Carte Blanche Part #7 - Tooth 7. The Edgar Mobile.

Part 7: Tooth 7. The Edgar Mobile.

Tooth 7. The Edgar Mobile.

Edgar's stats

Naiveté 8
Reputation 2

Barter 4
Bitterness 1
Break-in 1
Corruption 3
Deduction 2
Examination 4
Music 1
Observation 6
Persuasion 6
Searching 3
Spying 3
Tail 1
Taxidermy 1

: So, last time Edgar killed his first old lady.

: There's a corpse waiting for me!

: Then leave.

: Alright, enough emotion for today. Two corpses is a lot for a first week of work. I'm going to bed.

: That's unacceptable!

: I'm going to find that thief or my name isn't Edgar Delacroix.

: But... we did find the thieves. And what is the D-Day in 1924?

: I am not going back there. There's a corpse waiting for me!

: Then Edgar won't go back to Montreal, then to Canada, then to North America. That damned corpse...

: The adventure in the cellar provided us with valuable item. An ant. Let's do science on it.

: Really?

: Yes, I have just received a promotional copy of a book on ventriloquy. I suppose you'd be interested.

: And why would I be interested in that?

: No reason in particular, but I do want to get rid of it.

: Oh well... I guess I might as well learn some tricks!

: Now I wish there were a Bearded Lady competence. Anyway, Edgar learns one of the three endgame skills. All three can be levelled to 7, and all three can be used to solve the very final puzzle. But for now...

Eleonore > Ant

: I was wondering if you could tell me anything about this ant...

: Strange request, buy why not?

: They come from Central America. A column of them can eat an animal to its bones in a few minutes.

: That's funny, I actually found it on a cat's skeleton.

: Very funny indeed. I think this one died of an indigestion. I reminds me of something an anthropologist friend told me... It seems these ants are used by certain tribes in the context of ritual sacrifice. They coat the victim with honey and leave him on a red ant colony's territory.

: Sounds like fun.

: Doesn't it?

: A Mayan antique is stolen... An Indian sailor from Mexico deserts his ship... The man responsible for the burglary disappears... Cows are found without flesh in Saint-Leonard... The Indian kidnapped the one responsible for the disappearance of his ancestral stuff, and he wants to avenge his God by sacrificing his victim with red ants! He's currently hiding in Saint-Leonard where some ants have escaped and eaten innocent cows!

: Oh yes, right of course. It was only the excitement speaking.

: Yes, Edgar has just cracked the case. That's exactly what is happening. Only why is that Mexican so mad about the fake statue? Let's look into it.

: From D-Day to Edgar Mobile, the video.

: A new, off-map location now available, but I decided to stick around and pick some more skills.

: Yes, it contributed substantially to my investigation.

: There's another thing that could help you. I'll introduce you to the art of scam.

: With pleasure!

: That murder just wet Edgar's appetite.

: Your aim will be to fool someone to obtain what you want. The idea is to make up a story your victim is likely to believe, and that will lead him to do what you want by his own will. Let's try a practical exercise. Imagine a businessman walking with his pretty daughter. You'd like to be alone with the girl, what would you tell him to make him go away?

: Well...

: Ok, here it goes... I'm the doctor's assistant and he's asked me to examine your daughter immediately!

: Creative, but not very credible.

: Right...

: What about... The guy over there just told me your wig looks like a poodle!

: Not so bad... But even if he does take the bait, he won't be gone very long.

: That leaves the obvious.

: Ok, so I walk close to him and say... Don't tell anyone, but I've heard the stock market is going to crash any minute now!

: Good! You managed to pinpoint something more important for him than his daughter! I see that you get the picture. Practice well and you'll be able to scam the pope himself.

: Unfortunately, scamming the Pope didn't make it into the game. But Scam is the second endgame skill.

: It's progressing, but also becoming more complicated.

: You want to learn some wrestling tricks? I'm pretty good in that area. That knowledge proved pretty useful for Gaspard in a few occasions..

: Of course, why not?

: I'll show you the Alaskan seal move. When executed properly, the victim will suffer a short period of amnesia. Very useful. Come here and I'll show you.

: Wait, will Edgar remember what you show him?

: Remy's face is just pure

: Eh eh! It's working! Don't worry, your memory will come back in 15 minutes.

: And that's the final endgame skill and maybe even the last skill of Carte Blanche. So, whatever awaits Edgar at the end can be solved though ventriloquy, wrestling or scam. I wish most RPGs had that.

: It's time!

: Just kidding. Most of our old acquaintances are now training dummies for the new skills. You have to go through them in a certain order to level, or see a lot of failure. I don't remember the order.

Telesphore > Ventriloquy [1]

: Fear my revenge!

: Very much so, thank you.

: This guy is a bit ventriloquy-resistant.

> Scam [1]

: Did you know I found your sculpture?

: When? Oh, wait... scam.

: Yes, thank you very much.

: It will be brought back to you, but you have to pay the transport upfront. That's $50 to be paid to me immediately.

: Damn. Scam-resistant, too.

> Wrestling [1]

: Hey! An antique shop! I love antique shops! But these items are obvious forgeries!

: I know, you can't trust anyone these days.

: Bugger. Now I won't see the skill failure for whomever Edgar is supposed to wrestle at level 2.

: Hey, you can scam kids too. This game is the best.

> Scam [1]

: Eh, Kid Butterfly, you think I'm a phony detective and yet I have found your father!

: Err... No... It's not that... Well...

: And do you think it's right to give false hope to an illegitimate boy?

: No, it's just that... You see, the scam competence, and stuff...

: Yeah, well, you should go hide from shame.

: We'll be back with more Scam competence, Kid. Just you wait.

> Ventriloquy [1]

: Why are you saying that? Are you trying to imitate me?

: Didn't you get the slightest impression your newspaper was talking?

: No.

> Wrestling [2]

: Come here, I want to show you something.

: You'll need more that that if you want to intimidate me...

: Romeo is our practice dummy inside the station, but we can also show him the ant.

: I think this ant is very important evidence.

: Yes, evidence of your disdain for sanitation.

: Oh? Skill time.

> Ventriloquy [1]

: You're absurd, Mr. Delacroix.

: The cop said that, not me!

: Of course, and my mother is an urchin.

> Wrestling [2]

: Let me show you something...

: Is that all?

: Can you remember what your name is?

: Please Mr. Delacroix, I have work to do.

: Hmmm... where to next?

> Wrestling [2]

: Exactly.

> Scam [1]

: Are you aware that the police are after you? You and your brother should get some disguises so they can't find you.

: We're not afraid of the police.

> Ventriloquy [1]

: That's the subtitle. However, the VA says "Pika! Pika!"

: It sure did!

: I grab a herring again and leave.

: Skill practice, volume 1, the video.

: That's enough fooling around for now. Prepare to meet the Mexican sailor.

: ...the usual church and the priest caring for the souls of his parishioners, simple and virtuous workers of the soil. It looks like something is going on.

: Yeah! You're not satisfied with poisoning our wells, you need to torture our cows? Death to the Jew! Death to the sodomite! Death to the albino! Death to the artist! He's an artist? Of course, they're all the same!