InvisiClues for Counterfeit Monkey by Emily Short

Written and HTMLified by Daniel M. Stelzer

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• The University
  • Who works at the University?
    1. For simplicity, in the game there is only one department and three professors.
    2. There's Professor Waterstone, the head of the department.
    3. There's Professor Higgate, who specializes in constructed languages.
    4. And there's "Professor" Brown, who researches abstract reification.
    5. Higgate and Waterstone have offices on the first floor, Brown's is in the basement.
  • Wait, so what is this "problem with adjectives"?
    1. Alex wrote his thesis on this.
    2. He will explain it if you examine the book.
    3. You might want to ask him to put it into layman's terms.
    4. Basically, some objects have "strongly-adhering" adjectives that get modified along with them.
    5. But most adjectives are "weakly-adhering" and don't stay with the noun.
    6. This is why you can't create something like "potable water" with a letter-remover.
    7. Alex's conlang uses separate nouns for those concepts so that they can be created more easily.
    8. But the words won't be usable until enough people accept them.
    9. He's trying to escape from Atlantis to spread this language.
  • What is a "conlang"?
    1. It's short for constructed language.
    2. As in, a language specifically created by a linguist, rather than being formed naturally.
    3. Esperanto, Lojban, and Klingon are examples.
    4. Constructing languages has special significance in the world of Counterfeit Monkey, where words have power.
    5. But you can't actually use the words with letter-removers and such until enough people accept them. The energy requirements are just too high.
    6. Alex wants to spread his in third-world countries to allow creation of useful resources out of dirt and water.
  • How do I get into the seminar room?
    1. The obvious way would be to walk through the door.
    2. Oh, it's locked?
    3. Who would have a key to that room?
    4. Your best bet is one of the professors.
    5. Waterstone is working on something else.
    6. Brown isn't likely to help you.
    7. So you should probably ask Higgate.
    8. SHOW THE BOOK TO HIGGATE, then follow her.
  • Ooh, that synthesizer looks pretty nice...
    1. It does, doesn't it?
    2. But you can't play with it with Higgate around.
    3. If you return The Problem with Adjectives and leave, she'll head back to her Lojban Tea.
  • What does ".i xu do se bangu la lojban." mean?
    1. Alex translated it for you.
    2. Higgate thinks you're here for the Lojban Conversational Tea.
    3. She's asking if you understand Lojban.
    4. (It's a language, by the way.)
    5. It's sort of a rhetorical question. If you don't speak Lojban, you won't understand it anyway.
  • How can I learn Lojban?
    1. Alex already knows it, and he can translate for Andra.
    2. If you meant in real life, there are various resources on the Internet.
    3. Many of them are easier to get through than Higgate's book, don't worry.
  • How do I open the case?
    1. It seems to be locked.
    2. But the plexiglas is fastened on with screws.
    3. How would one manipulate screws?
    4. The obvious answer would be a SCREWDRIVER.
    5. Have you seen a screwdriver before?
    6. If you haven't seen the Homonym Paddle, come back later.
    7. The bartender at the Fleur d'Or serves screwdrivers, as in the drink.
    8. You could order one.
    9. But that isn't very useful for manipulating screws.
    10. Did you see how the bartender made it?
    11. You can't homophone-paddle it back.
    12. But you might turn it back to its original form.
    13. PUT GEL ON SCREWDRIVER. OPEN CASE WITH SCREWDRIVER.
    14. If you're in Hard Mode, there's no screwdriver. You need to find another way.
  • How do I work the synthesizer?
    1. It's fairly simple.
    2. Put two objects in the synthesizer, then turn it on.
    3. This space intentionally left blank.
    4. This one too.
    5. There really isn't a puzzle to turn it on.
    6. But these clues make it look like there is.
  • How do I get into Professor Feynman's office?
    1. Where did you find Professor Feynman's office?
    2. He doesn't live anywhere near Atlantis.
    3. I suppose I'd recommend knocking on the door.
    4. He's dead, so don't expect an answer.
    5. And I'm not sure how well he'd be able to help you with this game.
    6. There's not too much particle physics involved.
    7. This space intentionally left blank.
  • I need to talk to Waterstone!
