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. >i You are carrying: a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) 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 open but empty) some mechanical human dancers a blue bottle (which is closed) a stone block a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) a navy cloak 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) >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. >close jar Which do you mean, the red glass jar or the blue glass jar? >blue You close the blue glass jar. >x blue (the blue door leading east) A blue door leading east, currently closed. >x blue jar A blue glass container with a wide mouth and a stopper. >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 sack (which is open) a navy cloak 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) >[hmm.] That's not a verb I recognize. >w In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity purple-black Hellene olives in a tray, with the pits still in. Or perhaps frosted petits-four. 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. 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. >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. >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, casting eerie distant light over the ground before it. Her desk remains, pushed against the wall. >x window Windows framed in the old style, arched at the top with a little knot of carved flowerettes and ribbon-work. >x jar Which do you mean, the red glass jar or the blue glass jar? >blue A blue glass container with a wide mouth and a stopper. >link window to blue Linking structural elements of a building you are inhabiting is generally considered a bad idea. >[arr] That's not a verb I recognize. >wipe mirror with sponge (the gilt-wood mirror with the sponge) (first taking the sponge) You wipe the gilt-wood mirror off with the sponge. >take off cloak You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: a sponge 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 sack (which is open) a navy cloak 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 an old letter some household papers a small portrait a crumpled paper a white handkerchief a burnt scrap of paper a butcher knife 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 cloak A fine navy cloak for a woman, lined with swansdown. >wrap box in cloak That's not a verb I recognize. >put box in cloak Which do you mean, the dark wooden box or the snuffbox? >dark (first taking the dark wooden box) The blue glass jar isn't open. You need to be holding the dark wooden box before you can put it on top of something else. >open blue jar You open the blue glass jar. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity an omelette of herbs and chives. Or perhaps 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. >put box in cloak Which do you mean, the dark wooden box or the snuffbox? >dark (first taking the dark wooden box) (putting the stone block into the sack to make room) Taken. That can't contain things. >i You are carrying: a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) a sponge 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 open but empty) some mechanical human dancers a blue bottle (which is closed) a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) a stone block a navy cloak 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 an old letter some household papers a small portrait a crumpled paper a white handkerchief a burnt scrap of paper a butcher knife 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) >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. >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. >put ladder on shelf There's no good way to attach the rope ladder. >throw ladder at shelf (first taking the rope ladder) (putting the blue bottle into the sack to make room) The rope ladder is much too large for you to throw gracefully. >i You are carrying: a rope ladder a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) a sponge 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 open but empty) some mechanical human dancers a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) a stone block a navy cloak a round metal tin (which is open but empty) an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) some documents an old letter some household papers a small portrait a crumpled paper a white handkerchief a burnt scrap of paper a butcher knife 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 two bottles of wine: a blue bottle (which is closed) a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a dashing hat (being worn) > I beg your pardon? >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. >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. >n 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. >e 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 (which is empty). >e In your hunger, you dream of little grey-pink mushrooms. Or perhaps the small, bitter oranges of Jerusalem. 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 round tin from well (first taking the round metal tin) (putting the mechanical human dancers into the sack to make room) Taken. You put some water in the round metal tin. This fills the round metal tin 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 (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 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. >drop tin Dropped. >x tin A thin metal container, somewhat old. In the round metal tin is some water. >throw stone at bauble (first taking the stone block) The stone block races through the air. It strikes the celestial bauble. The celestial bauble rolls off the high shelf and strikes the ground. It smashes dramatically. It deposits the tiny silver star and the tiny golden sun. The stone block comes to rest on the high shelf. >undo Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] >x ground You see nothing special about the floor. >i You are carrying: a rope ladder a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) a sponge 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 open but empty) a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) some mechanical human dancers a stone block a navy cloak an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) some documents an old letter some household papers a small portrait a crumpled paper a white handkerchief a burnt scrap of paper a butcher knife 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 two bottles of wine: a blue bottle (which is closed) a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a dashing hat (being worn) >drop all rope ladder: Dropped. dark wooden box: Dropped. sponge: Dropped. red glass jar: You set the red glass jar down gently. blue glass jar: You set the blue glass jar down gently. sack: Dropped. >get all from sack mechanical human dancers: Removed. stone block: Removed. navy cloak: Removed. iron key: Removed. documents: Removed. old letter: Removed. household papers: Removed. small portrait: You're carrying too many things already. crumpled paper: You're carrying too many things already. white handkerchief: You're carrying too many things already. burnt scrap of paper: You're carrying too many things already. butcher knife: You're carrying too