The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

Motivation for fixing Little Chicago?

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morriswalters:

--- Quote ---Wow, a lot to unpack here. I will point out that almost everything you’re saying is a theory (some with strong evidence).
--- End quote ---
Everything is  theory until Jim writes it.

The Black Council is the culprit in pointing the finger at Madrigal. The finger is pointed at Madrigal in Proven Guilty not White Knight.  The foreshadowing is the the attack on Molly by Sandra Marling.
--- Quote ---I guess you could say that Cowl/ the Circle are using Madrigal.
--- End quote ---
I suppose you could say this text from White Knight says it.
--- Quote ---"And the fool with you?"
"Still ignorant, my lord. I can preserve or dispose of him as you see fit." Grey Cloak took a deep breath and said, "He has gotten the wizard involved. There is some sort of vendetta between them, it would seem."
The little mist figure made a hissing sound. "The fool. There is not enough profit in Dresden's death to jeopardize the operation."
--- End quote ---

Mab is curing Lea by torturing her, the garden isn't a hospital.  I suppose you could call it Mab's happy place.

The Black Council attacked Arctis Tor.  From Small Favor.
--- Quote ---Mab paused, turned, casually showing off the gorgeous curves of her calves, and tilted her head at me. “Nicodemus and his ilk were clearly in violation of my Accords, and obviously planning to abuse them to further his ambition. That was reason enough to see his designs disrupted. And among the Fallen was one with much to answer for to me, personally, for its attack upon my home.”
“The Black Council attack on Arctis Tor,” I said. “One of them used Hellfire.”
Mab showed me her snow-white teeth. “The Watchman and I,” Grimalkin mewled for her, “had a common enemy this day. The enemy could not be allowed to gain the power represented by the child Archive.”
I frowned and thought of the silver hand that had batted the fallen angel and his master sorceries around as if he’d been a stuffed practice dummy. “Thorned Namshiel.”
--- End quote ---
Everybody at the attack at Arctis Tor other than Thorned Namshiel has the role of spear carrier.  The only method of attack discussed is hellfire.

I was mistaken, nadia.skylark is correct, Cassius is dead by this point, so we are left with only Ace.  Harry will be attacked multiple times over the next books by someone not magical. including a car bomb under Murphy's car and the bomb dropped on him in Cold Days.
--- Quote ---There is no evidence that Mab positioned most of her forces at the Summer border ready to attack just to flush out a traitor (it’s possible, but it’s just a theory) - the fact that Mab has done this is used by Maeve to convince Harry that Mab has been Nfected.

--- End quote ---
Mab tells Harry this, in Small Favor.
--- Quote ---“When one Court moves, the other perforce moves with it,” Mab said.
--- End quote ---
This is why she is at the border.  Summer is the only force that can threaten her in Faerie.  She uses Harry to flush out the traitor.  Note this exchange with Maeve.
--- Quote ---“Why hasn’t Winter moved against the Red Court?”
Maeve regarded me with an odd little twinkle in her eye, then nodded and said, “Mab has not allowed it.”
Fix and Lily traded a quick look of surprise.
“Sooth,” Maeve said, nodding, evidently enjoying their reaction. “The Queen has readied her forces to strike at Summer, and has furthermore given specific orders preventing her captains from conducting operations against the Red Court.”
“That’s madness,” Lily said quietly.
Maeve folded her hands on the table, frowning at something far away, and said, “It may well be. Dark things stir in Winter’s heart. Things even I have never before seen. Dangerous things. I believe they are a portent.”
I tilted my head a little, focused on her. “How so?”
“What Aurora attempted was insane. Even among the Sidhe,” Maeve replied. “Her actions could have thrown enormous forces out of balance, to the ruin of all.”
--- End quote ---
This is a subtle lie.  Maeve doesn't mention the attack, though as one of the Queens she had to know.  Harry only learns of it when he goes to Arctis Tor.  The question isn't who attacked, but why.  We see the result, the Reds are able to attack with impunity.  It also locks down the timing.  Mab gives no indication of the attack when she is summoned by Harry in Lea's place in Dead Beat.  By the events of Proven Guilty the attack is over and done.  This is also indicative of Maeve being Nemfected.

