The Dresden Files > DF Reference Collection
The YLC (Why Little Chicago) thread
Snaps At Fireflies:
Another thing to mention, is that even though LC was described as having a massive amount of power in it, that doesn't mean it would explode in a deafening blast, with concussive shock waves and such. The "explosion" could have simply been a massive amount of concentrated fire, enough to flash fire the room and the whole building. Or maybe the power would've come out in a magical method of destruction. Remember Bob said the amount of power he had poured into it was roughly equivalent to the power in his fully charged Force Ring. But it wasn't the same kind of magic. The power he had pumped into it was one of seeking, investigation, discovery and revelation. Not a kinetic asskicking spell. Magic varies based on what type of power you are channeling and to what purpose, so just because the amount of power is equal to a ton of those force rings, doesn't mean it would manifest in the same way. For all we know, the sympathetic link to Chicago made the power dissipate across the links, making all of Chicago slightly warmer for a fraction of a second. Or maybe an odd flash of light, and a mild bang sound happened, something disregarded by the population. Or maybe the fire simply dissipated it, fire is a cleansing force after all, magically speaking.
Remember, just because a powerful spell is disrupted, doesn't mean it blows up. Look at Harry when he destroyed the Great Circle trapping Ivy in Small Favor. He made a point to explain just how much power was in that circle, and how even having just one thing out of place, could level a huge area. Then what did he do? He smashed it with his staff, destroying every aspect of that spell. Did he blow up? Did the spell site blow up? Did Demonreach? No, in fact, nothing negative happened until the very last vestige of the spell structure was destroyed, then the spell broke, and as I recall it was simply a bit of sound and light. That's it. Nothing negative or destructive happened, as evidenced by the fact that Ivy and the Heroes were all still alive, and standing at Ground Zero. And I'd be willing to bet that the Great Circle to keep the Archive restrained, had more juice in it than LC. So if that spell can be destroyed without leveling an island, I think LC can be burned out without leveling a city block.
Cozarkian:
--- Quote from: Snaps At Fireflies on November 05, 2012, 04:37:14 PM ---Another thing to mention, is that even though LC was described as having a massive amount of power in it, that doesn't mean it would explode in a deafening blast, with concussive shock waves and such. The "explosion" could have simply been a massive amount of concentrated fire, enough to flash fire the room and the whole building. Or maybe the power would've come out in a magical method of destruction. Remember Bob said the amount of power he had poured into it was roughly equivalent to the power in his fully charged Force Ring. But it wasn't the same kind of magic. The power he had pumped into it was one of seeking, investigation, discovery and revelation. Not a kinetic asskicking spell. Magic varies based on what type of power you are channeling and to what purpose, so just because the amount of power is equal to a ton of those force rings, doesn't mean it would manifest in the same way. For all we know, the sympathetic link to Chicago made the power dissipate across the links, making all of Chicago slightly warmer for a fraction of a second. Or maybe an odd flash of light, and a mild bang sound happened, something disregarded by the population. Or maybe the fire simply dissipated it, fire is a cleansing force after all, magically speaking.
Remember, just because a powerful spell is disrupted, doesn't mean it blows up. Look at Harry when he destroyed the Great Circle trapping Ivy in Small Favor. He made a point to explain just how much power was in that circle, and how even having just one thing out of place, could level a huge area. Then what did he do? He smashed it with his staff, destroying every aspect of that spell. Did he blow up? Did the spell site blow up? Did Demonreach? No, in fact, nothing negative happened until the very last vestige of the spell structure was destroyed, then the spell broke, and as I recall it was simply a bit of sound and light. That's it. Nothing negative or destructive happened, as evidenced by the fact that Ivy and the Heroes were all still alive, and standing at Ground Zero. And I'd be willing to bet that the Great Circle to keep the Archive restrained, had more juice in it than LC. So if that spell can be destroyed without leveling an island, I think LC can be burned out without leveling a city block.
