Hope Springs Eternal

WALKTHROUGH 

 Len Green      lengreen@hotmail.com       3rd October 2005    

 

FOREWORD

 

{A}   This walkthrough describes ALL the actions which you must take in order to succeed, together with many (though not all) which are not essential to completing the game.

However, please don’t use this walkthrough unless you absolutely have to.  Some aspects which are not absolutely imperative have been omitted.  A lot of these are interesting and provide much of the background story to the game, and particularly to the fascinating (and artistic) character and scenery of Norrköping … a relatively small town in Sweden, and home to the Developers, Mikael and Eleen Nyqvist.

{B}   Warning :-  The main purpose of this game is to examine items, interview people, view the interesting sights & scenery, and generally ‘act the tourist’, etc.  As mentioned, some of these actions are essential, but many are not, and quite a few are ‘red herrings’.

If you simply take this walkthrough in your hand and follow exactly what to do and not to do, you can probably finish the game very quickly. This however would completely defeat its whole purpose!

{C}   The walkthrough does not do justice to “Hope”!  A very great part of the interest and beauty of the game is wandering around through the vast number of locations, views, and residences … There are actually so many that I’m pretty certain that I missed a few ! L

{D}   This is a first-person game and much of the intricacy and pleasure lies in browsing around … and as aforementioned there is a lot of that.  I personally frequently ‘got lost’ looking for some location or object (even occasionally inside a residence!), and sometimes after finding it, lost my way again on returning.

Due to the above fact I have frequently (but not always) given exact ‘direction-instructions’ in this walkthrough e.g. “forward; right; right;  forward; left; forward; etc.” descriptions … this is particularly so in the ‘out of doors locations’ where there is a lot of scenery and panoramic detail, and hence increased chances of ‘getting lost’!  Often, where exploring is not too difficult (but sometimes not all that easy either),  the player will only be told where to go, but not exactly how to get there, or even how to move around when actually there!

{E}   On entering every new location, it is highly advisable to browse around as much as possible in order to explore the general layout.  However, the walkthrough never tells you explicitly to do this!    

{F}   You should NOT  have to follow the identical order of accessing locations as described in this walkthrough.  Some locations of course will not appear on the map until you have completed certain tasks, and so a particular order is sometimes obligatory.  Other than this, you are free to visit (&/or revisit) as you wish !

{G}   There is no need to describe ANY of the ‘mechanics’ &/or interface of the game.  It is all contained in the short ‘ReadMe.txt’ file in the “Hope” folder on your Hard Disc (after installing of course).

{H}   There are absolutely no action sequences, and you never get killed in this game.  There is no so called ‘bad language’ or ‘adult material’. It is all first-person and mouse driven point & click. There are full (and excellent) English subtitles for ALL speech.

{I}  As in most games, it is easy to make a wrong or redundant move!  So it is advisable to save frequently.  There are an infinite number of save-slots. Each save is very small (only 7 or 8 KB), and so saving and loading is almost instantaneous, presenting no delays to progress.

{J}  Whenever you obtain items, they appear in your inventory.  It’s always worth while dragging the magnifying glass onto each new item (or vice versa) to get an excellent enlarged picture of the item together with a brief description of it.

{K}  There are a number of puzzles in the game.  None of them is terribly difficult, but 6 are ‘tricky’ (including one slider puzzle which some players hate). 

For ALL of these 6 ‘nasties’, an automatic solution has been incorporated, thus eliminating the need for spoiling your game by having to switch to somebody else’s through being forced to request a save-game.

Just move your cursor down to the bottom right corner of your screen and click on the “By Pass” button … and lo & behold, the puzzle is solved for you!

At the end of the game, if you solved every puzzle by yourself (not TOO difficult a task actually) you are awarded 5 stars! J 

You obtain 1 less star for every puzzle you by-passed (however, if you by-passed 5 or 6 puzzles, I’m afraid you’ll see no stars or mention of them at all !)

