Chapter 285: A Mad Plan
It wasn't just Egger and Melisandre who were laboring over the election for Lord Commander. Inside the Spear Tower, where the Shadow Tower delegation was temporarily housed, Ser Denys Mallister had just sent away a few subordinates. He had only been alone with his thoughts for a short while when he received his own uninvited guests.
"Cotter Pyke, Lord Royce." The old knight looked at his old rival and Yohn Royce as they pushed through the door, offering a skin-deep smile. "I sincerely hope you two haven't come back to persuade me to cast my votes for this person or that... At this moment, setting aside all old grudges and casting all votes for me is the only way to prevent the wildlings from permanently settling in the Gift!"
Pyke's eyes flared. "You always claim to be a sensible man. Why don't you be the one to proactively cast your votes for me?"
"Because I would be a more qualified Lord Commander than you!"
Denys blurted it out, but as soon as the words left his mouth, all three men were reminded of Egger's critique of qualified earlier that day at the voting site. They suddenly felt ill at ease.
"More qualified? Hmph." Cotter Pyke gave a cold laugh, though he didn't continue to dwell on that point. "The gap between our vote counts previously didn't say so. Eastwatch has fewer men than the Shadow Tower, which means I have fewer votes in my hand than you. Aside from that, the recognition I receive from the brothers at Castle Black is no lower than yours!"
"You still think so?" Ser Denys Mallister hadn't expected Pyke to see reason, and he laughed aloud. "To be Lord Commander, being good at swinging a sword isn't enough. You are far too insensitive. Have you still not noticed that of the hundred-odd brothers at Castle Black who voted for you before, most of them flocked to Warner Buckwell today after we both withdrew from the race?"
"The voting is anonymous. How could you be so certain?"
"The voting is anonymous, but how can such things be hidden from everyone? If one is willing to spend time observing and use tactics to fish for information, there are naturally ways to find out." Denys spoke with disdain. "I used to wonder why your vote count always stayed so close to mine... Thinking back now, that was likely a trick by our Chief Logistics Officer. He used a little scheme to keep us in a stalemate, then turned around to pin the labels of 'incompetent' and 'failing to elect a leader' on us. Truly brilliant. Robb Stark is very dissatisfied with us right now; he feels that at this critical juncture where northern security is threatened, we've wasted two months bickering over a leader. He thinks we don't know the difference between what's urgent and what's not. The terrifying thing is, I have nothing to say in my defense—in this contest, I, an old man, have lost. I must give this young fellow Egger some credit. The comical thing is that you haven't even realized you were tricked; you've lived all these years in vain... In terms of how to be a commander, you still have much to learn."
Intrigue and deception were not Cotter Pyke's strengths, and he never denied it. The commander of Eastwatch wrinkled his nose in disdain. "Pah... no matter how skilled or smooth such tricks are, can they be used against the Others in the future?"
"Perhaps not, but he's a man who has killed an Other with his own hands. Regarding that matter, we likely have no standing to talk." Denys looked at Yohn Royce behind Cotter, eyeing him meaningfully. "Choosing not to use schemes is your choice, but one should at least possess the ability to see through an enemy's ruse. Every sign suggests our opponents are intelligent magical creatures! The reason I refuse to cast my votes for you is that I see no such ability in you—to deal with an enemy, you only know how to go up and duel him!"
Nothing stings more than having one's weaknesses exposed. In fact, had his men not held him back—and had Arya Stark and her brother, that boy-Warden, not appeared in time—he truly would have drawn his sword and demanded a duel from Egger at the election. Being called out made Cotter Pyke even more ashamed and angry, his face flushing crimson.
These two old bastards, each no younger than myself, yet they don't know the first thing about the bigger picture. If they could have shaken hands and made peace earlier, would there be any room for a clown like Egger to jump out?
Yohn Royce cursed them both silently. He somewhat regretted persuading Pyke to come with him to negotiate a way to deal with Egger; these two rivals simply couldn't remain peaceful when they met.
...
"My lords, please both calm down. I believe the most important thing for us right now is to discuss how to deal with our common enemy, and how to stop Egger West from blurring the line between right and wrong to gain an advantage in the election by deceiving the brothers of Castle Black!"
"Deal with a common enemy?" Ser Denys laughed with interest. "Egger West is a sworn brother, the Chief Logistics Officer of the Night's Watch. Since when did he become our enemy? I have always viewed him as a rising star whose ideas and methods I don't quite approve of, but a worthy rival nonetheless."
