Re: Harry and the Feds/Librarians...

Worth remembering that Lara has been working hard to insinuate herself into the federal government. Back in Changes, she was able to whistle up a helicopter from an aircraft carrier to evacuate the wounded from Chichen Itza. (Which means the Feds have a report somewhere about Molly and Mouse...)

The next time Harry sits down for a chat with the feds, it won't be as a two-bit P.I. terror suspect whose office was just blown up. He'll be the fiancé of an influence peddler with hooks in senators and governors and cabinet officials.

Of course, that comes with all kinds of costs. Some honest feds like Tilly may be far more suspicious of him because of that. And the White Court comes with a new level of social infighting and manipulation on levels that aren't really Harry's strong suit.

(See the Dresdenfiles RPG, with its three modes of combat -- physical, mental, and social. The last is Harry's weak spot. He's at an insane Superb(+5) for Conviction, used for mental conflict, what he'd describe as will or willpower, but an awful Average(+1) for Presence, used for social conflict.)

His next big power-up is going to have to be learning to manage his reputation and relationships better. Heck, Peace Talks/Battle Ground *should* have taught him that. Now Mab's throwing him in the deep end of the White Court where he'll either learn or die.

Martha Liberty was on the rooftop chatting with Loa when Harry called the 'Za guard. A hundred thousand pixies answered his call and went to war. Remember that he killed a Queen of Summer with only a dozen of them (and the Senior Council would have been fully briefed on that, since it was his probation test). The efforts the assembled powers had been taking to try and counter the invisible-assassin-squids (who really need a cool name) were far more complicated and far less effective than what Harry whipped up with a minute of *silent* spellcasting and a piece of frozen pizza.

Mab told him: "An impressive display. You frightened several very confident beings tonight. I found it entertaining."

I think that's the moment when Harry lost Martha Liberty's vote.

Lots of little things were left out.

Conversations with:

• Ivy
• Sarissa
• Fix
• Odin

A clear final status for:

• Christos
• Andy and Marci
• Bonea
• Mister

It might have been good for Harry to find out that/why Ivy's mad at him. A reminder about leaving interpersonal wounds to fester would be timely.

It could be because they’re trying to leverage the Blackstaff again. If Harry steps out of line they’ll order (re-order?) Eb to kill him, and if Eb refuses then the WC will exile or try to kill Eb, or something.

This. Entirely this. Harry's just a pawn/excuse here in hardball politics by centuries-old wizards.

Carlos even told Harry -- "By unanimous vote, they have already given the Blackstaff the order to execute your death warrant, and suspended it. If you cross the line, they'll send him. And if he won't do it, he'll be charged with treason."

This is the Merlin's ultimate Sword of Damocles to hold over Eb's head -- passed by a "unanimous vote", while Eb and LtW were in the hospital and Rashid was at the Outer Gates.

I bet Ethniu thought she was OP, too.

Got her dad's Eye stuffed in her head, and impenetrable armor, and a huge army, and a vast undersea realm beyond the reach of wizards and mortals alike.

Literal gods came at her and she smacked them down like flies.

Where is she now?

Remember- Nemesis wasn't just trying to trick itself onto Demonreach- it specifically wanted to be invited down into the caverns below the Island.

Ooh, yeah that.

I was going to say that Demonreach is actually exhausted after reaching all the way to Chicago to capture Ethniu. Demonreach was at basically full strength in Cold Days, though its Warden wasn't.

Two huge character reveals in Battle Ground: Marcone and Justine.

I'm going to have to reread some books, but just skimming things for discussions, every time they appear I'm having to reassess what's happening.

At the end of Turn Coat, Justine is Harry's only point of contact for Thomas. She says it takes weeks for her to talk him into seeing Harry. Shagnasty *destroyed* Thomas. Justine's love nursed him back to mental health. She was Nemesis at the time. In Ghost Story, Justine brings him women to feed on -- he trusts her to pick his victims, knowing that the nature of their souls influences him. (You are what you eat.) And she was Nemesis the whole time.

Similarly, in Changes, when Harry meets with Marcone for their usual threats-and-banter... it's almost certain that he's taken up Namshiel's coin by then, and is studying wizardry. And there's not a hint of it -- except "Is that how you think it would happen?"

Also, I think there's a connection between these two revelations. Clearly, Marcone took the coin in Small Favor, but I bet he didn't take it up at that time. I think what pushed him over the edge to taking up the coin was the events of Even Hand. And I think that was the point of Even Hand. Justine/Nemesis got the Fomor to probe Marcone's anti-wizard defenses while she watched from the inside, and their failure was what pushed Marcone into taking up Namshiel's coin. Even Hand takes place between Turn Coat and Changes.