Start of a transcript of Savoir-Faire An interactive search for loot. Copyright Emily Short 2002. Type INFO if you have not played before. Type LICENSE for the terms of use and distribution. Type CREDITS for tester and library acknowledgements. Release 4 / Serial number 020418 / Inform v6.15 Library 6/10 Standard interpreter 1.0 (6F) / Library serial number 991113 >restore Ok. >w Kitchen Corridor A narrow corridor between the kitchen and the main house, which has a thick separate wall. The two buildings are only barely attached, to discourage fires. A small staircase leads down. Double doors give west onto the main house. >w Dining Room A grand room, for dining in style. The plastered ceiling is several times your height. The air now is cool and deep, the sunlight glancing through the windows and scattering from the chandelier, putting points of light at your feet, over the table, across the painted wallpaper and the handsome wood paneling. Woodworked columns frame the exits west and southwest. Heavy double doors open east to the kitchen. >w Library Originally a salon for the receiving of guests; but in recent years the Count has become increasingly interested in his own projects, and has taken over the entire room for the storage of books. Bookshelves line the walls, reaching above your head. A clockwork model of the universe stands in one corner. On one wall is an enormous portrait of the Count's father, from the hand of Hyacinthe Rigaud. >s Entrance Hall Flourishing, spacious; it is its best with a half-dozen servants in livery. The floor is Italian marble. The main staircase ascends to the corridor on the second floor, and a smaller version leads down into the dim basement. Doors also open north and northeast. On the wall is one of those mechanical clocks that pop open on the hour, allowing the ingenious internal figures out to play. >u Staircase, First Floor The top of a broad curving stair: east is the long salon that goes the length of the house, downstairs are the foyer and the grand receiving rooms. North is the old conservatory. >e Long Salon A long empty room with shined wooden floors, perfect for sliding in stocking- feet. West is the top of the staircase, and rooms open to the north and east. The door east is closed. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity a salad of dressed spinach greens in a vinaigrette, tossed with curried walnuts, such as they did at the house of the Princesse when you visited her last summer. Or perhaps an omelette of herbs and chives. >n Countess' Sitting Room This was the countess' favorite room, and it is more richly decorated than any other in the house, betraying her taste for the brightly-colored and the jewel- like. The count brought her some things from his travels, and made others for her. Most of the contents seem to be gone -- the chairs and sofas, and the wall hangings -- but some bits remain. A thick-pile Persian rug lies on the floor, patterned in lapis and emerald. Against one wall is a glass case full of rare and valuable clockwork figures. >drop box Which do you mean, the dark wooden box or the snuffbox? >dark You haven't got that. >get it (putting the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc into the sack to make room) Taken. >drop it Dropped. >w You can go only south. >s Long Salon A long empty room with shined wooden floors, perfect for sliding in stocking- feet. West is the top of the staircase, and rooms open to the north and east. The door east is closed. >w Staircase, First Floor The top of a broad curving stair: east is the long salon that goes the length of the house, downstairs are the foyer and the grand receiving rooms. North is the old conservatory. >n Old Conservatory A chilly northern exposure, perhaps, but really quite lovely. This room used to be where Marie would practice her music, and the Countess play her compositions; Marie's own room lies to the west. On the high shelf is a celestial bauble. The pianoforte stands in the center of the room. >w Marie's Chamber Stripped of the elegant clutter it once possessed, the room still offers a charming view through the north window of the old grounds, and the way out is to the east. The wallpaper and floorboards are still as elegant as ever. Hanging on the wall is an elegant gilt-wood mirror, reflecting sunlight over the ground before it. Her desk remains, pushed against the wall. >x mirror (the gilt-wood mirror) Framed with twists and curls of gilded wood, most abstract, though along the top are floral swags. >x case You can't see any such thing. >[hrm] That's not a verb I recognize. >s You can go only east. >e Old Conservatory A chilly northern exposure, perhaps, but really quite lovely. This room used to be where Marie would practice her music, and the Countess play her compositions; Marie's own room lies to the west. On the high shelf is a celestial bauble. The pianoforte stands in the center of the room. In your hunger, you find yourself dreaming a salad of dressed spinach greens in a vinaigrette, tossed with curried walnuts, such as they did at the house of the Princesse when you visited her last summer. Or perhaps creme caramel, elegantly centered in its pool of sweet liquid and garnished with three-- no, make it four-- fresh raspberries. >s Staircase, First Floor The top of a broad curving stair: east is the long salon that goes the length of the house, downstairs are the foyer and the grand receiving rooms. North is the old conservatory. >e Long Salon A long empty room with shined wooden floors, perfect for sliding in stocking- feet. West is the top of the staircase, and rooms open to the north and east. The door east is closed. >n Countess' Sitting Room This was the countess' favorite room, and it is more richly decorated than any other in the house, betraying her taste for the brightly-colored and the jewel- like. The count brought her some things from his travels, and made others for her. Most of the contents seem to be gone -- the chairs and sofas, and the wall hangings -- but some bits remain. A thick-pile Persian rug lies on the floor, patterned in lapis and emerald. Against one wall is a glass case full of rare and valuable clockwork figures. You can also see a dark wooden box (in which is a mirror inset inside the box (providing light)) here. >aim mirror at case That's not a verb I recognize. >push case s You don't trust yourself to shift the glass case without breaking it or damaging the contents. >[nice] That's not a verb I recognize. >hit case With your bare hands? That could be uncomfortable. >link rug to bee You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >x bee A life-sized golden bee, its wings made of planed gems. It is, unfortunately, equipped with an ingenious equivalent of a sting -- a tail endowed with blades that will cut into any sensitive thing it settles on. And these have been tipped with a vicious poison. >link bee to knife You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >link bee to sword You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >link tail to knife You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >[arr] That's not a verb I recognize. >x sting You can't see any such thing. >x tail A life-sized golden bee, its wings made of planed gems. It is, unfortunately, equipped with an ingenious equivalent of a sting -- a tail endowed with blades that will cut into any sensitive thing it settles on. And these have been tipped with a vicious poison. In your hunger, you hallucinate a salad of dressed spinach greens in a vinaigrette, tossed with curried walnuts, such as they did at the house of the Princesse when you visited her last summer. Or perhaps curls of toasted bread, dripping with butter. >[whoo, z8 available!] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >quit Are you sure you want to quit? y Start of a transcript of Savoir-Faire An interactive search for loot. Copyright Emily Short 2002. Type INFO if you have not played before. Type LICENSE for the terms of use and distribution. Type CREDITS for tester and library acknowledgements. Release 5 / Serial number 020419 / Inform v6.15 Library 6/10 Standard interpreter 1.0 (6F) / Library serial number 991113 >restart Are you sure you want to restart? y The beautiful life is always damned, they say. As for you, you've overexpended yourself: fifteen years of prominence, champagne, carriage rides in the Tuileries, having your name whispered behind manicured hands, getting elegant ladies out of elegant fixes -- and you're in debt. Bound by oath and honor to a pack of scoundrels. Your father, old peasant that he was, could have warned you against their type. You'd hoped to find the Count at home; your original plan was to ask him for an advance on the money you expect to earn on your estate in a month or two. But according to the local population, the Count hasn't been home in months, and Marie, who was in residence until recently, has vanished as well. "No one around the big house now," says one of the peasant women tersely. "Even turned off the cook, they did." But you need the money at once; if you return to Paris without it, your creditors are unlikely to be forgiving. So you walked over the fields anyway, and got in through the gap in the kitchen garden wall. You will just have to find what you can. Savoir-Faire An interactive search for loot. Copyright Emily Short 2002. Type INFO if you have not played before. Type LICENSE for the terms of use and distribution. Type CREDITS for tester and library acknowledgements. Release 5 / Serial number 020419 / Inform v6.15 Library 6/10 Kitchen Garden West is the wall of the kitchen. Most of the space along the wall is planted with herbs -- bay, parsley, stalks of mint -- left of the open doorway. To its right is only a drainage ditch, catching the outflow of a pipe that comes through the wall. In one corner of the plot is the well, drilled many deep feet; in another is the antique sundial. A tangle of climbing roses covers almost completely the wall and door of a shed to the southeast. >[whoo version 5!] That's not a verb I recognize. >credits Credit goes to Graham Nelson for Inform; to Roger Firth for SmartCantGo and CheckOut; Daniel Barkalow for Scoper; Alan Trewartha for GoNeighbour; Gunther Schmidl for dirs_2; Andrew Plotkin for daemons; Andrew Clover for timewait; Kory Heath and Lucian Smith for the revised ReviseMulti. Credit also goes to Dan Shiovitz as alpha-tester and theoretical counsel; and to Sean Barrett, Gilles Duchesne, and Admiral Jota for their Herculean beta-testing efforts. Their diligence and dedication are greatly appreciated. And in the eleventh hour, when TAKE ALL FROM was not working for reasons unknown, the good folks from #inform stepped in: L. Ross Raszewski, Brendan Barnwell, and Andrew Schepler in particular. Bug reports used to build later versions: Jason Love, Stephen Granade, Storme Winfield, Dan Schmidt, Lucian Smith, Sam Kabo Ashwell, Stacey Tappan, David Welbourn, Eytan Zweig, Guy Barrier, Mark Smithson, Jason Dyer. Questions/comments/bug reports: emshort@mindspring.com. My other games may be found on the interactive fiction archive (http://www.ifarchive.org/) or on my own home page (at http://emshort.home.mindspring.com/). >[yeah, buddy. In there *twice*] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >[Ah, the sweet smell of non-salad hallucinations] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x well A dark circle of stone, the depths of which you cannot see. The water comes up within reach. A bar of iron crosses the well, to support a bucket on a rope (which, however, is itself lacking). >w Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables are a loaf of stale bread and a delicate contraption (which is closed). A string of andouillettes hangs from a beam of the ceiling. >n Scullery A small, workmanlike room with a floor of white stones. The principal features of the room are a counter, with a large inset washbasin also made of stone, and a tall wooden cupboard. On the countertop are a sponge, a butcher knife and a sack (in which is a single yellow onion). >get sack Taken. >get all sponge: Taken. butcher knife: Taken. >open cupboard You open the cupboard, revealing three metal dishes (a cup, a plate and a hinge- lidded teapot). >get all from cupboard cup: Removed. plate: Removed. hinge-lidded teapot: (putting the snuffbox into the sack to make room) Removed. >s Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables are a loaf of stale bread and a delicate contraption (which is closed). A string of andouillettes hangs from a beam of the ceiling. >stand on table You get onto the kitchen tables. On the kitchen tables you can see a loaf of stale bread and a delicate contraption (which is closed). >jump You leap, catch the beam over your head with one hand, snatch the sausages in the other, and land back on the table with only a slight thump. >get up You get off the kitchen tables. Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables are a loaf of stale bread and a delicate contraption (which is closed). >get all burnt scrap of paper: (putting the swordstick into the sack to make room) Taken. loaf of stale bread: (putting the sponge into the sack to make room) Taken. delicate contraption: It is both too large and too delicate to remove. >open contraption You open the contraption, revealing a clove of garlic. >get garlic (putting the butcher knife into the sack to make room) Taken. >get recipe (putting the cup into the sack to make room) It takes a bit of wiggling to get the cylinder to come free, but you extricate it without too much difficulty. >u Servants' Dormitory Up here the female servants used to sleep. Now there is only a dreary row of unmade beds; a rack for drying washing; the fireplace, hollow and untended. Time was, when you were very young, that you used to creep in here for chatter and gossip, and the language you were used to hearing at home. On the drying rack is a white handkerchief. >look under bed Your investigations under the bed turn up a silver cylinder and a crumpled piece of paper -- the latter apparently intentionally hidden, since it was folded in quarters and tucked into the frame of one bed. [Your score has just gone up by two points.] >read crumpled Your name is written on it, perhaps a dozen times, with various honorifics, in Marie's elegant handwriting. She was fluently literate but always a painstaking writer, determined never to blot her work, and wrote, even when grown up, with the tip of her tongue caught between her teeth. >[This is still one of the most intriguing objects in the game] That's not a verb I recognize. >x fireplace Not nearly as large as the ones downstairs, of course, and principally intended for keeping the inhabitants toasty when the winter set in especially hard. Something about the fireplace tickles your recollection. >remember fireplce You can't see any such thing. >remember fireplace ... Anton's wife Leonie stood by the fireplace. "The new maid -- I think she is a snoop." Anton shrugged his broad shoulders. "She chops potatoes," he said. "Nonetheless I don't trust her. Give me the money." And she took the little sack of coins Anton held out to her, their savings, and concealed them behind a brick in the fireplace. ... >x brick A reddish-brown brick darkened by smoke, and pushed forward from its position among the others. >moveit That's not a verb I recognize. >move it Age and heat have hardened the cement holding the brick in place. >info There are two verbs you should be aware of in addition to the usual ones: REMEMBER and LINK. REMEMBER gives you access to memories about objects, when you are prompted that such memories exist. In addition, your character can LINK objects of similar properties. (e.g.: LINK SNUFFBOX TO SMALL YELLOW BOX.) Once this link has been created, things done to one object will automatically affect the other as well... subject to certain rules. Otherwise, this game is fairly cruel -- it is possible to render the game unwinnable, and you should save often, especially when you realize that you are about to destroy an object you may not be able to get back. We make no apologies for this, since it is part of the Old-School charm. Or, er, so we are told. >d Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (which is empty). >look under tables A little dust, perhaps. >x fireplace The usual empty space and ash within it. >x ash Pale and cold, perhaps for many days. >enter fireplace You get into the fireplace. >u You are insufficiently slender to fly up the chimney. >d You get out of the fireplace. Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (which is empty). >w Kitchen Corridor A narrow corridor between the kitchen and the main house, which has a thick separate wall. The two buildings are only barely attached, to discourage fires. A small staircase leads down. Double doors, west, bar your access to the main house. Lying to one side, and thereby doing no good at all, is the stone block often used as a doorstop. >get block (putting the plate into the sack to make room) Taken. >e Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (which is empty). >u Servants' Dormitory Up here the female servants used to sleep. Now there is only a dreary row of unmade beds; a rack for drying washing; the fireplace, hollow and untended. Time was, when you were very young, that you used to creep in here for chatter and gossip, and the language you were used to hearing at home. On the drying rack is a white handkerchief. >link block to brick You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >[arr] That's not a verb I recognize. >d Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (which is empty). >w Kitchen Corridor A narrow corridor between the kitchen and the main house, which has a thick separate wall. The two buildings are only barely attached, to discourage fires. A small staircase leads down. Double doors, west, bar your access to the main house. >link double to teapot Bending your will, you form the link between the double doors and the hinge- lidded teapot. [Your score has just gone up by two points.] >open teapot You open the hinge-lidded teapot. The double doors open slowly of their own accord, the ancient hinges protesting. >unlink door You succeed in unlinking the double doors from the hinge-lidded teapot. >w Dining Room A grand room, for dining in style. The plastered ceiling is several times your height. The air now is cool and deep, the sunlight glancing through the windows and scattering from the chandelier, putting points of light at your feet, over the table, across the painted wallpaper and the handsome wood paneling. Woodworked columns frame the exits west and southwest. Heavy double doors open east to the kitchen. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] >x wallpaper Painted with images such as the queen entering a room accompanied by waiting women. The main subject of each picture is realistic, but there are fantasies around the edges: a fox standing on two legs, dressed in the coat and hose of a courtier, with a broad hat; a girl's gown trailing into peacock feathers. Something about the wallpaper tickles your recollection. >remember it ... "So the man linked himself to a suit of armor. And then he left the suit of armor at home, and went off to war to fight in his bare skin, thinking that whatever happened to him, the links would protect him. But at home his wife was horrified to see the armor slashed in pieces before her eyes..." "Anabelle," interrupted the Count, standing at the doorway with a hand on his vest. "Do you really think this story is appropriate for the children?" The Countess shrugged, half-smiling as she always had when the Count overrode her authority. "I hardly think it is any more disturbing than the other things Marie reads," she said lightly. "The dining room is more frightening than this story." "I don't mean that, of course." The Count smiled over you and Marie -- you on the floor, Marie with her skirts spread around her on the chaise. "But our children should not be told silly superstitions about linking." He came into the room then, touching the Countess' shoulder with an affectionate gesture. "Marie," he said, "What is wrong with your mother's story?" "The man has confused reverse-links and ordinary ones," Marie replied. "And he would have to be very stupid to do that, because reverse-links are harder to make and you can always tell when you have done it." The Count nodded at her. "Very good." He kissed the Countess and went out again... ... >reverse-link (the double doors to the double doors) Redundant; all things are themselves. >[heh. Nice.] That's not a verb I recognize. >n You can go only east, west or southwest. Hmm. Something to eat would be good. >w Library Originally a salon for the receiving of guests; but in recent years the Count has become increasingly interested in his own projects, and has taken over the entire room for the storage of books. Bookshelves line the walls, reaching above your head, leaving exits only east and south. A clockwork model of the universe stands in one corner. On one wall is an enormous portrait of the Count's father, from the hand of Hyacinthe Rigaud. >x model Fitted out with tiny planets on arms, and the major moons of the planets, revolving around a center. There is no sun, however; there is only a sort of holder designed to contain something spherical. Most of the planets are ordinary balls of solid metal, except for Jupiter. They stand still. Oddly, the contraption also seems to be linked, and quite unsubtly, to something in the foyer, to the south. You can feel the pull of it. Something about the model universe tickles your recollection. >remember it ... The Count was standing in the library, tinkering with the model; Marie was bent over it as well, instructing him about what to connect where. "I will never understand," he remarked to you, "how it is that she has such a mechanical mind. Not the least interest in diplomacy..." "It is my cold heart, Papa," she replied, tossing aside her clockmaking tools. "It is done?" he asked her. "Put the light in," she said, "and then make it go." You turned away. "Stay and see how it works!" Marie called after you. "Sorry, infant, the road to Paris is long..." ... >[Oh, hey, the bauble!] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x portrait The old man appears to stand in a vague, ruddy landscape; all the artist's attention was spared for his clothing, which is rendered in shimmering detail, lustrous silks and fur, and for the giant bi-partite mound of wig on his head, whose curls fall over each shoulder. Something about the framed portrait tickles your recollection. >remember it ... "He can make links," the Countess hissed. Neither of them saw you in the doorway of the library. "Anabelle--" "And don't tell me that your father strayed into some peasant's bed in his dotage, because I have seen Pierre's mother and she is not old enough to--" "Anabelle, calm yourself." He put a hand on her shoulder, spoke in his voice of diplomacy. "Now you will tell me that he is some by-blow of someone passing through the village, I suppose? Some guest of ours, perhaps?" she asked bitterly. "I wondered why you were so ready to accept him--" "I swear to you, Pierre is no son of mine. Nor, I think, is he any relative of ours for many generations. It is possible that these things appear sportively even among the lesser classes, you know..." She shrugged his hand away. "There's something you aren't telling me," she said. "I always know it, you say so yourself." He sighed. "I will tell you, Ana, but it is not what you think..." ... >[It warms my heart to see little bits changed like that. Bless you.] That's not a verb I recognize. > [It reminds me that I really need to replay Metamorphoses again to see the changes there ;-] That's not a verb I recognize. >[Maybe i'll do that when I get stuck. That's not a verb I recognize. >l Library Originally a salon for the receiving of guests; but in recent years the Count has become increasingly interested in his own projects, and has taken over the entire room for the storage of books. Bookshelves line the walls, reaching above your head, leaving exits only east and south. A clockwork model of the universe stands in one corner. On one wall is an enormous portrait of the Count's father, from the hand of Hyacinthe Rigaud. >x shelves The shelves line both sides of the room from floor to ceiling. >search them You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, On Vegetable Dyes. >read dyes (first taking On Vegetable Dyes) (putting the hinge-lidded teapot into the sack to make room) Taken. You flip through the pages, becoming transfixed by a discussion of how the Celts, supposedly, were wont to dye clothing in a decoction of powdered lichen and stale piss, brewed together for three weeks and then strained. But beside this pleasant concoction there are references to others, such as onion skin boiled in water to produce a pleasant yellow. >search them You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, Clock Repair and Guide to Assorted Wines. >read clock (first taking Clock Repair) (putting the andouillettes into the sack to make room) Taken. A detailed discourse on how to take care of and repair an assortment of common and mechanical clocks. It begins with comprehensible matters, such as pulling up the weights to begin the operation of the pendulum when the clock has stopped, and other bits of routine maintenance; it finishes with diagrams of a clock's inner workings that are almost embarrassingly intimate and far too complex for you to follow. >read wines (first taking Guide to Assorted Wines) (putting the burnt scrap of paper into the sack to make room) Taken. ...should then attend to the possibility that the vines have themselves been tainted... >g ...mead, a wine made of honey and very sweet... >[Oooh! To entice the bee!] That's not a verb I recognize. >read wines ... from the region of Avignon, in the territories that belonged to the Pope, comes the peppery red Chateauneuf du Pape... >g ... from the region of Avignon, in the territories that belonged to the Pope, comes the peppery red Chateauneuf du Pape... >g ... from the region of Avignon, in the territories that belonged to the Pope, comes the peppery red Chateauneuf du Pape... >g ...should then attend to the possibility that the vines have themselves been tainted... It was a long journey down here, and you're wishing you had had something to eat. >g ... from the region of Avignon, in the territories that belonged to the Pope, comes the peppery red Chateauneuf du Pape... >g ...some dry wine such as Sauvignon Blanc... >[dry. Hmm....] That's not a verb I recognize. >read wines ...should then attend to the possibility that the vines have themselves been tainted... >g ...some dry wine such as Sauvignon Blanc... >g ... from the region of Avignon, in the territories that belonged to the Pope, comes the peppery red Chateauneuf du Pape... >g ... from the region of Avignon, in the territories that belonged to the Pope, comes the peppery red Chateauneuf du Pape... >g ...mead, a wine made of honey and very sweet... >g ...should then attend to the possibility that the vines have themselves been tainted... >g ...mead, a wine made of honey and very sweet... >g ...should then attend to the possibility that the vines have themselves been tainted... >g ...mead, a wine made of honey and very sweet... >g ...some dry wine such as Sauvignon Blanc... >look up mead in wines You discover nothing of interest in Guide to Assorted Wines. >[Eh, ok] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >search shelves You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, The Lavori d'Aracne. >read lavori (first taking The Lavori d'Aracne) (putting the loaf of stale bread into the sack to make room) Taken. On the subject of mirrors: Unusual and costly mirrors of special power exist which enhance the workings of the lavori d'Aracne; they may be recognized by their failure to reflect in the ordinary way. Some make it easier to form a link through the mirror than through open air, allowing the magician to reverse-link items that are otherwise too dissimilar to use. Likewise, such a mirror... But then, unfortunately, it breaks off, the page apparently having been chewed out and carried away by something or other. >search shelves You have found all the books that seem interesting. The rest are dusty and dull- looking. >[Yay!] That's not a verb I recognize. > [Ooooh, wait--maybe the mirror can be used to *un*link more powerful items, too!] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >l Library Originally a salon for the receiving of guests; but in recent years the Count has become increasingly interested in his own projects, and has taken over the entire room for the storage of books. Bookshelves line the walls, reaching above your head, leaving exits only east and south. A clockwork model of the universe stands in one corner. On one wall is an enormous portrait of the Count's father, from the hand of Hyacinthe Rigaud. >x planets Fitted out with tiny planets on arms, and the major moons of the planets, revolving around a center. There is no sun, however; there is only a sort of holder designed to contain something spherical. Most of the planets are ordinary balls of solid metal, except for Jupiter. They stand still. Oddly, the contraption also seems to be linked, and quite unsubtly, to something in the foyer, to the south. You can feel the pull of it. >x jupiter Jupiter is a large sphere of copperish metal, though it is pierced through and has a sort of lens inserted in the center. >x mercury Venus and Mercury are both quite small, and made of ordinary metals. >x mars A small, dull-colored ball of metal, slightly uneven. >x earth Shimmering lacquer of blue and green outlines the shapes of the continents. >x saturn Saturn is gilded, and has a narrow disk of burnished metal around it. >s Entrance Hall Flourishing, spacious; it is its best with a half-dozen servants in livery. The floor is Italian marble, and the walls are dressed with yellow silk hangings. The main staircase ascends to the corridor on the second floor, and a smaller version leads down into the dim basement. Doors also open north and northeast. On the wall is one of those mechanical clocks that pop open on the hour, allowing the ingenious internal figures out to play. >move hangings You lift the hangings out of the way with both hands -- they are heavy, and it's a struggle to move them far enough to get a good glimpse. Behind them there seems to be a door, yes, but locked, and with its key still in the lock. You drop the hangings again disconsolately. >l Entrance Hall Flourishing, spacious; it is its best with a half-dozen servants in livery. The floor is Italian marble. The main staircase ascends to the corridor on the second floor, and a smaller version leads down into the dim basement. Doors also open north and northeast. On the wall is one of those mechanical clocks that pop open on the hour, allowing the ingenious internal figures out to play. >[The hangings still disappear from the room description That's not a verb I recognize. >x door You can't get to the gothic door to do anything to it at the moment. >u Staircase, First Floor The top of a broad curving stair: east is the long salon that goes the length of the house, downstairs are the foyer and the grand receiving rooms. (You and Marie used to sit up here when the Count had guests, watching them arrive downstairs in their magnificent clothing, until you got old enough to be introduced yourselves.) North is the old conservatory. >d You're getting pretty hungry. Entrance Hall Flourishing, spacious; it is its best with a half-dozen servants in livery. The floor is Italian marble. The main staircase ascends to the corridor on the second floor, and a smaller version leads down into the dim basement. Doors also open north and northeast. On the wall is one of those mechanical clocks that pop open on the hour, allowing the ingenious internal figures out to play. >put sword in lock You can't see any such thing. >put sword in door (first taking the sword) (putting the clove of garlic into the sack to make room) You draw the sword from its sheath. You can't get to the gothic door to do anything to it at the moment. >cut hangings What do you want to cut the yellow hangings with? >sword You can't do significant damage -- it'd take all day to saw much of a cut into the hangings. >u Staircase, First Floor The top of a broad curving stair: east is the long salon that goes the length of the house, downstairs are the foyer and the grand receiving rooms. North is the old conservatory. >e Long Salon In days gone by you ran up and down these halls with Marie, and were barely able to stop at the end, skidding in your stockings the last few feet before the stairs began. She's gone now, both the little girl with dusk-blonde curls and the somewhat older one with dangerous slanting eyes and cleverly backwards magics; the dust falls long and slowly, the walls echo with absence. West is the top of the staircase, and rooms open to the north and east. The door east is closed. A small portrait hangs on the wall. >x portrait Oil on wood, of a small, pinch-faced girl who gazes down on you with awareness and pity. It is not especially well-executed, and probably worth little on the market, but it has always filled you with a kind of resentment -- even now. >get it (putting the Andouillettes Recipe into the sack to make room) Taken. >n Countess' Sitting Room This was the countess' favorite room, and it is more richly decorated than any other in the house, betraying her taste for the brightly-colored and the jewel- like. The count brought her some things from his travels, and made others for her. Most of the contents seem to be gone -- the chairs and sofas, and the wall hangings -- but some bits remain. A thick-pile Persian rug lies on the floor, patterned in lapis and emerald. Against one wall is a glass case full of rare and valuable clockwork figures. >x case The case is specially made of glass and wood. Inscribed into the surface of the glass with a fine cutting tool are the words: "CAREFUL! DO NOT BREAK!" Inside are mechanical dancers and a clockwork bee. Something about the glass case tickles your recollection. >x dancers The dancers are antique, and peculiar. Their costume replicates an English mode of the sixteenth century: the lady wears a skirt of beaten copper, pierced in designs, and around the gentleman's neck is a ruff of folded silver, though with long neglect it has begun to darken. As for their skin, it is all carved ivory. They both of them stand on a floor made up of cogs, to permit them to spin and dance around. >remember case ... Many years ago, the Countess stood at this case, looking at the contents. "Sometimes I feel like one of these," she said, softly. "Trapped..." She met your eye. "You don't understand what I am saying, do you?" You shook your head. "They are made of gears and magic links," she said. "They have no choices." ... >x bee A life-sized golden bee, its wings made of planed gems. It is, unfortunately, equipped with an ingenious equivalent of a sting -- a tail endowed with blades that will cut into any sensitive thing it settles on. And these have been tipped with a vicious poison. >w You can go only south. > I beg your pardon? >s Long Salon A long empty room with shined wooden floors, perfect for sliding in stocking- feet. West is the top of the staircase, and rooms open to the north and east. The door east is closed. >w Staircase, First Floor The top of a broad curving stair: east is the long salon that goes the length of the house, downstairs are the foyer and the grand receiving rooms. North is the old conservatory. >n Old Conservatory A chilly northern exposure, perhaps, but really quite lovely. This room used to be where Marie would practice her music, and the Countess play her compositions; Marie's own room lies to the west. On the high shelf is a celestial bauble. The pianoforte stands in the center of the room. >x bauble A delicate ornament made of glass, containing inside it a little sun and star that whirl infinitely in the hollow space. It was a plaything of Marie's, which (due to careful reverse linking to a perfectly round rock) she could hurl at walls and never break, drop down staircases and find intact at the bottom. But it is very doubtful that the link has lasted out the years. It comes into your mind, yet again, that you'd hoped to find some sustenance here. >[Hey, was it called 'celestial' last time?] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >w Marie's Chamber Stripped of the elegant clutter it once possessed, the room still offers a charming view through the north window of the old grounds, and the way out is to the east. The wallpaper and floorboards are still as elegant as ever. Hanging on the wall is an elegant gilt-wood mirror, reflecting sunlight over the ground before it. Her desk remains, pushed against the wall. >open top You open the top drawer, revealing some household papers. >get papers (putting the Lentil Soup Recipe into the sack to make room) Taken. >read them You turn up elaborate designs for a model house that would exactly copy a real house, with all the doors and windows built, and links made, so that one could watch all comings and goings, and close and lock passages from a distance. At the bottom is added, in Marie's meticulous hand, "Would probably annoy half the adulterers in Paris. Pity." >g You ruffle through a list of dresses and furbelows ordered. It seems that Marie still has a taste for brocaded silk, but there are also orders for three ostrich feathers, curled and dyed blue; a pair of heeled shoes with silver buckles; scented powder; three yards of imported gilt-edged lace; a half-dozen elbow- length gloves; and, most exorbitantly, a hooded navy cloak lined with swan's down. >g You ruffle through a list of dresses and furbelows ordered. It seems that Marie still has a taste for brocaded silk, but there are also orders for three ostrich feathers, curled and dyed blue; a pair of heeled shoes with silver buckles; scented powder; three yards of imported gilt-edged lace; a half-dozen elbow- length gloves; and, most exorbitantly, a hooded navy cloak lined with swan's down. >g You ruffle through a list of dresses and furbelows ordered. It seems that Marie still has a taste for brocaded silk, but there are also orders for three ostrich feathers, curled and dyed blue; a pair of heeled shoes with silver buckles; scented powder; three yards of imported gilt-edged lace; a half-dozen elbow- length gloves; and, most exorbitantly, a hooded navy cloak lined with swan's down. >g You pass your eye over an intended menu, which Marie has laid out in rigorous detail from the soup to the cheeses, not leaving anything to chance, not even the ices to cleanse the palate. (You scowl a little at the concept of a beet- flavored ice, however. No doubt it would look pretty, but God knows about the taste.) >g You ruffle through a list of dresses and furbelows ordered. It seems that Marie still has a taste for brocaded silk, but there are also orders for three ostrich feathers, curled and dyed blue; a pair of heeled shoes with silver buckles; scented powder; three yards of imported gilt-edged lace; a half-dozen elbow- length gloves; and, most exorbitantly, a hooded navy cloak lined with swan's down. >g You ruffle through a list of dresses and furbelows ordered. It seems that Marie still has a taste for brocaded silk, but there are also orders for three ostrich feathers, curled and dyed blue; a pair of heeled shoes with silver buckles; scented powder; three yards of imported gilt-edged lace; a half-dozen elbow- length gloves; and, most exorbitantly, a hooded navy cloak lined with swan's down. >g You turn up elaborate designs for a model house that would exactly copy a real house, with all the doors and windows built, and links made, so that one could watch all comings and goings, and close and lock passages from a distance. At the bottom is added, in Marie's meticulous hand, "Would probably annoy half the adulterers in Paris. Pity." >open bottom You open the bottom drawer, revealing a dark wooden box. >get box (the dark wooden box) (putting the crumpled paper into the sack to make room) Taken. >open it You open the dark wooden box, revealing a mirror inset inside the box, a pearl necklace and an old letter. The mirror inset inside the box begins to shine with reflected light. >x inset A shining panel that reflects whatever is inside the box. >[Hey, another new clue] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >get pearl (the desk) Much too heavy to move significantly. >get pearl necklace (putting the stone block into the sack to make room) Taken. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] >get old letter (putting On Vegetable Dyes into the sack to make room) Taken. >x it What would appear to be a letter on parchment, sealed with a red-wax seal and stamped with the count's signet ring. >[I'm guessing I use this to open some other sealed thing later. That's not a verb I recognize. >unlink inset The mirror inset inside the box is not linked. >reverse link inset to mirror (the gilt-wood mirror) Bending your will and all your attention, you manage to make a reverse-link between the mirror inset inside the box and the gilt-wood mirror, feeling their properties begin to merge together. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] >e You should have stopped at an inn on the way down. And eaten. Old Conservatory A chilly northern exposure, perhaps, but really quite lovely. This room used to be where Marie would practice her music, and the Countess play her compositions; Marie's own room lies to the west. On the high shelf is a celestial bauble. The pianoforte stands in the center of the room. >i You are carrying: an old letter a pearl necklace a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) some household papers a small portrait a sword three books: The Lavori d'Aracne Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair a sack (which is open) On Vegetable Dyes a stone block a crumpled paper two recipe cylinders: a Lentil Soup Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a burnt scrap of paper three metal dishes: a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a plate a cup a butcher knife a sponge a swordstick a snuffbox (which is closed) four food items: a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread some andouillettes a single yellow onion a dashing hat (being worn) >dash hat That's not a verb I recognize. >x hat Made of black felt, and quite ordinary, except for the breadth and sweep of the brim, and the majesty of the pure white feather. >x feather A long curled plume of ostrich. >get it Without the feather, the hat would be nothing. Strip the style, and the substance has no worth: it would be no better than a peasant's bonnet, fit only to keep off rain. >x knife An ordinary kitchen knife, perhaps a foot long. >l Old Conservatory A chilly northern exposure, perhaps, but really quite lovely. This room used to be where Marie would practice her music, and the Countess play her compositions; Marie's own room lies to the west. On the high shelf is a celestial bauble. The pianoforte stands in the center of the room. >get bauble It is too high for you to reach. >jump You leap, displaying the same fine footwork that serves you in dance and fence. >[yay!] That's not a verb I recognize. >get bauble with sword You stab the sword at the celestial bauble, to no avail. >stab shelf with sword You stab the sword at the high shelf, to no avail. >throw sword at shelf The sword is too heavy for you to throw gracefully. >throw stone at shelf (first taking the stone block) (putting Clock Repair into the sack to make room) The stone block arcs through the air. It strikes the high shelf with a thunk of stone on wood. >z Time passes. >get stone It is too high for you to reach. >[Oh, it landed up there?] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >l Old Conservatory A chilly northern exposure, perhaps, but really quite lovely. This room used to be where Marie would practice her music, and the Countess play her compositions; Marie's own room lies to the west. On the high shelf are a stone block and a celestial bauble. The pianoforte stands in the center of the room. > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] >throw stone at bauble (first taking the stone block) (putting Clock Repair into the sack to make room) The stone block races through the air. It smites the celestial bauble. The celestial bauble rolls off the high shelf, and strikes the ground with a tank of glass against stone, and breaks, and disgorges the tiny silver star and the tiny golden sun. The stone block lands squarely on the high shelf. >undo Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] >[yay smiting!] That's not a verb I recognize. >i You are carrying: an old letter a pearl necklace a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) some household papers a small portrait a sword three books: The Lavori d'Aracne Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair a sack (which is open) On Vegetable Dyes a stone block a crumpled paper two recipe cylinders: a Lentil Soup Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a burnt scrap of paper three metal dishes: a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a plate a cup a butcher knife a sponge a swordstick a snuffbox (which is closed) four food items: a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread some andouillettes a single yellow onion a dashing hat (being worn) >x floor (the floor) Long slender boards of fine wood. >x stick The color of rosewood with a sturdy, no-nonsense handle. >link floor to stick Which do you mean, the south wall, the floor or the floor? >[wow] You can't see any such thing. >the floor That's not a verb I recognize. >link floor Which do you mean, the south wall, the floor or the floor? >the floor Which do you mean, the south wall, the floor or the floor? >a (to the pianoforte) You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >link a floor to stick You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >[That's just wacky] That's not a verb I recognize. >[Also, that was a response to a hint you gave on raif] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >[er, rgif] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >d You can go only south or west. >s Staircase, First Floor The top of a broad curving stair: east is the long salon that goes the length of the house, downstairs are the foyer and the grand receiving rooms. North is the old conservatory. >d Entrance Hall Flourishing, spacious; it is its best with a half-dozen servants in livery. The floor is Italian marble. The main staircase ascends to the corridor on the second floor, and a smaller version leads down into the dim basement. Doors also open north and northeast. On the wall is one of those mechanical clocks that pop open on the hour, allowing the ingenious internal figures out to play. >d Root Cellar Stone walls, ribbed ceiling, but only a packed-earth floor in spots. The room is lined on both sides with boxes and barrels, which take on odd shapes in the semi-darkness and seem vaguely menacing. You feared this room as a child, and it still seems cold and unnerving. The twisting stairs ascend to the ground floor. An ordinary wooden door seals the east exit. >open door You open the cellar door. > ['duchess' and 'cellar door' were two of the most beautiful-sounding english words, as judged by foreigners who spoke no You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >[english. 'Global' was one of the least beautiful.] That's not a verb I recognize. >[Now you know.] That's not a verb I recognize. >e Bottom of Servants' Staircase An awkward wedge of space between the foundations of the main house and the walls of the new-built wine cellar, east. The staircase does not leave much room to stand in; it is straight and carefully planed lest anyone trip with a priceless bottle of wine. The wine-cellar door -- sturdy wood in yellowish brass panels -- stands open to the east. An ordinary wooden door opens west into the root cellar. >e Wine Cellar Antechamber The air is cool here, protected by deep walls of stone. Heavy beams overhead support the weight of the upper floors. A thick dust overlays everything. An open grey-blue door leads south. A closed red door leads east. An open magenta door leads northeast. A heavy red door, wreathed in chains and locks, leads north into the vault, where the best wines were kept during your youth. The wine-cellar door -- sturdy wood in yellowish brass panels -- stands open to the west. >s Among Reds Almost all gone now, though the labels still adhere to the racks, indicating where a '67 rested, or an '82, waiting to be taken up to the dining room. A closed magenta door leads east. There is a grey-blue trap door closed in the middle of the room, just visible among the dust as a less-dusty area. An open grey-blue door leads north. >close grey-blue (the grey-blue door leading north) You close the grey-blue door leading north. The grey-blue door leading down opens. >d Subcellar Used solely for storage of extra items (whether or not associated with the wines). The room is barely large enough to stand up in. (Now that you consider it, this room is probably the source of Marie's fables about the oubliette "somewhere in the wine cellar." This story always struck you as improbable, but you can't imagine that a person barred in here would get out easily. You also can't imagine the Count or any of his recent ancestors being moved to take such an action.) The trap door is open to the room above, and you could easily pull yourself up through it if you so desired. You can also see a blue glass jar (which is closed) (in which is some sea-salt) and a red glass jar (which is closed) (in which is a quantity of sugar) here. In your hunger, you dream of a heavy Christmas-time cake with candied fruit. >get all grey-blue door leading up: That's fixed in place. blue glass jar: (putting Clock Repair into the sack to make room) Taken. red glass jar: (putting Guide to Assorted Wines into the sack to make room) Taken. >[Cake! I'm dreaming about cake! I may die and go to heaven right now.] That's not a verb I recognize. >u Among Reds Almost all gone now, though the labels still adhere to the racks, indicating where a '67 rested, or an '82, waiting to be taken up to the dining room. A grey-blue trap door stands open in the middle of the room. A closed grey-blue door leads north. A closed magenta door leads east. >close trap You close the grey-blue door leading down. The grey-blue door leading north opens. >n Wine Cellar Antechamber The air is cool here, protected by deep walls of stone. Heavy beams overhead support the weight of the upper floors. A thick dust overlays everything. An open grey-blue door leads south. A closed red door leads east. An open magenta door leads northeast. A heavy red door, wreathed in chains and locks, leads north into the vault, where the best wines were kept during your youth. The wine-cellar door -- sturdy wood in yellowish brass panels -- stands open to the west. >close door Which do you mean, a magenta door leading northeast, the brass door or the red vault door? >brass You close the brass door. >[Ah, another clue. Nice.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >ne Fortified Wines Port, tokay, sherry; amontillado; casks, bottles furred with age and sealed with clots of red wax and ribbon seals. The Count always used to say that a good cognac would close a diplomatic matter more quickly than any bribe. He never let you and Marie stay, of course, on the evenings when he had business; you would be sent up to the conservatory with the Countess, to practice your music and wait for him to finish whatever matters kept him with his guests. A closed magenta door leads east. An open cyan door leads southeast. A closed green door leads south. An open magenta door leads southwest. >se Dessert Wines Tall, slender bottles of ice-wine once resided here, delicate and sweet; and other fine vintages, waiting to be served with the cheese and fruit. In the south wall, the stonework has crumbled a bit, revealing an opening through to the room beyond. You could get a glimpse through if you were careful not to cut off all the light in the process. An open yellow door leads southwest. A closed white door leads north; it looks oddly streaked. An open cyan door leads northwest. A closed cyan door leads west. There is also a single bottle of mead remaining in one of the slots. >get mead (putting The Lavori d'Aracne into the sack to make room) Taken. >sw Closet Not a room of its own; barely a large enough niche to walk into, in fact. An open yellow door leads northeast. You can also see a round metal tin (which is closed) and an iron key here. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] >get all yellow door leading northeast: That's fixed in place. round metal tin: (putting the sword into the sack to make room) Taken. iron key: (putting the small portrait into the sack to make room) Taken. >x iron A key of iron metal, with a magenta string tied through it. >open round You open the round metal tin, revealing some dark beans. >['round' is an addition, too, isn't it? Nice; it works.