Start of a transcript of Pytho's Mask Copyright (c) 2001 by Emily Short. (First-time users should type 'help'.) Release 1 / Serial number 010201 / Inform v6.15 Library 6/10 Standard interpreter 1.0 (6F) / Library serial number 991113 >restart Are you sure you want to restart? y A small room. Three men; you recognize only one. "You, Soteria," says the leader. "I understand you have an invitation to the Celebration of the Night of the Comet." Heat floods your face. How does he know that? "I have an invitation, but I wasn't sure-- that is, I wasn't planning--" "You'll go," he says. The words die half-formed. An urgent command overrides your personal doubts. "What am I to do?" "Speak to the Physician -- he's one of ours, but we've been unable to speak to him of late. Find out anything he knows about the King's illness. And protect the King." "From what?" The leader smiles a little wryly. "I wish I could tell you, girl. This is the Night of the Comet. It could be anything." As you turn to go, one of the others touches your arm. "How did you get an invitation? We've all been trying for months--" "Someone gave it to me," you say curtly. "A rendezvous of sorts." "But--" "Don't worry, I'll attend to my duty," you say. Adding, mostly to yourself: "The masked man won't be there anyway, I'm sure." Since he became an outlaw shortly after he invited you... Pytho's Mask Copyright (c) 2001 by Emily Short. (First-time users should type 'help'.) Release 1 / Serial number 010201 / Inform v6.15 Library 6/10 Terrace A terrace of lunar marble, surrounded by a low balustrade. It gleams softly of its own in the darkening night. To the west, shallow steps descend to the enclosure of the Square Garden; east beckons the brilliance of the Sun Court. The minister of the moon stands at the far end, gazing upwards. >help At any time you can see from the status bar to whom you are talking; sometimes there is also a list of up to four comments that you can make. Choose one of these by typing >A, >B, >C, etc. at the prompt, just as you would any other verb. If you are dissatisfied with the selection, you can also type >TOPIC . So for instance if your options listed at the moment are all vapid remarks about fashion and you would rather say, "Pass the Stilton, please," you might try >TOPIC CHEESE. >TOPIC does not cost a turn to use, so you can explore a number of topics if you're looking for something specific to say. For your convenience this is also abbreviated to >T. So >T CHEESE would work, too. To talk to a new person, type >GREET ; to say goodbye try >T GOODBYE. To revert to the topic you were on at the end of the last conversational exchange, >UNTOPIC. See also CREDITS. >credits Credit goes to Graham Nelson for Inform and Roger Firth for SmartCantGo. More importantly, however: this game is not the game I meant to enter in the SmoochieComp. I worked for a month and three weeks of the two month period on an entirely different game; then I ran into problems that will prevent me from finishing it until a Mac Glulx compiler becomes available. So I started this game instead. I would never conceivably have finished it without the design help and alpha testing and dialogue contributions of Dan Shiovitz-- not to mention the combination of bullying and gentle persuasion that kept me working without descending (too much farther) into madness. Beta testing: Andrew Frederiksen. >x minister A grave man with long grey mustaches and an indigo robe. He wears the hat of his station, a deep blue cap with silver horns. "A fine night," the Moon Minister comments, though he barely turns to acknowledge your presence. "The viewing is good. When the comet rises it will be clearer than the moon itself." >a "Have you seen the comet before?" "We passed it on our way here," he says. "Even at a distance it was horrible to look at, a great ship with sails of ice and banners of fire, whose galleys groaned with the souls of the dead." >a "Who sails it?" "As to that we have only mythology to rely on," the Moon Minister replies, and his eyelids droop with the reminiscence of things long past. >d "Are there any old stories about the Moon?" "Some, but it is mostly a quiet place. There are no people who come from there; only plants and animals. A place of great peace, you see. And when we build our palaces there the moon blesses us with the desire for that over any other thing. Peace without strife, and gentle change if any change at all." >c "Are there any old stories about the Earth?" "Many," he says, "about how men first found the gate inside, and the original explorers of it; how they wandered for many miles through caves before they came to where the hollow widened and they could see the heart of it. And also about how the first King married a woman who came from a cave in the mountains, which doubtless means that she was Earth-born, that she came from Inside." >c "What happened between the Earth-woman and the King?" "She made the land fertile for the people, and they prospered," said the Moon Minister. "In that respect it is a tedious story with a dull agricultural outcome... Stories about the moon are much more beautiful." >c "Are there any other myths about the Earth?" "Yes," he says, as though faintly