The Last Half of Darkness            WALKTHROUGH
      by The Softlab Laboratories          By Mac Doogle
      2012 Gregory St.
      San Diego 92104  (This version is shareware)


     When I first got heavily into computers about four years ago,
I played Last Half and it was directly responsible for my
continuing addiction to "adventure" games.  Lately, I've seen
numerous postings by new gamers asking for Last Half help and I've
not seen a walkthrough on any of the FTP sites, so here's one --
someone might kindly put it up at uwp, uu, or somewhere...I still
don't know how to upload (face red). 
     I'm a dedicated adventure gamer, albeit not a very shrewd one.
I've finished precious few of the more sophisticated games without
referring to a walkthrough.  After all, I only have so much time to
"waste" (I pretend to have a real life).  So, beginning gamers --
The Last Half of Darkness is a good (and free) initial adventure --
this walkthrough is for you (but only if you also claim a real
life).  
     

            WALKTHROUGH  --- TOTAL SPOILERS BEGIN !!

The game is a little "buggy", on fast computers: you may click an
"operate" action, and even though you see the action result, the
game may respond with "nothing happened!" (even though it did). 
Once in a while, you might click on an object to "operate" it and
it will change before you complete the action (bucket of water
might empty, etc.)  Sometimes you might have to click several times
to operate an object.  If your box has a turbo mode, play it on the
slowest setting; this will tend to minimize the quirk.  Also, the
opening screen's description is wrong ("Looking up at the broken
glass...")  This is actually from another of the Software Lab's
games, "The Nine Lives of Secret Agent Katt".  I kinda dig the odd-
looking mouse pointer.

Note:  The game actions do not have to be done in the exact order
of this walkthrough to finish it.  By the way, the object of the
game is to find the dead girl and bring her back to life.

Go to front porch.  Open door and go inside.  Keep going left until
you reach three doors, one in front of you and one on either side. 
The open one on the left is where the ghost twin will kill you. 
Open door in front of you to garden, take empty water bucket and
operate it on the fountain; you'll get a bucket of water (you can
also get water from the kitchen or from two bathrooms by operating
the water taps).  Back up to hall, open and enter door on the
right.  In study examine book on table ("red of liquid, heat of
flame...; Blossom green of sweet Gi-Gi...; Give a drop to the
girl...; Secret lab...").  Lab is behind bookcase, but there's nada
to do there yet except to get killed by the snake in the file
cabinet.  Still downstairs, find the room with the open door to the
outside.  Take dropper from shelf.  Find the kitchen, open overhead
cabinet and take key.  Go right into pantry and take the moving
matchbox.  You can go into dining room and open the platter to see
the ghost.  Go back to entrance hall and climb stairs.  In hallway
open first door on left.  At some point in the game, you'll hear a
scream and the first time you look in the closet, you'll see the
dead girl you must bring back to life.  There's nothing to do in
the bathroom, unless you need water in your bucket.  Go back into
hallway, open and enter second door on left.  Open drawer and take
locked box.  Back in hallway, open and enter second door on right. 
Operate water on plant that is "almost dead".  Back in hallway,
operate key on first door on right, open it and go up stairs.  Go
in first door to bathroom and take towel.  Go in room to the left
and open casket to be killed by zombie.  Go back to the plant room;
Gi-Gi should have bloomed; take it.  Operate towel on dusty
picture; take book behind picture, open and examine it ("Code for
girl...mirror image of GRAVE.")  Go to lab and operate the
computer.  Access Code: evarg (GRAVE backwards).  Computer gives up
("Potions spoil...HABACAS OJECA MISTO").  Open matchbox, operate
match on candle; operate dropper on test tube.  It's now full of
RED liquid.  Go back to room that leads outside. Find your way past
the caretaker.  In the guest house you can take the candle, but you
won't need it.  Find the shack.  When confronted by the hooded
figure operate the dropper on him.  Take his axe, and find the
caretaker again.  Try to take his lantern to get his attention and
axe the old coot.  Now you've got a shovel -- find the grave,
operate shovel, open box, take bone.  Go back to lab. You may or
may not see killer dog, but, of course, use bone on him if you do. 
Put Gi-Gi in test tube, fill the dropper -- now it holds GREEN
liquid.  Go to killer twins' room (they'll be gone); go right into
closet, use axe on boards.  Go to girl.  To get over to her say the
magic words from computer.  Go to girl; give her the potion. Finis.

Incidentally, there are at least two more games in the Last Half
series.  The second one, Last Half II, was 25 bucks and came with
"Nine Lives of Secret Agent Kat" and seemed marginally worth it. 
The third one (also 'bout $25) was NOT worth it.  All IMHO of
course.

Well, that was actually kinda fun, replaying an old game.  Maybe
I'll do the Hugo trilogy next, all three of which now seem to be
shareware (I bought the second two).