This walkthrough is copyright Oona Canute, 2006. Feel free to reproduce it as
much as you like, but please give me credit. Thanks!
supahgypsyroselee@hotmail.com
DUST: A Tale of the Wired West
Okay, so Dust came out over ten years ago. That doesn't mean a walkthrough
isn't warranted, does it? There are very few Dust walkthroughs out there, and
because it's such a complex game that simply doesn't suffice. Anyway, I hope
you find this particular walkthrough helpful, though it certainly can't
encompass everything in the game. Enjoy!
Or, you know...don't.
Before we go any farther, I want to add that for the most part, I've only
mentioned the tasks which you must complete and the things that you must not
do. Everything else is up to you. There are signs to be read, people to be
talked to, stores to enter, etc. Experiment!
The walkthrough is organized like this:
DAY 1
DAY 2, MORNING
DAY 2, AFTERNOON
DAY 2, NIGHT
DAY 3, MORNING
DAY 3, AFTERNOON
DAY 3, NIGHT
DAY 4, MORNING
DAY 1: You enter Diamondback. Simple enough. Whether or not you speak to him
first, town drunk Leroy will approach you with a cheerful, inebriated "Whaddya
want, y' knock-kneed pup of a dessicated sow-grizzly?" Talk to him a bit, and
then head on. You won't get far, though--there's a big black dog blocking your
path. It's at this juncture that the appropriately-named "Help" will appear to
insult you. As tempting as it may be to do otherwise, be as obsequious and
polite as possible and he'll help you out. Do as he says--pick up the bone
sitting on the outskirts of Diamondback (where you entered) and return to the
dog. You must actually click on the bone as it appears in your status box and
drag it to him. Once you've done this, Help will give you some words of
pseudo-encouragement and offer up a ring. Take it. Leroy has wandered off by
now too; pick up his empty jug of rotgut.
Now you'll meet Jackalope Jones. Ooooo-whee! Again, you have to be polite to
him. Talk to him as much as possible and he'll tell you about Sheriff Bill
Purvis, the Yunni Indians, the infamous Belcher brothers, etc. Oh, and he'll
mention his girlfriend Mountain Laurel--don't tell him that you'd like to meet
her, you casanova, because that will piss him off. He'll also give you an Ace
of Spades for luck at the poker table. Nice guy, you'll be seeing a lot of him.
As Jackalope suggested, you should go into the Hard Drive now. You've got five
bucks on you, so if you like you can buy a drink from Gus, the bartender. In
the future, he'll gossip with you a bit in exchange for your doing this, but at
this point he can't tell you much since you haven't really met anybody in town
yet. He will, however, relate the story of his three fingers. Five bucks and
he'll fill that empty jug you're carrying around, and you can proffer it to
anybody you like. I don't think it affects anything, but people's responses to
your offer are entertaining.
There's an enormous man standing at the bar; talk to him three times despite
his threats and then buy him a drink. This will soften him up. He'll tell you
that his name is Nate Trotter and warn you (a second time) about the Belchers.
Now you should go meet Oona Canute, the town madam. She's standing by the
jukebox, patting her hair. I'd also suggest that you stop and say hello to
Isao, the piano-player. Visit Janeen, the irritating blackjack dealer who
looks like Lois Lane in the old Superman movies, if you want to get more money
easily. Or if you'd rather play a tougher game, stop by the poker table to
meet Mez. Save before doing either of these things, of course. You will only
need ten dollars to go upstairs, but you may as well win more than that since
you'll eventually want it. I suggest getting at least fifty for now. By the
way, if at any point during the game you run out of cash--even if it's only
that all your money is in the bank--you can stop by Help's shop and he'll give
you five dollars.
Give Oona the ten bucks and head up to the girls' rooms. The first one belongs
to her, the second to Sophie Delacasino, the third to Fat Maizie, and the
fourth to the Pretty Woman of the 19th century, Ruby O'Dowdle. That's right,
she's the prostitute with the heart of gold...or something. We'll deal with
her later. Stop first at room 2. Meet Sophie. Talk to her as much as
possible and attempt to get into her room. "Ha!" she tells you. "You think
I'm fast? Guess again, buster--I'm pretty slow!" Truer words were never
spoken. Head on to rooms 3 and 4. Maizie won't come out--she never does--but
it's fun to knock on her door anyway.
Annoy Ruby three times. On the third time, she'll tell you that a gal's break
time is not for sale. Then follows the dumbest conversation in the history of
humankind. Your responses should go like this:
...but I kiss better.
No, just my base appetite.
But how will I know if they're ripe?
Just like some people I know.
I thought so at the time...
Would a bath change your mind?
Goodbye, miss.
She likes you now, you stud, and will give you a key to the backdoor of the
Hard Drive, as well as warning you about Sophie's boyfriend, the Kid. Now,
where have you heard that name before?