tired, "but you'd do better to ask the Earth Minister about them. She could tell you much more enthusiastically than I could. Those stories bore me considerably." >untopic (You contemplate your options.) > Hot key -- Undo one turn Terrace [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Terrace [Previous turn undone.] >a "What does mythology say of the comet?" "How long do you have to listen?" asks the Moon Minister. "There are many stories, some of them twice the age of the Empire; if I had the knack I would recite one of them for you now, a song that takes all night to hear, as once they used to do, before people began to prefer dancing..." >a "Even a brief example would interest me, I'm sure." "There are those who say that at the beginning all things were orderly. There were a thousand thousand particles all alike, and all falling straight down. And then one of those particles, for reasons known only to itself, swerved from its course and collided with another, and chaos came. And from this the universe was born in the form that we now see. But the first swerving particle -- that became the comet." >b "How would a little particle become a gigantic ship of souls?" "Stories," he says, "are not always simple; the comet is also the androgyne, and fate, and an omen of darkness, and the chance of redemption; nothing so ancient has only one meaning." >b "Are there any old stories about the Kings?" "Of course," he says, "hundreds -- some legend and some history, I suppose, or a little of each... They begin with the time before there was an Empire, when there was only the Kingdom, the little mountain at the navel of the world. All around it were other peoples, strangers and barbarians, who attacked incessantly but with the guilelessness of animals. And the King united the people, and married a woman whom he found in a cave in the mountain, who was a servant of the Earth." >a "Are there other stories about the comet?" "There is a poet," he continues, "who tells the story of the comet as the sign that appeared in the sky the night that the first man died. It became the omen of bad things, the mark of mortality, Death's chariot." >t often Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >a "How often does the comet appear?" "Every hundred years, almost exactly. The precise details are unknown to me," he remarks. >t all Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t earth (the earth itself) (You contemplate your options.) >t moon (You contemplate your options.) >a "What did you do before you became the Minister of the Moon?" "O" -- and his mouth forms a perfect nought -- "O that was," he says, "a very long time ago. I was young and I did what young men do, and drifted, here and there..." You know what they say about moon madness. >a "How long ago did you join the Cabinet?" "Long ago, when I was a young man..." Which, if he has any reasonable definition of young, would probably make it about thirty years. Though it would be hard to get any real accounting out of him, you suspect. >t madness Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t moon (You contemplate your options.) >t me (You contemplate your options.) >t cheese Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t earth (the Earth Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you think of the Earth Minister?" "She is not to be trusted," he says, twirling the ends of his mustache suggestively. "She does things she doesn't explain. She has strange friends and she does not love the king. At the same time, he listens to her. It is for her sake that they are poaching the forests of the moon..." >[Hey, the forest moon of Endor!] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >[This 'creatures' option seems to come out of the blue] That's not a verb I recognize. >a "What sorts of creatures?" "Oh, they are so tall and graceful," he says. "As you would not believe. Everything grows taller on the moon, and more slender." (Presumably this explains his own figure.) "They also have," he muses, "very sharp teeth." >a "Sharp teeth?" "Not unlike the Cabinet at its worst." >a "Is there dissension in the Cabinet?" "I don't--" He breaks off, looking confused. "I point no fingers, name no culprits. All I can say is that it is not a comfortable place to be. There is some ill-feeling there. Something is wrong. The King should perceive it. The King does not perceive it. My perception is only a reflection of his vigilance; I can sense only the presence, never the source." He looks sad. "Still, if it is anyone, it is HER. The prince, after all, has left, and there is still a feeling of trouble." >t cabinet (You contemplate your options.) >b "What do you think of the Court Physician?" "He is a good man," says the Moon Minister. "A good man without hope. Strange things are happening... If the King is the healer of the People, what need has the King for a Doctor? Why can he not heal himself? The King wanes, darkness waxes, and soon there will be no more to be done." >a "What do you think is happening to the King?" "I don't know." His mustaches quiver faintly. "It is disturbing. He began to behave strangely perhaps a year ago." >t strange Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t