Does Varys Fear Littlefinger?

[Vhailin]

When Catelyn inquires as to whom owned the dagger that was used to try and murder her son, Bran, Littlefinger spontaneously names Tryion. Varys knows he's lying, but keeps quiet the whole time. Most people are aware that he's a foreigner, and that he's the figurehead of a spy network (though not the actual extent of the network itself). Wouldn't it be common sense to assume that a person as informed as he is, knows much more other than the information he reports at Small Council meetings.

 

What could Littlefinger possibly have on Varys? 

 

Quote

"Leave Lord Varys to me, sweet lady. If you will permit me a small obscenity—and where better for it—I hold the man's balls in the palm of my hand." He cupped his fingers, smiling. "Or would, if he were a man, or had any balls. You see, if the pie is opened, the birds begin to sing, and Varys would not like that. Were I you, I would worry more about the Lannisters and less about the eunuch." 

 

(someone please explain the underlined part of this quote)

 

 

Thoughts?

[Ice Turtle]

LF is just trying to woo Cat. I have no doubt that he has at least something on Varys, but he is slightly out of his league. LF can keep secrets from Varys, but I don't think he can get rid of him. Bigger question is why is Varys letting LF live. This is what he says about him to Illirio:

This is no longer a game for two players, if ever it was. Stannis Baratheon and Lysa Arryn have fled beyond my reach, and the whispers say they are gathering swords around them. The Knight of Flowers writes Highgarden, urging his lord father to send his sister to court. The girl is a maid of fourteen, sweet and beautiful and tractable, and Lord Renly and Ser Loras intend that Robert should bed her, wed her, and make a new queen. Littlefinger … the gods only know what game Littlefinger is playing. Yet Lord Stark’s the one who troubles my sleep. He has the bastard, he has the book, and soon enough he’ll have the truth. And now his wife has abducted Tyrion Lannister, thanks to Littlefinger’s meddling. Lord Tywin will take that for an outrage, and Jaime has a queer affection for the Imp. If the Lannisters move north, that will bring the Tullys in as well. Delay, you say. Make haste, I reply. Even the finest of jugglers cannot keep a hundred balls in the air forever.

I always suspected that the Antler men whom Varys marked as traitors and were executed were simply men loyal to Littlefinger.

And I really doubt Varys is a skinchanger.

[Blackfish Tully]

Don't forget that Varys is no innocent , he's planning on overthrowing the Baratheons and returning  the Targaryens to the Iron throne so he has a massive amount of secrets that he does not want exposed and i'm sure he is worried about how many of those secrets Littlefinger knows about and can expose just as i'm sure Littlefinger is worried about how many of his secrets Varys can expose . It seems like the two are engaged in a "cold war" scenario where neither is willing to move against the other because of the risk of the damage that can happen to their long term plans. As long as Littlefinger does not overtly interfere with Varys plans to put a Targayen on the Throne then he will not go against him.  

[Farstrider]

I would say, they are cautious when dealing with one another.  They are wary of one another.  Is that fear?  Maybe.  A little fear is good, but too much is paralyzing. 

[Vhailin]

21 minutes ago, Ice Turtle said:

LF is just trying to woo Cat. I have no doubt that he has at least something on Varys, but he is slightly out of his league. LF can keep secrets from Varys, but I don't think he can get rid of him. Bigger question is why is Varys letting LF live. This is what he says about him to Illirio:

This is no longer a game for two players, if ever it was. Stannis Baratheon and Lysa Arryn have fled beyond my reach, and the whispers say they are gathering swords around them. The Knight of Flowers writes Highgarden, urging his lord father to send his sister to court. The girl is a maid of fourteen, sweet and beautiful and tractable, and Lord Renly and Ser Loras intend that Robert should bed her, wed her, and make a new queen. Littlefinger … the gods only know what game Littlefinger is playing. Yet Lord Stark’s the one who troubles my sleep. He has the bastard, he has the book, and soon enough he’ll have the truth. And now his wife has abducted Tyrion Lannister, thanks to Littlefinger’s meddling. Lord Tywin will take that for an outrage, and Jaime has a queer affection for the Imp. If the Lannisters move north, that will bring the Tullys in as well. Delay, you say. Make haste, I reply. Even the finest of jugglers cannot keep a hundred balls in the air forever.

I don't it either. Varys is a man who smuggled himself back into Westeros and infiltrated the Red Keep, just to off Pycelle and Kevan Lannister.

 

21 minutes ago, Ice Turtle said:

I always suspected that the Antler men whom Varys marked as traitors and were executed were simply men loyal to Littlefinger.

This is a good point. I never looked at it this way.

 

21 minutes ago, Ice Turtle said:

And I really doubt Varys is a skinchanger.

It was rhetorical. I was exaggerating c:

 

[Lockjaw of House Boltagon]

Littlefinger was just blowing hot air to impress Catelyn. Or maybe he really does think Varys is afraid of him. If that's the case, I think he's wrong. Varys let him get away with the lie about the knife because the chaos it would bring suited them both.

In fact they share pretty much the same enemies/goals up until AFFC. They both needed Stannis to lose, they both wanted Robb's rebellion crushed, and they both profited from the undermining of the Lannister regime. It's only in AFFC that their goals directly oppose each other, since Littlefinger is counting on Harry and Varys is helping Aegon.