He didn't 'rig' it: just manipulated the vote.
As in all things political, the election of the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch was a complex affair.
As in all things political, the election of the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch was a complex affair.
On the one hand you had Ser Denys Mallister of the Shadow Tower.
Ser Denys came from an old family, with a rich and varied tradition of honor and chivalry. He was a competent knight andhe had the right connections. He knew how to talk in the language of the High Lords of Westeros; he understood the need to be politic in the drive for more men. He wrote well and fluently. He had a magnificant flowing beard that people envied and he went to Eton. He thought he was the right man for the job. And he probably was.
On the other hand, you had Cotter Pyke, an Ironborn bastard and the head of Eastguard.
A hard-ass foul-mouthed illiterate, Pyke was nevertheless tough enough and had the sufficient oomph to make a fine lord commander. He could kill wildlings with one hand while reeling in a swordfish with his other hand. He could hold his breath for two hours straight underwater. He had the following of a lot of men and he thought he was the right man for the job. And he probably was.
They both, Ser Denis and Cotter, held close to a plurality of votes--I mean, to be honest that was kind of rigged in and of itself, because they themselves were able to vote for their own garrisons-- but the problem was they needed a supermajority of 66.6 percent to win.
There were other candidates, but they didn't have a prayer of winning.
Meanwhile there was a the new guy. He'd made his name in the capital of Westeros where he was famous for bribery and corruption. He rose high in office, even though he was a venal rude and course man. He used the wrong fork at dinner. He picked his nose in public. He farted loudly--and I mean constantly. But the thing was, a lot of the normal Night's Watchmen, being humble thieves and rapists and the like thought he was one of them. And they supported him. That man was Janos Slynt.
Sam was scared because, as the other nobodies were dropping out of the race, inevitably their votes were being given to Slynt. And Slynt scared him. He was going to kill Sam's buddy Jon. Just because he's mean.
And he was in league with Ser Alliser Thorne, who had had it in for Sam from the beginning. And Sam and his friends, who, frankly were smarter than the rest of the Watch knew that Janos Slynt was exactly the man the Watch did NOT need.
And he was in league with Ser Alliser Thorne, who had had it in for Sam from the beginning. And Sam and his friends, who, frankly were smarter than the rest of the Watch knew that Janos Slynt was exactly the man the Watch did NOT need.
Maester Aemon
felt the same way. No matter what, Janos Slynt should not be in charge. But Maester Aem on respected the democratic principles of the Night's Watch and had sworn an oath not to play politics anyway. So he hinted to Sam to take matters into his own hands.
There was another man affecting all this: Stannis Baratheon, First of His Name, King of the Andals, The Rhoynar and the First Men.
He was impatient. He wanted to get stuff done. He had asses to kick and names to take.
He hated Janos Slynt but really just wanted people to choose already so he could bully his way into a few castles.
He hated Janos Slynt but really just wanted people to choose already so he could bully his way into a few castles.
So Sam went to Ser Denis Mallister and Cotter Pyke, to try to get them to throw their support behind the other. But, while both of them agreed that Janos Slynt would be a terrible Lord Commander, they really, really didn't like each other. You see, the Ironborn and the Mallisters of Seagard have been fighting each other for hundreds--no thousandsof years. And there was just no way that they were going to support the other. It was unthinkable.
SO SAM LIED. He told Denis Mallister that time was up: Stannis was going to use his kingly authority, and his army to back him up, to make Cotter Pyke Lord Commander.
And he told Cotter Pyke that Stannis was going to make Denis Mallister Lord Commander.
They both tore out their beards and screamed 'This cannot be borne!!'
And so Sam told them to back someone who wasn't even running, but who was qualified, if a little young.
And that man was our hero, Jon Snow.
And so it was done.
The raven wasn't Sam's doing though. Oh, sure, Sam had trained some ravens to say 'Snow' for the heck of it. But not this raven. This raven had belonged to the old Lord Commander, the Old Bear.
And this bird said more than just 'Snow.' He said' Jon Snow!' No one knew how he had got into the voting kettle. Sam didn't know. Three Finger Hobb didn't know. It was a goddamn miracle.
And so Jon was elected.
thanks for the A2A.
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