"Edginton is weakened now," he tells her. "He loved his Consort to an absurd degree and with him gone, he will be pushed into madness. And a mad dog attacks without reason."

He holds her gaze.

"If he attacks first, I will glean why I need to know to defeat him. He will reveal himself, because he cannot hold back. And I will win."

He believes this. In theory.
It's a sound principle when it comes to conflict, be it a brawl or war.

And he sounds like he believes it.
And he does.

Apart from the last sentence.
But he pushes that down. She does not need his doubt.

"But I will need you at my back, Pamela. And I will not need questions."