Damn, it's annoying to watch people not doing anything to protect themselves but just die like sheep. If not for the brainwashing they would have had any number of ways to get rid of the fiend. But being conditioned as they are, they can barely run away.

I don't honestly see how Squealer or anybody could control that thing. Why would it even want to be controlled by a queerat? If it kills humans for fun, killing queerats should be no different. Maria should make no difference here. Even if the fiend wouldn't kill her, I don't see how Maria would be all too sane trying to control the fiend considering what it is doing. Yet if she is, it'd be somewhat strange she would in turn be controlled by queerats, because she would be pretty much a fiend herself. Even normal humans can kill queerats by hundreds without a second thought.