Colour Scheme Trivia Quiz

Answer: Flashing lights

Specifically, Dr. Ackrington is concerned that Maurice Questing is an enemy agent working for the Axis during World War II. Ackrington witnessed Questing climb the nearby mountain where flashing lights in Morse Code appeared. Soon after, the Hippolyte, an allied submarine, was sunk off the coast of Harpoon. Ackrington writes to Alleyn of Scotland Yard who is in New Zealand to alert him of this activity.

Answer: Maurice Questing

Wai-ata-tapu hot springs is owned by the Claires who are struggling to turn a profit. Colonel Claire is heavily indebted to Questing who seems to be taking matters into his own hands. He travels north to personally ask the famous actor Geoffrey Gaunt to visit the springs to heal his leg. Questing speaks with Daikon Bell, Gaunt's valet, who is shocked to learn Gaunt actually wants to go to the spa once he is promised privacy.

Answer: By telling him it was safe to cross the railway tracks when it was not

Bert Smith is a friend of Simon Claire who does odd jobs around the spa. One day, he barges into the dining room to complain that Questing almost killed him. According to Smith, he was crossing the road near a railway when Questing, in his car, waved him on as if it was okay to cross.

However, a train came speeding by and Smith was forced to jump off a ledge to avoid being hit. Questing angrily defends himself by saying the signal must have been broken because it was green. However, when Ackrington checks the signal it appears to be working just fine.

Answer: Searching for loot

While the Claires and others at Wai-ata-tapu worry about enemy activity on the mountain, the local Maori people are worried about white men from Britain coming into their territory and looting the grounds of their treasures. Among the most sacred of these is a battle adze used by chief Rua's grandfather.

The location of the adze is top secret, known only to a few people. Rua strongly suspects Questing is involved in the looting because he has seen Questing roaming around the forbidden, or tapu, areas of the mountain.

Answer: A dress

Both Daikon Bell and Geoffrey Gaunt have fallen for the Claire's awkward daughter Barbara. Barbara is attractive but dressed dowdily on account of not having money to buy nice clothes. Most of Barbara's clothes from an aunt she has never met in India who sends her hand-me-downs. Gaunt decides he will buy Barbara a very nice set of clothes from a shop in Auckland. Bell is not happy about this but goes along with his employer's wishes.

Barbara has no idea who sent her the present but settles on the aunt. Later, Questing strongly hints to Barbara that he sent the gift, knowing full well Gaunt is too timid to admit sending the gift.

Answer: Septimus Falls

Septimus Falls is a mysterious newcomer to Wai-ata-tapu. He visits the springs to heal his lumbago which comes and goes. Simon catches Falls tapping out the same Morse Code signals he saw Questing deliver and jumps to the conclusion Falls is also an enemy agent.

In addition, Bell later sees Falls wander into the forbidden area of the springs past the red flags which is not only dangerous but also an area Falls explicitly said no one should cross into after Questing disappears.

Answer: Overcoat

After a Maori concert which everyone attends, Questing goes missing. The characters heard a scream coming from the area beyond the red flags, an area considered too dangerous to walk through. A piece of the ground is missing and Falls comes to the conclusion that not only did Questing fall in the boiling mud, he was also murdered.

The next day, Questing's overcoat is found in the mud indicating that he did fall in.

Answer: Questing faked his death

The Claires and their guests gather to discuss the incident. Everyone is determined to avoid being caught up in a murder, which leads Ackrington to suggest that Questing faked his death. As an enemy agent, Questing knew the Claires were on to him. Ackrington suggests Questing threw his coat into the mud so it could be located, screamed and wandered off to be rescued by his fellow traitors. Everyone is quick to agree with this except Septimus Falls, who insists Questing was murdered. Soon after, Questing's skull pops up from the mud disproving this theory.

Answer: Questing's color blindness

There are a number of clues that suggested Questing was color blind. Early on he claimed to have visited a bay and said it was disappointing the flowers were not in bloom. Ackrington says not only are the flowers at the bay blooming, they are more magnificent than ever. The Claire's housekeeper, Huia, even says Questing took her to the bay.

The trouble with the rail signal was the biggest clue. The signal was working correctly but Questing couldn't see it because he sees the color green and red as the same. Questing tried to explain this to Smith by saying the sunscreen on his car window made the red signal look green. However, Falls tried this and the signal still appeared red. Later Questing incorrectly recalled the color of Eru Saul's, who witnessed the incident, shirt.

Answer: Bert Smith

Septimus Falls, who is really Alleyn undercover, explains all. Questing had to tell Bert Smith his secret that he was colorblind. Because Bert Smith insisted the incident that almost killed him could be explained by Questing's car's sunscreen, Alleyn knew he was lying. Bert Smith suddenly was no longer angry with Questing and it appeared Questing had bribed Smith. In reality, Questing was not an enemy agent, but he was into looting the Maori treasures.

Questing hired Smith to locate Rua's grandfather's battle adze because Gaunt had wanted to buy it for an exorbitant price. Questing knew its secret location because Huia had told him. Questing told Smith, who went and retrieved it. However, Smith betrayed Questing and murdered him by loosening the ground so when Questing stepped on it, he'd fall into the mud pool. Questing had not known he entered the forbidden area because Smith removed the final white flag before the red ones and he knew Questing could not see the red flags. Because Smith was the only person who knew Questing could not see the color red, only he would have led Questing astray in that manner.

Alleyn also explains that it is Smith who was the enemy agent, not Questing. But Smith is only a very low ranking agent, not the big fish he hoped to capture.