Frazzle assembles a pyramid (actually a zigurrat) of sugar cubes on the table with a surprising deftness. “The pyramid is remarkable in terms of its structural integrity,” he observes. “Now, Bae, press down onto its roof as hard as you like. See? You can’t break it. A man could put a mammoth on that, a gold bar, and the result would be the same.”
You begin to swipe at The Fortress with your hand, but Frazzle stops you. “No no no no, that’s not how this works. Longitudinal force is a whole other hill of beans.”
“These are sugar cubes,” Bae reminds him.
“So they are, mate,” says Frazzle.”You have what I describe as a scientific mind. Not so common in the female of the species. Now the question we need to be asking ourselves is how we can defeat The Fortress,” he flashes a warning look at you, “under the legitimate rules of the game.”
He checks your reactions for a rhetorical moment. “That’s right! Hot tea!” He pours half of the cup to the base of The Fortress and marvels at the immediate structural shift.
Bae nods at you to follow her lead and you both applaud. “And with that, ladies,” says Frazzle, “I will take my leave.”
”One last thing, Frazzle,” says Bae. “Amongst your plethora of scientific equipment, you wouldn’t happen to have an unused fax ribbon?”
Frazzle glances into his rucksack. “Well, it so happens that I have this!”
Bae gives it a single glance. “It’s good, but it’s Xerox. I’m afraid I need an IBM fax ribbon.”
”I could probably modify your IBM machine so that it will accept a Xerox ribbon. A matter of only a few days work.”
”It’s a very kind offer, Frazzle, but on this occasion I will have to turn you down. Thanks for trying.” She waves him away and he drifts off in search of fresh audiences. She turns back to you. “It was worth a try. Anyway, in this case we’ll have to go to WH Smiths to buy a new ribbon. Probably about a fiver.”
You check your wallet and other than a few coppers there is a single five pound note. “I’ve had an idea about the paper… for the machine? I’m in Computer Science. It wouldn’t be suspicious if I happened to wander into the printer room, and I happened to wander out with a sheaf of paper.”
”That’s an excellent plan, Epson,” says Bae, “but do they have foolscap paper for the printers? My fax will not accept A4, and I’m not trusting Frazzle to make… alterations.”
Do you tell her that you are certain that they have foolscap paper? (goto 18)
Do you yell “woe is me, they only have A4!” and run from the table never to return? (goto 68)