There's something about Justine (PT and BG spoilers +WAG)

[Helga Ozark]

My partner and I have been arguing over Justine's true nature in PT. As a casual lurker on this site I thought I'd see what everyone else thinks.
Thomas keeps trying to say her name every time Harry tries talk to him

(click to show/hide)

after he is beaten by the svartalves

. He's quite insistent about it even after Harry reassures him that he'll look after her and that she is safe. Then Grey called her a femme fatale.

(click to show/hide)

Is this Butcher's way of foreshadowing? When Thomas keeps trying to say her name, is it as a warning rather than a question about her safety? Has Justine been nemfected?

My other WAG regards the sword of faith...

(click to show/hide)

I think it holds the key to curing Thomas and/or Justine and the baby. The sword will kill demons but not harm humans. I think Butter's will use it to kill Thomas or the baby's Hunger

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Goodman Grey has been infected with Noir Syndrome (suffers blackouts where he internal monologues  like a hard boiled detective) he caught it from Harry. Check out Monsters his POV story. My god it actually makes more sense than Conjouritis, as you have two victims.

The spoilers have both been extensively discussed in their threads, Nemesis allow one to act without the normal restriction. Cat Sith wants to kill Harry from meeting him, he literally can’t because of his oath to Mab. Mortals operate under free will, it is pointless nemfecting them.

The exposition about the sword faith is important but whether it is important in the context of Thomas is another matter

[morriswalters]

Thomas never says Justine's name.  Harry assumes it.  It means something, but your guess is as good as anybody's.

Your WAG about Butter's sword is probably on target, or else Jim wasted a lot of setup by going through that rigamarole about the sword not cutting flesh.

Thomas had to confront the harm he had caused.  He is a serial killer after all. Bet on the guy in the cell next door to be on top of that. My money was on Thomas dying. but it looks like I was wrong.

[Mira]

Your WAG about Butter's sword is probably on target, or else Jim wasted a lot of setup by going through that rigamarole about the sword not cutting flesh.

Very true, except when will Butters and Thomas get together?  However Butters may be able to kill the baby's Hunger saving both Justine and the baby..  Oh here is another far out WAG, until Thomas is released or dies, Butters stays with Justine and acts as a father to the baby.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

What if to get the monster (Ethnui or Corb) Butters needs to slice through Harry or an innocent being held as a shield, it may be a set up for that. Use of the sword on a innocent destroyed or imperilled the swords. Someone relying on that now with this sword of Faith is really going to lose their head (which frankly would be poetic justice for Nudd). The old innocent trick has been tried twice in the DF and must have been used multiple times in the past. Not any longer.

[Mira]

What if to get the monster (Ethnui or Corb) Butters needs to slice through Harry or an innocent being held as a shield, it may be a set up for that. Use of the sword on a innocent destroyed or imperilled the swords. Someone relying on that now with this sword of Faith is really going to lose their head (which frankly would be poetic justice for Nudd). The old innocent trick has been tried twice in the DF and must have been used multiple times in the past. Not any longer.

Or more like slice through Justine, thus saving the day and killing the Hunger.

[Helga Ozark]

The spoilers have both been extensively discussed in their threads, Nemesis allow one to act without the normal restriction. Cat Sith wants to kill Harry from meeting him, he literally can’t because of his oath to Mab. Mortals operate under free will, it is pointless nemfecting them.

Re spoilers...yeah, I wasn't sure of the rules on what should and shouldn't be under a spoiler tag even on a spoiler board. My bad 
Re Nemfections....Do we know for certain that Nemesis only infects beings without will or have certain restrictions? (I haven't read the short stories in Brief Cases so I don't know if there are any clues there). Humans have ethical and moral restrictions too. Michael would never abandon his wife and children. He has free will to do so but it's against his nature.

Thomas never says Justine's name.  Harry assumes it.  It means something, but your guess is as good as anybody's.

Exactly. The alternative is that Thomas is trying to say someone else's name. Justin is the only other character that I remember that starts with "J" but would Thomas know him?

What if to get the monster (Ethnui or Corb) Butters needs to slice through Harry or an innocent being held as a shield, it may be a set up for that.