Go to the Cactus Bed now. Don't worry, you aren't going to sleep yet. Stop at
the desk and talk to the clerk, Jonas Fearwitt. He'll tell you that they're
"full up", so you'll have to find lodgings somewhere else. Mountain Laurel,
girl trapper, is standing in the lobby; talk to her and accord her the type of
respect she expects and she'll give you a knife at the end of it all. Your
holster needs fillin', y' see. Stop by the couch and pick up the four dollars
stuffed behind the cushions, then head upstairs.
The "Frenchie" Laurel mentioned, Buick Riveria, will come out of his room as
you pass it and tell you a sob story before recommending the Hard Drive for its
games of Jack Black, Poker, and the Machine de Slots. Shoot the merde with him
a bit and then go outside. (Note: if you've played Cyberflix's Titanic:
Adventure Out of Time, you just might recognize him!)
You'll run into Radisson Bloodstone-Hayes, ingratiating twerp and Pierce
Brosnan lookalike. Be nice and fawning, accept his cigar, and he'll take you
back to the Cactus Bed. Chat with him awhile about the substandard conditions
at the hotel--why oh why doesn't it have a wine cellar?--and then get some info
on his business dealings. Check with Fearwitt again. Miraculously, there's a
room available now. Best we don't ask any questions, eh? It isn't ready yet,
though--the body...er, previous guest...needs to be disposed of. Head outside
again.
Near the mission you'll meet Mrs. Cosimo Macintosh, the mayor's wife.
Apologize for having frightened her and she'll take you back to her house to
meet her daughter, Marie. The room to the left is the parlor. Wait in there
as Mrs. Macintosh has requested. Read the letters on the mantelpiece and then
go to the bookshelf. There's some 19th century porno stuffed into the crack
between two books; pocket it. Mrs. Macintosh will come in.
You're in the dining room now, being presented to "the flower of the
Southwest", Miss Marie Macintosh. Marie is an annoying little lolita, which I
suppose is what comes of being the town's only (non-prostitute) female under 50
years old. She tells you about their watchdog, a parrot named Rufus, before
relating the story of the Devil's Breath Mine...much to her mother's chagrin.
The little tramp will invite you to stay the night, but for the purposes of
this walkthrough you should refuse.
Return to the hotel. Fearwitt will tell you that your room is ready before
relaying a note from good ol' Jackalope Jones. Do as it says; meet him. Note:
this is a good time to save if you haven't done so recently.
Ah, so that's the plan--hooch and a cockfight. "You don't want to miss two
roosters a'whompin' the bejesus outta each other, do you?" asks Jackalope.
Follow him until you hear a voice from behind you.
This must be one of the Belchers. You can't avoid this fight now that you've
started talking to him, so it doesn't matter how you respond to his various
insults. Punch him out (click on his stomach and face) and wander back towards
the hotel. Head over to Leroy's shooting range (beside the Macintosh house) to
meet the very picture of pathos, an unnamed woman who tells you that she's
searching the slop buckets for food. Try not to burst into tears here if you
can help it. She then gives you a sad and (moreover) weird little grin and
asks you for five dollars. It's a good idea to hand it over if you've got it,
though in this walkthrough it doesn't really affect anything. (In others it
does--she'll give you a pair of boots.) "Thank you, stranger," she says, and
then she disappears.
Head on back to the Cactus Bed. Radisson will whine about the accomodations a
little more, warn you that Jackalope Jones can "get you killed", and then go to
bed. This is your cue to follow suit. As you pass Buick Riveria's room, he'll
come out and wish you a good night's sleep. Oh, and he wants some money. Hand
him a buck and receive some info on Radisson. Now it's really time for bed.
Just click on door 3, enter the room, and click on your bed a couple of times.
DAY 2, MORNING
Jackalope will meet you outside your room and tell you that breakfast is
a'fixin' without you. Start towards the stairs if you like, but you won't pass
Riveria's room without hearing another tale of melodramatic French plight. "My
poverty..." he sniffs. "She forces me...she forces me...to do...to do...WORK!"
Offer your sympathies and he'll give you something to genuinely feel sorry
about--Cobb Belcher has stolen his money. That dung heap of a man! And of
course, he can't let you go without asking whether you have a little "change de
pocket". Donate to the Buick Riveria fund and receive a bit of trivia about
Nate Trotter in exchange.
