The Color of Money

“Mm,” she said noncommittally.  “Well, whomever is advising you has good taste.”  The outfit suited his long, lanky form.  “Can I ask his or her name?  I’m looking for a new stylist.  Mine is…a touch too conservative.”  She gestured at her own ensemble, a sharp grey business jacket and matching skirt, perfectly cut for her figure.

Harry blinked and looked down at his clothing. Sure, it had changed. Jeans that actually fit. Button-down shirts. Sometimes even a blazer, when he wasn’t wearing his duster, and none of it had ever been wrinkled on his living room floor. “Uh… she’s a little.. She likes to keep to herself.”

It wasn’t definitive, but all the factors together were highly suggestive.  Jane was worried.  She didn’t let it show, of course.

Jane met his eyes for a long moment, then gave him a crisp nod.  There was no denying that Harry had been extremely useful in the past.  At the very least, she needed confirmation of his status before she had him killed.  But if he had taken up with those monsters, she couldn’t afford to hesitate too long.  The situation would bear close watching.

She let her gaze sweep down him with a professional eye.  “At least you’re dressing better than you used to,” she noted.

If they hadn’t already shared a Soulgaze, and if he didn’t have Lasciel to stop them now anyway, Harry would have broke the stare first. As it was, he had nothing to fear, especially now, and met Marcone’s money-green eyes with his dark ones. He thought very hard at Lasciel. No eerie green eyes appeared above his own. 

That sounded a lot more like the Harry she knew and tolerated.  Perhaps her informant had been wrong after all.  Perhaps…

“I said, ‘I will not see those under my protection hurt’,” she countered, raising her eyebrows.  “What made you think I was talking about you?”

Harry raised an eyebrow. He looked around the room, making a point of showing that there was no one but them in it. “Who else would you be talking to?” 

Jane’s eyes narrowed at the dismissive note in Harry’s voice.  All of the arrogance and defiance, none of the moral restraint.  It was a terrifying thought. 

Of course, this was her own sentimentality coming home to roost.  She should have taken him out a long time ago, as soon as it was clear that he would never work for her.  She’d made the mistake of believing he would never work for anyone else.  More fool she.

Dammit.  What a waste.  Which sniper would be the best?  Kincaid probably wouldn’t take the job, not with Ivy’s attachment to Dresden.

Ivy.  God.  A chill went down Jane’s spine.  Maybe Kincaid would take the job once he realized what could be at stake.  Harry had way too much influence over the child, and the idea of Ivy with a coin was not one that any sane person wanted to contemplate.

With a little shake of her head, she recalled herself.  “That depends on you, doesn’t it?” she said.  “This is my city, Dresden.  I will not see those under my protection hurt.”  Don’t mention Ivy.  Don’t give him, or the being controlling him, ideas.

Marcone’s long silence was what unnerved him. The fallen in his head told him to be cautious, but not to worry. She would be able to handle anything and everything the mob boss would send after them. That might have unnerved Harry even more, but he didn’t show it on his face. 

“Stay out of my way.”

@hbc-dresden

But if the rumors she’d heard were true, then he’d had his price, just like everyone did.  Perhaps she should take him out now, before he gained any more power.  Hendricks would be furious, but even he would have to admit that it was the most practical approach.

Then again, perhaps the rumors weren’t true.

I straight up don’t believe this. Like… At all. Thomas’s age is public knowledge and Ebenezer is like the one person on the Council who knew Margaret was with the King.

If a mid-late 20s Thomas (while trying to fly under the radar and look like a feckless for of a playboy) can figure out his relation to Harry, then Ebenezer (who’s easily in the top three or four wizards alive in terms of personal and political resources) should 273% know. Even if he didn’t know before, he should have found out while checking into Thomas after Turn Cost because he was worried about Harry’s relationship with him.

Denial could make sense but… Idk, I find his rant in Turn Coat about how monstrous Thomas is hard enough to swallow if he knows about and distrusts Thomas. If we assume that he knows deep down but is denying it… It’s hard to imagine him being cold enough for that.

Although I just realised something; Do the Council know that the White Court are born human with a chance to kill their demon? Harry seems to have a pretty complete impression of the details, between Thomas’s information, the soulgaze, Shagnasty’s forms of address, and Bob’s subsequent perspective, but none of those sources involve the Council. In Changes Martin drops a bombshell about how the elder Reds can use their flesh masks, and Harry suspects the Wardens don’t know about it; is it so hard to imagine that the Whites could have successfully hidden a major weakness in their reproductive cycle?

@it-hurts-because-it-mattered​ and @xserpx​ Yeah, when you think about it, it doesn’t make sense.  Thomas was several years old when Margaret left, IIRC.  That means that she lived with him and cared for him and it was common knowledge that she was his mother among the WCV in that family for several years.  If Ebenezer was keeping track of Margaret AT ALL he should have at least guessed. 

More thoughts, the premise is the same, Harry and Murphy trade lives.

- Malcom is still alive in this universe and lives in the north suburbs, near Wisconsin. Harry tries to get out there every other week so he doesn’t get lonely.