many things already. swordstick: You're carrying too many things already. snuffbox: You're carrying too many things already. apples: You're carrying too many things already. hunks of salt pork: You're carrying too many things already. lentils: You're carrying too many things already. andouillettes: You're carrying too many things already. sprig of mint: You're carrying too many things already. sprig of parsley: You're carrying too many things already. bay leaf: You're carrying too many things already. clove of garlic: You're carrying too many things already. loaf of stale bread: You're carrying too many things already. single yellow onion: You're carrying too many things already. Easter Egg Recipe: You're carrying too many things already. Andouillettes Recipe: You're carrying too many things already. Lentil Soup Recipe: You're carrying too many things already. plate: You're carrying too many things already. hinge-lidded teapot: You're carrying too many things already. cup: You're carrying too many things already. blue bottle: You're carrying too many things already. bottle of Sauvignon Blanc: You're carrying too many things already. >drop all household papers: Dropped. old letter: Dropped. documents: Dropped. iron key: Dropped. navy cloak: Dropped. stone block: Dropped. mechanical human dancers: Dropped. >get all from sack small portrait: Removed. crumpled paper: Removed. white handkerchief: Removed. burnt scrap of paper: Removed. butcher knife: Removed. swordstick: Removed. snuffbox: Removed. apples: You're carrying too many things already. hunks of salt pork: You're carrying too many things already. lentils: You're carrying too many things already. andouillettes: You're carrying too many things already. sprig of mint: You're carrying too many things already. sprig of parsley: You're carrying too many things already. bay leaf: You're carrying too many things already. clove of garlic: You're carrying too many things already. loaf of stale bread: You're carrying too many things already. single yellow onion: You're carrying too many things already. Easter Egg Recipe: You're carrying too many things already. Andouillettes Recipe: You're carrying too many things already. Lentil Soup Recipe: You're carrying too many things already. plate: You're carrying too many things already. hinge-lidded teapot: You're carrying too many things already. cup: You're carrying too many things already. blue bottle: You're carrying too many things already. bottle of Sauvignon Blanc: You're carrying too many things already. In your hunger, you dream of curls of toasted bread, dripping with butter. >drop all snuffbox: Dropped. swordstick: Dropped. butcher knife: Dropped. burnt scrap of paper: Dropped. white handkerchief: Dropped. crumpled paper: Dropped. small portrait: Dropped. >get all from sack apples: Removed. hunks of salt pork: Removed. lentils: Removed. andouillettes: Removed. sprig of mint: Removed. sprig of parsley: Removed. bay leaf: Removed. clove of garlic: You're carrying too many things already. loaf of stale bread: You're carrying too many things already. single yellow onion: You're carrying too many things already. Easter Egg Recipe: You're carrying too many things already. Andouillettes Recipe: You're carrying too many things already. Lentil Soup Recipe: You're carrying too many things already. plate: You're carrying too many things already. hinge-lidded teapot: You're carrying too many things already. cup: You're carrying too many things already. blue bottle: You're carrying too many things already. bottle of Sauvignon Blanc: You're carrying too many things already. >drop all bay leaf: Dropped. sprig of parsley: Dropped. sprig of mint: Dropped. andouillettes: Dropped. lentils: Dropped. hunks of salt pork: Dropped. apples: Dropped. >get all from sack clove of garlic: Removed. loaf of stale bread: Removed. single yellow onion: Removed. Easter Egg Recipe: Removed. Andouillettes Recipe: Removed. Lentil Soup Recipe: Removed. plate: Removed. hinge-lidded teapot: You're carrying too many things already. cup: You're carrying too many things already. blue bottle: You're carrying too many things already. bottle of Sauvignon Blanc: You're carrying too many things already. >drop all plate: Dropped. Lentil Soup Recipe: Dropped. Andouillettes Recipe: Dropped. Easter Egg Recipe: Dropped. yellow onion: Dropped. loaf of stale bread: Dropped. clove of garlic: Dropped. >get all from sack hinge-lidded teapot: Removed. cup: Removed. blue bottle: Removed. bottle of Sauvignon Blanc: Removed. >drop all bottle of Sauvignon Blanc: You set the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc down gently. blue bottle: You set the blue bottle down gently. cup: Dropped. hinge-lidded teapot: Dropped. >throw stone at baubl You can't see any such thing. >throw stone at bauble (first taking the stone block) The stone block races through the air. It strikes the celestial bauble, which rolls off the high shelf. It strikes the ground. It breaks, disgorging the tiny silver star and the tiny golden sun. The stone block comes to rest on the high shelf. > 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.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Staircase, First Floor [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Entrance Hall [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Dining Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Kitchen Corridor [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Kitchen [Previous turn undone.] >i You are carrying: a round metal tin (which is open) some water (which fills the round metal tin to the brim) a rope ladder a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) a sponge 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 open but empty) a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) some mechanical human dancers a stone block a navy cloak an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) some documents an old letter some household papers a small portrait a crumpled paper a white handkerchief a burnt scrap of paper a butcher knife 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 two bottles of wine: a blue bottle (which is closed) a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a dashing hat (being worn) >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 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. >link bauble to tin You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >g You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >g You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >g You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >i You are carrying: a round metal tin (which is open) some water (which fills the round metal tin to the brim) a rope ladder a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (reflecting white light from the sunlight) a sponge 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 open but empty) a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) some mechanical human dancers a stone block a navy cloak an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) some documents an old letter some household papers a small portrait a crumpled paper a white handkerchief a burnt scrap of paper a butcher knife 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 two bottles of wine: a blue bottle (which is closed) a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a dashing hat (being worn) >pour tin into blue You put some water in the blue glass jar, exhausting the supply in the round metal tin. This fills the blue glass jar to the brim. >link bauble to tin You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >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. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity flaking puff pastry, wrapped around chicken. Or perhaps frosted petits-four. >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. >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. >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 (which is empty). >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. >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). >turn dial You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting FISH. >g You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting SHOE. >g You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting HEART. >g You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting NONE. >g 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. >[Nope, no 'sphere'] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >[hmm...] That's not a verb I recognize. >restore Ok. >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) >restore Ok. >i You are carrying: an Easter Egg Recipe a red glass jar (which is closed) a quantity of sugar (which leaves the red glass jar about half full) a blue glass jar (which is closed) some sea-salt (which leaves the blue glass jar about half full) four food items: some apples some hunks of salt pork some lentils a vanilla bean 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 two metal dishes: a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open but empty) a plate a sack (which is open) 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) seven food items: 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) >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. >n (first opening the grey-blue door leading north) You open the grey-blue door leading north. The grey-blue door leading down shuts. 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 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. >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 plate into the sack to make room) Taken. iron key: (putting the hinge-lidded teapot 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. 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. >open tin You open the round metal tin, revealing some dark beans. >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 small portrait 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. 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. There is also a single bottle of mead remaining in one of the slots. >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. >open green You open the green door leading north. >get all magenta door leading west: That's fixed in place. blue door leading east: That's fixed in place. green door leading north: 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 -- sturdy wood in yellowish brass panels -- stands open to the west. 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. >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). >put bean, beans in contraption vanilla bean: Done. dark beans: (first taking the dark beans) (putting the dark wooden box into the sack to make room) Taken. Done. >get red You already have that. >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 plate in it (first taking the plate) (putting the pearl necklace into the sack to make room) Taken. You put the plate into the red glass jar. >get recipe (the Andouillettes Recipe) (putting the old letter 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. >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!" >get plate (putting the lentils into the sack to make room) Taken. >put it in contraption (first opening the delicate contraption) You open the contraption, revealing three food items (a quantity of sugar, some dark beans and a vanilla bean). 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.] >undo Kitchen [Previous turn undone.] >turn dia You can't see any such thing. >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. >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 hunks of salt pork into the sack to make room) Taken. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity fresh white cheese. >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 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. >link bauble to rose You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they are just too dissimilar. >[curses[ That's not a verb I recognize. >link rose to floor (down) You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >link rose to the ground You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >i You are carrying: a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) 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) a sack (which is open) 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 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) nine food items: 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 food items: a chocolate rose some apples two recipe cylinders: an Andouillettes Recipe an Easter Egg Recipe >link stone to bauble You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they are just too dissimilar. >link tin to bauble You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they seem as though they will never go together. >link bauble to sponge Bending your will, you form the link between the celestial bauble and the sponge. >unlink bauble You succeed in unlinking the celestial bauble from the sponge. >reverse link bauble to sponge Bending your will and all your attention, you manage to make a reverse-link between the celestial bauble and the sponge, feeling their properties begin to merge together. >throw stone at shelf (first taking the stone block) (putting the Easter Egg Recipe into the sack to make room) The stone block arcs through the air before smacking the high shelf solidly. >undo Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] >throw stone at bauble (first taking the stone block) (putting the Easter Egg Recipe into the sack to make room) The stone block arcs through the air. It smites the celestial bauble. The celestial bauble rolls off the high shelf. It hits the ground. The stone block lands on the high shelf. >unlink bauble You succeed in unlinking the celestial bauble from the sponge. In your hunger, you dream of poached turbot on a platter. >x it 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. >put it in blue jar (first taking the celestial bauble) (putting the Andouillettes Recipe into the sack to make room) Taken. The blue glass jar is closed. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] >[boogie!] That's not a verb I recognize. >open jar (the blue glass jar) You open the blue glass jar. >put bauble in blue jar That won't fit into the blue glass jar, given what else is already there. >x blue A blue glass container with a wide mouth and a stopper. In the blue glass jar is some sea-salt. >x red 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. >pour blue into red 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. >[whoops, wrong save game file) You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >restore Ok. >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. 