behave Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t king (You contemplate your options.) >t cabinet (You contemplate your options.) >a "Why did the Prince leave the Cabinet?" "He was arguing more and more with his father. I was only there for some of the arguments; the worst ones, I understand, occurred during my absence. Finally he left the Cabinet in a rage, saying he saw that he could do nothing useful there." The Moon Minister looks thoughtful. "Which is, of course, a pity. One would have liked to see him remain." >a "Were the Prince's arguments reasonable, do you think?" "O, I think they were, in their way." The Moon Minister looks at you sadly. "That is the problem, you see. Often everyone has a reasonable argument. And they refuse to understand each other. The Prince was very earnest." >t prince (You contemplate your options.) >t her Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t earth (the Earth Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >b "How long ago did the Earth Minister join the Cabinet?" "Oh, perhaps four years ago." >b "Who was the previous Earth Minister?" "An old woman -- I don't think I ever knew her name. She was beloved of the farmers; they all mourned when she passed on peacefully in her sleep." >a "Do you know where the Minister of Earth is?" "I haven't seen her this evening." >t doctor (You contemplate your options.) >a "Any idea where the Court Physician is?" "I last saw him in the Queen's Hall," he says. >t prince (You contemplate your options.) >t king (You contemplate your options.) >t me (You contemplate your options.) >t him (You contemplate your options.) >t moon (You contemplate your options.) >x queen You can't see any such thing. >t queen (You contemplate your options.) >a "When did the Queen die, exactly?" The Moon Minister looks at you as though you have been living in a foreign country. "Three years ago, after nearly a year of illness." >t princess Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >[I'm liking this combination of future society with monarchial trappings.] That's not a verb I recognize. >l Terrace A terrace of lunar marble, surrounded by a low balustrade. It gleams softly of its own in the darkening night. To the west, shallow steps descend to the enclosure of the Square Garden; east beckons the brilliance of the Sun Court. The minister of the moon stands at the far end, gazing upwards. "But perhaps I have bored you long enough," he says, the silver light coming back into his eyes. >a "Are there any other myths about the Earth?" "Yes," he says, as though faintly tired, "but you'd do better to ask the Earth Minister about them. She could tell you much more enthusiastically than I could. Those stories bore me considerably." >l Terrace A terrace of lunar marble, surrounded by a low balustrade. It gleams softly of its own in the darkening night. To the west, shallow steps descend to the enclosure of the Square Garden; east beckons the brilliance of the Sun Court. The minister of the moon stands at the far end, gazing upwards. >x moon A grave man with long grey mustaches and an indigo robe. He wears the hat of his station, a deep blue cap with silver horns. >x up You see nothing special about the ceiling. >x cap You can't see any such thing. >t cap Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t station Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >x robe You can't see any such thing. >l Terrace A terrace of lunar marble, surrounded by a low balustrade. It gleams softly of its own in the darkening night. To the west, shallow steps descend to the enclosure of the Square Garden; east beckons the brilliance of the Sun Court. The minister of the moon stands at the far end, gazing upwards. >t goodbye (You contemplate your options.) >a "It was a pleasure speaking to you." The Moon Minister makes farewell noises, and you go your separate ways. >e Sun Court A room the size of several ballrooms set edge to edge. The floor is worked in the image of the sun in full blaze: chips of tinted glass, silver, and gold, worked into a glittering mosaic. Mirrors multiply the space, and the crowd within it. To the west, glass doors open onto the terrace and the night. Smaller exits lie north and south, deeper into the palace. A thin footman stands by the north door. The eastern side of the room is entirely taken up with the King on his throne. Among the crowd here are a tall lady in blue, an old lady, a portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat, and a redheaded woman in green velvet. The redheaded woman in green velvet vanishes. >x footman A gaunt figure in the royal livery, with a prominent nose and overlarge hands. It is hard to say whether he is overworked or merely constitutionally thin. >t him You're not currently in a conversation with anyone. >talk to him The footman seems disinclined to chat with you. Unless you make it worth his while, anyway. >i You are carrying: a purse (which is closed) a black velvet cape (being worn) a white card a phoenix ring (being worn) The very young woman strolls into the room. >x card The small white card that got you into this affair: the ticket and promise that you've been holding onto, ever since it was given to you on your moonlit