Eb is dead meat walking. The minute someone in the D Files is going to give Harry some useful information then dead they become.That talk isn't likely happen. But the use of the phrase clear the air is interesting.
Exactly my thoughts. Probably saving Harry tbh. I don't think he will be the traitor or person who tries to off Harry but I do think he is withholding some big time information.
If Jim is going to kill off Thomas then he is the one most amenable to pressure. That way he can die heroically. Early look is that somebody is putting all the bodies in the same basket so they can be killed off. Note that Cristos is attending the Peace Talks. Who knows?
I don't think he will kill off Thomas but I do think he and Harry's relationship is about to be shaken badly. Thomas always keeps stuff from Harry and I do think he has been hiding something for a long time now. However, if Thomas were to die I guess I would wonder why now? What purpose does that serve. I don't think it would both be him and Eb. I think one is the betrayer and one is going to die. But the betrayer likely will kill the other one while attempting to kill Harry (or perhaps as a final insult).
They should give us five chapters since one has been out forever, but that is just me.
Agreed. Especially as we have another book coming it doesn't seem like much. But hey, I don't run the show. Also what did you mean by "shades of Summer Knight"? It does smack of that last big event, I agree but I am interested to hear your thoughts.
Where was Maggie when all this was going on? Was she she still hiding in Harry's room while they ate her pancakes?
I know right? Eb knows about at least one of his great-grandchildren so I imagine he would want to say hey. Maybe in the next chapter she will come out. Real question is whether he will meet Bonea.
toodeep - I know what you mean. I did wonder about that and I guess I am not entirely sold that Eb isn't a traitor. But from a Doylist perspective it makes more sense for him to die. The truth is if Eb wanted him dead Harry would be dead by now. So I think it's more likely he is just tired as he has seen it many times before.
And I agree it is strange Harry didn't discuss "the Adversary" with Eb. I guarentee he knows of it. My only conclusion is Harry isn't sure who to tell as even Eb is a possible sleeper agents. I think this is what Rashid was talking about when he told Dresden to look for signs. Don't give the game away if you're not sure type of thing. As for why Harry hasn't told Eb about Thomas...mostly for story telling impact. WOJ is that Eb is in denial about it which suggests he has figured it out. In-universe though, maybe Harry is worried how Eb might react. As much for Thomas' wellbeing as anything else.
Regardless, it is always frustrating when characters don't talk about all the things they definitely should. Mostly they don't because authors want the biggest impact possible and so save things up. But sometimes I think to myself "If I were in Harry's shoes, I would just ask all the big questions and to hell with the consequences". Which is probably why I would be a crap author.
123Chikadee - Yeah, I think you're on the money about Carlos. From his perspective he (Carlos) is going to think that Harry is the one who has been betraying him. The trailer certainly seems to push that idea. So I wouldn't be surprised if he and Harry tango...which isn't to say that they don't make up either.
Knightedbishop - Probably you are right on all counts. But I guess Eb knows a trick or two about how to get past a fortress. Traditionally that is part of an assassin's role. So I wouldn't be so surprised he could waltz in. All the same, I wouldn't be so sure about the security of that building. Something weird though is that EVERYONE seems to know about Eb being the Blackstaff. What happened to it being a secret role? It's hardly all that useful if it isn't. It's exactly the kind of thing you DON'T want people to know. An ace in the hole. As for the Molly thing, he was talking about from the perspective of the Council. I doubt he was too worried she would find out anyhow. And Mab would hardly care. She thinks of good and evil as silly mortal notions.
Jim has massively forshadowed things in this chapter. We know a big sucker punch is coming. Harry is going to focussed on security and worrying about Mab (and who knows what else) not to mention trying to keep his Wizard status that he will be sufficiently distracted from the knife in the ribs. Dresden is often least logical around women so I wouldn't be surprised if that's how it happens. However, Dresden has also been pretty cunning the last few books so I expect he will plan his own sucker punch. We know he survives this all and maintains his good relationships with Molly, Mab, Michael and Kringle. We also know he keeps his Wizard and Winter Knight status' (as of Christmas Eve). And Molly mentions in Christmas Eve he gets a lot in "everyone's" (whoever they are) faces after it all goes down.
There is of course someone else Dresden wouldn't expect to kill him. Someone he wouldn't see coming.
. Hell of a sucker punch.
