Chapter III: At the Good Intentions Paving Company

Chapter III's cover.

## Overview

Chapter 3, At the Good Intentions Paving Company, is the third installment to the Glass Scientists webcomic. It has 22 pages, published from April 10th, 2016 to September 4th, 2016. It's named after the song "Good Intentions Paving Company" by Joanna Newsom.

> "This is a chapter about people trying to help other people. Results... to be seen."
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> - Sage Cotugno (April 3rd, 2016)
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In which Jekyll and Lanyon go to the theatre, and Hyde chats with Rachel before going out on the town.

## Summary

Chapter 3 opens the morning after the night Chapter 2 leaves off, with someone shouting off particularly hostile headlines about the supposed sins of Henry Jekyll and his inevitable downfall, soon banging aggressively at Jekyll's office door. This particularly theatrical someone is revealed to be Jekyll's best friend and the co-founder to the society, Dr. Robert Lanyon, whom Hyde expresses incredible distaste for.

After familiarly greeting his friend of several years, Lanyon wastes little time in fussing over the theater across the street, the Diodati Theatre Company, which will be putting on a show that night based on Frankenstein, entitled *The Mad Galvanist*. Lanyon stresses that so close to the Society's upcoming exhibition, it's clear sabotage of their hitherto just-barely-respectable image, but Jekyll doesn't seem so much concerned about it as much as annoyed, content to ignore it. Insistent upon the severity of the issue, Lanyon takes Jekyll to see the show at the theater that night.

Despite Lanyon's concerns, Jekyll comes only to earnestly grieve the blatant inaccuracies to the novel. The show itself is over the top, heavy handed about its supposedly *very* serious morals, and not in the least bit believable.

However, Lanyon did come to discuss more than just the atrocious theater experience. He details issues with his father, a significant patron to the Society, whom Lanyon is revealed to have a turbulent relationship with. Lanyon's father is revealed to be pulling financial aid from the society, placing ever more importance on the exhibition's financial success, so that the Society won't be closed down, and doubly, stressing Lanyon's concerns about *The Mad Galvanist*'s portrayal of 'mad science'.

Even given this revelation, however, Jekyll's concerns are mainly comprised of nitpicks about the play's accuracy and poor writing. After all, plays like *The Mad Galvanist* had been around for decades. Lanyon's concerns mainly stemmed from seeing very little of similar shows in the past, whereas Jekyll saw many growing up, especially centered around Frankenstein. They weren't taken very seriously back then, and they aren't now.

As the show reaches its end, Jekyll further stresses the illegitimacy of the play by highlighting the end of Frankenstein's novel: Victor Frankenstein dies ingloriously, alone in the arctic. Jekyll defends this ending's cultural significance by saying that any scientist would be happy to die for their work, certainly including himself. Lanyon quietly takes this with no small amount of concern for his already overworked friend.

The pair head back to the Society soon after, encountering Jasper in the foyer, who startles the daylights out of Lanyon, thinking Jasper is some sort of "burglar-murderer". After Jekyll gives a quick introduction of the Society's newest lodger, Jasper attempts to shake Lanyon's hand, but as his hand is absolutely dripping with chicken grease, Lanyon refuses as politely as possible.

After Jasper's gone, Lanyon laments the addition of a new lodger to provide for when they don't have the resources. Jekyll apologizes for worrying Lanyon, promising not to take on any more. Lanyon briskly denies worrying at all, something allegedly more routine of him.

Lanyon soon leaves the society for the night, leaving Jekyll to make good on his promise to Hyde to let him go to Blackfog.

After transforming, Hyde's first stop is the kitchen to see Rachel, startling her briefly, though she quickly recovers upon seeing who it is on the kitchen counter behind her. Indignant, Hyde tries to assert himself as a threat, but Rachel only laughs at his attempts. He steals a freshly baked cookie, much to Rachel's chagrin, who had baked them for Jasper. Hyde teases her, but Rachel distracts him by complimenting his cape, which Hyde got specifically to go to the Bazaar, having heard his idol, Queen Lucy of the Forty Elephants may be there. Hyde details a story about her that he'd heard, before taking off into the night through the kitchen window, teasing Rachel one last time about her crush on Jasper before she pushes him out.

Hyde delays his trip to Blackfog to go out drinking and partying, making the most of his night out, while Rachel goes to see Jasper on the roof of the society. After a bar fight, Hyde heads to Blackfog with a couple he frequently sees, soon on their way encountering a towering beast which scares the two off, leaving Hyde to face it alone and further delaying his trip, bringing an end to Chapter 3.