How to Survive

Ruth's grandpa Harold is out at the lake again, and Sunday dinner's getting cold. Someone has to go and tell him.

Steps

  1. Tell Ruth's grandpa, on the bench by the lake north of where you woke up, that dinner's on · the lake
  2. Tell Silas the gravedigger, in Gallows Rest out west, that Harold's not dead yet · Gallows Rest
  3. Tell Abe at Ashen Landing, on the West Isle, that Silas wants his shovel handle · Ashen Landing
  4. Tell Sheriff Boone in Last Chance, on the Desert Isle, that Abe didn't do it · Last Chance
  5. Ask Greta in Rimeholt, on the Alpine Isle, about the girl from Meadowbay. And say hello from the sheriff · Rimeholt
  6. Ask Torvald the smith in Cinderhold, on Cinder Isle, for Greta's shovel back · Cinderhold
  7. Go back to Greta in Rimeholt: Torvald's keeping her shovel, and the girl · Rimeholt
  8. Tell Sheriff Boone in Last Chance that Greta heard. Still · Last Chance
  9. Tell Abe at Ashen Landing he's at the top of the sheriff's list · Ashen Landing
  10. Tell Silas in Gallows Rest his shovel handle's ready, at cost · Gallows Rest
  11. Tell Harold, on the bench by the lake, that Silas put the tape away · the lake
  12. Tell Ruth in Meadowbay that Grandpa's coming, slowly, and her cousin's fine · Meadowbay

Reward

400 gold and XP

Dialogue

Starting it

  1. “Mother made dinner. Pot roast. She makes it every Sunday, and every Sunday Grandpa's out at the lake, looking at it.”
  2. “Somebody has to go fetch him. Usually that's me. I went last week, and the week before. I'm starting to think he likes the walk better than the roast.”
  3. “So you go. Tell Harold dinner's on. If he asks, it's pot roast. If he doesn't ask, it's still pot roast.”
  4. “He sits on the bench by the lake, north of where you woke up. You'll know him. He's the only one looking at a lake on purpose.”

Talking to them again

  1. “Grandpa's on the bench by the lake, north of where you woke up. He'll be the one looking at the water like it owes him money.”
  2. “Mother keeps his plate in the oven. Not to keep it warm. Just so she doesn't have to look at it.”

Handing it in

  1. “Oh, you're back. Grandpa says he's coming? Slowly? He's not here yet. He said that last Sunday too. He's still coming from last Sunday.”
  2. “And my cousin's fine? On a volcano? She hated the heat. Then she hated the snow. She must have really hated those hats.”
  3. “Fine, and staying. That's more than she ever told us here. Mother will cry. Then she'll set an extra plate anyway. That's how she worries.”
  4. “Here. It's from the jar Mother keeps for the roast. She won't miss it. She'll notice. But she won't miss it.”
  5. “Oh. One more thing. He's still not here. Could you go remind him again? Dinner's on. It's been on all week.”

abe

  1. “The handle? He wants the handle? I told him the handle was extra. He said fine. Now he wants it. That's not how extra works.”
  2. “Tell him I'll sell it to him at cost. Cost being whatever I say it cost. That's what cost means, in my shop.”
  3. “One more thing, since you're the post now. Sheriff Boone, in Last Chance. Tell him I didn't do it.”
  4. “Don't ask me what. He'll know what. If he asks you what, then I really didn't do it, and you can tell him that too.”
  5. “Last Chance is on the desert island, further south-west. The hot one. Everybody wears a hat there. That's how you know you've arrived. That, and the sweating.”

abe back

  1. “Top of the list? Finally. Recognition. Thirty years I've been working toward that.”
  2. “Right. Silas, then. Tell him his handle's ready. At cost. And tell him the cost went up. Word travels. Word's expensive.”
  3. “Gallows Rest, back across the water on the big island, out west. The grey town. Silas is the one who looks at you like a tape measure.”

abe back again

  1. “Silas. The handle. At cost. The new cost. Don't tell him the old one. He'll want that one.”

abe relay again

  1. “Boone. Last Chance. I didn't do it. Say it like you believe it. I've been practising. It's harder than it sounds.”

boone

  1. “Abe says he didn't do it. Huh. Well. Now I know he did it. Man's never once told me something he didn't do.”
  2. “I'll put it on the list. It's a long list. All Abe. I keep meaning to start a second list, for other people. Nobody else does anything.”
  3. “One more thing. A girl came through here a while back. From Meadowbay, she said. Took one look at all the hats and went north, to the snow.”
  4. “Greta keeps the old inn up in Rimeholt. Ask her if the girl got there. And tell her the sheriff says hello. Don't make a thing of it.”
  5. “Rimeholt's on the Alpine Isle, north of here, across the water. You'll know it when you get cold. Then you'll keep knowing it.”

