The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
How often does Harry's withholding of information actually get people hurt...
nadia.skylark:
...or killed (in any manner that Harry could reasonably have foreseen)?
We hear a lot about how Harry not sharing information gets people killed or injured, but I think it actually might happen less than we, or Harry, think it does.
The two examples I can think of (well, actually, I didn't think of them--they came up in a different thread, and I didn't want to derail it by talking about them there) are Susan in Grave Peril and Kirby in Turn Coat, and I don't think either of these actually qualify, even though Harry thinks they do.
For Susan, I contend that Harry actually gave her enough information to make a good decision, and that she disregarded it. Harry told her (as I recall--I don't have access to my books right now) that the Red Court was dangerous, deceitful, had a grudge against him, and most importantly that they were both capable of and likely to find a way to hurt him at the party despite sacred hospitality. Despite this, Susan forged Harry's invitation and went to the party anyway, acting as if she would be safe at the party that Harry explicitly told her was unsafe. Thus, while Harry didn't share all the information he had, he did share enough for Susan to have made a good decision, had she chosen to.
As for Kirby, I just don't think that any amount of information would have helped him against a skinwalker in that scenario. He knew that he was going up against something both powerful and dangerous--I can't think how specifics would have stopped him getting ambushed. Furthermore, even if Harry had given the Alphas a briefing about the supernatural world (like the one he gave them after Kirby's death) earlier, it almost certainly wouldn't have contained information about the skinwalker, because 1) as I recall, Harry didn't know much about them himself; 2) they're extremely rare, and Harry had no reason to expect anyone to run into them; and 3) there are very good reasons not to talk about them, because being afraid of them actually makes them stronger.
What do you guys think?
Con:
There's also the semi-apprentice trying to create a cage with runes powerful enough to contain a Loup Garou.
Wolfeyes:
--- Quote from: Con on June 03, 2019, 07:40:35 AM ---There's also the semi-apprentice trying to create a cage with runes powerful enough to contain a Loup Garou.
--- End quote ---
I say if nothing else, this qualifies since Harry himself recognizes this was his fault. Likewise, it's been a while since I read FM but, IIRC, he also held not telling Murphy about the Loup Garou earlier as something against himself since it resulted in Murphy not trusting him and then the police trying to hold the Loup Garou before it ended in predictable carnage.
Mira:
--- Quote from: Con on June 03, 2019, 07:40:35 AM ---There's also the semi-apprentice trying to create a cage with runes powerful enough to contain a Loup Garou.
--- End quote ---
If I remember correctly Kim wasn't totally honest with Harry as to why she wanted this circle to start with. Also the knowledge of how to make such a thing comes very close to breaking the rules that he lives under as a wizard and he had just recently had gotten the Doom removed from his head. He also told her she didn't have the kind of juice to make such a thing.. He also warned her as to how dangerous it was to play with such a thing, since they not only hold Loops but also could
hold summoned demons.. Her answer was it was mostly hypothetical... She never directly told him
about the Loop.
nadia.skylark:
--- Quote ---There's also the semi-apprentice trying to create a cage with runes powerful enough to contain a Loup Garou.
--- End quote ---
This specific example was actually why I included the "in any manner Harry could reasonably have foreseen" qualification. Kim explicitly didn't tell him why she needed the information--in fact, as I remember it (I could be wrong; I haven't read this book in a while) when Harry asked her, she lied to him and told him she wanted the knowledge for theoretical purposes. As such, the facts Harry had at hand were that A) the knowledge Kim wanted was not something that should be shared with people; and B) that if Kim attempted to use the triple circle, it would put her in danger. From that information, he could not possibly assume that not giving her more information than he did (and he did give her some information) would put her in danger--the opposite in fact, because with the information Harry had, the logical assumption was that telling her the information would put her in danger.
--- Quote ---I say if nothing else, this qualifies since Harry himself recognizes this was his fault.
--- End quote ---
Harry blames himself for a lot of stuff that isn't his fault.
--- Quote ---Likewise, it's been a while since I read FM but, IIRC, he also held not telling Murphy about the Loup Garou earlier as something against himself since it resulted in Murphy not trusting him and then the police trying to hold the Loup Garou before it ended in predictable carnage.
--- End quote ---
Nope. He does tell Murphy about Loup Garous quite early in the case--that's how she knows to have her earrings melted down into inherited silver bullets.
--- Quote ---If I remember correctly Kim wasn't totally honest with Harry as to why she wanted this circle to start with. Also the knowledge of how to make such a thing comes very close to breaking the rules that he lives under as a wizard and he had just recently had gotten the Doom removed from his head. He also told her she didn't have the kind of juice to make such a thing.. He also warned her as to how dangerous it was to play with such a thing, since they not only hold Loops but also could
hold summoned demons.. Her answer was it was mostly hypothetical... She never directly told him
about the Loop.
--- End quote ---
This.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version