Girl Genius XXIV: Ask Vit a Bit More Terror

[Rockphed]

Well, one part of your theory turns out to be more likely now.

Now, is Tobber the murderer and destroying his own research? Maybe at behest of angels?

My theory was that Tobber will eventually go back in time and get murdered in the past, possibly by his past self. Since the evidence is made of beef, I am fairly certain that my theory is completely out of the running.

[PraetorDragoon]

My theory was that Tobber will eventually go back in time and get murdered in the past, possibly by his past self. Since the evidence is made of beef, I am fairly certain that my theory is completely out of the running.

Clearly Tobber was turned into a cow when travelled back into time. An unfortunate side effect.

[eee]

Clearly Tobber was turned into a cow when travelled back into time. An unfortunate side effect.

No, no, Tobber was ALWAYS a cow! He just had a human appearance! That explains SO MUCH!!!

Well, actually, it doesn't explain anything...

[DeTess]

Is there no end to these Sparks depravity? Not only do they design a meat-grinder big enough for humans, but then they include arcane alchemical properties to turn all meat fed into it into beef! Is nothing sacred to them?

[HandofShadows]

Yeah, Tobber is still alive, but him killing people runs utterly contrary to his paying off old debts, giving away very useful equipment and dropping a book of his notes in Agatha's lap.

[datalaughing]

You'd think Dimo would be able to smell the difference between people meat and cow. Maybe he wasn't paying much attention to the random container of mystery meat.

[Traab]

You'd think Dimo would be able to smell the difference between people meat and cow. Maybe he wasn't paying much attention to the random container of mystery meat.

Nah, they can smell heterodynes (and sometimes soap) but im not surprised they cant smell the difference between cow and long pig. A cat certainly could though.

[Agi Hammerthief]

wasn‘t Madwa also sent to otopsy?

[factotum]

wasn‘t Madwa also sent to otopsy?

Probably, but I can't think of a good reason why she'd be sent here for that? It made sense to autopsy Tobber here because he died nearby.

[Ellen]

So, there are at least two people involved. One is killing people, and the other is distributing research material. The Boilerghast may be one of these people or may be a third person.

The evidence against Tobber being the killer is that the door guard recognized the person who killed him and didn't freak out at a dead person come to life. On the other hand, anyone working at a lab full of sparks has probably seen weirder than that.

On the other hand, the evidence against Tobber being the book-distributer is that he never shared out his stuff before and doesn't have an obvious reason to do it now--unless it's part of some plan to get the killer, who seems to want Tobber dead.

I'm guessing fish monster is the distributer. FM would likely know the collection and know who had wanted what. FM (unlike Tobber) has no reason to hang onto the collection (not a spark or researcher so far as we know) but has reasons to hand it out (helping potential employers and stopping the killer).

Not sure on the killer, although we may have a not-Violetta smoke knight or other killer out there who did in everyone on the sub.

[wingnutx]

I think that's probably what today's strip is about--you would expect Krosp to know the difference between beef and something else, aka human meat. It would also explain why the two examiners had to be killed, because they would also have discovered the ruse quite quickly.

Exactly.

Recall Krosp's comment on disguises, "This is dumb, you still smell the same."

[lord_khaine]

Hmm.. the first murder is likely old Tobbler himself trying to hide from whoever is chasing him.
The second could be whomever is after Tobbler. Wanting to eliminate his research.
Or it could be Tobbler again trying to hide the nature of the trap he hid among the equations.
The last is very likely Toobler. To hide his meat deception.

[Ellen]

Hmm.. the first murder is likely old Tobbler himself trying to hide from whoever is chasing him.
The second could be whomever is after Tobbler. Wanting to eliminate his research.
Or it could be Tobbler again trying to hide the nature of the trap he hid among the equations.
The last is very likely Toobler. To hide his meat deception.

Maybe everyone but Agatha, Agatha's people, and Wooster are murderers. One happens and, next thing you know, everybody's doing it.

Killer #2 did it, sure that the murder would be blamed on Tobbler's murderer.

Killer #3 did it to keep someone from killing them and blaming it on Killer #1.

Killer #4 did it because a smoke knight, investigating Killer #1, caught her in an unrelated crime.

Killer #5 did it because he or she had to get rid of evidence in Tobblier's lab tying them to Killer #4 and someone was guarding the door because of all the murders.

Killer #6, already paranoid about the fish, killed one of the two doctors when he found out they didn't think there'd been a murder, proving they were working with the fish and covering up the crime.

Killer #7 got into a fight with the other of the two doctors, committed murder, and promptly got killed by Killer #6.

It's like dominoes but with more bodies.

[Rogar Demonblud]

There's a British mystery author where that's pretty much how the detective solves a murder: just wait until the cumulative killing removes almost every suspect.

