Annotated 10-8
This was all the explanation we felt we needed for the out-of-town burial location of the Peacemakers-minus-one. To Harky, burying them right in town would have been like putting zombies in the cemetery. Other means of disposal such as burning them or feeding them to the sharks would have likewise carried the risk of infection in Harky’s view. We intended no plot significance to the facing caves; those were just a bit of ambience.
Plus, yes, yes, had they been buried more centrally to Souff Kural, it would’ve completely ruined the surprise of the last chapter, and getting them out would’ve been a really complicated fight scene right at the point where the story needed to breathe for a bit.
It’s also convenient– but I think, also organic– for the “kids” of the group to go off and play while the “angsty teenager” retreats into himself for a while, so that the “grownups” can have a quiet moment to talk.
That last panel served as the basis for the first Guilded Age bookmark… because reading IS revelation, of course. (We left out the speech bubble, though.)
This explains why they weren’t burned which I think would be the most logical way to get rid of potential zombies, but in some lore cremation can actually spread the infection through tainted ashes and since there’s a lot of magic in this world burial outside Souff Kural makes sense. The most efficient means of disposal would be covering their corpses in concrete, but I don’t think Harky has any of that around.
They were buried in caves.
Harky should have collapsed those caves.
Or worse, through tainted smoke
That last panel is, indeed, gorgeous.
Very much so, you’re right.