Carte Blanche Part #5 - Tooth 5. Normal Womanly Activities.

Part 5: Tooth 5. Normal Womanly Activities.

Tooth 5. Normal Womanly Activities.

Edgar's stats

Naiveté 9
Reputation 1

Barter 3
Bitterness 1
Deduction 2
Examination 4
Music 1
Observation 3
Persuasion 5
Searching 2
Spying 2
Taxidermy 1

Previously...

: At least it's not asking us to find the schnibble.

This Code option will appear for almost every character in the game starting immediately.

: Here we are, he's delirious!

: No, it's just that...

: Easy, easy... Everything will be fine.

: She has a damn lot to say. This whole update is very speech-heavy.

Talk > Help

: Alright, where do I start?

: Go on with the antiquarian case, it's the only one we have for now.

: What? Did Gaspard literally have Edgar do all the work in the agency?

: By the way, if you ever need help on a case, friends of Gaspard have offered to assist you. I'll leave you their cards. You'll find Eleonore at the McGill university. She teaches something there, God knows what. Remy is a docker at the port. Alphetius can usually be found in pubs. Gaspard was most fond of all of them.

: That's quite an information dump, and its direct result is the menu barely fitting on the screen.

Talk > Remy

: What can you tell me about Remy?

: The docker? Now that's a real man. Carved from rock, not from a pudding like you. He's not only strong, but also flexible, agile and well coordinated! You should see him wrestle! I realize I haven't seen him in a long time. I'd need him to... help me move some furniture.

: You can almost hear Jeannine drool.

: Hear Jeannine drool, the video.

Talk > Alphetius

: Do you know Alphetius?

: Charming... but no good. No steady job, always drifting, playing games of chance, deceiving and seducing. He's not a good role model for you, but he can be of help. Tell him to pass by when you see him. I have... uh... papers for him to sign.

: Edgar is lucky he's not Jeannine's type.

Talk > Eleonore

: Do you know anything about Eleonore?

: I think that women like her should make you men tremble! They foreshadow a time when your male domination will be over. No more paternalism, unequal salaries and political exclusion!

: I didn't know you were a prophetess!

: Prophetess my ass! Now go back to work and stop disturbing me.

: Not yet, we still have things to talk about.

Talk > Gaspard

: What was Gaspard working on?

: Lately he was working on a mysterious case. He didn't tell me anything about it but it distressed him. A woman can tell these things.

: Where did he keep his files?

: For this case, he kept them out of my filing system. Probably in the briefcase he left you.

: Do you think it could have something to do with his murder?

: Possible. But you know, he was such a shady individual it might have been related to some dark secret from his past.

Talk > Agency

: Apart from the investigations, what are my new responsibilities?

: Listen, Kiddo, don't you touch anything! Jeannine takes care of everything around here.. I don't want no Mister 'I went to University' touching my precious system! When money comes around, you'll get some. Now go do your work and don't shame this respected agency!

: If the wallet counter is to be believed, Edgar has a little over 1,000 money. We're good for a while.

Talk > Telesphore

: What can you tell me about Telesphore?

: Not much, except that he's a big water polo fan.

: Is he any good?

: I don't think he plays much himself. On the other hand, he used to watch all of Gaspard's matches.

Talk > Romeo

: Do you know the police detective, Romeo Dugay?

: Of course! Tall, elegant, silent... a good detective. Too bad he's a bit stiff with moral issues. He lacks flexibility in his practice. And then there's his wife... He always speaks of her but nobody's seen her!

: Does he also go 'Oh, one more thing' right when he's about to leave?

: Edgar has put together another case file.

: Apparently, it was a drive-by shooting.

: We can revisit the bar among the other locations, and in addition to that drop by at the university and at the harbor. It's schnitzel time.

: Not him... Perhaps blindly asking people about that is not productive. Let's go to the docks to see one of Gaspard's friends.

: And take the brick.