balcony two months ago. It seems impossible that he'll come tonight, though. Not with things as they are. Not now... >x ring Sign of the Order of the Phoenix, a gold ring crusted with gems. To those not of the Order it has no special significance, but to the others -- such as the Court Physician -- it will show that you are one of them. The old lady in black whispers to herself something about the hour approaching. >talk to old lady in black I only understood you as far as wanting to talk to the old lady. >talk to old lady You have no introduction. >talk to tall lady You have no introduction. "The comet must be exceptionally bright tonight," says the portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat to his companion. "Even for the occasion I think it is startlingly clear..." >talk to portly gentelman I only understood you as far as wanting to talk to the portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat. >talk to portly You have no introduction. "Where have you been?" asks the portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat. "Oh, visiting the fortune teller," replies the old lady. "But she refused to tell me which side of the card applied to me, which I think is rather unfair." >z Time passes. The lady in blue fans herself with an ivory fan. >z Time passes. The old lady in black whispers to herself something about the hour approaching. >z Time passes. The portly gentleman hums through his nose a few snatches of a popular dance. >z Time passes. >l Sun Court A room the size of several ballrooms set edge to edge. The floor is worked in the image of the sun in full blaze: chips of tinted glass, silver, and gold, worked into a glittering mosaic. Mirrors multiply the space, and the crowd within it. To the west, glass doors open onto the terrace and the night. Smaller exits lie north and south, deeper into the palace. Among the crowd here are a tall lady in blue, a very young woman, an old lady, and a portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat. A thin footman stands by the north door. The eastern side of the room is entirely taken up with the King on his throne. The lady in blue fans herself with an ivory fan. >open purse You open the purse, revealing two coins (a gold coin and a silver coin). >give silver coin to footman (first taking the silver coin) "Thank you," says the thin footman. Nothing more passes between you but the understanding is there. You have gained -- purchased -- an ally. >talk to him You have no introduction. >talk to footman You contemplate introductory remarks. >a "This is a charming party, really." "Yes." "One hundred years," says the old lady, to no one in particular. >a "A bit cold out, isn't it?" "Exceptionally odd for this time of year, yes," he says. >t introduction Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t lady Which do you mean, the very young woman, the tall lady in blue or the old lady? >tall (You contemplate your options.) >t old (You contemplate your options.) >t very (You contemplate your options.) >t man Which do you mean, the thin footman, the His Majesty, the King or the portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat? >t king (You contemplate your options.) >t goodbye (You contemplate your options.) >a "It was a pleasure speaking to you." The thin footman makes farewell noises, and you go your separate ways. "Think the Prince will dance with Vivena tonight?" asks the very young woman of the portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat. "Darkness, I hope not. That would be a very sad sign for the future of the royal lineage..." >t king You're not currently in a conversation with anyone. >talk to king Addressing the King directly is not permitted to one of your station. >l Sun Court A room the size of several ballrooms set edge to edge. The floor is worked in the image of the sun in full blaze: chips of tinted glass, silver, and gold, worked into a glittering mosaic. Mirrors multiply the space, and the crowd within it. To the west, glass doors open onto the terrace and the night. Smaller exits lie north and south, deeper into the palace. Among the crowd here are a tall lady in blue, a very young woman, an old lady, and a portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat. A thin footman stands by the north door. The eastern side of the room is entirely taken up with the King on his throne. "Did you see?" asks the portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat of someone. "Count Lannor is here tonight. I'm surprised to see him well enough to come." >n The thin footman seems not to see you at all as you pass by. Library Unlike the rooms meant for public show, the library has not been decorated in the latest style, but has been allowed to keep its heavy oak pillars and its dark furniture. Nonetheless, the riches of the treasury could barely compare to the value contained in this room. Thousands of volumes crowd the shelves, the works of scholars in original languages dating back 2300 years, since even before the foundation of the Empire. >x books You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, Dawn Tales and An Encyclopedia of Dreams. >read dawn tales (first taking Dawn Tales) Taken. The language is in a