Cerebus #17: T’Gitan plans

This issue opens with Cerebus dragging his eight bags of gold through a rain-soaked night. It seems that the horse Lord Julius gave him didn’t last long at all. Cerebus comes across a “hovel” and offers to buy it (and the acre and a half of vineyards that come with it) from the owner for four pieces of gold. The owner quickly accepts, pushing his wife and injured child out into the rain.

Dave really hasn’t really explored or explained the economic realities of this world yet — other than the fact that the elite in Palnu are the merchant class and Lord Julius is the most powerful merchant of them all. However, gold is obviously quite valuable if it can buy the house and land for just four pieces of it. Cerebus later remarks that in the three weeks since he left Palnu, he’s only spent a total of twenty pieces out of the eight bags.

While it’s not raining here, with temperatures dipping into the teens tonight, I can definitely identify with the panel on page 4 that shows Cerebus wrapped in furs and drowsing by a roaring fire. Mmmmm…warm…

Cerebus does not get to relax for long, though, as two T’Gitan mercenaries pound on his door seeking a headquarters for their plan to invade Palnu. Cerebus’ initial reaction is to reject their offer, but he quickly changes his mind when he realizes what the mercenaries are planning. He listens carefully to their plans and realizes that they may well succeed.

The first part of their plan requires them to take the city of Fluroc, which is ruled by Commander Krull. At the sound of Krull’s name the younger mercenary, Stromm, goes into a rage. The other mercenary, Gudre (who is also Stromm’s father,) calms Stromm enough to send him outside to vent his rage. Though Stromm’s rage causes no property damage, Gudre does apologize for the dent in Cerebus’ cow.

The next morning Cerebus and the two mercenaries go to meet up with other T’Gitans and to scout out the city of Fluroc. They find the city undefended, Lord Julius having ordered most of his troops to the Onliu border. They observe two men leaving the city. The T’Gitans believe them to be priests, but Cerebus realizes that they can’t be, as priests aren’t allowed to travel during the high holy days.

Cerebus follows the men and quickly discovers they are Commander Krull and a subordinate who is transcribing Krull’s running narration of his every move. Cerebus is able to trick the scribe into knocking Krull unconscious and he takes the Commander prisoner. The issue ends with Lord Julius learning of the fall of Fluroc and just how dire the situation is.

Dave has an intriguing contrast of characters here. Commander Krull, the feared champion of Fluroc turns out to be a self-aggrandizing buffoon. But the T’Gitans, with their exaggerated, comedic Germanic accents turn out to be capable tacticians who come up with a plan to take Palnu that Cerebus realizes could work. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next issue.