Uriel's Second "Small Favor"

[Froklsnt]

The end of Small Favor makes it clear that Uriel was allowed to give Harry soulfire because it balanced out the first large pentagram, the practice one used by the Denarians to capture Marcone. Lucifer's powering of the pentagram was offset by the gift, to maintain balance. The power Lucifer gave for the second pentagram can't have been part of that deal, because Harry punches out Namshiel with the soulfire hand right before the second pentagram goes up, and Uriel cannot act to balance that scale until after it happened.

So, how was the balance restored for that second pentagram? Is there another balancing action that has been taken by Uriel that we know of? It can't be Ghost Story, that was to balance the whisper from Lasciel's shadow. The only other possibility I can think of was when Michael prayed over Harry to restore his knowledge of his blasting rod, but that doesn't seem an even balance to me.

Do we have other candidates?

[Kindler]

I'm not sure it's a straight action-for-action. Because, if that were the case, then Lucifer should have been balancing scales through the end of Changes.

[Mr. Death]

I'm not sure it's a straight action-for-action. Because, if that were the case, then Lucifer should have been balancing scales through the end of Changes.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the action as Uriel describes it is along the lines of, one archangel gave the Denarians power to do this thing, while another archangel gave Harry power to try and stop it. Oh, and turns out Harry gets to keep that power and use it for years down the line, while the Denarians only get those two shots.

Uriel might have only taken one action, but it's a longer lasting action that has gotten a lot more done than the instant of power the Denarians were granted.

[Rhetoric]

"You gotta think that maybe there’s a matter of balance, here,” [Jake] said. “Maybe one archangel invested his strength in this situation overtly and immediately. Maybe another one was just quieter about it. Thinking long-term. Maybe he already gave you a hand."

My right hand erupted into pins and needles again.

Uriel implies that another archangel entirely was responsible for the second act. Or the first act. Strictly speaking, we don't which Sign Uriel responded to, as Dresden only gains Soulfire after both Signs are lifted.

Uriel also says the other archangel responded "overtly and immediately." Mab then goes on to say how Uriel is by nature the most subtle of the four archangels, and that when Michael and Gabriel in particular operate, they like to be noticed.

The Prince of the Host is all pomp and ceremony, and when he moves it is with the thunder of the wings of an army of seraphim, the crash of drums, and the clamor of horns. The Trumpeter never walks quietly when he can appear in a chorus of light. The Demon Binder takes tasks upon his own shoulders and solves his problems with his own hands.

So if this other act was so overt, executed by an archangel generally less subtle than Uriel... then how come we didn't notice it?

I think the answer is simple: It happens somewhere Harry (and thus the reader) cannot see it.

[Froklsnt]

Uriel implies that another archangel entirely was responsible for the second act. Or the first act. Strictly speaking, we don't which Sign Uriel responded to, as Dresden only gains Soulfire after both Signs are lifted.

Uriel also says the other archangel responded "overtly and immediately." Mab then goes on to say how Uriel is by nature the most subtle of the four archangels, and that when Michael and Gabriel in particular operate, they like to be noticed.

So if this other act was so overt, executed by an archangel generally less subtle than Uriel... then how come we didn't notice it?

I think the answer is simple: It happens somewhere Harry (and thus the reader) cannot see it.

If we pull up the greater context of that quote, the archangel who acted "overtly and immediately" is Lucifer. Uriel is contrasting his own style with Lucifer's. And Dresden got the soulfire right before the second circle goes up, not after. He did a drive by routine on Namshiel while he was running full bore to get inside the circle. Using the soulfire hand, he holds Namshiel in place such that bits of the molten aquarium walls fly through him when the circle goes up:

Thirty feet from me, the walls exploded in light and hellfire... Bits of molten rock hissed through the air, deadlier than any bullet. Spiny boy caught a bunch of those. They flew out his back and left gaping, smoking, cauterized holes in it

[Mr. Death]

Uriel implies that another archangel entirely was responsible for the second act. Or the first act. Strictly speaking, we don't which Sign Uriel responded to, as Dresden only gains Soulfire after both Signs are lifted.

Uriel also says the other archangel responded "overtly and immediately." Mab then goes on to say how Uriel is by nature the most subtle of the four archangels, and that when Michael and Gabriel in particular operate, they like to be noticed.

So if this other act was so overt, executed by an archangel generally less subtle than Uriel... then how come we didn't notice it?

I think the answer is simple: It happens somewhere Harry (and thus the reader) cannot see it.

The "overt and immediately" Archangel is Lucifer, and his investment of strength was the greater circles that the Denarians used.

The other Archangel is Uriel, and he's referring specifically to the gift of Soulfire, which is why Harry's hand starts tingling, as a balance against Lucifer's power.

[Rhetoric]

And Dresden got the soulfire right before the second circle goes up, not after. He did a drive by routine on Namshiel while he was running full bore to get inside the circle.

You right, my b.

