Random Strangeness - Node Module with a Python Dep

So I'm not saying this is wrong, but it is surprising. The following snippet comes from the logs of a Docker container I'm trying to build. Why does this node module want Python?

npm info lifecycle modern-syslog@1.1.2~install: modern-syslog@1.1.2

> modern-syslog@1.1.2 install /statsd-master/node_modules/modern-syslog
> node-gyp rebuild

gyp info it worked if it ends with ok
gyp info using node-gyp@3.5.0
gyp info using node@7.8.0 | linux | x64
gyp ERR! configure error
gyp ERR! stack Error: Can't find Python executable "python", you can set the PYTHON env variable.
gyp ERR! stack     at PythonFinder.failNoPython (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/lib/configure.js:454:19)
gyp ERR! stack     at PythonFinder.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/lib/configure.js:368:16)
gyp ERR! stack     at F (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/which/which.js:68:16)
gyp ERR! stack     at E (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/which/which.js:80:29)
gyp ERR! stack     at /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/which/which.js:89:16
gyp ERR! stack     at /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/which/node_modules/isexe/index.js:44:5
gyp ERR! stack     at /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/which/node_modules/isexe/access.js:8:5
gyp ERR! stack     at FSReqWrap.oncomplete (fs.js:114:15)
gyp ERR! System Linux 4.9.13-moby
gyp ERR! command "/usr/local/bin/node" "/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/bin/node-gyp.js" "rebuild"
gyp ERR! cwd /statsd-master/node_modules/modern-syslog
gyp ERR! node -v v7.8.0
gyp ERR! node-gyp -v v3.5.0
gyp ERR! not ok
npm info lifecycle modern-syslog@1.1.2~install: Failed to exec install script

So I guess we're not quite to a world where everything is JavaScript.