[BG spoilers!!] Revisiting the short story "Monsters"

[Dina]

I have made a post about this in another thread, but as apparently nobody read it I decided to do a new one. As the title says, I've reread Monsters after reading BG-

Viti says that Marcone is bad, is dangerous and he can kill Grey. I think now we know she was not talking about what we thought before, vanilla man doing extraordinary things but Denarian. And I found that very interesting. Also, apparently Grey cannot detect the Fallen in him

Oh, and just a comment. It is relatively easy to make the decision of saving children. As others stated here before, it's not such a great moral thing. I believe the interesting part is that while Grey or Marcone would probably go to some extremes to save children, Harry would probably go to great extremes to save any of them (Marcone and Grey, I mean). And I think in his inner heart Grey wants to be that sort of person, and he is trying. As always, Harry is probably going to influence him to go to that side. Marcone, on the other hand, seems to have decided to go the dark side. But, as I said before, I still see hope of redemption for him. And I still think Marcone himself hopes that, if he ever goes truly, truly dark, Harry will stop him.

[Arjan]

I have made a post about this in another thread, but as apparently nobody read it I decided to do a new one. As the title says, I've reread Monsters after reading BG-

Viti says that Marcone is bad, is dangerous and he can kill Grey. I think now we know she was not talking about what we thought before, vanilla man doing extraordinary things but Denarian. And I found that very interesting. Also, apparently Grey cannot detect the Fallen in him

Oh, and just a comment. It is relatively easy to make the decision of saving children. As others stated here before, it's not such a great moral thing. I believe the interesting part is that while Grey or Marcone would probably go to some extremes to save children, Harry would probably go to great extremes to save any of them (Marcone and Grey, I mean). And I think in his inner heart Grey wants to be that sort of person, and he is trying. As always, Harry is probably going to influence him to go to that side. Marcone, on the other hand, seems to have decided to go the dark side. But, as I said before, I still see hope of redemption for him.

You have the right mentality. You get the sword.

And I still think Marcone himself hopes that, if he ever goes truly, truly dark, Harry will stop him.

Grey is trying to rise, Marcone is falling even further. Namshiel will take care of that, he chose that coin willingly and knowingly. That is quite different from Sanya.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Yes, Grey is trying to be a better being, Marcone is trying to be a better Marcone.

[TheCuriousFan]

Of course to keep up the parallels (like them losing their moral pillars in the same book) Marcone will probably make a slightly upward climb around the same time Harry does unless Jim plans for them to diverge and have that showdown.

[Snark Knight]

Grey is trying to rise, Marcone is falling even further. Namshiel will take care of that, he chose that coin willingly and knowingly.

I'm not really convinced all the Fallen are equally interested in corrupting the souls of their carriers. I think that may be more of a side objective to what the significant players among them are really doing, of varying interest to various Fallen, and the Church has mistaken that for their main purpose.

Now, I'm sure carrying Namshiel for a truly long time would make Marcone even darker. But, realistically, he's already pretty bad. It could take Namshiel decades or centuries to get him to bend on 'no children', if he ever does. I think he's up to something more important than long-gaming a bad man into a worse one, and that something probably takes priority over changing Marcone unless he can get two birds with one stone.

[Dina]

Oh yes, I agree corrupting Marcone is not Namshiel priority. Anyway, cheesy as it sounds, I don't think Harry allows Marcone to be as corrupted.

I wonder how the Fallen in general (apart of the Nic "family") feel about someone resisting Lasciel, the temptress, just like Harry did.

[morriswalters]

It's the enchantments on the castle that you should be paying attention to.  Marcone is neither more evil or less evil then he was, but to exercise that evil in Chicago would call down the Knights on him.

[Dina]

Hope so, I love the Knights. Mm, I wonder if Marcone/Namshiel are aware of where Amoracchius is.

[Mira]

It's the enchantments on the castle that you should be paying attention to.  Marcone is neither more evil or less evil then he was, but to exercise that evil in Chicago would call down the Knights on him.

He may not be, but personally he can do a heck a lot more damage than he could before as a plain vanilla human.   

[morriswalters]

I have no idea where Jim will go with this, but what evil can Marcone do that he isn't already doing? He runs prostitution and drugs, controls gambling, and takes a percentage of any crime that happens on his patch. And he murders at will. Kinda hard to see how he is any worse than what he was.  And all that rigamarole that Jim rolled out about him being the first mortal member of the accords turns out to be bs.

[Dina]

No. He was just a mortal when he became a baron, I believe. And what can he do that is worse? Magic.

[Arjan]

I have no idea where Jim will go with this, but what evil can Marcone do that he isn't already doing? He runs prostitution and drugs, controls gambling, and takes a percentage of any crime that happens on his patch. And he murders at will. Kinda hard to see how he is any worse than what he was.  And all that rigamarole that Jim rolled out about him being the first mortal member of the accords turns out to be bs.

You can always get worse. Before the series is over he will loose all rules he set for himself, the protection of children and the loyalties to his own people. He lost Hendricks and he will loose The respect of Gard.

Corruption is the main goal of the fallen. That is what they are, that is their purpose. Namshiel can only express himself via Marcone. He wants to use him to corrupt Marcone and everyone else. Taking his time if necessary.

They can’t stop. It took Anduriel some time to make Nicodemus kill his daughter. Even his descent is not finished yet.

Lasciel laughed, musically, the sound of it pure pleasure on the ears. “Oh, Harry,” she said. “Did you really think that it’s possible to pick up corruption in a nice clean handkerchief and lock it away in a box? No, of course not. Forces such as we cannot be contained by mortals, my lover. We are a part of you all.”

Of course Marcone has free will. He still can choose differently and the knights will ask him to do so. But it is not very likely.

[Arjan]

Hope so, I love the Knights. Mm, I wonder if Marcone/Namshiel are aware of where Amoracchius is.

I think he can make some good guesses. It was last seen in Michael’s hands so it is either in his house or on Harry’s island. Both are out of his direct reach.

[Dina]

Thanks TWG

[Mira]

I have no idea where Jim will go with this, but what evil can Marcone do that he isn't already doing? He runs prostitution and drugs, controls gambling, and takes a percentage of any crime that happens on his patch. And he murders at will. Kinda hard to see how he is any worse than what he was.  And all that rigamarole that Jim rolled out about him being the first mortal member of the accords turns out to be bs.

He can get more personal, for lack of a better word... You know wave his hand, say the magic word and incinerate a full day care center.. This is stuff that Namshiel can do, that vanilla Baron Marcone couldn't do with a wave of his hand.