The Dresden Files Read-Along discussion
Open Thread
I've just reread Christmas Eve and the updated reread sparked a heart rending idea: Harry could lose more than one ally in Peace Talks! He might even lose all of the ones who don't show up in the story, though I doubt the total clean sweep. Still the line "...all I could feel were empty places inside me where people should have been." Those are plurals!
Caryl wrote: "Those are plurals!..."Indeed.
Harry said: "What about the funerals?" I asked.
It looks like we have a hard road ahead, this July.
Random thought for the Open Thread, just so I don't forget it: Is Kincaid one of the lesser Dragons? I don't remember where I read that there are still a few around.
Steven wrote: "Random thought for the Open Thread, just so I don't forget it: Is Kincaid one of the lesser Dragons? I don't remember where I read that there are still a few around."According to Ebenezer in Blood Rites he's a scion of something from the Never-Never. I think that is the only thing I've read about his lineage.
Though based on the glimpse Harry got in that book with his true sight he has a very Wishmaster vibe to his aesthetic.
Chris wrote: "According to Ebenezer in Blood Rites he's a scion of something from the Never-Never. I think that is the only thing I've read about his lineage.Though based on the glimpse Harry got in that book with his true sight he has a very Wishmaster vibe to his aesthetic..."
Oh yeah, a scion, I forgot that. Thanks! Ah, just found it. Blood Rites, page 259 (Kindle). Things are bad down in the bunker, and Harry opens up his Sight, and this happens:
For just a second I saw something standing there. Something enormous, malformed, something silent and merciless and deadly. It had to crouch to keep from brushing the ceiling with the horns curling away from its head, and batlike wings spread from its shoulders to fall around it and behind it, to drag along the floor, and I thought I saw some kind of hideous double image lurking behind it like the corpse-specter of Death himself.
Then the second was past, I pushed my Sight away, and Kincaid stood frowning down at me.
Wings. That's why I wondered if Kincaid is one of the lesser dragons, or, now I wonder, perhaps even the child of Drakul himself.
In message 203, Steven wrote: "Caryl wrote: "Those are plurals!..." ...."My apologies if replying to my own message is too gauche, but ...
I just realized that Christmas Eve was written before the publishers convinced JB to split Peace Talks into two books. Since now the story apparently happens after Battle Ground, we might not see the big dying until September.
Absolutely correct. Also, did you notice that Christmas Eve has not only been updated to have illustrations -reminiscent of the classic "A Visit From St. Nicholas"/ aka "Twas the Night Before Christmas- but has had a few lines added from the original release?
Caryl wrote: "Absolutely correct. Also, did you notice that Christmas Eve has not only been updated to have illustrations -reminiscent of the classic "A Visit From St. Nicholas"/ aka "Twas the Night Before Chris..."Oh poo; I was too busy ogling the illustrations to realize those were new. I didn't keep a copy of the original anyway, so even if I had suspected, I wouldn't have been able to check. Good catch.
reading the short story Love Hurts - major spoilers for that story(view spoiler)
Who is making all those artifacts that are causing such headaches for Dresden?
Also - the Gatekeeper is related to them? He can detect black magic, but aside from Molly, he didn't tip off Harry for quite a lot of major bad joojoo in chicago. Maybe he tipped Morgan...
I'm sorry - suddenly I suspect him of having his own agenda, which may or may not be related to the Adversary. If he's on gate duty, where do all those outsiders keep coming from...
I know, Maeve was neglecting her duty, but He Who Walks Behind showed up on earth way before she was infected...
In message 210 Yasmin wrote: "reading the short story Love Hurts ...""Who made the belts?" applies equally to the Hexenwolf belts from Fool Moon. In Turn Coat Harry lists a bunch of things for the Gatekeeper that are just wrong and Harry suspects Black Council and/or Outsider influence at work. The Gatekeeper gives his own list, which seems to implicate Harry. Harry responds with his usual snark "Yeah, well, when you put it like that."
I suspect that most of the time the Gatekeeper is too busy to worry about Chicago, and he knows Harry should be able to handle things. I think he tipped off Harry in Proven Guilty because of the specific parties involved, and the ramifications of Harry not knowing until it was too late.
Of course the Gatekeeper has his own agenda. I imagine all the Senior Council do, as well as many of the regular White Council members. Certainly (view spoiler) does, as we will see in good time.
