Book 3, Chapter 49: Reverberations From Silence
Espionage is one of the dirty secrets of statecraft, in that everyone does it, even on their allies, even if no one wants to admit it. Generally such spying takes mild forms that aren't even considered to be such—an attache officer at a consulate simply keeping their eyes and ears open as they walk around the capital city is technically spying if they report back their findings, even if the information is freely available for the local citizens with their own senses.
Deeper levels of espionage tend to be reserved for opponents and threats, and it is these methods that are popularly associated with the term in the public awareness. Informant networks, agents-in-place, penetration agents, disinformation agents, double agents, and other such human assets make for the common concept of the term 'spy'—often conflated together in popular imagination and lurid novels—and in modern times, the official reactions to such individuals can be anything from banning them from the country for those with diplomatic immunity, to arrest with an end result of imprisonment, asset trades, or even torture or execution.
—Statecraft: The Great Game Of Diplomacy, Espionage & War By Other Means, 1732, Rouen University Press
Tropes that appear in this chapter:
- Dead Man's Switch: Mildew's letter explaining what he did and that Mac Bethad is his backer finally reaches Stoick and he marshals his forces to head to Mac Bethad's holdings to save his son who's right in the latter's stronghold.
- Dramatic Irony:
- Heather repeats her belief that Mac Bethad is unlikely to be Mildew's backer because of the astronomical effort Mac Bethad would need to hide his dragons, not knowing Mac Bethad did take the effort to hide his dragons.
- Hiccup does not think it was Mac Bethad's spies that stole his weapon designs when in fact they were the ones that did it.
- Flat "What": Hiccup's response to Toiréasa saying Heather is threatening her daughter Mhairi.
- I Have Your Wife: Discussed and Subverted. Grouch suggests and Mac Bethad agrees to capture Hiccup and his retinue for ransom, but Jacob catches Mac Bethad's forces in the middle of planning it and gives out the warning to Hiccup of what they're trying to do.
- Internal Reveal: Stoick learns from Gregor and the other spies that Mac Bethad reached out to Clodgall to support his clan taking the throne of Berk.
- The Magnificent: According to Stoick, he was very nearly known as "the Vindictive", before he met Valka.
- Morality Chain: By Stoick's own admission, Valka was the one who stopped him from becoming "the Vindictive".
- This Means War!: Upon learning of what Mac Bethad did against the Hooligans, Stoick is furious and knowing Hiccup is in danger right in Mac Bethad's stronghold, marshals as many available dragon-riders as possible to head to Inbhir Niss.
