Chapter 52 - Reaction from All Parties (II)
"Never trust in luck. Behind it, there is always someone profiting from your misfortune." Petyr Baelish, Master of Coin.
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Tyrion had never heard a roar like that. It wasn't just a cry of rage, but the roar of a wounded animal, consumed by hatred. The sound sent shivers through his body. At that moment, Robert I Baratheon did indeed sound like a king.
"Calm down, Robert. We need to keep a cool head to deal with what's coming."
Jon Arryn approached the king quickly, his presence and words having an immediate effect. Robert's mood began to stabilize, and he stopped wheezing with rage. This eased, if only slightly, the suffocating tension that hung over the Small Council Chamber.
Tywin, impassive, turned to Pycelle and asked in a regal tone:
"What are the chances of us getting a clear shot, as Dorne has in the past?"
Pycelle, still pretending to be a frail and feeble old man, replied in his usual trembling voice:
"The Order has carried out some experiments. They were conducted about eighty years after the event, launching ten thousand scorpions at a target fixed a thousand meters high and motionless. In the end, none of them hit the target."
No one questioned why the Order of the Maesters conducted such suspicious experiments just when House Targaryen was still at its peak. But the numbers made one thing clear: Dorne had been incredibly lucky to land that fatal shot on a dragon.
(Note: This is one of the reasons why I find Rhaegal's death completely unrealistic and stupid.Precision rifle bullets already lose their effectiveness at great distances, let alone a giant medieval beast.Rhaegal's death was clearly inserted just to justify Dany burning down King's Landing).