Mary's Nineteenth Century

Unlocking a set of password locks can be done immediately with a rough guess about the password, not based on a few descriptions from the island owner of Page.

First survey the site where the combination lock is set, then carefully look at the structure of the combination lock, and finally determine the timing of unlocking.

In the underground secret room, Ferguson's body has not been moved yet.

His death posture is prone as a whole, but his head is turned back, and his expression is frozen in incredible panic.

"Ferguson sneaked into the unknown secret room and successfully opened the red button."

Mary saw the dark space next to the corpse, "Then a large steel nail fell from the sky and crushed him to death. Judging from his expression, this was completely unexpected."

It shows that Ferguson was silenced by the murderer behind the scenes.

Ferguson dared to drive the kayak with the severed arm back to the island. Unless he wanted to die, it was impossible to pull the explosion start switch.

The unexpected expression on his deathbed is that he finally realized that he was deceived by the manipulator behind the scenes.Perhaps, he thought that pressing the red switch would bring up another escape route, with a second kayak hidden at the end for him to escape.

Why did Ferguson trust the manipulator behind the scenes?

Being able to quietly create a secret room has already proved the strength of the manipulator, so it is more than enough for him to save another move.

In fact, there is a second player, but it is different from the life in Ferguson's fantasy.

He pressed the explosion countdown button with his own hands, and was killed by someone killing two birds with one stone.

Mycroft examined the Chamber of Secrets from top to bottom. "It's built so tightly that you can't risk prying open the floor metal. If there is a self-destruct device, everyone will go to God.

This also shows one thing, a huge amount of engineering cannot be completed by one person alone.And buried enough explosives, how to ensure that there will be no accidents for a long time? "

Don't forget, the maintenance of the old castle was two and a half years ago.

The manipulator behind the scenes sneakily built the secret room on someone else's site, and he may have wiped out the construction team.

The problem lies in the instability of explosives. How to ensure that it must be exploded when it should be exploded?

"You mean that there is another secret passage leading to the bottom of this secret room."

Mary couldn't find any other entrances and exits to this room, and the manipulator behind the scenes could have dug another way to add explosives more conveniently.

"Through that road, we can also monitor in real time whether there are any leaks in the explosives. Doctor Jude comes to the island once or twice a month, and this frequency is enough."

Mycroft: "However, time is limited. We may not be able to discover another secret passage in time. Even if we find it, according to the murderer's step-by-step methods, the passage may have been sealed."

Then go back to the origin.

It is still necessary to decipher the combination lock, find out the correct combination, and terminate this possible explosion..

It is "possible" because there is no way to check whether there are explosives under the metal plate of the secret room.But you can't bet that it doesn't exist, and no one can afford the loss.

"OK, back to the combination lock."

Mary looked at the console. There are fifteen roller locks, each with 26 letters, which are to be rolled to the correct position.

As the warning reads: "When the red button is activated, only the correct code words can prevent the island from sinking." Within 72 hours, there is only one chance.If you make a mistake, you and Kojima will be blown to pieces. 』

Mary said before starting to decipher, "Assuming that I intentionally killed people, I would not set up a code that would allow people to escape. Given 15 locks, but only activate a few of them, that is the best way to confuse."

Mycroft couldn't laugh or cry when he heard this, "I don't want to meet a password designer like you, I hope Jude will give a glimmer of life as he wrote.

Jude has obsessions, and I think that makes him act on them.For example, the limited time he gave was 72 hours. In the past, the date of landing on the island was either the 7th or the 22nd, which were all days related to π. "

72 hours is three days, 3 is an approximate value of π; and 22/7 is also an approximate value of π.

Now, knowing that all the times of death are related to pi, there are many details that can be connected in series.

Deciphering coded locks is no exception.

"The name of the castle "Temple on the Hill" was given by Jude.The owner of Page Island asked him why, and the answer was that it would bring good luck to the castle. "

Mycroft now understood the reason for the name. "3.14, if it is a homonym in Chinese, it is a temple on the top of the mountain. "Temple on the top of the mountain" is a free translation of pi. As for whether it can bring good luck..."

