Little Things [spoilers]

[Mira]

  Got it last night and read it twice.  It is a fun read, good pacing, must take place with in a
month of the battle.  Some observations;

 Grief has hit Harry very hard, but he is coping, he is also still recovering from injury.  He
is sheltering a number of people, at least one is an Alpha.
Bob has shed his skull and now seems to reside in the castle walls, he also seems to have a
handle on the built in defense system, but he makes mistakes.
Toot is tall and so is Lacuna, their "steel" is made by the svartalves, I think the kitchen appliances must be also because Harry doesn't seem to have trouble with modern appliances now.  It also allows for serious "steel" swords for Za-Guard that are not made quite the same as those made from "bane," though the kitchen counters are made from it, and there is a standing suit of armor in the hall also made from "bane."  Interesting touch, fitting decoration for a castle, but I can't see Harry decorating with one, but left over maybe from Changes when Lea dressed him that way?  Or left over from when Marcone was in residence?  Who knows?  Gremlins can apparently use iron without harm.  A lot of work and repairs still need to be done on the castle, tarps are everywhere.

Mab's frozen boogers

I think Toot is beginning to grow on Lacuna... Mister's age is mentioned by Toot, but also says he is a spry 30 pound old cat. Toot is very intelligent and loyal, though he sounds childlike and Bob treats him like he is a child.  Toot and Harry have a very special relationship, it is real friendship. Toot is trying to understand Harry's grief and what death and loss means, since this isn't something in the experience of Pixies.

All in all a nice little action story and begins to set the stage for Twelve Months and Harry's new life.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

“Kringles merry balls!”

Bob is referred to as “Bob the Castle” on several occasions, he does seem to have levelled up to become a mini Alfred. Effectively the Castle has become a smart house, so it is operating exactly the same as the sanctum skull. Did Bob agree to it because it mean’t Harry couldn’t carry him into horrifying battles again, or that it would take some time for Harry to realise it would allow Bob to spy on any woman in the Castle? “Bob the Laser Pointer” might be more appropriate. I note Bob’s signal colour is now blue, not orange I would be concerned if Evil Bob took over the Castle no one would immediately know.

The appliances would confirm that Marcone was indeed practicing magic in secret, burning out of appliances etc would have indicated to others that a mortal practitioner was in residence. This suggests he took up the coin when building the Castle, just after Changes. Previously he moved round from renovation to renovation, and that would have been an obvious tell.

I made a joke about Marcone leaving Stainless steel toilets to discomfort Harry, the Armour may have been exactly that. Marcone would like nothing better than for Harry to try it on. He otherwise moved his stuff out promptly, so it being left would be deliberate. Harry strikes me as the type of person that if you left him alone in a room with a pot of tea, he would put the tea cosy on his head even though he doesn’t like hats.

You do realise that following this Lacuna is now literally sporting a Pixie Cut? Definitely intended.

Toot isn’t just growing in size, he is growing in emotional maturity, the small sprites have no concept of death, but Toot realises that recently he has gained this concept and is starting to exhibit empathy towards Harry, much more than in Battle Ground, and that growth is visible over this story, at the start he didn’t know how to comfort Harry and the end he makes a stumbled but heartfelt attempt.

People are noticing Mister’s age (he should be 17 - 18 at this point) BUT that he is also very spry, and has maintained his weight and strength, older cats lose weight. If Mister is more than he seems Jim is putting out breadcrumbs, his apparent condition and the calendar are starting to get out of sync. He should be partly Gremlin at the end of this story.

Minor theory on Michael confirmed, he is a living saint (together with Father Forthill) so his work for the White God is not over. This makes him more than ever before a future candidate for the Kringle mantle.

Another one-eyed villain, as I anticipated this was indeed Battle Ground deliberately writ small. In this story Toot is definitely Harry writ small, and Lacuna Murphy writ small, which makes his sudden appreciation of mortality very poignant, he is starting to realise his loss of others can affect him, and a near miss means he can understand what Harrynis going through. No Rudy writ small though, thank god, obviously sentient cockroaches do not exist in the Dresdenverse. Mister is Butters? Both are Tomcats, apparently.

Lacuna eats Pizza!

[Mira]

The appliances would confirm that Marcone was indeed practicing magic in secret, burning out of appliances etc would have indicated to others that a mortal practitioner was in residence. This suggests he took up the coin when building the Castle, just after Changes. Previously he moved round from renovation to renovation, and that would have been an obvious tell.

