CD-ITHH04 (Nov 22, 2021)
DISCLAIMER: THIS RECEIPT HAS BEEN UNLOCKED BY DIVISION TANGO (UPDATES 1-10).
Puzzle
NO. 44 TRIVIA
14 CHARACTERS 2 WORDS
“Refuted the service of a foreign Prince.”
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: No. 44 can be found reading a Gothic novel on their off time.
Clue 2: Who refuted the service of a foreign Prince?
Clue 3: Well, more like defended Mr. Stone from losing his soul to a foreign Prince, but I reckon that would still apply, right, S. V. Benét?
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Daniel Webster
Explanation: In the short story The Devil and Daniel Webster, Daniel Webster defended Mr. Stone from the Devil, who goes by Mr. Scratch here. A line from Daniel Webster in defense of Mr. Stone is "Mr. Stone is an American citizen, and no American citizen may be forced into the service of a foreign prince.", effectively refuting the Devil.
Summary of Receipt
Employee 44 quells any douts about her and 26’s loyalty to the CaD. Although they were witches and have worked for Satan, their contracts are over - or, well, supposed to. Because their third contract was set to expire in 1999, but he was sealed in 1997, Satan may have about two years’ worth of service demandable. Maybe. It’s not really clear, due to the unusual circumstances. She reiterates that even if Satan calls them back to serve him, they’ll attempt to side with the CaD no matter what.
Transcript
[BRANCH] LONG BEACH
[SERVER] EMPLOYEE NO. 44
[DATE] 11/22/21
[INDEX ID] ITHH04
[SECURITY] AND & ARCHIVES
I've overheard a few whispers lately. It would seem there is some question as to No. 26 and I's loyalty to the Cafe and Diner now that Satan has returned. While it is true that No. 26 and myself are witches and served Satan, it was many years ago. Contracts with the Prince of Wrath are typically only drawn for a natural lifespan's length, and No. 26 and I have already done the rituals, performed the necessary sacrifices, crossed the Ts, dotted the Is, raised hell, and then some. We're currently on a "supplementary" contract that we could renew if we so chose to, though there is no obligation, and we retain our benefits from our prior agreements.
Well actually… There might be a slight disparity in our contract terms. Third, contract, specifically. Our original contract was completed in 1829, and our second was completed in 1914. Our third contract was set to be completed in 1999. However, due to the imprisonment of Satan in 1997, we do still owe him two years and some odd months of service. Can he still ask that of us? I'm not sure. Neither is No. 26. And if I had to guess, Satan doesn't know for sure either. If he were to call us back into service, we could reasonably take it to Court, which I doubt either of us wants.
My goodness, it is a bit of a conundrum, though. On the one hand, we could "play both sides," you know. Tell Satan we are loyal to him and will keep an eye on the Cafe and Diner for our remaining years… though there is the risk he tasks us with betraying the Cafe and Diner. We could attempt to ignore Satan… though you can imagine how poorly that might work out. I think the wisest move might be acting cordial with him. He is our "friend" after all, right? No. 26 and I will not mention the disparity in our contract, and I caution against it to everyone else as well. He might just have more on his mind than us. Though we are very strategically placed for him… Well, for now, let's just hope things work out well.
And if they don't know that we are very sorry for anything, we might have to do.