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** To the "{{Quartet}}" from Rigoletto, as the best example of {{opera}}.
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** To the "{{Quartet}}" song "Quartet" (better known as Bella figlia dell'amore) from Rigoletto, ''{{Theatre/Rigoletto}}'' (an opera by Creator/GiuseppeVerdi), is presented as the best example of {{opera}}.
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The 7th story in the ''Literature/BlackWidowers'' case files, Creator/IsaacAsimov wrote it for ''Magazine/ElleryQueensMysteryMagazine'' (July 1973 issue).
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The 7th story in the ''Literature/BlackWidowers'' Literature/BlackWidowers case files, Creator/IsaacAsimov wrote it for ''Magazine/ElleryQueensMysteryMagazine'' (July 1973 issue).
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* NewhartPhonecall: Mr Levy asks for a phone so he can call his wife. Since the
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* NewhartPhonecall: Mr Levy asks for a phone so he can call his wife. Since the perspective is limited to the meeting room, we only hear Mr Levy's dialogue, but we can infer that Mrs Levy found the missing bonds.
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** To ''[[Literature/GuinnessWorldRecords
The Guinness Book of Records]]'', a nonfiction reference book the club keeps around to resolve disputes.
The Guinness Book of Records]]'', a nonfiction reference book the club keeps around to resolve disputes.
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** To ''[[Literature/GuinnessWorldRecords
''[[Literature/GuinnessWorldRecords The Guinness Book of Records]]'', a nonfiction reference book the club keeps around to resolve disputes.
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** It epitomizes him as the 'Quartet' from Rigoletto typifies opera."
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** It epitomizes him To the "{{Quartet}}" from Rigoletto, as the 'Quartet' from Rigoletto typifies opera."best example of {{opera}}.
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** Gonzalo explains why he was absent from “Literature/TheObviousFactor”.
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** Gonzalo explains why he was absent from “Literature/TheObviousFactor”."Literature/TheObviousFactor".
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The 7th story in the ''Literature/BlackWidowers'' case files, Creator/IsaacAsimov wrote it for ''Magazine/ElleryQueensMysteryMagazine'' (July 1973 issue).
Avalon is host, and his guest is Simon Levy, an author of science fact. Gonzalo is first to arrive, and we get confirmation that [[WrittenInAbsence his absence last month]] was due to handling events from "Literature/EarlySundayMorning". This sets the tone of the meeting to something more subdued than typical, until Rubin and Trumbull get into an argument over [[{{UsefulNotes/Britain}} the Acts of Union]]. Mr Levy asks how common such arguments are, and Avalon explains that the volume is a bit more than typical, which is why they have several reference books, such as ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]''.
After dinner, Trumbull grills Mr Levy, and he tells the group about how he's been searching for an envelope of bonds left by his grandfather-in-law. [[DyingClue The relative was dying as he pointed]] to his copy of ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]'' on the bookshelf. After the trip to the hospital and arranging the funeral, they come back and cannot find the bonds. Fortunately, Henry figures it out, and Mr Levy calls home to confirm his solution.
This story has been reprinted twice; ''Literature/TalesOfTheBlackWidowers'' (1974), and ''Literature/TheBestMysteriesOfIsaacAsimov'' (1986).
----
!! Pointing out the following tropes:
* TheBet: During dinner, Rubin and Trumbull get into a debate over [[{{UsefulNotes/Britain}} the Act of Union]]. They each place five dollars on the table and get Henry to verify the answer from the encyclopedia for them.
* BookSafe: (DoubleSubverted) Mr Levy had assumed his dying grandfather-in-law had left his inheritance in ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]'' because [[DyingClue he was pointing to it on the bookshelf when he was dying]]. [[spoiler: The inheritance was taped to the back of the bookshelf.]]
* ContinuityNod: Gonzalo [[WrittenInAbsence missed last month's meeting]] because he was talking to the police after the events of "Literature/EarlySundayMorning".
* DrivingQuestion: Where are the bonds?
* DyingClue:
** Mr Levy's grandfather-in-law was dying and trying to communicate to his descendants where he had left his inheritance. Since he couldn't speak, he pointed [[ExactWords in the direction of]] the bookshelf where ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]'' sat. Mr Levy is unable to figure out the location of the hidden inheritance until Henry shares a suggestion.
** (DiscussedTrope) Henry says the use of the "dying hint" in MysteryFiction breaks his SuspensionOfDisbelief because he doesn't understand how someone in the last two minutes of their life are able to encrypt a message that proves difficult for multiple intelligent people for hours. Therefore, the recently deceased must have been trying to state something relatively obvious.
