The Gatekeeper in Summer Knight

[morriswalters]

When Harry meets the Gatekeeper at the Mothers cottage in summer Knight we first learn some important things. 
The Gatekeeper knows where the Mothers reside.
The Gatekeeper has a piece of the Stone Table.
The Gatekeeper can open a way from close to the Mothers to Harry’s front drive. 
The Gatekeeper is able to track Harry in some fashion.

"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," he said.
"You've been watching?"
He shook his head. "Call it listening. But I have had glimpses of you. And matters are worsening in Chicago."

Does anyone but me find the two bolded statements interesting.

[Mira]

When Harry meets the Gatekeeper at the Mothers cottage in summer Knight we first learn some important things. 
The Gatekeeper knows where the Mothers reside.
The Gatekeeper has a piece of the Stone Table.
The Gatekeeper can open a way from close to the Mothers to Harry’s front drive. 
The Gatekeeper is able to track Harry in some fashion. Does anyone but me find the two bolded statements interesting.

Ever notice the colors of the robes the Gatekeeper wears?   They are blue and black, winter's colors..

[Avernite]

It almost sounds like the Mothers cheated and have their own (male) human minion to do their important work.

Presumably one of the previous Gatekeepers is why the Blackstaff is with the Council.

[Bad Alias]

@morris, may I call you morris, yes, but I also find the Gatekeeper's ability to open a way basically to anywhere he wants interesting, too. He was able to open a way to a dock off a scary island he was unwilling/able to set foot on that had recently been built.

@Mira: Aren't the Gatekeeper's robe and stole (or cowl or whatever) the standard Senior Council attire?

[morriswalters]

@morris, may I call you morris, yes, but I also find the Gatekeeper's ability to open a way basically to anywhere he wants interesting, too. He was able to open a way to a dock off a scary island he was unwilling/able to set foot on that had recently been built.

@Mira: Aren't the Gatekeeper's robe and stole (or cowl or whatever) the standard Senior Council attire?

That's my name, so feel free.

Consider the Gatekeepers name a little more literally.  In Cold Days Mab will close off Winter.  Right now I'm playing with the idea that the Gatekeeper was the man who made that happen, and that the Outer Gates control it. 

I am thinking that the Outer Gates are a Swiss Army Knife kind of a thing.  Letting the Gatekeeper look for and find whatever, kind of a super LC.  The Gatekeeper is the guy who can go anywhere, see anything, and be in the right place at the right time. 

In Turn Coat he puts the magic scan on Harry and sees the connection to Demonreach.  He knows Harry's location well enough to open a portal near him, multiple times.  He sees Black Magic in Chicago.  Just kinda noodling the idea at the moment.  Odin and him share a lot in common.

[Salusen]

Odin and him share a lot in common.

IDK. I always thought he might be Heimdall?

[morriswalters]

I don't think he's Odin. But Rashid is way too convenient.

The Merlin took a deep breath and then said, forced calm in his voice, “I suppose a few moments for thought are not unreasonable.”
“Thank you,” the Gatekeeper said gravely.
Five minutes went by like five thousand years. Molly sagged against me, so frightened she could barely stand.
“Enough,” the Merlin said, finally. “This travesty needs to end.”
“On that point,” the Gatekeeper said, “we agree.” And then he stepped forward to the circle marked on the floor, and smudged it with his boot, breaking the circle. He flicked a gloved hand, and the lock on the chained door sprang open and fell away, followed closely by the chains.
“What is the meaning of this?” the Merlin demanded.
The Gatekeeper ignored him and pushed open the door. One of the Wardens on guard outside stood in front of it, one hand raised as if to knock. He blinked at the Gatekeeper, and then looked over his shoulder and said, “It’s open, sir.”
“Get clear of the door, fool,” barked Ebenezar’s voice. “Get them inside. Hurry, man! They’re right behind us!”

A suspicious type might think that Rashid was somehow following the progress of Eb and the others as they ran from the Reds. And perhaps making sure the way they opened led them to the place they needed to be.

