114
You push open the front door and immediately you are struck by the sweet aroma of Lissanian tobacco smoke that clouds the air of the inn’s spacious, high-ceilinged taproom. There are more patrons here than you were expecting to find at this hour. Quang wends his way through them and you follow him in single file to the rear of the crowded taproom. Fortunately, you find a table where three men are preparing to leave. You take their seats, remove your backpacks, and stow them between your feet where you can keep a watchful eye on them. A serving girl emerges from the crowd and asks you what you would like to order. Quang requests three ales and food enough for all of you. She nods politely and disappears back into the throng of chattering customers. While you are waiting for her to return, you listen to snippets of conversations and learn that some of the patrons have been here for three days. They are waiting for the storms to abate and the ferry service to Dwala to resume its normal service.
At length, the girl returns with three pewter tankards of ale and a large plate heaped with cuts of cold meat and peeled vegetables. Quang pays her and she gives him three small parchment envelopes, six slips of yellow paper and a stick of sharpened charcoal. While you are enjoying your meal, a gong is stuck three times and a hush descends upon the taproom. The innkeeper climbs onto the counter and addresses his patrons in a loud voice:
‘My dear ladies and gentlemen. I am proud to introduce to you one of Chai’s most celebrated riddlers. Please welcome the wonderful, the amazing, the confusing and confounding Madam Dai-zia!’
The patrons applaud and an elderly woman, swathed in a flamboyant robe of turquoise and gold silk, is lifted onto the counter by the innkeeper’s twin sons. The innkeeper hands her a large hourglass which carefully she sets down on the counter beside her feet, then she smiles and bows graciously to the appreciative crowd. As the applause fades, she addresses them in a warm maternal tone.
‘Thank you, thank you, most kind. This evening I have prepared for you a special riddle. Please listen carefully and then wager generously.’ There is a soft ripple of laughter among the patrons before Madam Dai-zia clears her throat and begins.
Long, long ago, there lived a beautiful princess who yearned for a handsome and intelligent husband. She had many suitors. Some were handsome, some were intelligent, but woefully few were both these things. She was herself very intelligent indeed. And so she devised this riddle to test the mental mettle of the men who so desired to win her affections and take her for their bride.
She had three toa wood boxes which were identical in size. Each one was painted a different colour and each one had a different inscription on the lid. Into one of these boxes she placed a wedding ring. To every suitor who presented himself she posed the same question. Based solely on the inscriptions, she asked them to choose in which box the wedding ring was hidden.
She told them that at least one of the inscriptions was true and at least one of the inscriptions was false.
The inscription on the Gold Box read: ‘The ring is not in the Silver Box’.
The inscription on the Silver Box read: ‘The ring is not in this Box’.
The inscription on the Bronze Box read: ‘The ring is in this Box’.
Please consider your answer carefully. The innkeeper and his sons will come and collect your wagers in three minutes’ time.
The moment Madam Dai-zia finishes her last sentence, the innkeeper turns the hourglass and the sand begins to flow.
The innkeeper will double any money that is wagered by those who solve this riddle. Your answer must be written on one of the two yellow paper slips and placed in the parchment envelope along with your wager. On the face of the envelope you must inscribe a symbol. On the second slip of paper you must inscribe the same symbol that you made on the face of the envelope. This second slip must be kept safely. If your answer is correct you will have to show this slip. If the symbol does not match any of the winning envelopes then you cannot lay claim to your winnings.
Now you must decide how much you wish to wager on this riddle. If you do not have any Gold Crowns, Lieutenant Quang will lend you 30 Ren (3 Gold Crowns) which you must use to make a wager. You cannot refuse to bet on the answer to this riddle. Everyone in the taproom is obliged to make a bet.
Deduct from your Belt Pouch the number of Gold Crowns you wish to wager. Make a note of this deduction in the margin of your Action Chart. If you deduce the answer correctly you may add double this number of Gold Crowns to the money in your Belt Pouch. If you do not answer correctly, you will lose the Gold Crowns you wager.
If you decide that the answer is the Gold Box, turn to 320.
If you decide that the answer is the Silver Box, turn to 147.
If you decide that the answer is the Bronze Box, turn to 5.