Shadow Lord funerals are fierce, as uncompromising and unsentimental in death as they are in life. It takes place under an angry sky, Grandfather Thunder summoned to witness the passing of one of his children, and the Shadow Lords howl to the storm and dance in the lightning that fires the old wolf's pyre.
Sergei's death tale is worthy of the Silver Record.
Ambrose spends the time with the fae children, teaching them the joys of Science!
After the funeral, they turn over the soul eater thing to the Margrave. After studying it, the great Theurge tells them it's the core of Eater of Souls. It cannot be destroyed, but it would be useful in the purification ritual to free the Croatan. Freeing the Croatan would weaken it more. Ice will keep it, especially in a caern of purification. They consider leaving it in the Memory Caern where they buried the Mammoth Bone. Sonya stares at the frozen thing thoughtfully, wondering aloud whether it would be possible to kill a Triatic Wyrm. The Margrave begins to deny it...then reconsiders. Perhaps it is, but he cannot conceive of what conditions would be necessary.
He asks them what they will do next. They need to face the Circus and forge the pact with Cara. Sonya is concerned, though, about getting into the Circus to forge the pact in the first place.
Ambrose has an idea on that. Remember those amulets that the Arcanum agent had, that allowed him free passage? They look at him funny. But that's what they are, he points out; relics of an old pact. If the Garou can study one, maybe they can recreate it or communicate with Cara through it or something. And Aila has the Arcanum agent's business card.
But first, they need to return the children. After that, they will take the airship to the Gernsback to have it safely overhauled and any of Von Allman's nefarious work removed. Ambrose thinks he might keep it, if it's safe. And...why not show the children the Gernsback Continuum before they return them home?
At the Continuum, Rey spreads a manuscript he's written about "Doc Ether" around among the Etherites. Ambrose feels rather sheepish about that--it seems a bit grandiose to have people publishing things about him--but proposes Doc Quantum as an alternative to Doc Ether (taking the name of an entire Tradition for a personal moniker is just gratuitous, in his opinion). Doc Eon didn't call himself Doc Ether, after all, and if anyone had a right, it was him. The Etherites around them have to agree with that.
"Maybe he didn't call himself Doc Ether because the name was already taken in the future," Rey counters, which the gathered Etherites also consider a potentially good point. But Ambrose demurs. "You're his successor," Rey tries again. "He gave you the watch."
Ambrose freezes. The room goes silent. When Rey pokes at him, Ambrose pushes back his sleeve to show them the watch, and the wrapping paper.
When Etherites begin to breathe again, they start arguing about titles more avidly. Some of them point about that Doc Quantum is more modern and understandable.
Rey argues that "doc Ether'll go over better with all the time traveling we'll be doing."
Ambrose counters that his last name begins with Q. He wins Rey over a little when Rey considers using a lightning bolt as the dash of the 'Q'. Ambrose thinks that's kind of cool, too.
"Maybe a representation of the dual nature of the construction of light," one of the Etherites suggests.
"Oh, that's very good," Ambrose approves.
Anyway, while they ruminate over that, Ambrose gives all the childlings a tour of the Gerns and sells them on the wonders of Science! Noting that Jared's Dougal squire is blind, he plunks and interactive headset on her. She really quite likes that.
Jared has a private meeting with the High King, handing over two more songs about Queen Astarte that he collected from House Varich at Sergei's funeral.
Rey bemoans Doc "Quantum." Faris suggests Doc Quantum, the 'singular hero,' but Rey wanted Doc Ether, the quantum hero.
The pack contacts the Arcanum agent and arranges to examine one of the amulets. They turn out to be low-level fetishes, containing a Jaggling whose purpose is to ensure safe passage in order to make bargains. They learns they can deal for free passage for eight people at most, one time, in order to get in and make the full deal.
And Ambrose goes on a Seeking.
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