[ElFi]

So if the coroners were killed while investigating the body, does that mean this plot's become a murder investigation murder investigation?

[Rogar Demonblud]

No, although we are starting to veer into a farce.

[PraetorDragoon]

Maybe everyone but Agatha, Agatha's people, and Wooster are murderers. One happens and, next thing you know, everybody's doing it.

Killer #2 did it, sure that the murder would be blamed on Tobbler's murderer.

Killer #3 did it to keep someone from killing them and blaming it on Killer #1.

Killer #4 did it because a smoke knight, investigating Killer #1, caught her in an unrelated crime.

Killer #5 did it because he or she had to get rid of evidence in Tobblier's lab tying them to Killer #4 and someone was guarding the door because of all the murders.

Killer #6, already paranoid about the fish, killed one of the two doctors when he found out they didn't think there'd been a murder, proving they were working with the fish and covering up the crime.

Killer #7 got into a fight with the other of the two doctors, committed murder, and promptly got killed by Killer #6.

It's like dominoes but with more bodies.

Sounds like a regular episode of Midsomer Murders.

[jwhouk]

No, although we are starting to veer into a farce.

"Starting to"? You don't know the Foglios very well, do you?

[Scarlet Knight]

I think that's probably what today's strip is about--you would expect Krosp to know the difference between beef and something else, aka human meat. It would also explain why the two examiners had to be killed, because they would also have discovered the ruse quite quickly.

"Look Food Lady; I've bitten enough petting hands to know what human tastes like & this ain't it!"


I had requested an armchair detective story & now we've got a good one!

*lights pipe*

Now, I believe we can assume whoever killed Smokes was not a spark since a knife in the front is just...un-sparky. That should narrow it down significantly in this dome.

[Ellen]

So, a Jager normally would have smelled the difference! Good to know.

And, once again, the problem with talking cats is that they hear everything. Like Krosp pointed out at the beginning, they make great spies (so long as they can remember to pay attention).

[PraetorDragoon]

Once again Krosp proves why you should talk to him first.

"Look Food Lady; I've bitten enough petting hands to know what human tastes like & this ain't it!"


I had requested an armchair detective story & now we've got a good one!

*lights pipe*

Now, I believe we can assume whoever killed Smokes was not a spark since a knife in the front is just...un-sparky. That should narrow it down significantly in this dome.

Well, they could have used a Stab-Knife-In-Front-omatic. which would have been very sparky.

[Traab]

Once again Krosp proves why you should talk to him first.



Well, they could have used a Stab-Knife-In-Front-omatic. which would have been very sparky.

Its actually a back stabbing device that teleports the knife to the other side of a persons body. Naturally that means he gets stabbed in the front. BUT HE ISNT EXPECTING IT! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Rogar Demonblud]

And once again Krosp is shown to be a master of the casual infodump.

[SZbNAhL]

Now, I believe we can assume whoever killed Smokes was not a spark since a knife in the front is just...un-sparky. That should narrow it down significantly in this dome.

You're probably right, but I should point out that Martellus has killed dozens of people with knives, and with the exception of the one he used on Tarvek, none of them seem to do anything more technologically advanced than amplify pressure via a manipulation of the surface area of the force-applying body.

[keybounce]

It's like dominoes but with more bodies.

'Scuse me?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE5RdFFgW0w

[PraetorDragoon]

That is one hell of a resume.

As it turns out, Martellus is an amateur who tried to copy the design for his Sparkhounds.

[geoduck]

That is one hell of a resume.

As it turns out, Martellus is an amateur who tried to copy the design for his Sparkhounds.

It was specifically noted at one point that Martellus was Vapnoople's apprentice.

[halfeye]

It was specifically noted at one point that Martellus was Vapnoople's apprentice.

Have we seen evidence that the Sparkhounds aren't Vapnoople's work? I don't remember either way, obviously.

[PraetorDragoon]

It was specifically noted at one point that Martellus was Vapnoople's apprentice.

Doesn't change the fact that his "houndmen" aren't collosal.

[Shining Wrath]

Martellus' innovation is that his hound men can change back to loyal servitors. Occasionally useful. He seems inordinately proud of them, but then, Martellus has a high opinion of his accomplishments at all times - such as taking credit for defeating Andronicus when it was a team effort and the single most lethal blow was delivered by Agatha. Not a modest fellow, our Tweedle.

Since Homnomium faked his own death, the killer is not him. That's too easy - Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians did that a century ago - and I surmise he faked his death because the real killer was getting too close to him. I will bet that Homnomium is the Boilergast, though; that sounds like Spark behavior.

So, not the killer, but not a nice fellow either.