boone again

  1. “Greta. Rimeholt. Ask about the girl. And the hello. Say it plain. If you say it nice, she'll know I meant it.”

boone back

  1. “She heard. Still. Huh. That's the most she's said to me in eleven years. I'll have to sit down. I'm sitting down. That's how much.”
  2. “Go tell Abe I got his message. He's on the list. Tell him he's at the top. He likes being at the top of something.”
  3. “Ashen Landing, back north-east across the water. You've been. You'll know it by Abe. Everybody does, eventually.”

boone back again

  1. “Abe. Ashen Landing. Top of the list. Say it like a compliment. He'll take it as one. He takes everything.”

greta

  1. “The sheriff says hello? Hm. Tell him I heard. That's all. I heard. He'll think about that one all winter. It's always winter.”
  2. “The girl? Oh, she was here. Came up from the desert with sand in everything. Shovelled snow for me all season. Said it was the first job she ever liked.”
  3. “Then she said the snow was too cold, and went off to the volcano. With my shovel.”
  4. “So, one more thing. Torvald, the smith in Cinderhold. Everybody who's cold ends up at Torvald's. Tell him I want my shovel back.”
  5. “Cinder Isle's north-west of here, across the water. Follow the smoke. If the smoke starts following you, you've gone too far.”

greta again

  1. “Torvald, in Cinderhold. My shovel. If he says what shovel, he's got it.”

greta back

  1. “He's keeping it? My shovel? And the girl? Well. She was better with it than me. The shovel liked her more.”
  2. “Go back down to the sheriff in Last Chance, south across the water. Tell him I heard. Still. He'll know what still means. He's had all winter.”

greta back again

  1. “Boone, in Last Chance. I heard. Still. Don't add anything. He adds enough for both of us.”

harold

  1. “Dinner? Pot roast? Well. That makes it Sunday, then. I lose track out here. The lake doesn't have days. That's what I like about it.”
  2. “Tell them I'm coming. Tell them slowly. If you tell them fast, they'll expect me fast.”
  3. “Oh. One more thing, since you're walking. Silas, the gravedigger over in Gallows Rest. Every time I pass through, he gets his tape out and measures me.”
  4. “Tell him I'm not dead yet. He can put the tape away. When it's time, I'll let him know. Well. Somebody will.”
  5. “It's rough country out that way. Don't go till you can look after yourself. I never could, so I don't go.”
  6. “Gallows Rest is the grey town, way out west on this island, past the wolf den. Nobody there is in a hurry. Mostly because of Silas.”

harold again

  1. “Tell Silas I'm not dead yet. He'll argue. He's a professional.”

harold back

  1. “The tape's away? Good. I've been sitting very still, in case he came. Turns out I was just sitting.”
  2. “So the dinner. Is it still on? Tell Ruth I'm coming. Slowly. Like I said. A man has to stick to something.”

harold back again

  1. “Tell Ruth I'm coming. Slowly. I'll be right behind you. Some distance behind you.”

silas

  1. “Harold says he's not dead yet. Does he. Well. Yet is my favourite word. Yet is a whole business plan.”
  2. “I'll put the tape away. I've got his numbers anyway. Took them years ago. He's not getting any taller.”
  3. “One more thing, while you're running errands for the living. Abe, over at Ashen Landing, sold me a shovel. No handle. Said the handle was extra.”
  4. “Tell him I want my handle. A shovel with no handle isn't a shovel. It's a plate you dig with.”
  5. “Ashen Landing's across the water, south-west, on the West Isle. You'll want a boat for that. I'd row you, but I only take passengers one way.”

silas again

  1. “Abe. Ashen Landing. The handle. I'm a patient man. But you don't want to see what I'm patient for.”

silas back

  1. “Ready, at cost. The new cost. Abe's the only man I know who charges more for less shovel.”
  2. “Go on back to Harold, on his bench by the lake. Tell him the tape's away. For now. He'll know what for now means.”

silas back again

  1. “Harold. The tape's away. For now. Don't say for now too loud. It upsets the living.”

torvald

  1. “Greta's shovel? Ja, it's here. The girl brought it. She shovels my coals with it. Works the bellows too.”
  2. “Says it's the first job she ever liked. Greta says she said that about the snow. Ja. She'll say it about the next one too. That's youth.”
  3. “She's from Meadowbay, she says. A cousin there, Ruth. Tell Ruth she's fine. She's staying. The hats were too much. Then the snow was too much.”
  4. “One more thing? No. No more things. There's nobody past me. Only the volcano, and it doesn't take messages.”
  5. “But everybody you passed is still waiting on an answer. That's how this works. Go back the way you came.”
  6. “Start with Greta, back in Rimeholt. Tell her I'm keeping the shovel. And the girl. Both work better here.”

torvald again

  1. “Back the way you came. Greta first, in Rimeholt. The shovel stays. Say it kindly. It's still staying.”