[Mira]

@morris, may I call you morris, yes, but I also find the Gatekeeper's ability to open a way basically to anywhere he wants interesting, too. He was able to open a way to a dock off a scary island he was unwilling/able to set foot on that had recently been built.

@Mira: Aren't the Gatekeeper's robe and stole (or cowl or whatever) the standard Senior Council attire?

They are but I don't think they are all the same colors, also Jim has made the point of describe it
over several books.  He never talks about the colors of Eb's robes or the Merlin for example.

[sonwarrior]

We know that the Gatekeeper is the oldest wizard in the council. Would it even be possible for him to be a wizard with an immortal mantle? I liked Salusen's idea about Heimdall.

[morriswalters]

I was thinking of Odin's missing eye, rather than a immortal mantle.

[sonwarrior]

But wasn't it implied the eye the Gatekeeper has is from the gates themselves?

[morriswalters]

Maybe. I'm just playing with the idea.  Rashid knows too much and it bugs me.

[Mira]

But wasn't it implied the eye the Gatekeeper has is from the gates themselves?

Yeah, it was Harry said so when he visited him at the Gates back in Cold Days.  It was also implied to
my way of thinking that Rashid isn't just the Gatekeeper, but acts as one of Mab's more important generals in the fight there.   Rashid also told Harry that the Merlin and the Senior Council are pretty
clueless as to what his job really was, and implied that goes for Harry as well.   It is implied that Margaret knew, and possibly Eb, though he may not have the details.. Harry felt at least that Eb trusts Rashid.  However the Council as Rashid put it in Cold Days, "If we survive the next several hours, I will settle matters between you and the Council, which knows only as much about our roles as it needs to--and that isn't much."

[Bad Alias]

A lot of good stuff here.

That's my name, so feel free.

Consider the Gatekeepers name a little more literally.  In Cold Days Mab will close off Winter.  Right now I'm playing with the idea that the Gatekeeper was the man who made that happen, and that the Outer Gates control it. 

I am thinking that the Outer Gates are a Swiss Army Knife kind of a thing.  Letting the Gatekeeper look for and find whatever, kind of a super LC.  The Gatekeeper is the guy who can go anywhere, see anything, and be in the right place at the right time. 

In Turn Coat he puts the magic scan on Harry and sees the connection to Demonreach.  He knows Harry's location well enough to open a portal near him, multiple times.  He sees Black Magic in Chicago.  Just kinda noodling the idea at the moment.  Odin and him share a lot in common.

I like that. The Gate somehow allows him to see and open ways in a manner that he wouldn't be able to otherwise. He's also probably just pretty good at opening ways regardless.

They are but I don't think they are all the same colors, also Jim has made the point of describe it
over several books.  He never talks about the colors of Eb's robes or the Merlin for example.

I'll have to pay more attention, but isn't that because Rashid often appears as an unknown figure who then Harry realizes is Rashid?

We know that the Gatekeeper is the oldest wizard in the council. Would it even be possible for him to be a wizard with an immortal mantle? I liked Salusen's idea about Heimdall.

That wouldn't be too different than what Odin is. He was a god, but kind of isn't because he stays on earth making him mortal, so he picked up the Kringle mantle to make himself immortal. I really don't see how a mortal Odin who takes up a fairy mantle to make himself immortal is all that different from a mortal wizard who takes up an immortal mantle (of any kind) for the same reasons. One of the reasons I don't think it's too different is because of something Patrick Rothfuss said about how there are three prototypical wizards: Moses, Odin, and Merlin. (It might of been Moses, Gandalf, and one of the others, but since Gandalf is based off of Odin, it doesn't really matter to my point, i.e., Odin is very wizardlike, so not much difference between immortal wizard and Odin).

[morriswalters]

The idea of the eye being made of the crystal of the gate wouldn't preclude it from being Odin's eye. Magic after all. However it is only a thought.

Jim has used color signaling throughout the books. And given that the Gatekeeper and Mab need to be close to function as a team, color signalling by robes is right up Jim's literary alley, as a hint that Rashid is allied with Mab.