Molly the friend may want to supplement his income, but Molly the Winter Lady would be bound by Mab's will in the matter. If Mab doesn't think Harry needs more resources than he is not getting more resources without bartering for them like he did with Molly in Peace Talks.

However it does demonstrate that Molly can bargain on her own.  She never consulted with Mab before she made that ring for Harry in Peace Talks.. That bargain made Harry obligated to Molly, not Mab for whatever favor Molly requires, so very possible that Harry could bargain with Molly for a pay raise.  I don't think that is the issue, I don't think Harry wants to be forced to pay back favors anymore than he has to.  Remember it was frightened 16 year old Harry that made a bargain with Lea that got him in this jam in the first place leading to him becoming Winter Knight years later, something he'd rather not be.

It comes back to why were there two (presumably wizards) people present? If it is just added muscle than it could be someone Peabody controlled with his ink. For disposable muscle it would have to be a young wizard. Peabody couldn't bring someone like Cristos there against his will. If the second person is on the Executive Council then they would have to be there of their own free will and thus on the Black Council and either a superior to Peabody or a peer to Peabody.

Luccio was the captain of the Wardens at that time.  Granted the body switch screwed her up somewhat, hormones were firing her sex drive because she was in a younger body, and she no longer could make the special Warden swords, but basically to be captain of the Wardens of the White Council her wizard mojo is pretty strong.. It appeared to remain strong, otherwise it would have been noticed, yet Peabody and his ink managed to screw her up controlling her to the point of committing murder.  Or did Peabody screw everyone else up so badly with his ink that they just didn't notice that their Warden captain wasn't quite right anymore? What I am trying to say is apparently they didn't notice, so it isn't inconceivable that Peabody could in fact, manipulate someone like Christos with his ink.. Not against Christos's will,  because he had no clue he was being manipulated by the ink, nobody did.  Remember  when Rashid visited Harry in the infirmary afterwards?  Rashid looked down at his own hands wondering how much he had been influenced by Peabody's ink.  Eb's reaction as well,  said the same thing.. Now, we can agree that Peabody wasn't the brains behind the plot, he was a mere cat's paw.  Somewhere along the line he was corrupted and as an insider to the White Council did a huge amount of damage that would have gone on a lot longer if Harry had attended more Council meetings and signed paperwork.  So who was behind it?  Nemesis?  And why would the second person or creature on the island with Peabody have to be from the White Council?  Peabody used a Way to get to the island, a pretty nasty one at that.  We know that Cat Sith got infested with Nemesis, we also know that Lea and Maeve got infested by Nemesis, so not impossible that maybe it was someone else infested from one of the Courts that was with Peabody on the island.  Oh and I can think of another who we know from White Night can go in and out from the Nevernever, Cowl...  We still don't know his agenda, and yeah he'd be strong enough to manipulate Peabody.

[quote author=Mira link=topic=55175.msg2363626#msg2363626 date=1746876863
Or perhaps doesn't understand?  Mab maybe too removed from the human perspective to understand.  Remember there are a lot of things the Fae don't understand about how humans think.


Mab may be removed from the human perspective, but she will grab onto any weapon she can in order to achieve her goals. Money is one of those resources that she can use to further her own ends in the mortal world. There is a reason Molly's account has so many zeros in it. Mab sees that value in money, she just doesn't amass it to be rich for rich's sake. She absolutely could be operating under the principle that she provides the knight the basic tools and it is up to him to gather what he needs.

At the same time she must feel that Harry isn't subject to bribes.. Also one wonders if her Knight would be as effective as she'd like if he has to scrounge for money to keep his home and family together?  Again, you'd think that Molly would supplement his income, unless there is a reason why Knights do not get a salary for what they do.

And yet, bargain he did.
He just didn't care enough about cashflow to include it into the bargain.

Really?  I am not saying that you are wrong here, no he didn't care.. However you make it sound like it wasn't important to him. It is important to him, but at that moment in time, it was WAY down on his list of priorities.  His back was broken, his little girl about to be sacrificed, he and his grandfather about to be killed in a generational spell, so yeah, he didn't care, why?  Because if he didn't survive a 401 K from Mab wasn't going to do him much good!

"Molly" could maybe do so.
The "Winter Lady" must do all such transactions as bargains, as you yourself pointed out:

The interesting point is why hasn't she?  I got the sense from Peace Talks that Molly doesn't like bargains, especially in the case of Harry.  It maybe because she feels the only reason she is alive is because of him, or because she loves him, but I don't think she wants him to be indebted to her anymore than absolutely necessary.   Or she has observed how Mab uses it to wield power over others and she doesn't agree with it.

I'm pretty sure Mab feels that her WK already has all the resources he needs, to do the job.  And if Dresden is too stupid or weak-willed or squeamish to leverage the resources she's already given him, it's not Mab's job to make his life any easier.

Or perhaps doesn't understand?  Mab maybe too removed from the human perspective to understand.  Remember there are a lot of things the Fae don't understand about how humans think. 

No, actually that was the White Queen.

(I just re-read the passage to confirm; I can quote the full context, or link you an online copy, if desired)

You are right, I was thinking of the movie where it is Alice who says it, but the passage is confusing in the book..

I think it just makes for a better story that Harry always seems to be struggling financially.
It means he has to be more creative in problem solving and recruiting allies etc.

Considering he now lives in a top of the line, all the bells and whistles, castle courtesy of Marcone.
If he also had practically unlimited funds he would be a far less sympathetic or relatable character.
Whatever the problem, friends in trouble, need some hired help, run a castle, research...Just throw money at it.
It would become boring quickly.

  I think Harry being broke all of the time can also get old after a bit.  I think a happy medium can be struck, between Harry having so much money he can just throw it at any problem, and Harry having no money at all.  I don't think no matter how much he has I don't think we'd see Harry just throw money at them. We all know many of the problems Harry faces money isn't going to help at all anyway.  I would like to see him have enough money for housekeeping, (including little Maggie expenses), taxes, and keeping Toot and Za'Gard in pizza..  He really doesn't need more than that.

What about the chickens who personify “evil”?

 Yeah, everyone thinks chickens are pretty benign, scratching and clucking away peacefully, occasionally laying an egg.. However they do peck on one another, if they create a wound, they will gang up on the wounded one and peck at it till it dies...

The fuego spell is for when he throws fire in combat.

My point, and you are right about the flickum Bicus spell, but fuego is for burning the hell out of something and also has been exclusively Harry's as far as I know.. And was the crap burned out of anything that night?