Sweet Tooth #26 is an issue of the series Sweet Tooth (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 2011. It was published on October 5, 2011.
Synopsis for "The Taxidermist, Part 1 of 3: The Hinterlands"
In late 1911, Englishman and taxidermist Dr. James Thacker is sent on a personal mission in finding his lost fellow doctor and soon to be brother-in-law Louis Simpson in Alaska. Simpson had delayed his marriage proposal to James' sister Mary over a Jesuit missionary to Alaska until contact with Simpson had ceased. Concerned by Mary's worries over her missing fiance, James contracted the rescue mission on the HMS Aberdeen.
Upon arriving in Alaska, James and the ship's Captain Jasper see it best to lead a small party away from the shore into the hinterlands while the rest of the crew stay with the ship and plan a second rescue party if they do not hear from the first party. The party consists of James and Jasper themselves and one of the crewmen name Kemp. At first light of the three-man expedition, Jasper is having second thoughts that they should bring more men. But James overrule Jasper as he points out that he (James) is in charge of and paying for the expedition.
James' party trek north for Simpson's mission. On the sixth day, hindered by the harsh weather and only a day away from their destination, the already exhausted party break into camp. That night, the party are awaken from their sleep to find their sled dogs slaughtered. The assailant(s) are nowhere to be seen. Jasper highly suspects that whoever killed their dogs, presumably the natives, may be responsible for Simpson and his missionaries' disappearances. The party take watch and await for daybreak to continue their journey even without their dogs that would take longer to travel.
Days later, the party continue their trek while James ponder on the exact reasons for the attack that night and its ties to Simpson, given that the natives in the land are usually peaceful. The party finally arrive at the mission, where they open its doors to find inside the decaying corpses of the missionaries. James examine the bodies and find that they have died of disease, although the specification is unknown to him. Although without any further examination from risking themselves from being infected, James and the party are forced to burn the bodies. James can only fear the inevitable that Simpson may be one of the dead.
After preparing a bonfire, a Inuit approaches them. Jasper and Kemp belligerently attack the Inuit as they believe him to be responsible for killing their dogs and the missionaries' deaths. James tries to prevent his men from roughhousing the man further as they need to question him. Kemp retorts that the native couldn't understand them. As Kemp said this, he is suddenly speared in the shoulder. Kmep's attacker, to James' surprise, reveals to be Louis Simpson.
Appearing in "The Taxidermist, Part 1 of 3: The Hinterlands"
Featured Characters:
- Dr. James Thacker (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Captain Jasper (First appearance)
- Kemp
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Anne Thacker (In a photograph only)
- Mary Thacker (Single appearance)
- Louis Simpson
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- HMS Aberdeen
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in:
See Also