dialect you find unfamiliar, which forces you to look at the pictures. Too bad you can't extract any definite sense from them, either. >read dreams (first taking the An Encyclopedia of Dreams) Taken. You open the text to what is obviously a much-used page. It reads: For a rich man to dream of ants crawling into his ear betokens death that approaches. But for a teacher to have this dream means that he will receive many students who will come from far places in order to hear his instruction. And for a rich woman... >l Library Unlike the rooms meant for public show, the library has not been decorated in the latest style, but has been allowed to keep its heavy oak pillars and its dark furniture. Nonetheless, the riches of the treasury could barely compare to the value contained in this room. Thousands of volumes crowd the shelves, the works of scholars in original languages dating back 2300 years, since even before the foundation of the Empire. >x books You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, A Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette. >g You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, Omen Lists by Year. >g You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, Hollow Earth and Ye Mysticke Symbolism of ye Cheeses, their Preparation and Servinge. >g You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon and A Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette. >g You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, Omen Lists by Year. >read omen (first taking Omen Lists by Year) Taken. It takes only a moment of perusal before the quantities of deformed babies, rivers flowing with blood, snakes emerging from the mouths of tigers, etc., begin to disturb you and you stop. >read etiquette You hunt it up again with some difficulty. (first taking A Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette) Taken. Considering that there is an entire chapter on how to manage one's handkerchief, you feel that you might have better uses for your time. >read hollow You hunt it up again with some difficulty. (first taking Hollow Earth) Taken. A Door in the Mountain On the fifth day of their journey Iago and Malnir came to an enormous iron door set into the face of the cliff, which was protected by a hundred locks that open with keys, and a hundred bars that must be lifted, and a hundred wax seals of protection. Iago said to Malnir, "We must have found a great treasury; no one would protect anything in this way unless it were extremely valuable." So they both set about trying to find a way to get in. >g Entry For many days and nights they made attempts on the locks with hammers, and files, and picks, but the iron remained inviolate as though it were adamant. And so they began to despair of opening the door at all, and thought of going home. That night while they sat at the fire, however, a woman came to them, in clothes the color of blood, and she said, "You wish to open the door in the mountain; I will show you how it may be done." So she went ahead of them and set her hand on the door, and all the wax seals melted, and the locks grew liquid and ran like beads of sweat. >f That's not a verb I recognize. >g That's not a verb I recognize. >read hollow Inside the Mountain Malnir was afraid when he saw this, but Iago was very excited, and without waiting he immediately ran through the door in search of the treasure. But he found that it was extremely dark inside, and he soon became lost in a cave of twisting passages, none of which could be distinguished from the others, in which no direction was familiar. And at least he gave up hope, and lay down to sleep and not to return to the face of the earth. >g Light So Iago lay in the darkness, and the tears ran from his face, while he thought of his wife and his dear mother at home, whom he would never see again. And while he lay thus weeping the air around him began to grow lighter, and there was the faint apparition of fire down a passageway that he had not yet noticed. >g Boneyard Getting up and going after the light, Iago saw that it came from torches, carried in a silent procession. "At last," Iago said to himself, "I have found someone who knows a way out of this place. I will follow." So he walked after the procession, saying nothing, as it wound through many deep corridors and caverns, deeper into the earth. Finally the procession passed into an enormous room, and Iago was able to see that, in addition to torches, each of the robed men also carried the body of a dead man; and at the center of the room was a vast oven, into which they put the bodies, one by one. >g Explanations Iago was not able to be silent when he saw this; his terror overwhelmed him and he screamed. "Who is that?" asked the chief of the robed men, "for I smell his blood and it is someone from the upper air." So Iago was discovered, and terrified he threw himself on his knees and begged not to be put into the oven. "Do not fear," said the chief. "We do not kill the living; we only rescue the dead." And then he showed Iago a place in the earth where dead men hung down from the ceiling, like the fruit of the vine, and he said: "When you of the upper air bury your own, they come down to us." >g