Both, kind of. I am talking about the very end of chapter 19, when “Kellhus” descends the Upright Horn and Mimara looks upon him with the judging eye, and the things revealed in chapter 20, which is where my confusion comes in. According to the AmA linked previously in this thread, what descended the Upright Horn was always the Carapace shrouded in a hologram. To what purpose I don’t know specifically, but the I could think of it as to further despair, to ambush the Great Ordeal and to obfuscate who is in fact inside the Carapace.
You are correct though that it was in fact a skin-spy and not Kelmomas who touches the Chorae to Kellhus’ ankle. Not sure I would call him a “consultant” though 