Go downstairs and talk to Laurel. On the breakfast table is the Cactus Bed's
version of a continental breakfast--a handful of sugar cubes, some reportedly
rock-hard biscuits, and a newspaper. Take the first two and read the third
before heading towards the door. Jackalope is standing there waiting for you
with some words of encouragement and a bit of advice. Follow it. The bank is
across the street and next door to Dr. H. Rodham's. It's secure despite the
fact that the teller is a real jerk--deposit more money and see if his demeanor
improves. While you're in the area, consider stopping by the Doc's. Why, she
looks familiar somehow, doesn't she? Now go back towards the mission and turn
left. Shady Acres, the local graveyard, will be directly in front of you. See
those flowers? Steal them. Yeah, yeah, it's not nice...but they'll come in
handy, believe me.
Keep going down Grant St. (the same one the graveyard's on) and you'll run into
Radisson. Kiss ass three times--pick the response that seems most
suck-uppy--and he'll give you three bits of advice. You may commence the
insults now if you like. And if you don't like, politely bid him farewell
instead and head on your way. Nate Trotter should be nearby; stop to chat with
him and he'll tell you that a gun can be found in Old Man Quist's well.
Now go back to the Macintosh house. Mrs. Macintosh is standing outside,
panicking about something--as usual. What was that Radisson said? Ah, yes.
Give her a compliment and she'll "babble like a brook." Give her three
compliments and she'll confide a horrible secret--Levon Deadnettle collects
"the most scandalous pictures!" Hm, might be a good idea to file that
information away for later, don't you think? Tell her that you'd like to chat.
You now have the opportunity to pick a topic of conversation...three times
over. Being that she's quite the old gossip, Mrs. Macintosh has interesting
and useful information about nearly everybody in town. Take your pick. You
can insult her now, by the way, but she forgets about it if you follow up with
a compliment immediately afterwards.
The shooting range is to your immediate right. Head on over and give it a try,
and if you have a fairly high hit rate (80% or above, I think) Leroy will
reward you with a harmonica. Just shoot the bottles and cans and hit a few of
the moving targets. You get six bullets and then you have to reload. How?
Click on the gun and the barrel will pop out. Click six times and it will
refill; click an additional time to close the gun.
Now, back to Main Street you go. First off, make a quick stop in the alley
between the Cactus Bed and Levon Deadnettle's Stagecoach office. What's this?
A pie? Pick it up and head out onto the main thoroughfare. Marie is standing
there. Talk to her a little. She won't be able to give you any information on
the boots, bullets, and gun--"I've never even HELD a gun", she giggles
oh-so-subtly--but she'll be happy to talk a little about Diamondback.
It's time to put some of your knowledge to good use. Who was it Mrs. Macintosh
said liked pies? Ah, that's right, the undertaker. Maybe he'd be willing to
give you something in exchange for the pie you found. You head on over to his
parlour and commence with introductions.
The undertaker's name is Hiram Sidewinder, and sweet mother Mary is he creepy.
But he does have some lovely boots for you if you'd be willing to part with
that pie. Well, of course you are. You can't wear a pastry, and those boots
you got on look awful put off, to quote Mountain Laurel.
One task down, two to go. Now, most walkthroughs require you to get the gun
from Quist's well. There are unfortunately only a couple out there anyway, and
neither of them deal with the alternative way to get that gun. Mine does! But
first, you need to head on over to the saloon. Ruby's waiting for you,
remember? Enter through the back door and stop by Sophie's room before doing
anything else. She probably told you that she'd have some sort of surprise for
you if you returned in the morning, so this is a good time to collect on it.
She claims not to remember, of course--"Us artists is quite forgetful"--so you
decide to change the subject before she launches into a new song.
You ask her whether she knows where to get a gun and she smirks. Ruby
O'Dowdle, the "shanty Irish slut" keeps one in her bedside drawer, she can tell
you that much. Oh really? Say goodbye and head on over to Ruby's room now to
have another one of those weird conversations full of awkward, stupid innuendo.
This one must go like this:
Better late than never.
...got a shovel?
I like a woman who can put her back into it.
Well, I wouldn't want you to get soaked.
Manifest Destiny.
And what would that be?
You're driving me wild.
Now, offer her those damn flowers you've been carrying around. She'll be
delighted and go downstairs to put them in water. Here's your opportunity to
snoop about in her "boudoir." Click on the table closest to the door and open
the top drawer. Inside is a bible and nothing else. Damn it! Where's that
gun? When you try to exit, Ruby will stop you at the door and thank you again
for the flowers before informing you that Gus is cleaning her gun downstairs.
A girl can't be too careful, you know.
Okay, so you can't get the gun just yet. How about those bullets? Wander into
the Stagecoach office--conveniently across the street--and meet the utterly
repulsive Levon Deadnettle. Maybe he can help. Looking around the lobby of
the building, you spot an interesting picture of the late President Lincoln.
You've barely touched it when Deadnettle leaps out to stop you. Jumpy
guy--after all, what could be so private about a picture?
