A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

behind, both arms tight around the Hound’s
chest.
    Tyrion called to her. “Are you hurt, Lady Sansa?”
    Blood was trickling down Sansa’s brow from a deep gash on her scalp.
“They . . . they were throwing
things . . . rocks and filth, eggs . . . I
tried to tell them, I had no bread to give them. A man tried to pull me from
the saddle. The Hound killed him, I think . . . his
arm . . .” Her eyes widened and she put a hand over her mouth.
“He
cut off his arm.
”
    Clegane lifted her to the ground. His white cloak was torn and stained, and
blood seeped through a jagged tear in his left sleeve. “The little bird’s
bleeding. Someone take her back to her cage and see to that cut.” Maester
Frenken scurried forward to obey. “They did for Santagar,” the Hound
continued. “Four men held him down and took turns bashing at his head with a
cobblestone. I gutted one, not that it did Ser Aron much good.”
    Lady Tanda approached him. “My daughter—”
    â€œNever saw her.” The Hound glanced around the yard, scowling. “Where’s my
horse? If anything’s happened to that horse, someone’s going to
pay.”
    â€œHe was running with us for a time,” Tyrion said, “but I don’t know what
became of him after that.”
    â€œFire!”
a voice screamed down from atop the barbican. “My lords,
there’s smoke in the city. Flea Bottom’s afire.”
    Tyrion was inutterably weary, but there was no
time
for despair.
“Bronn, take as many men as you need and see that the water wagons are not
molested.”
Gods be good, the wildfire, if any blaze should reach
that . . .
“We can lose all of Flea Bottom if we must,
but on no account must the fire reach the Guildhall of

the Alchemists, is that understood? Clegane, you’ll go with him.”
    For half a heartbeat, Tyrion thought he glimpsed fear in the Hound’s dark eyes.
Fire,
he realized.
The Others take me, of course he hates fire,
he’s tasted it too well.
The look was gone in an instant, replaced by
Clegane’s familiar scowl. “I’ll go,” he said, “though not by
your
command. I need to find that horse.”
    Tyrion turned to the three remaining knights of the Kingsguard. “Each of you
will ride escort to a herald. Command the people to return to their homes. Any
man found on the streets after the last peal of the evenfall bell will be
killed.”
    â€œOur place is beside the king,” Ser Meryn said, complacent.
    Cersei reared up like a viper. “Your place is where my brother says it is,”
she spit. “The Hand speaks with the king’s own voice, and disobedience is
treason.”
    Boros and Meryn exchanged a look. “Should we wear our cloaks, Your Grace?”
Ser Boros asked.
    â€œGo naked for all I care. It might remind the mob that you’re men. They’re
like to have forgotten after seeing the way you behaved out there in the
street.”
    Tyrion let his sister rage. His head was throbbing. He thought he could smell
smoke, though perhaps it was just the scent of his nerves fraying. Two of the
Stone Crows guarded the door of the Tower of the Hand. “Find me Timett son of
Timett.”
    â€œStone Crows do not run squeaking after Burned Men,” one of the wildlings
informed him haughtily.
    For a moment Tyrion had forgotten who he was dealing with.

“Then find me Shagga.”
    â€œShagga sleeps.”
    It was an effort not to scream. “Wake. Him.”
    â€œIt is no easy thing to wake Shagga son of Dolf,” the man complained. “His
wrath is fearsome.” He went off grumbling.
    The clansman wandered in yawning and scratching. “Half the city is rioting,
the other half is burning, and Shagga lies snoring,” Tyrion said.
    â€œShagga mislikes your muddy water here, so he must drink your weak ale and
sour wine, and after his head hurts.”
    â€œI have Shae in a manse near the Iron Gate. I want you to go to her and keep
her safe, whatever may come.”
    The huge man smiled, his teeth a yellow crevasse in the hairy wilderness of his
beard. “Shagga will fetch her here.”
    â€œJust see that no harm comes to her. Tell her I will come to her as soon as I
may. This very night, perhaps, or on the morrow for a certainty.”
    Yet by evenfall the city was