[Puzzle 014]

[hisapprentice]

[Sometimes, in the wake of a foundation-shattering event, all anyone can do is stare at what remains.

That is not true for Luke this time, and hasn't been in the entire two weeks since all of himself came rushing back. All things considered, he's been as upbeat and energetic as ever. Helpful, too - so many others seemed devastated in the aftermath, he felt and still feels like he ought to make up for it somehow.

The first thing he does with the free time in his Monday is go to the bakery and get a dozen of something. Donuts or cupcakes or similar things, anything sweet and delicious. Those treats are going to people he knows, if he can find them, especially the ones that haven't shown their faces of late.

Then it's time for the real substance of his day.

A puzzle.

He handwrites it out first, then reads it out for the benefit of anyone stymied on the writing front.]

A family gathers in a room for a party. In this family, there is a mother, a father, a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, an auntie, an uncle, a niece, a nephew, and 2 cousins. However, there are only 4 people in the room. What are their relations to each other?

Comments

[written]

[skysung]

The four people in the room include a man and woman and a boy and girl. If the adults are brother and sister and each of them is parent to one of the children, that would leave all of the roles fulfilled.

There is not enough information to tell which child is the man's and which is the woman's, though, so I cannot tell you the full set of relationships.

[written]

[hisapprentice]

There isn't? [Luke runs through his puzzle again with a frown.] Hmm, it looks like you're right. I had the girl as the man's daughter, though.

[written]

[skysung]

Did you make up the riddle yourself? I wonder if we could change it to make that last piece clear without overly complicating matters.

[written]

[hisapprentice]

No, I saw this one in a book. I did change it a little bit, but only to make the words sound less stuffy.

[written]

[skysung]

I like riddles. Do you spend a lot of time working with them? You are not the first to ask one in the journals, but they are always a nice surprise.

[written]

[hisapprentice]

We do a lot of puzzles, yeah. They just start popping up wherever we go, usually.

[written]

[skysung]

Really? Does it happen here in Luceti as well, or are you from a world of puzzles? [She's rather fascinated by the idea of that.]

[written]

[hisapprentice]

Other people probably think I am from a world of puzzles. But Professor Layton really likes them, and I'm his apprentice. People who know about him can't resist sometimes.

[written]

[skysung]

Does he usually make puzzles or solve them? What sort of apprenticeship is it? Are you studying puzzles themselves or something else?

[written]

[hisapprentice]

I'm learning how to be a true gentleman! He makes puzzles up and he solves others, too. That isn't his job, though, he's a University professor.