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 6 / Serial number 020420 / Inform v6.15 Library 6/10 Standard interpreter 1.0 (6F) / Library serial number 991113 >restore Ok. >l 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. The trap door is open to the room above, and you could easily pull yourself up through it if you so desired. >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 door (the grey-blue door leading down) 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 is closed. >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. A closed 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. >nw Fortified Wines Port, tokay, sherry; amontillado; casks, bottles furred with age and sealed with clots of red wax and ribbon seals. An open cyan door leads southeast. An open magenta door leads southwest. A closed magenta door leads east. A closed green door leads south. >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 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. >[eh?] That's not a verb I recognize. >open wine-cellar You open the brass door. >ne 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. >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 cyan door leads northwest. An open yellow door leads southwest. A closed cyan door leads west. A closed white door leads north; it looks oddly streaked. There is also a single bottle of mead remaining in one of the slots. >[eh?] That's not a verb I recognize. >restore Ok. >l 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. The trap door is open to the room above, and you could easily pull yourself up through it if you so desired. >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 door (the grey-blue door leading down) 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 is closed. >open cellar door You can't see any such thing. >open door Which do you mean, a magenta door leading northeast, the brass door or the red vault door? >brass You open the brass door. >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. >[yup, it's open] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >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 6 / Serial number 020420 / 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. >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. >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: 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. >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. >link door 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 pot You open the hinge-lidded teapot. The double doors open slowly of their own accord, the ancient hinges protesting. >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.] >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. >sw 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, 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. >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. >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. Hmm. Something to eat would be good. >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 bottom You open the bottom drawer, revealing a dark wooden box. >get box (the dark wooden box) 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 starts to shine with reflected light. >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 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. >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, 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. >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. >e (first opening the cellar door) You open the cellar 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. >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. >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. A closed 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. >restore Ok. >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 door (the grey-blue door leading down) 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 is closed. >open brass You open the brass door. >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 plate 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 hinge-lidded teapot into the sack to make room) Taken. iron key: (putting the small portrait into the sack to make room) Taken. >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. >close cyan (the cyan door leading northwest) You close the cyan door leading northwest. The cyan door leading west opens. >w 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. An open cyan door leads east. A closed green door leads north. A closed 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. >get all cyan door leading east: That's fixed in place. green door leading north: That's fixed in place. green door leading south: That's fixed in place. red door leading west: That's fixed in place. Chocolate Recipe: (putting the household papers into the sack to make room) Taken. >e 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 cyan door leads west. An open yellow door leads southwest. A closed cyan door leads northwest. A closed white door leads north; it looks oddly streaked. >nw (first opening the cyan door leading northwest) There's no door handle on this side. >close cyan (the cyan door leading west) You close the cyan door leading west. The cyan door leading northwest opens. >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 -- sturdy wood in yellowish brass panels -- stands open to the west. >s You should have stopped at an inn on the way down. And eaten. 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. >e (first opening the magenta door leading east) You open the magenta door leading east. 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 dark wooden box into the sack to make room) Taken. >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. >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. >e 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. >get al You can't see any such thing. >get all magenta door leading west: That's fixed in place. white door leading south: That's fixed in place. wine barrel: That's fixed in place. >open barrel You open the wine barrel, revealing a navy bundle. >getnavy That's not a verb I recognize. >get navy (putting the pearl necklace into the sack to make room) Taken. >open it 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 package What do you want to read in? >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.] >wear navy You put on the navy cloak. >wear pearl (the pearl necklace) (first taking the pearl necklace) (putting the old letter into the sack to make room) You had better pray that none of your acquaintance sees you so attired. >w 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. A closed magenta door leads southwest. An open cyan door leads southeast. An open 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 grey-blue door leads south. A closed red door leads east. An open magenta door leads northeast. The wine-cellar door -- sturdy wood in yellowish brass panels -- stands open to the west. A heavy red door, wreathed in chains and locks, leads north into the vault, where the best wines were kept during your youth. In your hunger, you hallucinate a heavy Christmas-time cake with candied fruit. >w 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). >open tin You open the round metal tin, revealing some dark beans. >put beans, bean in contraption dark beans: (first taking the dark beans) (putting the vanilla bean into the sack to make room) Taken. Done. vanilla bean: (first taking the vanilla bean) (putting the lentils into the sack to make room) Taken. Done. >get recipe (the Andouillettes Recipe) (putting the hunks of salt pork 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. >put chocolate on spindle The cylinder slips into place with a satisfying click, as though some mechanism has engaged. >get red You already have that. >open it You open the red glass jar. >pour sugar in 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. >turn dial You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting LEAF. >turn dial You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting ROSE. >save Ok. >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!" >put plate in machine (first taking the plate) (putting the apples into the sack to make room) Taken. (first opening the delicate contraption) You open the contraption, revealing three food items (a quantity of sugar, a vanilla bean and some dark beans). You put the plate into the delicate contraption. >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 it You open the contraption, revealing a plate, on top of which is a chocolate rose. >get plate (putting the blue glass jar 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 (the roses) Bending your will, you form the link between the chocolate rose and the roses. >eat it 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. >get ladder (putting the red glass jar into the sack to make room) Taken. In your hunger, you hallucinate a salad of dressed spinach greens in a vinaigrette. >[My old friend, the salad!] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x holes You can't see any such thing. >x dirt Standard garden-variety dirt. >get dirt Nothing to be gained by that, and you don't relish the idea much. >search dirt You find nothing of interest. >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. >x sundial A sturdy old sundial, its bronze weathered green. Unlike various tawdry sundials you have encountered in your life, it has a firmly-attached gnomon that is unlikely to come off in times of trouble. >i You are carrying: a rope ladder a plate an Andouillettes Recipe a pearl necklace (being worn) a navy cloak (being worn) some documents an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) an Easter Egg Recipe a sack (which is open) a red glass jar (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 dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) some household papers a small portrait two metal dishes: a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a cup a stone block a crumpled paper a Lentil Soup Recipe a white handkerchief a burnt scrap of paper a butcher knife a sponge a swordstick a sword a snuffbox (which is closed) ten food items: some apples some hunks of salt pork some lentils some andouillettes a sprig of mint a sprig of parsley a bay leaf a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread a single yellow onion a dashing hat (being worn) two bottles of wine: a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a bottle of mead (which is closed) >put all in sack rope ladder: Done. plate: Done. Andouillettes Recipe: Done. documents: Done. iron key: Done. round metal tin: Done. Easter Egg Recipe: Done. >put all bottles in sack You can't use multiple objects with that verb. >put bottles in sack You can't see any such thing. >put bottle in sack You put the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc into the sack. >put mead in sack You put the bottle of mead into the sack. >i You are carrying: a pearl necklace (being worn) a navy cloak (being worn) a sack (which is open) two bottles of wine: a bottle of mead (which is closed) a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) some documents a rope ladder a red glass jar (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 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 stone block a crumpled paper a white handkerchief a burnt scrap of paper a butcher knife a sponge a swordstick a sword a snuffbox (which is closed) ten food items: some apples some hunks of salt pork some lentils some andouillettes a sprig of mint a sprig of parsley a bay leaf a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread a single yellow onion three recipe cylinders: an Easter Egg Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a Lentil Soup Recipe three metal dishes: a plate a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a cup a dashing hat (being worn) >x hanky A square of good linen; rather nice, really. It is currently colored white. >x cup One of a set of special dishes that the Count made. The idea was that all of the china cups in the house were linked to this one cup, which could then be washed and dried, minimizing the expenditure of time and water. Similar arrangements were made for other parts of the standard place setting; the Count spent innumerable hours refining the links. The reason that the cup is metal rather than china is that, when the link-system was first instituted, a clumsy maid ravaged the Countess' entire crystal collection by accidentally chipping a glass. In order to make the linkages possible, however, it has been painted a glossy white, and the crest of the family executed on one side in intricate detail. >x cup A cup, glossed in white and decorated with the crest of the family, just as though it belonged to the family china pattern. >unlink cup The cup is not linked. >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 (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. >sw 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. >u In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity fresh white cheese. 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. >[OK, I've been told I can get this bee...] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >[the mead probably helps.] That's not a verb I recognize. >open mead Opening a container of mead while it is in the sack seems like an invitation to disaster. >get it 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. >drop it You set the bottle of mead down gently. >break case With your bare hands? That could be uncomfortable. >break case with rock You can't see any such thing. >break case with stone (first taking the stone block) The stone block hits the glass case. The glass case shatters into dozens of pieces, disgorging the clockwork bee and the mechanical human dancers. The clockwork bee buzzes faintly, spreading its jeweled wings. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >get bee You can't see any such thing. >l 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. You can also see some mechanical human dancers, some glass shards and a blue bottle (which is closed) here. >x bee You can't see any such thing. >[what the...] That's not a verb I recognize. >x case You can't see any such thing. >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. >get dancers Taken. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] >[um.] That's not a verb I recognize. >x mead You can't see any such thing. >l 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. You can also see some glass shards and a blue bottle (which is closed) here. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity curls of toasted bread. >x blue A blue glass container with a wide mouth and a stopper. >look in it In the blue glass jar is some sea-salt. >x blue bottle I only understood you as far as wanting to examine the blue glass jar. >get bottle (the blue bottle) Taken. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] >x it Aside from the contents, an entirely ordinary bottle. The cork is still wedged firmly in place. >look in it You can't see inside, since the blue bottle is closed. >[oy] That's not a verb I recognize. > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn No more undo information available. Continue input... I beg your pardon? >l 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. >i You are carrying: a bottle of mead (which is closed) a pearl necklace (being worn) a navy cloak (being worn) a sack (which is open) a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) some documents a rope ladder a red glass jar (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 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 stone block a crumpled paper a white handkerchief a burnt scrap of paper a butcher knife a sponge a swordstick a sword a snuffbox (which is closed) ten food items: some apples some hunks of salt pork some lentils some andouillettes a sprig of mint a sprig of parsley a bay leaf a clove of garlic a loaf of stale bread a single yellow onion three recipe cylinders: an Easter Egg Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a Lentil Soup Recipe three metal dishes: a plate a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a cup a dashing hat (being worn) >break case with stone (first taking the stone block) The stone block smites the glass case. The glass case breaks dramatically, depositting the clockwork bee and the mechanical human dancers. The clockwork bee buzzes faintly, spreading its jeweled wings. >z Time passes. The clockwork bee, detecting your presence, stirs angrily to life. You make a few noble efforts to bat it away, but all to no avail. With deadly accuracy it finds your skin; there is a sharp sting, then a gradual dulling... *** You have died *** In that game you scored 32 out of a possible 125, in 178 turns, giving you the rank of scofflaw. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, give the FULL score for that game or QUIT? > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] >break case with stone (first taking the stone block) The stone block smites the glass case. The glass case smashes dramatically, leaving behind the clockwork bee and the mechanical human dancers. The clockwork bee buzzes faintly, spreading its jeweled wings. >drop mead You set the bottle of mead down gently. >z Time passes. >x mead You can't see any such thing. > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Countess' Sitting Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn No more undo information available. Continue input... Hot key -- Undo one turn No more undo information available. Continue input... l 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. >save Ok. >quit Are you sure you want to quit? y