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. >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. >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. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity the hearts of artichokes, pickled and speared. Or perhaps dark squares of prepared chocolate. >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. >u You can go only north, east or down. >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. >link bauble to sponge Bending your will, you form the link between the celestial bauble and the sponge. >reverse link bauble to sponge The two are already linked. >unlink bauble You succeed in unlinking the celestial bauble from the sponge. >reverse link bauble to sponge Bending your will and all your attention, you manage to make a reverse-link between the celestial bauble and the sponge, feeling their properties begin to merge together. >throw stone at bauble The stone block races through the air. It hits the celestial bauble. The celestial bauble rolls off the high shelf. It strikes the ground and the stone block falls on the high shelf. >unlink bauble You succeed in unlinking the celestial bauble from the sponge. >get it Taken. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] >open blue That's already open. >pour salt into red Which do you mean, the sea-salt in the red glass jar or the hunks of salt pork? >pour red into blue You put some sea-salt in the blue glass jar, exhausting the supply in the red glass jar. There is still some room remaining in the blue glass jar. >undo Old Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] >pour blue into red The blue glass jar is empty. >put bauble in blue You put the celestial bauble into the blue glass jar. >close it That's not something you can close. >close blue You close the blue glass jar. >close box (the dark wooden box) You close the dark wooden box. In your hunger, you hallucinate onion soup. >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 black door leads south. A closed black door leads east. A closed black 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. An open black door leads east. There is a black trap door closed in the middle of the room, just visible among the dust as a less-dusty area. An open black 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 black door leads north. A closed black door leads east. An open black 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. A closed black door leads east. An open black door leads north. An open black door leads south. A closed black door leads west. >e (first opening the black door leading east) You open the black 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 black door leads southwest. An open black door leads north; it looks oddly streaked. A closed black door leads northwest. An open black door leads west. >n 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 black door leads south; it looks oddly streaked. An open black door leads west. In one corner is a massive wine barrel. >close black (the black door leading west) You close the black door leading west. >close black (the black door leading south) You close the black door leading south. It swings more lightly than most of the doors hereabouts. >open it You open the black door leading south. It swings more lightly than most of the doors hereabouts. >close black (the black door leading south) You close the black door leading south. It swings more lightly than most of the doors hereabouts. >w (first opening the black door leading west) You open the black door leading west. Fortified Wines Port, tokay, sherry; amontillado; casks, bottles furred with age and sealed with clots of red wax and ribbon seals. An open black door leads east. A closed black door leads southeast. An open black door leads south. A closed black door leads southwest. In your hunger, you dream of curls of toasted bread. >se (first opening the black door leading southeast) There's no door handle on this side. >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. An open black door leads east. An open black door leads north. A closed black door leads west. An open black door leads south. >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 black door leads north. An open black door leads west. A closed black door leads east. >open east (the black door leading east) It seems to be locked. >open north (north) That's not something you can open. >close north (the black door leading north) You close the black door leading north. >open it You open the black 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. An open black door leads south. A closed black door leads west. An open black door leads east. An open black 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 black door leads north. An open black door leads west. A closed black door leads east. >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 black door leads south. A closed black door leads west. An open black door leads east. An open black 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. A closed black door leads north; it looks oddly streaked. A closed black door leads northwest. An open black door leads west. An open black door leads southwest. >look in south You find nothing of interest. >look in hole Through the hole you see Cheese Corner. You can dimly make out a heavy chest, a silver key and a black glass jar. >[nice] That's not a verb I recognize. >[Er, nice that even the jar is 'black'] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x north door On close examination, you have the impression that the paint on this door has either faded or been washed over with whitewash; you can still see faint streaks of some darker color, but their efficacy would seem to be gone. >clean north (the black door leading north) You scrape at the door ineffectually for a while -- just long enough to reveal that it would take all day to remove the white from the door. But you can see that the underlying paint color was once blue. >[oh, hey.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >i You are carrying: a dark wooden box (which is closed) a black glass jar (which is open) some sea-salt (which leaves the black glass jar about half full) a black glass jar (which is closed) a celestial bauble some mechanical human dancers a black bottle (which is closed) a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) a navy cloak a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) an iron key (which opens the black door leading west) some documents a rope ladder an old letter some household papers a small portrait a crumpled paper a black 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) >open box (the dark wooden box) You open the dark wooden box, revealing a mirror inset inside the box. >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. >close box (the dark wooden box) You close the dark wooden box. >open white That's not something you can open. >open north (the black door leading north) There's no handle on this side of the door. >nw (first opening the black door leading northwest) There's no door handle on this side. >e You can go only north, west, northwest or southwest. >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 black door leads east. A closed black door leads west. An open black door leads south. An open black door leads north. >n Fortified Wines Port, tokay, sherry; amontillado; casks, bottles furred with age and sealed with clots of red wax and ribbon seals. A closed black door leads southeast. An open black door leads south. A closed black door leads southwest. An open black door leads east. >e In your hunger, you hallucinate sausages fried in onions and olive oil. Or perhaps a heavy Christmas-time cake with candied fruit and smothered in brandy, such as Englishmen sometimes bring with them to Paris. And you have always considered them an abomination heretofore. 