▁and ▁cl ash es ▁of ▁motiv ation ▁cause ▁the ▁team ▁members ▁to ▁fall ▁out ▁with ▁each ▁other . ▁Pot ter ley ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁both ▁remain ▁dist urbed ▁by ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁their ▁baby ▁daughter ▁in ▁a ▁house ▁fire ▁many ▁years ▁earlier , ▁and ▁there ▁is ▁the ▁suggestion ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁sub cons ci ously ▁trying ▁to ▁ex on er ate ▁the ▁Car th agini ans ▁of ▁child ▁sacrifice ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁ex on er ating ▁himself ▁of ▁the ▁possibility ▁that ▁he ▁accident ally ▁started ▁the ▁fire ▁which ▁killed ▁his ▁daughter . ▁When ▁he ▁sees ▁his ▁wife ' s ▁reaction ▁to ▁the ▁chron os cope , ▁and ▁real izes ▁that ▁she ▁would ▁use ▁it ▁to ▁obs ess ively ▁watch ▁their ▁daughter ' s ▁short ▁life , ▁he ▁alert s ▁the ▁authorities ▁and ▁accepts ▁the ▁bl ame . ▁His ▁associate , ▁F oster , ▁now ▁in ▁the ▁g rip ▁of ▁intellectual ▁pride ▁and ▁ze al ▁for ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁free ▁inqu iry , ▁attempts ▁to ▁publish ▁his ▁break through ▁but ▁is ▁suddenly ▁and ▁unexpected ly ▁app reh ended ▁by ▁Th ad de us ▁Ar aman , ▁the ▁b ureau c rat ▁who ▁rejected ▁Pot ter ley ' s ▁original ▁research ▁request . ▁ ▁As ▁Ar aman ▁attempts ▁to ▁secure ▁a ▁promise ▁from ▁F oster ▁not ▁to ▁persist ▁in ▁publication , ▁F oster ' s ▁uncle , ▁N im mo , ▁is ▁brought ▁in . ▁N im mo ▁proves ▁just ▁as ▁reb elli ous ▁and ▁int ract able ▁as ▁the ▁other ▁two , ▁and