Journal of Miyara Kyosuke (34)

Unedited

    (The last card was the Knave of Cups, not the King)

    We discussed the puzzle: could the range be related to the organ, or the flagpoles, or people?  The barbarians could not get anywhere, just going round and round with the same topics.  Yazeran was trying to keep others from finding the clues, but wanted it easy for us.  How he knew all about us and thought these would solve anything, I have no idea.
    There was also the matter of "find the cause" from the last card, something we had not yet figured out.
    We ate first, since lunch was at a fixed time, and then went on to try to solve the puzzles.  With the approaching orcs, we had been permitted to carry our weapons.
    They decided to do the easiest first.  There were four flagpoles, one of which was tallest, and the other three were the same height.  There were several flags on each pole.  That indicated that the flagpoles were not the solution.
    Next on their list was the organ.  We carried enough water between us to fill the steam vessel.  Deiter of course accompanied us as always.
    As soon as we reached the organ room, there was an immediate problem.  There was no place to pour the water in the chamber intended for it, but looking with his special sight Pireseri found a pipe that lead up to the armory above.  With some shouting and confusion, they managed to find the correct place up there -- a sluiceway.  The water came up into the miller's room next door, and there was a place to dump buckets to go into the forge, and a tap to open a pipe into the organ chamber.  So Hosei ran around to pour in water, and it ran down to fill the reservoir.
    Pireseri reported that the water was getting hot. He remembered that there was a fire in the smithy, not far from all these pipes, and he looked closely and saw that there was an arrangement that used the heat.  He thinks he can figure out a combination of stops and key presses to make the highest and lowest notes.  He points them out, and the organ makes a sound, a high and a low note -- possibly the highest and lowest notes the barbarians had ever heard.  For some reason, Goru immediately went off to examine the kitchen stoves.  Meanwhile, Pireseri tried playing some kind of tune on the organ.
    We identified the tallest and the shortest pipe -- the former against the wall, the latter right by the keyboard.  Most of the pipes in the far end of the room were inaccessible, as they filled half the room.  Goru had returned to us, and said that he had looked at the stove because in that language "range" could also mean kitchen stove.  He had of course found nothing.
    Pireseri played around with the organ for a while, playing all the notes individually and together.  I went to look at the forge in the smithy, because it might be a "range" too.  Hosei went to look through the kitchen.  I knew nothing about smithing, so went back down to fetch Goru.  He said it was just a forge, nothing unusual.  Miyara went to search near the statue, while Hosei went somewhere else.
    We then considered the difference in height, or distance between, the tallest and shortest pipes.  Both measurements were about ten feet.  We were then at a dead end and could come up with nothing new.  I wonder whether it represents the distance from the keyboard, so I look for loose bricks in the wall there.  There were none, but it did occur to me that the secret door was in the corner of the room, so about the same distance from the smallest pipe to the tallest.  I went to the secret door.  The others had now wandered off, except for Goru who seemed to be wandering about, quite bored.
    I opened the secret door and looked around where it opened, but found nothing.  I expanded my search to the tunnel itself, but again saw nothing out of place.  I closed the door behind me and searched the inside of the door, and the tunnel, but saw nothing again.
    I opened the door at the other end into the tomb and entered the room respectfully.  I explained to Yazeran what I was doing, and hoped he didn't mind the intrusion, and apologized.  Then I looked around after closing the door behind me.  This, like the organ room, was ten by twenty with the sarcophagus in the center.  The only other things in here were the statue of the hawk at the head of the tomb, and the chest which Pireseri said contained money at the foot.  I opened the chest.  The bird attacked me.  I closed the chest and fell to my knees, apologizing profusely.  I did not attempt to fight back.  The bird flew over my head, and sat menacingly over the chest.  I apologized again and explained I was just looking for the next card, prostrating myself on the floor.  I stayed there... and found nothing in front of my face.
    I heard the door open behind me.  I did not move.
    Miyara asked me what I did.  I told her that I had looked at the chest for the card, and despite explaining it was not acceptable.  She said I should not have touched the chest.  I agreed.
    I heard someone else enter the room, probably Goru by the noise he was making.  I heard him start to search the room, while I heard others move in too.
    Miyara asked me if I had apologized appropriately; I said I had.  She told me that since I had offended the guardian of the tomb, I had to leave immediately, stay on my knees and back out.  I did exactly that.  The others stayed behind, no doubt to search as much as they could.  I returned to the organ room and played the highest and lowest notes, and some in between.
    The others came through and went on to search other places.  Miyara reminded me sternly not to go back into the room.  I remained doing things with the organ for a while, hoping I could luck into something.
    Miyara came to fetch me, and based on the picture on the card they were looking for a wine-sodden monk in the brewery above the miller's room.  In here was a cupboard containing the top of the bucket mechanism.  The brewer was checking on the latest batch of beer.  Hosei spoke to him for a short while.  I searched the cupboard but found nothing.  Hosei and the brewer laughed in the background.  Others joined in the conversation, and then started searching as well.
    The brewer went back to work.  While the others searched, I watched him work.  He talked amiably to me, and I talked amiably to him.  I asked him about where the card might be, and if the organ playing might have changed anything up here.
    The others went out, Miyara and Hosei having what was clearly a somewhat tense conversation.  They went on to the courtyard to try other random ideas while I kept looking around up here.  The brewer seemed to be finishing up with what he was doing.  He headed for the ladder down, and as he did so, waved to me to follow him.  He took me back to his room and invited me in.  He went over to his small chest, waved me closer, opened it up, dug around in it for a while and handed me a card.  I said yes, and thanked him greatly.  I told him happily how marvellous it was.
    This one showed seven wheel-like objects in a hexagonal pattern, and had some words on it.
    The brewer tapped into his stash of wine, and I would certainly not refuse this great man's hospitality.  He had a great capacity to talk and to drink, and I listened well and drank too.  I asked him what the card said, and he went on at length about it.  I tucked the card somewhere safe so I would not lose it if the hospitality made me fall down drunk, and continued to be a polite and amiable guest.  I did a short clown performance for him, which he seemed to enjoy.  I was definitlely feeling the effects of the wine.
    Eventually, the brewer got up and opened the door.  Much to my surprise Miyara and others were there.  Miyara spoke to the brewer, and then called me over.  Somewhat unsteadily I walked over, and she asked what I was doing.  So I did a little clown performance for her.  The brewer applauded.
    Hosei said he had no idea where to find a card.  I said I did.  I put it somewhere, and gave it to Hosei.  He read the words: "STAFF of life rod of iron."  Now the large words are "ONLY SEEK TALLEST STAFF."  Then I said the wheels were mill wheels, and I said the staff of life meant bread.  They all said it was coins.  I went off to visit the miller while the others puzzled over it.
    I got to the miller's place first, and looked around but can't find anything.  The miller himself was not there.