Unanswered questions in Dead Beat

[kbrizzle]

Upon a reread of Dead Beat, I found a few things puzzling & am curious what you guys think.

• Why does Bob leave the skull in the beginning of the book to talk to Harry about Kemmler? Harry himself notes that the spirit had never asked to leave the skull for just a conversation before - this is before Harry forces him to remember his time with Kemmler & become Evil Bob.
• How does Corpsetaker know that the Darkhallow is afoot? Grevane was trying to buy the Word of Kemmler from Bony Tony & Cowl was presumably sent by the Black Council
• How was Corpsetaker planning on performing the Darkhallow? Cowl has Bob & Grevane took the Word from Harry at the Field museum. Corpsetaker only had the Erlking book at that point.
• How did both Mavra & Kincaid know that the events of Dead Beat were about to go down but Mab didn’t?
• If Elaine is indeed Kumori, why did she allow Bob to keep talking to Harry as Cowl was performing the Darkhallow? Elaine would’ve also grown up with the skull like Harry did & would know not to let Harry & Bob talk (especially when they were plotting to ruin Cowl’s working)
• Harry calls Mavra (& the rest of the Black Court) a super zombie - given that this is a book about necromancy & we know it can be used effectively against the Blamps, what does this say about the nature of the Black Court?

[Mira]

    Why does Bob leave the skull in the beginning of the book to talk to Harry about Kemmler? Harry himself notes that the spirit had never asked to leave the skull for just a conversation before - this is before Harry forces him to remember his time with Kemmler & become Evil Bob.

If I remember correctly it has to do with the fact that Bob had totally blocked out his time with Kemmler.    When Harry ordered him to recall everything, that triggers the appearance of  Evil Bob who then nearly kills Harry.

[morriswalters]

1.  Service to the story. To break off the conversation Jim has to get Bob out of the skull so Harry can use the safe word.
2.  Birds of a feather flock together.  The more help to get to the starting line and then a double cross at the finish.
3.  Thieves solution, what you can't buy, steal.
4.  The point of intersection.  Drakul.
5.  Focus.  When you have a six foot seven inch wizard by the throat you concentrate on the important thing.  Keep him from turning to Kill you.  and the boss guy had just told the Skull to stfu.
6.  That they are the reanimated dead?

[Bad Alias]

My two cents:

1. Because Evil Bob was a part of Bob, just suppressed, I think Evil Bob was influencing Bob so that he could kill/whatever Harry. Also what Morris said.

2. I think Bony Tony put the word out in black magic circles (somehow) that he had the book. Grevane outbid everyone but didn't have the money to buy it. That's why he double crossed him.

3. Even if she couldn't do it, she had to be there to stop Grevane and Cowl from succeeding because any one of them who wins will kill the others.

4. Kincaid knew? I don't remember that. I'd have to re-read Mab's part to determine if it's definite that she didn't know. One has to read what a Sidhe says very carefully. Other than that, I don't know why she wouldn't know. I gave my reasons why certain people would know.

5. Harry named Bob. When Elaine knew him, he wasn't named. Names provide a connection to the named entity. Having named him, Harry has even more power over him than he would otherwise.

6. Can you provide the super zombie quote? Without examining it, I'm going to go with Morris on this one.

[morriswalters]

Mab arched an eyebrow. "Him," she said. "Yes. Your godmother knows some little of him. What would you know of him?"
"I want to know why all of Kemmler's disciples are grabbing up all the copies of the White Council's book about him."
Nothing that I could imagine would truly rattle Mab's composure, but that sentence apparently came close. Her expression froze, and with it the wind came to a sudden, dead halt. The waves of the shore abruptly stilled to a sheet of glass beneath her feet, dimly reflecting the glow of the city skyline in the distance and the last shreds of purple light in the leaden sky.
"Kemmler's disciples," she said. Her eyes were deeper than the lake she stood upon. "Could it be?"
"Could what be?" I asked.
"The Word," she said. "The Word of Kemmler. Has it been found?"

[Mira]

1. Because Evil Bob was a part of Bob, just suppressed, I think Evil Bob was influencing Bob so that he could kill/whatever Harry.

