All text will now be saved to the script file. Type UNSCRIPT at any time to discontinue scripting. >restore Restored. Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. A huge dog is sitting here. >i You are carrying: a frisbee >throw frisbee You throw the frisbee. The huge dog tears off after it! You hear his playful barking disappear into the woods. >get all jug of miracle-grow: Taken. jug of miracle-grow: You've already got your hands full. jug of miracle-grow: You've already got your hands full. jug of miracle-grow: You've already got your hands full. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >drop all jug of miracle-grow: Dropped. >n As you step back in, a burly landscaper pushes roughly past you. "Excuse me. I need to use these," he says, and scoops up all three remaining jugs of miracle-grow with ease. He hustles out, whistling a tune. It occurs to you that maybe you should have taken all of the jugs when you had the chance. Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. >get all I don't see what you're referring to. >restore Restored. Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. A huge dog is sitting here. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >get pillowcase Taken. >n Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. A huge dog is sitting here. >throw frisbee You throw the frisbee. The huge dog tears off after it! You hear his playful barking disappear into the woods. >put all in pillowcase old pillowcase: You can't put the old pillowcase in itself! >put jug in pillowcase The jug of miracle-grow is too big to fit in the old pillowcase. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >n Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. >search shed You find nothing of interest. >search What do you want to search? >all You can't use 'all' with that verb. >x jugs jug of miracle-grow: In the jug of miracle-grow you see some thick liquid. jug of miracle-grow: In the jug of miracle-grow you see some thick liquid. jug of miracle-grow: In the jug of miracle-grow you see some thick liquid. jug of miracle-grow: In the jug of miracle-grow you see some thick liquid. The huge dog comes bounding back into the shed and drops the slobbery frisbee at your feet. From outside, you hear a sharp whistle that gets the huge dog's attention. A voice calls out, "Blackie! Here boy!" The huge dog runs off. >get frisbee Taken. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >get jug Taken. >n Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. >fill jug with liquid That isn't important. >pour liquid into jug That isn't important. >pour liquid What do you want to pour it in? >jug That isn't important. >x jugs jug of miracle-grow: There's nothing in the jug of miracle-grow. jug of miracle-grow: In the jug of miracle-grow you see some thick liquid. jug of miracle-grow: In the jug of miracle-grow you see some thick liquid. jug of miracle-grow: In the jug of miracle-grow you see some thick liquid. jug of miracle-grow: In the jug of miracle-grow you see some thick liquid. >drop jug Dropped. The lunchtime whistle blows shrilly. The foreman shouts, "That's it! Back to work, people!" Refreshed, the workers spring back into action. >get jug Taken. >i You are carrying: an old pillowcase a frisbee a jug of miracle-grow some thick liquid >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and your driveway is east. You see a divining rod and a shovel here. >drop jug Dropped. >n As you step back in, a burly landscaper pushes roughly past you. "Excuse me. I need to use these," he says, and scoops up all three remaining jugs of miracle-grow with ease. He hustles out, whistling a tune. It occurs to you that maybe you should have taken all of the jugs when you had the chance. Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see a jug of miracle-grow here. >restore Restored. Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. A huge dog is sitting here. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >s Behind house You are standing in what will be the back of your house. If you thought it was boring to look at before, you couldn't possibly be less enthusiastic about seeing it now. The wooden frame has gone up, but that is all there is to see. However, there is something new to see, a temporary workshed built by the construction company. The shed sits to the north. You can walk around the house to the northeast and southeast. >sw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >sw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >se South of house You are standing on what will be the south side of your house. The house is currently under construction. The wooden frame has gone up, but apart from that, there's not much to see. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. A little bare path made by you just now leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around the house to the northwest and northeast. To the east is a dirt road leading to town. You see a sapling here. >sw Woods The smell of freshly-sawed wood wafts through this natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way. A construction site is to the northeast, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can see a construction site through the woods to the northeast. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, and a moose head trophy. >get plank Taken. >n There is nowhere to go in that direction. >ne Woods The smell of freshly-sawed wood wafts through this natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way. A construction site is to the northeast, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne South of house You are standing on what will be the south side of your house. The house is currently under construction. The wooden frame has gone up, but apart from that, there's not much to see. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. A little bare path made by you just now leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around the house to the northwest and northeast. To the east is a dirt road leading to town. You see a sapling here. >nw Behind house You are standing in what will be the back of your house. If you thought it was boring to look at before, you couldn't possibly be less enthusiastic about seeing it now. The wooden frame has gone up, but that is all there is to see. However, there is something new to see, a temporary workshed built by the construction company. The shed sits to the north. You can walk around the house to the northeast and southeast. >n Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >x jug There's nothing in the jug of miracle-grow. >n Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. A huge dog is sitting here. >throw frisbe You throw the frisbee. The huge dog tears off after it! You hear his playful barking disappear into the woods. >get jug Taken. >put it on plank There's no good surface on the 2x4 plank. The lunchtime whistle blows shrilly. The foreman shouts, "That's it! Back to work, people!" Refreshed, the workers spring back into action. >put plank on jugs You can't use multiple indirect objects. >put plank on jug There's no good surface on the jug of miracle-grow. >i You are carrying: a 2x4 plank a jug of miracle-grow some thick liquid >restore Restored. Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. A huge dog is sitting here. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >se There is nowhere to go in that direction. >sw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >s Behind house You are standing in what will be the back of your house. If you thought it was boring to look at before, you couldn't possibly be less enthusiastic about seeing it now. The wooden frame has gone up, but that is all there is to see. However, there is something new to see, a temporary workshed built by the construction company. The shed sits to the north. You can walk around the house to the northeast and southeast. >se South of house You are standing on what will be the south side of your house. The house is currently under construction. The wooden frame has gone up, but apart from that, there's not much to see. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. A little bare path made by you just now leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around the house to the northwest and northeast. To the east is a dirt road leading to town. You see a sapling here. >sw Woods The smell of freshly-sawed wood wafts through this natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way. A construction site is to the northeast, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can see a construction site through the woods to the northeast. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, and a moose head trophy. >n There is nowhere to go in that direction. >ne Woods The smell of freshly-sawed wood wafts through this natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way. A construction site is to the northeast, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne South of house You are standing on what will be the south side of your house. The house is currently under construction. The wooden frame has gone up, but apart from that, there's not much to see. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. A little bare path made by you just now leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around the house to the northwest and northeast. To the east is a dirt road leading to town. You see a sapling here. >nw Behind house You are standing in what will be the back of your house. If you thought it was boring to look at before, you couldn't possibly be less enthusiastic about seeing it now. The wooden frame has gone up, but that is all there is to see. However, there is something new to see, a temporary workshed built by the construction company. The shed sits to the north. You can walk around the house to the northeast and southeast. >n Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >n Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. A huge dog is sitting here. >throw frisbee You throw the frisbee. The huge dog tears off after it! You hear his playful barking disappear into the woods. >get jug Taken. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >se There is nowhere to go in that direction. >s Behind house You are standing in what will be the back of your house. If you thought it was boring to look at before, you couldn't possibly be less enthusiastic about seeing it now. The wooden frame has gone up, but that is all there is to see. However, there is something new to see, a temporary workshed built by the construction company. The shed sits to the north. You can walk around the house to the northeast and southeast. >se South of house You are standing on what will be the south side of your house. The house is currently under construction. The wooden frame has gone up, but apart from that, there's not much to see. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. A little bare path made by you just now leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around the house to the northwest and northeast. To the east is a dirt road leading to town. You see a sapling here. The lunchtime whistle blows shrilly. The foreman shouts, "That's it! Back to work, people!" Refreshed, the workers spring back into action. >pour liquid on sapling The fertilizer probably won't help the sapling very much. You should use it on the acorn. The huge dog comes bounding up to you and deposits the slobbery frisbee at your feet. From somewhere nearby, you hear a sharp whistle that gets the huge dog's attention. A voice calls out, "Blackie! Here boy!" The huge dog runs off. >get frisbee I don't see any frisbee here. >l South of house You are standing on what will be the south side of your house. The house is currently under construction. The wooden frame has gone up, but apart from that, there's not much to see. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. A little bare path made by you just now leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around the house to the northwest and northeast. To the east is a dirt road leading to town. You see a sapling here. >[er, I thought it dropped the frisbee at my feet.] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >sw Woods The smell of freshly-sawed wood wafts through this natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way. A construction site is to the northeast, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can hear the busy noise of construction work nearby, coming through the woods from the northeast. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, and a moose head trophy. >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. >push button You push the big red button. Click! The time machine vibrates and heats up like a toaster oven. A dull orange light envelops you. The world around you spins into a wild vortex that suddenly vanishes, leaving you to find yourself in a ... Forest The woods surround you on all sides, although there is enough space around you to consider it a clearing of sorts. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. You aren't sure which from which direction it originates. You can see your usual path through the grove of trees to the northeast. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, and a moose head trophy. >out Okay, you're no longer on the time machine platform. >ne Path in the woods A natural path made by the stream winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, and the stream does an abrupt curve around it. The stream runs from the northeast to the south, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne Sloping wood The ground slopes down here, eroded by the nearby stream. Grasses heavy with fresh dew and spring-saturated soil give the area a soft, spongy feel beneath your feet. The stream leads back southwest, and through a long walk through the trees to the northeast, you can see a road of some kind. You see a soft spot and a little mound of dirt here. >pour liquid on mound The liquid seeps into the mound of dirt with a nourishing sigh. [ Your score just went up by 3 points. ] >sw Path in the woods A natural path made by the stream winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, and the stream does an abrupt curve around it. The stream runs from the northeast to the south, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw You push your way into the clearing, opening your usual path once again. Forest The woods surround you on all sides, although there is enough space around you to consider it a clearing of sorts. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. You aren't sure which from which direction it originates. You can see your usual path through the grove of trees to the northeast. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, and a moose head trophy. >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. >set dial to 5 Okay, it's now turned to 5. >push button You push the big red button. Click! The time machine vibrates and heats up like a toaster oven. A blinding purple light envelops you. The world around you spins into a wild vortex that suddenly vanishes, leaving you to find yourself in a ... Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Moonlight streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. Your footpath leaves the clearing to the northeast, heading back to the house. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, and a moose head trophy. >ne (first getting off the platform) Okay, you're no longer on the time machine platform. Path in the woods This little spot is one of your favorite places to sit and think. A well-trod path winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, so the path does an abrupt curve around it. The path leads northeast to your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne South of house The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. There is a tiny window high in the wall, about 30 feet up. A little path made by you on your many daily walks leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. A beautiful, leafy tree is growing here next to the house, right where you always thought it should. >x tre I don't know the word "tre". >x tree >u Top of tree You are in the top of the tree. It is currently about 20 feet tall. There is nowhere to climb except back down to the ground. >restore Restored. Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. A huge dog is sitting here. >throw frisbee You throw the frisbee. The huge dog tears off after it! You hear his playful barking disappear into the woods. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >e North of house You are standing on what will be the north side of your house. The house is currently under construction. The wooden frame has gone up, and the driveway is currently being poured, but apart from that, there's not much to see. A bunch of workers are here, having a lunch break. A temporary workshed is to the west, and you can walk around the house to the southeast and southwest. >x bunch I don't know the word "bunch". >x workers The workers are skilled in various duties, and all are extremely busy eating lunch. >search workers You'd better keep your hands to yourself. >s Inside house You finally step into your house. Not much of a victory, given the circumstances. Just a lot of planks and rafters. A temporary work ladder is nailed into the structure, and leads up to the second floor. >sw There is nowhere to go in that direction. The huge dog comes bounding up to you and deposits the slobbery frisbee at your feet. From somewhere nearby, you hear a sharp whistle that gets the huge dog's attention. A voice calls out, "Blackie! Here boy!" The huge dog runs off. >get frisbee I don't see any frisbee here. >w Behind house You are standing in what will be the back of your house. If you thought it was boring to look at before, you couldn't possibly be less enthusiastic about seeing it now. The wooden frame has gone up, but that is all there is to see. However, there is something new to see, a temporary workshed built by the construction company. The shed sits to the north. You can walk around the house to the northeast and southeast. >n Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >n Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow and a frisbee here. >get frisbee Taken. >get jug Taken. >g You've already got your hands full. >pour liquid into jug That isn't important. >i You are carrying: a frisbee a jug of miracle-grow some thick liquid >pour jug into jug That isn't important. >i You are carrying: a frisbee a jug of miracle-grow some thick liquid >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >n As you step back in, a burly landscaper pushes roughly past you. "Excuse me. I need to use these," he says, and scoops up all three remaining jugs of miracle-grow with ease. He hustles out, whistling a tune. It occurs to you that maybe you should have taken all of the jugs when you had the chance. Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. The lunchtime whistle blows shrilly. The foreman shouts, "That's it! Back to work, people!" Refreshed, the workers spring back into action. >restore Restored. Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. A huge dog is sitting here. >throw frisbee You throw the frisbee. The huge dog tears off after it! You hear his playful barking disappear into the woods. >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >z Time passes... The huge dog comes bounding back into the shed and drops the slobbery frisbee at your feet. From outside, you hear a sharp whistle that gets the huge dog's attention. A voice calls out, "Blackie! Here boy!" The huge dog runs off. >get frisbee Taken. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >n Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >get jug Taken. >se There is nowhere to go in that direction. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y You've just arrived at home from your nightly visit to the science and invention section of the local public library, where you spend each night dreaming your dreamy dreams of one day inventing a time travel machine. Tonight, for some reason, you're especially fatigued, and can't wait to get inside and go right to bed. Seems like a good plan, but somehow you have a premonition it's not going to be that easy... First Things First - A Text Adventure Game by J. Robinson Wheeler Developed with TADS: The Text Adventure Development System. Release Version 1.0 20010720 Copyright 2001 by J. Robinson Wheeler. All Rights Reserved. Published by JRW Digital Media. Type ABOUT, CREDITS, and HELP for general information. Front of house This is the front of your house. A couple of stones laying about make up your half-hearted attempt at landscaping. Your driveway is to the northeast. A small path leads northwest and southwest. The front door stands invitingly to the west. You see a doormat here. >search stones You'll have to be more specific about how you want to search those. >search stone You'll have to be more specific about how you want to search those. >x stones Just a couple of cold grey stones sitting in the soft dirt. >move stones You find a spare key! [ Your score just went up by 3 points. You can toggle these notifications at any time by typing 'notify.' ] >get key You already have the spare key! >n There is nowhere to go in that direction. >ne Driveway This is your front driveway, which leads west to the north side of your house. A small path leads southwest to the front door. To the east is the road into town. You see a little car here. >open car (with the spare key) Unlocked. So that's what this key is for. >enter car (opening the little car) Okay, you're now in the little car. Driveway (in the little car) The interior of the car has gotten a little dusty with disuse, but the seats are still comfy. The only obvious things to see are the glove compartment and the steering wheel. The little car is open. >search car You find an armrest compartment! [ Your score just went up by 5 points. ] >open armrest Opening the armrest compartment reveals a garage door opener. >get opener Taken. >open glove It's locked. >unlock it (with the car key) Unlocked. >open it Opening the glove compartment reveals a #2 pencil and a tourist map. >get all from it #2 pencil: Taken. tourist map: Taken. >out Okay, you're no longer in the little car. Driveway This is your front driveway, which leads west to the north side of your house. A small path leads southwest to the front door. To the east is the road into town. You see a little car here. >open trunk (with the car key) Unlocked. The trunk pops open. >w North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door. The garage door is closed. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. >push button You push the opener button. Click. The garage door smoothly glides open. >s In the garage This room is a total mess. No wonder you keep your car in the driveway. It would take a long time to sort through the junk in here, and even then it seems unlikely there would be much point to it. There is a garage door button on the wall. A closed door to the south leads into your house through the kitchen. The only other exit is the way you came in, which is open. You see an opener button here. >search junk You find a crowbar! >g You find a can of WD-40! >g You find an old pillowcase! >g You find a handful of cobwebs. Bleah! >g You find a deflated soccer ball! >g You find a broken tire pump! >g You find a wasp nest! >g You find a 2x4 plank! >g You find a can-opener! >g You find a moose head trophy! >g You find a shovel! >g You find a beat-up mattress! >g You find a divining rod! >g You find a machete! >g You find a busted wheelbarrow! >g You find a frisbee! >g You find a cannonball! >g You find the kitchen sink! >g You find absolutely nothing else! At last!!! [ Your score just went up by 10 points. ] >get all garage door: You can't have the garage door. junk in the garage: It's fixed in place. wall opener button: You can't have the wall opener button. crowbar: Taken. can of WD-40: Taken. old pillowcase: Taken. deflated soccer ball: Taken. broken tire pump: Taken. wasp nest: It looks dead, but you'd better leave it alone. 2x4 plank: You've already got your hands full. can-opener: You've already got your hands full. moose head trophy: You've already got your hands full. shovel: You've already got your hands full. divining rod: You've already got your hands full. machete: You've already got your hands full. frisbee: You've already got your hands full. cannonball: You've already got your hands full. the kitchen sink: You must be kidding. >n North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door. The garage door is open. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. >sw Behind house The back of your house is pretty non-descript, except for some really nice trees that make up for the lack of landscaping in the front. The spout of your drainpipe comes down here from the roof. A gravel path extends northeast and southeast. >se South of house You always thought this would be a nice place to plant a tree, but a bare spot reminds you of your lack of foresight. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. There is a tiny window high in the wall, about 30 feet up. A little path made by you on your many daily walks leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. >sw Path in the woods This little spot is one of your favorite places to sit and think. A well-trod path winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, so the path does an abrupt curve around it. The path leads northeast to your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Moonlight streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. Your footpath leaves the clearing to the northeast, heading back to the house. There is a warmth to the air you don't recognize. >ne Path in the woods This little spot is one of your favorite places to sit and think. A well-trod path winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, so the path does an abrupt curve around it. The path leads northeast to your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Moonlight streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. Your footpath leaves the clearing to the northeast, heading back to the house. You feel as if something is about to happen, but don't know what. >z Time passes... There is a strange vibration to the air, and the smell of ozone. >z Time passes... Something is definitely happening! The center of the clearing is starting to glow bright yellow. >z Time passes... A sound like the crack of thunder erupts, sucking in the air from around you into a vacuum in the center of the clearing. The light becomes blindingly bright. >z Time passes... When the light fades, you see that a time machine has appeared! >put all on machine library book: Done. car key: Done. garage door opener: Done. #2 pencil: Done. tourist map: Done. crowbar: Done. can of WD-40: Done. old pillowcase: Done. deflated soccer ball: Done. broken tire pump: Done. >ne Path in the woods This little spot is one of your favorite places to sit and think. A well-trod path winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, so the path does an abrupt curve around it. The path leads northeast to your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne South of house You always thought this would be a nice place to plant a tree, but a bare spot reminds you of your lack of foresight. