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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What piece of jewelry does Whittlesey consider his talisman?

2. Who is Callisto?

3. What DNA other than human is found to exist inside the claw found in the chest of one of the young victims of the museum killer?

4. Why does Pendergast call Dr. Cuthbert down to the Secure Area in Chapter 17?

5. What happens to Ven at the end of Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Smithback ask Kawakita to help him with in Chapter 25? Why does Kawakita refuse?

2. What connection between the killer and the Mbwun figurine does Margo make in Chapter 25?

3. What is a ballistics analysis and why does Pendergast suggest one be done on the blood at the crime scene in Chapter 14?

4. What does Margo smell in the Superstition Exhibit hall that frightens her? Where has the reader heard of this scent previously in the novel?

5. What effect is the murder investigation having on the Museum of Natural History's visitors and staff?

6. What is Margo Green working on at the Museum of Natural History? Who is her adviser?

7. What began the rumor of the museum beast?

8. What does Margo Green find when she reports for work on Monday morning in Chapter 3?

9. What family crisis is taking place in the Green family, forcing Margo to make a decision that could end her dreams of completing her education?

10. What does Pendergast require of Dr. Wright in order to begin a successful investigation into the murders in the museum?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is Pendergast? Where is he from? Why does he come to New York? Why does he become involved in the investigation into the murders at the museum? Does D'Agosta want Pendergast's help? Discuss the relationship between Pendergast and D'Agosta in detail. Why is Pendergast removed from the investigation? What does Pendergast do with this information? Why would Pendergast begin investigating on his own? What does Pendergast know about he creature that other investigator's refuse to believe? How did Pendergast become involved in this investigation in the first place? What does the fact that Whittlesey's cargo was stopped in New Orleans for a time have to do with Pendergast? How does Pendergast eventually kill the creature?

Essay Topic 2

Margo finds herself trapped between loyalty to her family and her desire to finish her education in this novel. Discuss what event placed Margo in this position. Why is Margo reluctant to make a decision? Why does Margo feel she is needed at home? Why does she want to remain in New York? What impact on Margo's life will there be when she completes her dissertation? How would Margo's life change if she were to chose her family over her education? In the end, what decision does Margo make? Why? What decision would you have made in the same situation? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Why do Pendergast and Margo lure the creature to them? How do they hope to kill it? Why does Pendergast force Margo to hold the flashlight? What does light do to the creature? How does Pendergast know this? What is Margo's role in the killing of the creature? Why are the first few shots against the creature unsuccessful? How does Pendergast finally kill the creature? Why did no one think of this sooner? Why is Frock unable to autopsy the creature? What might Frock have found if he had?

(see the answer keys)

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