The Gate is not the only path between here and Outside, and the Gatekeeper can't be everywhere at once (as far as we know). When Mother Summer is giving Harry the tour in Cold Days, the penny drops for Harry: (view spoiler)
Steven wrote: "In message 210 Yasmin wrote: "reading the short story Love Hurts ...""Who made the belts?" applies equally to the Hexenwolf belts from Fool Moon. In Turn Coat Harry lists a bunch of things for th..."
I hesitate to say there may be a hole in the wall somewhere - passing a virus is not the same as passing a big sentient mass. you'd think there are patrols and alarms at that wall, and if someone finds a hole, they would either plug it or set a garrison there. Maeve was a real problem because she could divert forces from the weak spots. I'm not sure what's been going on on that front.
I didn't expect Rashid to give Harry tips on regular warden business before he became one - but afterwards, it is expeced for the leading warden in the whole area. Harry is also supposed to be the local commander of Remirez and the other 2 - so basically he's supposed to get the information of the whole of america - and I don't think he is getting it.
Could be an issue of Rashid not trusting Harry, but Love Hurts was after Turn Coat, and still no trust? Rashid is up to something.
In message 212 Yasmin wrote: "... Harry is also supposed to be the local commander of Remirez and the other 2 -..."Minor point -- Harry is not Ramirez's boss; they are both Regional Commanders, with Harry based in Chicago and Carlos in Los Angeles. Page 57 (Kindle) of Turn Coat, Harry speaks of his Wardens: "Three of them work for me, technically speaking, in several cities in the Eastern and Midwestern United States." I'm not sure how Bill Meyers in Dallas fits into that geographical description, but as Harry himself occasionally points out, Harry only has a GED, so maybe he was simply wrong.
There are supposed to be two other Regional Commanders in the US, but I don't recall them being mentioned by name or location. Maybe they perished in the war with the Red Court?
Somehow, back in the Death Masks thread, we got talking about He-Who-Walks-Before [thanks Caryl] and where it fits in. Lillicat kindly pointed us to Cold Days at Mac's. I've taken the liberty of moving my response here to the Open Thread, since Cold Days isn't up yet in the readalong.The Outsider gives its name not at Mac's, but out at the island, while the Wild Hunt is attacking the Outsiders and the barges. Harry overcame its psychic attack (seemed to be worse than the one at Mac's) and forced the Outsider to identify itself.
I AM GATEBREAKER, HARBINGER!
I AM FEARGIVER, HOPESLAYER!
I AM HE-WHO-WALKS-BEFORE!
Back at Mac's Harry had named it Sharkface, and it was identified as an Outsider, but now Harry knew it was a Walker, a peer to He-Who-Walks-Behind.
That opens up the question(s): Are the Naagloshii Outsiders, or is Harry wrong that Sharkface/Before is a Walker, or by "peer" does Harry simply mean that Before is just as bad/powerful as Behind? If the Naagloshii are Outsiders, were the Holy Ones Outsiders, too?
Arrgh, I don't own the book this reference is in yet so I can't quote canon but somewhere there a reference to a trilogy of Walkers; He who walks Behind, Before and Beside. If could remember where it was there might be more insight into your questions. But I don't think -and this is just opinion- that Naagloshii are Outsiders as Outsiders don't seem to be attached to any human mythology and the Naagloshii Are part of the mythology of some of the Native American peoples of the southwest. Also because they are considered some of the 'minimum' security prisoners on Demonreach.
Caryl wrote: "Arrgh, I don't own the book this reference is in yet so I can't quote canon but somewhere there a reference to a trilogy of Walkers; He who walks Behind, Before and Beside. If could remember where ..."JB doesn't always hew strictly to the classical versions of mythologies; in (IIRC) the recent Daniel Greene interview on Youtube (https://youtu.be/NpLssK14iL8), Butcher says he tends to pare things down and give them his own twists to fit them into the Dresdenverse. For instance, I think that Vadderung, in his several aspects, respectfully covers several traditional supernatural beings while simultaneously interpreting them in a realistic way. Huginn and Muninn as secretaries? Of course. Would the Naagloshii being Outsiders contradict any "real-world" mythology, or simply add a new angle?
Enough apologetics, back to the question, sorry for the spoiler.
You're going to like Cold Days.
Cold Days page 418 (Kindle): "And one of them had tried to kill me when I was sixteen years old. He-Who-Walks-Behind had nearly done it. ... And this thing in my head, the thing I'd named Sharkface, was like him, a Walker, a peer." Sharkface is, of course, He-Who-Walks-Before.
