The truth about Harry and Thomas comes out?

[KurtinStGeorge]

I'm making an assumption that at some point Thomas will not only leave Demonreach prison, he will somehow manage to balance the scales with the Swartalves, so they're no longer invested in killing him.  Then again, for all we know the Swartalves could get wiped out.  No one is safe, and it happened to the Red Court so there's no reason it couldn't happen to them.  That would solve Thomas' problem too, though not in a very satisfying manner.

Once that issue is dealt with, how long must Harry keep it secret that Thomas is his half-brother?  Harry isn't a member of the White Council any more.  Other than not overtly breaking the Laws of Magic, Harry doesn't have to play by their cultural rules or worry about their politics.  Unless they decide to kill him, of course.  However, the one person it could hurt is Ebenezer; so, maybe I'm wrong about Harry not having to worry about White Council politics.  However, I'm not expecting Ebenezer to be around much longer, and once he's gone that issue disappears.   

Rather than undermining Harry I think the White Council may have actually empowered him by cutting him loose.  Any one else agree with me and can you think of another way no longer being a member of the Council may benefit Harry.

Oh yea, if Harry allows his family relationship with Thomas to become public, it takes away the leverage Lara has of knowing the secret.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

If he can prove he was being coerced by Nemesis then he would be okay, the Swartalves are after the controlling mind rather than the instrument of attack.

Harry keeping his relationships secret is mostly to protect from an attack on them aimed at him. Of his active enemies Nick knows of Maggie, and presumably therefore does Blood on His Soul. No other active outlaws (other than his soon to be in laws) know about Thomas, Eb, Maggie, Bonea. Harry will try to keep it this way.

I suspect on the anniversary of his daughters death Nick will let all and sundry know about Maggie, which would be something for Next Book.

[seanham]

If he can prove he was being coerced by Nemesis, then he would be okay, the Swartalves are after the controlling mind rather than the instrument of attack.

I agree this would let Thomas off the hook, but how would it be proven? You can't just say, "Nemesis made me do it." No one would believe that. Maybe if Nemesis or Justine admitted to it? But even then, who's to say what the real leverage or conversation was? Unless it was recorded or by some magic, they are able to get an undeniably true answer from Thomas and Nemesis, the Swartalves, wouldn't accept his innocence.

[Mira]

I agree this would let Thomas off the hook, but how would it be proven? You can't just say, "Nemesis made me do it." No one would believe that. Maybe if Nemesis or Justine admitted to it? But even then, who's to say what the real leverage or conversation was? Unless it was recorded or by some magic, they are able to get an undeniably true answer from Thomas and Nemesis, the Swartalves, wouldn't accept his innocence.

I agree, the Swartalves will want hard evidence.  Nemesis won't give it, if Justine turns up again and they are satisfied that she is telling the truth, maybe.  I say maybe because all of this is complicated by politics.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I agree this would let Thomas off the hook, but how would it be proven? You can't just say, "Nemesis made me do it." No one would believe that. Maybe if Nemesis or Justine admitted to it? But even then, who's to say what the real leverage or conversation was? Unless it was recorded or by some magic, they are able to get an undeniably true answer from Thomas and Nemesis, the Swartalves, wouldn't accept his innocence.

You simply get Nemesis to monologue in front of a Swartalf. Nemesis is a villain after all.

More seriously Harry has the means to extract an confession Demonreach. Indications are he can put the infect down and release the host. First then catch your host.

[Mira]

You simply get Nemesis to monologue in front of a Swartalf. Nemesis is a villain after all.

More seriously Harry has the means to extract an confession Demonreach. Indications are he can put the infect down and release the host. First then catch your host.

That simple?  Really?  Nemesis, who invades the brains of all creatures great and small?

[morriswalters]

I'm making an assumption that at some point Thomas will not only leave Demonreach prison, he will somehow manage to balance the scales with the Swartalves, so they're no longer invested in killing him.  Then again, for all we know the Swartalves could get wiped out.  No one is safe, and it happened to the Red Court so there's no reason it couldn't happen to them.  That would solve Thomas' problem too, though not in a very satisfying manner.