--- End quote ---
Personally, when I talk about LC exploding, I don't really mean a physical explosion. The explosion is a backlash of magic that would fry Harry's brain, exactly like what happens when Cowl catches Harry tracking him with LC in a later book (except Harry had built an extra safeguard that saved him). LC itself might also be destroyed (I envision melting) but I see the destruction as being internalized to LC and the person trying to use it with very little, if any, external damage.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: Cozarkian on November 05, 2012, 04:19:31 PM ---JB is a lazy writer and doesn't introduce events that don't have a significance. Granted the significance might be character development rather than plot development, but there really isn't much character development in the fact that Harry can be the victim of random accidents, so I doubt that is the case. Now, the accident was the means JB used to prompt the Harry/Murphy conversation, and it's purpose could have been limited to setting up that conversation. However, like Uriel, JB likes to kill two birds with one stone, so I think the accident will have later significance. Specifically, I think Harry will discover the attempted murder was a moment-of-opportunity attack by someone who was present in Chicago for the execution and saw an opportunity to possibly remove Harry as a problem.
--- End quote ---
The issue here isn't too little data, but too much. In that while the dots fit together for your explanation of the accident, as well as for the "Rashid ran Harry off the road to ensure timing about the phonecall", they can also fit together with other things on a long-term arc level; given Jim's response to being asked would we see Ace from SK again with querying whether we were sure we hadn't, it could as easily have been him and unrelated to the rest of the plot of PG entirely.
--- Quote --- First, as indicated by the cop's comments, the accident was far too serious to be a benign attempt to save Harry. Second, there was far too much time between the accident and the phone call and the phone call was far too close to the start of the ritual for anyone to have planned it so precisely. If anyone could accurately predict the exact time that Harry would use LC, it makes far more sense that they would manipulate the timing of the interrupting phone call than trying to delay the use of LC until after the call.
(..)
It's much easier than setting up an accident and hoping it causes a long enough delay to stop Harry from using LC while not injuring Harry too severely.
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If it were "setting up an accident and hoping the timing works out precisely", I'd agree with you, but that is not what I am postulating.
I am positing the Gatekeeper foreseeing exactly how the timing of the accident works, in terms of long enough a delay and not injuring Harry too severely, and then going forth and doing what he knows will get the desired result. I think that works whether he's looking at a fixed future, or looking at a set of options and picking the one that does what he wants.
--- Quote ---Lash spent considerable effort to convince Harry not to use LC. If she had known about the specific flaw, her next step would have been to use that as a bargaining chip. Once Harry had proven he was going to use LC at any cost, she would have told him she knew of a specific flaw and warned him that he would never be able to fix it in time to save Molly. She then would have offered to identify the flaw and taught him to fix it, either as part of a bargain (maybe an agreement that he would sit and talk with her for 30 minutes) or as a display of her good will (i.e. making Harry more dependent upon her knowledge). There is no way she has Harry secretly fix it, losing whatever advantage she could have gotten from helping him fix it.
--- End quote ---
I am wary of any argument based on the logic of how an entity noted even among Fallen for her deceptiveness is going to argue; I can equally well believe, for example, that her arguing against Harry using it but not mentioning the flaw is intended to stop him suspecting her having any knowledge of the flaw when he does find out about it.
Orbweaver:
--- Quote from: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on November 05, 2012, 02:21:17 PM ---I don't think we do, because the swords have not actually been unmade; how many "oh, sword at risk - ooh, fortuitous rescue before it gets harmed" instances do you need before you start suspecting the WG of poking things here and there to prevent them ever actually being destroyed ?
--- End quote ---
Well, not entirely true. We know that at least one sword has been reforged, or reshaped. Are we absolutely certain that the Sword itself wasn't destroyed for this to happen?
Decorus:
Actually Lash wouldn't tell Harry, because he wouldn't have believed her.
Harry would have seen her attempt to warn him about the flaw as another ploy to get him to take up the coin.
She also had plenty of time while using the illusions to slow him down.
People often forget Lash knows exactly what Harry will and will not do and the best ways to manipulate him.
Telling Harry that it was flawed and would kill him wasn't a viable tactic.
It still comes down to her being the only being that knew about LC, could fix it and was present.
The Gatekeeper doesn't fit the bill as shown by Turn Coat he didn't know Harry had taken Demonreach as his Sanctum.
Also fixing LC would have been him altering time directly creating paradox and lots of bad things would happen to him.
Mab has already answered the question about her replacement choice if Harry died.
She would recruit Thomas to be her Winter Knight instead...
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