True, there may be lots of reasons why the "safety sword" was introduced. The romantic in me wants the sword to save the baby though

[morriswalters]

Gibberish is gibberish.  Thomas doesn't say anything intelligible.  This is Jim playing with expectations.

[The_Sibelis]

I don't think it's a safe sword per se... I think it plays to the perceptions of the holder and who they think is an enemy or not. It won't hurt someone the welder doesn't believe is bad. That gives it room for error(reminds me specifically of the sword of truth)

[Conspiracy Theorist]

The baby might not need saving, remember a hunger dies if the Whamp falls in love and gains True Love Protection before first feeding. Technically this has happened here and the hunger and the baby shouldn’t have survived, the survival of the baby suggests something deeply strange is happening which might give Harry the info he needs to save Thomas hunger and not just Thomas. At the moment the hunger is too interlaced with Thomas, even if you could remove it Thomas would be wrong this is a lesson from Molly. The sword is a sword, not a scalpel, and it’s wielder hates operating on living people.

The baby is born in February/ March and to the whamps it is wrong to them , they call in Harry, and he perhaps call in Molly, and determine what is wrong, and it is that knowledge which will save Thomas. There may have been a medical reason why papa wraith killed his sons, a recessive tendency for his male offspring to become something else,  not Whamp. The baby is what Thomas could become. He is around to be asked. He may know why Justine conceived in the first place,  despite being under True Love with Thomas. Thomas consulted the family records, not his father who should know something.

[Mira]

   Auntie Lara might have something to say about it though.   

[ClintACK]

The baby is born in February/ March and to the whamps it is wrong to them , they call in Harry, and he perhaps call in Molly, and determine what is wrong, and it is that knowledge which will save Thomas. There may have been a medical reason why papa wraith killed his sons, a recessive tendency for his male offspring to become something else,  not Whamp. The baby is what Thomas could become. He is around to be asked. He may know why Justine conceived in the first place,  despite being under True Love with Thomas. Thomas consulted the family records, not his father who should know something.

Interesting. I'm struck by the possible February birthday. Thomas's birthday is Valentine's Day. Will his child share his birthday? Does it mean something?

[The_Sibelis]

Interesting. I'm struck by the possible February birthday. Thomas's birthday is Valentine's Day. Will his child share his birthday? Does it mean something?

until Eb came out with his once every 666 years bit I was certain it shared a very metaphysical meaning close to starborn status... Now idk... Still seems an oddity.

[ClintACK]

Metaphysical status in the Dresdenverse can be conveyed by the belief of mortals (see: fake Shroud of Turin).

The Hallmark Card image of baby cupid and its association with Valentine's Day is pretty strong these days.

It would be pretty cool if Thomas and Justine gave birth to Cupid. (A WCV with a redeemed/transformed Hunger that "feeds" on True Love. I'm imagining a future as a matchmaker or wedding planner or the like.)

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Interesting. I'm struck by the possible February birthday. Thomas's birthday is Valentine's Day. Will his child share his birthday? Does it mean something?

It could we only know Peace Talks is set in July and that Justine is 6 weeks pregnant, if it is the first week in July,  it makes a due date around the middle of February. Better than middle March, born on the 15th would be inauspicious.

If a boy born on Thomas birthday what about Valentine Harry LeFay? I can’t see a cupid being registered under the Raith name. If the child feeds on True Love (constantly renewing) rather than life-force (which can be depleted to death)  then the touch of someone in True Love would power up (probably slower though, not one big gulp). The Vampire strength, speed, agility, healing and attractiveness would be retained. The vampire sense for prey would be changed to be able to ascertain compatible matches and the power to influence to direct a meeting, overcoming shyness and facilitating true love. He would get invited to a lot of weddings, and all the signs of true love roses, wedding rings, wedding cake would be able to power him up remotely.

Amorrachius may also have some effect. If the child is a cupid, then it suggests Thomas has the potential to change his hunger into a cupid as well. Papa Raith killed his sons, maybe because of this potential? The Whamp is a larval form? Thomas is also a lesser magic user, could that have a effect on the child and Thomas.

Whilst a baby is how a cupid is often portrayed, the other classical portrayal is as a beautiful youth nearly naked with wings. Check Thomas costume at Bianca’s in Grave Peril. Jim has oft said that he had the entire story arc plotted out from Storm Front, foreshadowing as with the birthdate.