: Why not? If investigator work doesn't suit me I could still become a mason.

: Will anything happen if one stands on four corners of the brick and chants "Persona!"?

: Remy seems to be the guy.

: Or maybe not.

Remy > Talk

: Delacroix, is that it?

: Yes, Mister Brisson.

: You can call me Remy. I just can't get used to the idea of Gaspard being dead. And yet, it was bound to happen.

: And why is that?

: He told me he was onto something big, very big. Something like: save the world. It's a shame he was always so greedy on details.

: Among my mid-term plans, I'd like to find his murderers. I mean, since I'm and investigator now...

: I'll do everything I can to help you, my boy.

: Ok, start helping by talking. Talking more.

Talk > Boxes

: Can you tell me what's in these boxes?

: If it's from South America, it's coffee or peanuts. If it's from Africa, then olives or jewels. If it's from China, then it's the human resources for the railroads.

: You mean there could be people in there?

: Their houses back there aren't usually that much bigger. Plus, they've got some basic furniture in each box.

: That's totally unacceptable!

: Ah ah! A bit gullible, aren't you?

Talk > Jeannine

: What can you tell me about Jeannine?

: The least possible. She scares the hell out of me. When I think that Gaspard and she... No! That's inhuman!

: She said she needs you to help her out with something.

: I think I'll just join the army.

: A bit of Remy, the video.

Talk > Antiquary

: I'm presently investigating the robbery of a Mexican statue. Would you know anything that could help me?

: I'm not really into the arts, especially not the modern stuff.

: Actually it's more of the traditional kind, Indian, precolombian stuff.

: Indian, eh? You know what? That reminds me of something, although it's probably unrelated. A Mexican ship came here a few days ago. They had a search party looking around, it seems one of their sailors disappeared. An Indian, precisely.

: Interesting.

Talk > Small talk

: How is it being a docker?

: Let's just say I never really dreamed of becoming one, but you get used to it. It keeps you in shape too.

: How about the salary?

: Not great, but it's getting better since we joined the international unions. And not only for the wages, we got some good fights with cops and scabs too.

: And on this deep thought we leave the docks. Who wants some schnitzel?

: Er... Sorry, wrong number.

: Make up your mind!

: That didn't go well. Who else is there...

: One of my mom's clients who's from Germany keeps bringing me these. To tell you the truth, they pretty much disgust me.

: The Kid has one more use.

: I just passed by from my daily newspaper.

: No problem.

Talk > Small talk

: So you're the boss now, eh?

: That's right.

: That means I'll have to raise your contribution for my services. It's more expensive for corporate clients.

: Now you can deal directly with Jeannine, my secretary.

: Edgar is learning.

: The old hag?! God have mercy! She's impossible to deal with!

: It's the agency's secret weapon.

: Off to the university!

: That voice... *yawn* Is she on tranquillizers?

: That's right.

: Congratulations on your unexpected promotion.

: Thank you.

: Gaspard would often come see me when he needed some precise scientific data. I'll be glad to help you now. It gives me a break from purely speculative theoretical problems.

: Thank you, that's appreciated.

: Apart from continuing the conversation we can check out the bookshelf.

: The greatest classics and reference books available. If Eleonore has read them all, she has to be knowledge made woman!

: Ok, knowledge, let's chat.

: Um...

: (VA: Another Klingon(?)... ooh, sorry... schnitzel?)

: No, of course... Please forget what I just said.

: We won't forget, but for now we talk.

Talk > Mayan sculpture

: If I say 'Mayan sculpture', what do you reply?

: I'd rather have the schnitzel.

: I say the current fad of pillaging antique treasures in third world countries must cease! Everybody wants his own hieroglyphics, Greek Hermes, or oriental Buddha. They deprive these countries of their cultural inheritance and of capital research material! Why do you ask?

: Just curious.

: Did the term "third world countries" even exist in the '20s?