Offer him those French postcards you've been carrying around now. He'll thank
you and turn away. Here's your chance--click on the photo of Lincoln again and
you'll be right next to it. A small black button at the bottom of the frame
should catch your eye. Push it. The picture will swing out from the wall,
revealing a box of bullets. Take them and leave.
DAY 2, AFTERNOON
After you exit the Stagecoach office, the game will progress to afternoon.
Things have changed a little. Go down Main Street and talk to Jackalope, who
will take pity on you for being such a moron. At the end of the street and
near the Mission, you'll find the pompous mayor, Cosimo P. Macintosh. Talk to
him a bit and then head towards the graveyard again.
Steal those flowers! Now continue down Grant Street until you find Mrs.
Macintosh. Compliment her a few times and she'll tell you about Nate Trotter's
first wife, a Yunni Indian. Sensitive soul, isn't she? Hard as it may be,
compliment the old hag yet again and then excuse yourself before asking whether
you may call on her. Of course you can, you solicitous man--and might I add,
Marie is quite taken with you.
Go to the Hard Drive now--as it's after noon, it'll be open and you can enter
through the front. If all of your money is in the bank, either withdraw a
little or head on over to Help's place for a loan of five dollars. Now, go on
into the Hard Drive and offer Gus a cigar. (Remember how Radisson mentioned
that he liked them?) You must do this before buying a drink, or it will go to
waste! Ask if he'd like to chat, and then start asking questions. He'll
continue to answer questions as long as you're willing to buy drinks!
Say hi to Oona while you're there and ask her to tell you her story about the
Kid. She won't right now, but maybe later. In the meantime, why don't you go
upstairs? Maybe Sophie has that surprise ready.
Turns out she does. "Cobb Belcher's waitin' downstairs by the bar for you,"
she squeals. "Says a body who can whip his brutha is a body worth knowin'."
Don't you fall for it. (If you want to see what happens with Cobb, at least
save first!) Go on over to Ruby's room instead. Nate will come out and tell
you to go away; he's with her right now. Damn it. Go outside the Hard
Drive...now come back in.
Now Nate's standing at the bar. You politely ask whether he'd mind your
talking to Ruby, and of course he would. But you need to get into her room, so
he has to be distracted somehow...
...if you paid Riveria, he probably told you that if you ever need to get rid
of Nate, the best way to do so involves sugar. Give him those sugar cubes
you've been carrying around since breakfast; he'll happily go off to feed his
horse Florabelle. Now you're free to talk to Ruby.
Hope you liked the conversations you had with her before, because here comes
another.
I just wanted to know why you're always so tough on men.
So you hate us?
But you're good.
Seems like I'm more the Unforgiven.
What happened?
Offer her the flowers again and she'll go downstairs to put them in water. The
gun is in the dresser this time; take it and leave. Nod at Oona on the way
out, and she'll tell you to rush over to Chet Flippo's place. He's the editor
of the town newspaper, and apparently, he needs your help.
You arrive at Flippo's slightly out of breath. Chet tells you that Help is in
trouble--the Belchers are threatening to burn out Diamondback's "Chinese
community" and you've got to stop them. (Never mind the fact that the Chinese
community apparently consists of two people, Help and his wife!) Nice to see
that the majority of Diamondback's residents are ahead of their time in terms
of race relations, eh?
Head back to Main Street and down to Help's shop. Your gun should be in the
status box. They're there, all right, in all their glory. Click on one or the
other and you'll enjoy a brief dialogue with the two boys before getting the
opportunity to save Help. Click on your gun once and then click on Cobb--he's
the one on the right. He'll fall down and Dale will begin blubbering excuses
for his behavior. Don't shoot him, just put your gun away and talk to the
approaching mayor.
You're sheriff now, whether you like it or not. He corrals you into the jail
and immediately begins ordering you about. There you are. Now it's nightfall,
and even the voiceover pities you for having "Mayor Macintosh as your boss."
DAY 2, NIGHT
Talk to Dale to learn an interesting bit of information about the Kid. Now
head outside and talk to Help, who will express his gratitude by giving you an
expensive old history book. When you get a chance, look it over. Marie is
standing around in front of the Hard Drive; talk to her and witness the
creepiest animation this game has to offer. Tell her "Don't worry about me"
and she'll say, "All right. Will you give special privileges, sheriff?" while
winking like one side of her face just fell asleep. After she recovers from
her temporary palsy, feel free to ask her about Radisson and/or her mother.
At the end of the street, Riviera is walking around. Relay the mayor's message
and marvel as he finishes the conversation without begging you for money! Now,
into the Hard Drive with you. Jackalope is at the bar. He congratulates you
on your promotion and then suggests you find Sonoma, the Yunni Indian, at one
of two places. You check the Mission first, and there she is. Not much to
say, though. Head back to the Hard Drive. Talk a little with Oona. Then go
upstairs.
But wait!