If we pull up the greater context of that quote, the archangel who acted "overtly and immediately" is Lucifer. Uriel is contrasting his own style with Lucifer's.

I disagree. "Immediately" makes no sense in that context. Immediately after what? In response to what? Not to mention, what about the other circle?

I stood up and jabbed a finger at the podium, suddenly furious, and screamed, “The Prince of fucking Darkness gets to cheat and unload his power on the earth—twice!—and You just sit there being holy while my friend, who has fought for You his whole life, is dying! What the hell is wrong with You?”

Lucifer acted twice in Small Favor, ergo heavenly archangels were allowed to act twice.

[Snark Knight]

I tend to think the second offsetting action was to help Michael survive to retire crippled, instead of dying in surgery.

The doctor who operated on him even commented that he'd done better than he realistically ought to have, given how badly he was hurt.

[jonas]

You right, my b.

I disagree. "Immediately" makes no sense in that context. Immediately after what? In response to what? Not to mention, what about the other circle?

Lucifer acted twice in Small Favor, ergo heavenly archangels were allowed to act twice.

Or invest the same amount of power in balance. Which means some are just underestimating just how much it took to grant soul fire. What precisely he did to accomplish the feat and how it effected Dresden long term. Besides... he coulda actually saved back a 'dice roll' and used it elsewhere without our knowledge. ^^ see above for good example.

[Cozarkian]

Lucifer acted twice in Small Favor, ergo heavenly archangels were allowed to act twice.

I'm not sure that is accurate. Lucifer may have granted one gift - access to his power to complete their plan, which includes both the test and the real target because both were necessary to the plan.

Uriel responded with a more clever gift - giving Harry the ability to access a power source Harry already had but couldn't use - his soul, which allowed the access to be permanent.

That said, I used to think Uriel saved Lash and put a part of her back inside Harry which was the source of the soulfire and would give her a chance at redemption. The Bonnie reveal nixed that idea, but I suppose I could have been partially right and Uriel put Bonnie inside Harry as a second favor.

[Kindler]

Still assuming that there was a second favor to grant, what about if Uriel influenced Nic's decision to use Demonreach as the location? It set the stage for Harry to claim it as a sanctum, become the Warden, and, ultimately, save his life. Not saying that Uriel thought in exactly those terms, but he may have recognized that Demonreach needed a Warden, and wanted Harry exposed to it.

That kind of long-term thinking feels like Uriel's style. I'm not sure how he could have accomplished it—maybe an unFallen Angel whispered in the ear of a Fallen.

Regardless, it's fun to think about a Big Good playing puppetmaster with the bad guys for a change.

[Phariah]

Uriel is known as Heavens spy-guy/ fixer. someone Mab appreciates......... ya lol.
I kinda think this was a two-fold balancing of the books. one to counter the Denarions, the other to balance out Harry's using Hellfire being manipulated into using it by a Denarion. Uriel tipped Harry's hand, aka manipulated Harry into using Soulfire. especially when Mab's comment is added. "by your resisting the Shadow's temptation you have garnered the watchman's respect."

[Mira]

The way I understand it, Harry was gifted soul fire because he resisted Lasciel's shadow and gave up hell fire as a result.  That was the quiet undercover nudge, that is why Harry's hand tingled when Jake/Uriel said that.   It is further born out by the surprise since then by not just the likes of Shaggy but of Denarians as well that he even has it..

The more overt act may have been to make Harry the custodian of the Swords to begin with..  Which in of itself helped to balance out a lot of things, Harry coming to Demonreach to begin with to try and rescue Ivy and Marcone, the temp appointments of Susan and Murphy as Knights when he went to rescue little Maggie...

[Mr. Death]

Uriel explicitly says the other archangel, Lucifer, invested his strength "in this situation."

Letting Harry hold onto the Swords is not an investment of power, overt or otherwise.

It's exceedingly clear what two actions Uriel is referring to in that passage. Why are we muddying the waters here?

[Froklsnt]

Still assuming that there was a second favor to grant, what about if Uriel influenced Nic's decision to use Demonreach as the location? It set the stage for Harry to claim it as a sanctum, become the Warden, and, ultimately, save his life. Not saying that Uriel thought in exactly those terms, but he may have recognized that Demonreach needed a Warden, and wanted Harry exposed to it.

That kind of long-term thinking feels like Uriel's style. I'm not sure how he could have accomplished it—maybe an unFallen Angel whispered in the ear of a Fallen.

Regardless, it's fun to think about a Big Good playing puppetmaster with the bad guys for a change.

That's a fun idea, but I'm not sure the timing works. Harry comments that setting up the containment circle they used on Ivy was no simple thing. It took careful planning. For that to be the second favor, they would need to make that decision after they left the aquarium. Doesn't seem like enough time to set that up.

Saving Michael, like Snark Knight suggested, seems possible, but it doesn't really seem commensurate to me with the amount of power in the greater circle.