{L}  At the very end of the game are a couple of ‘Easter Eggs’ which you might wish to try … just for interest!    

 

 

Walkthrough

 

 [ 1 ] Home (Carol Reed’s apartment) …… {1}

*****  Look at the letter on the table.

*****  It’s to Lovisa … “That’s the girl I rent this flat from”.

*****  Read the (unfinished) letter.

*****  Move your cursor to the top of the screen and click on the up-arrow.

*****  Go to the bedroom.

*****  Open the cabinet (cupboard).

***** Take the scissors.

*****  Note from the Developers … “Did you notice the two copies of the adventure game ‘Shadow Of The Comet’ in the cupboard? They just happened to be there, and we left them there”!

***** Go to the inside of the front door.

***** Look at the Jumping-Jack.

***** Tug at his string.

***** His legs fly open … but unfortunately he falls down.

***** Pick him up from the floor.

***** Go to the kitchen.

***** Open the kitchen cupboard.

***** Take the hammer.

***** Look at it in inventory, and note that you’ve also acquired one nail!

***** Look at the newspaper on the kitchen table.

***** Take it.

***** Read the newspaper … it contains Carol’s advertisement for employment.

***** Look at the phone next to the kitchen sink.

***** Look at the ‘Telematic’ … “It’s dead.  The batteries are completely discharged, and the battery charger is broken”.

***** Visit the W.C, (i.e. toilet; bathroom) … interesting décor; but nothing more!

*****  But, if you like, you can flush the toilet to see if it’s working OK.

***** Again go to the inside of the front door and look at it in close-up.

***** Move your cursor over the upper left-hand area of the door and note the red/blue gears icon … this is the ‘active’ area of the door.

*****  From inventory, drag the hammer and nail onto this ‘active’ area.  The nail is hammered into the door.

*****  From inventory, drag the Jumping-Jack and hang it from the nail.

*****  Take a close-up look at Jumping-Jack, pull the cord and watch his legs fly out again.

*****  You can do this a few times, but if you pull the string 6 times he’ll fall to the floor again and this time stay there.  However, this will not affect your game in any way!

*****  Move to the left or right, and you should hear the phone ringing.  (N.B.  This is essential, but it’s possible to exit the front door before moving.  In this case you won’t hear the phone.  However, as soon as you return to Carol Reed’s apartment you’ll hear it … and all’s well!)

***** Return to the kitchen.

*****  Pick up the  phone, and listen to the phone call from Katarina Vogel.  She might have an assignment for you (Carol).

*****  Click on the  phone.  Katarina is the sister of Conrad, from whom Carol has taken over the detective business.

*****  Go to the front door, open it and find yourself on the map.

[ 2 ] The Kiosk (Stina) …… {1} 

*****  Go to the kiosk owned by Stina, talk to her, and exhaust all dialog options.  (N.B.  You can leave this until later if you like)!

*****  Exit to the map and go to Katarina.

[ 3 ] Katarina (Vogel) …… {1}

*****  Enter Katarina’s.

*****  Talk to Katarina and exhaust all dialog options.

*****  Apparently an acquaintance of hers has disappeared.  She is a history teacher, named Anna Bergion.

*****  Exit to the map and go to Anna’s apartment complex.

[ 4 ] Anna (Bergion) …… {1}

*****  Enter the entrance to her block.                                             

*****  Walk up the stairs to her front door … the nameplate reads “A. Bergion”.

*****  Ring Anna’s bell.

*****  Try to open her front door … nothing doing!

*****  Exit the door to the block and see the caretaker sweeping up.

*****  Walk over to him and start talking.

*****  Pick up the keys hanging from his wheelbarrow.

*****  “Hands off my keys!  They’re tools of the trade”!

*****  Talk to the caretaker and exhaust all dialog options.

*****  Return to the entrance of Anna’s block but don’t enter.

*****  To the right of the entrance, look at the bottle in close-up … “You get 4 kronor back from the shops for a bottle like this”.

