a marquess threatening a duke... and a politician threatening a general both face to face
both instances are risky to the point of stupidity but put them together and you gotta ask yourself how does he have enough braincells for his vegitative nervous system to work
but well the author just recounted his own rules : people will go mad with a thirst fie power...
to sum it up they strive for power to the point of neglecting self preservation.
forgetting the possibility of their victims just saying "screw it" and attacking them viciously