Back on pages 226-7 (Kindle), after the attack (and offer!) by Sharkface at Mac's, Thomas asks Harry:
"What was that thing?" I rubbed at my forehead with the heel of my hand. "An Outsider."
So, Harry identified the attacker at Mac's as an Outsider, and then at the island, after the attacker gives its name, realizes that it's a Naagloshii. Therefore, although Harry may be wrong, he thinks at least one Naagloshii is an Outsider.
So, Harry identified the attacker at Mac's as an Outsider, and then at the island, after the attacker gives its name, realizes that it's a Naagloshii. Therefore, although Harry may be wrong, he thinks at least one Naagloshii is an Outsider/i>You mean Walker, yes? Sharkface is not a naagloshii.
Lillicat wrote: "You mean Walker, yes? Sharkface is not a naagloshii."Chapters 40,41 of White Night In the Raith Deeps, Harry is downed, feeling the effects of the Malvoran attack. Marcone's C4 is about to explode, and the ghouls are coming. Lasciel then spends some time trying to convince Harry to take up the coin in order to survive. She talks to Harry about his mother, and the power he might have over Outsiders. This comes up:
Lasciel leaned closer. "He-Who-Walks-Behind is an Outsider, Harry. A terrible creature, the most potent of the Walkers, a powerful knight among their ruling entities. But when he came for you, you overthrew him."
So, Behind is a Walker, an Outsider, and a Naagloshii but Before is a Walker, and an Outsider, yet somehow not a Naagloshii? That's going to be tricky. Can you dig up a citation? I'm mostly convinced you're right, because I couldn't find a statement saying Before is Naagloshii, but without an explicit reference either way it feels a little like angels dancing on pins.
The naagloshii are Native American skinwalkers. Shapeshifters. Listens-to-Wind fights one in a shifter battle on the island in Turn Coat, when Harry is trying to figure out who killed LaFourtier. Morgan says he nuked one in the fifties, and that the one that kidnapped Thomas must have caught Morgan’s scent when he passed through its territory and then followed him to Chicago. Either Morgan or Listens-to-Wind tells Harry the naagloshii were supposed to be messengers from the Native American gods, the Holy Ones, who became corrupted. There is zero connection made between them and the Outsiders. The battle with the Outsiders at the island happens in Cold Days. The only naagloshii in that book are the ones Harry sees imprisoned in the crystals.He Who Walks Behind is a Walker and an Outsider. He is not a naagloshii.
So after re-reading Changes, I’m now wondering who is Harry’s maternal grandmother? I hope we get to find out more about Harry’s history and just why he is considered a tool of destruction who can take down outsiders.
In message 219 Lillicat wrote: "...He Who Walks Behind is a Walker and an Outsider. He is not a naagloshii.Lillicat, THANK YOU for your patience in explaining what should have been obvious to me, had I only asked the right question: Is a Walker the same thing as a skinwalker? In my dotage I assumed they were synonymous, which, as you kept trying to politely point out, they are not. D'oh! I am embarrassed to admit how long I've been reading these without realizing the difference, and I do apologize for the heaping load of exasperation to which I've surely subjected you.
Thanks again, and please keep it up.
Steven wrote: "In message 219 Lillicat wrote: "...He Who Walks Behind is a Walker and an Outsider. He is not a naagloshii.Lillicat, THANK YOU for your patience in explaining what should have been obvious to me,..."
No problem at all! :-)
I kept wondering where you’d gotten the idea Behind was a naagloshii, and somehow it just didn’t occur to me that “Walker” was being interpreted as an abbreviation for “skinwalker.” So now I feel kinda dumb for not realizing that, because that totally makes sense. I was thinking it was maybe the two battles on the island being conflated. I’m glad I could help clear up the confusion. We’re all fans here, and I’ve certainly read posts that brought up things I hadn’t noticed, realized, or considered before. And may I say, I’m delighted by the levels of politeness in this fandom. (Gallant bow and sweep of an enormous feathered hat.)
1st chapter of peace talks is out - woo hoo!Congratulations Thomas and Justine!
But I don't get it - I thought the Hunger didn't manifest until puberty - so what's this talk about the fetus eating in the womb?
I guess it explains why Lord Wraith has so many wives - they don't survive the pregnancy. So he doesn't always kill them himself...
I guess Margaret was one of the lucky ones.
I wonder if female white court vampires can get pregnant without risk - I guess they could feed enough for 2...
Marcone took everything Nicodimus had? When? In Skin Games they burgled Marcone's safe, so he would be upset - but Harry paid Marcone off for his people - when did Marcone go after Nick? Or did I miss a story?
