AT THE END OF PATH 42

MCGURK: Aaaah! A dead end! 42 must be an unlucky number.

SOLOMON: Oops! It is. In Japanese, 42 is pronounced "shi-ni" which is sounds like the verb "to die." So 42 is REALLY bad!

MCGURK: How do you know that?

SOLOMON: Uh... when I was getting toothpicks back in the restaurant, I grabbed four of them and then two more. Pink told me to take either one or eight, as 8 was considered lucky. Japanese people consider the way the Kanji for "eight" is shaped to mean good things are in the future. I didn't think of it until just now.

MCGURK: So I guess it's back down the mountain, then up path 8.