A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

three
years, and he served with valor during Balon Greyjoy’s Rebellion. King Robert
knighted him at Pyke. And yet his name does not appear on your
list.”
    Lord Janos Slynt took a gulp of wine and sloshed it around in his mouth for a
moment before swallowing. “Bywater. Well. Brave man, to be sure,
yet . . . he’s
rigid,
that one. A queer dog. The men
don’t like him. A cripple too, lost his hand at Pyke, that’s what got him
knighted. A poor trade, if you ask me, a hand for a
ser.
” He
laughed. “Ser Jacelyn thinks overmuch of himself and his honor, as I see it.
You’ll do better leaving that one where he is, my lor—Tyrion. Allar
Deem’s the man for you.”
    â€œDeem is little loved in the streets, I am told.”
    â€œHe’s feared. That’s better.”
    â€œWhat was it I heard of him? Some trouble in a brothel?”
    â€œThat. Not his fault, my lo—Tyrion. No. He never meant to kill the
woman, that was her own doing. He warned her to stand aside and let him do his
duty.”
    â€œStill . . . mothers and children, he might have expected
she’d try to save the babe.” Tyrion smiled. “Have some of this cheese, it
goes splendidly with the wine. Tell me, why did you choose Deem for that
unhappy task?”
    â€œA good commander knows his men, Tyrion. Some are good for one job, some for
another. Doing for a babe, and her still on the

tit, that takes a certain sort. Not every man’d do it. Even if it was only some
whore and her whelp.”
    â€œI suppose that’s so,” said Tyrion, hearing
only some whore
and
thinking of Shae, and Tysha long ago, and all the other women who had taken his
coin and his seed over the years.
    Slynt went on, oblivious. “A hard man for a hard job, is Deem. Does as he’s
told, and never a word afterward.” He cut a slice off the cheese. “This
is
fine. Sharp. Give me a good sharp knife and a good sharp cheese
and I’m a happy man.”
    Tyrion shrugged. “Enjoy it while you can. With the riverlands in flame and
Renly king in Highgarden, good cheese will soon be hard to come by. So who sent
you after the whore’s bastard?”
    Lord Janos gave Tyrion a wary look, then laughed and wagged a wedge of cheese
at him. “You’re a sly one, Tyrion. Thought you could trick me, did you? It
takes more than wine and cheese to make Janos Slynt tell more than he should. I
pride myself. Never a question, and never a word afterward, not with
me.”
    â€œAs with Deem.”
    â€œJust the same. You make him your Commander when I’m off to Harrenhal, and you
won’t regret it.”
    Tyrion broke off a nibble of the cheese. It was sharp indeed, and veined with
wine; very choice. “Whoever the king names will not have an easy time stepping
into
your
armor, I can tell. Lord Mormont faces the same
problem.”
    Lord Janos looked puzzled. “I thought she was a lady. Mormont. Beds down with
bears, that’s the one?”
    â€œIt was her brother I was speaking of. Jeor Mormont, the Lord Commander
of the Night’s Watch. When I was visiting with him on the Wall, he mentioned
how concerned he was about finding a good man to take his place. The Watch gets
so few good men these days.” Tyrion grinned. “He’d sleep easier if he had a
man like you, I imagine. Or the valiant Allar Deem.”
    Lord Janos roared. “Small chance of that!”
    â€œOne would think,” Tyrion said, “but life does take queer turns. Consider
Eddard Stark, my lord. I don’t suppose he ever imagined his life would end on
the steps of Baelor’s Sept.”
    â€œThere were damn few as did,” Lord Janos allowed, chuckling.
    Tyrion chuckled too. “A pity I wasn’t here to see it. They say even Varys was
surprised.”
    Lord Janos laughed so hard his gut shook. “The Spider,” he said. “Knows
everything, they say. Well, he didn’t know
that.
”
    â€œHow could he?” Tyrion put the first hint of a chill in his tone. “He had
helped persuade my sister that Stark should be pardoned, on the condition that
he take the black.”
    â€œEh?” Janos Slynt blinked vaguely at Tyrion.
    â€œMy sister Cersei,” Tyrion repeated, a shade more strongly, in case the fool
had some doubt who he meant. “The Queen Regent.”
    â€œYes.” Slynt