    1. He seems to be hard at work preparing his lecture.
    2. Perhaps there's a way you could help him with it?
    3. He just printed his outline on the printer...
    4. ...but the printer's out of paper.
    5. Where could you get some paper?
    6. Remember the REAM you made for Lena?
    7. Unfortunately you can't go back and get that--she needs the preamps.
    8. But maybe there's something else you could turn into a REAM.
    9. Have you looked in the break room?
    10. Have you looked in the refrigerator?
    11. Someone's left some CREAM.
    12. WAVE C-REMOVER AT CREAM, then PUT REAM IN PRINTER.
  • I still need to talk to Waterstone...
    1. Have you read the outline of his lecture?
    2. It's on the topic of "homonym shame": ways to disguise dirty-sounding objects.
    3. He seems to need one more example.
    4. Perhaps you could come up with one?
    5. Most of these require the synthesizer, so solve that puzzle first.
    6. First you need something that sounds dirty.
    7. How about that CLOCK you made from the LOCK earlier?
    8. WAVE L-REMOVER AT CLOCK.
    9. But now how to make it into something innocent?
    10. Remember the fruit from the word-balance?
    11. Try R-removing the PEAR.
    12. Then put the PEA and the COCK in the synthesizer.
    13. And turn it on.
    14. Now you have an innocent-sounding PEACOCK.
    15. Head back to Waterstone and knock on his door. He can see through the window.
    16. Of course, in Hard Mode you have a broken clock and a prickly-pear instead.
    17. You have to solve that variant on your own. ; )
  • What can I do with the Secretary's computer?
    1. Once you have access, you can see information on the University and the professors.
    2. If you don't have the password, see that question first.
  • What is "reification"?
    1. It comes from the Latin res, "thing," and facio, "make."
    2. It's a fancy word for what you do with a letter-remover.
  • What is "reification of abstracts"?
    1. According to Alex, it's one of the most interesting topics in linguistics.
    2. It's when you reify an abstract concept, such as G-removing a GLOVE to make LOVE.
    3. Your letter-remover isn't properly tuned for it.
    4. This is Professor Brown's area of expertise.
    5. Why not ask him to upgrade your letter-remover?
    6. Oh, he didn't agree?
    7. That's good, it's probably illegal.
    8. You'll need to find another way.
    9. Why are you still reading? Brown agrees immediately.
  • How can I tune my letter-remover to create living things?
    1. Did you see where Brown went when he tuned it before?
    2. Look in the basement.
    3. Of course, the door is locked.
    4. You need a keycard.
    5. There's no way to make one by letter-removal.
    6. But there's another tool you could use.
    7. No, not the Restoration Gel.
    8. The Synthesizer!
    9. If you haven't figured out how to use it yet, solve that puzzle first.
    10. Now you can combine a KEY (the one to Alex's apartment) and a CARD (restore your CAR).
  • How can I muffle the sound?
    1. You can't.
    2. But you might be able to drown it out.
  • How do I drown out the sound?
    1. You need to make something loud.
    2. Music can be very loud.
    3. You don't even need the Synthesizer for this.
    4. Have you been to the Babel Cafe?
    5. You might find some good food there.
    6. And one of the snacks might be useful here.
    7. How about the WRAP?
    8. WAVE W-REMOVER AT WRAP. DROP RAP. OPEN DOOR WITH KEYCARD.
  • How do I get into the computer?
    1. Have you tried ENTER COMPUTER?
    2. Oh, you want access to the computer.
    3. What does the computer want?
    4. Remember the first puzzle of the game, with the CODE?
    5. In this case you need a PASSWORD.
    6. You can synthesize that out of a PASS and a WORD.
    7. You can get the WORD by gelling the CROSSWORD.
    8. And you can make the PASS out of the PASTIS.
    9. If you don't have the pastis, it might be disguised as an AS.
  • This password is useless!
    1. Try looking at it after turning on the computer.
    2. This space intentionally left blank.
    3. Ditto.
    4. Et cetera.
    5. By the way, have you ever tried W-removing the WALL?
    6. It's quite amusing.
    7. I'd recommend saving first, though.