Dresden Files Reread - Grave Peril Chapter 20

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Displaying remarkable fortitude and a passable impression of good sense, Harry heads to Michael's house. We get our first look at his neighborhood, which Harry characterizes as "suburbanish" because Jim Butcher has apparently never heard of a residential neighborhood. Michael's house is, of course, the nicest, in good vibes if not in grandeur, ivory with burgundy trim and equipped with a literal white picket fence. 

Harry was expecting Michael to need a minute to get out of bed, but he was apparently asleep in the living room rocker, after taking on a late night feeding of one year old Hope (not named here) so Charity can get some sleep. So we know Michael is a good husband and an attentive father. He's also wearing a T-shirt that says John 3:16. For my readers who aren't up on their Bible, that's "For god so loved the world that he gave up his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." So, y'know, pin that one to the foreshadowing board. 

Harry lays out the situation, including and especially the part where the Nightmare is running around wearing his face. Michael asks how he knows Harry isn't the Nightmare, and Harry volunteers that he should probably stay outside anyway, to avoid incurring Charity's wrath, so Michael invites him in. Continuing to use that knightly noodle, Michael refuses to wake his family, reasoning that since the Nightmare is currently in a physical body, it's not in the nevernever, and can't get at people through their dreams. This is interesting for its establishment of Michael's intelligence, and his fluency with the supernatural, that despite having learned about the nevernever like, yesterday, he can work through the implications faster than Harry does.

Harry finds a note from Charity explaining that she had a sudden pregnancy craving for pizza and ice cream, and went to the store, so they gear up to go after her. Harry's worried that they're leaving the kids alone, but Michael's total lack of concern on this point is validated when Forthill miraculously turns up, having experienced minor car trouble just a block away. This is a regular enough occurrence that when he sees Michael and Harry with their coats on, he says "You need a babysitter again, don't you?" I think this is the first time we see Michael's divine providence effect in action, and it's a good choice to establish the scale and conditions. God won't just rescue Charity, but He'll create circumstances under which Michael can do it himself. He won't prevent Michael from getting arrested when he's out helping Harry, but He'll assist with saving Charity. Now that I think about it, this has some commonalities with the way that ghosts can only interact with their particular bailiwick. And that's interesting. I don't know if Jim Butcher has read Valdemar, but he's definitely read Wheel of Time, and Robert Jordan read Valdemar. And in Valdemar, if the Gods aren't literally just really leveled up ghosts, they certainly exist on the same continuum as ghosts. "God is actually an unimgainably powerful ghost" would certainly give the series some options, especially as we approach the Big Apocalyptic Trilogy. 

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There's only one grocery store nearby that's open this late, so that's where they go, and Charity's van is
parked right out front. Neither Charity nor the Nightmare is immediately in evidence, and when the Cashier hedges about whether she's seen them, there's actually a moment where Michael seems on the point of violence. Harry intervenes, and he goes to look for her himself just, absolutely open carrying a sword in the grocery store. 

Harry gives the cashier all the cash he has on hand (fifteen dollars) to tell him what she knows. Charity did come in, bought her pizza and ice cream, and went back to her car, failed to start it, and was intercepted by a man who looks just like Harry. They argued, but she walked off with him, in what Harry recognizes as the direction of Graceland cemetery. That's...not a good place to go right now, what with the border between worlds being squoodgey and Graceland being pretty damn haunted at the best of times. Nonetheless, Harry yells for Michael and goes back outside. He checks Charity's car - everything under the hood that can be torn out or torn apart pretty much is. He also sees, in the distance, what sure looks to be the Nightmare dragging Charity towards the cemetery by her hair. There's still no sign of Michael, so Harry goes after them alone. 

Bit of a short one after all this waiting, but I like that we're getting some more Michael characterization here. If all goes well, you'll actually get the next chapter within a week this time. Until then, be Gay, do Crimes, and read All The Things!