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 black door leads south; it looks oddly streaked. An open black door leads west. In one corner is a massive wine barrel. >open south (the black door leading south) You open the black door leading south. It swings more lightly than most of the doors hereabouts. >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 black door leads north; it looks oddly streaked. A closed black door leads northwest. An open black door leads west. An open black door leads southwest. >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 black door leads east. An open black door leads north. A closed black door leads west. An open black door leads south. >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 black door leads north. An open black door leads west. A closed black door leads east. >open east (the black door leading east) It seems to be locked. >[grr] That's not a verb I recognize. >i You are carrying: a dark wooden box (which is closed) a black glass jar (which is open) some sea-salt (which leaves the black glass jar about half full) a black glass jar (which is closed) a celestial bauble some mechanical human dancers a black bottle (which is closed) a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) a navy cloak a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) an iron key (which opens the black door leading west) some documents a rope ladder an old letter some household papers a small portrait a crumpled paper a black 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) >open black glass jar (the black glass jar) You open the black glass jar. >g Which do you mean, the black glass jar or the black glass jar? >a (the black glass jar) That's already open. >i You are carrying: a dark wooden box (which is closed) a black glass jar (which is open) some sea-salt (which leaves the black glass jar about half full) a black glass jar (which is open) a celestial bauble some mechanical human dancers a black bottle (which is closed) a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) a navy cloak a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) a round metal tin (which is open but empty) an iron key (which opens the black door leading west) some documents a rope ladder an old letter some household papers a small portrait a crumpled paper a black 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 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. >s You can go only north, east or west. >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 black door leads east. There is a black trap door closed in the middle of the room, just visible among the dust as a less-dusty area. An open black door leads north. >s You can go only north, east or down. >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 black door leads west. A closed black door leads east. An open black door leads north. >get bauble Taken. >pour red into blue You put some sea-salt in the black glass jar, exhausting the supply in the black glass jar. There is still some room remaining in the black glass jar. >put bauble in red You put the celestial bauble into the black glass jar. >l 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 black door leads west. A closed black door leads east. An open black door leads north. >[grr, should be maroon] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >open door (the black door leading east) It seems to be locked. >close door You close the black door leading west. >open it You open the black door leading west. >close north (the black door leading north) You close the black door leading north. >open it You open the black door leading north. In your hunger, you dream of little grey-pink mushrooms, tenderly cooked. Or perhaps fresh white cheese, still in the soft balls. >[lame!] That's not a verb I recognize. >version 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 >unlink bauble The celestial bauble is not linked. >link bauble to blue jar You valiantly try to link the two objects, but they are just a little too different. Maybe if they looked more alike. >link bauble to mirror You can't see any such thing. >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 black door leads east. There is a black trap door closed in the middle of the room, just visible among the dust as a less-dusty area. An open black 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 black door leads south. A closed black door leads east. A closed black 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. >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. >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. >u 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 stone block. 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. >unlink mirror You succeed in unlinking the gilt-wood mirror from the mirror inset inside the box. The gilt-wood mirror ceases glowing. It ceases glowing. It starts to shine with reflected light. >link bauble to mirror The mirror is incompatible with anything that is not similarly reflective. >link bauble to sun (the sunlight) Bending your will, you form the link between the celestial bauble and the sunlight. The celestial bauble commences to glow with reflected light. >undo Marie's Chamber [Previous turn undone.] >reverse link bauble to sun (the sunlight) The similarities are too weak for a reverse-link. Reverse links are even pickier than regular links that way. >link bauble to sun (the sunlight) Bending your will, you form the link between the celestial bauble and the sunlight. The celestial bauble begins to glow with reflected light. >put bauble in blue jar (first taking the celestial bauble) Taken. That won't fit into the blue glass jar, given what else is already there. >x blue jar A blue glass container with a wide mouth and a stopper. In the blue glass jar is some sea-salt. In your hunger, you hallucinate an omelette of herbs and chives. >pour blue into red 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 bauble in blue jar You put the celestial bauble into the blue glass jar. >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 stone block. 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. 