Who broke Little Chicago?

[morriswalters]

 

[Foxed]

I remember doing an intense reread of Proven Guilty to try and determine what exactly happened in that book without referring to other books in the series. And the most obvious answer for who fixed Little Chicago is...

Harry himself. I submit that Harry at some point gets unstuck in time. He skirts the no time travel law by mentally time traveling, a la Billy Pilgrim from Slaughterhouse Five or Desmond from Lost.

Early in the novel, Harry makes a big deal about how realistic Lash's illusions are, and then promptly gets hit by a mysterious car. This was an illusion because Future Harry made an ally of Lash, and they used the ensuing concussion to hide Future Harry as a ridealong in PG Harry's skull.

Bob and Harry also discuss time travel at length because of the future info that Rashid passes on to Harry. We never find out what this future info is it anything about it. I suspect this is also Future Harry ensuring that PG happens the way it's supposed to.

Finally, Little Chicago. Future Harry fixed it. Any questions?

[groinkick]

How about this for an idea.  Little Chicago allowed Harry to connect to Chicago because he had little pieces of Chicago attached to it. 

What if it allowed someone located elsewhere to access it?  Just as it reaches out, it may allow someone to reach in...  They fixed it remotely.....

[morriswalters]

I remember doing an intense reread of Proven Guilty to try and determine what exactly happened in that book without referring to other books in the series. And the most obvious answer for who fixed Little Chicago is...

Harry himself. I submit that Harry at some point gets unstuck in time. He skirts the no time travel law by mentally time traveling, a la Billy Pilgrim from Slaughterhouse Five or Desmond from Lost.

Early in the novel, Harry makes a big deal about how realistic Lash's illusions are, and then promptly gets hit by a mysterious car. This was an illusion because Future Harry made an ally of Lash, and they used the ensuing concussion to hide Future Harry as a ridealong in PG Harry's skull.

Bob and Harry also discuss time travel at length because of the future info that Rashid passes on to Harry. We never find out what this future info is it anything about it. I suspect this is also Future Harry ensuring that PG happens the way it's supposed to.

Finally, Little Chicago. Future Harry fixed it. Any questions?

To begin with what I'll discuss is my internal canon,  so it applies to me and no one else and I offer it in that fashion.

The problem with future Harry is the same as it ever was.  What is Jim's solution to the bootstrap paradox?  If Harry dies during first use then how does Harry go back and save himself?

Now this is my internal canon and some noodling to pass the time.

“Oh, the Gatekeeper didn’t do it to annoy you,” Bob said. “He did it to prevent any chance of paradox.”

“He…” I blinked. “He what?”

“He got this from hindsight, he had to,” Bob said.

“Hindsight,” I murmured. “You mean he went to the future for this?”

“Well,” Bob hedged. “That would break one of the Laws, so probably not. But he might have sent himself a message from there, or maybe gotten it from some kind of prognosticating spirit. He might even have developed some ability for that himself. Some wizards do.”

“Meaning what?” I asked.

“Meaning that it’s possible nothing has happened, yet. But that he wanted to put you on your guard against something that’s coming in the immediate future.”

This is disingenuous on Jim's part.  But there is no way for the reader to know that at this point. Although it is hinted at in Summer Knight. The Winter and Summer Queens are the Fates. They can see possible futures. Mab has already started the game.  As has Uriel.  Bob is used to give the readers two things.  One is  the knowledge that something is going on.  He also tells the reader how to know who is pushing the buttons. The info that Rashid is trying to pass on is that the Black Council is out to get Harry killed by the White Council.

[The_Sibelis]

To begin with what I'll discuss is my internal canon,  so it applies to me and no one else and I offer it in that fashion.

The problem with future Harry is the same as it ever was.  What is Jim's solution to the bootstrap paradox?  If Harry dies during first use then how does Harry go back and save himself?

Now this is my internal canon and some noodling to pass the time.

let me cross that with my own head canon.. Harry used LC as the time travel device. So the build up was him coming through, and the guy who watches the timeline fixed it, GK. So it was never supposed to blow his head. But, the order of events does make Harry chose differently. In the original timeline he picks up Lasciel to use LC, between this, the car ramming him and the phone call, he doesn't pick it up here. And no free will TT laws were violated to achieve this. nobodies choice was taken away. They simply altered the deal, pray they do not alter it farther... Er, I mean, altered the order of events to cause him to choose differently.

[morriswalters]

Whatever works for you.

[The_Sibelis]

Whatever works for you.

🧐

[Bad Alias]

Early in the novel, Harry makes a big deal about how realistic Lash's illusions are, and then promptly gets hit by a mysterious car. This was an illusion because Future Harry made an ally of Lash, and they used the ensuing concussion to hide Future Harry as a ridealong in PG Harry's skull.

This would answer Morris's question about why Lash didn't freak out when Harry tried to fire up Little Chicago the first time. Future Harry informed Lash that Past Harry would be interrupted by Molly.

[The_Sibelis]

This would answer Morris's question about why Lash didn't freak out when Harry tried to fire up Little Chicago the first time. Future Harry informed Lash that Past Harry would be interrupted by Molly.

... I don't think that can be so. No matter how good the illusion there would still be damage to the vehicle, or not, in which case it'd look like he just wrecked and police do accident reconstructions and what not. They'd think he was drunk.
That is also a good point though. Even if Bob missed the build up, how on earth did lash miss it?

[morriswalters]

... I don't think that can be so. No matter how good the illusion there would still be damage to the vehicle, or not, in which case it'd look like he just wrecked and police do accident reconstructions and what not. They'd think he was drunk.
That is also a good point though. Even if Bob missed the build up, how on earth did lash miss it?

Don't waste any more of your time, it was probably a continuity error. I just thought it might be interesting to discuss.  However I'm going to rent out Harry's head for parties.  He seems to have plenty of room.

[Snark Knight]

She is without a doubt able to twist what he sees in real time.

Sure, but it is odd that Bob wouldn't have seen the flaw over months of work. Not conclusive that someone sabotaged it and Bob took it for a mistake once he noticed it, but it's not totally nuts.

[The_Sibelis]

Don't waste any more of your time,

that is what we do here

it was probably a continuity error.

there are no continuity errors in the DF 😆

I just thought it might be interesting to discuss.

also what we do

  However I'm going to rent out Harry's head for parties.  He seems to have plenty of room.

[BrainFireBob]

I do want to commend the OP for the question. Most people never ask the opposite.

The tendency is to ask "who fixed LC?" Nice catch to ask "Who broke it?"- or more generally, was it maliciously broken.

[Bad Alias]

No matter how good the illusion there would still be [1] damage to the vehicle, or not, in which case it'd look like he just wrecked and [2] police do accident reconstructions and what not.

1. It's the Beetle, so there's enough damage that nobody's going to raise questions about there not being an accident.

2. They actually don't do that much investigation and what not if it's a "minor" accident. Minor means no one had to go to the hospital.

[The_Sibelis]

1. It's the Beetle, so there's enough damage that nobody's going to raise questions about there not being an accident.

2. They actually don't do that much investigation and what not if it's a "minor" accident. Minor means no one had to go to the hospital.

1 Harry fixes the beetle regularly, a car hits you it's gonna do damage, paint abrasions, the works. The damage itself is different than say, a chlorofiend slamming your hood. That's why Mike asks what happened, it's not damaged in a way he'd suspect.
2 and didn't Harry have to get it fixed? So he takes it to Mike, who asks, fix what?