C-CACT01 (Aug 8, 2001)
Puzzle
“The death-darting eye.”
Research | 1 Word
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: Which monster brings death if you look at it?
Clue 2: This phrase itself is a quote from somewhere mentioning it.
Clue 3: Romeo and Juliet.
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Cockatrice
Explanation: In Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Scene 2, it says “Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice.”
Summary of Receipt
Americano checks in. He’s one month away from becoming, officially, Agent California of Division Hotel. He also lets the CaD in on Astorian gossip about a strange medical phenomenon of lithified (turned-into-stone) organs, which they suspect to be due to Cockatrice venom - possibly in Asmodeus’ nightclubs. So this is mainly a warning to not get Cockatrice-d, and to try and send it back before Echo and Quebec are activated to handle it.
Transcript
//CADCOM SECURE CONNECTION ESTABLISHED//
//LAISSONS LE MONSTIER OU IL EST...?//
//...//
//ACCEPTED... BARISTA: AMERICANO//
RECEIPT AS OF: 8/08/01
BARISTA ON DUTY: AMERICANO
RECEIPT FILED AS: C-CACT-01
Aw… I'm going to miss a movie night? That's a bummer. I hope everyone down there is doing well. Things are going fine so far at the Agency. One month of basic training down, only one more to go. Then I'll have my Hotel name and basic security clearance. Once I have those, I can start to look into the Apocalypse Naberius was talking about. I'm not sure if just a basic Hotel clearance will get me much, but it'll be a start. Of course, you don't exactly need a security clearance to overhear gossip and rumors swirling around.
Something interesting I've heard around the seabase is a wave of petrification cases in the SoCal region. Patients have been turning up to local hospitals with partially lithified organs, typically the esophagus and liver. The Quebecers seem convinced that it's due to ingesting Cockatrice venom. Now, to me, if I was running a demonic chain of nightclubs in L.A., I think spiking cocktails with Cockatrice venom would be pretty low-hanging fruit. Apparently, to demons, low doses of Cockatrice venom are more of an alcoholic enhancer than a deadly petrifying force. I suppose it temporarily "freezes" their livers (or whatever liver-adjacent thing demons have), allowing them to get further intoxicated.
I figured I'd give you guys a heads-up on this. Both so you don't drink any suspicious cocktails at these Necrotic Nightclubs and so you can start figuring out a way to return the Cockatrice they're using to the Esterskald. You should still have some time, too. The reports are low enough right now that the Agency is putting it on the back burner. But another 10 or 20 tourists with unexplained lithification will probably force them to send Echo and Quebec out to deal with it.
Hope you have a fun movie night.
//CADCOM LINE DISCONNECTED//