Fascination And Fruition

Dave tried something different with the start. The title does not appear on the front page, it's some wonderfully intercut panels which show an awed Cerebus managing to climb off the pile of money bags.

Whilst backing up the stairs he runs into Boobah, who is carrying a pile of folded sheets that obscure his view, so the inept mercenary goes tumbling down the stairs to be followed by an enraged Henrot threatening to rend him limb from skinny limb, until she too trips over the retreating Most Holy.

Cerebus races up to his room to tell Sophia what has just happened, to find her packing. She tells him she's leaving. He asks why. Sophia says that she told herself she would if things didn't get better, they haven't so she's gone. Dave seemed to write a lot from personal experience and I wonder if this wasn't art imitating life. I think the timeline fits for when he and Deni's relationship fell apart.

Initially Cerebus calls for Bear to force Sophia to stay, but then tells him to forget it and stalks down to the cellar, where he pries open a crate of Borealan whiskey. Before the aardvark can get down to some serious drinking the glowing ball of light returns, and this time it isn't a false Elf.

This ball of light talks to Cerebus, it tells him that he didn't even like Sophia, so why did he want to stop her leaving? The one he really wants is dancing in the lower city. Jaka.

Cerebus sees Jaka, the way she was when he first met her and once again he bellows for Bear. The big mercenary asks what Cerebus wants him to forget about this time. Cerebus tells him to go to the lower city and bring him a dancer called Jaka, and he wants her in one piece.

Most Holy goes to the garden on top of the hotel to brood and wait and we readers get to once again appreciate Gerhard's brilliant backgrounds.

Bear returns and advises Cerebus that Jaka is waiting in the middle room of his suite. As Bear and Cerebus are going downstairs to meet Jaka Bear casually drops the fact that Jaka wanted to bring her husband.