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 blue door leads south. A closed black door leads east. A closed blue 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 box (the dark wooden box) That's already 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. An open blue door leads east. There is a blue trap door closed in the middle of the room, just visible among the dust as a less-dusty area. An open 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 black door leads north. A closed blue door leads east. An open blue 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 blue door leads east. An open black door leads north. An open black door leads south. A closed black 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 blue door leads east. A closed blue door leads southeast. An open black door leads south. A closed blue 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). An open blue door leads south; it looks oddly streaked. An open blue door leads west. In one corner is a massive wine barrel. >close blue (the blue door leading west) You close the blue door leading west. >g (the blue door leading south) You close the blue door leading south. In your hunger, you dream of sausages fried in onions and olive oil, perhaps with a dash of dry wine. >open west (the blue door leading west) You open the blue door leading west. >w Fortified Wines Port, tokay, sherry; amontillado; casks, bottles furred with age and sealed with clots of red wax and ribbon seals. An open blue door leads east. A closed blue door leads southwest. A closed blue door leads southeast. An open black door leads south. >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. An open black door leads north. A closed black door leads west. An open blue door leads east. An open black door leads south. >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 black door leads north. An open blue door leads west. An open blue door leads east. >e Cheese Corner Thanks to the insistence of the Count, this portion of the wine cellar was cleared out for the storage of fine cheeses; instead of bottle racks there are shelves for storage. An open blue door leads west. There is a tiny hole in the north wall, through which one might view the room beyond. One corner of the room is occupied by a heavy chest. A silver key sits here. You can also see a black glass jar (which is closed) (in which are two food items (a goat cheese and a great deal of olive oil)) here. >open box (the dark wooden box) You open the dark wooden box, revealing a mirror inset inside the box. >l Cheese Corner Thanks to the insistence of the Count, this portion of the wine cellar was cleared out for the storage of fine cheeses; instead of bottle racks there are shelves for storage. An open blue door leads west. There is a tiny hole in the north wall, through which one might view the room beyond. One corner of the room is occupied by a heavy chest. A silver key sits here. You can also see a black glass jar (which is closed) (in which are two food items (a goat cheese and a great deal of olive oil)) here. >get bauble Taken. >l Cheese Corner Thanks to the insistence of the Count, this portion of the wine cellar was cleared out for the storage of fine cheeses; instead of bottle racks there are shelves for storage. An open blue door leads west. There is a tiny hole in the north wall, through which one might view the room beyond. One corner of the room is occupied by a heavy chest. A silver key sits here. You can also see a green glass jar (which is closed) (in which are two food items (a goat cheese and a great deal of olive oil)) here. >get green (putting the blue bottle into the sack to make room) Taken. >get silver (the silver key) (putting the mechanical human dancers into the sack to make room) Taken. >open chest You open the heavy chest, revealing two food items (a salers and a wedge of brie). >get all from chest salers: (putting the blue glass jar into the sack to make room) Removed. wedge of brie: (putting the dark wooden box into the sack to make room) Removed. >x salers An aged, creamy yellowish cheese with an uneven grey-brown rind. It has a sharp and distinctive flavor, though it does not fall under the category of stinky cheeses. >x wedge Oozing and ripe, somehow. You would expect it to be thoroughly ruined by now -- this is not a cheese that should age -- but the Count's powers were diverse, and extended to careful protections of his possessions. >[that's just wacky] That's not a verb I recognize. >l Cheese Corner Thanks to the insistence of the Count, this portion of the wine cellar was cleared out for the storage of fine cheeses; instead of bottle racks there are shelves for storage. An open blue door leads west. There is a tiny hole in the north wall, through which one might view the room beyond. One corner of the room is occupied by a heavy chest. >look through hole Through the hole you see Dessert Wines. You can dimly make out very little. >get chest That's fixed in place. >w 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 blue door leads east. An open magenta door leads west. An open green door leads north. >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. >w In your hunger, you dream of the hearts of artichokes, pickled and speared. 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. 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. >unlock east (with the silver key) You unlock the red door leading east. >open east (the red door leading east) You open the red door leading east. The red vault door opens. >n Wine Cellar Vault Thick-layered with dust, with a cool ancient air. The vault door stands invitingly open. You can also see a pine chest (which is closed) and a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape (which is closed) here. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] >open pine You open the pine chest, revealing four pieces of silverware (a fork, a spoon, a table knife and a silver-plated corkscrew). >get all from pine fork: (putting the green glass jar into the sack to make room) Removed. spoon: (putting the silver key into the sack to make room) Removed. table knife: (putting the salers into the sack to make room) Removed. silver-plated corkscrew: (putting the wedge of brie into the sack to make room) Removed. >get all from pine You can't use multiple objects with that verb. >[oops] That's not a verb I recognize. >get bottle (the bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape) (putting the fork into the sack to make room) Taken. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] >x it A grand old bottle, a fine year: you recognize the vintage and know a Duke in Paris who would give his own daughter's hand in marriage in exchange for a gift like this. Worth it? Quite possibly. >[wow] That's not a verb I recognize. >l Wine Cellar Vault Thick-layered with dust, with a cool ancient air. The vault door stands invitingly open. You can also see a pine chest (which is empty) here. >get pine (putting the spoon into the sack to make room) Taken. >[huh] That's not a verb I recognize. >s 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. The vault door stands invitingly open. The wine-cellar door -- sturdy wood in yellowish brass panels -- stands open to the west. A closed magenta door leads northeast. An open red door leads east. An open grey-blue door leads south. >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. >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. >u The mirror inset inside the box begins to glow with reflected light. 