What will Thomas learn from the British Prisoner?

[KurtinStGeorge]

I just finished listening to the audio book version of Peace Talks after having read it about 10-11 days ago.  I didn't noticed the first time through that Harry gave Alfred instructions that Thomas can only speak to another prisoner if that prisoner is undergoing the same punishment, and there's only one other prisoner whose doing the contemplation thing.

The alternative is that after talking to Thomas the British prisoner will speak to Harry.  However it plays out, what do you think will be learned from all this.  I have a feeling it will be about a cure for Thomas that involves Excalibur.  There might also be some information about how to breach that special bronze armor the Titan's wearing. 

[Bad Alias]

If it's Merlin, whose father was an incubus in some of the stories, he might indeed learn how to get rid of his hunger demon. He could learn a whole lot more as well and come out an ally just as useful as he always has been if not more so. That'd be pretty cool, but I seriously doubt it.

[morriswalters]

I don't think we will know until much later.  I think Thomas is going to sit on the shelf for a while. That guy in the cell isn't from the era of Merlin, whoever he is.

[Snark Knight]

I don't think we will know until much later.  I think Thomas is going to sit on the shelf for a while. That guy in the cell isn't from the era of Merlin, whoever he is.

Agreed about Thomas staying on ice for a while. Having to leave his brother in stasis could be part of Harry's depression in Christmas Eve.

About the prisoner, just because he seems English in telepathic communication doesn't necessarily mean he's too new to be Arthurian-era. But if he is more modern and genuinely British, and considering his understanding that he needs to be confined ... I'm thinking either Jack the Ripper or Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde? In universe, either of those stories could be a loup garou, or a conceptually stronger but even worse curse (since the tunnels seem to be a higher security level than the skinwalkers got).

[KurtinStGeorge]

The various nightmares imprisoned under Demonreach mostly speak to Harry in English, or at least Harry thinks they do.  Seeing as how many of them have been imprisoned longer than modern English has been in existence, this suggests their communication is either translated by Demonreach or the magic used to build the prison translates it or there is some kind direct mind to mind communication going on and what Harry thinks he hears is his mind's interpretation of what they're saying.  Therefore the British prisoner's use of modern vernacular might be irrelevant.   

[Mira]

  What can he learn?  Patience...

[Conspiracy Theorist]

British swearing.

[Mira]

British swearing.

"Oh piss off.."  "Bugger off..."  Not sure if one hears more watching James Bond or Masterpiece Theater?

[Conspiracy Theorist]

It’s being able to do it properly, Anthony Head tutored James Marsters on exactly this point for Buffy.

Jim may have written that scene to get Marsters to reprise Spike on the Audiobook. Because he can.

Thomas is going to come out with a brilliant Spike impersonation.

[morriswalters]

The various nightmares imprisoned under Demonreach mostly speak to Harry in English, or at least Harry thinks they do.  Seeing as how many of them have been imprisoned longer than modern English has been in existence, this suggests their communication is either translated by Demonreach or the magic used to build the prison translates it or there is some kind direct mind to mind communication going on and what Harry thinks he hears is his mind's interpretation of what they're saying.  Therefore the British prisoner's use of modern vernacular might be irrelevant.

I would agree with that except for how it is done.  The prisoner makes a conscious effort to reproduce the vernacular "Piss off." That wouldn't appear to be auto translation.

There is some subtle hints otherwise in the books.  Molly is wandering Russia recruiting.  Does everybody that she deals with speak English or is she speaking Russian? Or are the recruits doing a Toot Toot?  Just out of nowhere in the books Jim introduces a random idea that magical beings have linguistic intellectus.

[jb3435]

I don't think we will know until much later.  I think Thomas is going to sit on the shelf for a while. That guy in the cell isn't from the era of Merlin, whoever he is.

1. We have proof that the original Merlin traveled through time so we can't know when his era was or how often he skipped over parts of it by traveling to the future/past and staying there.
2. While he mentally "talks" in a Britishish accent, its all telepathy and as is said before Harry could just be "hearing" it and mentally assigning a British accent to it even without taking into account that Merlin very well could of time jumped to more modern British for awhile then returned to whatever time he wanted.
3. Jim will lie if needed to torture us so even though he said that Merlin is dead and that the guy in the cell isn't Merlin he could be lying.
4. Jim writes the fairies to be unable to lie but are masters at lying by omision, twisting words/meanings, and redirecting the conversation, so I wouldn't put it past Jim for him to say Merlin is dead and as in not breathing, eating, whatnot....kinda like someone who is suspended in status would be. After all Harry said that the Hunger wouldn't hurt his brother and with how bad his brother was at the time the only way that happens is by freezing him in time.

Also something I have thought before, in the real life stories Merlin was supposidly only half human and half fey or demon or something. So we have Mac who is shown great respect by very powerful entities ie Mab and Odin/Santa, as well as being called out by whichever walker. Mac who also healed superhuman (even to a wizard) fast after bullets were removed while he was unconcious and not able to control his actions. Mac who has been called Watcher with a capital W and who has stated that he's Out. Then we have who/whatever is in that cell. Could the occupent be the nonhuman part of Mac/Merlin? The bulk of his power locked away for some reason. I know that Harry has mentioned that he doesn't feel anything magical when touching Mac but if the bulk of his power is locked away in addition to the knowledge that Merlin had, its not that far of a stretch to believe that he could hid whatever remaining power resides within himself from a wizard.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

You know there is a character in Irish Folklore called Mackineally, he was husband of someone called Ethnui.

The Mac/Merlin theory isn’t half as attractive as when a celebrity couple break up. She went and got an unnecessary surgery, and a radical new look and he couldn’t handle it and bought a bar and a sports car, and got involved in pushing his own brand alcohol. Nothing really changes does it?

[vultur]

You know there is a character in Irish Folklore called Mackineally, he was husband of someone called Ethnui.

Yeah, that's definitely interesting. I had pretty much bought into the Mac = Grigori/Watcher (kind of "half fallen" angels) theory, but now I'm not sure.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Both are possible, Mac might have been a deep cover spy as MacKineally for Uriel. His cover meant he ended up marrying Ethnui.

Uriel is the Spymaster for the White God, the Gregoris are Watchers, and a synonmyn for someone who watches is spies. Uriel probably placed spies in every major pantheon. For all we know Gregory Christos is in fact one of Uriel’s agents, not the Black Council’s, and we have been looking in the wrong direction for the Black Council spy.

[TrueMonk]

It would be a good start of her hate of immortals just living among humans instead of being worshipped. And one for why Chicago should be the first city to be destroyed.