Yasmin wrote: "1st chapter of peace talks is out - woo hoo!Congratulations Thomas and Justine!
But I don't get it - I thought the Hunger didn't manifest until puberty - so what's this talk about the fetus eati..."
Read Harry's summation of the damage to Nicodemus as he's letting Mab and Marcone know that he knows how they used him/Harry to exact their revenge. It's the scene where he and Molly go to Marcone's office to pay the weregild. Nicodemus lost his daughter, his reputation, his followers' faith, probably lost his status as a signatory to the Accords because of his betrayal in the vault and he didn't really get everything he was after either -thanks to Harry- Could be he's even 'lost' his near equal status with his Fallen, Anduriel?
Yasmin wrote: "In Skin Games they burgled Marcone's safe, so he would be upset - but Harry paid Marcone off for his people - when did Marcone go after Nick? Or did I miss a story?."I thought the whole point of Skin Games (well, one of the main points) was that Mab and Marcone were getting back at Nicodemus for past insults and injuries.
In Small Favor Mab, in Saint Mary's, after going all frosty when Harry mentions Thorned Namshiel, tells Harry "There are others yet who will pay for what they have done", and Marcone can't be too happy over the treatment he got from the Nickleheads, either. In Skin Games they pretty much ruined Nick, at least for a while. Marcone's safe, and what was in it, was just the bait. Nick's reputation, such as it is, is toast in the Accorded world, he no longer trusts any of the other Denarians, if he ever did, and they even got him to kill his own daughter.
As they say, payback is ... sweet? best served cold? behind door #00000013? :-)
Yasmin wrote: "Marcone took everything Nicodimus had?"Hmmm. I went back and read that again, and you might be on to something. Even though the sting cost Nicodemus quite a bit in the way of prestige, family, etc., it does sort of seem like Carlos is talking about physical things (money? property?). It's hard telling what stories went around (and Carlos heard) afterwards. Maybe an explanation will turn up in an anthology someday. Maybe it will be in the remainder of Peace Talks. Fingers crossed on that one.
Peace Talks, the Chapter One preview: Carlos mentions that "everyone will be conducting themselves under guest-right, but they'll all bring their own muscle, too." Why is that? Go read Bombshells in Brief Cases to see how the Fomor feel about guest-right. You'll also learn how Molly got her apartment, in case you're already on Cold Days.
Chapter Two preview: I don't know about you, but there's no way I'm not taking the week of July 14th as vacation. Trying to work will not really be an option.
Chapter Two Preview: Are we taking bets on who's at the door? JB likes to set us up and smack us down, and Chapter Two seems early for big kaboom, so I'd put money on one of the svartalves, perhaps Austri's child Ingri, setting off the alarms by ignoring the security protocols.
This would be a perfect spot for a little comic episode. It could even be Thomas' latest source of nourishment offering a little snack. ;-)
Speaking of Thomas, I like that he gets his own Yoda moment here, although without the funny voice:“Harry,” Thomas said, “be real. Everyone wants someone to make us pancakes; we’re all just too grown‑up to say it.”That should be on a plaque in every kitchen.
Still more Chapter Two Preview: Maggie seems to be pretty comfortable with Bonea/Bonnie. I wonder what Maggie thinks of her.
Rereading Bumbshells, and suddenly I have a real problem with Peace Talks - last truce the Fomor tried to do, they wanted to bomb to death. This one has roughly the same type of people on the table - what are the odds that the Fomor have learned their lesson? Or is that something I need to save for the Bingo game...
Yasmin wrote: "Rereading Bumbshells, and suddenly I have a real problem with Peace Talks - last truce the Fomor tried to do, they wanted to bomb to death. ..."Attempted flippancy Well, in their defence, out of courtesy (!) they were only going to kill the guests, not the hosts, so maybe Marcone would be safe? Bwahahahahahaha!
But, yeah.
Yasmin wrote: "Rereading Bumbshells, and suddenly I have a real problem with Peace Talks - last truce the Fomor tried to do, they wanted to bomb to death. This one has roughly the same type of people on the table..."Your point being, of course, that the Fomor are dirty, double crossers and any treaty they sign won't be worth the paper/parchment? it's written on?
Which also brings up a point that will cause dissension at the negotiating table; Svaltalves will Never want to enter into agreement with Fomor because of the events of Bombshells and the affront to their honor. This puts everyone else at the table in a force position of arbitration. It also puts Thomas and Molly in the cross hairs for the part/s they played in that event.