*****  Pick it up, nevertheless!

*****  In inventory, drag the newspaper so that it wraps around the bottle (or vice versa).

*****  Again in inventory drag the hammer onto the newspaper containing the bottle (In this case however, you cannot do the opposite)!

*****  You obtain a newspaper with broken bottle pieces inside.

*****  Return to the entrance of the apartment complex to where you see the label “EXIT”.

*****  Move your cursor down a little bit and you will obtain the magnifying glass cursor.

*****  Click on it and you will get a close-up of the ground … and on it the red/blue gears icon.     

*****  From inventory drag the newspaper with the broken bottle onto the ground, and see the pieces of glass scatter over it.

*****  Return to the caretaker and note the new dialog line “There’s a broken bottle right in front of the entrance”.

*****  He is reluctant to move from his present job, but eventually agrees.

*****  Move away and then return to his wheelbarrow in close-up.

*****  He is no longer there, so grab his keys.

*****  Return to Anna’s apartment.

*****  From inventory, use the keys on the front door lock and enter her apartment.

[ 5 ] In Anna’s apartment …… {2}

Dispersed around Anna’s apartment are several of her paintings.  It’s worth while having a look at them !

*****  Very close to the front door there is a trunk on the floor.

*****  Look at it in close-up, and open it.

*****  Use the hand icon on the postcard “Welcome to my cottage! … Marita”.

*****  Use the hand icon on the white cylinder marked ‘Marc Chagall Moderna’ … “Anna!  I kind of like this picture of you, so I made you a copy”.

*****  Use the hand icon to obtain the photograph of Anna.

*****  Close the trunk.

*****  Swing around and open the brown colored door (with the long vertical blue design inside).

*****  Notice the key stuck in the keyhole inside the door.

*****  Grab the key.

*****  Close the door.

*****  Swing around and enter the toilet.

*****  Look at the latex gloves beneath the sink … you can’t take them!

*****  See the magazine on the floor with the pencil on top of it.

*****  Exit the toilet and re-enter … you can do this as often as you like until you take the pencil.

*****  Take the pencil.

*****  Exit the toilet door … “Whoops, it locked itself”.

*****  Find and enter the kitchen.

*****  Swing around and note a white cupboard door, just to the right of a wall painting entitled “Anna Dec 04” (with a sign to the right of that inscription).

*****  Look at the cupboard in close-up, and observe the red/blue gears icon indicating that something needs to be used.

*****  From inventory, take the ‘key from Anna’s apartment’ and use it to open the cupboard.

*****  Look inside (carefully) at the rolled up painting of Anna’s … it’s of a tree.

*****  From above the painting, take the pencil sharpener.

*****  Close the cupboard.

*****  On the kitchen table, look at and operate the ornamental cockerel.

*****  Observe the (Swedish) Marlboro filter cigarettes … not for smoking of course?!?

*****  Close the ornament.

*****  Swing round and enter the bed-sitting room.

*****  Go forward and look at a close-up of the typewriter.

*****  Observe the typed recipe and pay attention to the irregularities in some of the typefaces (e.g. “n”; “h”; “m”; “t”).

*****  Look at the sheet of white paper next to the typewriter … “It looks like something has been written here”!

*****  If you look carefully you can just about notice the indentations of some writing there, but it’s impossible to read.

*****  From inventory, use the pencil on the sheet of paper … “It’s not sharp enough”!

*****  In inventory, use the pencil on the pencil sharpener (or vice versa).

*****  Use the sharpened pencil on the close-up of the white sheet of paper.

*****  Blacken its indented surface, so that the written note stands out clearly.

*****  Read it … “Look at my painting from October, that I gave you a copy of, and you’ll know exactly what it looks like”.