Before you do so, make sure you have at least fifty dollars on you. Oona's
door is unlocked, so you can enter her room and look around. Not much to see,
but there is a book on her bed. (You probably heard about it from Mrs.
Macintosh already.) Pocket it and exit. Riviera meets you on the stairs, the
unctuous jerk, and demands that fifty dollars I mentioned earlier or he will
"squeal like ze pig." Sorry, pardner, but you have no choice but to pay up or
die. Seriously. Give him the money and then go talk to Sophie.
Sophie offers a half-assed apology for attempting to send you to your death
that afternoon. How could she have known Cobb wanted to kill you? Anyway, in
a fit of confusing and unexpected rage, she throws a hairpin at you. A LOUSY
hairpin. Hold on to it and go towards Ruby's room. She and Nate are having a
conversation inside; eavesdrop and then go back to the hotel.
Mountain Laurel is in the lobby again. She notes your new status as sheriff
and tells you that she and Jackie are having a fight. Side with her--duh--and
then go upstairs and to sleep.
DAY 3, MORNING
Buick Riviera will meet you in the hall. Go downstairs with him, chat over
breakfast, and take more sugar cubes/biscuits. Read the paper, too. Then go
outside. Mrs. Macintosh will be there to relate a story of horror unlike the
world has ever seen. Resist the urge to applaud Miss Canute and head over to
the Livery to talk with Ed de Vries.
When you're done there, go back to the graveyard. The pathetic woman you gave
money to on the first day is moping around there. Talk to her and she'll tell
you that Dale Belcher is hollerin' like a stuck pig about something. Make your
way to the jail, stopping to speak to Mountain Laurel. She's on the warpath,
even angrier at Jackalope than she was last night. Apparently she caught him
talking to Fat Maizie. Head on over to the jail. You'll see Jackalope hiding
in plain view on the outskirts of town. This is because he's a genius. Call
him over and ask him what he's doing, and he'll reveal that he wants to ask
Laurel to marry him. Ooooo-whee! But he doesn't have a ring...but you do!
Or do you?
No. You don't. What the bloody hell is going on here? Stop by Help's shop
and ask him where your ring has gone, and he'll tell you that Sophie, the
saloon girl, has it. Not sure how or why, but she does. Go into the jail now,
and talk to the Mayor. He'll tell you to find Sonoma, and Dale will give you
further information on the Kid.
You had better talk to Sonoma first. She's so elusive that any hesitation
could thwart your plans. Meet her in the Mission and she'll very sullenly
relate the story of her people. Now you're obligated to help her out. There
are five objects, she says, and you'll know what they look like thanks to a
book...wait a minute...a book? If you haven't looked at the book you stole
from Oona's room yesterday, do so now. Then head over to the Hard Drive.
You need that ring back, but you'll need at least 75 dollars to get it. Stop
at the bank regardless of whether you need to at this point and you'll find
Radisson standing by the vault. He gives you another cigar before angrily
warning you to stay away from Marie. Say goodbye and he'll sneer, "Perhaps YOU
should be the one giving your farewells." Uh, I just did. Head on over to the
bank teller if you haven't done so already and then it's off to the Hard Drive.
Go through the back door of the saloon and ask Sophie for your ring back. (A
bug in the game makes it think that you've given it to her regardless of
whether you actually did so.) She's planning to leave Diamondback, as
evidenced by the suitcase on her bed, but she won't give you any information.
The ring, however, is for sale: 75 dollars. Hand it over and the ring is yours.
Jackalope is still waiting around outside town, so go back and give him the
ring. Now he's really happy. Stop in at Bolivar's to chat with Oona and beg
for the story about the Kid again. While you're there, play a game of checkers
with Bolivar himself. If you win, he'll impart a little useful information.
(Even if you don't win, I'll mention it when necessary anyway.) Head on over
to the undertaker's to eavesdrop on a conversation about you and your Indian
connections.
You can steal that mask away from the Macintosh house now if you like--it's the
one Marie showed off during your first visit. Save now. Just stop by the
house, flirt with Marie a little, and answer her trivia questions. Reload your
game until you get them right. In the meantime, let's assume you won her
approval and you're now inside the house.
Go into the room on your immediate right. It's the dining room you were in
before. The mask is on the opposite wall and you're walking towards it when
you realize that Rufus is there and he probably won't react well to your
stealing the family heirlooms. Create a distraction by taking the apple from
the table and drag-dropping it to him, then grab the mask and leave the room.
You're about to leave the house when you realize you haven't been upstairs--now
is probably a good time. However, there's a trick to ascending the stairs
without alerting the family. You only get three tries to do so before Cosimo
shoots you, so I'd suggest saving here.
