Part 11: Gabriel Knight vs. Snake Research
Chapter 11: Gabriel Knight vs. Snake Research
Guided only by a vague feeling that there must be something that everyone missed, Gabriel combs the crime scene. So far, it's not going well.
After finding nothing in the fringes, Gabriel wanders back to the main area of the crime scene.
There is one specific thing to find in this crime scene which proves very important, and those who have played the game before may be wondering why I held off on it the last time we were in the crime scene. I have a couple reasons, but mainly I wanted to point out the serious bullshit that is the hidden hotspot here.
If you haven't played the game, take a moment before scrolling on to try and find the remaining clue.
Find it?
Right there. This tiny, slightly different-looking patch of grass which is indistinguishable from the dithering featured in every single background in the game.
This is obviously a job for the magnifying glass.
Intrigued, Gabriel decides to add it to his collection.
The question is, is it a native snake or was it left behind by the killers?
A closer look at the scale provides no answers. Since his own knowledge of snakes is lacking, he decides to ask around.
"But I never ... oh. Right."
While he's at the bookstore anyway, Gabriel remembers he has some reptile books floating around.
Apparently it's an extremely basic snake book.
That's a little rude, since what she said was way cooler than anything in My First Guide to Snakes.
Who else might know a little something about snakes? How about the two people we've run across that actually have them?
"Perhaps."
Say what you will about Gabriel, he doesn't pussyfoot around the awkward questions.
Dr. John isn't being very forthcoming, so Gabriel goes to visit Magentia one more time.
Is it really necessary to hypnotize snakes? It's pretty much "they bite you" or "they don't bite you."
But of course. Fortunately, Gabriel has an idea of how to get his hands on some ... assuming he can get her away from the cage for long enough.
So what sort of terrifying Voodoo dance does she have in store for us?
Basically she just sways her hips with snake in tow. The snake itself seems to ignore the whole thing.
After a certain point in the "dance," Magentia turns her back to Gabriel, lost in her deep spiritual experience.
Unfazed, Gabriel sneaks across the room and grabs the shed skin from the cage.
He returns to his seat just in time for the dance to end. Magentia performs a flourish and holds out the snake. Unsure of whether to applaud or not, Gabriel opts for a polite, reverent silence.
She returns the snake to its cage and assumes her proper place in the Awesome Chair.
There's nothing else to be done here. Gabriel leaves, silently hoping he won't have to come back.
Gabriel's spent half the day trying to think up a way into Malia Gedde's home, and despite his best efforts he keeps coming back to one thing: it's time to steal something from the police station again.
Of course, an idea of what to do isn't the same as knowing how to do it. Gabriel notices a repairman working on the air conditioning dial.
The repairman walks away, leaving Gabriel the opening he needs.
First, though, he briefly checks the snake skin he just picked up. Not that it was especially likely, but it looks like Grimwald isn't the snake we were looking for.
Sure enough, Gabriel has completely unobstructed access to the thermostat, and the other cops in the lobby foolishly pay no attention to him.
Gabriel quickly cranks the dial way too high and walks into Mosely's office.
Gabriel takes a seat and waits for the magic to unfold.
The A/C may suck, but the heater works great. Mosely strips his jacket, complete with his badge, and hangs it on his chair.
Gabriel's pretense of checking up on the case didn't pan out very well. Apparently they haven't learned anything new from the crime scene. Still, best to try and get something out of him.
So animal masks aren't wildly common in New Orleans. Big shock, I know. It was a bit of a stretch anyway.
Time to get Mosely out of the room so Gabriel can do what he
Begrudgingly, Mosely moseys out to where they keep the coffee.
As soon as Mosely is out of view, Gabriel rushes to the big ugly jacket and yanks the badge.
Mosely gets back before Gabriel gets back to his chair. He watches Gabriel suspiciously.
Looks like he kind of bought it. Excellent.
Gabriel chugs the coffee, eager to get the hell out of there.
An awkward moment passes.
"Look at the time, gotta run!"
That's the second serious crime committed in the police station in two days. Way to go, champ.
As Gabriel climbs the steps to the Gedde estate, his heart races. What if it doesn't work? The butler already saw him. And it's not like his life is brimming with opportunities to talk with Malia.
He firmly knocks on the door, ready to take on the world.
The butler disappears inside the mansion, leaving Gabriel waiting anxiously on the doorstep.
"YES!!"Gabriel follows the butler inside. Maybe this will work out after all.
Next time:
Gabriel resists his urge to steal stuff in Chapter 12: Gabriel Knight vs. Malia Gedde!
Video!
19. If you love the snake so much, why do you put it in a birdcage? (Dailymotion) (Youtube)