After another much needed and unwanted B.A.T.H. I got dressed in my gray coveralls. I was happy to find out that the laundry service was excellent and had even managed to get out some of the deeper stains that had eluded me for years.

"We have a lot of experience in that area." Explained the human attendant when he handed back my clothes. I made a mental note of that for later and headed to the kitchen to meet up with the rest of the crew.

Sacher was humming happily as he cooked a late breakfast for the assorted monsters that made up our group. Meanwhile Sally and Gershwin discussed the merits of different breakfast foods.

She was making an argument that pancakes were the best simply because they required very little preparation or equipment. Gershwin however was adamant that waffles were clearly superior based on texture and versatility.

"My son will agree with me." Gershwin walked over and put a hand on my shoulder. He was wearing some kind of loose fitting black bodysuit with a hexagonal texture pattern woven into it with golden thread. It took me a minute to realize it was an isolation rig. Gershwin had been doing some hacking in his down time and apparently hadn't wanted to risk exposing his wetware to the net. That was probably a smart move since there was a Gravekeeper lurking around. "Kerner, tell this adrenaline junkie that a crisp waffle beats some soggy pancakes any day of the week."

"You're both wrong. The best breakfast is a golden slice, with maple syrup and butter." I countered before turning to our host for an opinion. "Sacher?"

"Golden slice, but with fruit conserves. Ideally made from baguettes instead of sliced bread. That gives it both a superior texture and the ability to be prepared the night before for a quick meal in the morning." He nodded to himself. "Ja, that is the best."

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"Bah!" Gershwin shook his head in mock annoyance. "May hell take your golden slice!"

I laughed despite myself as I took a seat at the table. It was good to have Gershwin back. I had missed his banter. One thing I had always loved about him was that on the big things he might change his mind, but he would argue to the death about the inconsequential.

Sacher started laying out heavenly smelling plates piled high with potatoes, smoked ham, sausage, and topped with not one, not two, but three fried eggs each. "It's called tiroler gröstl." He said happily. "Just the kind of food a being needs to power through a busy day of violence."

Sally saluted with her cup of broth. "I'll drink to that."

"Yes, why not?" Gershwin raised his cup as well clinked it against Sally's while making sure to not break eye contact. "Zum wohl!"

I found myself wondering what exactly the history was between my father and Sally. She seemed to be the only one not surprised by his resurrection and they were oddly close. Perhaps he had shared his plans with her? Maybe she was more than just a driver.

"Your food will get cold if you keep looking out into space instead of eating." Sacher said.

I mulled over his words as I ate. No hund would bother looking out at the blackness of space for very long. Most would have said "watching the ocean" or "chasing clouds" so maybe it was a human phrase?

The Gravekeeper's words came back to me. What had it said about looking out at the stars? "Sacher, would a human look at a star with wonder?" I asked.

Both Sacher and Gershwin stopped what they were doing and looked at me. The two of them shared a glance that I couldn't decipher before Sacher cleared his throat and spoke. "That's an odd question."

Tension seemed to hang in the air but I couldn't understand why. What was so important about a star? "Don't worry about it." I said. "It was just a passing thought."

Sacher seemed like he was going to ask a question but Gershwin cut him off. "Our equipment should be ready by now. Let's finish our food and go pick it up."

"Ja, that is probably a good idea." Sacher frowned. "I'll pick up a few things and meet you there. Sally knows the way."

I looked at Gershwin. His smiling face was completely unreadable. I decided to ask him about it later when we were alone. "Yeah, sounds like a plan." I agreed, every fiber of my being wondering what exactly was going on and why stars were so important.