You take your seat in the small, private auditorium just in time to see a young man in a dapper blue suit bound out onto the stage. "Welcome everyone," he announces, "to the repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, and grandly reopened Fhloston Paradise! I'm Ryan Seacrest, and I'll be your host for tonight's entertainment. Now let's get things started with..."

He trails off as a small orange man with bright green hair hurries onstage and begins urgently whispering to him. Seacrest's smile fades as the little conference goes on, and he seems much more serious and solemn when he speaks again. "Ladies and gentlemen... and the rest of you... something terrible has happened. The lead singer of tonight's featured band, Death Unicorn, has been murdered. The motive appears to be robbery as his wallet is missing along with his signature guitar, the one with the mother-of-pearl inlays.

You close your eyes as you consider your deeply personal loss. That was your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate, and the one who had gotten you a ticket to this show. You suddenly realize that Ryan is still speaking "... so just remain calm, sit tight, and wait for the authorities."

A disembodied hand skitters across the stage, climbs up Seacrest's suit, and disappears into his coat pocket. It reemerges a moment later with a pen and a small notebook and perches on Ryan's shoulder, scribbling furiously. The emcee pales when he reads the note, and his voice is shaky when he speaks again.

"It would seem that the authorities will not be coming after all. An outbreak of the African rabies has been reported here at Fhloston Paradise, and we're under quarantine. Now don't panic... try to remain calm... I'm sure we can all get through this..."

In the audience, people glance at one another uncertainly as they try to decide what to do.

With 16 people remaining, it will take 9 votes to lynch.