Thank　you；　my　lord。〃　Pomegranate　seeds　were　so　messy；　Sansa　chose　a　pear　instead；　and　took　a　small　delicate　bite。　It　was　very　ripe。　The　juice　ran　down　her　chin。
　Lord　Petyr　loosened　a　seed　with　the　point　of　his　dagger。　〃You　must　miss　your　father　terribly；　I　know。　Lord　Eddard　was　a　brave　man；　honest　and　loyal　。　。　。　but　quite　a　hopeless　player。〃　He　brought　the　seed　to　his　mouth　with　the　knife。　〃In　King's　Landing；　there　are　two　sorts　of　people。　The　players　and　the　pieces。〃
　〃And　I　was　a　piece？〃　She　dreaded　the　answer。
　〃Yes；　but　don't　let　that　trouble　you。　You're　still　half　a　child。　Every　man's　a　piece　to　start　with；　and　every　maid　as　well。　Even　some　who　think　they　are　players。〃　He　ate　another　seed。　〃Cersei；　for　one。　She　thinks　herself　sly；　but　in　truth　she　is　utterly　predictable。　Her　strength　rests　on　her　beauty；　birth；　and　riches。　Only　the　first　of　those　is　truly　her　own；　and　it　will　soon　desert　her。　I　pity　her　then。　She　wants　power；　but　has　no　notion　what　to　do　with　it　when　she　gets　it。　Everyone　wants　something；　Alayne。　And　when　you　know　what　a　man　wants　you　know　who　he　is；　and　how　to　move　him。〃
　〃As　you　moved　Ser　Dontos　to　poison　Joffrey？〃　It　had　to　have　been　Dontos；　she　had　concluded。
　Littlefinger　laughed。　〃Ser　Dontos　the　Red　was　a　skin　of　wine　with　legs。　He　could　never　have　been　trusted　with　a　task　of　such　enormity。　He　would　have　bungled　it　or　betrayed　me。　No；　all　Dontos　had　to　do　was　lead　you　from　the　castle　。　。　。　and　make　certain　you　wore　your　silver　hair　net。〃
　The　black　amethysts。　〃But　。　。　。　if　not　Dontos；　who？　Do　you　have　other　。　。　。　pieces？〃
　〃You　could　turn　King's　Landing　upside　down　and　not　find　a　single　man　with　a　mockingbird　sewn　over　his　heart；　but　that　does　not　mean　I　am　friendless。〃　Petyr　went　to　the　steps。　〃Oswell；　e　up　here　and　let　the　Lady　Sansa　have　a　look　at　you。〃
　The　old　man　appeared　a　few　moments　later；　grinning　and　bowing。　Sansa　eyed　him　uncertainly。　〃What　am　I　supposed　to　see？〃
　〃Do　you　know　him？〃　asked　Petyr。
　〃No。〃
　〃Look　closer。〃
　She　studied　the　old　man's　lined　windburnt　face；　hook　nose；　white　hair；　and　huge　knuckly　hands。　There　was　something　familiar　about　him；　yet　Sansa　had　to　shake　her　head。　〃I　don't。　I　never　saw　Oswell　before　I　got　into　his　boat；　I'm　certain。〃
　Oswell　grinned；　showing　a　mouth　of　crooked　teeth。　〃No；　but　m'lady　might　of　met　my　three　sons。〃
　It　was　the　〃three　sons；〃　and　that　smile　too。　〃Kettleblack！〃　Sansa's　eyes　went　wide。　〃You're　a　Kettleblack！〃
　〃Aye；　m'lady；　as　it　please　you。〃
　〃She's　beside　herself　with　joy。〃　Lord　Petyr　dismissed　him　with　a　wave；　and　returned　to　the　pomegranate　again　as　Oswell　shuffled　down　the　steps。　〃Tell　me；　Alayne…which　is　more　dangerous；　the　dagger　brandished　by　an　enemy；　or　the　hidden　one　pressed　to　your　back　by　someone　you　never　even　see？〃
　〃The　hidden　dagger。〃
　〃There's　a　clever　girl。〃　He　smiled；　his　thin　lips　bright　red　from　the　pomegranate　seeds。　〃When　the　Imp　sent　off　her　guards；　the　queen　had　Ser　Lancel　hire　sellswords　for　her。　Lancel　found　her　the　Kettleblacks；　which　delighted　your　little　lord　husband；　since　the　lads　were　in　his　pay　through　his　man　Bronn。〃　He　chuckled。　〃But　it　was　me　who　told　Oswell　to　get　his　sons　to　King's　Landing　when　I　learned　that　Bronn　was　looking　for　swords。　Three　hidden　daggers；　Alayne；　now　perfectly　placed。〃