Why would it?  There was nothing wrong with the appliances, the fact that Harry was able to use them is new.  It is my belief that they had been replace by the svartalves to operate just like they did in the apartment they built for Molly.  I also seem to remember computers and cell phone use in Marcone's offices.  There never was a hint of modern mechanical inventions and Marcone being incompatible.

Bob is referred to as “Bob the Castle” on several occasions, he does seem to have levelled up to become a mini Alfred. Effectively the Castle has become a smart house, so it is operating exactly the same as the sanctum skull. Did Bob agree to it because it mean’t Harry couldn’t carry him into horrifying battles again, or that it would take some time for Harry to realise it would allow Bob to spy on any woman in the Castle? “Bob the Laser Pointer” might be more appropriate. I note Bob’s signal colour is now blue, not orange I would be concerned if Evil Bob took over the Castle no one would immediately know.

Apparently Bob has taken on the color of Winter, which makes sense. 

I made a joke about Marcone leaving Stainless steel toilets to discomfort Harry, the Armour may have been exactly that. Marcone would like nothing better than for Harry to try it on. He otherwise moved his stuff out promptly, so it being left would be deliberate. Harry strikes me as the type of person that if you left him alone in a room with a pot of tea, he would put the tea cosy on his head even though he doesn’t like hats.

Um, unless the armor was made for a six foot nine man, I doubt that Harry could try it on.  Also since the stainless steel counters had no effect on Harry I doubt that the armor would.  However I do remember Lea dressing Harry in a suit of armor in Changes.

You do realise that following this Lacuna is now literally sporting a Pixie Cut? Definitely intended.

She cut her braid to escape, but we don't know how short, and that is a style, you are talking to someone who wore a pixie cut in elementary school.

Toot isn’t just growing in size, he is growing in emotional maturity, the small sprites have no concept of death, but Toot realises that recently he has gained this concept and is starting to exhibit empathy towards Harry, much more than in Battle Ground, and that growth is visible over this story, at the start he didn’t know how to comfort Harry and the end he makes a stumbled but heartfelt attempt.

That was my biggest take away from the story is how much Toot has grown in maturity, but then he has been through a lot with Harry.  Yes, he had the sense to realize he had to be careful of what he said, because he didn't know the right words and didn't want to cause his friend more pain.  He also expressed how difficult it was for him because this wasn't something he could share with his fellow pixies, they simply have no understanding and it made him sad and he hid it. 

People are noticing Mister’s age (he should be 17 - 18 at this point) BUT that he is also very spry, and has maintained his weight and strength, older cats lose weight. If Mister is more than he seems Jim is putting out breadcrumbs, his apparent condition and the calendar are starting to get out of sync. He should be partly Gremlin at the end of this story.

As I said, my old cat is Mister's age, she has declined some of late, but up until a year ago she was dragging dead rodents though the pet door into the house, and I found a dead bird the other day.  So while it maybe that Mister is more than he seems, he also may not be.  The point of his age has been raised in several stories now, which could mean as you say, or preparing us for nature to take it's course.

Minor theory on Michael confirmed, he is a living saint (together with Father Forthill) so his work for the White God is not over. This makes him more than ever before a future candidate for the Kringle mantle.

Michael does have a lot of pull with the Almighty.. However I don't think he will ever be Kingle.

Another one-eyed villain, as I anticipated this was indeed Battle Ground deliberately writ small. In this story Toot is definitely Harry writ small, and Lacuna Murphy writ small, which makes his sudden appreciation of mortality very poignant, he is starting to realise his loss of others can affect him, and a near miss means he can understand what Harrynis going through. No Rudy writ small though, thank god, obviously sentient cockroaches do not exist in the Dresdenverse. Mister is Butters? Both are Tomcats, apparently.

Or Jim has difficulty changing his style when he writes other characters in the first person.  They all seem to sound alike to me, Toot is a little different, but not much...

One more thing Toot watches a lot of television and movies.. Is Harry able to have T.V.s in his castle?

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Things we have learned

(1) do not allow sprites to get into the Froot Loops, it puts them on an uncontrollable sugar high. Lacuna will have been misled by the spelling of “Fruit” which is how Toot spells it and will have been far and away the worst not being used to sugar. Did this habituate her to pizza? She definitely seems to be warming to him. And Toot values her above pizza, she still values him for his teeth.

