you might very well query? The puzzle, created by celebrity contestant Zelda Zisk—”
With a clatter of jewelry, Zelda surged to her feet and waved both meaty hands over her head to acknowledge a rather tepid applause that started only because her action seemed to demand it. She also laughed raucously, as if this were the funniest thing imaginable.
Harvey Beerbaum, to whom Zelda was a knownquantity, patiently waited for her to subside. “As I was saying, this quite unique puzzle can be found taped to the walls of the meeting room. It consists of fifty-two separate drawings, cartoons, sketches, or what have you, drawn by Miss Zelda Zisk herself, representing fifty-two famous people whose names are in common crossword-puzzle use. Your task, of course, is to identify these celebrities. Which is what makes this such an interesting challenge. Because cruciverbalists usually know words, not faces. Except for a few like Zelda Zisk, who is of course not playing, having contributed the puzzle.”
“I bet Pretty Boy’s playing,” Marty Haskel commented, loudly enough to be heard everywhere in the room.
A volunteer shushed him as she gave him the paper. Marty glared up at her.
“For this puzzle,” Harvey Beerbaum persisted, “you may work singly or in groups of two, three, or four.”
“Figures!” Marty Haskel snorted. “Might as well just hand little Miss Sunshine the prize.”
“And we have a time limit of fifteen minutes. Due to the nature of the puzzle, it is considered most unlikely that anyone will finish in that time. So the winner will be whoever accumulates the most correct answers at the end of fifteen minutes. Are the answer sheets all handed out? All right, then, ready, set,
go!
”
People shot to their feet and began milling around the town hall meeting room, inspecting the cartoon drawings on the walls.
In the back of the room, Aaron nudged Sherry. “You know, this is something you could do.”
Hearing him, Becky Baldwin frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
Sherry dug her elbow into Aaron’s ribs. “He’s kidding me. We play word games occasionally. He’s always trying to one-up me.”
“Yes, that’s Aaron,” Becky said, nodding complacently. “Whaddya think, Aaron? You think Sherry and I would have a chance against you with pictures?”
If the thought of Sherry teamed with Becky threw Aaron, he didn’t reveal it. “I’m not sure anyone would do well with these pictures,” he replied smoothly, “but let’s see what the
three
of us can do.”
So they joined the stream of people eagerly wending their way around the edges of the room.
“Okay, here’s a baseball player,” Becky Baldwin said, stopping in front of one sketch. “But he doesn’t look like anyone I know.”
“Mel Ott,” Sherry said.
Becky looked at her in surprise. “How do you know that?”
“Trust me. I’ve seen enough Puzzle Lady puzzles to know.
O-t-t
is an extremely useful three-letter word.”
“So we got one,” Becky said. “Number twenty-seven is
Ott.
”
“Not so loud,” Aaron cautioned. “We’re not really playing, but let’s not help anybody else.”
Number twenty-eight was a bearded man with glasses.
“Well, who’s that?” Becky Baldwin demanded.
“I have no idea,” Sherry said happily. The drawing was unrecognizable. It was a pleasure to be playing a game where she didn’t have to hide her expertise.
Sherry smiled at Aaron Grant and was actually feeling quite content until Becky Baldwin murmured, “Well, look who’s here.…”
Even then Sherry had no premonition of doom. Not until she saw the naked embarrassment on Aaron’s face.The poor man looked positively discombobulated. Not to mention discomposed and disconcerted.
If Becky Baldwin noticed his discomfiture she didn’t show it; in fact, she looked pleased. She put on her sunniest smile, turned back in the direction she had been looking.
Sherry followed her gaze.
Striding across the floor was a youngish-looking
With a clatter of jewelry, Zelda surged to her feet and waved both meaty hands over her head to acknowledge a rather tepid applause that started only because her action seemed to demand it. She also laughed raucously, as if this were the funniest thing imaginable.
Harvey Beerbaum, to whom Zelda was a knownquantity, patiently waited for her to subside. “As I was saying, this quite unique puzzle can be found taped to the walls of the meeting room. It consists of fifty-two separate drawings, cartoons, sketches, or what have you, drawn by Miss Zelda Zisk herself, representing fifty-two famous people whose names are in common crossword-puzzle use. Your task, of course, is to identify these celebrities. Which is what makes this such an interesting challenge. Because cruciverbalists usually know words, not faces. Except for a few like Zelda Zisk, who is of course not playing, having contributed the puzzle.”
“I bet Pretty Boy’s playing,” Marty Haskel commented, loudly enough to be heard everywhere in the room.
A volunteer shushed him as she gave him the paper. Marty glared up at her.
“For this puzzle,” Harvey Beerbaum persisted, “you may work singly or in groups of two, three, or four.”
“Figures!” Marty Haskel snorted. “Might as well just hand little Miss Sunshine the prize.”
“And we have a time limit of fifteen minutes. Due to the nature of the puzzle, it is considered most unlikely that anyone will finish in that time. So the winner will be whoever accumulates the most correct answers at the end of fifteen minutes. Are the answer sheets all handed out? All right, then, ready, set,
go!
”
People shot to their feet and began milling around the town hall meeting room, inspecting the cartoon drawings on the walls.
In the back of the room, Aaron nudged Sherry. “You know, this is something you could do.”
Hearing him, Becky Baldwin frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
Sherry dug her elbow into Aaron’s ribs. “He’s kidding me. We play word games occasionally. He’s always trying to one-up me.”
“Yes, that’s Aaron,” Becky said, nodding complacently. “Whaddya think, Aaron? You think Sherry and I would have a chance against you with pictures?”
If the thought of Sherry teamed with Becky threw Aaron, he didn’t reveal it. “I’m not sure anyone would do well with these pictures,” he replied smoothly, “but let’s see what the
three
of us can do.”
So they joined the stream of people eagerly wending their way around the edges of the room.
“Okay, here’s a baseball player,” Becky Baldwin said, stopping in front of one sketch. “But he doesn’t look like anyone I know.”
“Mel Ott,” Sherry said.
Becky looked at her in surprise. “How do you know that?”
“Trust me. I’ve seen enough Puzzle Lady puzzles to know.
O-t-t
is an extremely useful three-letter word.”
“So we got one,” Becky said. “Number twenty-seven is
Ott.
”
“Not so loud,” Aaron cautioned. “We’re not really playing, but let’s not help anybody else.”
Number twenty-eight was a bearded man with glasses.
“Well, who’s that?” Becky Baldwin demanded.
“I have no idea,” Sherry said happily. The drawing was unrecognizable. It was a pleasure to be playing a game where she didn’t have to hide her expertise.
Sherry smiled at Aaron Grant and was actually feeling quite content until Becky Baldwin murmured, “Well, look who’s here.…”
Even then Sherry had no premonition of doom. Not until she saw the naked embarrassment on Aaron’s face.The poor man looked positively discombobulated. Not to mention discomposed and disconcerted.
If Becky Baldwin noticed his discomfiture she didn’t show it; in fact, she looked pleased. She put on her sunniest smile, turned back in the direction she had been looking.
Sherry followed her gaze.
Striding across the floor was a youngish-looking
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