Motif · Book 8, A Parade of Horribles

The holding area

The Desperado Club's 'Nothing' spot, in suspicious quotes, is a one-way portal to a stasis chamber — the dungeon's toss-and-forget backup behind the broken Nothing, from which a floor designer can pull people off a menu. Pontiff tests it; Chris, Britney, Louis and twenty more follow, meant for the Cabaret; they wake in Sheol.

Segment appearances

• Chapter 79 — 715 deals; Britney in Carl's mind; the Nothing in quotes
• Chapter 80 — The final heat: the lobby
• Chapter 83 — The poleaxes; Britney kills Osvaldo; the Cadillac
• Chapter 85 — The Wheel of Fortune; 'Nothing' in quotes
• Epilogue — Epilogue: Sydnee Iglacia, Prime Minister Victory, Louis Santiago 2

Progression

Akuma's casino route and Herot's reach (ch. 79); Pontiff's test (ch. 80, ch. 82); stasis and a menu (ch. 83); 'This portal leads to a stasis chamber' (ch. 85); Louis (ch. 87); a nanosecond like years, and Sheol (epilogue).