Snake Charmer

The **Snake Charmer** is the creator of a blind cat-snake.

## Appearance

The Snake Charmer is described as looking like a gentleman, with a four-button vest under a butcher’s apron and an ankle-length raincoat. He has sandy hair, parted to one side.

## History

The Snake Charmer pulled open the door to his laboratory, closed it behind him, and made his way over to a table before calling out for his creation. He made a deliberate noise as he cleared the table and lifted his package onto the table. Finding his creation, he walked over to the water tank to wash his hands before heading to his desk. He picked out some vials; dabbing a bit on his wrist, then rubbing his wrists together. Then, he set about tidying the papers on his desk.

After his creation ate the meal he had brought it, the Snake Charmer used a pair of tongs to pick up the bag. He dropped the tongs when he discovered Gordon before he fought him. He managed to catch Gordon and put a carving knife to his throat and backed up. He asked Gordon if there were more of them before threatening to cut Gordon if Lillian didn't tell him.

Lillian told him that there were four before the Snake Charmer asked about the noise he had heard outside. She then said there were five, if he counted him. The Snake Charmer demanded the rest to come out and expressed shock over the fact that they were all children. He called them an infestation before wondering why his creation hadn't rooted them out. Looking at the children, he saw that they were covered in something so his creation couldn't smell them and realized that what was happening was premeditated.

Lillian revealed that they had heard about him and his creation. He asked about what they had heard and she told him that his creation was eating pets and had eaten a man. He denied it and she told him that there were witnesses before he told her that the witnesses were wrong. Gordon said that he had let it out to get its own food and pointed out how one of those 'strays' had been human. The Snake Charmer said that Gordon didn't know what he was talking about; how it had studied his creation's leavings and found nothing human. Gordon told him he hadn't found anything *conclusively* human.

Spotting movement, the Snake Charmer told Helen to stay put. Gordon told him he was a killer and how they were calling him the 'snake charmer' before he sensed trouble. Wheeling around, he watched as Sylvester grabbed a bottle of his creation's venom before asking him if he cared about what happened to Gordon. Sylvester told him that he did and that, if anything happened to Gordon, he would throw the bottle at the both of them. He looked around, realized he couldn't see all of the children, and told Sylvester to move. Sylvester didn't move.

Gordon told him that it was over and the Snake Charmer said that it wasn't his name. Gordon said that it would be the name that the Academy gave him and how they would dehumanize him. Gordon then went on to say that he wouldn't be able to get them all and those that escaped would tell people, and those people would find him. He denied it before blaming the Academy - telling them how people couldn't enroll without experimenting and how the Academy didn't allow that.

Lillian said that there were other ways to join the Academy, but the Snake Charmer denied it. He said that there weren't nearly enough ways and how the world was changing and the Academy was deciding its course. After Lillian told him that she was enrolled, he tightened his grip on the knife before Sylvester threw the bottle at him. Gordon ducked and the Snake Charmer released him before catching the bottle. He stared at it and then threw it at the floor. As Sylvester started screaming, the Snake Charmer turned on the others.

Gordon tackled the Snake Charmer, driving him back, before letting him stumble backwards. Helen tipped over the rain barrel over him - washing off the pheromones - and he shouted at them, asking them if they thought they had control over the situation. Gordon told him that his creation was deciding between him and Sylvester and how he smelled while Sylvester was bleeding. Gordon went on to say how both were tempting, but that he would be more tempting if he started bleeding. The Snake Charmer dared him to try.

The Snake Charmer tried to grab Gordon, but only grabbed his clothes. Gordon slashed him in the stomach before he tried to grab Gordon again. Gordon let his knife drop into his other hand and slashed at the Snake Charmer's knee. The Snake Charmer fell, screaming, and Gordon cut his other knee.

Realizing his situation, he told the children how he controlled his creation before asking them to take him in. When they didn't respond, he used his arms to pull himself towards the table. He raised himself up and reached across the table only for Gordon to kick one of the table legs. The Snake Charmer fell before he pleaded with them.

Then, the Snake Charmer's creation seized his feet and began to swallow him and he screamed.