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1. How does The Magician's Assistant begin?

Parsifal, Sabine's husband, best friend, and employer has just died on the MRI table at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. He suffered a terrible headache which turned out to be an aneurysm that caused his death. Sabine replays the day's events from Parsifal waking up and telling her all about a dream he had about Phan, his recently deceased lover, to the headache that arrived around the same time as the dream to the gentleness of the nurse that was attending him at the MRI where he died.

2. Why did Sabine marry Parsifal, a gay man?

Parsifal's death was not unexpected, but it was not expected so soon. Phan recently died from AIDS and Sabine married Parsifal for the convenience of avoiding inheritance issues once Parsifal succumbed to the same illness.

3. What does Phan tell Sabine in a dream after Parsifal dies?

Sabine dreams of Phan who apologizes for taking Parsifal away. He says he caused the aneurysm so Parsifal would not suffer because he knew of her hopes for a quick and painless death. Phan also tells Sabine that Parsifal is not ready to come visit her because he is embarrassed about what he left unknown. Phan admits that he does not know about Parsifal's unknown things either. The thing that is unknown is left unknown.

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