[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Ok, collecting as Nicky does would count. Have to disagree on the party line of the church. They don't have the power to actually do as they say.

(Spoiler can include any book including Skin Game)

Spoiler:

In earlier books it may seem that the churchs game is to use the Knights of the Cross to take the coins out of circulation. That is not true, as that would mean taking away free will. By eliminating the free will to make bad choices. The sole purpose of the 3 knghts is to control that each of the 30 coins does not corrupt one single person for too long. As can be seen in stories told by Nicodemus and Michael in Skin Game. If all coins would be destroyed or locked up, the 3 Knights would be gone too - as nobody needs saving from the coins. The angels have the power to stop denariens if and only if they step over the line. Same would apply the other way around if somebody actually tried to destroy the coins for good.

Interesting times, I feel all 33 knights (of cross and blackened denarien) will play some major role during the apocalypse at the end of the series. Maybe on the same team, maybe on opposing teams. Apocalypse will be certain to come as there is already 3 post-apocalyptic books planned to tie up the Dresden Files.

Just because the Church doesn't have the power to back up their desires, doesn't mean they want the coins in circulation. I would think they'd like a world in which neither the coins nor the knights exist. Free will would not be affected, as the knights wouldn't be around either.

Since that isn't an option being offered, they settle for deploying the knights to keep the coins out of circulation for as much of the time as they can manage.

What are the knights needed for anyway, if the coins don't exist?

That being said, I do agree that both are Meant To Be, regardless of what any puny mortals may think or wish.