math challenge

Week of September 30 - October 6, 1996

Dial-A-Treasure

While hacking his way through deep jungle underbrush, Edward Explorer comes upon a large golden safe decorated with paintings of fierce jungle creatures.

The safe also has three dials on it, each of which has numbers between 0-19 on them. Edward peers underneath the safe and finds a piece of parchment with the following message:

When the hour is 9, and the day is bright, turn the first dial to the largest number you can which is even.
Turn the second dial to a number which is half that of the first dial plus one.
Turn the third dial to a number which is one-fifth that of the second dial.

Then the stars will throw down their spears, and water heaven with their tears. But untold riches will be yours.

It is 8:59 a.m. on a sunny morning right now, so Edward has to hurry to do this at 9:00. What number does Edward have to turn each dial in order to find his destiny?


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