Puzzles & Games
– Gideon, wearing his trademark traveling cloak, ventured into the marsh alone. Byrne, secretly envious of Gideon’s popularity, followed him at a discreet distance wearing Gideon’s spare boots—accounting for the single set of footprints. Upon overtaking his fellow minstrel, Byrne crushed a cluster of nightshade berries to create a makeshift paralytic and tossed them into Gideon’s path. As Gideon succumbed to the toxin, Byrne seized his lute, dragging him into the marsh’s soggy expanse. The tattered cloak got caught on a bramble as Byrne hauled his quarry. The broken quill pen belonged to Byrne; he had been jotting verse when he heard Gideon’s approach, pocketed the pen, then left it at the scene in his haste to escape.
– When afternoon visitors found Gideon’s lute and the scattered berries, Byrne feigned horror and guided rescuers on a false path northward, buying himself time before authorities arrived.
Previous Week’s Champion:
Congratulations to Mr. Henry Packard of Newcastle, who solved “The Midnight Heist at Redwood Manor” with enviable precision. We await your deductions on this week’s challenge—may your logic shine brighter than the morning sun.