Anyway, here's the trick. The stairs are divided into invisible sections like
so:
| |
| 1 2 3 |
(That's supposed to be one stair.) Climb them by stepping on each one on the
right section and you'll be golden. Here's the order, bottom up:
step on the 3rd section of the 1st step
the 1st section of the 2nd step
2nd section of the 3rd step
3rd
2nd
1st
2nd
3rd
2nd
3rd
There are doors to either side of you, but you can't go right. On the left is
a bedroom; upon entering it you will find a wardrobe with a book inside. Open
the door, click the book, and read Marie's diary. Most of it isn't important,
so you don't need to worry about making it through the entire thing unless you
feel like doing so. You can't take the diary with you, though. But anyway,
get on out of there before they catch you. (Note: they won't.)
You haven't practiced your shooting for a while now, so this might be a good
time to brush up on it. Drop by Leroy's and get 90% accuracy to receive a
matchbox. There is a use for the thing, believe it or not. Go to the mission
and--remember that door in the back that was always locked? Well, it's not any
more. Open it and you're in the mission classroom. Check the desk in the
front--there's a scorpion inside as well as the back pages of Marie's diary.
You can't get the pages without dying at this point, unfortunately. Place the
matchbox inside the drawer, close it (the drawer, not the matchbox) and exit
the building for a few minutes.
Tired of waiting, you go back inside. The scorpion is neatly tucked into the
matchbox now and you can pocket both him and the diary pages without any
trouble. Go outside and wander around a little and the afternoon will begin.
DAY 3, AFTERNOON
Walk around to the side of the mission closest to the graveyard, and you'll see
that ol' Jackalope has found a much better hiding place for himself behind a
cactus. Laurel, he whispers, "dang near shot my head off" when he tried to
give her the ring--so you can't tell her where he is. Not yet, anyway. Head
back over to Main Street, where you'll find Watson, the pharmacist, standing
outside his store. The Kid's coming, he drones, and so he's leaving for Dry
Rot. Promise you'll take care of his store for him.
The Mayor is wandering around near his house. Talk to him about the Kid and
learn a little about the Devil's Breath while you're at it. Mrs. Macintosh is
standing outside the gate of the house; compliment her and chat a while.
She'll tell you that Marie is looking for you, but she doesn't give you any
further information.
Let's see--you ran into Oona at Bolivar's, didn't you? Seems to be a pretty
popular place among the locals. You check and yep, there she is. "I've
discovered that you aren't exactly a paragon from the Scriptures," Marie
sneers. She wants to meet with you tonight at Shady Acres before her mother
drags her out of town and away from the Kid. All you have to do is ring the
mission bells and she'll appear. You know what they say--every time a bell
rings, a painted-up harlot with too much time on her hands appears in a
graveyard.
Go into the Hard Drive and talk to Riviera, who will tell you that Mademoiselle
Macintosh has a Yunni mask of great value on her dining room wall (unless you
got it earlier). Hm... Now go say hello to good ol' Oona. Whaddya mean, she
can't tell you about the Kid yet? This had better be one hell of a story. And
oh, she suggests you check on Ruby.
Do so. She'll tell you that something is very wrong with Nate. And if you're
in the mood to listen to squeaky idle threats, stop by Sophie's room on the way
out. Then go to Doc Rodham's. Get the prescription and hand it to Watson, who
intones in his sleep-inducing voice that he can't fill it--he's got to leave
for Dry Rot, remember? Thanks, jerk. That means it's up to you to save Nate.
Head on into the pharmacy and to the back. On your right is a collection of
colorful medicine bottles. There's a book beside them if you feel like
figuring things out yourself based on the prescription, and you'll need Help's
history book for pics of:
Armadillo Rose
Sand Mushroom
Saguaro Cactus
Pintoweed
Wolf Rose
Mix in that order and the Doc will tell you if you did everything correctly and
ask you to come back in a little while. Leave, return, and you'll find that
Nate has recovered and is asking to speak with you. After exiting the back
room with the Yunni flute, head over to the Cactus Bed to see Laurel. Is she
still mad, you wonder? Ah, yes--she's gunnin' for jackalopes.
You haven't checked in on Dale for awhile. This might be a good time to do so,
since the Kid is coming and he just seems full of embarassing trivia. After
visiting the jail, stop by Ruby's room. She'll express her gratitude, after
which you're offered the option of saying three things to her that seem equally
likely to earn you a punch in the face. Tell her that she still seems pretty
loose to you and she'll laugh and bid you a fond farewell. Go figure.
DAY 3, NIGHT
You'll run into Laurel by the Hard Drive. She's still furious at Jackalope but
can't find him. Go into the Hard Drive, talk to Chet by the bar, and buy him a
drink. He'll tell you where Jackalope's hiding. (If you'd rather wait or
don't have the cash, just hold on--you'll find Jackalope soon enough!) This is
also a good time to ask Oona for her story about the Kid. "All right," she
says. "You sure was patient." Thanks, Oona. She proceeds to tell you that
the Kid's .45 is more like a .22, har-de-har-har. Wait a second, that's IT?
