Hurry, hurry, hurry! Step right this way, ladies and gentlemen, to see the
wonders of the ages. Witness death-defying feats of derring-do and digital
dexterity! Behold the fascinating freaks of fiendish fortune, fettered with
fantasies far from the furthest feelings of the fortunate few! Experience
elephants, learn from the lions and make a monkey out of yourself!All this for
one thin dime, one tenth of a dollar! Hurry, hurry, hurry! (Get away from here
kid, you bother me!)
Infocom's latest mystery game is far from what you might expect if you've
played WITNESS, SUSPECT or DEADLINE. In fact, it has more in common with the
adventure series, where you have to find the right items and do the right
things with them in order to solve the game.
So let's begin. As always, mapping is a key to playing through successfully.
All the action takes place on the grounds of THE CIRCUS THAT TIME FORGOT, INC.
At the start of the game, there are only a limited number of places you can
visit, so your first job is to find out how to get to those other places that
are currently blocked to you.
You begin In the Wings. The Big Top lies to the north, and the rest of the
circus grounds south. So head south.
You are in the Connection, a kind of crossroads.You will see a midget. If you
have read the Official Souvenir Program, you will recognize him as Comrade
Thumb, a Russian emigre clown. A word of advice: You will find few people here
on your side, so make friends where you can."Lift the midget" to help the poor
guy get a drink, then note where the fountain is for later. There is a
temporarily impassable turnstile to the east, so go south again.
You are now Near the White Wagon, the business office. The door is locked and
you have no key, so leave this for later.But do take the pole that is sticking
out from under the wagon. Read the banner to the south. "Egress" is not a wild
beast, but stay away from it anyway if you don't want the game to end.Instead,
head west.
You will be by a second turnstile. Two clowns will get through, but you can't
yet. Be sure to watch and listen to everything they do and say.If you look into
the cage by the turnstile, you will see the blind guard, Harry. Harry is a
veritable encyclopedia of information, and about the only friend you can talk
to. Be sure to applaud when Comrade Thumb finishes his act, wait for him to
pass through, then head west again.
You are now in the Prop Tent. Leave everything you see, and hide behind the
cardboard cutout of William Howard Taft, then listen to the whole conversation.
The owner's daughter, Chelsea, has been kidnapped! By the sound of him, this
detective that Mr. Munrab (spell it backwards) has hired is no Sam Spade.
There's only one person who can find Chelsea, and that's you!
After they leave, head east into the Back Yard, then north to Beside the Big
Top. Pick up the mask, and then go east back to the connection.Head north again
into the wings. A portion of the bleachers has been pulled away.Head northeast,
search the garbage and take the ticket you find there. Then head southwest and
north.
You are now in the Performance Ring, ready to perform your first death-defying
act.The roustabout with the headphones you saw leave as you entered the Big Top
(remember him!) has removed the safety net. So drop everything but the
fiberglass pole, and climb the rope ladder.Keep going east until you reach the
other platform. Now that was easy, wasn't it? Take the balloon, and go west
until you get back to the first platform.Try to go down. You'll drop the pole,
but never mind.Then down again and pick up everything, then go south twice back
to the Connection.
Punch either the red or blue dot on your ticket, then "insert ticket in slot."
You'll get your ticket back and you can go east through the turnstile into the
Midway. You must repeat this every time you use this turnstile.
Examine the pitchman and the detective (and the monkey).Then go south into the
Menagerie, and southeast into the Menagerie Nook. To the north is a cage. Look
inside it.Use the pole to get the key ring, then unlock the cage, open the door
and go north into the cage. Take the headphones and the bucket, go south,
northwest, north, and west back through the turnstile.Make your way back to the
Prop Tent. I found it a good place to leave everything until you need it. Drop
everything but the balloon. Go east.
Now "open the balloon"; then "inhale helium" and say "Harry, hello." Your
high-pitched voice will make him think you are Comrade Thumb, and he will buzz
you through. Go south.
You are now in the Camp (East), west of Gottfried von Katzenjammer's trailer.
Head west to Camp (West), with Clown Alley to the South. Leave both of those
until later. Instead, it's time you learned the fine art of "sidewalling."
"Sidewall" or "crawl under" the canvas, and you'll find yourself back in the
Prop Tent.
Aha! What is this? A piece of wood? Examine it.Seems harmless enough, so pick
it up. When prompted, try entering an obscenity; if shy, just say "ow."Drop the
mousetrap, take the piece of meat out of the bucket, and then drop the meat.
Timing is crucial here. Go east out of the Prop Tent, then west back in.You'll
hear scurrying. Go out and back in again. You will see a mouse. "Catch mouse
with bucket."