*****  Look at the trash can (on the floor, near the typewriter).

*****  Open it.

*****  Read the discarded letter.  It’s the first few lines only of a letter to somebody called Axel, mentioning his innocence of some sort of crime!

*****  Click on this letter and it reveals a yellow card “Animal burials … usually on Tuesdays”!

*****  Close the trash can.

*****  Approach the bed.

*****  Lift up the eiderdown … there’s nothing doing there.

*****  Look at the phone by the bed … try it, but it does not react.

*****  Look at the ‘Call Boomer’ in close-up … “No new calls”.

*****  Look for the painting entitled “Anna Oct 04” (+ sign).

*****  It is above the couch (and to the right of an accordion).

*****  Look at it closely and take it!

*****  Exit Anna’s apartment … “I think I’ll leave the door unlocked for now”.

*****  Exit Anna’s apartment complex … “I don’t want to leave with his keys”.

*****  Return to the barrow (the caretaker isn’t there) and return the keys to the place you ‘borrowed’ them from.

*****  Again exit Anna’s apartment complex.

*****  You are on the map.  Go to the kiosk.

[ 6 ] The Kiosk (Stina) …… {2} 

*****  Talk to Stina … “Do you know where they bury animals around here”?

*****  “In the pet cemetery.  It’s somewhere in the west side of town”.

*****  Exit the kiosk … there is now a new location on the map ‘West Side’.

*****  Go there.

[ 7 ] West Side …… {1} 

*****  Go forward as many times as you can (6 times).

*****  Swing round to the left.

*****  Look at the handbag on the bridge.  Something has to be done to it … but that will have to wait until later!

*****  Swing back to the right (twice) and then you can progress forward, with lots of different views and scenery to observe.

*****  Carry on exploring until you arrive in front of and close to a fountain.

*****  Swing once to the right and notice the stairs with a railing on each side.

*****  Walk up the stairs, and then up another short flight of stairs.

*****  Turn once to the left and forward four times.

*****  Observe the bench in close-up, and on it a roll of tape.

*****  Take the tape.

*****  Swing around and up another short flight of stairs, and you are in a residential district … houses, apartment blocks, cars, etc.

*****  Travel around until you see 2 cars parked side by side, with their rear number plates very clearly readable … one is dark red, and the other is silver-gray.

*****  From there, walk right, forward, left and forward … you are at the pet cemetery.

*****  Go forward and talk to the pet cemetery worker and exhaust all dialogs.

*****  When you have finished talking to him, walk left twice, forward and left again.

*****  Go forward ‘into’ the label “Exit” and go out onto the map … which has now acquired the additional location ‘The Pet Cemetery’.

N.B.  Despite the fact that the ‘West Side’ and ‘The Pet Cemetery’ have 2 separate different locations on the map, you can (fairly easily) walk from either one to the other (and back).

[ 8 ] Katarina (Vogel) …… {2}

*****  Enter Katarina’s.

*****  She will offer (the very English) Carol some tea made from stinging nettles.  Anywhere during the dialogs, use the hand icon on the cup of tea in order to see Carol’s reaction J

*****  Talk to Katarina and exhaust all dialog options.

*****  She informs Carol about Count Axel von Fersen and his Lofstad castle and secret meeting place.

*****  Exit to the map and go to the ‘Lofstad castle’.

[ 9 ] Lofstad Castle (Outside) …… {1}

*****  Enter the grounds.

*****  Go forward as far as you can (3 times), swing left, and view the castle stables.

*****  Take a good look at them.

*****  Continue looking around until you reach the large front entrance to the castle … “I don’t think I should enter without permission”.

*****  But take a good look at it also.

*****  Look nearby for a ticket-dispenser for winners of the Castle Quiz.

*****  Close-up … “Take the Castle Quiz, and win a ticket”.

*****  OK … Go ahead!

*****  Press “Start” … no reaction whatsoever (apart from a clicking noise).

*****  Walk around outside the castle (keeping close) until you see a guide sitting on one of the several benches. 

If you have serious trouble finding her, the following instructions apply:- Exit the close up of the ticket dispenser, but still facing it … go right twice, forward, left, forward, and finally right twice again, and there she is!

