Solution: Crossword

Written by Kevin Wald

This cryptic crossword has one completely unclued entry (32 Across) and eight that are clued only with screams.

ACROSS
1. DEMOLISHMENTS (METHODLESS NIM anagram)
13. ON ICE (ONE "shall eat" I + C[reatures] = ON(IC)E)
14. STEER (ST + E[ligius] + ER)
15. OPERA (A ROPE anagram)
16. LOTTO (&lit; LOOT anagram getting [entertainmen]T = LO(T)TO)
17. FERRIC (F + ERIC "seizes" R = FER(R)IC)
20. SWOONS ("over" O "when surrounded by" SNOWS = SN(O)OWS reversed)
24. INATTENTION (TIN NOTE AIN'T anagram)
27. VITA ([e]VITA)
28. GATH ([a]GATH[a])
30. ARES (double definition)
31. HULA (HAUL anagram)
39. PERK (PER + K)
43. TAUT (TT "when" AU "is hoarded" = T(AU)T)
44. COTS (COOTS - O)
45. TRUE (T[he] + RUE)
47. ESCAPEMENT (EST "occupied by" CAPE MEN = ES(CAPEMEN)T)
50. KINDLE (LIKED angram "around" N[ight] = KI{N}DLE)
53. PALE ("about" LAP + E)
54. TOROID (I'D ROOT anagram)
55. RIDER (RYE'D ERR homophone)
56. UNITE (I "will get into" TUNE anagram = UN(I)TE)
57. DIANA (AN AID "to the West")
58. ASSAI (in CallAS SAId)
DOWN
2. ENOW (WE "will take" ON "uprising" = W(ON)E reversed)
4. LEON (LE + ON)
5. STEPNEY (YEP ENTS anagram)
6. HERE (HER + E)
7. MERRILY (LIMEY anagram "takes in" RR = ME(RR)ILY)
8. NICENE (NINE "about" CE = NI(CE)NE)
9. TORN (TO + RN)
10. DEASIL (LISA + ED "spun")
11. IRRITANT (I + RANT "about" RIT = IR(RIT)ANT)
12. CATNAP (PANT + ACE - E "revolutionary")
18. ICON (COIN anagram)
21. OATH (A HOT anagram)
22. SERE (SEAR homophone)
25. TALKS (LATKES - E[scoffier] anagram)
26. DHOTI (contained in SpieD HOT Individual)
27. VULCANISM (LUV "going up" + CANIS + M[ajor])
33. SUMERIA (AIR + EMUS "arising")
34. MARTINI (MARTIN + I)
35. BUCK (double def.)
36. SOLD (SOLE'D homophone)
38. STEP UP (PUP[p]ETS "heavenward")
40. EUCLID (I CLUED anagram)
41. ACETIC (ASCETIC - S)
42. AMMO (A + M + MOE - E)
48. PREX (&lit; P + REX)
49. NOAM (MOAN anagram)
51. IRAN (I + RAN)
52. LEAR (L + EA + R[ealm])
When the clue answer are entered and the remaining letters are filled in properly, the complete grid is as follows:

DEMOLISHMENTSDIC
ONICESTEERIOPERA
LOTTOFERRICRCART
SWOONSPERCENTSIN
INATTENTIONDVITA
GATHARESLNEHULAP
NMHOLEYSYMBOLSNA
SPERKAAUTAUTCOTS
TRUESCMMERCIALAT
ESCAPEMENTKINDLE
PALERTOROIDRIDER
UNITEIDIANAASSAI
PDDEXCLAMIONMARK

32 Across is HOLEY SYMBOLS and the entries clued with screams are names for the symbols above 1 through 8 on a computer keyboard, each with a string of 1-3 letters omitted (which is what makes them "holey"):

19 Across: CAR[e]T
23 Across: PERCENT SI[g]N
46 Across: C[o]MMERCIAL AT
59 Across: EXCLAM[at]ION MARK
1 Down: DOL[lar] SIGN
3 Down: OCTOTHOR[p]E
29 Down: AMP[e]RSAND
37 Down: ASTERI[s]K
("Many things of the sort in the previous cryptic" -- that is, vampires -- have fled in screaming terror from the holey symbols. They apparently thought they were holy symbols.)

When these missing letters are arranged in the order in which the corresponding symbols appear on the keyboard, they yield ATOPLARGEES; that is, ATOP LARGE E'S. (E, which is what the vampires overlooked, is indeed important.) The words (and question mark) atop the capital E's in the clues yield the following cryptic clue:

CREATURES OF THE NIGHT WILL PRODUCE SMALL YELLS?
whose solution, owlets, is the solution word to the puzzle.