g33k:

--- Quote from: kbrizzle on May 18, 2019, 05:09:11 PM ---I had considered Elaine because she likely has the skill to get through Harry’s wards, get around Bob & fix LC (if she knew she needed to fix it). My only issue here is the timing & the doubts I have about Elaine’s loyalties. Elaine’s last 2 ‘sponsors’ were Justin & Aurora - I don’t think MS would want to risk allowing a possibly Nfected/ thrall/ Black Council Agent access to Harry’s apt at this critical time when Nemesis is in the middle of a big play

--- End quote ---
Elaine was IN Harry's apartment; MS either "allowed" it ... or couldn't/wouldn't stop it ... or didn't care...

As E. says to Harry, he needs to change how he does his wards -- it's not that her skills are sufficient to get through his wards, it's that she already had the keys because he (lazily) didn't change the basic structures they learned together.  And of course she knows all about Bob, and would know how to work around him (or warn MS that SHE would need to).

We (the readers) don't know Elaine's real allegiance.
I don't doubt that the Mothers DO know it, however...

And I still prefer Mab acting as Lea-surrogate, because Lea swore to protect Harry and the NN-backdoor is too perfect.

And above THAT one, I prefer that TT-Harry does it.


But maybe Jim has Other Plans...  time will tell!
 

kbrizzle:
Agreed, Madrigal was supposed to be the fall guy in PG. In WN he is more of a convenient if expendable helper to Vito & Cowl’s plan to usurp the White throne. When does Molly get attacked by Sandra Marling?

I still think that the garden is more than just that - it contains Winter’s Wellspring for one. I think if anything that it is a special prison where Mab keeps Nfected or Circle agents from Winter as a re-education camp (to try & cure them).

Arctis Tor
The point about the assault on Arctis Tor is that while Namshiel was throwing hellfire around, there is no way he is formidable enough to assault the heart of Winter alone - there were definitely other heavy hitters from the Black Council/ Circle involved.

Positioning of Fae troops during & prior to PG
Regarding the Faerie forces on the borders - remember Lily’s words after Harry & company cross back into Chicago - she says that she needed Harry to use Summer fire in Winter’s Wellspring so that Summer could withdraw forces from the border & start attacking the Ramps. Lily cannot lie, so this means that Summer only had their forces at the Winter border because Mab had first amassed her troops there (also supported by your quote)

For Mab’s plan to play out as you’re suggesting regarding flushing out the traitor - she has to send away most of her protection to the Summer border while she is down 2 of her more powerful retinue (Lea & the WK), & Nemesis is in the middle of a strong play. Also note the frequent presence of Outsiders during the Ramps attacks on the WC - her inability to stop this reflects poorly on her. Then she has to wait & see who attacks the heart of her domain which lies undefended enough for the attackers to break through, endangering the Winter Wellspring. This would be an extraordinarily risky move on her part....

The consequences of these actions are to cast doubts into the minds of her allies & Signatories of the accords about her sanity. What purpose does this serve since Nemesis would know that Mab is not Nfected? The consequence of these actions are that the WC and Summer are flummoxed & future insults are given to Mab by the likes of Lara Raith & Nicodemus in the following books. For Mab to have planned this would require her to be willfully perceived as weak by the supernatural community at large - something that is & has been detrimental to her goals since PG.

Instead it makes more sense that she was duped into sending her troops in the direction she was expecting Nemesis’ next attack (from Summer). This left her undefended at Arctis Tor, giving the Black council confidence to attack her stronghold. What saved her is that she is able to hide away in the Winter garden & send the Fetches to grab Molly, bringing Harry in to save the day.

