even hand thereory a reposting from 2013

[pcpoet]

with Justine  being pregnant I thought that I would repost  this and  see if there is anything that others can say about My theory



I am wondering about key elements in the short story “Even Hand.”  In the story Justine appears at the business interest and office of John Marcone with a child and running from the Fomor.  My biggest question is who is the child and what is the significance of the child? 

The child appears to be five years old.

I don't believe that Justine did any of this without a propose.  I wonder about Lara sending her on a dangerous mission.  Because if Thomas were to find out. I think that Thomas would take revenge on Lara for putting her in that situation.  Lara Raith knows this and would use someone else to do the job because of this.  This leads me to believe that Justine probably went on her own to do the mission. 

Justine is Laras personnel assistant and probably knows more than any non Raith vampire about what is going on with Lara.  This is another reason why Lara would not send her on a trip to meet with the Fomor.

I am sure Justine's reason for running to John Marcone's was that everyone knows that the one soft spot in Marcone's armor is children. I think Justine ran to John Macrone's building because the only thing she really cared about was the safety of that child.  At the end of the story Marcone confiscates from her an envelope with information about the formers accounts in the mortal world.  I think that the files were meant to go to John so that he would not look further into the child.  It is easy for the mobster to assume everything is about money. 

I am guessing that there is something significant about that child.   The child in the book is between 4-5 years in age “Even Hand” takes place between book 11 and 12. One year between books so I am guessing that conception of the child happened in book 6 which is when Justine gained her protection from Thomas.  It would be interesting if Maggie was not the only hidden child in the books.



I am interested in hearing any other's examination of what is going on in the short story.

[exartiem]

The only catch in your theory that I can see is that Justine was not out of Thomas' sight for nine months, let alone 5 years.  Thomas would have to know about the child and keep it from Harry.  I have a little trouble buying that.

[pcpoet]

he was out of Justine's sight  during that time....that was the period of time when Thomas had  lived with Dresden after being kicked out the white court. during the 6th book. he had almost fatally fed of Justine .  Thomas had felt so bad about what he had done that he did not see Justine after the feeding and it is possible the pregnancy occurred at that time.

[Rhetoric]

everyone knows that the one soft spot in Marcone's armor is children

Except, no, not everyone knows this. Most people don't know this. Harry himself doesn't know this until White Night. Heck, not even Gard seems to be 100% certain--otherwise she wouldn't be so "intent" on seeing evidence of it. Do you think a Freeholding Lord and head of a criminal empire can go around conducting his business uncontested if he has a known sentimental weakness towards such a significant portion of his city's populace?

As far as most people are concerned, Marcone discourages civilian casualties in his criminal dealings, and children just so happen to fall within that category. Even Harry, even after a Soulgaze, assumes this is merely because Marcone wants to make crime tidier and more efficient, to discourage the police from pursuing him too fervently. It isn't until White Night that Harry realizes that the comatose girl is Amanda Beckitt, and that Marcone has made it a rule to protect civilians for ethical reasons rather than purely practical ones.

Even then, Marcone's official stance towards protecting children isn't stated outright until Changes. Then it becomes the major theme of "Even Hand" a year later.

(Full disclosure, I only gave the books a quick check before typing this out. Please correct me if I'm at all mistaken.)

[Snark Knight]

Other problem - the first chapter of PT refers to Thomas being concerned about Justine's safety because a fetal whampire draws energy from the mother to such a degree that many mortal women carrying a vampire child die in pregnancy.

To use the gas tank metaphor for supernatural energy reserves, Justine was already running on fumes after that encounter with Thomas. I just don't see her surviving a dangerous pregnancy while still recovering.

[Rasins]

Other problem - the first chapter of PT refers to Thomas being concerned about Justine's safety because a fetal whampire draws energy from the mother to such a degree that many mortal women carrying a vampire child die in pregnancy.

To use the gas tank metaphor for supernatural energy reserves, Justine was already running on fumes after that encounter with Thomas. I just don't see her surviving a dangerous pregnancy while still recovering.

