Waking the dragon Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I'm re reading AGoT and I've some questions about these two. When Arya hears their discussion in the tunnel, it's pretty clear to me until they leave and she doesn't hear them properly: Varys says:"What I can do, I will… I must have gold, and another fifty birds."" So many?… The ones you need are hard to find…so young, to know their letters…perhaps older…not die so easy…"" No. The younger are the safer…treat them gently…""…if they kept their tongues…""…the risk…" I don't know what they are talking about. Varys needs special birds? I never saw other birds than crows or ravens… And what of (f)Aegon? It seems they didn't even speak of him. I'm a bit lost here. Have you guys any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearQueen87 Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 I'm re reading AGoT and I've some questions about these two. When Arya hears their discussion in the tunnel, it's pretty clear to me until they leave and she doesn't hear them properly: Varys says: "What I can do, I will… I must have gold, and another fifty birds." " So many?… The ones you need are hard to find…so young, to know their letters…perhaps older…not die so easy…" " No. The younger are the safer…treat them gently…" "…if they kept their tongues…" "…the risk…" I don't know what they are talking about. Varys needs special birds? I never saw other birds than crows or ravens… And what of (f)Aegon? It seems they didn't even speak of him. I'm a bit lost here. Have you guys any ideas? Varys "little birds" are his spies that send him information. Look at the "so many?" line. The ones (the birds/the spies) you need are hard to find. Why? Because they (the birds/the spies) must be young and know their letters (so that they can send Varys information from various places) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e22ddie46 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 the little birds are orphans he teaches to spy/read/sneak around and gather information for him. He cuts their tongue out so they can't be questioned. Also, by raising them so young they are likely to get their complete devotion since they are otherwise poor and would likely die from starvation or just the streets of Kings Landing. So he is saying he needs 50 children raised to be spies, but it is hard to find poor children as young as he demands who are literate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhaenys_Targaryen Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 "What I can do, I will… I must have gold, and another fifty birds." " So many?… The ones you need are hard to find…so young, to know their letters…perhaps older…not die so easy…" " No. The younger are the safer…treat them gently…" "…if they kept their tongues…" "…the risk…" Varys is asking for more of his "little birds", his spies. He asks for 50, to which Illyrio replies "so many?" (implying that he thinks this is a high number in one go). Illyrio then lists some of the criteria that the "little birds" need to meet, and suggests if they can't use older children, who won't "die so easy". Varys answers "no" to that, telling Illyrio that the younger children are safer (in A Dance with Dragons, Illyrio expands on the explanation of Little Birds). The "if they kept their tongues" part is about the fact that the little birds have their tongues cut out before being put to work. Illyrio asks if the children can keep the tongues, and Varys talks about the risk of that (if the children keep their tongues, they might speak when taken captive, and questioned, possibly under torture). They are discussing Daenerys, and then Ned and his arrival in KL, and the consequences that might have for the KL-situation. These discussions have nothing to do with Aegon, so naturally, they won't discuss him in that context. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerys Blackfyre Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 birds = spies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malkorion Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Something I've noticed while watching AGoT Season 1 - the child that speaks to Jorah Mormont... he still has his tongue. -.- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhaenys_Targaryen Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Something I've noticed while watching AGoT Season 1 - the child that speaks to Jorah Mormont... he still has his tongue. -.- Show-only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finger Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 This passage raises some aspects about Varys. First, he's cruel behind a bland facade. He's telling Illiryo to treat the children well, while he's wasting them by the scores. In this, he doesn't seem to be a good manager, he shoul care them more, since they're a valuable asset. Anyway. Second, Varys is supposed to be an expert spy summoned by Aerys from the free cities. Then, he managed to know perfectly well a net of secret holes and hideouts which were there since the Red Keep was built, for anyone interested to find out, that no one else seem to have been. Curious. Arya discovered a glimpse of these while playing as a chid. No wonder, since this seems a task for children playing hide and seed, or else, rather than for struggling fat men. Unless... Was Varys actualy raised in the Red Keep? It'd explain the concern he shows for the kigndom, provided he's true. And if so, who's he? Eta. I see the "master of dates" is around. Varys must be younger than Aerys, older than Rhaegar, I think. To play about the Red Keep and get away with it a child should live there. Then, it's for sure he was in the Free Cities. He might have left when the Ninepenny Kings rebellion. This makes a shortlist feasible. Of course, all this is mere speculation over a tiny base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diregirl Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 This may be an idiotic question and I suppose everybody but me has known for ages - how do we know it's Illyrio Mopatis that's talking to Varys? I am slightly agog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithras Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 This may be an idiotic question and I suppose everybody but me has known for ages - how do we know it's Illyrio Mopatis that's talking to Varys? I am slightly agog. Varys was disguised as Rugen in that occasion. The description fits. Illyrio's description from previous Dany chapters (forked beard, morbidly obese etc.) along with a foreign accent gives him away. I didnot check but there were probably other clues as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diregirl Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Varys was disguised as Rugen in that occasion. The description fits. Illyrio's description from previous Dany chapters (forked beard, morbidly obese etc.) along with a foreign accent gives him away. I didnot check but there were probably other clues as well. Thank you! I always thought it was Littlefinger and never picked up the clues about forked beard etc... *facepalm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.