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The two chambers of the hall are both full cryptic crossword puzzles. While filling them in, solvers will notice that certain entries are unfilled by the numbered clues. In fact, there are nine such entries in each chamber, but, since they are not the same length, the nine separate cryptic clues on the instruction page are not, at first, the obvious way to fill them in. At some point, solvers may realize that those nine cryptic clues actually solve to two different answers, depending on how the clue is read, and each of the answers goes in one of the unfilled entries in each chamber. They solve as follows:

Second time covering planetary center utterly?
STONE (S+T+ON+plan(E)tary), ENCORE (homophone of ON CORE)

Element of church investigates trouble starter
URCHIN (chURCH INvestigates), PRIEST (PRIES + T)

Bothered helping from Hormel, New York
GOTHAM (GOT + HAM), HORNY (HORmel + NY)

Domestic male works around something said while meditating
HOME (HE around OM), MANTRA (MAN + ART reversed)

Boast dug open for audience
PRIDE (homophone of PRIED), CROWD (CROW + D)

Work around a knight tale’s tip about a piece of keratin
SKIRT (SIR + T around K), TOENAIL (TOIL around A+N+E reversed)

Piece of work is parking in barely discernible feature
WISP (W + IS + P), NUISANCE (IS inside NUANCE)

Turned to pepper and salt with fork
TOPSY (TO + P + S + Y), SPLIT (TIL + P + S reversed)

Kart header stared at with desire, entered into computer, perhaps
GOOGLED (GO + OGLED), KEYED (K + EYED)

When the grids are fully filled out, the center shaded sections are missing just two letters each. These have symbols on them that are repeated in a different square in the grid that is filled in, and by repeating that letter in the unfilled square, the center sections become CONNECT and ALLDUOS. Here are the filled in grids, with the special entries highlighted in color:

Chamber 1

A

U

T

O

I

S

C

R

A

F

T

G

A

E

L

R

P

O

I

N

T

O

I

S

A

R

O

D

E

I

C

H

E

N

G

E

N

C

O

R

E

C

A

L

L

H

A

N

K

E

L

F

I

N

S

T

O

P

S

Y

E

T

A

S

A

L

I

N

A

O

H

O

T

E

L

S

H

I

P

S

I

D

E

T

N

A

M

E

W

O

M

O

L

E

I

N

E

T

A

T

E

B

R

I

O

E

R

S

T

C

O

N

N

E

C

T

W

I

S

P

A

N

T

Z

S

A

C

A

I

P

R

I

D

E

Y

N

Y

H

O

M

E

E

S

N

E

E

Z

E

R

S

T

E

E

N

Y

M

M

A

I

L

E

R

E

A

T

S

A

F

E

S

M

E

N

T

O

R

E

D

G

Y

I

R

I

S

T

A

N

N

I

C

I

D

I

O

M

K

P

R

I

E

S

T

I

A

K

E

Y

E

D

I

H

Y

M

N

M

O

T

E

L

S

L

E

R

D

E

Chamber 2

C

O

G

S

D

U

O

R

L

E

S

D

A

U

B

A

T

A

P

I

R

V

E

Y

C

L

A

S

S

A

F

E

L

L

S

C

E

L

E

R

Y

S

P

A

N

T

A

L

I

C

H

R

O

M

O

E

K

I

N

G

A

K

E

T

R

I

A

G

E

W

F

I

R

E

R

N

U

I

S

A

N

C

E

N

D

A

R

E

S

O

F

T

N

O

T

E

T

R

I

P

A

T

R

I

O

L

E

A

N

A

L

L

D

U

O

S

B

A

C

K

A

R

G

O

T

D

R

O

P

I

S

S

U

E

S

P

I

O

R

A

L

E

S

I

S

T

E

R

L

Y

S

T

O

N

E

I

M

A

N

T

R

A

D

I

A

A

E

G

I

S

G

O

T

H

A

M

N

I

B

S

P

A

L

S

E

N

V

I

E

R

F

I

N

I

S

S

R

E

D

E

Y

E

D

A

C

A

M

O

S

E

E

D

D

Y

M

I

R

E

D

H

S

E

V

E

R

The flavor text mentions that the rooms are always adjacent but seem to move around, allowing the task described by the shaded regions to be completed in direct fashion. The dashed lines around the grids also suggests cutting them out. If you cut them out and move them adjacent to each other in the four different ways where the corners line up, each way will allow you to connect some of the double cryptic answers using a straight line from one end of one word to one end of another word, as follows:

A U T O I S C R A F T G A E L R P O I N T O I S A R O D E I C H E N G E N C O R E C A L L H A N K E L F I N S T O P S Y E T A S A L I N A O H O T E L S H I P S I D E T N A M E W O M O L E I N E T A T E B R I O E R S T C O N N E C T W I S P A N T Z S A C A I P R I D E Y N Y H O M E E S N E E Z E R S T E E N Y M M A I L E R E A T S A F E S M E N T O R E D G Y I R I S T A N N I C I D I O M K P R I E S T I A K E Y E D I H Y M N M O T E L S L E R D E

C O G S D U O R L E S D A U B A T A P I R V E Y C L A S S A F E L L S C E L E R Y S P A N T A L I C H R O M O E K I N G A K E T R I A G E W F I R E R N U I S A N C E N D A R E S O F T N O T E T R I P A T R I O L E A N A L L D U O S B A C K A R G O T D R O P I S S U E S P I O R A L E S I S T E R L Y S T O N E I M A N T R A D I A A E G I S G O T H A M N I B S P A L S E N V I E R F I N I S S R E D E Y E D A C A M O S E E D D Y M I R E D H S E V E R

This configuration gets you LAKE, OF, and DEED

C O G S D U O R L E S D A U B A T A P I R V E Y C L A S S A F E L L S C E L E R Y S P A N T A L I C H R O M O E K I N G A K E T R I A G E W F I R E R N U I S A N C E N D A R E S O F T N O T E T R I P A T R I O L E A N A L L D U O S B A C K A R G O T D R O P I S S U E S P I O R A L E S I S T E R L Y S T O N E I M A N T R A D I A A E G I S G O T H A M N I B S P A L S E N V I E R F I N I S S R E D E Y E D A C A M O S E E D D Y M I R E D H S E V E R

A U T O I S C R A F T G A E L R P O I N T O I S A R O D E I C H E N G E N C O R E C A L L H A N K E L F I N S T O P S Y E T A S A L I N A O H O T E L S H I P S I D E T N A M E W O M O L E I N E T A T E B R I O E R S T C O N N E C T W I S P A N T Z S A C A I P R I D E Y N Y H O M E E S N E E Z E R S T E E N Y M M A I L E R E A T S A F E S M E N T O R E D G Y I R I S T A N N I C I D I O M K P R I E S T I A K E Y E D I H Y M N M O T E L S L E R D E

This configuration gives you RADIATE and BACKERS

A U T O I S C R A F T G A E L R P O I N T O I S A R O D E I C H E N G E N C O R E C A L L H A N K E L F I N S T O P S Y E T A S A L I N A O H O T E L S H I P S I D E T N A M E W O M O L E I N E T A T E B R I O E R S T C O N N E C T W I S P A N T Z S A C A I P R I D E Y N Y H O M E E S N E E Z E R S T E E N Y M M A I L E R E A T S A F E S M E N T O R E D G Y I R I S T A N N I C I D I O M K P R I E S T I A K E Y E D I H Y M N M O T E L S L E R D E

C O G S D U O R L E S D A U B A T A P I R V E Y C L A S S A F E L L S C E L E R Y S P A N T A L I C H R O M O E K I N G A K E T R I A G E W F I R E R N U I S A N C E N D A R E S O F T N O T E T R I P A T R I O L E A N A L L D U O S B A C K A R G O T D R O P I S S U E S P I O R A L E S I S T E R L Y S T O N E I M A N T R A D I A A E G I S G O T H A M N I B S P A L S E N V I E R F I N I S S R E D E Y E D A C A M O S E E D D Y M I R E D H S E V E R

This configuration gets you TO and INITIALLY.