*****  Talk to her and exhaust all dialogs … “……I just collect the tickets.  There’s lots of info about Axel von Fersen in the castle.  But I can’t let you in without a ticket”.

*****  “So how do I get a ticket”?

*****  “They’re not for sale today, but you can win one on the Castle Quiz ……… You turn it on with the buttons inside the small metal door to the right of it”.

*****  Return to the ticket-dispenser … you can now obtain a close-up of the small metal door to the right of it.

*****  Open the metal door and look at the 5 buttons inside.

Puzzle-A

*****  The object of this puzzle is to press on one (‘suitable’) button which lights up.  Then you press on a second (‘suitable’) button which also lights up whilst the first one remains lit.  Then you press on a third (‘suitable’) button which also lights up whilst the previous two remain lit … and so on, until all five buttons remain lit simultaneously.

*****  There are 3 ways of solving this (very easy) puzzle:-

[i]    By pressing the “By Pass” button at the bottom right corner of your screen.  However, if you do this, you’ll forfeit one star at the end of the game!

[ii]   By trial and error (not difficult).

    [iii]  If however you DO have difficulty (and don't wish to use a “By Pass”), the solution to this puzzle is, from left to right, press buttons ……….  2; 5; 1; 4; 3.  ********************

*****  When you have finished puzzle-A, return to the ticket-dispenser.

*****  Press “Start”, then look close-up at the screen.

Castle Quiz

*****  There is no By-Pass for this Quiz.  If you’ve visited all the 5 relevant locations in the grounds and kept your eyes (&/or notebook) open, you will be able to supply ALL 5 (essential) answers.  If not, you’ll have to find, visit, scrutinize and note the locations and answers … or take the ‘shortcut’ from the walkthrough; below! L

*****  The places to visit, in sequence are:- (1) High up on the front of the castle [also on the stables … ‘almost’].  (2) The castle stables.  (3) The monument of Count Axel von Fersen.  (4) The advert for the “Ray Ivey Quartet”.  (5) The summer house.

*****  If you’re still stumped, the correct 5 answers are … c; a; e; d; d.  ********************

*****  This leads you to a slider puzzle.

Puzzle-B

*****  This is one of the easiest slider puzzles I’ve come across.  It is only a 4 x 4 and very carefully illustrated with great clarity.  In addition, the picture (of the Lofstad castle’s summer house) is very clearly displayed directly above the puzzle so that you can see exactly where each square has to go.

         Nevertheless, there are some folk who HATE slider puzzles, or have great difficulty in solving them.  No solution can be given here since the initial configuration is random and differs every time! 

For those who don’t wish to mess around with a slider puzzle, an automatic solution has been incorporated by simply pressing the “By Pass” button at the bottom right corner of your screen.  However, if you do this, you’ll forfeit one star at the end of the game!  ***********

*****  When you have solved this puzzle, one way or another, take the ticket to the castle.

*****  But the ticket still won’t enable you to open the front door of the castle.

*****  Return to the guide … she is meditating and motionless.

*****  She takes Carol’s ticket and gives her an oval shaped sticker from her forehead … It's some kind of adhesive Indian forehead jewelry, popular in some quarters.
*****  “Take this and put it on your forehead.  It will protect you from the ghosts”.

***** “Well, if you really think it’s necessary”.

*****  “Just walk in.  The door is open”.

*****  Enter the front main door of the Lofstad castle.

[ 10 ] Lofstad Castle (Inside) …… {2}

*****  You are in a corridor.  Before exploring the rest of the castle, walk up and down … more than once!

*****  Observe and glean as much information as you can in this corridor.  There are 4 illustrated placards with information … some ‘important’ some not.  The castle is around 370 years old … not ancient, but far from new.