THAT'S the story? Believe it or not, this information will come in useful soon
enough. And make sure you get her to talk about the bounty hunters in from
Colorado before you leave.
Go outside. Remember that deal you had with Marie about meeting her in the
graveyard? It's probably about time to make good on that. Walk towards the
entrance to Diamondback and around past Farmer Quist's house--whether Chet told
you about it or not, you'll find Jackalope here, hiding behind the chicken
coop. Maizie's there too, or at least she sounds like she is...so I don't know
what's going on. Anyway, talk to Jackalope...go back to Laurel...talk to
her...and then go back to Jackie. Everything is okay now. Nice job, Yente.
And on we go to Marie. This would be a good time to save, by the way. Ring
the bells outside the mission and then turn towards the graveyard; you'll see
Marie standing there and whining about how she's been waiting for hours. She
wants to join forces with you, but don't do it. Or do it, but then prepare for
her to shoot you. If you refuse, she just stalks off irritably.
Go back into the Hard Drive. Play a game of poker with Mez and the others; Zeb
is betting a "silver turkey" since he hasn't got any money left. Win against
him and you receive it. If you don't win, don't worry--you'll have another
chance. It's time to face the bounty hunters anyway. Take out your gun in the
Hard Drive, reload, and put it away. Now go outside.
Outside yet? Okay, take your gun back out. There are five or six bounty
hunters. Once you've gotten them all, the eerie music will stop and Nate
Trotter will appear outside the Hard Drive with words of support. Whatta guy.
If you didn't get the "silver turkey" earlier, go inside and get it from Mez
now. It's your RE-ward.
Remember the combination Bolivar mentioned after your game of checkers (if you
won)? Here's your chance to use it. Break into the bank by picking the lock
with Sophie's hairpin and open the safe. The combination, by the way, is
8-23-41.
Well, off to bed. You run into Riviera, of course, coming out of his room, and
he has a secret for you. Pay him or threaten him--either way, he'll tell you
that he heard Monsieur Bloodstone and Monsieur le Mayor talking down the
hall...and he suggests that you "drop the eaves" on them. Listen in.
Bloodstone is staying in room 4.
Now, go to sleep.
DAY 4, MORNING
What a day to oversleep! Go downstairs, receive admonishment from Fearwitt,
then head out into the eerily empty town. Your two loyal friends, Nate and
Jackie, are in the Hard Drive waiting for you. Talk to both until they start
to repeat themselves, then check your gun for bullets and head out.
The Kid's hunters are a lot harder than the ones from the night before, but the
powder barrels Nate's thoughtfully scattered around town are a big help.
(Shoot them and they'll blow up.) Once you've killed the three who come in a
row, you have a brief period in which to save before the Kid shows up. I'd
suggest saving under a different file name unless you're really sure of what
you're doing.
Now the witty banter begins. Remember the gossipy bits of information you
received from Dale, Oona, and the others? Here is the conversation you've got
to have with the Kid in order to shake him up enough that you've got a chance:
Guess nothing impresses the son of a librarian.
That's right, I think the name for you was Buckethead.
Better than wearing silk long johns like you.
They know he's hung like a prairie dog.
Your cigar's gone out. Here, have a light, let's talk this over...
Now you'll have a weird view of your hip, facing the Kid. Quickly click on
your hand, then your gun, then the Kid. Don't worry if you don't get a
reaction at first--if you hesitate for even a moment he'll get you!
After you've shot the Kid, go into the Mission. I hope you like being annoyed
and creeped out, because that's all you'll be getting from this game for a
while. Sonoma's there, looking irritated as usual. She talks to you a bit,
then disappears. This is your cue to go back into the classroom where you
found the scorpion--the small door on the left of the desk (your left) will be
unlocked and you can wander inside. There is a room on one side of you and a
ladder on the other. Go into the small room, open the box you find there, and
place the Yunni symbol you retrieved from the bank within. (This would be the
face with the sunburst, by the way.) Now exit and climb the ladder. Ring the
bell at the top of the tower and then click on the ladder again to go back down.
Now go back into the main part of the mission. There's a fountain in the
centre of it. Click on it twice and watch it turn into a set of stairs.
You're down them before you know it, and a spooky voice informs you of your
mission to rescue the Yunni people from a fate that has plagued them for ten
generations. That's a lot of responsibility. Are you ready? Turn around
until you can see something, then walk towards it. You should be in the main
room of the place now. An enormous dial sits in the centre of it all.