(2) the Boom is relatively simple in design, using a clock work timer, partly for the simple Gremlins but does this signify another Wizard was behind it? Definitely not Fomor work from Bombshells, and it is sloppy, not Listens work, not Nick’s style ( there would be more torture), nor the Black Court, the Merlin is the obvious candidate blowing up Harry and the people looking to him for protection. Using Gremlins traditional enemies of Sprites is a very Merlin move. Not how Marcone would do it.

(3) Toot can appreciate puns ‘fortnight’ living in a castle for 2 weeks.

(4) Toot and Lacuna really like Kung Fu movies. Date Night obviously, which ends with Lacuna practising what she has just seen on Toot. And Toot is grateful.

(5) Misters senses are as sharpe as a sprites, who can see and hear things bigguns can’t. Whether this is true to all cats or just Mister we shall see.

(6) Sir William? Castellan, the Sprites consider Will to be a Knight, maybe they think Harry made him a Knight, as a knight could make other Knights, if so the Knights of the Bean may have pull with Winter.

[Mira]

(1) do not allow sprites to get into the Froot Loops, it puts them on an uncontrollable sugar high. Lacuna will have been misled by the spelling of “Fruit” which is how Toot spells it and will have been far and away the worst not being used to sugar. Did this habituate her to pizza? She definitely seems to be warming to him. And Toot values her above pizza, she still values him for his teeth.

When he risked all for her over pizza I think he won her heart.  I don't think she is going to let him know right away though.  I also think she has warmed to pizza because she does love Toot.. That's the thing about love and marriage you warm to things your partner likes. Now if she can warm to Harry as well.

(2) the Boom is relatively simple in design, using a clock work timer, partly for the simple Gremlins but does this signify another Wizard was behind it? Definitely not Fomor work from Bombshells, and it is sloppy, not Listens work, not Nick’s style ( there would be more torture), nor the Black Court, the Merlin is the obvious candidate blowing up Harry and the people looking to him for protection. Using Gremlins traditional enemies of Sprites is a very Merlin move. Not how Marcone would do it.

I was thinking the same thing, a boom that has a timer as easily adjusted as this one's was, is pretty amateur.  Also one that even Toot could spot, seems too obvious, more like whoever is behind this wanted to warn rather than kill.  Here is another question, could there be a traitor on the inside?  Someone had to have realized that Bob hadn't set the wards to include tiny people like Gremlins.  I can see Marcone in typical mobster fashion wanting to send Harry a message about taking his castle and humiliating him in front of the members of Mab's Accords.  Marcone would of at least have known about the wards on the castle, Namshiel would have understood how they worked, and someone staying with Harry may have been paid to tip them off if he or she spotted a vulnerability.  Marcone would also be smart enough to use the likes of Gremlins, traditional enemies of Harry's pixie army, and as you say not his style so not traceable back to him.

Toot can appreciate puns ‘fortnight’ living in a castle for 2 weeks.

Wonder if he watches Comedy Central on television?

(4) Toot and Lacuna really like Kung Fu movies. Date Night obviously, which ends with Lacuna practising what she has just seen on Toot. And Toot is grateful.

Yeah, he seemed to like the scars she gave him.. OMG!   I hope Toot isn't into S&M!!

(5) Misters senses are as sharpe as a sprites, who can see and hear things bigguns can’t. Whether this is true to all cats or just Mister we shall see.

I think it is true for all cats, they are predators after all... Dogs as well, sometimes in the dead of night they go charging out the door about to eat whatever is out there I didn't hear a thing.

(6) Sir William? Castellan, the Sprites consider Will to be a Knight, maybe they think Harry made him a Knight, as a knight could make other Knights, if so the Knights of the Bean may have pull with Winter.

At the very least a vassal of his noble Lord Harry Dresden, which in the hierarchy he understands could mean that Will is one of Harry's noble knights.  After all Toot knows the Holy Knights who work with Harry on occasion so in his mind Will is no different.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

The Boom was designed to destroy, the use of stealth Gremlins to place it saw to that, not to send a warning.

The Gremlins were of course expendable. The timer ironically was similar to the timer being used on the pizza.

[Mira]

The Boom was designed to destroy, the use of stealth Gremlins to place it saw to that, not to send a warning.

The Gremlins were of course expendable. The timer ironically was similar to the timer being used on the pizza.