* ExactWords: (ZigZaggingTrope) Mr Levy's grandfather-in-law couldn't speak from the stroke he was having, but insisted on trying to tell his granddaughter and husband where he had hidden their inheritance. So he has them turn his chair around until he's facing the bookshelf, where he points at ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]''. His finger is only inches away when he dies, so Mr Levy assumes [[BookSafe it's in the book]]. When he finally has time to check, it's not there. So he pours over every page in the book, looking for some hidden clue relying on an alternative meaning of a phrase to discover the location of the inheritance. For months. The mystery is finally solved when Henry explains that the grandfather-in-law was probably pointing ''past'' the book, and to the back of the bookshelves. The exact direction he was pointing was important.
* FairplayWhodunnit: The clues are all presented during the grilling, and Henry is unusually involved. The audience can deduce the correct answer when Henry announces that he believes the focus on Creator/WilliamShakespeare is a RedHerring.
* FancyDinner: The BlackWidowers meet every month at the Milano, a fancy restaurant in New York City, tonight's dinner is baked potato, with coupe aux marrons for dessert.
* FramingDevice: The FancyDinner and grilling provide a setting and characters to discuss how an envelope of bonds could be hidden for months.
* TheNamesake: The eponymous finger refers to the DyingClue left by Mr Levy's grandfather-in-law; he was pointing to the inheritance he had hidden.
* NewhartPhonecall: Mr Levy asks for a phone so he can call his wife. Since the
* OrwellianRetcon: Dr Asimov edited the beginning of this story in ''Literature/TalesOfTheBlackWidowers'', because he wanted more [[ContinuityNod references to earlier events]] than the editor of ''Magazine/ElleryQueensMysteryMagazine'' was willing to accept.
* PhoneInDetective: Henry is able to deduce the mystery of the missing bonds once he realizes that the discussion about Creator/WilliamShakespeare depends too much on [[DyingClue a complicated clue being conveyed by a dying man]].
* SelfDeprecation: Rubin says that Creator/IsaacAsimov is so conceited that he carries around an encyclopedia just to show off the article for his achievements.
* ShoutOut:
** To ''Literature/ColumbiaEncyclopedia'', a nonfiction book the Widowers keep on hand to resolve disputes.
** The club keeps two different versions of Literature/TheBible on hand to resolve disputes; King James and the New English translations.
** As reference material to resolve arguments, the club keeps several books by ''Webster''; the second edition of ''Webster's Unabridged Dictionary'', ''Webster's Biographical Dictionary'', and ''Webster's Geographical Dictionary''.
** To ''[[Literature/GuinnessWorldRecords
The Guinness Book of Records]]'', a nonfiction reference book the club keeps around to resolve disputes.
** To ''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'', a nonfiction reference book the club keeps around to resolve disputes.
** To ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]'' compiled by Kitterage, a book the club keeps around to resolve disputes regarding the Bard. Several of his plays are mentioned by name in this story.
** To demonstrate Mr Levy's grandfather-in-law was a well-read man, ''Literature/WarAndPeace'' is one of the books he enjoyed.
** It epitomizes him as the 'Quartet' from Rigoletto typifies opera."
* WrittenInAbsence:
** Gonzalo explains why he was absent from “Literature/TheObviousFactor”.
** Avalon announces to the club that Halsted won't be present for tonight's meeting.
----
Avalon is host, and his guest is Simon Levy, an author of science fact. Gonzalo is first to arrive, and we get confirmation that [[WrittenInAbsence his absence last month]] was due to handling events from "Literature/EarlySundayMorning". This sets the tone of the meeting to something more subdued than typical, until Rubin and Trumbull get into an argument over [[{{UsefulNotes/Britain}} the Acts of Union]]. Mr Levy asks how common such arguments are, and Avalon explains that the volume is a bit more than typical, which is why they have several reference books, such as ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]''.
After dinner, Trumbull grills Mr Levy, and he tells the group about how he's been searching for an envelope of bonds left by his grandfather-in-law. [[DyingClue The relative was dying as he pointed]] to his copy of ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]'' on the bookshelf. After the trip to the hospital and arranging the funeral, they come back and cannot find the bonds. Fortunately, Henry figures it out, and Mr Levy calls home to confirm his solution.
This story has been reprinted twice; ''Literature/TalesOfTheBlackWidowers'' (1974), and ''Literature/TheBestMysteriesOfIsaacAsimov'' (1986).
----
!! Pointing out the following tropes:
* TheBet: During dinner, Rubin and Trumbull get into a debate over [[{{UsefulNotes/Britain}} the Act of Union]]. They each place five dollars on the table and get Henry to verify the answer from the encyclopedia for them.
