Date: Fri, 14 May 1999 08:25:50 -0700 (PDT) From: Chris Cole Message-Id: <199905141525.IAA54177@questrel.questrel.com> To: John Bailey Subject: Re: Manson's Maze Reply-To: chris@questrel.com X-UIDL: 49d9da75d4e215b46b21c7dfe32bf520 X-Mozilla-Status: 8011 The email version is the latest version. Here it is: ==> treasure/maze.p <== What is the solution to _Maze_ by Christopher Manson? ==> treasure/maze.s <== How now, mad spirits? In room 29, a door to room 17 is hidden upside-down to look like a table. Notice that the two leftmost candlesticks are not connected to the stand. In addition, the two candles for those sticks are casting shadows back toward the fool, away from the lit candle on the stand. This is also hinted at in the first room by the two banners on the ground, nearest the entryway. They contain the words "Go" & "17." Using this door this 16-step tour exists: 1 26 30 42 4 29 17 45 23 8 12 39 4 15 37 20 1. The various components of room 45, put together properly produce the following question: "What house will all live in?" W + hat = What shoe + U (horseshoe shaped) = House Will (iam shake spear) awl = All elvi = Live eye + N (sideways Z) = In Beginning at the first room of the path, a hint can be phrased: "Like Atlas, you bear it upon your shoulders." 1: Like is written backwards on the banner hanging near the entryway. 26: salt + A = Atlas 30: From text, "Why 'O' & 'U'?" = You 42: A Bear is the main feature of this room. 4: The holes and pegs are a form of intelligence test, abbr. I.T. alternately, the torches are I's and the gavel is a T 29: up + on = Upon 17: Why + Oh + You + Are = Your skip room 45 23: Taken from the text is the word "shoulder" to which we add the S from room 8. This is not entirely satisfying, because the next rooms do a good job of providing most of the letters, but not in quite the right combinations. i.e. S U D R (ELL spells) L house, hero, heroes S S The acceptable answers were "The World, Earth, or Globe." In addition to the hint, Shakespeare's theater was the Globe, and among the banners in the first room is the Greek symbol for their goddess of Earth, a circle with a dot in the center. (actually, the banner has a square, and that is only a vague memory. I'm not sure that the symbol is correct at all.) Much thanks to Andrew C. Plotkin for the information provided by the publisher and to Narciso Jaramillo for his assistance in determining the reasons for these statements. Although a letter has been sent to the publisher, nothing but the riddle, hint and answer is certain. In, it, and shoulders are particularly unsatisfying. Any additions, suggestions, clarifications or comments would be welcomed. Sco4tt "Fool" Purdy spurdy@pomona.claremont.edu