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >ne Dessert Wines Tall, slender bottles of ice-wine once resided here, delicate and sweet; and other fine vintages, waiting to be served with the cheese and fruit. All are gone now. In the south wall, the stonework has crumbled a bit, revealing an opening through to the room beyond. You could get a glimpse through if you were careful not to cut off all the light in the process. An open yellow door leads southwest. A closed white door leads north; it looks oddly streaked. An open cyan door leads northwest. A closed cyan door leads west. >nw Fortified Wines Port, tokay, sherry; amontillado; casks, bottles furred with age and sealed with clots of red wax and ribbon seals. A closed magenta door leads east. An open cyan door leads southeast. A closed green door leads south. An open magenta door leads southwest. >sw Wine Cellar Antechamber The air is cool here, protected by deep walls of stone. Heavy beams overhead support the weight of the upper floors. A thick dust overlays everything. An open grey-blue door leads south. A closed red door leads east. An open magenta door leads northeast. A heavy red door, wreathed in chains and locks, leads north into the vault, where the best wines were kept during your youth. The wine-cellar door is closed. >s Among Reds Almost all gone now, though the labels still adhere to the racks, indicating where a '67 rested, or an '82, waiting to be taken up to the dining room. A closed magenta door leads east. There is a grey-blue trap door closed in the middle of the room, just visible among the dust as a less-dusty area. An open grey-blue door leads north. >unlock magenta (with the iron key) You unlock the magenta door leading east. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity dark squares of prepared chocolate. >open it You open the magenta door leading east. >e Among Whites Few bottles remain -- the countess was exceedingly fond of her Rieslings, and it required constant restocking to keep this portion of the cellar properly supplied during her life. A closed green door leads north. A closed blue door leads east. An open magenta door leads west. A dusty bottle of Sauvignon Blanc lies here. >get all green door leading north: That's fixed in place. blue door leading east: That's fixed in place. magenta door leading west: That's fixed in place. bottle of Sauvignon Blanc: (putting the household papers into the sack to make room) Taken. >w Among Reds Almost all gone now, though the labels still adhere to the racks, indicating where a '67 rested, or an '82, waiting to be taken up to the dining room. An open magenta door leads east. There is a grey-blue trap door closed in the middle of the room, just visible among the dust as a less-dusty area. An open grey-blue door leads north. >n Wine Cellar Antechamber The air is cool here, protected by deep walls of stone. Heavy beams overhead support the weight of the upper floors. A thick dust overlays everything. An open grey-blue door leads south. The wine-cellar door is closed. A closed magenta door leads northeast. A closed red door leads east. A heavy red door, wreathed in chains and locks, leads north into the vault, where the best wines were kept during your youth. >ne (first opening the magenta door leading northeast) You open the magenta door leading northeast. From the other side of the room comes the distinct sound of another door slamming shut. Fortified Wines Port, tokay, sherry; amontillado; casks, bottles furred with age and sealed with clots of red wax and ribbon seals. An open magenta door leads southwest. An open cyan door leads southeast. A closed magenta door leads east. A closed green door leads south. >e (first opening the magenta door leading east) You open the magenta door leading east. The magenta door leading southwest closes. Spanish Reds This area is devoted to wines for second-class guests, which the Count reserved for the servants, visits from the curate, or hinting away a houseguest who had overstayed his welcome. "It seems that we are down to the Sangue de Toro," he would say, smoothing his vest with one delicate hand and looking regretful as he decanted a ruddy stream into the goblet of some unfortunate. On particularly bad occasions he would order the steward to shake the bottle in advance. The ransackers of the cellar seem not to have reached this room, however: many of the bottles sit intact on their shelves (if anyone cared to sample them). A closed white door leads south; it looks oddly streaked. An open magenta door leads west. In one corner is a massive wine barrel. >open barrel You open the wine barrel, revealing a navy bundle. >get navy (putting the dark wooden box into the sack to make room) Taken. > [Hey, did all the magenta doors just get unlocked? Nice again! I am more and more impressed.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >get navy You already have that. >open navy You open up the cloth bundle, which turns out in fact to be a fine cloak, wrapped tightly around some documents. (A shame to risk such a good cloak, you reflect; the barrel is probably proof against damp, but there's always the chance of something getting inside. But perhaps whoever wrapped it up expected to be back soon.) >read documents The documents appear to be records of some of the Count's work: letters from highly-ranked members of the king's council; charts of family lines, with the relationships of blood marked in black and the human links marked in red, indicating members of rival families and dynasties held hostage to each other by magic. Several names leap out of the charts at you. D'Envers, the Count's several- times-distant cousin (and the source of your current distress). D'Envers' mother, recently deceased, formerly hostage-linked to the Countess... several other hostages, recently dead (but, you thought, for natural causes.) But you know too little of the Count's business to guess what this would mean, except perhaps that the careful arrangements have begun to come unstuck lately. Even a local outbreak of plague could do that, if it killed too many of the wrong people at the same time. [Your score has just gone up by two points.] >full You have so far scored 25 out of a possible 125, in 175 turns, giving you the rank of miscreant. The score is made up as follows: 2 forging your first link 2 snooping in the Count's papers 5 forging your first reverse-link 2 snooping in Marie's papers 4 collecting items of some value 10 visiting various places 25 total (out of 125) >[20%, baby] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >[This hostage linking is wacky. Also, somewhat chilling] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >s (first opening the white door leading south) You open the white door leading south. It swings more lightly than most of the doors hereabouts. Dessert Wines Tall, slender bottles of ice-wine once resided here, delicate and sweet; and other fine vintages, waiting to be served with the cheese and fruit. All are gone now. In the south wall, the stonework has crumbled a bit, revealing an opening through to the room beyond. You could get a glimpse through if you were careful not to cut off all the light in the process. An open white door leads north; it looks oddly streaked. An open cyan door leads northwest. An open yellow door leads southwest. A closed cyan door leads west. >nw Fortified Wines Port, tokay, sherry; amontillado; casks, bottles furred with age and sealed with clots of red wax and ribbon seals. An open magenta door leads east. An open cyan door leads southeast. A closed magenta door leads southwest. A closed green door leads south. >sw (first opening the magenta door leading southwest) You open the magenta door leading southwest. From the other side of the room comes the distinct sound of another door slamming shut. Wine Cellar Antechamber The air is cool here, protected by deep walls of stone. Heavy beams overhead support the weight of the upper floors. A thick dust overlays everything. An open magenta door leads northeast. The wine-cellar door is closed. A closed red door leads east. An open grey-blue door leads south. A heavy red door, wreathed in chains and locks, leads north into the vault, where the best wines were kept during your youth. >s Among Reds Almost all gone now, though the labels still adhere to the racks, indicating where a '67 rested, or an '82, waiting to be taken up to the dining room. An open grey-blue door leads north. There is a grey-blue trap door closed in the middle of the room, just visible among the dust as a less-dusty area. A closed magenta door leads east. >e (first opening the magenta door leading east) You open the magenta door leading east. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity thinly-sliced venison. Among Whites Few bottles remain -- the countess was exceedingly fond of her Rieslings, and it required constant restocking to keep this portion of the cellar properly supplied during her life. An open magenta door leads west. A closed blue door leads east. A closed green door leads north. >open green You open the green door leading north. >n Centre With all the doors that lead out of this area, and the heavy pillars that support the roofbeams, there is little room for anything to be stored at all. The absence of racks has not prevented a heavy layer of dust from gathering here too, however. A closed cyan door leads east. An open green door leads north. An open green door leads south. A closed red door leads west. Over to one side, dropped as though carelessly by someone with a large number of things to carry, is a gleaming silver cylinder. >w You'll have to get the red door leading west unlocked first. >[Sweet! This rocks ever so much.] That's not a verb I recognize. >get cylender You can't see any such thing. >get silver (the Chocolate Recipe) (putting the pearl necklace into the sack to make room) Taken. >n Fortified Wines Port, tokay, sherry; amontillado; casks, bottles furred with age and sealed with clots of red wax and ribbon seals. An open green door leads south. A closed magenta door leads southwest. An open cyan door leads southeast. An open magenta door leads east. >sw (first opening the magenta door leading southwest) You open the magenta door leading southwest. From the other side of the room comes the distinct sound of another door slamming shut. Wine Cellar Antechamber The air is cool here, protected by deep walls of stone. Heavy beams overhead support the weight of the upper floors. A thick dust overlays everything. An open grey-blue door leads south. A closed red door leads east. An open magenta door leads northeast. The wine-cellar door is closed. A heavy red door, wreathed in chains and locks, leads north into the vault, where the best wines were kept during your youth. >w (first opening the brass door) You open the brass door. Bottom of Servants' Staircase An awkward wedge of space between the foundations of the main house and the walls of the new-built wine cellar, east. The staircase does not leave much room to stand in; it is straight and carefully planed lest anyone trip with a priceless bottle of wine. The wine-cellar door -- sturdy wood in yellowish brass panels -- stands open to the east. An ordinary wooden door opens west into the root cellar. >u Kitchen Corridor A narrow corridor between the kitchen and the main house, which has a thick separate wall. The two buildings are only barely attached, to discourage fires. A small staircase leads down. Double doors give west onto the main house. >e Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (which is empty). >read chocolate Chocolate Recipe: dark beans, sugar, vanilla bean. >put it on spindle The cylinder slips into place with a satisfying click, as though some mechanism has engaged. >put dark beans in contraption (first taking the dark beans) (putting the old letter into the sack to make room) Taken. You put the dark beans into the delicate contraption. >w Kitchen Corridor A narrow corridor between the kitchen and the main house, which has a thick separate wall. The two buildings are only barely attached, to discourage fires. A small staircase leads down. Double doors give west onto the main house. >d Bottom of Servants' Staircase An awkward wedge of space between the foundations of the main house and the walls of the new-built wine cellar, east. The staircase does not leave much room to stand in; it is straight and carefully planed lest anyone trip with a priceless bottle of wine. The wine-cellar door -- sturdy wood in yellowish brass panels -- stands open to the east. An ordinary wooden door opens west into the root cellar. >w Root Cellar Stone walls, ribbed ceiling, but only a packed-earth floor in spots. The room is lined on both sides with boxes and barrels, which take on odd shapes in the semi-darkness and seem vaguely menacing. You feared this room as a child, and it still seems cold and unnerving. The twisting stairs ascend to the ground floor. Through the open door to the east you can make out the foot of the servants' staircase. >search boxes You look inside one of the nearby barrels and find some vanilla beans, of which you take one. >g You look inside one of the nearby barrels and find some weathered green apples, no longer in the primest condition. >g You look inside one of the nearby barrels and find some hunks of salted pork. >g Your search through the nearest barrel turns up an assortment of lentils. >g In the assortment of boxes and barrels are three food items (some lentils, some hunks of salt pork and some apples). >get lentils, salt, apples lentils: (putting the blue glass jar into the sack to make room) Taken. hunks of salt pork: (putting the red glass jar into the sack to make room) Taken. apples: (putting the bottle of mead into the sack to make room) Taken. >search boxes The assortment of boxes and barrels is empty. >[arr] That's not a verb I recognize. > [(just to be explicit--wanted a 'nothing more that's interesting' here, like those shelves.