“…and it’s funny, her breaths are astonishingly attractive to him, how seductive the sound of living can be!”

S. continues to imagine the boy, who swings over the rail and jumps into the water. Then S. begins to a hear a cacophony of sounds that he can’t quite make out before he feels a sharp tug on his arm. It is Stenfalk, covered in blood, telling S. to come with him and Corbeau. S. complies, and Stenfalk helps support S. on his shoulder while the three of them make their way through the windy alleyways of the city.

As we approach the end of the chapter it is becoming clear that S. has found travel, at least for the time being. Considering the skepticism that Stenfalk felt towards S. when they first met, he must now see something in S. that merits him getting saved and brought to wherever they were planning on going. It looks like their goals are similar enough to merit a companionship between S. and Stenfalk’s crew.

Jen and Eric discuss the death of Desjardins, the French Straka scholar that Eric has been referencing from time to time:

Jen: Desjardins died on Sunday. Article/obit is online at labalise.fr

Another fall. Maybe they’re right + it was a suicide… but honestly? This is getting scary.

I didn’t know him well… But I think this was a suicide the same way that Summersby’s was. Which is not at all.

I didn’t realize he’d been Moody’s thesis advisor.

I think I mentioned earlier that they were estranged. Not sure what went bad between them-but I bet it wasn’t Desjardins’ fault.

I’m surprised you didn’t try to contact him earlier.

Wish I had. I didn’t think he’d take me seriously-too young, no PH.D., no track record, + a connection to Moody.

Other people in the field have taken you seriously, though, right? I mean, even Moody has.

Just b/c someone takes you seriously doesn’t mean that you know they do. Or that you believe you deserve it. Also, I wasn’t entirely sure I could trust him.

That doesn’t surprise me.

This dialogue predominately serves to advance Eric’s storyline, which is centered around preventing Moody from stealing his thesis and taking credit for his life’s work. Desjardins would have been an excellent resource for Eric, considering his experience in the field of Straka literature, but now that he is dead Eric must look elsewhere. The fact that Desjardin’s death resembled that of Summersby suggests that he was killed by someone else in the field. The only living people we know who fit that bill are Eric, Moody, and Ilsa and we know that Eric innocent, so that leaves us with two initial suspects. However, if Moody and Ilsa are innocent (which is certainly) that would suggest that the suicide/murder was the responsibility of another person or group. Maybe the enigmatic organization called S?