Oh it could destroy if no one detected it, but it was so obvious it didn't get past Toot.  The real irony is they put it on the pizza oven! There is a message there somewhere.  What if it wasn't about Harry but a warning to Toot about what would happen to him if he continues to hang out with Za'Lord..  Intrigue with the White Court maybe?  Someone might want payback because Harry freed their favorite Japanese Lanterns, and gained an army.. 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

That they would destroy the Pizza!

The Fiends!

[morriswalters]

Well I said I wouldn't buy it.  Kindle solved that problem.  Download a sample for free. The sample is the story.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

The Gremlins descended from the roof via the hole made by Ethnui, they either  climbed up the exterior of the Castle or were dropped by a flier. I suspect the former, Bob would have sensed a large flier and Gremlins are not fliers. Until the hole is repaired there is a gap in The Castle’s Defences.

[Mira]

Well I said I wouldn't buy it.  Kindle solved that problem.  Download a sample for free. The sample is the story.

Damn, wish I knew that before hand.. Sigh, at least it isn't taking up a lot of valuable shelf space.

The Gremlins descended from the roof via the hole made by Ethnui, they either  climbed up the exterior of the Castle or were dropped by a flier. I suspect the former, Bob would have sensed a large flier and Gremlins are not fliers. Until the hole is repaired there is a gap in The Castle’s Defences.

Bob admits he didn't have the wards set for something that small.. But what you are saying proves my point, there is a traitor living as a guest in the castle, who knew about the gaps.. Hmmm, the human guard who is totally oblivious to the attack and mini battle going on around him?  Toot just thought, "stupid big person doesn't notice pixies."  But think about it, Toot isn't that small anymore, and suddenly tarps were falling all over the place, doing strange things.  You'd think a guard on his toes would notice that, even a guard not on his toes would notice, and sound an alarm.  Or another possibility is Harry underestimated what Marcone knows about the castle wards, in fact very possible.  I think it improbable that Marcone would have a castle imported stone by stone from Europe to Chicago, reassemble it, have supernatural types guarding it and going in and out, plus a coin of a Fallen angelic wizard stashed away, accepted or not, and not know about it's ancient wards.  I even doubt that that castle was a random pick from the castle real estate market. Both can be true, the stupid guard is on Marcone's payroll and Marcone knows all about the wards and where the castle is vulnerable. The attack was also aimed at Harry's private army..

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Again not Marcone’s style, and he has to be wondering what other goodies he has stashed on Demonreach with the Spear and Eye. Blowing up the Castle is more a dick Merlin move, someone who wants to make an public example of Harry.

Yes the Merlin could have put an agent in the Castle, I suspect Rudy was his (because Marcone and Listen expect their people to be competent, the Merlin doesn’t).

Harry replaces with Gargoyles.

Harry is still a member of an Accorded Nation, so making it look like a wizard murphyonic field disruption makes sense, if you are a member of another accorded nation. The Fomor and Black Court can’t be executed more than once, so why not just put C4 all around the Castle? That leaves the Merlin and Marcone, as accorded Nation Members. The Merlin suspects Harry has the Eye, but doesn’t know about the Spear, and doesn’t suspect his other goodies stashed on Demonreach. Marcone would want them. Killing Harry doesn’t get him there. He is going to wait to get leverage over Harry to get them.

[Mira]

Again not Marcone’s style, and he has to be wondering what other goodies he has stashed on Demonreach with the Spear and Eye. Blowing up the Castle is more a dick Merlin move, someone who wants to make an public example of Harry.

But Marcone would be one of the few that would know that the castle was vulnerable to that kind of attack.  If I remember correctly the wards that the castle has, were put there when it was first built. by someone akin to Merlin, or Merlin. Not common knowledge and according to Harry very few would know how to read them.  You may think it isn't Marcone's style, but lets not forget he isn't the same guy anymore, he is now a Denarian.  Denarians have a lot a reason to want to light a boom under Harry's butt.

[Mr. Mouse]

The idea that Bob the Castle wouldn't have defenses calibrated to sense a swarm of gremlins is ludicrous, but needed for the narrative, so cast extra strength disbelief suspendo for 20 pages and it's all good.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Everyone saw a hole blown in the castles defences, by Ethnui, including Carlos. That was the point.

No one knew apparently about Bob the Castle. Bob is dismissive of Toot throughout the story unable to remember his name (shame on Bob the spirit of INTELLECT). someone used stealthy Gremlins to penetrate a known defensive lapse. Large number of suspects, likely an Accorded Member making it look like Harry blew himself up. More interested in making an example of Harry than in trying to obtain his toys. The spells Merlin.