　〃So　one　of　the　Kettleblacks　put　the　poison　in　Joff　's　cup？〃　Ser　Osmund　had　been　near　the　king　all　night；　she　remembered。
　〃Did　I　say　that？〃　Lord　Petyr　cut　the　blood　orange　in　two　with　his　dagger　and　offered　half　to　Sansa。　〃The　lads　are　far　too　treacherous　to　be　part　of　any　such　scheme　。　。　。　and　Osmund　has　bee　especially　unreliable　since　he　joined　the　Kingsguard。　That　white　cloak　does　things　to　a　man；　I　find。　Even　a　man　like　him。〃　He　tilted　his　chin　back　and　squeezed　the　blood　orange；　so　the　juice　ran　down　into　his　mouth。　〃I　love　the　juice　but　I　loathe　the　sticky　fingers；〃　he　plained；　wiping　his　hands。　〃Clean　hands；　Sansa。　Whatever　you　do；　make　certain　your　hands　are　clean。〃
　Sansa　spooned　up　some　juice　from　her　own　orange。　〃But　if　it　wasn't　the　Kettleblacks　and　it　wasn't　Ser　Dontos　。　。　。　you　weren't　even　in　the　city；　and　it　couldn't　have　been　Tyrion　。　。　。
　〃No　more　guesses；　sweetling？〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃I　don't　。　。　。
　Petyr　smiled。　〃I　will　wager　you　that　at　some　point　during　the　evening　someone　told　you　that　your　hair　net　was　crooked　and　straightened　it　for　you。〃
　Sansa　raised　a　hand　to　her　mouth。　〃You　cannot　mean　。　。　。　she　wanted　to　take　me　to　Highgarden；　to　marry　me　to　her　grandson　。　。　。〃
　〃Gentle；　pious；　good…hearted　Willas　Tyrell。　Be　grateful　you　were　spared；　he　would　have　bored　you　spitless。　The　old　woman　is　not　boring；　though；　I'll　grant　her　that。　A　fearsome　old　harridan；　and　not　near　as　frail　as　she　pretends。　When　I　came　to　Highgarden　to　dicker　for　Margaery's　hand；　she　let　her　lord　son　bluster　while　she　asked　pointed　questions　about　Joffrey's　nature。　I　praised　him　to　the　skies；　to　be　sure。。　。　whilst　my　men　spread　disturbing　tales　amongst　Lord　Tyrell's　servants。　That　is　how　the　game　is　played。
　〃I　also　planted　the　notion　of　Ser　Loras　taking　the　white。　Not　that　I　suggested　it；　that　would　have　been　too　crude。　But　men　in　my　party　supplied　grisly　tales　about　how　the　mob　had　killed　Ser　Preston　Greenfield　and　raped　the　Lady　Lollys；　and　slipped　a　few　silvers　to　Lord　Tyrell's　army　of　singers　to　sing　of　Ryam　Redwyne；　Serwyn　of　the　Mirror　Shield；　and　Prince　Aemon　the　Dragonknight。　A　harp　can　be　as　dangerous　as　a　sword；　in　the　right　hands。
　〃Mace　Tyrell　actually　thought　it　was　his　own　idea　to　make　Ser　Loras's　inclusion　in　the　Kingsguard　part　of　the　marriage　contract。　Who　better　to　protect　his　daughter　than　her　splendid　knightly　brother？　And　it　relieved　him　of　the　difficult　task　of　trying　to　find　lands　and　a　bride　for　a　third　son；　never　easy；　and　doubly　difficult　in　Ser　Loras's　case。
　〃Be　that　as　it　may。　Lady　Olenna　was　not　about　to　let　Joff　harm　her　precious　darling　granddaughter；　but　unlike　her　son　she　also　realized　that　under　all　his　flowers　and　finery；　Ser　Loras　is　as　hot…tempered　as　Jaime　Lannister。　Toss　Joffrey；　Margaery；　and　Loras　in　a　pot；　and　you've　got　the　makings　for　kingslayer　stew。　The　old　woman　understood　something　else　as　well。　Her　son　was　determined　to　make　Margaery　a　queen；　and　for　that　he　needed　a　king　。　。　。　but　he　did　not　need　/offrey。　We　shall　have　another　wedding　soon；　wait　and　see。　Margaery　will　marry　Tommen。　She'll　keep　her　queenly　crown　and　her　maidenhead；　neither　of　which　she　especially　wants；　but　what　does　that　matter？　The　great　western　alliance　will　be　preserved　。　。　。　for　a　time；　at　least。〃
