History Fridge / SkinGame

*** Not only that, but when he challenged Lea, he was thousands of miles from the threshold he drew power from. Here? He's literally right outside.

* The ultimate retribution for Nicodemus includes one terrible thing: [[spoiler:the death of his daughter by his own hand. It is something so terrible that Mab herself was unable to do it, and it is something that she has guided him into doing. It is the most horrifying thing she can conceive of, and that is only the ''start'' of her punishment]].

* Kringle called the information he gave to Harry a belated Christmas gift. That means Harry has been good all year! (Not that he'd have had much chance to be naughty while stranded alone on an island, mind you...) Since it's belated, he would have had to have been good the previous calendar year and a little before, but since ''Cold Days'' was on Halloween and ''Skin Game'' is in a late spring, it's not clear whether Harry's exile was half a year, or a year and a half, and thus whether that book's events count.

* Kringle called the information he gave to Harry a belated Christmas gift. That means Harry has been good all year! (Not that he'd have had much chance to be naughty while stranded alone on an island, mind you...since it's belated, he would have had to have been good the previous calendar year and a little before, but since ''Cold Days'' was on Halloween and ''Skin Game'' is in a late spring, it's not clear whether Harry's exile was half a year, or a year and a half, and thus whether that book's events count.

** WordOfGod suggests that Mouse might actually [[spoiler: be enough of a ''physical'' threat to worry Anduriel now, actually. Temple Dogs are guardians, which Jim has said grow in power in proportion to the strength of the threshold where they live. Mouse was already strong enough to challenge Lea when he was still hanging around Harry's bachelor pad, but now he's been living ''at the Carpenters' place''. Think about it.]]

* Butters may be Jewish (at least by birth and the way he was raised), but the fact that the sword manifested for him as a [[StarWars LIGHTSABER]] might mean that his true "religion" (or maybe "belief system") is "Jedi"! And remember, "Jedi" is a genuine, if technical, religion in the UK, with over 700,000 people identifying as such, not to mention that in the Dresdenverse, [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve Your Faith Makes It Real]] ''works''.

* In the same vein of the Jewish/Agnostic/Catholic Knights, made me think what made the Knights... Well Knights. Then it came to me: Each Knight is the personification of the Sword's name. Sanya is constantly Hopeful, always looking on the bright side of life (and personifies the hope that every sinner can be redeemed). Shiro took everything in stride, and refused to break his Faith in their cause being successful. Micheal's Love for his fellow man and family was stronger then the bloody sun. It's the reason Karrin could never take up a Knighthood full time. She doesn't *have* that basis of Faith, she's a cop, she questions everything, her Love life is... Less then stellar, and Sanya's got his meaty Russian paws all over the Hope sword. Butter's Faith in both the ideals of StarWars and Harry's inadvertent mentor-ship, forged the little bugger into a beacon of Faith. It would also explain all of those "One-time" Knights as well. They were able to channel the sword's power for one mission they truly Believed in.

* Fidelacchius failed when Murphy tried to kill Nicodemus not merely because Nicodemus had surrendered, but because Murphy attempted to kill a "helpless" man in anger and hate as well as out of love. In other words, [[StarWars "Good, I can feel your anger. I am defenseless. Take your weapon.]] StrikeMeDownWithAllOfYourHatred [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope and your journey to the Dark Side will be complete."]] This makes Butters' getting a lightsaber even more perfect in hindsight.

** What if, just if, the enemy ''is not God'', but '''''The Outsiders'''''? After all, Nicodemus had been pretty dusturbed to know that the Denarian ranks were infiltrated back in ''Small Favor''? And the Outsiders seek to destroy '''everything''' in the universe and that is most definitely someone as power hungry as Nicodemus wants. That would also explain Deirdre explaining their desire to save the world, an in their eyes, power is needed to stop them
*** And while pure speculation, what if Lucifer fell to take on the Outsiders more directly? After all, they stir up so many things to further their cause, and the non-interferance policy of the Angels would prevent him from acting directly against it. Or that Lucifer, throwing a temper tantrum, fell and joined up with The Outsiders to destroy the universe to spite God, and is tricking the Denarians, and possibly, The Fallen with them, into doing it for him? Either possibilities are ''extremely'' disturbing in their implications.

* The fact that Nicodemus is willing to kill his own daughter in the realm of Hades, most likely knowing full well that she would spend an eternity being punished by the Greek god of the Underworld for her crimes is horrifying in its own right. The fact that she went along willingly and that it's made apparent that Nick believed she was actually being spared from suffering something even ''worse'' makes one wonder...Just what did Nicodemus think he was ''saving her from?''

* Harry mentions that Mab is trying to get him to lean on the Mantle as much as possible. As he notes, no wizard has ever been a Knight before. An ordinary {{Muggle}} or even a BadassNormal would have to rely on the Winter Mantle much more to deal with the kinds of threats that exist in the Dresdenverse. Because Harry has his magical powers, he's able to deal with monsters without using the Mantle, therefore lessening the effect it has on him.

* The shades not catching up with Harry and co. in the Underworld could be due to them TravellingAtTheSpeedOfPlot. But remember who they're working for. Hades may well have given them orders to scare Harry, Nicodemus, etc away, but also told them to slow down so that they won't actually reach him! Another example of him subtly "not-interfering."

* The story opens with Mab backing Harry into a corner, unable to do anything but what she wants, or risk dying to the parasite. At the end of the story, Harry has backed Mab into a corner, unable to do anything but what he wants (remain silent), or risk having her reputation ruined. In essence, Harry balanced the scales with Mab. Not that she liked it overmuch, but since the Fae do that kind of thing all the time, she doesn't have much room to complain.

* The reason Harry makes it out of Hades in one piece is actually fairly simple. What's one of the most prominent myths about the Spear of Longinus? That whoever holds it is invincible in battle. Harry has it up his sleeve the whole time he's fighting Nicodemus and company. He couldn't lose. Heck, knowing how well-read Harry is, he may have even invoked this on purpose!

** And that retribution becomes all the harsher when you consider that [[spoiler: Harry, not Nick, got the artifact that the Denarians were ''really'' after]]. Which means Nicodemus did what he did ''for nothing''.