The One and Only East is a mystery short story by Isaac Asimov.
Part of the Black Widowers series, it was first published in the March 1975 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. It was later collected in 1976's More Tales of the Black Widowers.
Summary[]
Ralph Murdock, a deeply religious elder of a small church, is the guest at a Black Widowers dinner. He presents a moral and intellectual dilemma. His recently deceased uncle, a hedonistic gambler, left him a $50,000 inheritance on one condition: Murdock must correctly guess which of six cities his uncle had pre-selected in a sealed envelope. The six cities are: Canton (Ohio), Easton (Pennsylvania), Perth Amboy (New Jersey), Augusta (Maine), Athens (Georgia), and Anchorage (Alaska). If Murdock guesses correctly, he gets the money for his church; if not, it goes to his uncle's "charities."
Murdock refuses to gamble on principle. His uncle, anticipating this, gave him a hint: "You will find the answer in the one and only east." Murdock has been unable to interpret this clue in a way that makes the choice feel certain rather than a gamble, and his deadline is in three days.
The Black Widowers members eagerly debate the puzzle. They propose various interpretations: Easton for its name, Augusta as the easternmost city, Perth Amboy for being on the Atlantic, Canton for its connection to the Chinese East, and Athens for its classical heritage. Each theory is debated and found wanting, proving to Murdock that none are compelling enough to resolve his ethical quandary.
The waiter Henry intervenes. He reasons that the solution lies not in general geography but in the uncle's specific interest as a historian of Restoration England. Henry recalls that in American colonial history, the colony of New Jersey was briefly divided into two separately governed entities: East Jersey and West Jersey. "East Jersey" is the only official political entity in U.S. history to have "East" in its name. Consulting a geographical dictionary, Henry confirms that Perth Amboy was the capital of East Jersey. Therefore, Perth Amboy is "the one and only east" referenced in the clue. Murdock can choose it with a clear conscience, as the solution is based on historical fact, not chance.
Characters[]
Black Widowers[]
- Mario Gonzalo (Host)
- Geoffrey Avalon
- Emmanuel Rubin
- Thomas Trumbull
- James Drake
- Roger Halsted
- Henry (the waiter)
Others[]
- Ralph Murdock (the guest)
- Haskell Murdock (Ralph's deceased uncle)
- The Lawyer
Sister Minerva (Murdock's cousin)