Including Ferguson, twelve people died in the castle in one day.

What kind of bad luck is this, and the hurricane has arrived and exploded.. The countdown to the bombing has begun, so what good luck is there.

"Although Jude is not well-known outside the world, is it possible that he is not conceited in setting up such a series of death and killing situations?"

Mary didn't think that Jude had lied, "In this regard, I would like to boldly assume that Jude's so-called good luck must admit that he is the only master who gives us vitality."

Mycroft looked at the first combination lock on the far left, "You mean, the first combination lock is the letter "J". J, is the first letter of Jude's surname, and also the first letter of a god-Jupiter, the main god in Roman mythology. "

People tend to be more familiar with another title of Jupiter - Zeus.

Zeus and Jupiter are the same person, and the former is the name of the Greek mythology system, while the latter is the name of the Roman system.

"Not only that, but J can also represent God, and it is the initial letter of Jehovah."

Mycroft agrees with "J" as the starting code, "with "J" as the initial point, it is Jude who puts himself in the position of the manipulator.The next [-]-digit password needs to use English letters to express pi. "

Would it be that A corresponds to 1, B corresponds to 2, and so on, giving π=3.1415926535898?

It was so easy.

For decimal numbers, up to ten English letters are used, but 26 letters are not fully utilized.

"Π, hidden between 26 English letters. It must start with J, and the given 15 letters conform to a certain rule, which just constitutes an approximate value of pi."

Mary listed 26 letters on the notepad, "It also expresses a certain meaning, such as a happy ending. Pi, it is always inseparable from "circle". "

15 letters, happy endings, pi, the nature of the circle itself.

"The English letters on the roller lock are all capitalized. Some capitalized English letters have something in common with circles, and they are all axisymmetric figures."

Mycroft took out his pen and drew a circle on the 16 letters A, B, C, D, E, H, I, K, M, O, T, U, V, W, X, Y.

These letters do not include J and do not meet the requirement for a total of 15 alphanumeric passwords.

Mary continued, "We are looking for 15 digits, so we need some reductions. For example, take the vertical axis to be symmetrical. It is the letter AHIMOTUVWXY, and they have a total of 11 digits."

11 still do not meet the quantity requirement of combination lock.

However, a wonderful scene appeared.

Excluding these 11 letters, there are exactly 15 remaining letters.

Mycroft looked at the rest of the letters and smiled, "Yes, the rest of them are not axisymmetric figures. This is where the magic lies. After removing the symmetric letters, we can see pi."

Where is pi?

Mycroft rearranged the 26 English letters starting with J.

JKL, [M], N, [O], PQRS, [TUVWXY], Z, [A], BCDEFG, [HI].

[ ] are symmetrical letters.

Using this as a separator, and removing the symmetrical letters, the remaining asymmetrical characters form a wonderful combination.

JKL, N, PQRS, Z, BCDEFG.

These five groups of letters, the number of each group of letters are: 3, 1, 4, 1, 6. ①

3.1416, which is the approximate value of pi.

"We removed some of the letters that have something in common with circles, and the remaining ones can be used to count pi."

Mary guessed, "Do you think this is a metaphor? Only in the unsatisfactory can we find a happy ending?"

Mycroft was not sure whether the setting of the combination lock had such a deep meaning, "Mr. Minton, this is just our speculation at the moment, and the final result can only be confirmed by turning the roller lock. Perhaps, you should..."

"I won't leave, how can I not verify my speculation myself."

Mary interrupted Mycroft's proposal without any hesitation, "Just... a kick at the door, are you trying to leave me alone to enjoy the pleasure of the last step?"

Mycroft: Listen, what are these bullshit words!

Thinking about the small brown medicine bottle at this moment, it is still difficult for him to associate Mr. Minton with such a personality with that kind of speculation.

"Well, you can stay if you want."

Mycroft tried hard to bring the topic back to normal, "The key is when do we do it? Although the message on the steel plate says that there are 72 hours to decipher the code, do you think that is the truth?"

