Clearing The Maze

*NONSENSE SPOILERS*

Okay, so last time when examining the maze I decided one could "free the jester" by using items from the other rooms, and it felt like complete nonsense at the time, but very much on brand for me. Running through the maze again this time, however, I realized that it was not nearly as nonsensical as I thought...

Page 8

"Make sure to take that with you," I said. "You never can tell when you might need it."

This line establishes the precedent that the visitors (the reader), can take things from rooms to use them in other rooms. Notably in this room there is an umbrella and a candle. There are many other things that can be taken here as well, some might even say "a stethoscope" might be "taken" from this room, which is an interesting aside, but for my purposes in this blog entry the fact that objects can be taken and used elsewhere is most important; the candle is important as well.

Also it is worth taking note that I am unconcerned with the room to room connections in this post, as I have already gone over those in a prior post- this is more about what can be accomplished in general, rather than the specifics of mucking about (there are precedents set already regarding holes busted through walls and dug through floors anyway, so it feels like the emphasis included in this post is valid).

Focusing on the jester/joker first, the hint to this additional solution is almost obviously said in room 39:

"'I hear hammering,' said one.

'No, that's a chopping sound,' said another.

None of them heard the faint jingling that came from behind the wall."

With the joker door bricked over, the option to use items from other rooms now staring us in the face much like the joker room is, and the mention that there is a faint jingling from behind this wall, the solution feels clear: one must simply grab either the mallet and wedge from the very first page or, if that feels like too much nonsense, grab the hand axe from room 4 (or mallet from room 4 and wrench to use as a chisel from room 21... Honestly there are several items that might be Macgyver'ed into breaking down a brick wall, so pick your poison).

If one grabbed the staff in room 16 while they're at it the joker might be more appreciative of the rescue.

So with the joker in the party one considers that anyone in the maze might want out. While it seems like the musicians and painter are having a decent time, one could still offer an exit. The aminals might all be led out as well, although consent might be more difficult to judge in such cases (the crocodile in room 44 looks pretty ready to leave though). Overall though, the biggest hurdle to offering an escape for everyone is clearly regarding those in room 24.

Initially I thought that ringing the bell in room 11 might be enough to clear room 24, but then it sank in for me that the buzzer, which might be akin to a doorbell, would ring elsewhere. This is interesting though when one considers that there is an actual bell in room 26 which one might grab, and ringing that bell in room 11 might be enough to lead those in room 24 out, through the darkness.

This sonic solution felt incomplete though, so I considered what else might be done. There is a string in room 14 leading straight into room 24, seemingly as a clue, but clearly this string's presence is insufficient or those inside room 24 wouldn't be stuck there, so perhaps more rope must be found. Rope, it turns out, can be found in room 44. So now equipped with string and rope the party can presumably make their way into that room and have a way to get back out. That being said, why go in under prepared?

5/2/22 update: I almost forgot the biggest clue that this rope trick seems intentional! On the directions page it is said "Anything in this book might be a clue." and on this very same page two of the hands are pointing at a rope loosely wrapped around the pillars (thus easily absconded with), one points at the long strap thingy, and the last has the rope and sash positioned almost as if carrying them, while pointing into the maze. Once this train of thought is boarded, this feels like this clue is blatant, and placed right at the beginning to highlight that once the right mindset is settled into, getting this "true ending" which I reference here, of all being saved, is meant to be downright easy.

In room 27 it is said:

"The visitors were so intrigued with the entrance at the bottom of the excavation that they ignored what the figure was trying to tell them."

The shadow of the figure is pointing at a shovel, but this time through, planning on grabbing whatever I could find, I realized that this shadow was being cast by the lantern, a lantern the figure was also gesturing at in a "helping hand" kind of way, I believe indicating the lantern's use. As this is another light source, I decided to grab the lantern, and have my party (at least the joker and I now, but possibly others), carry this along with the candle as we continued gathering supplies. More candles can be found along the way; also there is a book of matches in room 4 for the lighting of various candles. There is also a lamp in room 7 (just in case we find out room 24 is like one of those dark restaurants or something, and a light source that can be plugged in and turned on and off might be preferable), and extra bulbs in various rooms as well that we know work.