   Yes, he is part of Bob that was totally twisted by Kemmler.  Bob forced himself to forget those memories, he was reluctant to bring them forth but Harry commanded him to.  Then after he was nearly killed, Harry commanded him to never obey any command to bring forth those memories again.

[kbrizzle]

Here are my theories for the answers:

1. I think Bob was programmed to kill whoever starts asking him about Kemmler, whether or not Evil Bob is summoned to the surface (as @Bad Alias points out, Evil Bob is still part of Bob). I think this was done by Justin in case anyone ever found the skull in his possession.
Additionally once Bob figures out that Kemmlerites are in town, he probably realizes that his life is in danger since if any of them ever figured out that Harry had the skull, they would definitely come & try to take it (& they were all stronger than Harry).

@Mira: but why does Bob leave the skull before he was forced to access the Evil Bob memories?

2. Since Bony Tony was Marcone’s contact, I wonder how he (or someone in his crew) are mixed up in this. I could see Ms. Gard identifying the Word of Kemmler as incredibly rare etc., but I don’t see her or Vadderung wanting the book to be sold to the highest bidder. Also Marcone’s presence outside Bock’s when Corpsetaker nearly kills Harry is also interesting.

3. Agreed with @Bad Alias & morriswalters - she knew whoever became a necrogod would hunt the other 2 necromancers down fairly soon after, so why not try to get lucky.

4. @morriswalters has an interesting answer - Drakul is indeed the intersection. @Bad Alias - it’s a little suspicious that he takes Murphy out of town right before the events of DB happen. That Mab didn’t know is interesting though - perhaps dealing with the Nfected Lea was taking up too much of her time.

5. Perhaps Kumori isn’t Elaine, so she doesn’t know how the skull works?

@morris: I mean she can keep her knife on Harry & still hear his convo with Bob - in fact given how close to Harry she would have to be in order to hold a knife to his throat, it’s kinda weird she doesn’t intervene in the conversation at all since she can def hear it.

@BadAlias: I thought Harry always called the skull Bob? Or did he especially name it at the age of 16? Elaine should still have known how such spirits work given that she’d spent ~15 years living with the Fae.

6. I think the Black Court were created to become a super zombie army for Drakul by his kid - the most powerful kind of zombies ever made - nigh immortal zombies that can use magic have limited free will.

[Mira]

@Mira: but why does Bob leave the skull before he was forced to access the Evil Bob memories?

  Just a theory, but perhaps as long as he is in the skull he cannot gain access to what he once was, Evil Bob.  When he was with Kemmler he may have been free to leave the skull when ever he wanted.  Notice, ever since Harry owned him he could never leave the skull without permission.  It is possible that Justin set it up as a safety measure so Evil Bob couldn't pop up and kill him.

[Yuillegan]

Good theories all. Here is my take.

1. I agree with Bad Alias, that was always my reading. Bob and Evil Bob were previously always in conflict and in the moment Kemmler is mentioned Evil Bob is actually asserting dominance and pushes to be let out of the skull. He can't be his whole self at this point because they are not actually separate beings, so on the surface it appears to be normal old Bob. And of course, Morris is right. Jim wanted that scene. Not so sure that Bob was programnmed to kill anyone who asked about Kemmler though. If anything, I think Justin would have programmed the skull to hide any information. He wouldn't want another Dark Wizard (who at this point already knows what Bob is) to gain the true power of the spirit. And it wouldn't be for other Wardens as they would assume Bob is dead and if they found it would try and execute it (well, most of them...Cowl seems to think some might want the power).

2. Again, Bad Alias is right. I think Bone Tony just went out and advertised it having no idea about the supernatural. And some people who might have been waiting for DECADES might have had their alarms go off. Unless of course, Gard and Monoc Securities did want the Word found. That speaks to only two motives: the either wanted to be the first to get to it and destroy it (and so used Marcone) or they wanted *someone* to take Power. Not so sure I agree Morris about the Heirs contacting each other...you don't alert the competition if you want to win. Unless of course they all found out at the same time...which might indicate they were all on this theoretical Black Council.

