On the day that the whales came to rot, the seaside town of Prince-au-Mer, which existed in a perpetually indecisive state, found itself teetering on the precipice of complete disorder. Dr. Rutherford and his handsome assistant, who was not a doctor and had spoken very little in public, so was assumed to be as unintelligent as he was handsome, believed that the carcass should be ignored and left to decay naturally. 
         There are many ecological benefits to allowing the whales to decompose...