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. >[OK, checking if it's a daemon.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >drop mead You set the bottle of mead down gently. >break case with stone (first taking the stone block) The stone block smacks the glass case. The glass case smashes, spilling the clockwork bee and the mechanical human dancers. The clockwork bee buzzes faintly, spreading its jeweled wings. >g You can't see any such thing. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity sausages fried in onions and olive oil. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >zz That's not a verb I recognize. >z Time passes. > I beg your pardon? >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity thinly-sliced venison. The image is more vivid than the vision of food has any right to be. >zz That's not a verb I recognize. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >zz That's not a verb I recognize. > I beg your pardon? >zz That's not a verb I recognize. >z Time passes. >get mead You can't see any such thing. >get bottle (the blue bottle) Taken. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >zz That's not a verb I recognize. >z Time passes. > I beg your pardon? >z Time passes. >zz That's not a verb I recognize. >z Time passes. In your hunger, you dream of dark squares of prepared chocolate. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >get dancers Taken. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. In your hunger, you dream of poached turbot on a platter. >z Time passes. >speak letter (to yourself) There is no reply. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >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 here. >s (treading gingerly around the glass bits) 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. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity creme caramel. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >zz That's not a verb I recognize. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. In your hunger, you hallucinate the hearts of artichokes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >zz That's not a verb I recognize. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. > I beg your pardon? >z Time passes. In your hunger, you dream of sausages fried in onions and olive oil. Or perhaps flaking puff pastry, wrapped around chicken. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >play minuette You sit down at the piano and begin to play, as you have not in years: a minuette, suggestive of lost elegance. The dancers, as though touched by the music, come to life. They meet, and bow, and then begin to dance, now taking hands, now letting go, now apart, now together, up and down their cogged dance floor. [Your score has just gone up by one point.] >x letter What would appear to be a letter on parchment, sealed with a red-wax seal and stamped with the count's signet ring. >open letter You crack the seal, aware that you are trespassing on what was meant to be a private confidence. Inside is the count's long black writing: he used to sit at his desk in the gold lamplight, tossing back the lace of his cuff with a little flick so that it would not drag in the ink. >x it A letter on parchment; the seal, stamped by the count, has been broken. At the top of the page is a sketch of two figures apparently dancing. >read it At the top of the page is a sketch of dancing figures. Then: Devv Rtare, Ea tu irymhg flolehi e uo rte aose, aeruwsrm ssot. Ea ytfisto kfho tu niame morv es mias, liess tadp. I moiero ardson. Leaovslo ni smeol nao tfyss nti atte. Eng deyr tairlsro or ebtdnt ruo, u tastfcoi omatcnn oli epss ltnf uic -- hse rfoetns nm mode -- e, e edyle. S a eofd. Thhaw fee in aim yd dynwadt, sdore httv eneo hengey oguar. Tphp! gehe tlooer w, own plinh lri. L lt ara nsycgro holi iw ouerey wrvlio ie emk: uwt, tmeo irthsoleo, esk lstela nohdy fo rell. Teesana r rtv lntv heodhae bygeny ea osthelo dui iwsarfn: Ielly dsllio yh ly fuo taoefuo n y oh bto od. Irytfdn. Ooh teguueh r. Sgrret ihmdo ewalh ntaplathy tflg echeaimhet. Rvaeyc g efo, erap rui urroln, ebi mitdr c mghee. Ecness iarost, fryt aiyrohk; toyuee bufr rle mom. Sea mi btnsaso feen wro pdw. Enrlahlb meu. Ol ui. Ag h tniyetse l yreowlo. Irm hd ug neoet, hoownht tt ulsao i ratr pcs nmgre. K dy i ayil dr col aeltl acum hlska si. Cat n oso sod r wmhy. Irieooaybnr kwa. Uyeie cto sn lh wutt. Lihwuha leece, sd.al db danoee e tdsac sese. Ta p aothm enco ier dt eauoio v nsf noe gslgkre tiytyr eno. Hdopk. Utra ot loe tudo psylin ioodege. Tun aarhw oss hds an tesesli loeny tiyi o guvo tt rdeuwoae tdia abhes lsr aue myotsho. Ot mrisu haamt re. Rnovfeb cree yue yr sotro yiucn ulnrof ricmon wssht dtlhe h. I hoeae. Kanwl rnt gatae a ash ylube halle f in sdtold oyhrd, wwo eek eour. Ce ee av stponeil. A nd rn onhihwo eif eaky meina fmunte tcloyfe. alw o. orrytunh. Eihadi fk ar o fa e. I h dhnb n idiyuks imctoitiatnni nshtaon. Risoa hysy vtily oi hs iounevf. -- Urgr eerlfx >link it to dancers Bending your will, you form the link between the old letter and the mechanical human dancers. >play minuette You sit down at the piano and begin to play, as you have not in years: a minuette, suggestive of lost elegance. The dancers, as though touched by the music, come to life. They meet, and bow, and then begin to dance, now taking hands, now