3. Pretty much agree with everyone here. Corpsetaker was counting on a Stephen Bradbury moment to win. And had everything to lose. Necromancers probably being some of the least accepting people of defeat. Grevane was so crazy he didn't even accept he had died and unleash a Death Curse...and Jim wanted the scene to go another way.

4. Perhaps I am missing something but how do we know that Kincaid knew the events of Dead Beat were about to occur? Mavra finding out is covered in point 2 - she could have found out if she is on this Black Council or if she too was on alert for any resurgence of Kemmler or his materials. Drakul could well be the intersection...but we don't know they are connected. Kincaid had stopped working for Drakul (supposedly) for a number of years and Mavra is only connected via Dracula. So it's a tenuous connection at best. I suspect Mab didn't know because it was kept off her radar and I think Kbrizzle is right that Lea was occupying much of her time.

5. It could be that Kumori isn't Elaine...but any associate of Kemmler or his disciples should know of that spirit and the rules around them. More likely I suspect is that whoever Kumori is actually is working against her master within the constraints placed on her. Kumori has acted altruistically in the past. And Morris is correct once again - she was pretty caught up with keeping the giant Wizard in check. And Bad Alias is onto something with the Naming stuff. Also, it was really loud at that point so Kumori (using her ears) might not have heard the conversation very well. Bob doesn't have or use ears to hear. He doesn't rely on audible information at all really. He would be picking up the intention, the thought, the spiritual energy that is in a Name and in words. That is probably how he "hears". Physics doesn't really enter into it.

6. Kbrizzle, I think you're on the money. But because of all their weaknesses Dracula's achievement was actually a failure. I think the current information is that Dracula turned himself into a Black Court vampire (even though in the text it says he runs off to join them and the Black Court have been around since the dawn of man). Which is like the other retcon that Drakul is a scion, he currently is an "unhuman, otherworldly being" and not a scion of anything that got trapped in a mortal body. Dracula is his scion from his union with a mortal. I would say the Black Court want to revive themselves without their traditional weaknesses and perhaps believe that Kemmler might have that information. It would be an interesting turn if the Black Court came back but had none of their traditional weaknesses. They would almost be unstoppable.

[Bad Alias]

@BadAlias: I thought Harry always called the skull Bob? Or did he especially name it at the age of 16? Elaine should still have known how such spirits work given that she’d spent ~15 years living with the Fae.

Why is Bob the way he is and will we find out why he’s hated so by the Fey
Jim mentioned that Bob takes on some of the personality of his “master” so when he came to Harry. Harry was about 16 years old.  Sooo that’s why he’s so smart alecky and into girls so much.

Does Harry know Bob’s Name? Would knowing it give him anymore hold over it then possessing the skull?
Well, he GAVE Bob a name. And yes, it does give him more hold over him than he would have otherwise, though not more than actually holding the skull would.

Would Elaine know about that? Harry doesn't seem to.

[KurtinStGeorge]

I agree with Bad Alias on items 1 through 3
.
Item 4 - Kincade?  Just because he takes Murphy to Hawaii?  What would she have been able to do if she had stayed in Chicago?  Even though Murphy was the head of S.I., I doubt she could have done much to stop any of the necromancers.

Item 5 - IMO Elaine being Kumori is probably a red herring.  I think the current betting favors Faith Astor, whom Harry rescued when he was working at Ragged Angel; and it was also the first time he met Murphy.

Item 6 - I believe the Black Court were animated; make that reanimated, by the Outsiders.  (Remember that moment of insight Harry had about the Outsiders and their relationship to the Black Court, that occurred during Harry's final conversation with Lash in the Raith Deeps?) 

Part 2. A Black Court vamp can legitimately be described as a superzombie because it is a reanimated corpse; just like the corpses Grevane reanimated, but one that remains sentient and has all kinds of freaky black magic potential; if it remains undead long enough to learn those tricks. 

Having read Kemmler's book, i think that Harry has the ability to sock puppet Mavra and those like her.  I don't mean that Harry knows the exact spell, but he could figure it out if he had to. (Eventually)