To me the attack at Arctis Tor was Mab at her lowest point - she is just about able to survive, & then spends the next few books extracting her revenge (as you point out). This would also add a layer to her palpable anger after the attack (where her speech cannot be heard by mortal ears) in addition to the fact that her daughter has been Nfected. As Sarissa notes in CD, at Arctis Tor surviving is winning.

morriswalters:

--- Quote ---When does Molly get attacked by Sandra Marling?
--- End quote ---
Sandra Marling is involved in every step that pushes Molly towards black magic.  This is very low key.
--- Quote ---The point about the assault on Arctis Tor is that while Namshiel was throwing hellfire around, there is no way he is formidable enough to assault the heart of Winter alone - there were definitely other heavy hitters from the Black Council/ Circle involved.
--- End quote ---
Insert any characters that please you.  But Thorned Namshiel throws hellfire and Mab names him specifically.  The hellfire is the important point.  Later in Cold Days Mother Summer tells Harry that the Councils count on Winters forces in Winter is correct, approximately 50,000.  Any assault force that tarried would have faced all of them once fire was thrown at Arctis Tor.  Harry's assault on Arctis Tor can be seen as mirroring what probably went on with Thorned Namshiel.
--- Quote ---Regarding the Faerie forces on the borders - remember Lily’s words after Harry & company cross back into Chicago - she says that she needed Harry to use Summer fire in Winter’s Wellspring so that Summer could withdraw forces from the border & start attacking the Ramps. Lily cannot lie, so this means that Summer only had their forces at the Winter border because Mab had first amassed her troops there (also supported by your quote)
--- End quote ---
True, and that was the point.  The second attack mirrors the first and has almost the same effect.
--- Quote ---For Mab’s plan to play out as you’re suggesting regarding flushing out the traitor - she has to send away most of her protection to the Summer border while she is down 3 of her her most powerful retinue (Lea, Maeve & the WK) & Nemesis is in the middle of a strong play. Then she has to wait & see who attacks the heart of her domain which lies undefended enough for the attackers to break through, endangering the Winter Wellspring.
--- End quote ---
No.  The Wellspring is in no danger.  Mab is there and her armies are close at hand.  Cowl's ascension has failed and the Reds attack failed to achieve its goal in Dead Beat. And Summer is stymied.  The attackers, Harry and his allies, don't break in, they walk in through what is, in all likelihood, the same portal by which Thorned Namshiel entered.
--- Quote ---What purpose does this serve since Nemesis would know that Mab is not Nfected? All it did was to force the Grey Council to send Harry in to investigate & allowed future insults to be given to Mab by the likes of Lara Raith & Nicodemus.
--- End quote ---
This is part of Maeve's plan.  And think about how it works out for Maeve and Nicodemus.  If I were Lara I would wear a Mab proof vest and not invite Harry to any family gathering in the future.
--- Quote ---Instead it makes more sense that she was duped into sending her troops in the direction she was expecting Nemesis’ next attack (from Summer). This left her undefended at Arctis Tor, giving the Black council confidence to attack her stronghold. What saved her is that she is able to hide away in the Winter garden & send the Fetches to grab Molly, bringing Harry in to save the day.
--- End quote ---
Cart before horse.  Harry summons Lea during Dead Beat.  Mab shows instead.  The attack at Arctis Tor has not yet occurred.  Cowl is attempting the Dark Hallow and the Reds are moving.  This is when the attack occurs.  The attack prevents Mab from intervening in either the Reds attack or in Cowl's ascension and is the purpose of the attack. And why does everyone assume that Mab had Molly brought to Arctis Tor?  Whoever had the Scarecrow kill Glau and attempt to kill Harry and the others throws doubt on Mab calling Harry to Arctis Tor.  Why try to kill Harry or for that matter Glau?  Whoever was controlling Scarecrow had Molly brought to the Wellspring.  My money is on Maeve.

Small Favor is Mab's and Winter's nadir.  Mab has been stripped of her those who are closest to her.  And she knows.  And at that point she is attacked indirectly by Titania who is attempting to kill Harry, whom she has been using as a de facto Winter Knight. 

nadia.skylark:

--- Quote ---Cowl is attempting the Dark Hallow and the Reds are moving.  This is when the attack occurs.  The attack prevents Mab from intervening in either the Reds attack or in Cowl's ascension and is the purpose of the attack.
--- End quote ---

Wait, what? I assume this is a theory, because there is no evidence for this whatsoever.

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