letting go, now apart, now together, up and down their cogged dance floor. While the dancers dance, the characters on the Count's letter begin to shuffle themselves: each sixth letter steps out of line, bows, and slides across the paper into a new position. The punctuation, the capitalization, fade away in the brisk music, and new forms appear. >read letter "Daughter," it begins. "If I ever leave you or am lost, there are some matters you must know of. First-- I have laid aside some provisions, a small store only, against disaster: money, letters of introduction to certain persons, but most of all the means to defend yourself, if need comes. They are hidden, and the ways to find them woven up long ago where only the proper light will show it. You're a clever girl, Marie. I know you will not resort to them heedlessly. "Look after the servants: they have been loyal and good all your life. If you find you wish to sell any of the odder things I brought your mother, don't give them away cheap. They'll fetch a large price from M. Couligne in the Rue des Arbres. If you marry, for your mother's sake let it be a man who is well-born, but for mine, please daughter, not someone who will deny you the right to practice your craft. "And last -- my dear girl, this will come as a shock to you, and I am sorry. But when you were stuck in the well as a child, and so close to death, I became desperate, and took the very dangerous step of linking you to Pierre, so that you would not die as long as he lived. So you see, it was not only gratitude that made us raise him almost as your brother, but concern for your very life, since your mother and I knew that as long as he was healthy and well, so would you be. Therefore, child, keep an eye on him, and if ever he is in want, look after him carefully. I know that you are fond of him in any case, but think on this in addition: his very life is yours." It is signed, "Your loving father." > [hmm. OK, so 'woven up long ago' and 'proper light' probably means in the cellar and sunlight.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >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. Through the open door to the east you can make out the foot of the servants' staircase. >save Ok. >shine mirror at corner I only understood you as far as wanting to shine the mirror inset inside the box. >shine mirror You achieve nothing by this. >shine mirror at boxes I only understood you as far as wanting to shine the mirror inset inside the box. >[hmm.] That's not a verb I recognize. >shine mirror You achieve nothing by this. >e In your hunger, you dream of little grey-pink mushrooms. Or perhaps dark squares of prepared chocolate. 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. >shine mirror You achieve nothing by this. >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. >shine mirror You achieve nothing by this. >clean dust You achieve nothing by this. >read letter "Daughter," it begins. "If I ever leave you or am lost, there are some matters you must know of. First-- I have laid aside some provisions, a small store only, against disaster: money, letters of introduction to certain persons, but most of all the means to defend yourself, if need comes. They are hidden, and the ways to find them woven up long ago where only the proper light will show it. You're a clever girl, Marie. I know you will not resort to them heedlessly. "Look after the servants: they have been loyal and good all your life. If you find you wish to sell any of the odder things I brought your mother, don't give them away cheap. They'll fetch a large price from M. Couligne in the Rue des Arbres. If you marry, for your mother's sake let it be a man who is well-born, but for mine, please daughter, not someone who will deny you the right to practice your craft. "And last -- my dear girl, this will come as a shock to you, and I am sorry. But when you were stuck in the well as a child, and so close to death, I became desperate, and took the very dangerous step of linking you to Pierre, so that you would not die as long as he lived. So you see, it was not only gratitude that made us raise him almost as your brother, but concern for your very life, since your mother and I knew that as long as he was healthy and well, so would you be. Therefore, child, keep an eye on him, and if ever he is in want, look after him carefully. I know that you are fond of him in any case, but think on this in addition: his very life is yours." It is signed, "Your loving father." >['It is signed' is italicized; probably shouldn't be] That's not a verb I recognize. >unlink letter You succeed in unlinking the old letter from the mechanical human dancers. >link letter to dancers Bending your will, you form the link between the old letter and the mechanical human dancers. >play What do you want to play? >me It's not clear what you have in mind. >i You are carrying: some mechanical human dancers a blue bottle (which is closed) a stone block 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 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) >l 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 -- sturdy wood in yellowish brass panels -- stands open to the west. 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. 