"I Am a Scientist"
- Will Henry grabs a night of restless sleep, and he's making himself a bleary-eyed breakfast when Constable Morgan shows up with urgent business.
- There's been "an abomination," a horrific crime, and Dr. Warthrop's expertise is needed immediately.
- The doc, Constable Morgan, and Will Henry (of course) dash off at once to the scene of the crime. There's one survivor, and the Constable fears that what he saw has driven him mad.
- The constable drives the doc and Will Henry to the house of Reverend Stinnet, where horrific carnage is in evidence. The bodies of the Reverend and his family are dismembered, disemboweled, and torn apart in every gruesome manner you could imagine. Thanks, Anthropophagi.
- The constable is dubious that Dr. Warthrop didn't have anything to do with the Anthropophagi being in New Jerusalem. The likelihood that the creatures would show up within a few miles of the world's leading expert on them seems too coincidental.
- In one of the more terrible descriptions of the Stinnet family's fate, the body of the mother is found still clutching her infant despite having been decapitated and having had both arms wrenched out of their sockets, fingers broken or dislocated, and her torso separated from the rest of her body. Equal parts gross and sad, don't you think? The doc marvels at the strength of maternal instinct, while the constable thinks this is in poor taste.
- Will Henry blames the Stinnets' deaths on Dr. Warthrop. He thinks they could have been saved had the doctor reported the Anthropophagi's presence to the proper authorities.
- The constable leads Dr. Warthrop and Will Henry toward the little church next to the home where the lone survivor is temporarily being held for his own safety.
- The survivor is Malachi, a fifteen year-old boy. He's huddled under a blanket in the front pew, in shock.
- Dr. Warthrop questions Malachi about what happened. He will only talk to Will Henry, though, especially after they bond over tragically losing their parents (and running from what killed them).
- Malachi saw his brother Matthew ripped apart by the creatures. His sister Elizabeth fainted in his bed from fear, while he lay paralyzed with it.
- He was trying to drag his sister to the window to escape when one of the Anthropophagi found them and killed her by swinging her head into the ceiling. Ugh. He then was able to jump out the window and flee to safety.
- The Anthropophagus that killed Elizabeth only had one eye. And the alpha female that Captain Varner stabbed only had one eye. Well, that settles how they got to New Jerusalem.
- The constable wants to evacuate or raise a militia to combat the beasts right away, but Dr. Warthrop is arguing that it would only cause a panic—he thinks the situation can be contained. Uh huh, sure it can.
- The constable and Warthrop continue to fight. Warthrop insists the Anthropophagi won't need to feed for several days. (Does he seriously still believe the literature even after it's been proven drastically wrong?)
- Warthrop feels that the constable isn't listening to his expert opinion, so he officially withdraws from the whole situation, wiping his hands clean of any consequences. Uh, it's a bit late for that, don't you think?
- When Dr. Warthrop leaves in a huff Malachi begs to come with Will Henry, but the constable says he should stay with him.
- Seemingly reading Will Henry's mind, the doctor defends his innocence. He thinks that he is blameless when it comes to the Stinnets' death, because all he did was believe in years of research.
- Will Henry thinks the doc is just trying to absolve his own guilty feelings.
- Dr. Warthrop somehow feels like the alpha female is looking for his father. Interesting.