By the time we've gathered all this up (as well as possibly bringing a bunch of wine, but I'll leave it to the reader to determine how that might be done), we are well prepared for room 24, bringing rope for the path back and light for the journey. So we offer an exit, or take a seat at the restaurant and enjoy ourselves a meal, depending on the state of what we find in there once the darkness softly clears.

It might seem like the work is done, but there is one (from what I can tell) more individual to rescue: The Architect.

As an aside on The Architect, it seems as if the narrative is designed such that the reader will assume they are male, a stage set initially on the prologue page where they say

"They think I will teach them lessons. They should call me Cerberus.... I am the lesson." 

Even this hint, in and of itself, references three minds in one body. When viewed from a modern context, one could easily assume that the gender/sex of The Architect might not be entirely apparent. Additionally, I was careful to pay attention this time, page by page, and at no point is The Architect's sex/gender made clear (and Queens and Princesses wear crowns, but this crown reference might be seen as another misdirect on the prologue page, a reinforcement of false assumptions if someone has already started thinking that they might be dealing with a king or prince). Given this ambiguity, perhaps seen as a way to go against the grain, I will reference The Architect as "she."

Such careful reading is warranted in these halls, by the way, as in room 25 it is said:

"Though one of my parents might be low-born, the other was close to a king...."

Outside of the more obvious interpretation, this could readily be interpreted as a man of low born stature becoming king, also marrying the queen here, a queen who was then close to the king. This feels all the more likely now that I notice that both the Cerberus reference and this reference suspiciously include four dots in the ellipsis, rather than three, while other ellipsises on various pages correctly have three dots...

It is interesting to me that on page 7 it is said:

"Looking at the picture on the wall they decided it wasn't a very good likeness." 

Unless one presumes that a painting somehow existed already of a visitor, or that this was in reference to the abstract style portrait which might be called "not a good likeness" due to its abstract nature, or that the mirror somehow warped likenesses and they thought that was important to bring up, one must assume that a portrait exists on these walls that looks somewhat like The Architect. Again, I have my wibbly wobbly suspicions here, but I think the overall point I am trying to make is that the devil is in the details when it comes to this book, and no nonsensical stone should be left unturned.

So how does one go about asking The Architect, the princess let's say, if she would like to exit the maze? I believe the answer to this can be found on page 19.

"One of them sat on a marble bench after I politely pushed some flowers aside. 'Did you pick these for me?' she asked, looking me in the eye. I had to tell her the truth."

My theory from this exchange is that if you manage to look The Architect in the eye (likely not as straightforward a task as one might think, but I digress), they must tell you the truth. If each visitor following this path simply continues the narrative as written, I imagine it going something like this:

"Did you pick these for me?"

(If "no")

"Did you pick these flowers?"

(If "no")

"Did someone pick these flowers for you?"

(If "yes")

"Do you want to leave the maze and go find them?"

("Perhaps I will....")

Obviously there are more permutations here, but the overall flow feels pretty clear: Start with the small talk regarding the flowers already on the page and in the room and transition it to asking if she would like to leave the maze. Whether yes or no it feels as if the answer should be an honest one, at which point the path is clear, and the path might result in everyone exiting the maze this day, if exiting the maze is unilaterally what is preferred.

It could be that instead what is preferred is a concert using the variety of instruments that can be found scattered along the paths, the party joining up with the musicians on 36. It could be that people just want to fix up the couch and chill in the basement in room 35, or utilize one of the other cozy rooms.

Oh, and personally I grab the flower on page 5, the suit on page 35, and the crown on page 16, as it feels best to come prepared, and in the prologue she did say "They never noticed my crown, my pain, the fire in my eyes." so it could be that these things too must be found, if they are to be had at all, along the way.