The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Motivation for fixing Little Chicago?
kbrizzle:
@nadia
Definitely agree.
@morriswalters
Hellfire is the most noticeable (since it leaves an after smell), especially to Harry. There is evidence that other types of magic were used as well (such as acid) - they just didn’t leave as strong an impression behind. For all we know Dragons were involved in the attack as well.
I don’t see how Namshiel & Harry’s visits to Arctis Tor mirror each other - the former blew through the front gate & killed the entire skeleton garrison at the fortress, the latter sneaks in to save a mortal imprisoned there. The only similarity is that they both wield hellfire in Arctis Tor. Why do you think they entered through the same portal?
If Mab couldn’t protect her own front gates, I don’t see how she was in a position to adequately protect the Wellspring. She was hiding out there, not waiting for the attacking host to reach the Wellspring. Her entire personal guard had been slaughtered - as Harry theorizes this happened while they were covering Mab’s retreat to the Wellspring. Perhaps you suggest that Mab & Namshiel were the only survivors of this attack?
Her armies are not close at hand - they are only able to get there fast because as Lily says, Maeve has greatly sped up the passage of time in the last few moments of the battle (no doubt to try & kill Harry before he’s able to cross/ pretend to Mab that she was trying to help post-assault.)
Maeve’s plan is to paint Mab as Nfected to non-Black Council parties - it would make sense that she would help orchestrate some of Mab’s unusual actions to serve this purpose (like lying to her & telling her that Lily is Nfected). It works out poorly for Nicodemus 7 books later when Mab has her retinue back (WL, Lea & WK) & is in a position to be dealing out vengeance. Lara on the other hand was dealing minor insults to see what Winter would do - Harry has already dealt with it as Mab sees it in WN.
Mab shows up when Lea is summoned in DB because Lea is imprisoned for being Nfected. There is no evidence that the attack happens in the few minutes she’s in Chicago. How would anyone know that Harry was going to summon Lea in DB at all? It’s not like he reaches out to her for help often....
Cowl’s Darkhallow attempt & the Ramp attack are not simultaneous events (Luccio & the wardens who arrive in Chicago are survivors of Ramp attack), so why would the Arctis Tor assault be so coordinated? The Ramp attack happens first (to wipe out the SC/ wardens), then Cowl’s ascension as a dark God second (so the WC can’t interfere - Mab already can’t since her Knight is imprisoned), who will then help with the assault on Arctis Tor because then Black Council has has someone in Mab’s league third. Harry stops the plan by interrupting the 2nd event in DB, which in turn makes the assault on Arctis Tor fail since Mab is able to get to the Wellspring.
The reasons I think Mab sent the Fetch are:
* The scarecrow was the Eldest Fetch - directly beholden to Mab (like Cat Sith for malks). They are known as Mab’s personal spies.
* The Scarecrow is able to get inside the Carpenter household despite the angelic guard - perhaps possible because of Uriel
* Sandra Marling & co (likely Black Council) are manipulating Molly & have put her on a path that leads to her becoming a warlock. By kidnapping Molly & bringing her to the heart of Winter, Mab would be able to keep her away from the clutches of the BC or kill her if she too has been Nfected - my WAG is that since Mab believes Lily has been Nfected (another WAG), she identifies Molly as a replacement candidate (note her words at the end of CD about originally considering Molly to be a better candidate for Summer). Note that Molly’s life starts going downhill (getting caught with drugs at a party) around the same time Winter amasses it’s troops at Summer’s border (around a year before the events of PG).
I would say that PG is when Mab is personally at her nadir - she is down a WK; her Lady & #2 have been Nfected & her home has been attacked. After the attack, she literally cannot converse with mortals without a “translator”. SmF I’d say is the nadir of her reputation within the supernatural community - Nic has flagrantly violated the Accords twice & Mab has no depth on her bench to deal with it (except Harry’s debt). Her strongest allies outside of Faerie (White Council) are still recovering from the devastating Ramp wars & in no position to start another one with the Denarians.
nadia.skylark:
--- Quote ---The Scarecrow is able to get inside the Carpenter household despite the angelic guard - perhaps possible because of Uriel
--- End quote ---
A minor point: the angelic guards don't turn up until the end of Small Favor, when Michael is forced into retirement. What the Scarecrow has to deal with to get inside the Carpenter house is their ridiculously powerful threshold.
morriswalters:
Dragons? It mirrors the previous attack by having Harry do the same thing as Thorned Namshiel does, throw fire, and then showing the results of doing so.