Now take the ticket and the bucket and head back to the Menagerie.The real fun
is about to begin!
Okay, you're back at the Menagerie, armed with your ticket and a bucket with a
mouse in it. Try going east. You have just met Hannibal, the elephant.Take the
mouse, then show the mouse to the elephant twice. Hannibal will blow the mouse
out of your hand. Wait.The petrified pachyderm will break loose from his chains
in fright and plow through the fence to the southwest. Go through the
elephant-sized hole to the southwest.
You have returned to the White Wagon, only this time you notice a ladder
attached to the rear. Climb up the ladder until you are On the Wagon. Turn the
crank, then look in the wagon. Mr. Munrab is hard at work. The poor man is so
tense, you shouldn't bother him. But you have to get in there, so you must get
him to leave first. From your perch, knock on the door. He will open the door
and, quite perplexed at finding no one there, he will leave. Time is of the
essence now. Go "in" and lock the door.Ignore the books and the sheepskin; just
examine the desk and take the spreadsheet you find there.Now, move the desk and
"up". You will be back on top of the wagon and Mr. Munrab, none the wiser, will
close the panel. Go down to the ground, making sure you pick up anything you
might have dropped, and back northeast to the Menagerie.
Now, go north, east, and east again till you reach the Far End of the Midway.
Go north, then northeast or southeast around Tina, and take the stool. Ignore
Tina for the moment; she will certainly ignore you. Make your way back to the
Midway and return to the Prop Tent, either through the turnstile or by way of
the elephant-sized hole southwest of the Menagerie.
Once you have side-walled a tent, you only have to type a direction to go
under it again, so go south from the tent and east to Katzenjammer's trailer
with the skeleton key in hand. Examine the trailer. Unlock and open the
compartment, then take the bullwhip. Go north through the turnstile and then
ask Harry about the lions. He will tell you that only Elsie responds to the
whip. Return to the Prop Tent and make sure you have all of the following: the
key, the stool, the whip, and the meat. Now go east twice and north three times
into the Performance Ring.
Unlock the cage with the key, open the door, and go west into the Lions' Den.
The male shaggy lion is Nimrod;the smooth-bodied female is Elsie.Keep cracking
the whip at the smooth lion until she lies down and yawns, then open the grate.
The stool will keep keep the shaggy lion at bay. Throw the meat into the
passage, then go east. Go back into the cage and close the grate.Move the lion
stand and you will find a cigarette case.
Return to the Prop Tent. Carrying your ticket and the cigarette case, go east.
Ask Harry about Andrew and Jenny, then be sure to give him the cigarette case.
He will feel it and tell you it belongs to Andrew. Go north, east, insert your
ticket, and east again through the turnstile, then east once more.Now go south.
You are in Jennifer's Boudoir. Show the case to Andrew.Show the case to Jenny.
Observe the fracas that follows with amazement and listen to what is said about
the meeting later that night in Katz's trailer. Now go up the stairs into the
Wardrobe Closet. Take the dress/suit combination and search it. Take the veil
you find.Take the shawl/jacket combo and go up and out of the closet and north.
Make your way back to the Prop Tent and relax a minute.
For the next series you will just need your ticket.It's time to visit Rimshaw
the Incomparable. Return to Midway of the Midway and north into the Hypnotist's
Parlor. You must give him your ticket, which he will return. You can say
"Rimshaw, read my palm" and "Rimshaw, read my head" for fun; but you're on
serious business here. Say "Rimshaw, hypnotize me," and he will.
In your dreamlike state you will return to your seat high up in the bleachers,
with a terrible hunger. Stand up. Now go east, up, east, down, east, up, east,
and down. On the way, ignore the hawker. He will relieve you of $1.85 without
your lifting a finger. As soon as you find yourself back In the Wings, a monkey
will land on your back. Go south to the Connection, then get in line at the
concession stand. Wait till the second line starts. You will have to type "get
out of line" twice, then "get in short line." Wait until Jerry's friends all
arrive, then get out of the line. When asked if you really want to surrender
your place in the long line, say "Yes." Get in the short line, get out of the
short line then get in the *long* line. Reverse psychology pays.
Now you have a chocolate-covered banana. Bite it.Hmmm, someone else is hungry,
too. Drop your hard-won prize and go north Into the Wings. Say hello to the
hawker you see taking a break there. Then go up. Some stranger will hurl a
granola bar at you and you'll wake from your trance.Stand up and go south, then
west.
Now side-wall the tent, and you're Under the Bleachers.Search the garbage and
you'll find the granola bar. Take it and go south.