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. >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. An open green door leads north. A closed blue door leads east. An open magenta door leads west. >shine light on blue door You can't see any such thing. >x blue (the blue door leading east) A blue door leading east, currently closed. >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. >e (first opening the cyan door leading east) You open the cyan door leading east. 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. A closed cyan door leads northwest. An open cyan door leads west. >link iron to silver key The keys resist linking, almost as though they were made to do so. > [slightly awkward grammar--'made to do so' seems like it refers to 'linking' not 'resist linking'.] That's not a verb I recognize. >x iron A key of iron metal, with a magenta string tied through it. >untie string Futile. >cut string What do you want to cut the andouillettes with? >[eh?] You can't see any such thing. >l 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 cyan door leads northwest. An open cyan door leads west. A closed white door leads north; it looks oddly streaked. > I beg your pardon? >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 red door leads west. An open green door leads south. An open green door leads north. >s In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity poached turbot on a platter. 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 green door leads north. An open magenta door leads west. A closed blue door leads east. >x bottles You can't see any such thing. >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. An open green door leads south. A closed red door leads west. An open cyan door leads east. An open green door leads north. >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. >put box in hole Which do you mean, the dark wooden box or the snuffbox? >dark (first taking the dark wooden box) Taken. It's just a small hole in the wall where the brick has worn away, much too raggedy and uneven for anything you put there to stay in place. >aim mirror at hole That's not a verb I recognize. >shine mirror at hole I only understood you as far as wanting to shine the mirror inset inside the box. >shine mirror You achieve nothing by this. >read letter "Daughter," it begins. "If I ever leave you or am lost, there are some matters you must know of. First-- I have laid aside some provisions, a small store only, against disaster: money, letters of introduction to certain persons, but most of all the means to defend yourself, if need comes. They are hidden, and the ways to find them woven up long ago where only the proper light will show it. You're a clever girl, Marie. I know you will not resort to them heedlessly. "Look after the servants: they have been loyal and good all your life. If you find you wish to sell any of the odder things I brought your mother, don't give them away cheap. They'll fetch a large price from M. Couligne in the Rue des Arbres. If you marry, for your mother's sake let it be a man who is well-born, but for mine, please daughter, not someone who will deny you the right to practice your craft. "And last -- my dear girl, this will come as a shock to you, and I am sorry. But when you were stuck in the well as a child, and so close to death, I became desperate, and took the very dangerous step of linking you to Pierre, so that you would not die as long as he lived. So you see, it was not only gratitude that made us raise him almost as your brother, but concern for your very life, since your mother and I knew that as long as he was healthy and well, so would you be. Therefore, child, keep an eye on him, and if ever he is in want, look after him carefully. I know that you are fond of him in any case, but think on this in addition: his very life is yours." It is signed, "Your loving father." >[woven where the proper light will show it. Hmm.] That's not a verb I recognize. >[hints on ifMUD...] That's not a verb I recognize. >nw (first opening the cyan door leading northwest) There's no door handle on this side. >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 red door leads west. An open green door leads south. An open green door leads north. >s 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 green door leads north. An open magenta door leads west. A closed blue door leads east. >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. A closed red door leads east. The wine-cellar door -- sturdy wood in yellowish brass panels -- stands open to the west. A closed 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. >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. >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. >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. 