The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

McCoy and Bob

<< < (4/9) > >>

Arjan:
Ebenezer must have been involved in the hunt for Kemmler and his final killing. He was alive then and a powerful wizard.

KurtinStGeorge:
Bob could know McCoy's style from seeing him in action from a distance.  He doesn't have to have met either Ebenezer or his daughter, though the possibility that he met one or the other exists.  What argues against this is most wizards; and I assume Kemler would be no different in this regard, are going to try to keep Bob under wraps which should limit his ability to see another wizard in action.

I believe Jim was showing us that Evil Bob; and by extension our Bob, is not the top tier operator the skull thinks he is.  They both overate their own abilities.  The air spirit was created to be a flunky and he; now they, can't overcome the limitations that are an integral part of their being.  Bob has difficulty grasping morality and how it works or should work.  Evil Bob drops a name he shouldn't have dropped.  His arrogance doesn't allow him to see that one day Harry will recall that conversation and start to ask questions.  Evil Bob's arrogance and inability to understand how a person's morals or conscience can inform their decision making is driven home when he offers Harry an alliance; with Evil Bob as the senior partner, when a top tier villain would know that Harry can't be bent, or not bent without serious coercion or deception.

When Marcone and Nicodemus first met Harry they offered to buy him off, but after trying a couple of times they both realized that simple methods of bribery or threatening Harry's life aren't going to do it.  If Evil Bob was a smart as he thinks he is, he should have known enough about Harry to understand that offering him an apprenticeship (of sorts) wasn't going to work.     

Yuillegan:
Kurtin, I think you're basically right about what Jim was up to.

It is of course also possible that Bob (in-Universe) and by extension Evil Bob, know McCoy's style via some minor interaction or passing information. But that doesn't explain why that scene happens, why that line was written. And you're dead right about Bob being the kind of thing you don't want to use too openly. Bob's real use (and Evil Bob's) is their use as a research assistant. A Wizard's version of a database and a computer and lab assistant in one. You could use it as an assassin or enforcer etc. But that would be under-utilizing his potential. Corpsetaker was always so overt and wasteful, and it showed particularly in that all she wanted Evil Bob for was as a lackey. Cowl showed the real potential of Bob, which is what Kemmler would have as well. It's no wonder Evil Bob barely respected Corpsetaker.

I think it's particularly hard for a spirit that doesn't really get the definition or distinction between good and evil, to know how to really manipulate a human. Nic and Marcone are much better in some ways of understanding how best to use Harry (although I would argue Lara is close). Mab is good at strategy and using pressure and set-ups to control Harry. But her understanding of humans and their psychology limits how effectively she can control Harry or anticipate him...which is often how he gets the best of such beings. It's the humans who often get the best of Harry, because they understand what monsters and the non-humans can't: people are who they are and you have to work with that if you want to change them.

Arjan - I think what you're saying is that because Eb was on the original hunt for Kemmler, it's likely Evil Bob would have seen him then. That's definitely possible...but why did Jim write that line? Why signal to the reader that Evil Bob knew McCoy's work? It's a deliberate sentence.

Mira - Evil Bob could be wrong or have lied. But forget the in-universe reasons and examine the literary ones. Why is that sentence there? Why draw attention to Ebenezar? What purpose does it serve?

Walter the skull - In-universe, I think that's quite possible. It's even possible that Eb and Kemmler knew each other. But it doesn't just seem like Jim wrote the line to add a dot of flavor in the sentence. The scene is already interesting. The sentence doesn't need that information to function. He could easily have written "A simple tool, but serviceable. In Merlin's style" and everyone would be freaking out. Because we would be like, what does Evil Bob know about Merlin? What's the connection between Harry, Merlin and Ebenezar? He could have used Kemmler's name or any other, but he went with McCoy. That's significant. He wants to leave a bread crumb. But it's up to us to follow it.

Arjan:

--- Quote from: Yuillegan on July 11, 2020, 05:48:53 AM ---Arjan - I think what you're saying is that because Eb was on the original hunt for Kemmler, it's likely Evil Bob would have seen him then. That's definitely possible...but why did Jim write that line? Why signal to the reader that Evil Bob knew McCoy's work? It's a deliberate sentence.

--- End quote ---
And Kemmler might have gathered information about his enemies. If so Eb would certainly got his attention an Bob would have helped.

The sentence is there to show you that the world is bigger than Harry and everyone around him has a history with each other he is not aware of. Maybe to warn him that Eb would recognise Bob immediately and he would certainly have strong opinions about him.

Those histories are important and motivate their actions. Harry is dangerously ignorant.

Mira:


  Everyone is beating me to the punch this morning, no coffee yet.. But what Arjan said.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page