No. It’s actually simpler than most people are thinking.
Would the alcohol that the people drank have been bottled and sold to be drunk had the fire not happened?
Good question. “Yes”…but also “No”.
Was there a process that had yet to happen to the drink that makes it safer to consume?
Yes, and we are done.
The Whiskey was still undiluted and was much stronger than the people expected. When they drank to great excess, it was even greater than they realized.
13 people died from alcohol poisoning and 11 others were hospitalized by the drinking.
So none died in the fire directly, but 13 deaths did result from the fire…in a way.
Nice one @Teuton - I couldn’t work out what else it could be but as soon as I saw your suggestion it felt like it must be the right answer!
Gerald awoke slowly, clutching his stomach, but then sat up quickly. He was very excited for his birthday. He was still feeling a little bit sick, but better than the day and night before and he felt like his birthday was just the thing to brighten his mood and get him going again. It always did.
Suddenly, from under his door, an envelope slid through.
“Must be a birthday card or note,” he thought with a smile on his face.
However, when he opened the envelope, it wasn’t a card. It was a folded letter. When he opened the letter, a small square piece of paper fell out. He decided to read the note.
It began:
“Gerald, without a doubt, you are the most unlucky person in the history of the world….”
He read the entire note and as he did, his face drooped. By the end of the note, he was miserable. He looked at the little square piece of paper, crumpled it up and threw it on the ground. He went back to bed, feeling quite depressed.
So:
1. What did the letter/note say?
2. What was on the little square piece of paper?
By answering those, the situation will be adequate explained.
I apologize for the length. I have worked on this one for longer than normal and this is how it turned out.
Was the little square piece of paper a photograph?
If so, one would assume it showed something that upset him. Would that assumption be correct?
Was it actually his birthday?
If not, had he slept through it, or missed it for some other reason?
Is his age relevant?
Is the cause of his sickness relevant?
Is his sickness alcohol-related?
Is his sickness due to a contagious disease?
Is his sickness due to a chronic disease?
Is his sickness due to a poison (other than alcohol)?
Is he usually sick when his birthday rolls around?
The door the envelope slid under… Was it the door to his house?
The door to his bedroom?
The door to some other room within his home?
The door to his apartment?
The door to his hotel room?
The door to his office?
Irrelevant?
Did Gerald know the person who wrote the note?
Was that person a friend of Gerald’s?
An enemy?
A relative?
Someone who had done business with him?
Was the information in the note something that he expected?
Something that he anticipated (i.e., thought it might happen)?
A complete surprise?
Was he, in fact, exceedingly unlucky?
(I assume that “most unlucky in the history of the world” is hyperbole, but… is it?)
Did the note contain a threat?
Was it blackmail?
YEPPERS
Is he in a ship’s cabin?
Is the international date line relevant?
YES to both.
These first two questions appear to have gotten lost in the shuffle earlier, so I’ll repeat them and add a couple more:
Was the note a threat?
Was it blackmail?
Was the comment about “most unlucky” meant to be taunting?
Or was it sincerely sympathetic?
kkkkkk
Was his sickness seasickness?
Was his disappointment due to having discovered that he would have to remain on this ship longer than he had expected?
Did this occur on the day immediately following his birthday?
Are leap years relevant?
Is gambling involved in some way?
Is Gerald in the military?
YES
This situation that’s so unlucky for Gerald:
Is it something that hasn’t happened yet?
If so, is there any chance he can avoid it?
If it happens (or if it is already happening), is it something he might be able to remedy, however unlikely a solution might be?
Or is it something that he’ll just have to endure no matter what?
Is it likely to kill him?