Unsolved Mysteries Version II

[knnn]

(If this question is in another thread please point me there.)

In Blood Rites, why was Mavra's crew in place at Arturo Genosa's when Harry and Thomas drove up to the outer guard shack?  Its clear Mavra decided to draw Harry into attacking her so she could later blackmail him to get the word of Kemmler for her.

How could she have possibly have known Harry would show up there?

We know that Mavra is really good at veils -- one suggestion is that she is following Harry around all throughout BR.  In this particular case she gets her minions to "attack" Harry in order to protect him from Lara.  Remember that right before the Blampire attack, Lara was about to shoot Harry dead and ask questions later.  The attack (and the Blampires making their intentions to kill/take everyone) caused Harry and Lara to make the temporary truce.

[Reventon]

Harry might be forced to work with a hated enemy like Nicodemus, against a more immediate threat from a BC member.

That would be fun to see, though I doubt a Harry/Nic partnership; even a temporary one, will ever occur.

Not for more than the span of a single battle, but I think it's totally happening. My money is on Ferrovax as the foe, side bet on Tessa with a loopy enough plot.

Interesting thought - are all of Tessa's nickelhead faction black council, or just Thorned Namshiel? Realistically, her and Rosanna are the only ones who matter now as the rest were mostly hired muscle who got ganked by Harry, Thomas and Kincaid, but still, 3 Denarian bc members are scarier than one. Also begs the question, are any of Nic's flunkies bc? He'd tear them a new one if he knew, of course, but Lasciel's dissenting nature shows us such things are possible.

Given that a number of coins are back "on the market" it could be interesting to see.

[TheCuriousFan]

Not for more than the span of a single battle, but I think it's totally happening. My money is on Ferrovax as the foe, side bet on Tessa with a loopy enough plot.

We have WoJ Ferrovax isn't getting involved until 1 book before the BAT.

Interesting thought - are all of Tessa's nickelhead faction black council, or just Thorned Namshiel?

Most likely all of them, and a few other Denarians too, simply because it makes things more difficult for Harry.

[Arjan]

My personal theory is that she and the White King, as part of the Black Council, were working together.  Both Mavra being there with vamps at the guard shack as well as Madge, an ex-wife whom purposefully avoids making contact with Harry, indicate Papa Raith knew someone might interfere and that it might be Harry.  Blood Rites was the White King's attempt to break free from Maggie's death curse.

Then why hit Lara and Inari? She was pretty pleased to hit the white court. She may know who triggered the Stoker thing.

[veritybrown]

As far as Kincaid saying Harry was as human as he was...  Personally, I'm fascinated by Kincaid.  And I'm quite sure that comment had meaning - and not just that being a Wizard is enough to differentiate himself from a vanilla human.

...

Kincaid is a scion.  We know that now.  And that he made his choice a long time ago.  I really can't see him throwing out a comment like that in reference to something they both knew - that Dresden was a Wizard. 

Not to say I know what it means.  But I'm pretty sure it's important.

I instantly glommed onto Kincaid's comment when I read it, because I've suspected since very early on in the series that it would turn out that Malcolm Dresden was NOT actually Harry's birthfather. We know that Maggie, Sr. was a mortal wizard, so she's not the supernatural parent who would make Harry "just as human" as Kincaid. The logical conclusion, then, is that Harry's birthfather was supernatural.

I developed a theory about this last night after finishing Changes: Odin (or one of his own supernatural--not scion/crossbreed--offspring) is Harry's birthfather. It would certainly explain why Odin showed up for the battle at CI--his own life was on the line. It also explains why the Red King was determined to see the ritual through--if you take out Odin, you create a huge power vacuum. In fact, considering that one of Odin's traditional designations is "Allfather," it's possible that a bloodline curse involving Odin would make the extensiveness of what happened to the Red Court look inches-to-miles by comparison.

[TheCuriousFan]

so she's not the supernatural parent who would make Harry "just as human" as Kincaid.

Wasn't Kincaid also insisting that he was a vanilla human in that scene?

