3514 The Smoking Gnu
Fixed the title. This is what it was supposed to be.
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Fixed the title. This is what it was supposed to be.
So someone was all, I kill you, I kill you, I kill you three times.
Musta been really mad. Or maybe two other would-be killers weren’t gonna let the target being already dead stop them from…
Hey, was there a bounty?
…Or was this like in "oor Hamlet" where "he mad op fer hesitatin once by killing Claudius twice."
My read is more of a Grigori Rasputin scenario. Tried to kill once with the poison, didn’t take, tried again with another dud, the last time did the trick though.
Right, Grigori Rasputin froze to death because he wasn’t able to get out of river due to ice over it. He survived eating poisoned cake, drinking poisoned wine, three gunshot wounds (one at close range to the forehead) and drowning.
… according to some theories, at least.
If you believe the Austin Lounge Lizards’ wonderful song "Rasputin’s HMO", Rasputin survived the freezing river as well as the whole earlier gauntlet of over-the-top violence, but finally met his match against an indifferent health insurance provider.
"Are these the gates of Hell, or am I still in managed care?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVDIx_ufDl0
If I remember correct that is not the theory but what one of his murderers claimed during interogation. Possibly to make him more demonic.
Rasputin died of three gunshot wounds, one being a close range shot to the forehead.
There’s a photograph of his corpse and you can clearly see the wound in his head.
Maybe it was a "Weekend at Bernies" situation, where the killer wound up trying to kill her multiple times because someone else was trying to make everyone think she was still alive?
So prattroot was a red herring too? The murdered must have fishing as a hobby, ’cause that’s a lot of red herrings!
Unless prattroot extract is used to inject a liquid poisonous to the brain…
Hmmm… And the scent of prattroot coming from her mouth a cover? Intriguing and devious….
Unless multiple people were all trying to kill her separately
Could we be talking Murder on the Orient Express here?
My thoughts since I read about the patroot and the harpsichord. A little Overkill.
MAXIM 37: There is no "overkill." There is only "open fire" and "I need to reload."
"Schlock"
It isn’t the only theory that fits the facts as we (the readers) see them, but it does seem to be the frontrunner. We have a murder victim who was seen arguing with almost all suspects, a suspicious poetry book that has gone missing and which according to one witness was some sort of code (spells are code too) and not poetry, and now three separate attacks on the victim at the same time, the most recent one revealed to have been the fatal blow.
But hey, that’s just my personal train of thought.
Sound like a mindflayer…
"Can we acknowledge here that Maula Bloodhand does not DO two-inch needles subtly inserted through the canthus of the eye? She’s more the ‘broadsword subtly inserted through the sternum’ type."
"Subtly" implying that the broadsword isn’t noticed due to the concurrent choking that has already cut off most oxygen flow
For the orcs, “subtly” means without a war cry.
"I was totally being subtle. If I’d wanted to draw attention, I’d have been shouting every Orcish war curse I know when I killed that elf."
"But that’s exactly what you did. You were soaked in blood, in plain view of a dozen witnesses, screaming curses the whole time."
"That was NOT every curse I know."
Maula was considered a master tactitian in her younger years. She even taught her husband. Certainly, she’d know how to do a subtle kill if she REALLY wanted to go for it.
Though I doubt Maula was the killer. She’s more clever than that.
Maula did refer to herself as the Queen of Subtle during the Enter the Keeper arc though.
She did, and I’d forgotten. Ty for reminder, and ty to MidnightDstroyer for finding the link 🙂 https://www.yafgc.net/comic/1191-subtle/#comment-57010
I just want to see Maula’s outfit for this new style and era. And how many weapons she secretly has stashed on her person, no matter what the outfit looks like. I bet you she will be sadly disappointed by the facilities offered by whatever makeshift prison they put her in. She was known to be a bit masochistic, and to enjoy messing with the heads of anyone who might try to torture her. Not that that is at all likely under these conditions, I can just imagine her, very bored, wistfully imagining that.
Really two inch would be enough?
Yup. The canthus is the corner of the eye (specifically, Cadugan is examining the inner canthus where the tear duct is), and two inches deep from there is basically to where your temple is. Among other things, there’s a major blood vessel right back there, as well as the basal ganglia.
Ok. I though basal ganglia is deeper.
For those of you (like me) who are not familiar with inches, 2in is a little over 10cm, so it’s more than enough. Assuming the inch in Elgerost equals the inch as defined by the USA.
Go ahead and convert. I’ll foot the bill.
I’ve gotta hand it to you, i never expected that joke, or most of yours, thinking of it. They make me laugh till i acre think of other things.