C O G S D U O R L E S D A U B A T A P I R V E Y C L A S S A F E L L S C E L E R Y S P A N T A L I C H R O M O E K I N G A K E T R I A G E W F I R E R N U I S A N C E N D A R E S O F T N O T E T R I P A T R I O L E A N A L L D U O S B A C K A R G O T D R O P I S S U E S P I O R A L E S I S T E R L Y S T O N E I M A N T R A D I A A E G I S G O T H A M N I B S P A L S E N V I E R F I N I S S R E D E Y E D A C A M O S E E D D Y M I R E D H S E V E R

A U T O I S C R A F T G A E L R P O I N T O I S A R O D E I C H E N G E N C O R E C A L L H A N K E L F I N S T O P S Y E T A S A L I N A O H O T E L S H I P S I D E T N A M E W O M O L E I N E T A T E B R I O E R S T C O N N E C T W I S P A N T Z S A C A I P R I D E Y N Y H O M E E S N E E Z E R S T E E N Y M M A I L E R E A T S A F E S M E N T O R E D G Y I R I S T A N N I C I D I O M K P R I E S T I A K E Y E D I H Y M N M O T E L S L E R D E

This configuration gets you SEEMING and OVERCONFIDENCE.

In order of the dual clues’ appearance on the instruction page, this gives:
SEEMING TO RADIATE OVERCONFIDENCE INITIALLY BACKERS OF LAKE DEED

This is another dual cryptic clue that solves to both BOLD and STROKE:
BOLD (Backers + Of + Lake + Deed) and STROKE (Seeming + To + Radiate + Overconfidence + laKE).

Therefore, the answer is BOLD STROKE.

Cryptic Answers

Chamber 1

Across
1 AUTO (T + O following AU)
5 CRAFT (C + RAFT)
8 GAEL (homophone of GALE)
11 POINT (IN inside POT)
12 SARODE (fEDORAS reversed)
15 CHENG (CH + ENG)
16 CALL (CAL + Lacrosse)
17 HANK (ANKH with H moving “west” to beginning)
18 ELFINS (EL FIN + S)
19 ETA (Double Definition)
20 SALINA (SAL + IN A)
21 HOTEL (HOT + EL)
23 SHIPSIDE (HIP inside S + SIDE)
27 NAME (anagram of MEAN)
30 OLEIN (OLE + IN)
32 ETAT (TATE backwards)
35 BRIO (I inside BRO)
36 ERST (clevER STrategy)
38 ANTZ (National Team inside AZ)
41 ACAI (ACA + I)
46 SNEEZERS (Zynga Executive inside SNEERS)
49 TEENY (TEEN + daY)
51 MAILER (RE + LIAM reversed)
54 EAT (Elegant + AT)
56 SAFES (F inside SEAS reversed)
58 MENTOR (MEN + TOR)
60 EDGY (pEt DoGgY)
61 IRIS (SIRI reversed)
62 TANNIC (ANN inside TIC)
63 IDIOM (IDIOt + M)
64 HYMN (homophone of HIM)
65 MOTEL (MOTE + Lettuce)
66 ERDE (hERDEr)

Down
1 ARCHES (SEARCH anagram)
2 OINKS (O + INKS)
3 INGE (IN + GamE)
4 STELLI (TELL inside SIc)
5 CONFIDE (FID inside CONE)
6 RICIN (RICh + IN)
7 TRET (TREAT minus A)
9 ADAPTER (AD + APTER)
10 LILY (LIL + daY)
11 PHAT (P + HAT)
12 SONATA (SO + NATAl)
13 ARSON (NORA reversed around S)
14 ELSE (EL + SE)
16 COOMB (CB around MOO reversed)
22 LOOPY (LOO + Python + monkeY)
24 PET (P + ET)
25 SICS (SIS around Club)
26 ETNAS (SANTE reversed)
28 WISER (Were + I + SER)
29 MEANT (MEAN + T)
31 NOA (NA around O)
33 TCP (PC + T reversed)
34 ETRE (anagram of TREE)
37 WIZ (I inside ZW reversed)
39 THE FIRM (THEM around FIR)
40 ZONES (Zany + ONES)
42 CEMENT (ME inside CENT)
43 INITIAL (Double Definition)
44 DEEDIER (DIE inside REED reversed)
45 EMMAS (E + S around Mixed Martial Arts)
47 E-LOCKS (OC inside ELKS)
48 STYMIE (STY + MIEn)
50 EARP (anagram of RAPE)
52 ANNIE (AN + NIE)
53 REDYE (RED + YE)
55 A GOD (AGO + D)
56 SIKH (homophone of SEEK)
57 METS (STEM reversed)
59 RIEL (IE inside R + L)

