Nikolaus and Caleb Lost want to speak with Harlan, but first they have to deal with his confused girlfriend Hanneke:
“Give me your hand, my dear… and have sweet dreamsl!” (Hanneke collapses at Caleb's touch.)
“Poor Hanneke. Out of action again this time.”
“Mmm… you wouldn't want your pretty little friend to be informed of dangerous matters, would you?”
“Of course not. So? Is the problem serious?”
“It could be. Nikolaus received a tip.” (From Sir Savnok, the wormy demon knight, in the scene on page 11.)
“There are traces in Prague of someone who posed a huge danger to you. Someone who, if it hadn't been for me, would have dragged you to the other Team.”
“To your Team, Nik.”
“Harlan, my friend, you know very well that I play on my own team, and that some on my side would gladly see me eliminated. However, since you're so smart, I imagine you know who I'm talking about?”
(In the cosmic struggle, Nikolaus is theoretically on the Dark Team, but as he says here, he's a loose cannon who "plays on his own team," which often means helping the Light Team.)
“Sonderling?”
“Yes, Hyeronimus Sonderling, Nergal's agent who made the evil part of your soul take over, nullifying every positive aspect and transforming you into a vampire.*”
* See Dampyr #23, 'The Devil's Elixir.'
“And who, if I'm not mistaken, cannot be killed.”
“Immortality is part of his curse.”
“That's why we came to you immediately, Harlan. Your risk may be more serious than usual. Blondie here and I have very little in common, but we are united by - ehm - a certain benevolent predisposition towards you.”
“I'm almost moved.”
These expository pages serve to remind readers about Sonderling, who only appeared once previously, in a story seven years earlier.
The unusual worm's eye view of the final panel lets us see the bookstore's attractive ceiling.