Once that issue is dealt with, how long must Harry keep it secret that Thomas is his half-brother?  Harry isn't a member of the White Council any more.  Other than not overtly breaking the Laws of Magic, Harry doesn't have to play by their cultural rules or worry about their politics.  Unless they decide to kill him, of course.  However, the one person it could hurt is Ebenezer; so, maybe I'm wrong about Harry not having to worry about White Council politics.  However, I'm not expecting Ebenezer to be around much longer, and once he's gone that issue disappears.   

Rather than undermining Harry I think the White Council may have actually empowered him by cutting him loose.  Any one else agree with me and can you think of another way no longer being a member of the Council may benefit Harry.

Oh yea, if Harry allows his family relationship with Thomas to become public, it takes away the leverage Lara has of knowing the secret.

I suspect Thomas will sit it out until the point is moot.  Either it be shown that he was coerced and they forgive all or he comes back in the run up to the apocalypse and everybody is so busy not dying that he gets lost in the shuffle. I prefer that his demon be gone, but that may be wishful thinking.

[Mira]

I suspect Thomas will sit it out until the point is moot.  Either it be shown that he was coerced and they forgive all or he comes back in the run up to the apocalypse and everybody is so busy not dying that he gets lost in the shuffle. I prefer that his demon be gone, but that may be wishful thinking.

I think it will be quite possible that if he is let out, his demon will be gone, but somehow that seems too easy.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

That simple?  Really?  Nemesis, who invades the brains of all creatures great and small?

All villains love to monologue, they can’t help it and the author desperately needs the exposition.

[Arjan]

You simply get Nemesis to monologue in front of a Swartalf. Nemesis is a villain after all.

More seriously Harry has the means to extract an confession Demonreach. Indications are he can put the infect down and release the host. First then catch your host.

The svartalves might take Mab's or Molly's word on it but never just Harry's

[Mira]

The svartalves might take Mab's or Molly's word on it but never just Harry's

Oh I don't know, they have their own way of truth finding and realized pretty quickly that Harry had nothing to do with the assassination attempt.

[Snark Knight]

If he can prove he was being coerced by Nemesis then he would be okay, the Swartalves are after the controlling mind rather than the instrument of attack.

I'm not sure being blackmailed carries the same weight for them as being a vassal. Thomas still made a choice to comply with the blackmail - the svartalves seem like the kind of folks who'd consider writing off the life of a mortal lover the lesser evil to breaking guest right.

Or, for that matter, he could have asked their help in staging a fake assassination.

[Shift8]

I don't see how Thomas being coerced via threatening Justine and their child is good enough to get Thomas off the hook.

It is generally considered that for duress to be an excuse the duress must be direct at ones own person, and not a 3rd party. It doesnt matter they are a family member. You cant just go around killing people because someone threatens to kill other people. It make sense if you OWN life is on the line, but not for anyone else.

Additionally duress is only and excuse if the threat is imminent and inescapable. For example someone has a gun to your head and orders you to shoot an innocent person or they kill you. The threat is immediate and cannot be practically escaped. It is also necessary for threat that constitutes the duress to be equal or worse than the consequences of what the person being coerced is being asked to do. For example its not duress if I steal the money in your bank account and wont give it back unless you kill someone for me.

[Mira]

I don't see how Thomas being coerced via threatening Justine and their child is good enough to get Thomas off the hook.

It is generally considered that for duress to be an excuse the duress must be direct at ones own person, and not a 3rd party. It doesnt matter they are a family member. You cant just go around killing people because someone threatens to kill other people. It make sense if you OWN life is on the line, but not for anyone else.

Additionally duress is only and excuse if the threat is imminent and inescapable. For example someone has a gun to your head and orders you to shoot an innocent person or they kill you. The threat is immediate and cannot be practically escaped. It is also necessary for threat that constitutes the duress to be equal or worse than the consequences of what the person being coerced is being asked to do. For example its not duress if I steal the money in your bank account and wont give it back unless you kill someone for me.

I believe one could argue that one's unborn child could be an exception to the rule.. However at this point we only have Justine/Nemesis word that Thomas is the father.  Even in the opening dialogue between Harry and Thomas, the sterility of male White Court Vamps is brought up, making the pregnancy a rare thing.  Later on the boat HWWB though Justine boasts that things were manipulated to make it happen or at least to make Thomas believe he was the father.  At the very least that would make Thomas willing to go to any lengths to save his child.

[morriswalters]

Protecting your child gives you no special privilege.  It certainly doesn't confer on you the right to harm other innocents to protect them.  Thomas exercised his free will and made a choice.