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…a dramatic room with four entrances and exits. “Not enough light in here,” they remarked. “Not very tidy either.”
“Which way now, children?” I asked in my most patronizing voice.
They objected to my tone, but it distracted them from the real clues. The game usually goes as I plan it, despite the intentions of my visitors, or perhaps because of their intentions.
“What the devil is this supposed to be?” one asked. They gathered around and I realized they were close to something. I quickly picked up the bell, ringing it loudly.
“Was this what you heard outside?”
Holding their ears they ran out the door to…
- Images and text copyright 1985 by Christopher Manson
used with permission. [Purchase MAZE from Amazon]
Room Type: PATH Doors: 1 30 36 38
Solution Summary: [COLLECTION CURATED BY WHITE Raven. SEE COMMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL SOLUTION PROPOSALS.]
● The correct door is 30. [Credit: Unknown - during the 1985 contest]
● The part of the Riddle of the Path is “Atlas.” “SALT” (the salt shaker) + the letter “A” held by a devil rearranged = “ATLAS.” [Credit: Unknown - prior to 1990]
● Three real devils = 3. One fake devil = 0. 3 & 0 is 30 – the correct door is 30. [Credit: Beq S.]
● Door 1 is known to be the entrance. A devil’s tail points to door 36. A devil’s pitchfork points to door 38. The non-indicated door is 30 which is correct. [Independent Credit: Beq S. | White Raven]
● The moon and Saturn = One of the moons of Saturn is named Atlas. The devils emerge in three stages like a rocket and a fourth one is in flight. The loud ringing of the bell is illustrative of the roar of takeoff. The Guide asks, “Which way now?” to answer that, one might consult an atlas. [Credit: Dave G]
● The fake/metal devil represents the Voyager 1 probe which discovered the moon Atlas. The real devils represent fire/take off, the probe was launched with a three-stage Titan-Centaur rocket. The devil’s mouths are open to represent singing – one of the songs played by Voyager 1 is “Devil Bird” which was also a nickname for Voyager 1. The shushing is illustrative of the silence of space. The theater chairs are representative of the bleachers for viewing a launch. [Credit: White Raven]
● The bell is the same shape as the zero for room 30. The Guide rings this bell loudly. The only door with a zero is 30, which is the correct door. [Credit: vewatkin]
● The position of the doors in relation to the door frame in this room strongly suggest that the doors open inward. The doors to 36, 38 and 1 are all blocked to some degree from opening by the open trapdoors. The only door which could open freely is door 30, the correct door. [Credit: Eric]
In the directions it says ‘Clues in a series of rooms may relate to one another, and may indicate a path.’ The pitchfork points to room 38 and that is a possible indication not to enter that room. There is another pitchfork (technically a trident) in room 22 and it also ironically points to room 38, granted you are already trapped when you are there in any event. I believe however that random objects in rooms like tenpin bowling pins and umbrellas that repeat in other rooms have some sort of meaning so when looking at a room with say an umbrella in it perhaps look at the other rooms with umbrellas as well.
Two letters are visible. S and A. Remove SA from SALT and you got LT that could indicate Left. Remove SA from the planet Saturn and you are left with Turn. LT Turn or Left Turn?
Also remove S an A from Satan and you got TN, which could indicate Ten. 3 real devils times 10 = 30?
The salt shaker could be a reference to, when salt is spilled, one throws the salt over one’s left shoulder (to blind the devil). In other words, take the door on the far left.
The opening of the bell is pointing at the correct door.
I am unsure if this is correct, but based on the door symbols in room 1 suggesting the first four letters of the alphabet in reverse, I assume that as the left and center devils are emerging from their trapdoors an will be holding up signs that say “B” and “C” on them.
Or they already did and the salt is causing them to retreat?
“Salty Sea (C)?”
“Salton Sea?”
I don’t recall anyone drawing a connection between the A in 26 and the DCBA in 1 before. An intriguing possibility! Because the A is involved in the contest solution, we know what it means in the context of its puzzle. But, the backwards alphabet in 1 still may have been meant to associate with 26′s puzzle. (Like Room 1, Room 26 suggests a backwards word.)
The text say the children hold their ears (E-R).
The first time children speak, they use ER three times: “hERe”, “vERy”, “eithER”. = 3. The second time children speak, they use no ERs. =0. Resulting in door 30, of course.
When children finished talking and gathered arround. The guide, realising they were close to the answer and holding their ears, decided to distract them by ringing the bell (he-ring?). But the spectators on the figure ask us and the bell to be quiet, warning us to not be missleaded.
As in room 1, the children have the solution and the guide is distracting them.
I look for answers in the text, as it is well known that Manson liked word-puzzles and anagrams. I dont think he would just “point to” some bad doors in the drawing. Not his style as in room 1 and room 45.