Anyway--to use the dial properly, you must consult Oona's book for the
pictures meant to represent the following:
If you want to go into the Fall tunnel first, read about the mask in Oona's
book. It will provide clues to assist you as to the proper arrangement of the
dial. Or, if you'd rather not attempt to figure it out, just rotate the dial
so that the Fall symbol, the 1/4 moon, and the midnight symbol are parallel to
each other as well as the dart at the top. Now find the tunnel with the Fall
symbols on either side of it.
If you want to go into the Spring tunnel, read about the Mesa Bird
ornament...or rotate the dial so that the Spring symbol, the full moon, and the
morning symbol are parallel to each other and the dart. Now find the tunnel
with the Spring symbols on either side of it.
If you want to go into the Winter tunnel, read about the flute, or...rotate the
dial so that the Winter symbol, the 3/4 moon, and the morning symbol are
parallel to each other...and the dart. Now find the tunnel with the...right,
the Winter symbol.
If you want to go into the Summer tunnel, read about the dagger, or...rotate
the dial so that the Summer symbol, the midnight symbol and the noon symbol are
parallel to each other and the dart. And then find the Summer tunnel.
It doesn't matter which tunnel you pick first, by the way. I'd suggest you
save before and after entering each one, just in case you get stuck and want to
start over.
There are puzzles within each tunnel, and they sort of suck. Sorry, Cyberflix.
Anyway, let's say you go in the Winter tunnel first. If you got the dial
right, you'll end up in a room with a small cylindrical device on your right.
Click on it then click on your inventory, and drop that Yunni flute into the
hole in its centre. Now for the puzzle. Number the holes on the flute from 1
to 5, TOP to BOTTOM, and play them in this order: 3 5 2 4 1. This is the song
Nate was playing.
Go into the Spring tunnel now, and arrange the puzzle you find there so that it
reads MESA BIRD OPEN EVIL SKY. (You must place Zeb's silver turkey in the
appropriately shaped depression at the bottom before anything will work.) The
symbols for these words can be found in Oona's book.
Go into the Fall tunnel, which is supposedly very easy. I've found a lot of
trouble with it, but hypothetically it's very simple. Once you get in there,
take out the mask. It will sit there in your status box while you wander the
maze, glowing and pointing in the direction in which you're meant to turn. It
isn't always consistent in its timing, unfortunately, which sometimes makes it
a little confusing to figure out which direction was intended for which
intersection (the parts with the lights)--but on the whole, if you assume the
direction is meant to apply to the NEXT intersection, you'll be okay. After a
little while, you'll see the glowing eyes of a skeleton standing in your path.
Drag-drop the mask on it.
One more puzzle, and this one is the hardest. Here's where credit goes to
someone else. The walkthrough by "Crash", of Gameboomers.com, was very helpful
to me. His/her solution here is way better than any of the others I've found.
And here it is, possibly clarified a little(I hope):
Turn the face so that it's straight, then number the tiles from one to six,
going clockwise. (It's easiest if you do it on paper.) The top tile will be
#1 and #4 will be on the bottom. Each tile is connected to a different
one--here's the schema:
Start with tile 2. If it's in the proper position, leave it alone. If it's
not, rotate #4 ONE turn clockwise. Now, turn the face back ONE turn
counterclockwise. Look at #2. Is it straight yet? If not, repeat that which
you just did. Rotate #4 one turn clockwise and turn the face back one turn
counterclockwise. The idea here is to keep the face straight; it will
partially preserve all the tiles you've moved into their proper places. Don't
be surprised if you have to do some more than once. Overall, though, you
should be seeing a general trend towards the starburst thing becoming fixed.
Once you've finished straightening 2, use 2 to straighten 6. Once you've
finished 6, use 6 to fix 4. And so on. When the pattern is correct, hit the
button on the right side of the face.
Now you're done. Go back into the main chamber and find a helpful (but not too
helpful) spirit standing there to tell you about your past. He informs you
that to return to your own time, you must set the dial correctly. Set it at
Spring symbol, full moon, midnight and back to 1882 you go.
But Radisson has followed you into the Yunni sanctuary to call you "sport" a
few times and threaten your life. Somewhat ironically, ol' Pierce chooses to
tell you his entire evil plan before killing you. (You think he'd have learned
something from all those James Bond villains.) Together you go into the room
where you solved the silver turkey puzzle, where you're given the option of
using your skills to get the two of you back to the surface. Instead, rotate
the symbols so that they read MESA BIRD KILL EVIL MAN. Then turn around to
watch the carnage. Hot dog!
Well, that's about it. You're in Diamondback again! Head on down to the end of
Main Street, where you'll find all of your pals standing around. Save at this
point and talk to each one individually to discover exactly what plans they
have for your newfound riches. Pick whichever you like, then reload your game
to pick again and again.
And that's the end. Git yerself a new pair of boots.