Jude left a trace of life, but it doesn't mean that everything is true.

"Man-made disasters can be manipulated, but natural disasters cannot. I don't think he has the ability to make a hurricane come earlier."

Mycroft counted the timeline in detail, "It is now 4 o'clock midnight on the 1th. According to the original schedule, on July 7th, that is, there will be a cruise ship to pick it up tomorrow morning, and the island owner's fishing boat will also be purchased. You mentioned The old fisherman estimated that the hurricane will come on the evening of the 5th."

In this way, there is a loophole in the 72-hour deciphering time, giving everyone a time gap to escape.

"Although Jude can prevent everyone from leaving the island by buying or destroying the approach of the ship to the island, isn't he afraid of accidents?"

Mycroft gave an example, "For example, if a guest has contacted other ships to dock in advance, it will disrupt the fatal situation he designed."

玛丽取出怀表，“皮划艇靠岸时3日的22：43，保守估计弗格森时在23：30分前后按下倒计时按钮。如果72小时的说辞是假，那么真正可供逃生的时间也许是3.14个小时，或者是11个小时。“

Needless to say, the former just conforms to the ratio of pi, and the latter is just that the combination lock has removed 11 letters.

Controlling the countdown before noon on the 4th will almost eliminate the unexpected situation where ships approach temporarily.

No matter which possibility it is, it is much shorter than the 72 hours of leaving a message on a steel plate.

This incident must be notified to the rest of the island.

It should be sooner rather than later, the password lock must be deciphered as early as possible, and it cannot be delayed for 72 hours.

On the ground, there was a strong wind.

Fleeing into the window gaps or vents of the old castle, an echo of howling ghosts and wolves was formed in the interior of the building.

When the storm is approaching, the news that the explosives will explode in less than 72 hours adds fuel to the fire.

The room was dead silent.

No yelling, no roaring, much less questioning.

This timeline analysis is very clear.

Everyone at the scene heard it clearly. Now that things have happened, the survivors will not foolishly believe that the manipulator behind the scenes will 100% do what they say.

The dead silence lasted for a full 5 minutes.

Although most of the people present were not proficient in mathematics, they all knew how much time was left based on the shortest three-hour countdown.

In less than an hour and a half, is this the only remaining life left?

Thinking of this, some guests could not help but shed tears.There are no whimpers, and tears of despair are often silent.

Who would have thought that a pleasant and relaxing island vacation would eventually become a game of death.

Can humans defeat the god of death?

The vast majority of people do not have hope, and some questions are not dared to ask.For example, if 72 hours is a false report, will the explosion be blocked if there is a correct deciphering code?

dare not ask.

I was afraid that the grinning Grim Reaper in the dark would be alarmed as soon as the words came out.

Shipley never thought that there would be such a day. If he could do it all over again, he would never organize such an island party.

It is too late to regret, and I can only grasp the last chance of survival. "You two, how sure are you of deciphering the combination lock?"

"Even if you are only one percent sure, you still have to try."

Mary didn't say the specific number, "Everyone, please evacuate the castle as soon as possible, and find a bunker on the island to stay for half an hour."

Assuming that the password is wrong, the worst result is that the entire island is blown up.

Now it is impossible to escape from the island, and the only way to survive is to escape from the castle and hide on the shore, at least to avoid being buried when the building collapses.

However, someone has to stay to turn the combination lock in the secret room, and if it fails, it will be blown up on the spot.

The owner of Page Island hesitated and said, "Why don't I come. It's like the captain was the last one to evacuate in case of shipwreck. This is my castle, and I should be responsible for it."

"No need."

Mycroft smiled and refused, "Please leave too. There is a beginning and an end to everything, and let Mr. Minton and I complete the last link of deciphering. If the guess is wrong, we will bear the most direct consequences."

Mary nodded approvingly, "Don't waste time, don't stage a life-and-death parting. Before the wind and waves outside reach the level of blowing people away, make a quick decision."