And the plot begins to twist and thicken. Bwahaha
Am I the last one to realize that Bombshells takes place between Ghost Story and Cold Days? JB says in the intro that he wrote it between Changes and Ghost Story, so I just always blindly assumed that's when it is set but it can't be.Molly gets her apartment due to the events in Bombshells. She didn't have her apartment by the end of Ghost Story but she already has it (and is waiting for Harry to turn up, thanks to Lea's surprising gift) pretty early in Cold Days.
Steven wrote: "Am I the last one to realize that Bombshells takes place between Ghost Story and Cold Days?"Is Bombshells in Brief Cases? I've lost track.
Thanks for a comment that ISN'T focused on the sneak peeks at Ch.s 1+2 of PEACE TALKS, since I haven't reread through SKIN GAMES yet, being in GHOST STORY with the group read-through.
Steven wrote: "Am I the last one to realize that Bombshells takes place between Ghost Story and Cold Days? JB says in the intro that he wrote it between Changes and Ghost Story, so I just always blindly assumed t..."JB may have Written it between Changes and Ghost Story but when was it published?
Also, Lea's hint as to Harry's 'situation' doesn't come until the End of Bombshells. So perhaps, the story fits the Dresdenverse timeline better between Ghost Story and Skin Game.
Wordwizard wrote: " Is Bombshells in Brief Cases? I've lost track.Thanks for a comment that ISN'T focused ..."
Yes it is, and you're welcome. It's not as easy as I make it look. :-) It has been a long five (six?) years since Skin Game, and it's hard to not be excited. You should probably stay way from all the microfiction on his site, too, then, as it's spoilers all the way, depending on where you are in the novels.
Caryl wrote: "So perhaps, the story fits the Dresdenverse timeline better between Ghost Story and Skin Game."@Wordwizard, look away! Look away now!
Oh, okay. (view spoiler)
Steven wrote: "Wordwizard wrote: " Is Bombshells in Brief Cases? I've lost track.Thanks for a comment that ISN'T focused ..."
Yes it is, and you're welcome. It's not as easy as I make it look. :-) It has been a long five (six?) years since Skin Game, and it's hard to not be excited. You should probably stay way from all the microfiction on his site, too, then, as it's spoilers all the way, depending on where you are in the novels.
Steven also wrote: "@Wordwizard, look away! Look away now!"
Gee, you make me feel all warm and tingly and welcome. I'm reading the microfiction in the correct chronological order. I couldn't follow everything in SKIN GAME the first time I read it, so hopefully it will go better this time. In the meantime, references to SKIN GAMES are wasted on me.
I'm reading the Word Of Jim site, and the part about Free Will is interesting. I'm a Neil Gaiman fan, and also Robert Heinlein - they both put the Devil on the side of Free Will, as opposed to whatever God wanted. Sometimes it was because God gave humans Free Will and didn't do the same for angels, so that upset Samael enough to rebel - I guess it could have gone the other way too. The fallen angels could want Free Will for themselves like what the humans got, or they want to take away that Free Will - which is JB's position on them.I'm a materialist - I don't believe in souls and I have problems with the idea of Free Will for human beings - how do you define a choice made Freely? if the 2 options are not equal in value, a logical person will choose the better option, so that's not Free Will. if the choices are equal - is it an actual choice or is it just a random throwing of dice. How often in life does a person actually make a Free Will choice that is not predetermined by everything they did before in their experience? My point is - not many times.
If we're talking about Harry's choice in Changes - he went in a really logical order - least harm to most harm to others by his actions - and he didn't have other options to choose from. Despite what Uriel thinks, there's no way Harry would have abandoned his daughter while he's lying paralized in bed. So by going to Mab, he was not making a choice but moving down his list. If she said no, he would have tried the Denarians next, and then the Dark Hollow - but he wouldn't have given up either way - his fault or not.
So - while talking Free Will - it doesn't matter what the demons said to him, he wouldn't have been able to choose anything else.
When Uriel is telling Harry that he was deprived of Free Will - I don't think he had any to begin with. The whole books are moving in a way that pushes him in a certain direction - and his character is such that he can't really do anything else.
I think the real world is about the same - people don't really choose anything, they just move along according to the new info they get exposed to, and by controling which pieces of info a person is exposed to, you can make sure they choose the way you want them to.
