Question six in our cryptic quiz: "Three Is The Magic Number"!

After the shock of the last question and the sheer beauty of a composite MOO employee, we’re picking up the story of our three graphic designers from yesterday. This is our last question for today – stay tuned for the answers and more questions tomorrow!

The Third Zone: The Guides

Our three young friends decide to split up and each go their own way. “No use in all three of us competing for the same design jobs,” Rod confidently tells the other two. Grant is secretly relieved and agrees. Balise smiles vaguely and nods her head. Rod sets off across the school grounds down the left road into the city, Grant takes the center road, and Blaise sets off down the right road. But before they even leave campus, they find themselves at the threshold… of the Third Zone.

Their first sign they are no longer in the real world is a great lowing echoing across the campus, as if they are surrounded by a vast heard of cattle. They do not know it, but this sound is their herald to the Third Zone. Puzzled they all stop and look around, seeing nothing at first. But then each of them meets their guide for what is to be the most disturbing venture of their young lives. But it is a journey that will endow them with power, if only they are willing to commit themselves to it.

Rod stops, taking out his ear-buds, and looks about for the source of the bovine utterance. Suddenly, he feels a tug on his favorite red hoodie. “Hey you,” shouts a voice from right at his side, “don’t stand about! You’re it! You’re it!” Turning, Rod sees a young boy, also in a red hoodie running away laughing.

“Who are you,” he shouts after him, “what are you doing?”

“I am the game,” shouts the fleeing youth,”if you want to know who I am, you have to play!”

Grant sees what appears to be another student ahead and stops to ask if he can hear the bellowing too. The youth, who is carrying a large green and blue ball on his shoulder, shrugs. In response to Grant’s question, he holds out a book of maps to Grant, who thanks him but shakes his head. “Take it. I am a titan among men, you know,” the man says.

“Great,” thinks Grant, “a loony,” and he hastens his step to leave the burdened man behind.

What Grant doesn’t yet realize is that he might need those maps—the city streets don’t follow the pattern they once did.

Blaise decides the lowing has nothing to do with her and walks on, only to be brought up short by a long bony forefinger being pointed directly at her face. She stops short before she gets her eye poked out, and looks at the old lady standing in front of her. The woman carries three books in an old-fashioned book strap. Their spines are labeled A-H, I-Q, and R-Z. Ruled pieces of cardstock spill out of her pockets. What looks like speech notes are carefully written across several of them. Others are stained and appear to hold recipes. Her threadbare sweater sags and droops, turning its stripes into a financial chart.

“Oh excuse me,” Blaise says (not un-sarcastically), “I didn’t see you there.”

The woman slowly turns away and continues to point, but this time towards the city. “Yep, just where I was going,” Blaise says, rolling her eyes and continuing on her way.

QUESTION: Who are the three guides Ron, Grant, and Blaise have found?

Answers in the comments please – and we’ll approve them all on Thursday morning, when we put the next clues online and announce today’s winners! The three Wednesday winners will each receive a pack of 25 Greeting Cards

The “Three Is The Magic Number” quiz is part of our third birthday celebrations!