Who do you know that might appreciate a granola bar? Yes, go east and east
again, then north. Examine Tina. She is holding a radio. Go northeast or
southeast around her, then give her the granola bar.That got her attention! Say
"Tina, hello." Take the hand she offers you, then kiss it. Go northwest or
southwest, and you will find the radio. Take it and go south. eturn once again
to the Prop Tent.
You are once again in the Prop Tent, and it's time you got on with the actual
business of solving the crime. You have already obtained a clue: the
spreadsheet. Examine it. It describes the steadily deteriorating financial
condition of one Eddie Smalldone. Unfortunately, this is not much to go on.
Examine the headphones. Rewind the tape and then play it until you hear the
subliminal voice. So Rimshaw is in on this! Rewind the tape again.
For the next series, you will need your ticket, the key, the radio, and the
headphones. But first, pay a visit to Harry. Go east and ask Harry about Eddie
Smalldone, then ask him about the circus and the gorilla. To tame the gorilla,
you will need soothing music, and all you have is Jimi Hendrix and a
static-producing radio.Consult your souvenir program again, then turn the radio
to WPDL, 1170 on your AM dial. Not much of an improvement, I'm afraid. You will
have to improve your reception noticeably.
Make your way to the Menagerie Nook. Drop your ticket and the key, then climb
the cage. The static will miraculously disappear."Record music" and wait until
the tape stops, just to be sure. Rewind once again to the beginning, then go
down.
Oops. You seem to have died. Naw! Try typing "restore," then "wait." Take the
key and ticket, then go northwest. Unlock the cage with the key, open the door
and go west. Behold Mahler the Gorilla! (Just for fun, you might try this
wearing the gorilla suit!) Search the straw. A trap door! Now play the tape.
Mahler will leave you alone so you can open the trap door and take the ribbon
that is in there. Go east and close the door behind you. Make your way back to
the Prop Tent.
Drop off everything. Take the mask, then go south. Wear the mask and knock on
the door of the trailer. When Chuckles lets you in, go south. Examine the ash
tray, move the ash and take the scrap of newspaper revealed. Chuckles by then
will see through your disguise, but his careless tongue will have revealed "the
grift" (i.e., illegal gambling), and that to reach it you must shove "Annie
Oakley" (i.e., your ticket) under the front by the elephant tent. (See the
souvenir program for translation of circus lingo.)
Go back north into the Prop Tent, and make sure you have the bucket and your
ticket. Then make your way to the Menagerie Nook. Slide your ticket under the
front, then go east through the secret panel. Take your ticket again.
Now it's time to play a little blackjack.There is a $2.00 house limit, and it
doesn't really matter if you win or lose. Play a couple of hands, then type
"open panel." Instead of obeying your command, the game will suggest you play
another hand. This time, however, something has changed. You will feel someone
tapping on your foot. If you pay attention, the number of taps indicates the
value of the dealer's hole card. Try to look under the green tablecloth. The
game's odds have swung about to your favor, so play as long as you like until
Billy Monday 86's you from the Blue Room. Go northwest, then north.
You will see the body of the detective. Is he dead? He sure is: Dead drunk,
that is. You will have to revive him. Go west through the turnstile.About this
time, you will run into Comrade Thumb again. By sign language, he will adviseyou to return to the Blue Room. First, you must deal with the detective. Pour
water on him. This will revive him, and bring on sudden feelings of shame and
remorse. You must exploit those feelings while you have his attention. Say
"Detective, give me the ransom note."He will produce the note and a trade card
for Dr. Nostrum's.(You have one in your BALLYHOO package; it has a picture of a
cute blonde girl with a red ribbon in her hair.)
Return to the Menagerie Nook, and drop the bucket. You won't need it again.
Once again, slide your ticket under the front, and go east into the Blue Room.
Look under the tablecloth, and take the suitcase.Open the panel and...too late!
The suitcase is ripped out of your grasp and the culprit dashes west through
the open panel. You must stay hot on his heels! Go west, then up and up again.
Which way did he go? Which way did he go?
Never mind.You've got more important things to worry about, like the elephant
prod that comes bursting through the tent near you!The tip is deadly, but only
the tip.So go in any direction until the second time the prod is pushed through
the tent.Grab the shaft, then pull it or push it. You are now out of danger. Go
down and down again. The cowards have vanished. But you have gathered all the
clues you need.It is time to take stock of your position, so return to the Prop
Tent again. You are almost done.
Take the trade card, ransom note, ribbon, spreadsheet, and scrap of newspaper.
Examine the scrap. Read the ransom note. Compare the scrap to the ransom note.
Aha! Examine the ribbon. It appears to match the one worn by the girl on the
trade card.