To ease the atmosphere, Mary could still say a few words of encouragement to everyone.

"Everyone, I have a small request. After this escape is successful, please don't write this experience into a novel. Such a bad experience will make it a secret on the island, okay?"

"If you can survive successfully, of course you wish."

"Yes, yes, I promise not to say a word."

"As long as I return home alive, I promise to keep my mouth shut."

You say a word, I say a word.Everyone promised that if they survived, they would never mention this secret again.Yes, just live.And if unfortunately dies, there is no possibility of speaking to the outside world.

Mycroft glanced at Mr Minton.

I am afraid that such a request is not only a word of encouragement, but also a reluctance to cause the killing of a paper because of a second time.

After the promise, everyone withdrew from the castle.

The owner of Page Island pointed out that there are three places along the coast that are more suitable for temporary shelter from the wind and waves, and a group of people dispersed into three groups to hide.

The huge castle was suddenly empty.

Only Mary and Mycroft were left, walking towards the underground secret room step by step.

Tread-tap-

The leather shoes echoed on the wooden floor, and then a cool wind blew against the back of his neck, causing the kerosene lamp in his hand to flicker.

The shadows on the ground seemed to be distorted.

"Look, doesn't this scene look like two people spying on a haunted castle?"

Mary said, "It's scary to see ruined buildings, spiders weaving webs, and dilapidated castles all over the place, but there are more terrifying ones."

Mary made up a story with great interest, "M and M were rowing a small boat floating on the sea. Unexpectedly, a hurricane came suddenly, and the waves beat the boat, and they were about to fall into the sea. The two wanted to find a place to stay, and they were pleasantly surprised. I found an island not far away with a brightly lit old castle on it.

Finally successfully disembarked, pushed the door and entered, the food, clothing, and furniture in the castle were all available, except that there was no one, no one at all.In an instant, the original residents disappeared.Which situation would you say is more exciting? "

Mycroft thought for a few seconds with seriousness. "For me, being with you is the most exciting thing. Just like this moment, life is more exciting than stories."

Mary smiled, "Exactly."

While talking, the two returned to the secret room again, and came to the combination lock console.

They looked at each other and nodded each other.

Without any further hesitation, he turned the combination lock directly.The first lock was turned to "J", and then the remaining fourteen locks were turned in turn according to previous speculation.

When the last lock was turned to "G", there was only the rolling sound of "click click" metal gears coming from the ground.

It took a full 10 minutes for the underground to regain its silence.Then a small drawing board popped up under the combination lock, and I saw "Congratulations on clearing the level" written on it in red paint.

Not only that.

There is also a familiar thing lying quietly on the drawing board, which is the gold-plated badge of the Scarab Society.

In April, Sherlock helped solve the Whitechapel Hunt murder case, and went to investigate the suspect's house.It was originally the old house where the murderer was counted, but a gilt badge was found in the dark grid of dust.

"The front of the badge is engraved with "1848, November, 11-NO.5", which is the time when the murderer joined the club. "

Mycroft pointed to the one in front of him, "The time is different. "1842-10-5—NO.3", the holder of this badge joined the Scarab Society earlier. "

Despite this, there are almost identical poems on the back of the two badges.

"I stretched out two fingers and held the flag at half-mast. At this moment, I saw a strange bird rushing towards the sun."

The poems on the back of the two badges are in two kinds of handwriting, but they are all crooked, not left by professional engravers.

There is reason to suspect that two or more token holders got together and engraved the same poem on the back of their own badges.

Different from counting murderers on a revolving door, a sentence is added at the end of the small poem on the back of the piece in front of me: "When the sea and fire collide, my successor, you should boldly open the gate of infinity."

Right now, the life and death danger of the castle was lifted, but the atmosphere in the secret room was somewhat frozen.

Who is the successor?

Mary lowered her eyes slightly, it wasn't that she was right, but that a series of death events revolved around pi, making it difficult for her to convince herself that she was not the chosen one.

"Ha ha."

Mary couldn't help sneering, this was an involuntary trial.Those who are chosen can only succeed, and if they lose, they will die.

