Theresa

This is the last of the character chapters and it curiously focusses on someone who is at best a fringe character; the Astoriaesque protege Theresa. I say Astoriaesque, because Theresa is in every way like a younger Astoria. It's no surprise as the girl obviously modelled herself on her mentor.

Like Astoria in an earlier chapter outward looks bely inward feelings. She looks perfect, but she is chain smoking and obviously under pressure.

The background is non existent. For the 5 pages of this chapter we see only the two characters in it; Theresa and Weisshaupt, never together only singly, they needn't even be in the same room as they are drawn separately. Objects such as a vase are also drawn singly, only a line to suggest that the object is not supported on thin air.

Theresa is recounting the story of how she was taken in by a high ranking official in government and eventually installed as this man's mistress. The name is never mentioned, but I kept getting the feeling she meant Lord Julius, could she have been another of his 'nieces'. Whoever she was actually talking about it was obviously an attempt to tear down one of Weisshaupt's political opponents in order to gain favour with the master bureaucrat. In the final page of the chapter, she leaves him her card and bids him a'dieu. Interestingly enough Theresa does pepper her language with French expressions. I wonder in which part of New Sepra they speak French?

A Night In Iest

The second of the six crises was called A Night In Iest or Summit Enchanted Evening (geddit?)

It introduced the imbecilic Duke Leonardi, the ruler of New Sepra. Leonardi was very obviously the eldest of the Marx brothers; Chico, right down to the shapeless hat. He was every bit as silly as his film counterpart and spoke with the same accent.

When Lord Julius refused to compromise on the interest rates that Cerebus owed him, Cerebus told him to go ahead and foreclose. As Cerebus had no money Lord Julius would get nothing (does this remind anyone else of a recent financial crisis?). Realising that Cerebus was correct, Lord Julius advised him to attack New Sepra. Duke Leonardi had no idea what they were talking about as they held the conversation in pig latin (which they told the idiot duke was an obscure Borealan dialect).

The leader of the Western Church of Tarim started to make overtures to Cerebus and again the albatross came into play. Everyone wanted the albatross, but Cerebus didn't know why.

During a drinking session with Henrot and the Elf, Cerebus had the idea to speak to the highest ranking church officials not involved with the exodus inward. Henrot wonders how the aardvark is going to get them to tell him anything, because they're notoriously tight lipped. Eyeing off the bottle passing between the Elf and Henrot Cerebus believes he knows how to loosen the bishop's tongues.

The two bishops become extremely inebriated and reveal all sorts of interesting things to the new Prime Minister. Of most interest is the fact that Cerebus was supposed to find the albatross, that would have made him the pontiff of both the Eastern and the Western churches. This is what the Eastern bishops want because politicians are so easy to manipulate. A great shame for them that Cerebus is not a politician.

The cavalry commander from the New Sepran front arrives in Iest carrying a large sack, which contains just under 4 million crowns. Things are definitely looking up for Cerebus.

Astoria continued to act as the Prime Minister's secretary. She's up to something, I just know it. This issue was also another hint that the church would soon become a large part of Cerebus life and the lead in to Church & State 1, the next book in the series.