Talk > Gaspard

: How have you met Gaspard?

: It was a long time ago, we were both very young. Let's just say that he courted me for a while but I had other plans than raising a family. Gaspard, may he rest in peace, was a charming man, in his own way, but I don't think he was built for family life either.

: Did he tell you about his current case? Something big?

: Gaspard took care of small-time cases only to keep the agency in business. He kept me informed of the small investigations. But I think he wished to protect his friends by keeping them out of the serious stuff. It's only a hunch, but I think the secrets were becoming quite heavy lately.

Talk > Small talk

: You're the first female professor I've met.

: So what?

: Don't you miss normal womanly activities?

: Could you ever miss washing clothes and changing diapers?

: No, but I thought that...

: Then think harder.

: Eleoneore will put you to sleep with her video.

: We've milked Eleonore dry. It's time to hit the bar.

: Last time I ate one, I ended up with Bismarck on my back. He tried to choke me with his monocle. Happily, I managed to escape. I simply stole an experimental submarine prototype. And that's when I met that Danish princess... But that's another kind of story.

: Anyway, the bar.

: There's that Alphetius guy on the left, and the suspicious twins.

Twins > Observation [3]

: That's strange... I don't remember having ever seen these guys, and yet they somehow ring a bell.

: Before approaching them, let's siphon some info out of the barman.

Talk > Kid Butterfly

: Do you know Kid Butterfly?

: The street kid? Yeah, life isn't easy for him. Still, he gets by pretty well. He doesn't steal, but he manages to swindle impressive amounts from clients. Once he told me the Guinness representatives were in town. He got three dollars out of me to attract them to my bar!

Barman > Spying [2]

: Ah! When the barman forgot about me, I discovered his dark secret! He shines the bar by spitting on it!

: Lovely, Edgar. Now for some useful info.

Talk > Twins

: Say, these two guys there... Wouldn't they be the ones who tried to pay you with a religious icon?

: No doubt about it.

Right, then. We're engaging the twins.

: I just wanted to...

: You've got polenta in your ears or what?

: We can use our porn on the pair.

Twins > Photos

: That's it! I know where I've seen them! One of them was with my client's wife in the Roger Hotel!

: That's great, but we need to figure out a proper approach to them. Let's ask Alphetius.

: That's Alphetius, a friend of Gaspard. I met him at the funeral.

: No, I was only asking: another schnitzel?

: Ok, just give me one.

: Er... a what?

: A schnitzel! Jesus! What are we talking about here?

: What's a schnitzel exactly?

: This discussion is unbearable.

: I swear, this update alone has me typing "schnitzel" more times that I had to previously in my entire life.

Alphetius > Talk

: Tell me boy, how are you managing?

: Not too bad, but it's a bit of a shock!

: I'm sure Gaspard began your training, but he certainly didn't have time to show you everything.

: That's true. Too bad, because he was an excellent teacher.

: Did he show you the basics of corruption? Very useful in that business of yours.

: No, we haven't covered that.

: Very simple. You have to find your victim's weak spot. For example, what would you give an accountant to make him cooperate?

: Well, we do have a camel handy...

: How about a stuffed camel?

: I don't think that could please anyone.

: You'd be surprised!

: I'm beginning to wonder what Gaspard was thinking...

: An abacus for the accountant, then.

: A luxury abacus would surely do the trick.

: No! Do you think an accountant wants to be reminded he's adding numbers all the time?

: Tickets, that's the ticket!

: Perhaps tickets for a burlesque show?

: Yes! Very good! Accountants live in a very formal world of numbers... They secretly long for chaos. They actually need it to really have fun. The burlesque ticket will provide him just that. Give it to him and you'll get what you want from him.

: Learning not to bribe people with stuffed camels, the video.

: Before we can corrupt the fat womanising thieving twins, we need an item. An item the barman can provide. That's what the Wallet and Barter options are for. Edgar will haggle.