Another point I have is about the good and evil of Free Will - Terry Pratchett once defined heaven as a paralel universe where everybody did the best choice for everybody, and hell as the universe where people chose the wrong way always. Put it like that - a loving god would want people to be happy and safe, and would avoid the whole possibility of choosing wrong in the 1st place. If someone can choose wrong and bring misery to the world - that would be evil, so basically Free Will is the introduction of Evil to the world.
Just some thoughts on the subject.
Yasmin wrote: "I'm reading the Word Of Jim site, and the part about Free Will is interesting. I'm a Neil Gaiman fan, and also Robert Heinlein - they both put the Devil on the side of Free Will, as opposed to what..."People don't choose what's rationally best for them, and they usually don't coin-flip when the odds are even. There are lots of papers on these subjects if you look for them. If there's a splitting of parallel universes each time there's a quantum choice, all choices are covered. There's a parallel stream where I made all the right choices I could, and one where luck went my way every time, as well as this one where I muddled along distinctly incompetent and unlucky.
Steven wrote: "Am I the last one to realize that Bombshells takes place between Ghost Story and Cold Days? JB says in the intro that he wrote it between Changes and Ghost Story, so I just always blindly assumed t..."I have been reading the short stories in chronological order along with the main books as many others have from what I have seen. Earlier this week I read aftermath and started to read bombshells before my reread of ghost story. I have read them before and knew the correct reading order but when making my timeline I still put it in the wrong place and so I got maybe like ten pages in and was like wait I shouldn't be reading this yet. My point being that you are not the only one who was tripped up by the comment before bombshells in brief cases.
Rashaun wrote: "My point being that you are not the only one who was tripped up by the comment before bombshells in brief casesl..."As they say, misery loves company. Welcome to the club, and thanks for letting me know. :-)
Steven wrote: "Rashaun wrote: "My point being that you are not the only one who was tripped up by the comment before bombshells in brief casesl..."As they say, misery loves company. Welcome to the club, and tha..."
https://www.jim-butcher.com/search/Dr...
I'm leaning on this one. now it's time to start Cold Days again...
Yasmin wrote: "I'm leaning on this one. now it's time to start Cold Days again..."Resources! Who uses Resources?!? Yeah, I overlooked that. Thanks. :-)
Steven wrote: "Yasmin wrote: "https://www.jim-butcher.com/search/Dr..."Steven wrote: Resources! Who uses Resources?!? Yeah, I overlooked that. Thanks. :-)"
That resource would be better if each story had marked which collection it was in (SIDE JOBS, or BRIEF CASES, or a newsletter microfiction with an active link, which would be more useful than just listing the first publication (as well as being a subtle plug for SIDE JOBS, BRIEF CASES, and the newsletter).
Reminder: this is the Open Thread, Spoilers Allowed. Please look away if you're not caught up.Peace Talks Chapter Three Preview
Ebenezar! I'm reminded of Turn Coat where things are going more-or-less well and then Morgan turns up at the door. Well, Eb at the door certainly opens up a few cans of worms.
How did Eb make it to the door without setting off the wards? Did Austri take down the wards even though Eb didn't complete the security protocol (doubtful)? Or did Ebenezar take them down (still doubtful)? Or did Eb just walk right through them without setting them off? “It’s good for them, from time to time, for someone to remind them that they can’t exercise control over everything, and that a member of the Senior Council can walk where he chooses to walk.” What does that say about the power of the svartalf wards, or the power of Ebenezar? Are Harry and Maggie not as safe in the apartment as Harry assumed? I know that back at the Spunklecrief apartment Harry said that if something wanted you bad enough, his wards would only slow them down. See: Zombies. Looks like the famed svartalf wards didn't even slow Eb down. Yikes.
Reminder: this is the Open Thread, Spoilers Allowed. Please look away if you're not caught up.Peace Talks Chapter Three Preview
When is Ebenezar going to find out about Thomas? He's got to at least suspect there's more here than meets the eye, if he doesn't actually know already. This could play out a number of ways, and not many of them are warm and fuzzy.
And of course, then there's the message. I note, and this could be JB winding us up, that Ebenezar didn't say "someone close to you," he said "someone you don't expect" which of course doesn't rule out someone close, but doesn't require it, either.
Back-stabbing can be for personal gain, for jealousy, for simple spite, for duty, for others I can't think of right now, and for what I think is the most dangerous: the greater good. "I hate myself for this, but I don't see any other way."
Your mention of Vadderung and Rudolph in the same message just gave me a few hours of head-scratching while I searched in vain for the appearance of the red-nosed one, before I realized you meant the brown-nosed one. :-)