Transcript of this chapter:

sheriff: Good afternoon, Barlow.
barlow: Oh, hello sheriff. I see you're back on your feet again after that head injury.
sheriff: Yep. Injured or not, there are things I should be doing.
barlow: Funny. I've never known you to actually do things.
sheriff: True... but that makes two of us.
barlow: How are you feeling now?
sheriff: Oh, I can get around okay... as long as everything isn't spinning around me.
sheriff: To tell you the truth, I don't even remember what happened. One minute I was standing in the street, and then I find myself in a bed three days later. Rebecca thinks I should stay under her care, but I've got to get caught up in the backlog at the office.
barlow: I'm being forced to investigate yet another mystery... my aunt Vedalia is upset about a demon corpse I found in the cemetery.
sheriff: Yes, I heard all about it. Crystal questioned me about it this morning, but I don't know anything that would help.
barlow: Crystal was here? I just don't understand her obsession with this mystery.
sheriff: Isn't it obvious? She's afraid we'll turn on her, because she suspects that we turned on the last demon to live here. She's looking for ways to prevent it from happening again.
barlow: Yeah, I wish she could investigate this on her own. I've got important things to do that to look for a rogue demon-hunter.
sheriff: Oh, really? Exactly WHAT would you prefer to be doing right now?
barlow: So you're back on the job already?
sheriff: Yep. I know I might not do much as sheriff, but one things I pride myself on is never missing work.
sheriff: I've been sheriff for almost 30 years, and in that time I've only missed six days of work.
barlow: Any long-term effects to your injury?
sheriff: Long-term effects? What do you mean by that?
barlow: Well, you know... sometimes when people are hit on the head their personality might change in some radical way. I was just wondering if you've experienced anything like that...
sheriff: Barlow, that's completely ridiculous. That sort of thing doesn't really happen, does it? I find it hard to believe there's any sort of catalyst that can change someone instantly.
sheriff: Let me assure you that I'm just as centered and balanced as I ever was. The only difference is this splitting headache that I'm hoping will go away soon.
barlow: Maybe you should take it easy.
sheriff: I always take it easy, you know that. I'll be okay. Rebecca has me drinking that awful slimeweed tea several times a day. She says it has strong medicinal powers.
sheriff: Headache or no, I'm well enough to continue in my job.
barlow: I want to get out of this town and do big things!
sheriff: Then why don't you?
barlow: Well, the bridge is out... and... you know, the whole demon-hunter thing.
sheriff: It sounds to me that you're just trying to make excuses. There are things you could be doing now to get ready for the future.
barlow: Yes! Exactly! That's why I've been digging up my old books. If I can squeeze every bit of knowledge out of those books, I'll become the kind of person I want to be!
barlow: I need to get ready to move on! I won't be in Spider Cliff forever!
sheriff: So how are you preparing?
barlow: I was digging up my old books. That's what started this whole demon corpse problem in the first place. I'd rather go back to digging for books, because that silly mystery isn't going to help me at all.
barlow: I figure that if I can squeeze out every bit of knowledge from those books, I'll become the type of person I've always wanted to be!
barlow: I need to stop doing what everyone tells me. I need to be true to myself, and do the things that I think I should be doing!
sheriff: And those things are?...
barlow: I need to finish digging up my old books. That's what started this whole demon corpse problem in the first place. I'd rather go back to digging for books, because that silly mystery isn't going to help me at all.
barlow: I figure that if I can squeeze out every bit of knowledge from those books, I'll become the type of person I've always wanted to be!
barlow: I have no idea what I should be doing...
barlow: I have no plan, only a desire to get out of Spider Cliff forever. I guess in the meantime I might as well be digging up and reading my books. I figure that if I can squeeze out every bit of knowledge from those books, I'll become the type of person I've always wanted to be.
sheriff: Nothing can change you that quickly, Barlow...
sheriff: And you can't rely on books or other external things to bring about change in your character. Just remember that knowledge can be gained in a book, but wisdom only comes from experience... and anything that changes you only does so by relying on your own readiness and devotion.
barlow: What are you trying to say?
sheriff: I'm say that people don't really change all that much.
barlow: I can change. I'm always trying to improve.
sheriff: Sure, Barlow.
barlow: You don't believe me? But I'm always reading. I want to know everything!
sheriff: Your aunt Vedalia had certain reasons for burying your books, you know. She was afraid you'd think that book learning was the only kind of learning. She thought you'd learn a lot more through experience.
barlow: Crystal has changed quite a bit since she got here. Need I remind you that she originally came here to destroy the town?
sheriff: So she says, but if she was a real threat we wouldn't have let her in. She didn't know it at the time, but she didn't want to stay on the evil track she was on.
sheriff: That's why she's so interested in this new mystery. She's afraid her past will make us turn against her. I'm sure the two of you will figure it out, though...
barlow: You can't tell me that your injury didn't affect you in SOME way...
sheriff: Okay, yes. It was something I experienced first-hand, so there's bound to be something learned.
sheriff: I think the only way I've changed is that I'm now going to keep a lookout for falling masonry. Okay, so maybe I've changed... I've become a little bit more cautious.
barlow: Both Crystal and I have been changing. I know everyone thinks I'm still naive about the world, but I think I've learned a few things from my experiences with Crystal.
barlow: And look at her... she originally came to Spider Cliff to destroy us!
sheriff: Or so she told herself. In actuality, she was ready to abandon her evil past. She just needed an environment in which to see that.
sheriff: If Crystal was really a danger to us, we wouldn't have let her in.
barlow: I don't know. I had to do a lot of work to make sure she didn't succeed in her original mission.
sheriff: I wasn't worried. We've seen much worse. In all the years I've been sheriff, there was only one occasion where someone actually got close to destroying Spider Cliff.
sheriff: Compared to that event, things like Crystal's arrival... our recent problem with Alistair... this new demon corpse mystery... all are trivial.
sheriff: Like it or not, you're going to have to look into this demon corpse thing. It's certainly not a job for local law enforcement. You're the one responsible for all supernatural crimes.
sheriff: The question is, how are you going to go about it?
barlow: I just want to solve this before Vedalia come back from the dead. You know she was always a "take-charge" type of person.
sheriff: Is there some special reason you don't want Vedalia to return?
barlow: Uh... just the usual reasons...
sheriff: Maybe it has something to do with certain demons and zombies who have moved in with you?
barlow: Honestly, I didn't PLAN fro them to move in with me. It just sort of happened.
sheriff: Yeah, try explaining that one to Vedalia.
barlow: I know. Maybe I SHOULD hurry up with the investigation, just to prevent any problems.
barlow: I think I'll let Crystal handle most of this one.
sheriff: Isn't it YOUR responsibility to make sure things like this are handled?
barlow: Well... I'm just delegating it to Crystal.
sheriff: You can do that, but I'm sure you'll be pulled into the case before too long.
barlow: I don't know if we'll ever have enough information for this one. There don't seem to be any hot leads to follow, and we don't even have any key suspects.
sheriff: Hmmm... Someone killed a demon without permission. I can only think of one person with the desire to do that.
barlow: Sure, it would seem to point towards Alex, but he's the one who flagged that grave in the first place. If he WAS responsible, I don't think he'd allow the corpse to be found.
barlow: It's like I was saying... there's no leads. Nothing to follow.