She didn't put away the badge immediately, "Maybe it will be a door key somewhere. I kept the one from last time. Do you want to keep this one?"

Now that I have encountered the Scarab Club again and again, one after another is bound to follow.

They might run into the so-called secret of the Infinity Gate at some point, and it would be convenient for each of them to hold a badge.

"Of course, I would like to keep it."

Mycroft did not hesitate to put it away, maybe one day he will have to rely on the badge to act together.

As for which day and which place?

Some answers are still shrouded in fog.

The two concealed the matter of the badge, and only conveyed the news of successfully deciphering the combination lock to other people on the island.

Everyone still checked it anxiously, and was relieved when they saw "Congratulations on clearing the level" on the spring board of the combination lock.

But still a little worried, if the murderer doesn't play cards according to common sense, will he still detonate the castle?Only when the cruise ship docks and returns to the mainland safely, can the hanging heart be completely settled, and can we really cheer.

When the cruise ship can come depends on when the hurricane will pass.

As the wind and rain intensified, everyone who had been tossing for a day could only wait patiently in the castle.

At three o'clock in the middle of the night, everyone went back to their rooms.

Mycroft also lay back on the side bed.Once he was free, all the speculations caused by the suppressed brown vial flooded out.

In the next half an hour or so, I deeply realized what it means to toss and turn, and what it means to be unable to sleep at night.Who would have thought that insomnia would find Holmes.

What exactly is the vial?

Mycroft had a rough guess, but Mr. Minton said that he would no longer admit his guess directly, at least in the short term, he did not expect him to admit it voluntarily.

'Rub' it.

Mycroft jumped out of the bed, opened the door of the side sleeping room in three steps in two steps, quickly walked through the living room to the other side, and stopped in front of the door of the master bedroom.

He raised his hand, intending to knock on the door, but stopped in mid-air.

In the living room, there is still a kerosene lamp left, and the clock can be vaguely seen pointing to 03:39.Listening intently at this time, there was no movement in the master bedroom.Knocking on the door now, is it disturbing people's dreams at night?

The next moment, the door of the master bedroom was suddenly pulled open from the inside with a swipe.

Mary looked at Mycroft jokingly, "What time is it? You don't take a break, but hang around my door instead. Do you have any advice?"

Inside, the lights were dim.

Outside the window, the storm is raging.

Mycroft maintained his composure, and said solemnly, "I've been thinking about it, and I must say something about your brown vial."

Mary didn't seem to care much, "I told you, it's just seasickness medicine."

"As the saying goes, medicine is three parts poison."

Mycroft is almost sure that the medicine in the brown vial will have side effects. "If you are sick, you should take the medicine. But for the medicine in the brown vial, it needs to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis, and other treatments may be available."

Mary raised her eyebrows, "Oh? Do you have any good suggestions?"

Mycroft does not think that taking medicine to delay the body's physiological cycle is beneficial to health, "Just as you once advised me that excessive sugar is harmful to health, I also have to say that you should let nature take its course. Let nature take its course, calming down and resting is the best solution."

Mary almost laughed, it was true, but it was funny.

"Mr. Holmes, why don't you add that you should drink more hot water?"

"I want to be as sensible as you, and never forget to drink water."

Mycroft knew he should offer some constructive advice, but he didn't have any experience. "Perhaps, I can provide some spiritual help to help you relieve your physical discomfort."

"for example?"

Mary blinked, and the two of them were playing charades, which also aroused her curiosity, and she wanted to hear some spiritual comfort.

Mycroft seriously proposed, "If it were in London, I could play you some soothing music, and my cello is not bad. But on the island, there are no musical instruments, and I can read poetry to you, or tell you stories. what do you think?"

"What poem? Love poem?"

Without waiting for an answer, Mary asked again with a smile, "What story? The fairy tale "How did the werewolf eat the Big Red Riding Hood in one bite?"?Mr. Holmes, I don't see how creative you are.Excuse me, how do you plan to edit the details of the action scene? "