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. >n 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. >save Ok. >put bauble in model The celestial bauble clicks neatly into position, shining over all the surrounding planets just as the sun ought. But the planets do not move, and the lens through the center of Jupiter is not aligned to cast light anywhere. >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. >pull pendulum Nothing obvious happens. In your hunger, you hallucinate an omelette of herbs and chives. Or perhaps purple-black Hellene olives in a tray, with the pits still in. >pull weights You give a tug to the weight chain and pull it all the way back up to the top. The cuckoo clock ticks sullenly. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] >n 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. The clockwork model universe has stopped; a beam of light from the "sun" at the center, focused through Jupiter, shines in the direction of the shelves, highlighting The World Is Hollow. On the shelves is The World Is Hollow. On one wall is an enormous portrait of the Count's father, from the hand of Hyacinthe Rigaud. >get world Taken. >read it The pages of the book have been hollowed out, leaving a square hole. In The World Is Hollow is a jeweled pin. >get pin (putting the table knife into the sack to make room) Taken. [Your score has just gone up by four points.] >x it Decorated with fine-chip diamonds, and formed into the shape of a complicated bow of several strands, for a lady's use. The clasp is currently shut. >wear it (first opening the clasp) You open the jeweled pin. You slip the jewelled pin on. You close the jeweled pin. >[hmm, interesting] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x portrait (the framed 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. >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. The clockwork model universe has stopped; a beam of light from the "sun" at the center, focused through Jupiter, shines in the direction of the shelves, highlighting a spot where The World Is Hollow used to be. 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. In the holder is a celestial bauble, taking the place of the sun. It is gleaming from within. The Jupiter planet catches the light and flings it in a beam at the shelves, marking an empty spot where a book once was. In the model universe is a celestial bauble. >get bauble The celestial bauble slips out of its holder, and the planets go dark. >put it in model The celestial bauble clicks neatly into position, shining over all the surrounding planets just as the sun ought. The beam of light shines through the lens of Jupiter again, just as it did before. >get it The celestial bauble slips out of its holder, and the planets go dark. >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. The cuckoo clock ticks sullenly. >set time to 11:58 You can't see any such thing. >set time You can't see any such thing. >set clock to 11:58 The clock now shows 11:58. The cuckoo clock ticks sullenly. >n 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. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity onion soup. Or perhaps creme caramel, elegantly centered in its pool of sweet liquid and garnished with three-- no, make it four-- fresh raspberries. >push planets The model universe is designed to work under its own power. >n You can go only south or east. >x shelves The shelves line both sides of the room from floor to ceiling. >search shelves You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, On Vegetable Dyes, Clock Repair, and Guide to Assorted Wines. >read dyes (first taking On Vegetable Dyes) (putting the silver-plated corkscrew 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. >read repair (first taking Clock Repair) (putting the bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape 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 guide (first taking Guide to Assorted Wines) (putting the pine chest into the sack to make room) Taken. ...should then attend to the possibility that the vines have themselves been tainted... >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 World Is Hollow 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. >i You are carrying: four books: The Lavori d'Aracne Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair On Vegetable Dyes a celestial bauble (providing white light) a jeweled pin (being worn) a red glass jar (which is open) some sea-salt (which leaves the red glass jar about half full) a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) The World Is Hollow (which is open but empty) a pine chest (which is open but empty) four pieces of silverware: a silver-plated corkscrew a table knife a spoon a fork a silver key (which opens the red door leading west) a green glass jar (which is closed) two food items: a goat cheese a great deal of olive oil (which leaves some room in the green glass jar) a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (providing light) a blue glass jar (which is open but empty) some mechanical human dancers a navy cloak a round metal tin (which is open but empty) an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) 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) 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 three bottles of wine: a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape (which is closed) a blue bottle (which is closed) a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) twelve food items: a wedge of brie a salers 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) >[Hey, that 'hollow world' is a ref to Pytho. Yay!] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >read recipe Which do you mean, the Easter Egg Recipe, the Andouillettes Recipe or the Lentil Soup Recipe? >a (the Easter Egg Recipe) Easter Egg Recipe: eggs in colored shells, butter, sea salt, hard cheese. >read andouillettes Veal cased in tripe. Tasty food. The servants used to eat them with fried onions -- a good, hearty smell that leaked out of the kitchen while you played outside, until you went inside, and sometimes they would let you eat at the kitchen table rather than with the Family. >read andouillettes recipe Andouillettes Recipe: andouillettes, olive oil, dry white wine, single yellow onion, sea-salt. >read lentil Lentil Soup Recipe: lentils, single yellow onion, water, clove of garlic, bay leaf, olive oil, sea-salt. >[hmm, still need olive oil for those] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >[Hey, after reading your liquids post, I have idea about tea recipe.