*****  Read the 4 placards.

*****  Try using the hand icon on the placard illustrating the fate of the poor young boy, Nisse! 

*****  There is what looks like a cellar … “It’s too dark for me to go down there”.

*****  However, there’s some device (looks like a lantern) at the top of the stairs … but you can’t do anything with it!

*****  Also a door which you can’t open!

*****  From the corridor enter the castle (now a museum) and tour around both downstairs and upstairs.

*****  In one of the rooms look at an ornamental dressing table.

*****  It is locked.

3-Ring Poser

*****  There is no By-Pass for this puzzle, since if you’ve read the placards as suggested earlier, the solution should be pretty obvious.

*****  There are 3 ‘rings’ each of which can be clicked into place indicating numerals from 0 thro’ 5.

*****  The 3 digit solution is Count Axel’s favorite number.

*****  It is (the beginning of) his ‘close friend’ Queen Marie Antoinette’s birthday date.

*****  If you still haven’t got it, the solution is … 211.  ***************

*****  From the opened dressing table take the illustrious key.

*****  Return to the locked door.

*****  From inventory, use your illustrious key to open the door to the kitchen.

*****  From the table take the box of matches … “A box of matches … which is a Swedish invention by the way”.

*****  Exit the kitchen.

*****  Return to the opening to the cellar.

*****  From inventory, use your matches on the old fashioned lantern in order to light the way into the cellar.

*****  Go down the stairs and proceed until you get to “‘X’ marks the spot” on the wall … as described on one of the 4 abovementioned placards.

*****  Turn right round and look at the brown chest  (which has an intriguing looking black shadow on it.

*****  On it, look at the map … and particularly at the arrow pointing to Axel von Fersen’s secret meeting place.

*****  Click on that arrow (on the map)  … “So that’s where that meeting place is”.

*****  Take the map.

*****  Leave the cellar.

*****  Leave the Castle building altogether.

 [ 11 ] Lofstad Castle (Outside) …… {3}

*****  Any time after having ‘earned’ your (free) ticket and received the ‘anti-ghost pearl sticker’ from the guide, you might as well take advantage of one other of the individual rooms in the castle … a sort of annex.

*****  Return to and face the ticket vending machine and turn to the left.

*****  Look at the door.  Earlier, you couldn’t enter … now you can!

*****   Open the door, enter, and look around.

*****  There isn’t anything (essential) to do there except to appreciate the ambience.  You can however observe the very late 19th century painting of the ‘Axel von Fersen killing’.

*****  Exit the castle ‘annex-room’.

*****  But now you must find the Count’s secret meeting place.

*****  You should be able to recognize it from the painting you took from Anna’s apartment … if you’ve forgotten what it looks like, in inventory use your magnifying glass on the painting (or vice versa).

*****  In inventory, have a look at the map you got from the castle’s cellar … this will help you find the approximate region in which it’s located.