Chamber 2

Across
1 COGS (CO + G + S)
4 ORLES (anagram of LOSER)
7 DAUB (DUB around A)
10 TAPIR (TAP + IR)
11 Y-CLASS (anagram of CLAY + SS)
13 FELLS (FELLOWS missing OW)
14 CELERY (cELEb inside CRY)
15 SPAN (NAPS reversed)
16 TALI (anagram of TAIL)
17 CHROMO (CHROME with E replaced by O)
18 EKING (E + KING)
19 AKE (A + KE)
20 TRIAGE (anagram of GAITER)
21 FIRER (FIR + ER)
27 DARE (RAD reversed + Education)
30 T-NOTE (TOTE around N)
32 TRIP (T + RIP)
35 TRIO (T + RIO)
36 LEAN (Double Definition)
37 BACK (B + ACK)
38 ARGO (cARGO)
40 DROP (anagram of PROD)
43 ISSUE (IS + SUE)
45 ORAL (homophone of AURAL)
47 SISTERLY (anagram of STYLER IS)
53 DIA (AID reversed)
55 AEGIS (anagram of AGE + IS)
58 NIBS (BIN reversed + S)
59 PALS (SLAP reversed)
60 ENVIER (dENVER around I)
61 FINIS (I in FINS)
62 RED-EYE (EYE + DER reversed)
63 CAMOS (C + AMOS)
64 EDDY (tEDDY)
65 MIRED (MR ED around I)
66 EVER (EVE + R)

Down
1 CAFTAN (AFT inside CAN)
2 GALLEIN (GALL + EIN)
3 DISC (IS inside DC)
4 OVERACT (anagram of AT COVER)
5 RELOG (anagram of OGLER)
6 SLYE (SLY + micE)
8 ASPIRER (ASP + IRE + tigeR)
9 BANG (BAN + Ghana)
10 TEAK (TEA + K)
11 YEMENI (YE + I around MEN)
12 SANE (A inside S + NE)
22 ROOKS (Double Definition)
23 UTERI (U + TERI)
24 SON (homophone of SUN)
25 AT-AT (A inside AT + T)
26 ERDOS (maDly inside EROS)
28 SICEL (SIC + EL)
29 FLAPS (F + LAPS)
31 ELD (EL + D)
33 POI (PI around O)
34 ASST (ASS + T)
37 BSE (BS + unprofitablE)
39 ORNIS (anagram of NORI’S)
41 REMOVE (REM + OVEr)
42 PINHEAD (anagram of HAD PINE)
44 URDINOV (absURD IN Overtime)
46 LIGNY (G + I + L reversed + NY)
48 STARCH (ST + ARCH)
49 YASSER (R + ESSAY reversed)
50 TEAR (Double Definition)
51 ATIDE (A + TIDE)
52 ANIME (A + angram of MINE)
54 IBIS (inviSIBIlity in reverse)
55 APSE (homophone of APPS)
56 SEEM (homophone of SEAM)
57 FMAS (anagram of FAMS)

Background and Credits

I have always loved the idea of writing cryptic crossword clues that solve to two completely different answers, but always found them very difficult to write. I decided that the Mystery Hunt was the perfect event to create an entire puzzle based on such clues, so I forced myself to spend about a month trying to come up with them. With my brain constantly engaged in this endeavor and a lot of patience (because that is essentially what it took), I managed to come up with a good number of them, after which I still needed to write a good puzzle. I came up with the idea of connecting the dual-answer clues across two identical puzzle grids with words forming another such clue. However, I wasn’t sure I could make it work, so I wrote the first version with a fake two word answer. After much wrangling, I got a working prototype and asked for a solve from Brent Holman, who was a huge help with this puzzle, from that first prototype to helping improve the extraction, to massaging clues. The extraction definitely needed work, but the basic concept was sound, so I found a two word answer for which I could write a dual-answer clue and went to work. To my surprise, I was able to do it with the addition of a hint message across the grids’ centers, and with much testing, we got the flavor text and design right to make the extraction manageable.

Thank you also to Todd Etter for significantly improving the entries in one section of the grid and to Mark Gottlieb for his cryptic crossword clue editing prowess and for the idea of the corner symbols suggesting how the adjacencies snap into place rather than being able to slide to any position.