Unless the cover is totally unrepresentative (Exhibit A Harry Dresden’s Hat) the threat is going to be in the Toot size range, so that if that is indeed Toot’s Sweet, Lacuna it is the eighteen inches height range plus and set after Cold Days. The armour and sword would suggest post Peace Talks, which time it could be several feet.'
Toot doesn’t really care about Harry, he cares about the Za Lord, so it is likely Pizza is involved. An attack on Pizza S’Press by a rival fast food chain? Could it be evil clowns?
The Little Folk are afraid of cats in general. Molly used that in Cold Days to run off Lacuna and her allies. Mister, being near malk-sized, would inspire some dread in them.
The point is that Harry should be noticing anything like this in Mister if they are occurring, and all Harry realises is his calendar age, not symptoms of aging.
Unless the cover is totally unrepresentative (Exhibit A Harry Dresden’s Hat) the threat is going to be in the Toot size range, so that if that is indeed Toot’s Sweet, Lacuna it is the eighteen inches height range plus and set after Cold Days. The armour and sword would suggest post Peace Talks, which time it could be several feet.
Toot doesn’t really care about Harry, he cares about the Za Lord, so it is likely Pizza is involved. An attack on Pizza S’Press by a rival fast food chain? Could it be evil clowns?
Hey - toot is growing due to the responsibilities placed on him by Harry - why is Lacuna growing? Heck, she could be a DENT....
Actually I think Murphy mentions it to Harry, I think in Cold Days. Mister went to live with her after Harry's "death," I don't have time right now to look up the exact quote, but it is mentioned that Mister isn't as young as he used to be, and I think something about the cold affecting him.. On the other hand Mister is a beloved character, so I don't know if Jim is willing to have his fans read as nature takes it's course. However Mister isn't the only one, little Maggie is supposedly highly intelligent, could well have inherited talent from her father, is what eleven going on twelve now? If she was at least six when Changes happened, she would be, but still talks a lot like and is treated like a six year old in many ways. True, she has suffered a lot of trauma, but that doesn't account for all of it.
You can actually read an excerpt of the story here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611814/heroic-hearts-by-edited-by-jim-butcher-and-kerrie-l-hughes/#
Yeah, it is in Skin Game that they talk about how Mister is getting old. Harry is aware of it, at least.
“I’m . . . sort of settled now. And there’s nothing on the island big enough to take him. But it’s cold out there in the winter, and he’s getting older.”
“We’re all getting older,” Karrin said.” Skin Game, Ch 5.
About Maggie, at the time of the Christmas Story she would have just turned 11. I dunno if it's just my experience, but I haven't met an 11 year old who would still get all starry eyed at Santa Claus. The thing with Maggie always takes me out of the story, she acts, talks, is talked about and treated like a 5-6 year old, which is weird. However at the same time she's supposed to be super smart *shrug*. Her portrayal is inconsistent. I hope that improves as we get to see more of her. I wasn't a fan of her addition to the story, but since she's here already, I hope she becomes more of a character than just a plot device.
... About Maggie, at the time of the Christmas Story she would have just turned 11. I dunno if it's just my experience, but I haven't met an 11 year old who would still get all starry eyed at Santa Claus. The thing with Maggie always takes me out of the story, she acts, talks, is talked about and treated like a 5-6 year old, which is weird. However at the same time she's supposed to be super smart *shrug*.
Harry appears to be giving into depression. That’s consistent with what we know about Next Book. No sign of the Gargoyles at this point, could this presage them?
Harry appears to be giving into depression. That’s consistent with what we know about Next Book. No sign of the Gargoyles at this point, could this presage them?Going back to what I said before, I disagree. Feeling that kind of grief/depression just weeks after losing Murphy is normal. Actually if Harry didn't feel that way it would be a danger sign that he was in total denial, that could be worse for everyone. The fact that he is trying to meditate says he is trying to deal with all the emotions that he is feeling.. One of the stages of grief is anger, that is something that while Harry may justifiably feel it, given his power, he cannot give into it, and he is well aware of it.
The kitchen fitting are left from Marcone, he knows Harry is the Winter Knight and may have left them deliberately, knowing that Harry would be affected to some degree. The walk in stainless steel fridge makes a lovely Fae trap. It would hamper even Mab.
If so I wonder how long Marcone mused on the regret that the toilets weren’t made from the Bane? There is no proof of this so I have nothing to go on. Unlike Harry.
Sitting on a cold stainless steel toilet seat is something the Winter Knight would find uncomfortable.
Sitting on a cold stainless steel toilet seat is something the Winter Knight would find uncomfortable.