* BookSafe: (DoubleSubverted) Mr Levy had assumed his dying grandfather-in-law had left his inheritance in ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]'' because [[DyingClue he was pointing to it on the bookshelf when he was dying]]. [[spoiler: The inheritance was taped to the back of the bookshelf.]]
* ContinuityNod: Gonzalo [[WrittenInAbsence missed last month's meeting]] because he was talking to the police after the events of "Literature/EarlySundayMorning".
* DrivingQuestion: Where are the bonds?
* DyingClue:
** Mr Levy's grandfather-in-law was dying and trying to communicate to his descendants where he had left his inheritance. Since he couldn't speak, he pointed [[ExactWords in the direction of]] the bookshelf where ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]'' sat. Mr Levy is unable to figure out the location of the hidden inheritance until Henry shares a suggestion.
** (DiscussedTrope) Henry says the use of the "dying hint" in MysteryFiction breaks his SuspensionOfDisbelief because he doesn't understand how someone in the last two minutes of their life are able to encrypt a message that proves difficult for multiple intelligent people for hours. Therefore, the recently deceased must have been trying to state something relatively obvious.
* ExactWords: (ZigZaggingTrope) Mr Levy's grandfather-in-law couldn't speak from the stroke he was having, but insisted on trying to tell his granddaughter and husband where he had hidden their inheritance. So he has them turn his chair around until he's facing the bookshelf, where he points at ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]''. His finger is only inches away when he dies, so Mr Levy assumes [[BookSafe it's in the book]]. When he finally has time to check, it's not there. So he pours over every page in the book, looking for some hidden clue relying on an alternative meaning of a phrase to discover the location of the inheritance. For months. The mystery is finally solved when Henry explains that the grandfather-in-law was probably pointing ''past'' the book, and to the back of the bookshelves. The exact direction he was pointing was important.
* FairplayWhodunnit: The clues are all presented during the grilling, and Henry is unusually involved. The audience can deduce the correct answer when Henry announces that he believes the focus on Creator/WilliamShakespeare is a RedHerring.
* FancyDinner: The BlackWidowers meet every month at the Milano, a fancy restaurant in New York City, tonight's dinner is baked potato, with coupe aux marrons for dessert.
* FramingDevice: The FancyDinner and grilling provide a setting and characters to discuss how an envelope of bonds could be hidden for months.
* TheNamesake: The eponymous finger refers to the DyingClue left by Mr Levy's grandfather-in-law; he was pointing to the inheritance he had hidden.
* NewhartPhonecall: Mr Levy asks for a phone so he can call his wife. Since the
* OrwellianRetcon: Dr Asimov edited the beginning of this story in ''Literature/TalesOfTheBlackWidowers'', because he wanted more [[ContinuityNod references to earlier events]] than the editor of ''Magazine/ElleryQueensMysteryMagazine'' was willing to accept.
* PhoneInDetective: Henry is able to deduce the mystery of the missing bonds once he realizes that the discussion about Creator/WilliamShakespeare depends too much on [[DyingClue a complicated clue being conveyed by a dying man]].
* SelfDeprecation: Rubin says that Creator/IsaacAsimov is so conceited that he carries around an encyclopedia just to show off the article for his achievements.
* ShoutOut:
** To ''Literature/ColumbiaEncyclopedia'', a nonfiction book the Widowers keep on hand to resolve disputes.
** The club keeps two different versions of Literature/TheBible on hand to resolve disputes; King James and the New English translations.
** As reference material to resolve arguments, the club keeps several books by ''Webster''; the second edition of ''Webster's Unabridged Dictionary'', ''Webster's Biographical Dictionary'', and ''Webster's Geographical Dictionary''.
** To ''[[Literature/GuinnessWorldRecords
The Guinness Book of Records]]'', a nonfiction reference book the club keeps around to resolve disputes.
** To ''Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable'', a nonfiction reference book the club keeps around to resolve disputes.
** To ''[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare The Complete Works of Shakespeare]]'' compiled by Kitterage, a book the club keeps around to resolve disputes regarding the Bard. Several of his plays are mentioned by name in this story.
** To demonstrate Mr Levy's grandfather-in-law was a well-read man, ''Literature/WarAndPeace'' is one of the books he enjoyed.
** It epitomizes him as the 'Quartet' from Rigoletto typifies opera."
* WrittenInAbsence:
** Gonzalo explains why he was absent from “Literature/TheObviousFactor”.
** Avalon announces to the club that Halsted won't be present for tonight's meeting.
----
