The man in the flannel shirt getting his newspaper really doesn’t like Harry, glowering at him, and yet as far as we know this neighbour hasn’t yet met Harry (which is the normal cause).

There is a clue I believe in something he is wearing, at a strange part of the day and inside the house (no gentleman would, so that is at least established)

Thoughts please and why he his there.

So much attention is given to Harry one sometimes over look other characters, even minor characters getting power ups such as Butters in Skin Game.

What other characters could get power ups and why?

E.g Larry Fowler gets nationally syndicated as the supernatural media interviewer following his previous interviews with Chicago’s only known Wizard, and his coverage as an inadvertent  war reporter in Battle Ground. It means he can afford more expensive lawyers to sue Harry.

E.g. Carlos Ramirez becomes the new Black Staff, Harry refuses after Eb is stripped of it. This power up puts him closer to par with Harry and helps him understand Harry’s burden and isolation.

e.g. Toot grows to full size, becoming a full Sidhe Lord due to the importance of the Za Lord following Harry’s role in Battle Ground, Toot becomes the public face of Faerie and is sponsored by Pizza X’Press under an all you can eat deal negotiated by Harry.

In Zoo Day we saw how Mouse’s Magic works, he can move energy about to make things smoother. This is almost the direct opposite of the Wizard Murphyonic Field which destroys technology, and before that soured milk, gave facial blemishes etc. Could Mouse now that he has clearly come into his full power,  allow Harry and Maggie to use technology without destroying it by counteracting the negative effect?

What is going to happen after the titular Battle in Battleground. We get a little peek in Christmas Eve, but if Harry’s intended plan comes off, two major revelations will occur to the Accord powers, the Fomor, and the Black Council

1. Harry is Warden of Demonreach, and
2. Harry has access to objects of power the like which has not been seen for millennia

Harry will be announcing himself as effectively a supernatural nuclear power.

Within the White Council there are a further three possible revelations which may or may not come to light.

4. Harry is Brother to Thomas Raith;
5. Eb is Harry’s grandfather
6. Harry beat Eb, the unbeatable Blackstaff
7. Maggie is his daughter

Harry may decide to release this information to clarify his actions, and to stymie Eb from taking Maggie. Nick already knows about Maggie so keeping it quiet isn’t a long term solution, being a nuclear power may be.

On top of this the use of the Placard allows for one further revelation

8.Chicago officially has to acknowledge the supernatural.

Does this all add up?

We get some nice exposition and theorising in book on the Sword of Faith, but there are a couple of points which may have been deliberately overlooked.

The renewed Sword is more in the spirit world, it can’t harm mortals, but is even more damaging to Monsters, at least the evil ones. It was speculated  that it would harm genuinely evil mortals like Nicky, he reaction to Butters was extreme. But what if it wasn’t Nicky’s reaction but Anduriel’s? The previous effect of a Sword stroke on a Denarian was to injure or kill the mortal and release the coin. Could the renewed sword of faith injure or kill the Fallen Angel instead?

There has been speculation that if applied to Thomas it might kill his hunger but not Thomas, but in his weakened condition it would probably kill him anyway to remove the hunger. What would the Angel do in those circumstances? Thomas has as part of being imprisoned suffered the hurt he has inflicted on others, and genuinely does not want to do what he has had to do as a Whampire. He is not evil, but in this case killing the hunger will kill Thomas. Perhaps the Angel does something different, and changes the hunger, or does nothing at all. The wielders intention affects the operation of the swords (free will), and the knowledge of this by the wielder means they are a more flexible tool than they were previously.

This isn’t the only such issue raised in Peace Talks, the summoning of Molly and her Crossing the magic circle raises similar issues of separation of flesh and spirit, she could do so but what was left wouldn’t be Molly any more. The sword could probably cut away the Mantle, but what would be left wouldn’t be Molly. What would the Angel do? Probably nothing as it would harm an innocent mortal to affect the Mantle.

How would the Sword work on Goodman Gray?, he is a monster, and admits it, but does good deeds for a peppercorn as his ‘rent’. Would it harm him, do nothing at all or change him? He is half mortal. We know he is wary of the Carpenters Guardian Angels. Could it sever the evil Naagloshii part of his heritage, leaving him a mortal human?

How would it work on Fix a mortal changeling? His Mantle is not inherently evil, nor is  his Fae heritage. probably nothing at all.

Harry was able to put his hand in the blade indicating that the Winter Mantle is not inherently evil, and affected by the sword, but would a blow to the head from the sword sever Harry from the Mantle?

We have seen something similar in Changes with the half Ramps, some had their vampire half excised and survived as being relatively newly turned. The unravelling from the Mothers would have achieved the same end, so there is in series precedent for some of the above speculation.

Oh, and Butters had better get a gun.