Professor Layton and the Christmas Adventure –Part 10—
Snowflakes drifted prettily down from the grey clouds overhead as the two began their work. Luke would start each snowball, packing together a tiny sphere and then rolling it across the snow until it became too heavy for him to push. At that point, Layton would take over, forcing the giant orb from the backyard to the front. Luke commented that the snowballs were lumpy and sort of muddy if they did this, but the professor promised that he knew how to fix it.
Every puzzle has an answer, after all.
Together, Luke and Layton hefted one snow boulder upon the next, until they had a neat three-story snow body. Luke blew on his hands and rubbed them together, trying to wring the warmth from them.
"How are we supposed to make it look smooth and white, professor?" Luke asked, brushing stray snowflakes from his face.
"Why don't you try this puzzle, my boy?" Layton replied, straightening out his back with a crack and adjusting his hat, which had fallen low over his eyes during their work. He stood back and marvelled at their massive creation, panting slightly and feeling the red rise in his cheeks.
"Can I have a hint?" Luke asked with a frown. "I think I have a coin inside somewhere…"
"How about I give you one for free?" Layton replied. "Look around you, my boy. What do you see?"
"A lumpy snowman?"
"Think harder, Luke."
"Um...the Laytonmobile?"
Layton looked down at the boy, confused. "How would my automobile help smooth the lumps?"
"I'm…I'm sure if you ran over it enough times it'd become awfully smooth."
Layton chuckled. "I suppose that is correct, but it is not the answer to this puzzle."
"Erm…" Luke glanced around. "Is it snow?"
"Getting warmer." Layton nodded.
"I don't feel it." Luke shivered, thinking hard. "Oh! I get it! Do we pack fresh snow onto our snowman? That'd make it really white! And we could fix the lumps!"
"Correct!" Layton patted Luke's head, then began to gather snow to fix the snowman.
"Professor!" Luke called.
"Yes, my boy?" Layton turned.
"Think fast!"
A lump of snow hit him in the back and exploded with a piff, sending snowflakes raining down his collar. "Gah!"
"W-was that out of line?" Luke asked sheepishly, hiding his face in his scarf.
"I'll say," the professor replied. "You neglected to build yourself a fortress!" He whipped a hastily prepared snowball back at the boy, who dove behind a snowbank.
"I declare war!" Luke peered out from behind the bank with a devilish smile, hurling another snowball at his mentor. Layton scrambled out of the way, his shoes providing little traction on the slippery ground. He managed to manoeuvre around the snowman—the perfect guard!
"En garde!" Layton tossed another snowball towards Luke, but merely hit the bank.
"T-that's for swordfights, professor!" Luke called back. "You're supposed to say, 'ready, aim, fire!'"
"Tch! A true gentleman doesn't worry about silly phrases on a battlefield!" Layton made a risky roll across their snowy no-man's land and hid behind a shrub. "I'll win yet!"
"Professor, you're wide open!" Luke shouted gleefully. Layton looked down. His shrub was nowhere near the solid guard he had before, nor was it even close to his size. He grimaced. Defeat was inevitable. Unless…a surprise attack!
Layton armed himself with an armful of snowballs and ran at the fortress. "Chaaaarge!"
"Not so fast!" Luke sprang up and whipped a barrage of his own snowballs back.
Piff! Piff! Piff! Whuff! Snow ricocheted off arms and legs and flew into the air.
Whump! The professor's hat was knocked clean off by a well aimed toss. He fell back into a bed of crumpled snow.
"S-sorry, professor!" Luke immediately dropped his remaining ammunition and ran to the professor's side. "I didn't hurt you, did I? Oh, no, your hat—is it okay? Is—" Luke stopped suddenly, watching his professor laugh hard enough that his sides shook. "Professor?"
"S-sorry, m-my b-boy," Layton gasped in between guffaws. "I just—I—"
Luke grinned sheepishly, picking up the hat and handing it back to the professor. "I understand, professor."
"Ah…thank you, my boy. That bit of running around was just what I needed." Layton finally sat up, brushing the snow from his shoulders. "Now…what's say we finish our friend the snowman? We mustn't leave a fellow gentleman waiting."
"Yes, sir!"