How It All Goes Down
Tyrion II
- Janos Slynt enjoys a tasty meal—and even tastier wine—with Tyrion Lannister.
- Tyrion keeps the conversation cordial, pretending to care whom Slynt would recommend for commander of the City Watch.
- Then Tyrion abruptly changes subject to Slynt ordering his men to kill all of Robert Baratheon's illegitimate children.
- Slynt says the king ordered it.
- Tyrion wonders if Slynt drove the spear into Eddard Stark when he betrayed him or was simply given that order, too.
- Slynt is insulted, but Tyrion informs him he can keep his life if he takes the black and sails for Eastwatch-by-the-Sea with the morning tide.
- Ser Jacelyn Bywater, Tyrion's new commander of the City Watch, escorts Slynt from the room.
- Varys enters, and Tyrion reveals to him that he believes Cersei really sent the gold cloaks to kill the children.
- He orders the eunuch to no longer keep secrets from him. Varys will, of course, get right on that.
- But first, he asks Tyrion to consider his little riddle from earlier and reveals the answer, "Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less" (9.Tyrion.102).
- After finishing some work, Tyrion meets with Bronn. He asks his sellsword if he would kill a baby if ordered, no questions asked.
- Bronn says no. He'd ask how much the job paid.