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >u Entrance Hall Flourishing, spacious; it is its best with a half-dozen servants in livery. The floor is Italian marble. The main staircase ascends to the corridor on the second floor, and a smaller version leads down into the dim basement. Doors also open north and northeast. On the wall is one of those mechanical clocks that pop open on the hour, allowing the ingenious internal figures out to play. >e The south door leads only out of the estate, where you are not ready to go. You can go only north, northeast, up or down. >e The south door leads only out of the estate, where you are not ready to go. You can go only north, northeast, up or down. In your hunger, you hallucinate little grey-pink mushrooms. >ne Dining Room A grand room, for dining in style. The plastered ceiling is several times your height. The air now is cool and deep, the sunlight glancing through the windows and scattering from the chandelier, putting points of light at your feet, over the table, across the painted wallpaper and the handsome wood paneling. Woodworked columns frame the exits west and southwest. Heavy double doors open east to the kitchen. >e Kitchen Corridor A narrow corridor between the kitchen and the main house, which has a thick separate wall. The two buildings are only barely attached, to discourage fires. A small staircase leads down. Double doors give west onto the main house. >e Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (in which are some dark beans). >save Ok. >x sugar Fine imported sugar, probably from the Count's overseas connections. It is white and granular, like sand. >open red jar Opening a container of sugar while it is in the sack seems like an invitation to disaster. >get it (putting the round metal tin into the sack to make room) Taken. >open it You open the red glass jar. >pour it into contraption You put some sugar in the delicate contraption, exhausting the supply in the red glass jar. There is still some room remaining in the delicate contraption. >put bean in contraption You put the vanilla bean into the delicate contraption. >put plate in contraption (first taking the plate) (putting the iron key into the sack to make room) Taken. You put the plate into the delicate contraption. >push button You can't see any such thing. >turn on machine There is a regretful clicking noise from the vicinity of the lid-catch. Just as you think you are going to have to close it yourself, a gloved mechanical hand reaches up and slams the contraption shut from the inside. The machine's gears spin into action; a series of fine flanges, like the keys of a music box, move into position against the surface of the cylinder, which rotates steadily. There is such a long silence from inside the box that you think nothing is happening at all. Then, after a great pause, you begin to smell a distinctly sweet chocolatey smell. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] >undo Kitchen [Previous turn undone.] >turn dial You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting LEAF. >g You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting ROSE. >turn on machine There is a regretful clicking noise from the vicinity of the lid-catch. Just as you think you are going to have to close it yourself, a gloved mechanical hand reaches up and slams the contraption shut from the inside. The machine's gears spin into action; a series of fine flanges, like the keys of a music box, move into position against the surface of the cylinder, which rotates steadily. There is such a long silence from inside the box that you think nothing is happening at all. Then, after a great pause, you begin to smell a distinctly sweet chocolatey smell. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] >open contraption You open the contraption, revealing a plate, on top of which is a chocolate rose. >get rose (putting the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc into the sack to make room) Taken. >e Kitchen Garden West is the wall of the kitchen. Most of the space along the wall is planted with herbs -- bay, parsley, stalks of mint -- left of the open doorway. To its right is only a drainage ditch, catching the outflow of a pipe that comes through the wall. In one corner of the plot is the well, drilled many deep feet; in another is the antique sundial. A tangle of climbing roses covers almost completely the wall and door of a shed to the southeast. >link rose to roses (the roses to the roses) Redundant; all things are themselves. >link chocolate to roses Bending your will, you form the link between the chocolate rose and the roses. >eat chocolate You consume the chocolate in a few bites. It is not enough to quiet real hunger, but the flavor goes down rich and delightful. As you consume the chocolate, the roses on the shed blur and melt. There is a pungent scent of flowers, as though it were noon in August; it mingles with the flavor of chocolate in your mouth and nose. Then the thorns drip from the vines, the vines themselves become rivulets on the surface of the shed; everything soaks into the dirt, leaving not even a patch of damp. [Your score has just gone up by three points.] >se Shed Disused for quite a long time, evidently. There is dirt in the corners, and some evidence of inhabitation by rodents or perhaps even a larger animal, now and then. Some rust stains on the walls indicate where tools used to hang, but no longer do. A rope ladder lies in a heap on the floor. In your hunger, you hallucinate dark squares of prepared chocolate. The image is more vivid than the vision of food has any right to be. >[Hey, did you put in Jota's suggestions? That would rock, too.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. > [(now that you have space and all. Uh, for the hallucinations. Just to be clear.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >get ladder (putting the documents into the sack to make room) Taken. >nw Kitchen Garden West is the wall of the kitchen. Most of the space along the wall is planted with herbs -- bay, parsley, stalks of mint -- left of the open doorway. To its right is only a drainage ditch, catching the outflow of a pipe that comes through the wall. In one corner of the plot is the well, drilled many deep feet; in another is the antique sundial. >fill red from well You put some water in the red glass jar. This fills the red glass jar to the brim. >[yay 'some water'!] That's not a verb I recognize. >x ditch Little more than a damp hollow of earth under the pipe opening. >x mud A bit of unpleasant mud. >drink water from red You take a sip of the water, leaving a considerable quantity behind. It tastes cool and bracing, with the slight mineral tang peculiar to this area. >g You take a small sip of the water, leaving a considerable quantity behind. It tastes cool and bracing, with the slight mineral tang peculiar to this area. >g You take a small sip of the water, leaving a considerable quantity behind. It tastes cool and bracing, with the slight mineral tang peculiar to this area. >g You tip back the red glass jar and take a long draft of the water, leaving only another few sips. It tastes cool and bracing, with the slight mineral tang peculiar to this area. >g You take a small sip of the water, leaving only another sip or two. It tastes cool and bracing, with the slight mineral tang peculiar to this area. >drink a sip of water You can't see any such thing. >drink water from red You upend the red glass jar and take a long draft of the water, finishing it off. It tastes cool and bracing, with the slight mineral tang peculiar to this area. >fill red What do you want to fill the red glass jar with? >water You put some water in the red glass jar. This fills the red glass jar to the brim. >undo Kitchen Garden [Previous turn undone.] >fill red with mud It's difficult to get anything out of such a muddy puddle. >put red in mud You put the red glass jar into the drainage ditch. >get it Taken. >x it A red glass container with a wide mouth and a stopper. The glass is molded with a design of vines and clustering grapes around the top. >close it You close the red glass jar. >fill it from well The red glass jar is closed. >open it You open the red glass jar. >wet sponge What do you want to wet the sponge with? >water You consume some of the water in moistening the sponge. >close red You close the red glass jar. >squeeze sponge into red The red glass jar is not open. >[Yay!] That's not a verb I recognize. >open red You open the red glass jar. >squeeze sponge into red You wring out the sponge, causing it to drip water into the red glass jar. In your hunger, you hallucinate frosted petits-four. Or perhaps dark squares of prepared chocolate. > [Man, I went from salads to chocolate. This can't be good for my imaginary diet.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >open bottle Opening a container of Sauvignon Blanc while it is in the sack seems like an invitation to disaster. >get it (putting the navy cloak into the sack to make room) Taken. >open it You haven't got a corkscrew, and a well-developed sense of propriety prevents you simply knocking the top off the bottle. >open it with sword (first taking the sword) (putting the lentils into the sack to make room) That would be impossible even if the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc weren't reverse- linked. >[wa-hey?] That's not a verb I recognize. >unlink bottle (the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc) The bottle of Sauvignon Blanc is not linked. >[wa-hey again?] That's not a verb I recognize. >unreverse link bottle That's not a verb I recognize. >unreverse-link bottle That's not a verb I recognize. >[Oooh, Idea.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >plug drain with sponge That's not a verb I recognize. >put sponge in pipe (first taking the sponge) (putting the hunks of salt pork into the sack to make room) Taken. You wedge the sponge into the drain hole, blocking it. >[yay!] That's not a verb I recognize. >undo Kitchen Garden [Previous turn undone.] >get sponge Taken. >put onion in drain (first taking the single yellow onion) (putting the apples into the sack to make room) Taken. You wedge the yellow onion into the drain hole, blocking it. >fill teapot What do you want to fill the hinge-lidded teapot with? >water Which do you mean, the water in the well or the water in the red glass jar? >well You can't see any such thing. >[tap tap tap] That's not a verb I recognize. >fill teapot from well (first taking the hinge-lidded teapot) Taken. You put some water in the hinge-lidded teapot. This fills the hinge-lidded teapot to the brim. >w Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (in which is a plate). >n Scullery A small, workmanlike room with a floor of white stones. The principal features of the room are a counter, with a large inset washbasin also made of stone, and a tall wooden cupboard. >pour water in basin You put some water in the drain hole, exhausting the supply in the hinge-lidded teapot. >g The mouth of the hole is too narrow to allow you to get liquids back out of it. >pour water in basin The mouth of the hole is too narrow to allow you to get liquids back out of it. >i You are carrying: a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a sponge a sword a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a red glass jar (which is open) some water (which leaves the red glass jar about half full) a rope ladder a sack (which is open) a navy cloak some documents an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) a bottle of mead (which is closed) a blue glass jar (which is closed) some sea-salt (which leaves the blue glass jar about half full) an old letter a pearl necklace a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) some household papers a small portrait four books: The Lavori d'Aracne Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair On Vegetable Dyes a stone block a crumpled paper two recipe cylinders: a Lentil Soup Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a burnt scrap of paper a cup a butcher knife a swordstick a snuffbox (which is closed) six food items: some apples some hunks of salt pork some lentils a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread some andouillettes a dashing hat (being worn) >pour red into basin You put some water in the drain hole, exhausting the supply in the red glass jar. The water mixes with what was already there. >s Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (in which is a plate). >e Kitchen Garden West is the wall of the kitchen. Most of the space along the wall is planted with herbs -- bay, parsley, stalks of mint -- left of the open doorway. To its right is only a drainage ditch, catching the outflow of a pipe that comes through the wall. In one corner of the plot is the well, drilled many deep feet; in another is the antique sundial. >fill red What do you want to fill the red glass jar with? >fill red from well You put some water in the red glass jar. This fills the red glass jar to the brim. >fill teapot from well You put some water in the hinge-lidded teapot. This fills the hinge-lidded teapot to the brim. >w In your hunger, you hallucinate thinly-sliced venison. Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (in which is a plate). >n Scullery A small, workmanlike room with a floor of white stones. The principal features of the room are a counter, with a large inset washbasin also made of stone, and a tall wooden cupboard. >pour red into basin You put some water in the drain hole, exhausting the supply in the red glass jar. The water mixes with what was already there. >pour teapot into basin You put some water in the drain hole, exhausting the supply in the hinge-lidded teapot. The water mixes with what was already there. >x basin Nothing more than a large stone bowl. In the bottom is a hole, which can be plugged up; when the plug is removed, the water runs out by a pipe and waters the ground outside. In the drain hole are a great deal of water and a shiny silver cylinder. >get cylinder (the shiny silver cylinder) You can't reach far enough. >get it with sword The best you can manage is to move the shiny silver cylinder around a little. As for bringing it back to the surface or forcing it to fall the rest of the way out of the drain, the geometry of the pipe seems to be against you. >e You can go only south. >s Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (in which is a plate). >e Kitchen Garden West is the wall of the kitchen. Most of the space along the wall is planted with herbs -- bay, parsley, stalks of mint -- left of the open doorway. To its right is only a drainage ditch, catching the outflow of a pipe that comes through the wall. In one corner of the plot is the well, drilled many deep feet; in another is the antique sundial. >fill pot What do you want to fill the hinge-lidded teapot with? >fill pot from well You put some water in the hinge-lidded teapot. This fills the hinge-lidded teapot to the brim. >fill red from well You put some water in the red glass jar. This fills the red glass jar to the brim. >w Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (in which is a plate). >n Scullery A small, workmanlike room with a floor of white stones. The principal features of the room are a counter, with a large inset washbasin also made of stone, and a tall wooden cupboard. >pour pot into basin You put some water in the drain hole, exhausting the supply in the hinge-lidded teapot. The water mixes with what was already there. >pour red into basin You put some water in the drain hole, exhausting the supply in the red glass jar. The water mixes with what was already there. >x basin Nothing more than a large stone bowl. In the bottom is a hole, which can be plugged up; when the plug is removed, the water runs out by a pipe and waters the ground outside. In the drain hole are a great deal of water and a shiny silver cylinder. >[hrm.] That's not a verb I recognize. >link cylinder to cork Which do you mean, the shiny silver cylinder or the Lentil Soup Recipe? >shiny (the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc) You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they are just too dissimilar. >[no, just the cork, but hey.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x water Good, clear water. >drink it You can't reach far enough. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity purple-black Hellene olives. >e You can go only south. >s Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (in which is a plate). >e Kitchen Garden West is the wall of the kitchen. Most of the space along the wall is planted with herbs -- bay, parsley, stalks of mint -- left of the open doorway. To its right is only a drainage ditch, catching the outflow of a pipe that comes through the wall. In one corner of the plot is the well, drilled many deep feet; in another is the antique sundial. >[Hey, olives--I'm back on a health kick ;-] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. > [Wow, when those messages vary, it's amazing how much less annoying they are. Many orders of magnitude.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >[I still have a problem with 'deep feet' but hey.] That's not a verb I recognize. >[I suppose it's more evocative than 'feet deep'.] That's not a verb I recognize. >get bay You pick some of the growing bay. >get parsley You pick some of the growing parsley. >get onion (putting the rope ladder into the sack to make room) Taken. The water goes out the drain. The water mixes with what was already there. >['pours' would be nicer, but unnecessary.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x ditch Little more than a damp hollow of earth under the pipe opening. >x mud You can't see any such thing. >[eh?] That's not a verb I recognize. >put sponge in ditch You put the sponge into the drainage ditch. You consume some of the water and mud in moistening the sponge. >get it (putting the red glass jar into the sack to make room) Taken. >wring it You wring out the sponge, causing it to drip water and mud all over the place. >put sponge in ditch You put the sponge into the drainage ditch. You consume some of the water and mud in moistening the sponge. >wring it (first taking the sponge) (putting the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc into the sack to make room) You wring out the sponge, causing it to drip water and mud all over the place. >put sponge in ditch You put the sponge into the drainage ditch. You consume some of the water and mud in moistening the sponge. >wring it (first taking the sponge) You wring out the sponge, causing it to drip water and mud all over the place. >put sponge in ditch You put the sponge into the drainage ditch. You consume some of the water and mud in moistening the sponge. >wring it (first taking the sponge) You wring out the sponge, causing it to drip water and mud all over the place. >put sponge in ditch You put the sponge into the drainage ditch. You consume some of the water and mud in moistening the sponge. >wring it (first taking the sponge) You wring out the sponge, causing it to drip water and mud all over the place. >put sponge in ditch You put the sponge into the drainage ditch. You consume some of the water and mud in moistening the sponge. In your hunger, you dream of a heavy Christmas-time cake with candied fruit. Or perhaps creme caramel. >wring it (first taking the sponge) You wring out the sponge, causing it to drip water and mud all over the place. >put sponge in ditch You put the sponge into the drainage ditch. You consume some of the water and mud in moistening the sponge. >wring it (first taking the sponge) You wring out the sponge, causing it to drip water and mud all over the place. >put sponge in ditch You put the sponge into the drainage ditch. You consume some of the water and mud in moistening the sponge. >wring it (first taking the sponge) You wring out the sponge, causing it to drip water and mud all over the place. >put sponge in ditch You put the sponge into the drainage ditch. You exhaust the water and mud in moistening the sponge. >wring it (first taking the sponge) You wring out the sponge, causing it to drip water and mud all over the place. >put sponge in ditch You put the sponge into the drainage ditch. >wring it (first taking the sponge) You compress the sponge. >put sponge in ditch You put the sponge into the drainage ditch. >wring it (first taking the sponge) You compress the sponge. >x ditch Little more than a damp hollow of earth under the pipe opening. >x mud You can't see any such thing. >fill red What do you want to fill the red glass jar with? >water (first taking the red glass jar) (putting the sword into the sack to make room) Taken. You put some water in the red glass jar. This fills the red glass jar to the brim. >pour water into ditch Which do you mean, the water in the well or the water in the red glass jar? >red I didn't understand that sentence. >pour red into ditch You put some water in the drainage ditch, exhausting the supply in the red glass jar. There is still some room remaining in the drainage ditch. >x ditch Little more than a damp hollow of earth under the pipe opening. >x mud You can't see any such thing. >x water Which do you mean, the water in the well or the water in the drainage ditch? >ditch I only understood you as far as wanting to examine the drainage ditch. >x water in ditch Good, clear water. In your hunger, you hallucinate fresh white cheese. Or perhaps a salad of dressed spinach greens in a vinaigrette. > [No more mud, you'll notice, which could be by design, but it does seem odd there's no mud from pouring water into ditch You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >restore Ok. >get red (putting the round metal tin into the sack to make room) Taken. >pour it into contraption The red glass jar is closed. >open it You open the red glass jar. >pour it into contraption You put some sugar in the delicate contraption, exhausting the supply in the red glass jar. There is still some room remaining in the delicate contraption. >put bean in contraption You put the vanilla bean into the delicate contraption. >put chocolate on spindle (first taking the Chocolate Recipe) (putting the iron key into the sack to make room) It takes a bit of wiggling to get the cylinder to come free, but you extricate it without too much difficulty. The cylinder slips into place with a satisfying click, as though some mechanism has engaged. >[heh That's not a verb I recognize. >turn on machine There is a regretful clicking noise from the vicinity of the lid-catch. Just as you think you are going to have to close it yourself, a gloved mechanical hand reaches up and slams the contraption shut from the inside. The machine's gears spin into action; a series of fine flanges, like the keys of a music box, move into position against the surface of the cylinder, which rotates steadily. An irritable mechanical voice shouts from within, "I shall be requiring the plate on which to put this item!" >undo Kitchen [Previous turn undone.] >put plate in contraption (first taking the plate) (putting the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc into the sack to make room) Taken. You put the plate into the delicate contraption. >turn dial You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting LEAF. >g You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting ROSE. >turn dial You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting FISH. >undo Kitchen [Previous turn undone.] >turn on machine There is a regretful clicking noise from the vicinity of the lid-catch. Just as you think you are going to have to close it yourself, a gloved mechanical hand reaches up and slams the contraption shut from the inside. The machine's gears spin into action; a series of fine flanges, like the keys of a music box, move into position against the surface of the cylinder, which rotates steadily. There is such a long silence from inside the box that you think nothing is happening at all. Then, after a great pause, you begin to smell a distinctly sweet chocolatey smell. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] >open contraption You open the contraption, revealing a plate, on top of which is a chocolate rose. >get rose (putting the documents into the sack to make room) Taken. >e Kitchen Garden West is the wall of the kitchen. Most of the space along the wall is planted with herbs -- bay, parsley, stalks of mint -- left of the open doorway. To its right is only a drainage ditch, catching the outflow of a pipe that comes through the wall. In one corner of the plot is the well, drilled many deep feet; in another is the antique sundial. A tangle of climbing roses covers almost completely the wall and door of a shed to the southeast. >link chocolate to roses Bending your will, you form the link between the chocolate rose and the roses. >eat chocolate You consume the chocolate in a few bites. It is not enough to quiet real hunger, but the flavor goes down rich and delightful. As you consume the chocolate, the roses on the shed blur and melt. There is a pungent scent of flowers, as though it were noon in August; it mingles with the flavor of chocolate in your mouth and nose. Then the thorns drip from the vines, the vines themselves become rivulets on the surface of the shed; everything soaks into the dirt, leaving not even a patch of damp. In your hunger, you hallucinate an omelette of herbs and chives. The image is more vivid than the vision of food has any right to be. [Your score has just gone up by three points.] >se Shed Disused for quite a long time, evidently. There is dirt in the corners, and some evidence of inhabitation by rodents or perhaps even a larger animal, now and then. Some rust stains on the walls indicate where tools used to hang, but no longer do. A rope ladder lies in a heap on the floor. >get rope Taken. >nw Kitchen Garden West is the wall of the kitchen. Most of the space along the wall is planted with herbs -- bay, parsley, stalks of mint -- left of the open doorway. To its right is only a drainage ditch, catching the outflow of a pipe that comes through the wall. In one corner of the plot is the well, drilled many deep feet; in another is the antique sundial. >i You are carrying: a rope ladder a red glass jar (which is open but empty) three food items: some apples some hunks of salt pork some lentils a navy cloak a sack (which is open) some documents an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) a blue glass jar (which is closed) some sea-salt (which leaves the blue glass jar about half full) an old letter a pearl necklace a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) some household papers a small portrait a sword four books: The Lavori d'Aracne Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair On Vegetable Dyes a stone block a crumpled paper two recipe cylinders: a Lentil Soup Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a burnt scrap of paper two metal dishes: a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a cup a butcher knife a sponge a swordstick a snuffbox (which is closed) four food items: a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread some andouillettes a single yellow onion two bottles of wine: a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a bottle of mead (which is closed) a dashing hat (being worn) >get all herbs You'll have to specify which herbs you would like. >get bay You pick some of the growing bay. >get mint You pick some of the growing mint. >get all from herb bed You can't use multiple objects with that verb. >[that's wacky.] That's not a verb I recognize. >l Kitchen Garden West is the wall of the kitchen. Most of the space along the wall is planted with herbs -- bay, parsley, stalks of mint -- left of the open doorway. To its right is only a drainage ditch, catching the outflow of a pipe that comes through the wall. In one corner of the plot is the well, drilled many deep feet; in another is the antique sundial. >get parsley, mint growing parsley: You pick some of the growing parsley. growing mint: You've taken as much growing mint as you are likely to want. >i You are carrying: a rope ladder a red glass jar (which is open but empty) a navy cloak a sack (which is open) some documents an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) a blue glass jar (which is closed) some sea-salt (which leaves the blue glass jar about half full) an old letter a pearl necklace a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) some household papers a small portrait a sword four books: The Lavori d'Aracne Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair On Vegetable Dyes a stone block a crumpled paper two recipe cylinders: a Lentil Soup Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a burnt scrap of paper two metal dishes: a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a cup a butcher knife a sponge a swordstick a snuffbox (which is closed) four food items: a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread some andouillettes a single yellow onion two bottles of wine: a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a bottle of mead (which is closed) a dashing hat (being worn) six food items: a sprig of parsley a sprig of mint a bay leaf some apples some hunks of salt pork some lentils >put all in sack rope ladder: Done. red glass jar: Done. navy cloak: Done. sprig of parsley: Done. sprig of mint: Done. >i You are carrying: a sack (which is open) a navy cloak a red glass jar (which is open but empty) a rope ladder some documents an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) a blue glass jar (which is closed) some sea-salt (which leaves the blue glass jar about half full) an old letter a pearl necklace a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) some household papers a small portrait a sword four books: The Lavori d'Aracne Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair On Vegetable Dyes a stone block a crumpled paper two recipe cylinders: a Lentil Soup Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a burnt scrap of paper two metal dishes: a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a cup a butcher knife a sponge a swordstick a snuffbox (which is closed) two bottles of wine: a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a bottle of mead (which is closed) six food items: a sprig of mint a sprig of parsley a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread some andouillettes a single yellow onion a dashing hat (being worn) four food items: a bay leaf some apples some hunks of salt pork some lentils >[Wait, I still have items out of the sack?] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >put all in sack There are none at all available! >put bay leaf in sack You put the bay leaf into the sack. >[frown] That's not a verb I recognize. >put apples in sack You put the apples into the sack. >i You are carrying: a sack (which is open) a navy cloak a red glass jar (which is open but empty) a rope ladder some documents an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) a blue glass jar (which is closed) some sea-salt (which leaves the blue glass jar about half full) an old letter a pearl necklace a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) some household papers a small portrait a sword four books: The Lavori d'Aracne Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair On Vegetable Dyes a stone block a crumpled paper two recipe cylinders: a Lentil Soup Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a burnt scrap of paper two metal dishes: a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a cup a butcher knife a sponge a swordstick a snuffbox (which is closed) two bottles of wine: a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a bottle of mead (which is closed) eight food items: some apples a bay leaf a sprig of mint a sprig of parsley a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread some andouillettes a single yellow onion a dashing hat (being worn) two food items: some hunks of salt pork some lentils > put pork in sack You put the hunks of salt pork into the sack. >put lentils in sack You put the lentils into the sack. >i You are carrying: a sack (which is open) a navy cloak a red glass jar (which is open but empty) a rope ladder some documents an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) a blue glass jar (which is closed) some sea-salt (which leaves the blue glass jar about half full) an old letter a pearl necklace a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) some household papers a small portrait a sword four books: The Lavori d'Aracne Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair On Vegetable Dyes a stone block a crumpled paper two recipe cylinders: a Lentil Soup Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a burnt scrap of paper two metal dishes: a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a cup a butcher knife a sponge a swordstick a snuffbox (which is closed) two bottles of wine: a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a bottle of mead (which is closed) ten food items: some lentils some hunks of salt pork some apples a bay leaf a sprig of mint a sprig of parsley a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread some andouillettes a single yellow onion a dashing hat (being worn) >[That's... odd.] That's not a verb I recognize. >get pot Taken. >fill it from well You put some water in the hinge-lidded teapot. This fills the hinge-lidded teapot to the brim. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity a heavy Christmas-time cake with candied fruit. Or perhaps poached turbot on a platter. >w Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (in which is a plate). >get plate Taken. >n Scullery A small, workmanlike room with a floor of white stones. The principal features of the room are a counter, with a large inset washbasin also made of stone, and a tall wooden cupboard. >s Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (which is empty). >u Servants' Dormitory Up here the female servants used to sleep. Now there is only a dreary row of unmade beds; a rack for drying washing; the fireplace, hollow and untended. Time was, when you were very young, that you used to creep in here for chatter and gossip, and the language you were used to hearing at home. On the drying rack is a white handkerchief. >get hanky Taken. >d Kitchen A long, cross-beamed room, originally washed with white, though smoke has tinged the walls above the massive fireplace in which roasts are prepared. In addition, there are thick high tables that run the length of the room. To the east is the kitchen garden through which you entered; west is the corridor that connects with the main house. To the north there is the little scullery, and upstairs is the attic where the servants sleep. On the kitchen tables is a delicate contraption (which is empty). >w Kitchen Corridor A narrow corridor between the kitchen and the main house, which has a thick separate wall. The two buildings are only barely attached, to discourage fires. A small staircase leads down. Double doors give west onto the main house. >w Dining Room A grand room, for dining in style. The plastered ceiling is several times your height. The air now is cool and deep, the sunlight glancing through the windows and scattering from the chandelier, putting points of light at your feet, over the table, across the painted wallpaper and the handsome wood paneling. Woodworked columns frame the exits west and southwest. Heavy double doors open east to the kitchen. >w Library Originally a salon for the receiving of guests; but in recent years the Count has become increasingly interested in his own projects, and has taken over the entire room for the storage of books. Bookshelves line the walls, reaching above your head, leaving exits only east and south. A clockwork model of the universe stands in one corner. On one wall is an enormous portrait of the Count's father, from the hand of Hyacinthe Rigaud. >w You can go only south or east. >u You can go only south or east. >s Entrance Hall Flourishing, spacious; it is its best with a half-dozen servants in livery. The floor is Italian marble. The main staircase ascends to the corridor on the second floor, and a smaller version leads down into the dim basement. Doors also open north and northeast. On the wall is one of those mechanical clocks that pop open on the hour, allowing the ingenious internal figures out to play. >u Staircase, First Floor The top of a broad curving stair: east is the long salon that goes the length of the house, downstairs are the foyer and the grand receiving rooms. North is the old conservatory. >e Long Salon A long empty room with shined wooden floors, perfect for sliding in stocking- feet. West is the top of the staircase, and rooms open to the north and east. The door east is closed. >n Countess' Sitting Room This was the countess' favorite room, and it is more richly decorated than any other in the house, betraying her taste for the brightly-colored and the jewel- like. The count brought her some things from his travels, and made others for her. Most of the contents seem to be gone -- the chairs and sofas, and the wall hangings -- but some bits remain. A thick-pile Persian rug lies on the floor, patterned in lapis and emerald. Against one wall is a glass case full of rare and valuable clockwork figures. >link case to miror You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: a white handkerchief two metal dishes: a plate a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open) some water (which fills the hinge-lidded teapot to the brim) a sack (which is open) a navy cloak a red glass jar (which is open but empty) a rope ladder some documents an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) a blue glass jar (which is closed) some sea-salt (which leaves the blue glass jar about half full) an old letter a pearl necklace a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) some household papers a small portrait a sword four books: The Lavori d'Aracne Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair On Vegetable Dyes a stone block a crumpled paper two recipe cylinders: a Lentil Soup Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a burnt scrap of paper a cup a butcher knife a sponge a swordstick a snuffbox (which is closed) two bottles of wine: a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a bottle of mead (which is closed) ten food items: some lentils some hunks of salt pork some apples a bay leaf a sprig of mint a sprig of parsley a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread some andouillettes a single yellow onion a dashing hat (being worn) >link case to inset You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >link mirror What do you want to link the mirror inset inside the box to? >case The mirror is incompatible with anything that is not similarly reflective. >[Hey, specific info] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >link case to mirror You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >[Oh! Misspelled 'miror'. heh.] That's not a verb I recognize. > [Error! Bug found. checking... diagnosed. Bug source in user. Suggest replacement.] That's not a verb I recognize. >[And, it's 3:00 AM so I will.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >quit Are you sure you want to quit? y