Let us now marshall our facts:
1) The circus is not doing well financially.
2) Eddie "Chuckles" Smalldone is involved because the scrap you found in his
trailer matches the scraps used to make the ransom note.
3) Rimshaw the Incomparable is involved, because of the hypnotic voice of the
headphones. His unwilling accomplice is the roustabout you saw wearing the
headphones early in the game.
4) Andrew is involved, because Jenny told you so.But you are not likely to see
either of them again.
5) Billy Monday is involved, because you assume that Chelsea was in the
suitcase he took from you.
6) Gottfried von Katzenjammer is involved, because you know a meeting is set
for his trailer this evening.
Take the five clues, go south, and east.You will find Chuckles "polishing" the
lion tamer's trailer. Say "Eddie, hello."Then show him the clues in this order:
the spreadsheet, the note, the scrap, the ribbon, and the trade card.
Guilt-stricken or scared out of his floppy shoes, he will beat a hasty retreat.
Now, how to get into the trailer? Once again, you must disguise yourself.
Return to the Prop Tent, then get and wear the following items: the dress-suit
combination, the shawl-jacket combo and the veil. Drop everything else.
Go south and east, then knock on the door. Katzenjammer, mistaking you for
Andrew/Jenny, will leave you alone by the trailer. Time's a-wasting! You don't
know when he'll return, so go east into the trailer.
Close the door. You will find a crowbar. Take it. Now move the moosehead. It
will reveal a one foot square crawl space which is too small for you to enter.
Now who could fit in there? Hmmmm. (Light bulb!)
Open the door and go west twice. Examine the door. It is slightly warped (but
aren't we all!).Open the door with the crowbar, then go south into Clown Alley.
Fortunately, Comrade Thumb is there. Lift him and carry him back to
Katzenjammer's trailer. Put him in the crawl space and wait. He will hand
Chelsea out to you!
Now to reunite the poor girl with her distraught father. Go west and north,
receiving Harry's congratulations, then east to the White Wagon.A happy ending
seems to be within your grasp.
Unfortunately, Mr. Munrab misunderstands your sudden appearance with his
daughter and goes screaming northeast for the detective. Follow him. A tense
moment ensues, but before you can explain, you are blind-sided by a
berserk simian. Go north, west, north, and north again after Munrab and the
ape.
This is the scene that confronts you in the Performance Ring. Munrab and the
roustabout stand aghast looking at Mahler holding the helpless Chelsea high up
on the tightrope platform. What is worse, you can no longer reach the rope
ladder. Is all your work for naught?
Stay calm. This is no time for panic. You need unquestioned obedience
immediately. Clap your hands! This will trigger Rimshaw's post-hypnotic
suggestion and make the roustabout your willing slave. Tell him to get the
safety net. This is an opportune time to get out of all of Andrew/Jenny's
clothes you are wearing.
Go west to the Lions' Den and take the lion stand, then go east and drop it.
You will now be able to climb the stand and reach the rope ladder. But
experience has told you what you need to (a) cross the tightrope and (b) calm
the gorilla. One last time, return to the Prop Tent and get the fiberglass pole
and the transistor radio. Return to the Performance Ring.
Climb the stand, then the rope ladder, with just the pole. This will drive
Mahler into the guy wires above the platform. Try to climb the wires. You can't
but this will drive Mahler to the far platform. Drop the pole and go back down
for the radio. Go up again. Confident in your proven tightrope walking ability,
and reassured by the soothing strains of classical music, head east slowly
across the tightrope. Easy. Easy. Step by step, inch by inch. Almost there....
Suddenly, the music is interrupted by a pledge break. AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!! You
must go back west to the first platform. Drop the pole and radio, and go down.
Where is a phone? Go south three times and east into the White Wagon. Take the
phone and call WPDL, then return to the Performance Ring and climb back up to
the platform. Pole and radio once again in hand, you gamely venture east one
more time.
This time you make it all the way! The assembled throng cheers. This unnerves
Mahler once again, and you suddenly find yourself hanging from the tightrope
high above the oblivious crowd who have rescued Chelsea below. You feel your
hand beginning to slip. All seems lost, but at least you have accomplished what
you set out to do; you have not only saved Chelsea from her kidnappers, but you
have shown that you have what it takes to make it in the sawdust and tinsel
world of the circus. Such a pity you won't live to enjoy it.
Your weary hands lose their grip and you plummet earthward! Fortunately, the
grateful circus folk notice your predicament, and in the nick of time save you
from a terrible fate. As you plunge into oblivion, your last thought is of the
circus, and you know that someday you'll have one helluva story to tell your
