The Doctor was faintly surprised to see that last night's clue was still present, but the fading depiction of the butterfly in the stomach was nothing compared to what was—what must be—the newer clue. When the light of the Doctor's torch found the painting, he stopped looking around, transfixed.
It was a good painting, all things considered; it didn't look a thing like either John or Salome, but it was well-done all the same. But as a clue went, it was even more baffling than the butterfly. If the butterfly had been meant literally as something within the stomach, was this meant to be taken the same way? Beheading couldn't be part of the solution; it was a touchy subject to start with—one that people would often, well... lose their heads over—and by the end, it was (usually) quite permanent. Beheading might end the sickness, but it would also end lives.
Something less literal, then—or an analogy? Were Salome and John representing someone (or something!) else entirely? Was the painting simply pointing to the event of the beheading, or the reasons for it, or the lessons the story could be used to teach?
While the Doctor had been studying the painting, Tsurugi had moved closer to it, crouching down to check something else.
"Did you find something?" he asked, taking a few steps closer and finally moving his light off the painting in order to see what Tsurugi was inspecting.
no subject
It was a good painting, all things considered; it didn't look a thing like either John or Salome, but it was well-done all the same. But as a clue went, it was even more baffling than the butterfly. If the butterfly had been meant literally as something within the stomach, was this meant to be taken the same way? Beheading couldn't be part of the solution; it was a touchy subject to start with—one that people would often, well... lose their heads over—and by the end, it was (usually) quite permanent. Beheading might end the sickness, but it would also end lives.
Something less literal, then—or an analogy? Were Salome and John representing someone (or something!) else entirely? Was the painting simply pointing to the event of the beheading, or the reasons for it, or the lessons the story could be used to teach?
While the Doctor had been studying the painting, Tsurugi had moved closer to it, crouching down to check something else.
"Did you find something?" he asked, taking a few steps closer and finally moving his light off the painting in order to see what Tsurugi was inspecting.