He paused and spoke solemnly: "Yohn—permit me to call you that—aside from the fact that 'Egger went on a patrol beyond the Wall with Waymar and ultimately didn't return with him,' there is no evidence to prove he caused your son's death. I trust the judgment of Commander Mormont and Benjen Stark. As for his suggestion to King Robert to take the Bloody Gate, that has been defined by the King recognized by the Seven Kingdoms, and the executor was the current Warden of the North. If I were you, I would never bring that up again. Rather than how to deal with him, I've spent more time tonight considering how to better strike back after his public accusation of my mediocrity. What troubles me is that even thinking calmly, there is no better counter-strategy."
"Lord Denys, your advice is earnest, and I will strive to set aside prejudice and personal grudges. But I must also point out your problem—stubbornness. That boy flipped the card table and smashed it over you, yet you are still trying to pick up the cards from the dust in the middle of the chaos to see why you lost that last hand?" Yohn Royce said bluntly. "He used unconventional means to create momentum; we can only use unconventional means to counter-attack. Since he flipped the table, let's ignore the cards and dice on the floor. The correct response—is to answer with a fist!"
Denys savored Yohn Royce's words, realizing the man was right. He had indeed walked into a trap. He thought he had encountered an opponent who didn't play by the rules, but in fact, Egger wasn't playing the game at all. If he tried to strike back verbally in a normal way, he had no chance of winning.
The old knight nodded slightly. "There is some logic in what Lord Royce says. Now I only hope that your 'fist' is a metaphor. Having taken the black and bound by an oath, I will never proactively participate in or carry out any plan to harm my own colleagues."
"A metaphor, of course," Yohn Royce nodded. "I have carefully replayed everything that happened at the voting site today. Why did Egger gain the support of so many brothers after criticizing us? I believe the key factor lies in the word 'forgetting.' After Commander Mormont was killed in the attack, this fellow used ruthless means to quickly deal with the killers, then simply chose to leave Castle Black to avoid the fallout. Two months—not long, not short, just enough for the brothers to forget the fact that the previous commander died at the hands of wildlings, yet long enough for them to grow tired of the day-to-day elections. We can't use that incident to attack him anymore. Meanwhile, the brothers are still wearing clothes provided by the Logistics Department and sleeping in bedding provided by the Logistics Department... This shift in favor is the real reason he was able to counter-attack and flip the situation in one go."
As the former Bronze Yohn of Runestone, Royce understood things much better than Cotter Pyke. Denys nodded. "Your analysis holds water. So?"
"To bring him down, there is only one path—we need a way to help the brothers remember: the wildlings are our enemies."
"If Egger were here, he would point out that you are violating one of Commander Mormont's regulations regarding terminology—the former Free Folk have now surrendered to the Watch and become managed 'Gift-dwellers.' They are subjects of the realm, not enemies." Denys shrugged. "Besides, as far as I've seen, they've been quite well-behaved lately."
"Well-behaved lately because they were terrified by bloody tragedies. But the so-called 'wild'lings—how can they be civilized so easily? It only takes a little 'spark' and their savage nature will be exposed immediately."
"Mmm..." Ser Denys narrowed his eyes. "Then tell me, how exactly is this 'spark' meant to be orchestrated?"
"The King-Beyond-the-Wall, Mance Rayder, and his family have been under house arrest in the tower next to ours since their surrender. No matter what happens to him, once word gets out, the countless wildlings living in the Gift will believe the Night's Watch is preparing to turn on them and take them to the sword!" Yohn lowered his voice. "As long as one tribe, or even just one wildling, makes an excessive move—like coming to a Watch stronghold to cause trouble or attacking a brother—we can use that as a pretext to knock Egger down and pin him under us instantly!"
Royce finished stating his idea and looked quietly at the Shadow Tower commander, waiting for a response. But the reaction exceeded his expectations. Denys's face changed instantly, his eyes wide with anger. "Absurd!"
"Whether they are terrified or truly intend to be civilized, the wildlings have been well-behaved lately, and that's a fact. The reason doesn't matter. How can there be any logic in forcing them to rebel?! The Wall currently has only a thousand Watchmen and seven thousand mountain clansmen—many of the latter are elderly or children. If internal strife breaks out with thirty thousand wildlings, how can we defend against the northern enemy? Furthermore, Robb Stark is visiting the Wall. If we let him see such a farce, Egger would certainly have no chance to recover, but do you think we would be able to emerge unscathed? I will not agree to you doing this!"
