The Nature of the Beast

Gamache questions Professor Rosenblatt about his impression of Bull’s gun. Rosenblatt is puzzled by the absence of the firing mechanism. He also admits that he knew Bull better than he previously made clear. The two of them worked together when Bull was a researcher at McGill University, but Rosenblatt denies collaborating with Bull on plans for the supergun. When Gamache asks why the Whore of Babylon would be etched onto the gun, Rosenblatt suggests that it is an allusion to Iraq (where ancient Babylon was located). However, Gamache is unconvinced that the gun was built for the Iraqi regime because it is located in Quebec and was found to be pointing toward the United States. Gamache is increasingly drawn to the theory that Bull may have had a collaborator. If so, that individual could still be at large.

Clara Morrow, a longtime resident of Three Pines, visits Al and Evie Lepage. Clara has recently lost her husband, Peter, so she relates to the grief that Laurent’s parents are feeling. Clara comforts Evie, encouraging her to talk about her son. As a fellow artist, Clara admires some sketches of a lamb that Evie made for Laurent and displayed in the house.