memshare 2: deduction

[booksleeves]

Musical cue: Dance of Deduction

Video: 10:57 to 20:39


You are standing in the first class cabin of a luxury ocean steamship. By your side is Ryunosuke Naruhodo, a young man you have only met once before this day. You have been confronted by two burly Russian sailors because you have broken into this room. It is the room of the famous fifteen year old ballerina Nikolina Pavlova, who you have discovered has stowed away on this ship, hoping to flee Russia and make the voyage to America. But you suspect Miss Pavlova has had something to do with another mystery - the death of the passenger in the other first class cabin, Kazuma Asogi. You are aiding Mr. Naruhodo, who was accused of Kazuma-sama's murder when he was discovered stowing away in the wardrobe of that cabin.

Your mood is heartsick and angry. You are a judicial assistant, and Kazuma was the defense attorney you trained to assist, a bright young man with noble dreams. That he was stolen away is a crime you are unable to forgive.

Fortunately, coming to your assistance is the famous detective who happened to be aboard this ship, the great Herlock Sholmes. Before you and Naruhodo can be arrested for trespassing, he begins his Logic and Reasoning Spectacular, and accuses Miss Pavlova of the crime.

Unfortunately, the deduction - completed by dancing around the room and pointing at things - leaves something to be desired. Mr. Sholmes accuses Miss Pavlova of smuggling her pet snake onto the ship. Miss Pavlova has used milk to train the snake to follow her commands. She whistled and directed the snake to crawl through the vents into the adjoining cabin, where it bit Kazuma and poisoned him to death.

Miss Pavlova does appear to react as though some of this is right, but as you point out - there are a few flaws. The specific type of deadly venomous snake from the deepest depths of India Mr. Sholmes proposes does not in fact exist; snakes do not drink milk; they do not have ears so cannot be whistled to; and snakes cannot crawl on smooth vertical surfaces in the manner Mr. Sholmes describes; Kazuma was not killed by poison; and the snake did not belong to Miss Pavlova. Mr. Sholmes removes Naruhodo's handcuffs to allow him to join in the dance and correct some of Mr. Sholmes' deductions. As it turns out, Miss Pavlova smuggled her pet cat onto the ship. The cat crept into Kazuma's room and she tried to whistle and tempt the cat back, but ultimately was caught by Kazuma doing this. He brought her back to his cabin, where he learned she was a stowaway. In the course of that conversation, it appears Kazuma tripped and fell, and fatally broke his neck.