--- Quote ---Why do you think they entered through the same portal?
--- End quote ---
Both groups share a similar problem, how do you create a portal to Arctis Tor? And then how do you get away? We have two instances of people trying to create portals to places of power. The break in to Hades domain and the attack at Chichen Itza.
--- Quote ---If Mab couldn’t protect her own front gates, I don’t see how she was in a position to adequately protect the Wellspring.
--- End quote ---
What makes you think that Mab was at Arctis Tor at all? If there was an army why stop until you have achieved your objective? What did Thorned Namshiel accomplish?
--- Quote ---Her armies are not close at hand - they are only able to get there fast because as Lily says, Maeve has greatly sped up the passage of time in the last few moments of the battle (no doubt to try & kill Harry before he’s able to cross/ pretend to Mab that she was trying to help post-assault.)
--- End quote ---
One might assume if Maeve could do such a thing that Mab could do likewise.
--- Quote ---Mab shows up when Lea is summoned in DB because Lea is imprisoned for being Nfected. There is no evidence that the attack happens in the few minutes she’s in Chicago. How would anyone know that Harry was going to summon Lea in DB at all? It’s not like he reaches out to her for help often....
--- End quote ---
The timing has nothing to do with Lea being summoned. It purely a marker.
--- Quote ---Cowl’s Darkhallow attempt & the Ramp attack are not simultaneous events (Luccio & the wardens who arrive in Chicago are survivors of Ramp attack), so why would the Arctis Tor assault be so coordinated? The Ramp attack happens first (to wipe out the SC/ wardens), then Cowl’s ascension as a dark God second (so the WC can’t interfere - Mab already can’t since her Knight is imprisoned), who will then help with the assault on Arctis Tor because then Black Council has has someone in Mab’s league third. Harry stops the plan by interrupting the 2nd event in DB, which in turn makes the assault on Arctis Tor fail since Mab is able to get to the Wellspring.
--- End quote ---
The attack against the WC starts three days before the meeting in Mcanally's. The Reds follow them into Sidhe territory a day later. Mab meets with Harry. My working assumption has been that the attack happens after Mab shows up, but it doesn't have to be that way. It could have happened before and the timing works better if it did. The only thing you need accept is that Mab isn't quaking with fear hiding out in the garden.
Harry in effect invited the fetches past the threshold when he set them upon Molly. Harry himself suggests that Molly invited them in thinking that one of them was Harry. Pick your poison. Whatever the eldest fetches role in Winter is, he works for Maeve as much as Mab. To have Mab pulling his strings you have to account for Glau and the attack at the Fool Moon garage. And if he was a valued servitor why did Mab allow Harry to kill him, since she was apparently present when Harry scorched his behind?
Mab quits speaking in Small Favor because she has learned that Maeve has been infected.(Cold Days) She doesn't speak directly to Harry again until after he becomes the Winter Knight.(Changes)
nadia.skylark:
--- Quote ---Both groups share a similar problem, how do you create a portal to Arctis Tor? And then how do you get away?
--- End quote ---
They could have travelled through the Nevernever, or have been working with someone strong enough to put a portal wherever they liked, or had the time to set up an area specifically to have the correct resonances.
--- Quote ---Harry in effect invited the fetches past the threshold when he set them upon Molly.
--- End quote ---
Harry doesn't have the ability to invite anyone past the Carpenters' threshold, because he doesn't live in the house.
--- Quote ---Harry himself suggests that Molly invited them in thinking that one of them was Harry.
--- End quote ---
We have WoJ that she didn't and that the fetch just muscled through.
--- Quote ---nd if he was a valued servitor why did Mab allow Harry to kill him, since she was apparently present when Harry scorched his behind?
--- End quote ---
Because we have WoJ that Mab would allow everyone in Winter to be killed if it served her purpose--one guy doesn't signify.
toodeep:
Little Chicago was fixed in the same book Arctis Tor was attacked. Arctis Tor was specifically made to look weak by Mab to lure her enemies into a costly frontal assault. After that she is cleaning up for the next few books now that their main strength is weakened. How does she lure them in? She sends her most obvious known forces away. Who is her hole card? TT Harry. I don't know if he fixed little Chicago before or after the fight at Arctis Tor, but since we already suspect he was in the area for that fixing Little Chicago, why not look at what other purposes being in that time could accomplish?
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version