*****  You may have been there before (without knowing it, possibly) and remember how to get there.

*****  If not, you can use the following guide …………………..

*****  Return to the main entrance to the castle grounds, and exit to the map.

*****  On the map, click on ‘The Lofstad castle’.

*****  Carol is now standing immediately in front of the entrance to the grounds … don’t go in!

*****  Walk left, forward 3 times, and right.

*****  Look at the gray-white handbag half hidden in the high grass there.

*****  In close-up, unzip the handbag.

*****  Read the letter to Axel from Anna.

*****  Return to the main entrance to the Lofstad Castle grounds and exit to the map.

*****  On the map, go to Anna’s.

[ 12 ] Anna (Bergion) …… {3}

***** Enter Anna’s apartment … without any trouble now (you don’t even need the key)!

*****  As you enter you hear a noise … (‘Sound of something falling’)!

*****  Just inside the front door, look at some mail which has arrived.

*****  Open it.

*****  It’s “A pay slip from the Prison and Probation service?” … and also a Swedish illustrated journal.

*****  Return to the wall from which you removed Anna’s painting (just to the right of an accordion).

*****  In close-up, look at the now bare surface of the wall.

*****  From inventory, return Anna’s painting to the wall.

*****  Look at the floor beneath the painting and the accordion.

*****  It seems that the window nearby has blown open, knocking down and smashing a potted plant.

*****  N.B.  You can open this window and look at the attractive arboreal view outside.

*****  Look at the pot shards in close-up … and see an unusual purse.

Puzzle-C

*****  There are 6 buttons on the purse.  When you start, they are all closed.  The object of the puzzle is to get all of them open.

*****  It is not a terribly difficult puzzle but it’s worth saving before you start (so that you can repeat from the start configuration each time).

*****  There are 3 ways of solving this (not very difficult) puzzle:-

[i]    By pressing the “By Pass” button at the bottom right corner of your screen.  However, if you do this, you’ll forfeit one star at the end of the game!

[ii]   By trial and error (not difficult).

[iii]  If however you DO have difficulty (and don't wish to use a “By Pass”), the solution to this puzzle is as follows:- …………

Number the buttons as follows:-  Top line from left to right 1; 2; 3 … Bottom line ALSO from left to right 4; 5; 6.

Assuming that you start from scratch (i.e. all the buttons closed) press buttons 5; 4; 6; 6; 3.   ********************

*****  The purse opens.

*****  Take the key from the ‘strange purse’.

*****  Go to the brown cabinet to the right of a guitar (… in close-up, you can see the photo of a child).

*****  The cabinet has 2 drawers, both of which display the red/blue gears icon.

*****  From inventory use the key (from the strange purse) on the right-hand drawer.

*****  Inside, read the long letter from Axel to Anna.

*****  From the irregularities in the typeface, it has obviously been typed on that same typewriter in Anna’s apartment.

*****  From inventory drag the same purse key onto the left-hand drawer.

*****  4 symbols appear on it.

Puzzle-D

*****  There are 4 symbols.  3 of them are Greek letters, the remaining one not so … but their ‘origin’ is of no significance whatsoever.

*****  You have to press the symbols in the correct order.

*****  There are 4 ways of solving this (not very difficult) puzzle:-

[i]    By pressing the “By Pass” button at the bottom right corner of your screen.  However, if you do this, you’ll forfeit one star at the end of the game!

[ii]   By trial and error (not difficult).

[iii]  There are 4 of Anna’s paintings in the apartment.  In the right hand bottom corner of each one is Anna’s signature, the date, and one of the 4 abovementioned symbols.

     From left to right, as the symbols appear on the drawer, these ‘inscriptions’ are as follows:- 

“Anna    Oct 04    Omikron (a capital ‘O’)”.

“Anna    Sept 04   Phi (a lower case ‘o’ with a vertical line through it)”.

“Anna    May 03   A capital ‘Y’ with 2 short horizontal lines through it  (‘Financial players’ will easily recognize this one as the symbol for Japanese Yen!)”.

“Anna    Dec 04    Beta (a capital ‘B’ with a short tail)”.

If you press the symbols on the left hand drawer in the chronological order that Anna painted them … you have solved the puzzle.

[iv]  If however you DO have difficulties (and don't wish to use a “By Pass”), the solution to this puzzle is as follows:- …………

Numbering from left to right, press the symbols in the following order … 3; 2; 1; 4.   .  *********************

***** In the (now) open left hand drawer, look at the transfer contract … It confirms that Anna legally inherited her late sister Marita Bergion’s cottage.  (Note:-  The name of the witness to that property transfer contract is Egon Slugansky J).

*****  Also in the drawer, look at the gold ring.

*****  Exit Anna’s apartment and ‘complex’.

*****  On the map, there is now the new location ‘The Cottage’.

*****  Go there … but maybe first visit Katarina again. 

[ 13 ] Katarina (Vogel)