[Arjan]

Wasn't Kincaid also insisting that he was a vanilla human in that scene?

He was just protecting his secrets and telling nothing without lying.  You can interpret his words in several ways and that is exactly what he wants.

Lying to a wizard is not wise because he may have ways to check the truth of statements like Lucio did in dead beat. Not only Sidhe talk that way it is just smart to avoid lies when talking to supernaturals.

Kincaid may not consider a powerful wizard as really/completely human or he may consider himself human. He has a human parent and can breed with humans so biologically he is a human. What is and what is not human in the dresdenverse is not allways clear and open to multiple interpretations. He did not say he was a vanilla mortal. Harry isn't a vanilla human either.

[Arjan]

He also just had some fun with Harry. He likes teasing Harry and he has a certain sense of humor.

[TheCuriousFan]

He did not say he was a vanilla mortal.

From Blood Rites, pages 94-95:

"Just plain folk?"

"Yeah"

"Not supernatural?"

"I wish, Vanilla mortal."

"You're a liar."

"Excuse me?"

"I said you're a liar. I saw you during the fight at Wrigley, Kincaid. You fired a dozen shots, on the move and dodging bad guys the whole time."

"What's so supernatural about that?"

"In a fight, just plain folks miss sometimes. Maybe most times. You didn't miss once."

"What's the point of shooting if you're just going to miss? I'm as human as you are, Dresden. I'll see you later." 

You were saying?

[Arjan]

From Blood Rites, pages 94-95:

You were saying?

Thanks for the quote. I should have done so.

He is clearly not under a fairy like truth compulsion. Reading this it feels like a very human reaction. It is like asking Ramirez about his sex life.

Some questions are very personal. Asking a half human entity what he is is like asking him how he regards himself.  He may have wrestled with the question in the past. He may even be lying to himself. And anyway it is none of your bussiness and you should just not ask a question like that.

Don't ask. Don't tell. And if you do ask you can expect a lie.

In a normal human sense it may not even be a lie. If they both know it is not true and know the other knows (and so on) it stops being a lie and is just a way of telling the other not to ask questions.

Of course Harry ignores this.

In reaction Kinkaid does not even try to be convincing. He just makes fun of Harry.

Compare with how Harry in small favor reacted when Sonya wanted to know what Gard was. 

[TruffleShufflen]

Kincaid is porbably a faerie. That is why he was put in charge of Ivy. Ivy wouldn't be protected by a normal human.

[Arjan]

Kincaid is porbably a faerie. That is why he was put in charge of Ivy. Ivy wouldn't be protected by a normal human.

We know that Kincaid is a scion. The son of some nevernever being and a human. He is not a changeling. No faerie. We do not know what that nevernever being was and it might be interesting. 

[Vairelome]

We know that Kincaid is a scion. The son of some nevernever being and a human. He is not a changeling. No faerie. We do not know what that nevernever being was and it might be interesting. 

Technically, he could be some fusion of a nevernever being and a human, not just the son of two parents, one human and one non-human.  Uriel used the same terminology to refer to Thomas, after all--WCVs are a fusion of a mortal and an emotional Phage demon.  I think that it's more likely you are correct, though.

[TheCuriousFan]

Who says that one of his parents was a being from the Nevernever?

[cass]

Who says that one of his parents was a being from the Nevernever?

If the 'he' you're talking about is Kincaid, it's at the very least implied by Ebenezar in BR, and, in my reading, it's pretty explicitly stated that Kincaid is one of the beings that is part-human, part-something else.

Here's the quote:

"There are people walking around who carry the blood of the Nevernever in them," Ebenezar said. "...The faeries aren't the only ones who can breed with humanity, though, and the scions of such unions can have a lot of power. Their offspring are usually malformed. Freakish. Often insane. But sometimes the child looks human."

"Like Kincaid."

Ebenezar nodded.

It's interesting to note that whatever else Kincaid may be, Harry notices earlier in the book that he's human enough for a soul gaze-- which is interesting.  Anybody remember if pre-Choice changelings are soul gaze-able?