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. In your hunger, you hallucinate onion soup. Or perhaps flaking puff pastry, wrapped around chicken. >link bauble to mirror (first unlinking the mirror inset inside the box) You succeed in unlinking the mirror inset inside the box from the gilt-wood mirror. The mirror is incompatible with anything that is not similarly reflective. The mirror inset inside the box stops glowing. It ceases glowing before commencing to shine with reflected light. >undo Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] >[oooh!] That's not a verb I recognize. >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, 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. Through the open door to the east you can make out the foot of the servants' staircase. >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. A closed 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. >e You'll have to get the red door leading east unlocked first. >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 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. >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. An open green door leads north. A closed blue door leads east. An open magenta door leads west. >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. An open cyan door leads east. An open green door leads north. An open green door leads south. A closed red door leads west. >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 yellow door leads southwest. A closed white door leads north; it looks oddly streaked. A closed cyan door leads northwest. An open cyan door leads west. >get blue jar Taken. >open it You open the blue glass jar. >pour it into red jar (first taking the red glass jar) Taken. You put some sea-salt in the red glass jar, exhausting the supply in the blue glass jar. There is still some room remaining in the red glass jar. >put box in blue jar (the dark wooden box in the blue glass jar) You put the dark wooden box into the blue glass jar. >open white (the white door leading north) There's no handle on this side of the door. >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 red door leads west. An open green door leads south. An open green door leads north. In your hunger, you hallucinate little grey-pink mushrooms. Or perhaps creme caramel. >n 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 cyan door leads southeast. An open green door leads south. A closed magenta door leads southwest. >e Spanish Reds 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. >e You can go only south or west. >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. A closed cyan door leads northwest. An open cyan door leads west. An open yellow door leads southwest. >e You can go only north, west, northwest or southwest. >[er, where am i?] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >nw (first opening the cyan door leading northwest) There's no door handle on this side. >open cyan (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. An open magenta door leads east. An open cyan door leads southeast. A closed magenta door leads southwest. An open green door leads south. >e Spanish Reds 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). An open white door leads south; it looks oddly streaked. An open magenta door leads west. In one corner is a massive wine barrel. >close white (the white door leading south) You close the white door leading south. It swings more lightly than most of the doors hereabouts. >open it You open the white door leading south. It swings more lightly than most of the doors hereabouts. >close blue jar You close the blue glass jar. >open white Which do you mean, the white door leading south, the white handkerchief or the pure white feather? >close white (the white door leading south) You close the white door leading south. It swings more lightly than most of the doors hereabouts. >open it You open the white door leading south. It swings more lightly than most of the doors hereabouts. >l Spanish Reds 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). An open magenta door leads west. An open white door leads south; it looks oddly streaked. In one corner is a massive wine barrel. >i You are carrying: a red glass jar (which is open) some sea-salt (which leaves the red glass jar about half full) a blue glass jar (which is closed) a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) some mechanical human dancers a blue bottle (which is closed) a stone block 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 west) some documents a rope ladder an old letter some household papers a small portrait 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) >s 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. >sw In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity curls of toasted bread, dripping with butter. Closet Not a room of its own; barely a large enough niche to walk into, in fact. An open yellow door leads northeast. >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. An open 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. An open magenta door leads east. An open cyan door leads southeast. An open green door leads south. A closed magenta door leads southwest. >s 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. >s 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 green door leads north. A closed blue door leads east. An open magenta door leads west. >open blue (the blue door leading east) It seems to be locked. >[arr] That's not a verb I recognize. >take off cloak You take off the navy cloak. >open blue (the blue door leading east) It seems to be locked. >open blue jar You open the blue glass jar. >get box Which do you mean, the dark wooden box or the snuffbox? >wooden (putting the navy cloak into the sack to make room) Taken. >put it in cloak That can't contain things. >wrap wooden in cloak That's not a verb I recognize. >[arr!] That's not a verb I recognize. >save Ok. >quit Are you sure you want to quit? y