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >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. The cuckoo clock ticks sullenly. >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. The cuckoo clock ticks sullenly. >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. The cuckoo clock ticks sullenly. In your hunger, you dream of the hearts of artichokes, pickled and speared. Or perhaps a heavy Christmas-time cake with candied fruit and smothered in brandy, such as Englishmen sometimes bring with them to Paris. And you have always considered them an abomination heretofore. >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. The cuckoo clock ticks sullenly. >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 (which is empty). >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. >put onion in drain (first taking the single yellow onion) (putting On Vegetable Dyes into the sack to make room) Taken. You wedge the yellow onion into the drain hole, blocking it. >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). >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 (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 (which is empty). >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. >i You are carrying: a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open) some water (which fills the hinge-lidded teapot to the brim) three books: The Lavori d'Aracne Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair a celestial bauble (providing white light) a jeweled pin (being worn) a red glass jar (which is open) some sea-salt (which leaves the red glass jar about half full) a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) two books: On Vegetable Dyes The World Is Hollow (which is open but empty) a pine chest (which is open but empty) four pieces of silverware: a silver-plated corkscrew a table knife a spoon a fork a silver key (which opens the red door leading west) a green glass jar (which is closed) two food items: a goat cheese a great deal of olive oil (which leaves some room in the green glass jar) a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (providing light) a blue glass jar (which is open but empty) some mechanical human dancers a navy cloak a round metal tin (which is open but empty) an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) 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) three recipe cylinders: an Easter Egg Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a Lentil Soup Recipe two metal dishes: a plate a cup three bottles of wine: a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape (which is closed) a blue bottle (which is closed) a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) eleven food items: a wedge of brie a salers 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 dashing hat (being worn) >[hey, I have an actual cork now, don't I?] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >open blue bottle with corkscrew I only understood you as far as wanting to open the blue glass jar. >[eh?] That's not a verb I recognize. >open bottle with corkscrew Which do you mean, the bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape or a blue bottle? >blue I only understood you as far as wanting to open the blue glass jar. >get bottle Which do you mean, the bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape or a blue bottle? >a (the bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape) (putting Clock Repair into the sack to make room) Taken. >get a bottle (the blue bottle) (putting Guide to Assorted Wines into the sack to make room) Taken. >open it (first taking the corkscrew) (putting The Lavori d'Aracne into the sack to make room) Taken. Delicately you extract the cork and then remove it from the corkscrew. 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 63 out of a possible 125, in 607 turns, giving you the rank of magic-using thief. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, give the FULL score for that game or QUIT? > [eeeagh!] Please give one of the answers above. > undo Scullery [Previous turn undone.] >open bottle Which do you mean, a blue bottle or the bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape? >pape You wouldn't want to jeopardize such a valuable commodity, surely. >i You are carrying: two bottles of wine: a blue bottle (which is closed) a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape (which is closed) a hinge-lidded teapot (which is open) some water (which fills the hinge-lidded teapot to the brim) The Lavori d'Aracne a celestial bauble (providing white light) a jeweled pin (being worn) a red glass jar (which is open) some sea-salt (which leaves the red glass jar about half full) a pearl necklace (being worn) a sack (which is open) four books: Guide to Assorted Wines Clock Repair On Vegetable Dyes The World Is Hollow (which is open but empty) a pine chest (which is open but empty) four pieces of silverware: a silver-plated corkscrew a table knife a spoon a fork a silver key (which opens the red door leading west) a green glass jar (which is closed) two food items: a goat cheese a great deal of olive oil (which leaves some room in the green glass jar) a dark wooden box (which is open) a mirror inset inside the box (providing light) a blue glass jar (which is open but empty) some mechanical human dancers a navy cloak a round metal tin (which is open but empty) an iron key (which opens the magenta door leading east) 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) three recipe cylinders: an Easter Egg Recipe an Andouillettes Recipe a Lentil Soup Recipe two metal dishes: a plate a cup a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (which is closed) eleven food items: a wedge of brie a salers 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 dashing hat (being worn) In your hunger, you dream of dark squares of prepared chocolate. >get bottle (the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc) (putting The Lavori d'Aracne into the sack to make room) Taken. >open it (first taking the corkscrew) (putting the bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape into the sack to make room) Taken. Delicately you extract the cork and then remove it from the corkscrew. >x cork A cylinder of spongy cork. >reverse link cork to tea Bending your will and all your attention, you manage to make a reverse-link between the cork and the shiny silver cylinder, feeling their properties begin to merge together. >[yay!] That's not a verb I recognize. >pour water into sink You put some water in the drain hole, exhausting the supply in the hinge-lidded teapot. The shiny silver cylinder floats on the surface of the water. >get cylnder You can't see any such thing. >get tea (putting the hinge-lidded teapot into the sack to make room) Taken. [Your score has just gone up by five points.] >[yay!] That's not a verb I recognize. >read it The label is smudged and illegible. >[oh, crap You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] >read tea The label is smudged and illegible. > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Scullery [Previous turn undone.] >read tea shiny silver cylinder: The writing is illegible. >[hrm] That's not a verb I recognize. >open blanc Opening a container of Sauvignon Blanc while it is in the sack seems like an invitation to disaster. >get it (putting Clock Repair into the sack to make room) Taken. >open it (first taking the corkscrew) (putting Guide to Assorted Wines into the sack to make room) Taken. Delicately you extract the cork and then remove it from the corkscrew. >x shiny A cylinder of silver metal perhaps as long as your thumb. On the surface are a series of strange bumps, depressions, and grooves, seeming carefully wrought and utterly intentional. The core of the cylinder is hollow, but over one end is a piece of paper which bears a label, in careful lettering, which reads, "Tea Recipe." >read it Tea Recipe: The writing is illegible. In your hunger, you imagine in great clarity fresh white cheese. Or perhaps poached turbot on a platter and hedged around with lightly seared summer vegetables. >reverse link cork to sh