　Margaery　and　Tommen。　Sansa　did　not　know　what　to　say。　She　had　liked　Margaery　Tyrell；　and　her　small　sharp　grandmother　as　well。　She　thought　wistfully　of　Highgarden　with　its　courtyards　and　musicians；　and　the　pleasure　barges　on　the　Mander；　a　far　cry　from　this　bleak　shore。　At　least　I　am　safe　here。　Joffrey　is　dead；　he　cannot　hurt　me　anymore；　and　I　am　only　a　bastard　girl　now　Alayne　Stone　has　no　husband　and　no　claim。　And　her　aunt　would　soon　be　here　as　well。　The　long　nightmare　of　King's　Landing　was　behind　her；　and　her　mockery　of　a　marriage　as　well。　She　could　make　herself　a　new　home　here；　just　as　Petyr　said。
　It　was　eight　long　days　until　Lysa　Arryn　arrived。　On　five　of　them　it　rained；　while　Sansa　sat　bored　and　restless　by　the　fire；　beside　the　old　blind　dog。　He　was　too　sick　and　toothless　to　walk　guard　with　Bryen　anymore；　and　mostly　all　he　did　was　sleep；　but　when　she　patted　him　he　whined　and　licked　her　hand；　and　after　that　they　were　fast　friends。　When　the　rains　let　up；　Petyr　walked　with　her　around　his　holdings；　which　took　less　than　half　a　day。　He　owned　a　lot　of　rocks；　just　as　he　had　said。　There　was　one　place　where　the　tide　came　jetting　up　out　of　a　blowhole　to　shoot　thirty　feet　into　the　air；　and　another　where　someone　had　chiseled　the　seven…pointed　star　of　the　new　gods　upon　a　boulder。　Petyr　said　that　marked　one　of　the　places　the　Andals　had　landed；　when　they　came　across　the　sea　to　wrest　the　Vale　from　the　First　Men。
　Farther　inland　a　dozen　families　lived　in　huts　of　piled　stone　beside　a　peat　bog。　〃Mine　own　smallfolk；〃　Petyr　said；　though　only　the　oldest　seemed　to　know　him。　There　was　a　hermit's　cave　on　his　land　as　well；　but　no　hermit。　〃He's　dead　now；　but　when　I　was　a　boy　my　father　took　me　to　see　him。　The　man　had　not　washed　in　forty　years；　so　you　can　imagine　how　he　smelled；　but　supposedly　he　had　the　gift　of　prophecy。　He　groped　me　a　bit　and　said　I　would　be　a　great　man；　and　for　that　my　father　gave　him　a　skin　of　wine。〃　Petyr　snorted。　〃I　would　have　told　him　the　same　thing　for　half　a　cup。〃
　Finally；　on　a　grey　windy　afternoon；　Bryen　came　running　back　to　the　tower　with　his　dogs　barking　at　his　heels；　to　announce　that　riders　were　approaching　from　the　southwest。　〃Lysa；〃　Lord　Petyr　said。　〃e；　Alayne；　let　us　greet　her。〃
　They　put　on　their　cloaks　and　waited　outside。　The　riders　numbered　no　more　than　a　score；　a　very　modest　escort；　for　the　Lady　of　the　Eyrie。　Three　maids　rode　with　her；　and　a　dozen　household　knights　in　mail　and　plate。　She　brought　a　septon　as　well；　and　a　handsome　singer　with　a　wisp　of　a　mustache　and　long　sandy　curls。
　Could　that　be　my　aunt？　Lady　Lysa　was　two　years　younger　than　Mother；　but　this　woman　looked　ten　years　older。　Thick　auburn　tresses　fell　down　past　her　waist；　but　beneath　the　costly　velvet　gown　and　jeweled　bodice　her　body　sagged　and　bulged。　Her　face　was　pink　and　painted；　her　breasts　heavy；　her　limbs　thick。　She　was　taller　than　Littlefinger；　and　heavier；　nor　did　she　show　any　grace　in　the　clumsy　way　she　climbed　down　off　her　horse。
　Petyr　knelt　to　kiss　her　fingers。　〃The　ki