- Margaret was Murphy’s mother, so she still has the contacts in the Nevernever.

- Kincaid and Luccio are swapped, Anastasia Luccio aka The Hellhound is the cycnical ancient Itlian woman who guards Ivy and has an on again off again thing with Harry, which is how he got the S&W 500. Jared Kincaid is the head of the wardens who during a necromancer run in got body swapped from his steely gazed, hardened faced body into that of a boy next door looking body, and started a brief fling with Karrin after Small Favor.

- Molly’s crush on her mentor remains, adding a struggle with sexuality on top of the mountain of issues she’s built.

- Rick got Murphy the P90 along with high end body armor, that he may or may not have stolen from CPD

- Murphy’s lab is hidden behind a false wall Michael helped install, along with security doors after the zombie incident.

- Murphy rides a beastly Harley affectionately nicknamed The Blue Hog, after having to get the gas can replaced with a blue one.

Okay, YES.

And Marcone?  Is he still the Baron of Chicago, or did he get swapped, too? 

@janemarcone

More thoughts, the premise is the same, Harry and Murphy trade lives.

- Malcom is still alive in this universe and lives in the north suburbs, near Wisconsin. Harry tries to get out there every other week so he doesn’t get lonely.

- Margaret was Murphy’s mother, so she still has the contacts in the Nevernever.

- Kincaid and Luccio are swapped, Anastasia Luccio aka The Hellhound is the cycnical ancient Itlian woman who guards Ivy and has an on again off again thing with Harry, which is how he got the S&W 500. Jared Kincaid is the head of the wardens who during a necromancer run in got body swapped from his steely gazed, hardened faced body into that of a boy next door looking body, and started a brief fling with Karrin after Small Favor.

- Molly’s crush on her mentor remains, adding a struggle with sexuality on top of the mountain of issues she’s built.

- Rick got Murphy the P90 along with high end body armor, that he may or may not have stolen from CPD

- Murphy’s lab is hidden behind a false wall Michael helped install, along with security doors after the zombie incident.

- Murphy rides a beastly Harley affectionately nicknamed The Blue Hog, after having to get the gas can replaced with a blue one.

Okay, YES.

And Marcone?  Is he still the Baron of Chicago, or did he get swapped, too? 

More thoughts, the premise is the same, Harry and Murphy trade lives.

- Malcom is still alive in this universe and lives in the north suburbs, near Wisconsin. Harry tries to get out there every other week so he doesn’t get lonely.

- Margaret was Murphy’s mother, so she still has the contacts in the Nevernever.

- Kincaid and Luccio are swapped, Anastasia Luccio aka The Hellhound is the cycnical ancient Itlian woman who guards Ivy and has an on again off again thing with Harry, which is how he got the S&W 500. Jared Kincaid is the head of the wardens who during a necromancer run in got body swapped from his steely gazed, hardened faced body into that of a boy next door looking body, and started a brief fling with Karrin after Small Favor.

- Molly’s crush on her mentor remains, adding a struggle with sexuality on top of the mountain of issues she’s built.

- Rick got Murphy the P90 along with high end body armor, that he may or may not have stolen from CPD

- Murphy’s lab is hidden behind a false wall Michael helped install, along with security doors after the zombie incident.

- Murphy rides a beastly Harley affectionately nicknamed The Blue Hog, after having to get the gas can replaced with a blue one.

Okay, YES.

And Marcone?  Is he still the Baron of Chicago, or did he get swapped, too? 

Alright tumblr, I have seen you work your magic time and time again… so I’m hoping for a miracle here.

I have worked within these walls for almost half of my life. This is my second home, these people are my family. We need your help.

My annual contribution to Jim-Butcher.com: We don’t have an April Fool’s joke for you this year. Instead, we wanted to celebrate the 18th anniversary of Storm Front’s publication on April 1st, 2000. That’s right, The Dresden Files is legal! Today, the series can do the following things:

Vote (likely for whatever’s the most contrarian position)

Buy a lottery ticket (ill-advised with Harry’s luck)

Buy cigarettes (though Harry leaves enough things smoking)

Get a tattoo (Susan has some great ideas. Molly has some terrible ones.)

Donate blood (Harry’s gonna need it)

Serve on a jury (Hey, there’s a short story about that!)

Buy fireworks (don’t try to match the One Woman Rave)

Go to jail (do not collect $200)

Have intimate relations with other consenting 18+ year old book series (what’s Anita Blake up to these days?)

Take Fool Moon to Rated-R movies.

We’re so grateful to our fans for 18 incredible years, and we look forward to entertaining you for many more. In case you missed them, here are some of our April Fool’s pranks from the past:

2016 – Dresden Files Special Edition

2015 – Dresden Novels on Hiatus

2014 – Dresden Files coming to Broadway

2012 – Bigfoot Paranormal Romance

2011 – Fool Moon comic reboot and Li'l Harry Adventures

And a bonus: 2014 – Tower of Turtles’ sneak preview of Red Sun