I am likely completely missing some joke here, but 2 inches is a little over 5 cm, not ten.
Ummm, duhhh, i totally missed that it’d be 5 not 10…. Ty. You can probably tell i’m American lolol (although that one i normally know)
The pun i was reacting to was foot, as in measurements
Yes, the inch is officially defined as being 2.54 mm, since 1964. (This was also the de-facto standard since 1912.)
Err, check that. The inch comes in at 25.4 mm or 2.54 cm
You got me there, friend. It seems I should redouble my efforts to not double the measurements. A brain fart because I commented instead of doing what I am paid to do, goofing off on company time.
Things like that happen when the meter is running.
An easy mistake to make, don’t let it treble you or make your thinking willi milli, mi crony in puns
By whatever metric you measure the situation, I am sure you can be excused for sometimes not measuring up to your usually high standard. There are times we all have to inch our way along in the dark and double-down on our goals to go the distance to them. Criticism of the situation should not be metered out at too great a length.
Well, it’s a good reason to couldn’t get out the river
You are doing the mystery genre proud with this arc.
You are most kind, thank you.
t!
Seriously. I know I saw this a lot, but my silence is reverent. You do not interrupt a symphony.
And driving me crazy between the coming up with possibilities, and the wanting to ask why you chose to say this, not that, or present the info now instead of later, or …. You’re evil, evil i tell you! And that’s a high, rare compliment from me 🙂
And very much appreciated, from both of you.
The big terror now, of course, is that between all the ideas and theories and cetera flying and bouncing around – what if the actual mystery doesn’t hold up?
t!
The true pleasure of a mystery story lies beyond the mystery, in characters that are quirky, in the twists and turns of interactions, all without suspending disbelief. And on that note your story paired with Rich-ly illustrated panels fits well.
It doesn’t matter what the reveal is. The story has already paid off. To a t!, you could say.
1st and 4most, what Fnordius said, as that’s mostly how i think <3
It’s not completely if it’s solved by me, it’s more
-does it make sense
-are clues provided, enough and in the right context. Christie was infamous for not doing this, as much as i enjoy her books
-are there multiple solutions, and the others could still work regardless of the random solution? If so, it’s still a mystery, even after the solution, and unsatisfying as a puzzle. Lot of interactive murders do this intentionally so’s to be replayable/rewatchable
-are there twists and turns? Most of the Spenser series are adventures, not mysteries, and same with Columbo (although i’m not sure columbo’s were even adventures)
2nd, what are your standards for a mystery?
-Is it a contest between the author and multiple readers? Or each reader individually? Or not a contest? Or…
-Are the readers enjoying? (From the comments, I’d say yes 🙂 )
-are the readers going to want to strangle you after this is solved? Do you want them to?
Seriously, any media is an interaction between producer and receiver and context. This has already provided a gamut of emotions in the characters and in the readers, furthered and deepened character development, and world development, and reminded us of why we enjoy different character. Plus, with some of us, it’s revealed our own characters, and isn’t that part of a mystery as well?
Wow.
I am humbled, thank you both.
I love the Spensers. "Well, we know who did it, but they’re going to get away with it."
I think that if, as a writer, you’re treating a mystery as a contest, you’re doing it to show off (and it won’t work). You want it to be obvious in retrospect. Those who want to just be carried along (like me) will be thoroughly satisfied, and those who want to puzzle it out will *probably* figure it out.
> Plus, with some of us, it’s revealed our own characters, and isn’t that part of a mystery as well?
100%
I once explained to someone who was an SF fan that the reason I love mysteries, particularly murders, is that by definition they confront the biggest upheaval in what we perceive as an ordered society. Then the best ones ask "What does this mean?"
Homicide: Life on the Street taught me that.
t!
Obviously suicide.
My theory for the killers plan:
1. Immobilize her with poison.
2. Extract information from her brain with some kind of probe.
3. Crush her skull with an ACME harpsichord to hide your actions.
Can’t believe it hasn’t been said yet, but…
I wonder who Cadugan is going to pin it on ?
It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, without a magnet
But when you’re at the pointy end of the investigation you have to stick it to someone
You just had to point out that he’ll have to point fingers and appoint them the suspect. Tradition and need’ll demand it, that the blame be upin someone, and he’ll get upin their face about it. It’s the fly in the pointment.
(Munchkin singing) She’s not only merely dead, she’s really quite sincerely dead!
Ooo, this title is perfect!!! As a caption of the internal discovery, as well as the mix up that is everyday life. 🙂