The cold wouldn't bother Harry, he is the Winter Knight, besides this is the guy who took cold showers for years in his little basement apartment in the dead of winter in Chicago.
I think the iron has to actually pierce his skin. Do that, and it disrupts the Mantle entirely.I agree, there was also the bit at the end of Battle Ground, when Harry was picked up off of Demonreach and they almost killed him treating him for hypothermia, which because he is the Winter Knight he didn't have.
Simple contact isn't a problem for the WK -- he is still human, after all!
I think the iron has to actually pierce his skin. Do that, and it disrupts the Mantle entirely.
Simple contact isn't a problem for the WK -- he is still human, after all!
Cold steel is the one cold which would bother Harry. Cold air and water no.
Well, if that be the case, leaving steel toilet seat other than being a token pain in the ass, doesn't do much. Simply because a toilet seat is the cheapest, easiest, and a quick change... I can see Harry taking a look at that and saying, "Really Marcone? Is that the best you can do?"
Yes it would be a crap move, but Marcone has a blindspot for pettiness where Harry is concerned, something Harry can exploit.
The cold wouldn't bother Harry, he is the Winter Knight, besides this is the guy who took cold showers for years in his little basement apartment in the dead of winter in Chicago.
You know, those cold showers never made sense. You can get those little solar bags campers use to heat up at least a little water. Put it out the window with a line coming in. Thermal absorption is not high tech. Blowing out circuits can be done with an EMP, and maybe magic is similar. EMP won't do crap to the bags.
A lot of old gas heating systems are no longer considered ‘safe’ because of carbon monoxide build up or risk of explosion, so you can’t get them fitted anymore.
I am sure Lara can take the diamonds off Harry’s hands at a very reasonable price for Harry, although it will cost him one for the engagement ring. Which he will resent immensely.
He won’t therefore be cash poor, but unless he brings in materials via the Never Never the reconstruction is going to divert resources away from Harry no matter how much cash he has.
Harry's primary need here is money.
Molly's apartment has no issues with her(pre-Winter Lady) or Harry as guest post Skin Game. The Svartalves can build a modern lighting and heating system into the castle that won't be hexed accidentally from the inside and probably be immune to outside hexing.
It just takes money. The only other thing preventing it would be them knowing about Thomas and if that was the case they would have been more hostile at the end of Peace Talks.
Lara can purchase them for cash at a reasonable rate all in one go and as they are matched in size, perfect for gifts for her sisters, or to be made up into a tiara for the Queen of the White Court, for her wedding, to go with the engagement ring.
... There is also the question of a dowry, the White Court is old fashioned. Harry really doesn’t need cash, but the Raith’s have a rather significant magical library. Lara can scan it in and give the hard copy books to Harry as a dowry, she loses nothing but Harry gains a major magical resource he would actually appreciate and need. It probably contains the worlds largest collection of books on sex magic, so Bob will be more than happy to catalogue them for Harry.I honestly doubt that the Raith library has much (if any) info not already known to Bob!
I don't know if Harry can beat Lara physically - Thomas bent dumbbells at Marcone's "health club". Lara might not be QUITE as strong, but that is way past human. Plus she's fester than he is, look at her in the Deeps. Yes, he said once they were running on Demonreach and he led... but she was fllowing his lead... she didn't know exactly where he was going. When it came time to trip the trap - she passed him.
As far as scans... get someone who does not know whatever language they are in. They don't have to be illiterate. I can read and write English. Give me a chinese book, I don't know if it is on magic, nuclear physics, or a cookbook.
If he gets her on Demonreach again, he can beat her with Alfred's help.
If he gets her on Demonreach again, he can beat her with Alfred's help.
This is Lara, she probably would appreciate a nice beating, in the right circumstances.
Alfred would be aghast, the last time he had sex it was with a glacier and it left him with a permanent limp……
You just have dyslexics physically scan the books in to safeguard against the contents getting into the wrong hands (that’s a reason in universe for dyslexia, it creates a small population able to handle and guard magical books without succumbing to their contents, a sort of anti-Archive) actually given the Venators that really makes sense and Lara is a Venator. Dyslexic Librarian is not an oxymoron in the Dresdenverse.
Dyslexics are still literate, and can read/understand the contents.
But your point is well-taken, and the obvious solution is just to have a cadre of techs who scan mutually-unintelligible works. The gal who is fluent in English scans texts in Arabic & Hebrew; the Aramaic scholar scans texts in various Chinese languages; etc etc etc.
This is Lara, she probably would appreciate a nice beating, in the right circumstances.