Cerebus No. 28

## *Cerebus the Aardvark No. 28*

***Cerebus the Aardvark No. 28*** is an issue of *Cerebus the Aardvark* published by Aardvark-Vanaheim

## Stories

### "Mind Game II"

Cerebus regains consciousness in a grey realm, which he assumes to be the Seventh Sphere. A fellow entity, whom Cerebus recognizes as Suenteus Po, assures him it is the Eighth Sphere, which an adept can craft to his own will. Cerebus appears to sink, slide, and skate through the grey matter as he asserts control over it.
Cerebus asks what happened after his previous visit (eventually revealed in "What Happened Between Issues Twenty & Twenty-One"), but Po doesn't know. Po begins to explain the differences between Tarimites, Cirinists, and Kevillists: the Tarimites are the orthodox church, split into eastern and western blocs; the Cirinists are attempting to destabilize the established order, with a majority in place in the east; and the Kevillists are a fundamentalist splinter within the Cirinists. Cerebus asks whether Po's Illusionists have members in key positions, but Po plays dumb.
Cerebus suspects that Po is "pumping him for information." He reveals that he is staying in the Regency Hotel. He reveals that the Pigts have a statue of an aardvark (see issue 5), but he describes it as being only a few inches tall. He confesses that he wants to join a faction and that he feels his only choices are the Tarimites and the Cirinists.
Cerebus skates into a morass and begins to sink. While Po discusses the dangers of alliance with the Cirinists, Cerebus tries to tell him that he's been kidnapped. "By whom? ... Cerebus? ... CEREBUS?!"

## Additional

* "A Note from the Publisher" by Deni Loubert
* "Aardvark Comment"

## Characters

* Cerebus *(last seen in* Cerebus No. 27*; next appearance in* Cerebus No. 29*)*
* Suenteus Po *(last seen in* Cerebus No. 20*; next appearance in* Cerebus No. 155*)*

## Story Notes

* Based on Po's outline (and later information), the structure of the Church of Tarim is (very loosely) based on a post-"Great Schism" Christianity, which has an Eastern Orthodoxy and a Western Catholicism.
* (page 2) Cerebus mentions that he has visited this "dreamworld" twice before. One is obviously issue 20, when he encountered Po before. The other occasion may be *Magiking*, in which he visited a place that might be considered a pocket dimension.
* (page 3) Cerebus cites his studies with Magus Doran and his dealings with the Energy Globes of Imesh (last mentioned in Issue 9).
* (page 5) The Kevillists get a passing mention; their actual philosophy and reason for separating from the Cirinists are not mentioned.
* (page 10) It was established in Issue 26 that Cerebus is the ranking diplomatic representative of Palnu. Po knows that but nothing further, indicating that he (and the Illusionists) lack current information about Iest. For instance, they don't know (page 13) that Cerebus is currently ensconced in the Regency Hotel.
* (pages 13-14) The aardvark idol was actually large. Cerebus lies to Po, presumably to test his knowledge of the Pigts.
* (page 17) Cerebus mentions playing Diamondback with "Leopold, the famous Gambling Priest," as an example of how Tarimite scruples have relaxed.
* (pages 10, 19) Po appears to believe in a god named Set.

## Publication Notes

* Reprinted in *Cerebus: High Society No. 3* with a variant cover and additional materials.
* "Mind Game II" is reprinted in the *High Society*.