On the other hand ...  one of the reasons the vamps like Justine so much is because she is such a large source of emotions for them to feed on.  Yes, I know that Thomas was the only one, but that's what Justine says while in the laundry room in Bianca's basement.

So, it's entirely possible for her to survive it.  In fact, a parasite like a Wampire baby could totally have evened out Justine.

[DonBugen]

(Full disclosure, I only gave the books a quick check before typing this out. Please correct me if I'm at all mistaken.)

Other than the fact that I believe you meant Death Masks, everything you say pans out. I know, however, that it is known in the outfit that Marcone 'disappears' anyone having to do with trafficking or abusing children; however, I doubt that anyone suspects it's because he has an emotional weakness. More like, it's assumed that the risk-reward for such criminal endeavors is stupidly unbalanced, or that the act is just simply one of many limitation of the amount of criminal activity permissable, just like the violent in-fighting. Marcone’s reorganization of organized crime likely had several new guidelines like that.

[exartiem]

Thinking about it more, if I remember correctly, one of the first lines of the next book is Thomas telling Harry that he's an uncle.  Are we assuming this means Justine is pregnant?  Could it be that he just found out about his child and is recruiting Harry to rescue her from the Fomor?

[Rhetoric]

Are we assuming this means Justine is pregnant?

My brother ruined a perfectly good run by saying, “Justine is pregnant.”

It's a fair assumption, yes.

[raidem]

Exart they are distinct events and stories. In next book Justine is pregnant.

Even hand occurs many years before peace talks.

[Griffyn612]

The implication was that the child was taken by the Fomor, right?  And that Justine, while retrieving the documents, also retrieved the child?

If it's more complicated than that, then it'd be more interesting if the child were the last son (did they ever specify gender?) of Lord Raith. Even more interesting if he (or she) were the daughter of Raith and Lara (if that's even possible).

[pcpoet]

we have no idea really who the child is.  the strangest thing about the whole story is that Justine  is the one who went to deliver a message to a Former lord.  a mission it self full of danger.  the child or the financial information that Justine stole is important enough for the Formar to violate a treaty in retrieving it.   I am guessing the event in Even hand is important to what happens in peace talks.

[Snark Knight]

Even more interesting if he (or she) were the daughter of Raith and Lara (if that's even possible).

Ew.

However, kidnapping a Raith heir would have been a hella serious Accords violation. I think when Marcone was pointing out that Justine had at best the status of Chattels and hence a very weak case to ask his protection, the child being a juvenile Raith - even if Justine left out details - would have been a card to play there.

[Griffyn612]

Ew.

However, kidnapping a Raith heir would have been a hella serious Accords violation. I think when Marcone was pointing out that Justine had at best the status of Chattels and hence a very weak case to ask his protection, the child being a juvenile Raith - even if Justine left out details - would have been a card to play there.

I highly doubt that Justine would be the one sent to retrieve a kidnapped Raith child.  Not without a team of Wamps and mortal lackeys to help, all of whom would have had to have died to leave her alone with the kid.

But if it was a Raith, might as well dream big.

[DonBugen]

Ew.

Wait, what did you think it meant in Blood Rites when it's stated that Raith bent his daughters' will to his through his Hunger, and how Lara overpowered her father through her Hunger? And how Thomas was safe from influence because his father's tastes aren't inclined that way?  Thought this was very clearly implied.

I think that Justine's being sent is a tip-off to a potential weakness to the Fomor. In Even Hand, Thomas is and has been playing nice, so using her as potentially expendable emissary just doesn't make sense. The only thing that makes Justice more special than an average vanilla mortal is the protection of Love. Obviously, it's a defense from the White Court, and can also be used as a weapon (as we saw at Zero in Turn Coat). But I wonder if it has uses against other groups. Even more, I wonder if there's more to Love than meets the eye - possibly, up to it being an aspect of TWG.