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. There is a tiny window high in the wall, about 30 feet up. A little path made by you on your many daily walks leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. >ne Front of house This is the front of your house. A couple of stones laying about make up your half-hearted attempt at landscaping. Your driveway is to the northeast. A small path leads northwest and southwest. The front door stands invitingly to the west. You see a doormat here. >e There is nowhere to go in that direction. The haze and ozone dissipate from the air. >ne Driveway This is your front driveway, which leads west to the north side of your house. A small path leads southwest to the front door. To the east is the road into town. You see a little car here. The trunk seems to contain a spare tire and a jack. >se There is nowhere to go in that direction. >e Sidewalk The concrete sidewalk that leads away from your house is starting to show the wear and tear of the hot summers and cool winters. The sections are uneven and tufts of grass poke up through the cracks. The sidewalk wanders east alongside the road away from your house and toward the nearby shopping village. Your driveway is back to the west. You see a mailbox here. >e Bend in path As you approach the local nub of suburban civilization, you again are reminded that community expansion has a price. A small shrubbery here serves, apparently, as an excuse for people to litter, as it is full of bits of trash. The footpath bends here from west to north, leading into the shopping village. >n In the village This little shopping village is attractively decorated with colored signs pointing you to this merchant and that. To the west is the bank, and to the east is the public library. Because it is late, the only thing open is the sandwich shop, which is to the north. The sidewalk leading home is south. >x library This is the library you left just a few minutes ago. It is closed for the night. A depository slot is the only thing of note. > x slot The library depository slot is for returning books after hours. Wedged just inside the slot are two books. Someone must have tried to cram them both in at the same time, because they should have slid down and out of reach. >get all from slot I don't see what you're referring to. >get books You grab ahold of the books and give them a few solid yanks. They pop free and tumble onto the ground. >get books rare book: Taken. biology book: Taken. >read rare You haven't the slightest interest in the subject. Who would? >x it A rare scientific volume, detailing the mating habits of small rodents. >x biology The title of this book is "Fun With Ferns" by Prof. Roy Hinkley. >read it The only thing interesting about this book is that the author was apparently stranded on a small island in the Pacific for fifteen years while researching the material. >s Bend in path As you approach the local nub of suburban civilization, you again are reminded that community expansion has a price. A small shrubbery here serves, apparently, as an excuse for people to litter, as it is full of bits of trash. The footpath bends here from west to north, leading into the shopping village. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >w Sidewalk The concrete sidewalk that leads away from your house is starting to show the wear and tear of the hot summers and cool winters. The sections are uneven and tufts of grass poke up through the cracks. The sidewalk wanders east alongside the road away from your house and toward the nearby shopping village. Your driveway is back to the west. You see a mailbox here. >w Driveway This is your front driveway, which leads west to the north side of your house. A small path leads southwest to the front door. To the east is the road into town. You see a little car here. The trunk seems to contain a spare tire and a jack. >w North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door. The garage door is open. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. >u You climb gingerly up the stone wall. North roof This is the north end of the roof. Shingle tiles, already looking the worse for wear, make for slippery traction. A gutter trap, clogged with leaves, runs along the length of the west side of the house. The roof itself continues south. The stone wall, which turns out to be the outside of your chimney, leads back down. [ Your score just went up by 4 points. ] >s South roof The shingles are in even worse shape on this end of the house, which makes you very nervous as the ground is a long way down from the peak here, at least 30 feet. The gutter trap is to the west and continues up to the north end of the house. You can see the top opening of the drainpipe in the clogged leaves. The only exit is north. A squirrel is here. The squirrel is rather squat and feral, but it regards you with an almost intelligent interest. >show rare to squirrel The squirrel leaps up and down in a state of excitement! >give it to him You can't reach her. >give it to her You can't reach her. >give book to squirrel Which book do you mean, the rare book, or the biology book? >rare You give the rare book to the squirrel. The squirrel is so excited by the numerous color depictions of female squirrels in heat that he drops the acorn, which unfortunately rolls down the slope of the roof into the gutter. You hear the acorn rattle into the drainpipe and get stuck in the muck halfway down. The squirrel runs off with the rare book. >i You are carrying: a biology book >n North roof This is the north end of the roof. Shingle tiles, already looking the worse for wear, make for slippery traction. A gutter trap, clogged with leaves, runs along the length of the west side of the house. The roof itself continues south. The stone wall, which turns out to be the outside of your chimney, leads back down. >d You climb gingerly down the stone wall. North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door. The garage door is open. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. >s In the garage This room is a total mess. No wonder you keep your car in the driveway. Sure enough, it took a long time to sort through the junk in here, and you have found everything including the kitchen sink, and there still doesn't seem to have been much point to it. There is a garage door button on the wall. A closed door to the south leads into your house through the kitchen. The only other exit is the way you came in, which is open. You see an opener button, a wasp nest, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a moose head trophy, a shovel, a beat-up mattress, a divining rod, a machete, a busted wheelbarrow, a frisbee, a cannonball, and the kitchen sink here. >get ball Taken. >get all garage door: You can't have the garage door. junk in the garage: It's fixed in place. wall opener button: You can't have the wall opener button. wasp nest: It looks dead, but you'd better leave it alone. 2x4 plank: Taken. can-opener: Taken. moose head trophy: You've already got your hands full. shovel: Taken. divining rod: Taken. machete: Taken. frisbee: Taken. the kitchen sink: You must be kidding. >n North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door. The garage door is open. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. >u You climb gingerly up the stone wall. North roof This is the north end of the roof. Shingle tiles, already looking the worse for wear, make for slippery traction. A gutter trap, clogged with leaves, runs along the length of the west side of the house. The roof itself continues south. The stone wall, which turns out to be the outside of your chimney, leads back down. >s South roof The shingles are in even worse shape on this end of the house, which makes you very nervous as the ground is a long way down from the peak here, at least 30 feet. The gutter trap is to the west and continues up to the north end of the house. You can see the top opening of the drainpipe in the clogged leaves. The only exit is north. >put ball in gutter You drop the cannonball into the drainpipe. It barely fits, so you give it a shove. There is a disgusting vomiting noise below, as the cannonball bursts out the bottom of the spout, pushing all the muck out with it. [ Your score just went up by 3 points. ] >n North roof This is the north end of the roof. Shingle tiles, already looking the worse for wear, make for slippery traction. A gutter trap, clogged with leaves, runs along the length of the west side of the house. The roof itself continues south. The stone wall, which turns out to be the outside of your chimney, leads back down. >d You climb gingerly down the stone wall. North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door. The garage door is open. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. >sw Behind house The back of your house is pretty non-descript, except for some really nice trees that make up for the lack of landscaping in the front. The spout of your drainpipe comes down here from the roof. A gravel path extends northeast and southeast. You see a cannonball and a big juicy acorn here. >get all drainpipe: It's fixed in place. cannonball: Taken. big juicy acorn: Taken. [ Your score just went up by 8 points. ] >se South of house You always thought this would be a nice place to plant a tree, but a bare spot reminds you of your lack of foresight. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. There is a tiny window high in the wall, about 30 feet up. A little path made by you on your many daily walks leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. >sw Path in the woods This little spot is one of your favorite places to sit and think. A well-trod path winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, so the path does an abrupt curve around it. The path leads northeast to your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Moonlight streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. Your footpath leaves the clearing to the northeast, heading back to the house. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a library book, a car key, a garage door opener, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, an old pillowcase, a deflated soccer ball, and a broken tire pump. >put all on machine biology book: Done. 2x4 plank: Done. can-opener: Done. shovel: Done. divining rod: Done. machete: Done. frisbee: Done. cannonball: Done. big juicy acorn: Done. >ne Path in the woods This little spot is one of your favorite places to sit and think. A well-trod path winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, so the path does an abrupt curve around it. The path leads northeast to your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne South of house You always thought this would be a nice place to plant a tree, but a bare spot reminds you of your lack of foresight. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. There is a tiny window high in the wall, about 30 feet up. A little path made by you on your many daily walks leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. >nw Behind house The back of your house is pretty non-descript, except for some really nice trees that make up for the lack of landscaping in the front. The spout of your drainpipe comes down here from the roof. A gravel path extends northeast and southeast. >ne North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door. The garage door is open. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. >s In the garage This room is a total mess. No wonder you keep your car in the driveway. Sure enough, it took a long time to sort through the junk in here, and you have found everything including the kitchen sink, and there still doesn't seem to have been much point to it. There is a garage door button on the wall. A closed door to the south leads into your house through the kitchen. The only other exit is the way you came in, which is open. You see an opener button, a wasp nest, a moose head trophy, a beat-up mattress, a busted wheelbarrow, and the kitchen sink here. >get all garage door: You can't have the garage door. junk in the garage: It's fixed in place. wall opener button: You can't have the wall opener button. wasp nest: It looks dead, but you'd better leave it alone. moose head trophy: Taken. the kitchen sink: You must be kidding. >n North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door. The garage door is open. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. >sw Behind house The back of your house is pretty non-descript, except for some really nice trees that make up for the lack of landscaping in the front. The spout of your drainpipe comes down here from the roof. A gravel path extends northeast and southeast. >se South of house You always thought this would be a nice place to plant a tree, but a bare spot reminds you of your lack of foresight. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. There is a tiny window high in the wall, about 30 feet up. A little path made by you on your many daily walks leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. >sw Path in the woods This little spot is one of your favorite places to sit and think. A well-trod path winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, so the path does an abrupt curve around it. The path leads northeast to your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Moonlight streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. Your footpath leaves the clearing to the northeast, heading back to the house. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a library book, a car key, a garage door opener, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, an old pillowcase, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a biology book, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a shovel, a divining rod, a machete, a frisbee, a cannonball, and a big juicy acorn. >put all on machine moose head trophy: Done. >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. [ Your score just went up by 5 points. ] >push button You push the big red button. Click! The time machine vibrates and heats up like a toaster oven. A deep red light envelops you. The world around you spins into a wild vortex that suddenly vanishes, leaving you to find yourself in a ... Forest The woods surround you on all sides, although there is enough space around you to consider it a clearing of sorts. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. You aren't sure which from which direction it originates. You can barely keep your bearings straight, as each direction looks the same as every other. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a library book, a car key, a garage door opener, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, an old pillowcase, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a biology book, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a shovel, a divining rod, a machete, a frisbee, a cannonball, a big juicy acorn, and a moose head trophy. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the south. [ Your score just went up by 5 points. ] >get rod Taken. >out Okay, you're no longer on the time machine platform. >s You almost lose your bearings again, but the divining rod seems to pull you through. In the forest The woods surround you on all sides. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. The foliage is so rich and dense that you can barely keep your bearings straight. Each direction looks the same as every other. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the southeast. >se You almost lose your bearings again, but the divining rod seems to pull you through. In the forest The woods surround you on all sides. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. The foliage is so rich and dense that you can barely keep your bearings straight. Each direction looks the same as every other. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the north. >n You almost lose your bearings again, but the divining rod seems to pull you through. In the forest The woods surround you on all sides. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. The foliage is so rich and dense that you can barely keep your bearings straight. Each direction looks the same as every other. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the east. >e You almost lose your bearings again, but the divining rod seems to pull you through. In the forest The woods surround you on all sides. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. The foliage is so rich and dense that you can barely keep your bearings straight. Each direction looks the same as every other. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northeast. >ne You almost lose your bearings again, but the divining rod seems to pull you through. In the forest The woods surround you on all sides. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. The foliage is so rich and dense that you can barely keep your bearings straight. Each direction looks the same as every other. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northeast. >ne You almost lose your bearings again, but the divining rod seems to pull you through. In the forest The woods surround you on all sides. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. The foliage is so rich and dense that you can barely keep your bearings straight. Each direction looks the same as every other. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northwest. >nw You almost lose your bearings again, but the divining rod seems to pull you through. In the forest The woods surround you on all sides. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. The foliage is so rich and dense that you can barely keep your bearings straight. Each direction looks the same as every other. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the west. >w You almost lose your bearings again, but the divining rod seems to pull you through. In the forest The woods surround you on all sides. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. The foliage is so rich and dense that you can barely keep your bearings straight. Each direction looks the same as every other. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northwest. >nw You almost lose your bearings again, but the divining rod seems to pull you through. In the forest The woods surround you on all sides. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. The foliage is so rich and dense that you can barely keep your bearings straight. Each direction looks the same as every other. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northeast. >ne You almost lose your bearings again, but the divining rod seems to pull you through. In the forest The woods surround you on all sides. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. The foliage is so rich and dense that you can barely keep your bearings straight. Each direction looks the same as every other. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the southeast. >se You almost lose your bearings again, but the divining rod seems to pull you through. Flowing stream The foliage parts at last to reveal a sparkling forest stream. Light dapples gently through the leaves to highlight slick, wet rocks and the bright green of fresh growth. The stream flows, about half a meter wide, from the north to the southwest. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the stream. [ Your score just went up by 4 points. ] >sw Grotto The multiverdant greenery fed by the churning stream seems to end here in a place of stillness and serenity surrounding a deep pool of clear water. Even the very air itself seems to obey the call to quiet. The only exit is northeast. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the stream. >ne Flowing stream The foliage parts at last to reveal a sparkling forest stream. Light dapples gently through the leaves to highlight slick, wet rocks and the bright green of fresh growth. The stream flows, about half a meter wide, from the north to the southwest. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the stream. >n Path in the woods A natural path made by the stream winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, and the stream does an abrupt curve around it. The stream runs from the northeast to the south, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw You push your way into the clearing, opening your usual path once again. Forest The woods surround you on all sides, although there is enough space around you to consider it a clearing of sorts. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. You aren't sure which from which direction it originates. You can see your usual path through the grove of trees to the northeast. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a library book, a car key, a garage door opener, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, an old pillowcase, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a biology book, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a shovel, a machete, a frisbee, a cannonball, a big juicy acorn, and a moose head trophy. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northeast. >get acorn, shovel big juicy acorn: Taken. shovel: Taken. >ne Path in the woods A natural path made by the stream winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, and the stream does an abrupt curve around it. The stream runs from the northeast to the south, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne Sloping wood The ground slopes down here, eroded by the nearby stream. Grasses heavy with fresh dew and spring-saturated soil give the area a soft, spongy feel beneath your feet. The stream leads back southwest, and through a long walk through the trees to the northeast, you can see a road of some kind. You see a soft spot here. >dig in soft spot (with the shovel) The shovel bites a nice hole in the earth. >put acorn in hole You put the acorn into the hole, and scoop the dirt over it, leaving a noticeable little mound. [ Your score just went up by 6 points. ] >sw Path in the woods A natural path made by the stream winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, and the stream does an abrupt curve around it. The stream runs from the northeast to the south, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >s Flowing stream The foliage parts at last to reveal a sparkling forest stream. Light dapples gently through the leaves to highlight slick, wet rocks and the bright green of fresh growth. The stream flows, about half a meter wide, from the north to the southwest. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the stream. >sw Grotto The multiverdant greenery fed by the churning stream seems to end here in a place of stillness and serenity surrounding a deep pool of clear water. Even the very air itself seems to obey the call to quiet. The only exit is northeast. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the stream. >d There is nowhere to go in that direction. >drop all divining rod: Dropped. shovel: Dropped. >enter stream I don't see any stream here. >enter water As you step into the cool water pool, you find it difficult to keep your footing. You move slowly towards the deeper end, and suddenly the bottom takes a sudden drop. Losing your balance, you slide under the water, pulled along by a deep current you didn't imagine was lurking under the still surface. Looking out through the water's surface, you see the sunlight disappear. Air returns to your lungs just as the light goes away, and you feel your body sluicing down into groundwater caverns. When the motion stops, all you hear is the dripping of shallow water. You crawl forward and find a hard but dry spot. It is not completely dark here, but it takes a few minutes for your eyes to adjust. In the misty light you find yourself in a ... Limestone crawl You are in a tiny crawlway carved by the flow of ancient waters through soft limestone. The natural groundwater springs are drying up, and soon will be gone. A current of dark but shallow water swirls nearby. Light leaks down from a vertical sluice that leads up into the deep end of the grotto. You can leave through careful navigation up the sluice, or follow the crawlway, which leads north. >n Narrow north-south crawl You are in a narrow north-south crawlway that bulges slightly, giving you more room to maneuver. The crawlway heads north and then bends, making it difficult to see farther ahead, and slopes downward to the south. >d Limestone crawl You are in a tiny crawlway carved by the flow of ancient waters through soft limestone. The natural groundwater springs are drying up, and soon will be gone. A current of dark but shallow water swirls nearby. Light leaks down from a vertical sluice that leads up into the deep end of the grotto. You can leave through careful navigation up the sluice, or follow the crawlway, which leads north. >d There is nowhere to go in that direction. >n Narrow north-south crawl You are in a narrow north-south crawlway that bulges slightly, giving you more room to maneuver. The crawlway heads north and then bends, making it difficult to see farther ahead, and slopes downward to the south. >n Tight bend The tunnel you have been following makes a tight bend here. Chalky dust swirls in the damp air, stirred up by your arrival. The crawl widens to the south, and turns here to the southeast, making a sudden drop as it does so. >n There is nowhere to go in that direction. >ne There is nowhere to go in that direction. >nw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >d Crumbling tunnel Eroding limestone has caused the floor here to give way recently. You find your footing on the crumbling chunks of limestone, but only after making a scary drop of about four feet. The walls of the tunnel sport all manner of jagged cracks, but you don't feel any shifting or settling. Perhaps it is safe to continue, but probably not much farther. The limestone shelf is up and back to the northwest. The tunnel continues forward to the north, descending even further as it does so. >n Dark passage The light you have been following darkens here, making you wonder how much faith you have in the ambiguous light source. You can no longer make out any colors, only grainy shades of light and dark, but there wouldn't be many other colors to see even in full light. The passage continues ahead, zigzagging to the northeast, and to the south. >n There is nowhere to go in that direction. >ne Zigzag passage The passage takes a series of sharp, zigzag turns here, north to west, north to west. As it does so, you feel your ears adjust to deepening pressure. You are definitely headed downhill the farther you go. The passage straightens out to the northeast, where you can discern a strange but growing brightness, and zigzags back into the darkness to the southwest. >nw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >ne Ledge The brightness coming from the bend in the tunnel to the north nearly distracts you from watching your footing. The sharp echo of a carelessly kicked stone, that rattles down for ten or twelve seconds before coming to a splashing halt, stops you in your tracks. You are standing on a narrow ledge at the south end of a jagged east-west gap in the cave floor. The gap plunges straight down, erosion having eaten everything away underneath. It is not a wide gap, and you are capable of crossing it without difficulty. However, you are aware that if you had stepped directly into it, your story would have ended here, in the darkness and the deep. Across the gap, the tunnel goes north and takes another bend, and it continues back southwest. >ne There is nowhere to go in that direction. >n You carefully cross to the other side of the gap and continue on. Bright bend Bright blue illumination shines from the opening to a larger cavern to the east. The light shimmers and ripples on the walls, wavelike patterns that dance and intermingle, shining all the more brightly where they overlap. The cavern is east, and the tunnel bends south, where it meets a ledge. >n There is nowhere to go in that direction. >e Crystal cavern You are in a large cavern that seems to be an enormous natural geode, with crystals as big as your head growing in splints and shafts from every direction. A pool of white water catches the reflected and refracted light and spins it back into the room, where it is caught and re-refracted. The original source of the light seems to be a series of pinholes in the roof of the cavern high above, but you don't think it could be sunlight. You have lost track of how deep you have gone, perhaps twenty, perhaps forty feet under the surface, but too far down to see sunlight, you would have thought. It is possible that sunlight has periscoped down a set of small crystal encrusted shafts that lead far enough up to see the open sky. In any case, it is literally mesmerizing to be here. The only exit is a tunnel to the west. You see crystals here. >get crystal You search for a crystal loose enough to take without breaking it or a larger crystal. After a short search, you discover a perfect blue crystal, which you take. [ Your score just went up by 3 points. ] >w Bright bend Bright blue illumination shines from the opening to a larger cavern to the east. The light shimmers and ripples on the walls, wavelike patterns that dance and intermingle, shining all the more brightly where they overlap. The cavern is east, and the tunnel bends south, where it meets a ledge. >s Ledge You are standing on a narrow ledge at the north end of a jagged west-east gap in the cave floor. The gap plunges straight down, erosion having eaten everything away underneath. It is not a wide gap, and you are capable of crossing it without difficulty. Across the gap, the tunnel goes southwest, and it continues back north and takes a bend into the crystal cavern. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >u There is nowhere to go in that direction. >sw You carefully cross to the other side of the gap and continue on. Zigzag passage The passage takes a series of sharp, zigzag turns here, north to west, north to west. As it does so, you feel your ears adjust to deepening pressure. You are definitely headed downhill the farther you go. The passage straightens out to the northeast, where you can discern a strange but growing brightness, and zigzags back into the darkness to the southwest. >sw Dark passage The light you have been following darkens here, making you wonder how much faith you have in the ambiguous light source. You can no longer make out any colors, only grainy shades of light and dark, but there wouldn't be many other colors to see even in full light. The passage continues ahead, zigzagging to the northeast, and to the south. >s Crumbling tunnel Eroding limestone has caused the floor here to give way recently. You find your footing on the crumbling chunks of limestone, but only after making a scary drop of about four feet. The walls of the tunnel sport all manner of jagged cracks, but you don't feel any shifting or settling. Perhaps it is safe to continue, but probably not much farther. The limestone shelf is up and back to the northwest. The tunnel continues forward to the north, descending even further as it does so. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >u Tight bend The tunnel you have been following makes a tight bend here. Chalky dust swirls in the damp air, stirred up by your arrival. The crawl widens to the south, and turns here to the southeast, making a sudden drop as it does so. >s Narrow north-south crawl You are in a narrow north-south crawlway that bulges slightly, giving you more room to maneuver. The crawlway heads north and then bends, making it difficult to see farther ahead, and slopes downward to the south. >s Limestone crawl You are in a tiny crawlway carved by the flow of ancient waters through soft limestone. The natural groundwater springs are drying up, and soon will be gone. A current of dark but shallow water swirls nearby. Light leaks down from a vertical sluice that leads up into the deep end of the grotto. You can leave through careful navigation up the sluice, or follow the crawlway, which leads north. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >u It's a somewhat torturous ascent, but with patience and resolve you manage to make your way up the sluice. Your head again goes underwater for a moment, but you follow the light. Your hands grope and find a hold on the shallow bottom of the pool. Emerging, you shake yourself dry as best you can. Grotto The multiverdant greenery fed by the churning stream seems to end here in a place of stillness and serenity surrounding a deep pool of clear water. Even the very air itself seems to obey the call to quiet. The only exit is northeast. You see a divining rod and a shovel here. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the stream. >get all pool: That isn't important. divining rod: Taken. shovel: Taken. >drink What do you want to drink? >water The water looks clear and clean, but that's no reason to take an unnecessary risk to your health. >n There is nowhere to go in that direction. >ne Flowing stream The foliage parts at last to reveal a sparkling forest stream. Light dapples gently through the leaves to highlight slick, wet rocks and the bright green of fresh growth. The stream flows, about half a meter wide, from the north to the southwest. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the stream. >n Path in the woods A natural path made by the stream winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, and the stream does an abrupt curve around it. The stream runs from the northeast to the south, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw You push your way into the clearing, opening your usual path once again. Forest The woods surround you on all sides, although there is enough space around you to consider it a clearing of sorts. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. You aren't sure which from which direction it originates. You can see your usual path through the grove of trees to the northeast. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a library book, a car key, a garage door opener, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, an old pillowcase, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a biology book, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, a frisbee, a cannonball, and a moose head trophy. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northeast. >put all on machine perfect blue crystal: Done. divining rod: Done. shovel: Done. >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. >set dial to 4 Okay, it's now turned to 4. >push button You push the big red button. Click! The time machine vibrates and heats up like a toaster oven. A bright blue light envelops you. The world around you spins into a wild vortex that suddenly vanishes, leaving you to find yourself in a ... Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can hear the busy noise of construction work nearby, coming through the woods from the northeast. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a library book, a car key, a garage door opener, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, an old pillowcase, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a biology book, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, a frisbee, a cannonball, a moose head trophy, a perfect blue crystal, a divining rod, and a shovel. [ Your score just went up by 5 points. ] >out Okay, you're no longer on the time machine platform. >get frisbee Taken. >ne You push through the trees. Your footpath doesn't seem to exist any more... Woods The smell of freshly-sawed wood wafts through this natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way. A construction site is to the northeast, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne South of house You are standing on what will be the south side of your house. The house is currently under construction. The wooden frame has gone up, but apart from that, there's not much to see. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. A little bare path made by you just now leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around the house to the northwest and northeast. To the east is a dirt road leading to town. You see a sapling here. Someone shouts, "Get that paint over to number eight!" A teenaged kid dashes by with hot coffee for the foreman. >nw Behind house You are standing in what will be the back of your house. If you thought it was boring to look at before, you couldn't possibly be less enthusiastic about seeing it now. The wooden frame has gone up, but that is all there is to see. However, there is something new to see, a temporary workshed built by the construction company. The shed sits to the north. You can walk around the house to the northeast and southeast. Two guys wheel past with a load of cinder blocks. A man with a hard hat barks commands to some dust-covered strongarms. Someone shouts, "Where's the langstrom 7-inch gangley wrench?" >n Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and your driveway is east. A young man scurries by, holding three bundles of copper piping. Two women walk by, discussing their favorite winch pulley manufacturers. Someone up in the roof rafters shouts orders that are ignored. >n Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. A huge dog is sitting here. >throw frisbee You throw the frisbee. The huge dog tears off after it! You hear his playful barking disappear into the woods. >get jug Taken. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and your driveway is east. Someone cries, "Yeah! We've been waitin' for those!" A huge man with a mustache to match lopes by, carrying a trowel and a bag of plaster mix. A short man in a blue shirt says, "We ain't got enough water in the mix. Where's the foreman? Get the foreman." >drop jug Dropped. A crashing noise is heard, and then a burst of laughter. You can't see what caused it. The sharp noise of nails being hammered into thick planks causes you to blink your eyes several times. A young woman with a large box of wood screws rushes past, crying, "Coming! Coming!" >n As you step back in, a burly landscaper pushes roughly past you. "Excuse me. I need to use these," he says, and scoops up all three remaining jugs of miracle-grow with ease. He hustles out, whistling a tune. It occurs to you that maybe you should have taken all of the jugs when you had the chance. Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. >[arr.] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >restore Restored. Inside workshed It's kind of hot and stuffy in here, during the heat of the day. It is also hard for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The materials that are locked in here at night must all be in use right now, because the shed is basically empty. The only exit is south. You see four jugs of miracle-grow here. A huge dog is sitting here. >throw frisbee You throw the frisbee. The huge dog tears off after it! You hear his playful barking disappear into the woods. >s Outside workshed The construction company has built a sturdy workshed on your property, apparently for the convenience of storing materials and tools during the job. It is probably locked at night, but right now it is wide open. You can enter the shed to the north. The back of the house is to the south, and you can hear the work crew having lunch up in your driveway to the east. You see an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel here. >get all workshed: It's fixed in place. old pillowcase: Taken. divining rod: Taken. jug of miracle-grow: Taken. shovel: Taken. >se There is nowhere to go in that direction. >s Behind house You are standing in what will be the back of your house. If you thought it was boring to look at before, you couldn't possibly be less enthusiastic about seeing it now. The wooden frame has gone up, but that is all there is to see. However, there is something new to see, a temporary workshed built by the construction company. The shed sits to the north. You can walk around the house to the northeast and southeast. >se South of house You are standing on what will be the south side of your house. The house is currently under construction. The wooden frame has gone up, but apart from that, there's not much to see. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. A little bare path made by you just now leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around the house to the northwest and northeast. To the east is a dirt road leading to town. You see a sapling here. >sw Woods The smell of freshly-sawed wood wafts through this natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way. A construction site is to the northeast, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can see a construction site through the woods to the northeast. You see a time machine here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, and a moose head trophy. >put all on machine old pillowcase: Done. divining rod: Done. jug of miracle-grow: Done. shovel: Done. >x machine It's a large contraption that's about the size and shape of an engine block, and made of solid metal. It sits on a platform that is welded firmly to the machine itself. On the front is a knob and a large red button. On the back side of it is a hinged compartment. There is a label on the knob. On the time machine platform you see a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, a moose head trophy, an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel. >x compartment The hinged compartment is closed. >open it Opening the hinged compartment reveals the time machine manual and a package. >get manual Taken. >read it There are ten chapters and a full index. Chapters 1 through 3 go into excruciating theoretical detail about time travel, and how it was discovered to be possible. Chapters 4 through 6 go over the operation of this particular machine, with historical description of early prototypes, which apparently were invented years from now, if that makes any sense. Chapters 7 through 10 are really a detailed appendix featuring technical schematics of how to build one of these from scratch. Maybe one of these days you'll build one just to see if it works, which is apparently what the author did. >get package Taken. >read it "We hope you find this item of use." >x it It's a little package, addressed to you. >open it Opening the package reveals a Herring detector. >x herring This handy item allows you to check all items to see if they are merely red herrings. The lunchtime whistle blows shrilly. The foreman shouts, "That's it! Back to work, people!" Refreshed, the workers spring back into action. >check soccer ball What do you want to check it with? >detector The herring detector bleeps. The deflated soccer ball must be a red herring. >[Hee!] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >get ball Taken. >drop it Dropped. >check pump with detector The herring detector bleeps. The broken tire pump must be a red herring. >get pump Taken. >drop it Dropped. >x machine It's a large contraption that's about the size and shape of an engine block, and made of solid metal. It sits on a platform that is welded firmly to the machine itself. On the front is a knob and a large red button. On the back side of it is a hinged compartment. There is a label on the knob. On the time machine platform you see a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, a moose head trophy, an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel. >check grinder with herring Not a red herring. >check crystal with herring Not a red herring. >check library with herring Not a red herring. >check pencil with herring The herring detector bleeps. The #2 pencil must be a red herring. >get pencil Taken. >drop it Dropped. >check map with herring The herring detector bleeps. The tourist map must be a red herring. >get map Taken. >drop it Dropped. >check screwdriver with herring Not a red herring. >x time Which time do you mean, the time machine, or the that stock? >machine It's a large contraption that's about the size and shape of an engine block, and made of solid metal. It sits on a platform that is welded firmly to the machine itself. On the front is a knob and a large red button. On the back side of it is a hinged compartment. There is a label on the knob. On the time machine platform you see a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a machete, a moose head trophy, an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel. >check crowbar with herring Not a red herring. >check can with herring Not a red herring. >check plank What do you want to check it with? >hering I don't know the word "hering". >herring There's no verb in that sentence! >check plank with herring The herring detector bleeps. The 2x4 plank must be a red herring. >get plank Taken. >drop it Dropped. >check can-opener with herring The herring detector bleeps. The can-opener must be a red herring. >get it. drop it. Taken. Dropped. >l Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can hear the busy noise of construction work nearby, coming through the woods from the northeast. You see a time machine, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a 2x4 plank, and a can-opener here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a machete, a moose head trophy, an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel. >check machete with herring Not a red herring. >check trophy with herring The herring detector bleeps. The moose head trophy must be a red herring. >get it. drop it. Taken. Dropped. >check pillowcase with herring The herring detector bleeps. The old pillowcase must be a red herring. >l Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can hear the busy noise of construction work nearby, coming through the woods from the northeast. You see a time machine, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a #2 pencil, a tourist map, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, and a moose head trophy here. Sitting on the time machine platform is a motorized grinder, a perfect blue crystal, a library book, a car key, a screwdriver, a newspaper, a biology book, a garage door opener, a cannonball, a crowbar, a can of WD-40, a machete, an old pillowcase, a divining rod, a jug of miracle-grow, and a shovel. >x grinder The device is pretty simple: you put a master key and a blank into the grinder, turn it on, and the lathe cuts the blank into a duplicate. A black, heavy-duty electrical cord with a plug at the end trails out the back. The thick black cord is dangling from the back of the motorized grinder. In the motorized grinder you see a blank. >read paper An item in the business section catches your eye. Apparently, the Lothario Corporation has failed to consume DibbleBits, an upstart technology company, in hostile takeover. It seems DibbleBits is cash-rich right now, its stock value having taken a sudden 80-point jump in the last year, due to technology demand, after having languished at pennies-per-share for 30 years. >x time Which time do you mean, the time machine, or the that stock? >that stock I don't know the word "that". >x time Which time do you mean, the time machine, or the that stock? >stock It looks like an ordinary that stock to me. >get it You can't have the that stock. >turn it Turning the that stock doesn't have any effect. >pour it I don't know how to pour the that stock. >[That stock's that odd.] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >quit In a total of 786 turns, you have achieved a score of 70 points out of a possible 151, which means you are an adventurer. Do you really want to quit? (YES or NO) > n Okay. >save Saved. >quit In a total of 786 turns, you have achieved a score of 70 points out of a possible 151, which means you are an adventurer. Do you really want to quit? (YES or NO) > y Thank you for playing First Things First.