Hi Marian

I am still near the beginning of this game, at the bridge. I am supposed to be making the hermit's mouse fly but first I have to figure out how to "retain the energy attached to the mouse".

Any hints you can give me?

Thanks.

Hi Oldbroad
This was a somewhat convoluted puzzle if I remember correctly and depends where you are at in the sequence.
Mags walkthrough is pretty good here and if you post where you are I will look and report back. The first step is go to Petronus

Thank you for your help, flotsam - it is appreciated.

Petronus has told me the machine may work if I can retain the energy of the mouse. The hermit won't talk to me any more until the mouse flies. The merchant has nothing new to say. Pablo and Isabeau are practicing.

The merchant is off of the bridge and has his oxen near him.

What else do you need to know flotsam?

Thanks.

If you are where I think you are, you need to get a demonstration of the machine. Go to Potronus and see if you can figure out what to do there in order to get a demonstration.

Marion, I may be wrong but I think I had the demonstration. When you first ask Petronus about the machine (before the mouse is involved) he explains what it does and you see a visual. I honestly don't remember it that well now and will have to go into a prior save to see what it did. Now when I "use" the machine on Petronus I am asking about the mouse, saying that it made the leaf fly can't it make the mouse fly also. (I don't remember any leaf flying though, so maybe that is what you are talking about?) But the way Simon is wording that, it seems he saw it (even if I didn't)

If you have received the demonstration, try clicking the mouse and then the machine on Potronus if you haven't already.

Unless we are talking about 2 different things, I have done that already.

When I click the mouse on Petronus and tell him that the hermit wants to see his mouse fly, Potronus says that is an interesting challenge, then asks if I might have any suggestions. Then I click the machine on Potronus and state that the machine made the leaf fly, might it be able to make the mouse fly. Petronus has told me it wouldn't and then says unless I can figure out a way to retain the energy attached to the animal.

Have you looked at what Potronus is holding on the top of the machine?

HAH! That is what I missed. I will see if that moves me along at all and for how long.

You are welcome - sorry I wasn't able to cut straight to the chase the first time you asked the question.

No problem at all Marian. I know it is hard to know where a person is when you can't see it. And when trying to explain where you are, you (I) often leave big gaps of information out.

BUT - may I say ARGH!!! A timed puzzle that doesn't seem like it has much time. I will have to work on this.

DOUBLE ARGH. I clicked too fast on too many different things I guess and the game crashed.

Well, sheesh. I hope you are able to continue without the game crashing again!

I'm heading over to glitches. The game won't open anymore at all.

Darn it.

Well Marian. I think I'm back in business but have to start the game again. Since it appears to be a fussy game, I will probably just use the walkthrough when I run into problems BUT maybe not. Maybe only for the timed stuff. (Wouldn't want you to miss me ).

I'm happy to hear that the game is working again!

So I replayed to the point I was at and consulted the walkthrough so I wouldn't panic again. Got the mouse back to the hermit safe and sound. Now I am already stuck again though with the cask puzzle. I can put the cask on the boat and I can mark a green paint line on the boat. I can (oh wait, let me go try something).

Heh, heh. Figured it out as I was typing. Done with weighing the cask.

Thanks for the telepathic help!

Sounds good!

Made it to Toulouse. See you there! I am going to try to NOT use the walkthrough. Getting used to how it works.

So far, I am liking this game even with the trouble I had.

It always sounded like an interesting game to me, but I have not played it. I spent some time in Toulouse when I was 18 years old (a loooong time ago). Have fun.

And I failed miserably to come back so apologies

I played this game - twice - a very long time ago - and certainly found it either "buggy" or "picky" !! [Can't make up my mind.]

But I still liked it

No problem flotsam. I'm sure there will be more opportunities. And Marian got me going.

I'm still early in Mad so I hope it's not too bad. I just have to remember not to panic next time I run into a timed puzzle. It just took me by surprise. And I am saving often.

If I remember correctly, oldbroad, the "sticky" bits were only here and there - with stretches in-between that I managed pretty well