A Curious Beginning

Veronica and the baron arrive in London in the predawn hours. They stop in a run-down neighborhood that the baron identifies as Stoker’s home and workshop. Inside, they pass through “a series of large rooms, each filthier and colder than the last, and all stuffed with rubbish” (28). Veronica, delighted, realizes that Stoker is a taxidermist.

Stoker himself stands shirtless over his work; when he turns, Veronica sees he is muscled and wears an eyepatch, causing her to draw a comparison to Hephaestus from Greek myth. The baron asks to leave Veronica with Stoker, who instantly rejects this idea. As the baron pleads, Veronica explores, taking particular interest in a preserved butterfly that she believes mislabeled. She is intrigued by Stoker’s claim that he captured the butterfly himself from the Amazon. Stoker agrees to house Veronica only when the baron reminds him of his mysterious debt. The baron departs, promising to return soon.

Veronica compliments Stoker’s taxidermy. He clarifies that he is a natural historian, and taxidermy is just part of that work. Stoker turns back to his project, unwelcoming. He tells Veronica she can clear off a nearby sofa if she wishes to sleep. As she does so, she encounters Stoker’s bulldog, Huxley.