Varying Reasons Of Assorted Depths

You keep asking yourself, what the hell do these titles mean? They do sound great, though.

The title scrolls across the 1st three pages, which once again gives the opening of this chapter the feel of a movie. The only image on those first three pages, on nine panels, is Bishop Powers' cathedral. I can't remember seeing it before, it's quite a striking building and because Gerhard drew it, it looks better than it ever had if Dave did happen to show it in any other chapters.

Powers is inside discussing Weisshaupt's impending death. Being the marvelously compassionate churchman that he is Powers wishes Weisshaupt a hideously painful, but quick passing.

Cerebus is still siumped against the wall where he was when Jaka left. Boobah comes to tell him that Weisshaupt is near death, but wants to talk to Most Holy about the end of the world. Cerebus puts on his robes and takes the carriage Weisshaupt sent for him.

Weisshaupt is very near death. He's almost unrecognisable. He's no longer wearing the wig or the 18th century suit, but even taking that into consideration, he's changed. He has lost a huge amount of weight, his cheeks are sunken and his eyes slits. Interestingly enough he looked a lot like Professor Charles X Claremont.

He and Cerebus spar verbally and Weisshaupt accuses Astoria of pulling Cerebus' strings. Cerebus tells Weisshaupt he has not seen Astoria since he resigned as Prime Minister. For some reason Weisshaupt refuses to believe him. When Weisshaupt dies Cerebus will be the only extraordinary person left in Estarcion. Cerebus counters that with his belief that Weisshaupt is not extraordinary, he's a dying fool.

That's when Weisshaupt drops his first bombshell. Cerebus is not the only aardvark in Estarcion. There are two others. We probably knew there were other aardvarks. Cerebus couldn't be the only one, he had to come from somewhere, it's just that at this stage the reader knows next to nothing about his life before he rode into that dirt city and took on a job for two treasure hunters.

Cerebus demands Weisshaupt tell him where the other two are. At this stage Weisshaupt holds the cards, he is going to die very soon, what can Cerebus possibly do to him?

Weisshaupt reveals that he believes himself to be the great redeemer. Cerebus says that is just stupid, he's the Great Cerebus, the one whose coming has been foretold for centuries. This is when Weisshaupt questions the source of that information. Despite his current appearance Bran Mak Mufin is a primitive who wore a loin cloth and lived in a rabbit warren.

Cerebus asks Weisshaupt the answer to a question that has been bothering him ever since he first met the manipulator. The Roach told him not to stare at Weisshaupt's ankle. Cerebus wants to know what's wrong with his ankle. Even in his weakened state Weisshaupt has to smile. The Bug was under strict instructions not to stare at Weisshaupt's uncle, because, second bombshell, his uncle is Suenteus Po.

Cerebus demands to know where the other 2 aardvarks are. Weisshaupt still refuses. Cerebus backhands him and storms out. Weisshaupt lays on the floor, blood trickling from a cut on the side of his mouth, Cerebus' parting words of 'go to hell' echoing in his head and murmurs: 'I shall Great Cerebus...I shall.'

Despite how long the book had been running and how many people had died up to this point I felt this was the first truly significant death.