"We have strongholds. As long as we prepare in advance... the wildlings will have no opening to exploit."
"Do not mention it again! Pyke, is this the 'great idea' you came up with after discussing it with him for so long? I would rather cast my votes for Egger than join such a wretched plan!"
Royce hadn't expected Denys to have such a strong reaction and tried to continue persuading him. "That boy showed his true face today. Why should I be polite to him?"
"Two different things! Egger's behavior today was certainly excessive, but it was neither illegal nor did it touch a moral baseline. But what you want to do is already insane! Never mind that I have no personal grudge with Egger; even if there were a blood feud, I would never use the lives of prisoners and innocents to make him look bad!" Ser Denys rose from his chair with an agility completely unsuited to his age. "Now, leave my room. I will act as if this conversation tonight never happened. I also advise you to stop. If you truly dare to act recklessly, I will not treat it lightly!"
...
"Not treat it lightly? Old man, this isn't the Shadow Tower. Watch your tongue." Cotter Pyke glared. "I don't want to keep looking at your sour face either. I'm just asking you, if you don't agree to Royce's plan, what do you intend to do yourself? Are you just going to take that scolding and sit there silently in shame?"
"That boy will pay the price for his rudeness in his own time. No matter what happens, I will never relent and cast my votes for him. If he has the ability to be elected Lord Commander without my support, then that is his skill... As for my plans, I can only say I would never dream up such an outrageous idea as yours. As for the rest, I'm sorry—no comment!"
"Remember what you said." Not another word was worth wasting. Cotter Pyke didn't want to stay for another second. He dropped those final words and turned toward the door. "Yohn, he's showing us the door. Are you coming?"
Yohn Royce... no wonder he could create something as half-baked as the Lords Declarant. He's used to having his way in the Vale and has brought his absurd style to the Wall!
Having driven away the two uninvited guests, Ser Denys Mallister sat back in his chair. His eyes flickered and his mind wandered as he considered things for a long while. He then told his personal steward to call for his capable subordinate.
"My lord, what are your orders?"
"I intend to return to the Shadow Tower tomorrow. Before then, I will transfer the voting rights of the Shadow Tower delegation to you. You will stay at Castle Black and continue to participate in the election."
"Huh?" The subordinate asked in surprise. "Then, who should I cast the votes for?"
"Me."
"But... if you aren't here, it will be very difficult to win the votes of the brothers at Castle Black. Moreover... if... if you leave at this time..."
Denys finished the sentence for him. "People will think I was so shamed by the Chief Logistics Officer's scolding that I tucked my tail and crawled back to my own nest. I know that better than you, but I have more considerations. Do not ask more... Remember, no matter what happens, do not interfere and do not participate. Just cast the Shadow Tower's votes for me. Until the election is decided."
The man had followed Denys Mallister for ten years and knew his commander was always meticulous and far-sighted. He thought for a few seconds and nodded. "Understood."
"That's it. Go and prepare. Move into this room tomorrow."
...
If not for the visit from Cotter Pyke and Yohn Royce just now, Denys would have been deep in thought about a way to turn the tables. But now, he was afraid.
He had two pig teammates.
Yohn Royce's hostility toward Egger West had overridden his reason, and for a brute like Cotter Pyke, being insulted in public was as serious as having his parents murdered. If he continued to stay at Castle Black, he feared he would be dragged into the muddy water, covered in filth, and lose his integrity in his final years.
His intuition told him that Egger would eventually emerge as the Lord Commander; his reason told him that quickly casting his votes for the inevitable winner was the smartest choice—but he had publicly stated he would never vote for Egger, and a man must have some baseline. Furthermore, a young man who humiliates his elders in public should pay a price for it.
A foreigner from a place he had never heard of, who wasn't even of noble birth, was likely to become his superior. This made Denys, born of the lords of Seagard, feel uncomfortable. But if this fellow Egger truly had the skill to win the election even when both he and Cotter Pyke wouldn't vote for him—and the latter even intended to sabotage it—then he would simply serve one more time for the first foreign Lord Commander in the history of the Night's Watch. If he performed his duties at the Shadow Tower faithfully until his last breath, how much worse could it be?
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