The Cream of the Jest · Chapter
XVII: Of the Sigil and One Use of It explained
Kennaston discovers that touching Ettarre in his dreams causes them to end abruptly.
What happens
Kennaston discovers that touching Ettarre in his dreams causes them to end abruptly. He learns more about the sigil's history, seeing it whole in ancient Alexandria. To prolong his dreams, he devises a method using a candle and the sigil's reflection, allowing him to escape into the dream world for eight hours each night.
Themes in this chapter
Dream vs. Reality
Kennaston's divided life between waking reality and his dream world, using the sigil to escape into an idealized existence.
The Search for Meaning
Kennaston's quest to understand the sigil's origins and his growing preference for the dream world over mundane life.
Characters to notice
- Felix Kennaston
Discovers the sigil's power and learns to prolong his dreams of Ettarre by using a candle's reflection.
- La Beale Ettarre
The object of Kennaston's dreams; touching her causes the dream to end.
Key passages
“It proved that this was indeed a part of the sigil’s wonder-working: Kennaston learned by experience that whenever, even by accident, he was about to touch Ettarre his dream would end like a burst bubble.”
Kennaston discovered that the sigil's magic caused his dream to vanish instantly if he came close to touching Ettarre.
The sigil's power imposes a boundary between Kennaston and Ettarre in the dream.
“So began an odd divided life for Felix Kennaston.”
Felix Kennaston started living a strange split existence between reality and dreams.
Kennaston's dual life becomes a central theme.