Burials Then the chief also showed Iago the oven, and he said, "Here is where the bodies of the dead go; but their spirits rise from the fire and are made free." And he pointed to a tiny high window, through which a single star shone. "As for the fire," he said, "it heats the earth from beneath, and gives strength to the roots of all things. As there is a sun outside the earth, so is there also the fire within the earth, and each feeds those who live in the upper air after its fashion." >g Return After this Iago dwelt among the earthmen for ten days and ten nights, eating the bread that they ate and sharing in their meat; and they told him many other wonders, the like of which are never known on the face of the earth. But then Iago began to wish again for the sight of the air, and the sun, and of his wife and his dear mother, and he said to the chief, "Show me the door again, in order that I may return home." This the chief did, and so Iago went back to his home, though he had no treasure. Malnir laughed at him and said, "You have brought nothing back to the treasury of your house! Why then did you journey under the earth?" But Iago rebuked him saying, "Merely to gather trinkets is no great achievement. For all men die." >g A Door in the Mountain On the fifth day of their journey Iago and Malnir came to an enormous iron door set into the face of the cliff, which was protected by a hundred locks that open with keys, and a hundred bars that must be lifted, and a hundred wax seals of protection. Iago said to Malnir, "We must have found a great treasury; no one would protect anything in this way unless it were extremely valuable." So they both set about trying to find a way to get in. >x aboriginal You hunt it up again with some difficulty. A fat-spined book bound in black leather. >read it (first taking On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon) As you pull on the book, there is a general groaning and the entire section of the shelf comes forward, revealing a secret room behind. >read cheese You hunt it up again with some difficulty. (first taking Ye Mysticke Symbolism of ye Cheeses, their Preparation and Servinge) Taken. Turning to a random page, you find: Soft white Cheeses are like a virtuous Virgin. Nothinge about them offendeth, yet neither have they yett acquired much Savor. >g Turning to a random page, you find: Blue-veined Cheeses are suited to the Wealthy, who are eccentric, provident, and Extraordinary; to these itt is an Advantage to partake of thatt which appealeth not universally to all Men. But in too great a Quantity these Cheeses cause not only Satietie but Sicknesse; so too, excessive Pride resulteth in Damage to him who indulgeth itt. >g Turning to a random page, you find: Soft white Cheeses are like a virtuous Virgin. Nothinge about them offendeth, yet neither have they yett acquired much Savor. >g Turning to a random page, you find: Blue-veined Cheeses are suited to the Wealthy, who are eccentric, provident, and Extraordinary; to these itt is an Advantage to partake of thatt which appealeth not universally to all Men. But in too great a Quantity these Cheeses cause not only Satietie but Sicknesse; so too, excessive Pride resulteth in Damage to him who indulgeth itt. >n You can go only south, out or in. >l Library Unlike the rooms meant for public show, the library has not been decorated in the latest style, but has been allowed to keep its heavy oak pillars and its dark furniture. Nonetheless, the riches of the treasury could barely compare to the value contained in this room. Thousands of volumes crowd the shelves, the works of scholars in original languages dating back 2300 years, since even before the foundation of the Empire. One section of these shelves is pulled away, revealing a secret space beyond big enough for someone to stand in. On the shelves is On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon. >enter space Secret Room A narrow room, little more than a cell, lined with sturdy paneling. From here you can see almost nothing of the library. >x paneling You can't see any such thing. >listen You hear nothing unexpected. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >l Secret Room A narrow room, little more than a cell, lined with sturdy paneling. From here you can see almost nothing of the library. >out Library On the shelves is On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon. >x books You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon. >verbose Pytho's Mask is now in its "verbose" mode, which always gives long descriptions of locations (even if you've been there before). >x books You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon, On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon, and On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon. >[Hee! That's a funny bug.] That's not a verb I recognize. >x books You peruse the nearest books. Your eye picks out, at random, On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon, On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon, and On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon. >get moon The door is already open. >l Library Unlike the rooms meant for public show, the library has not been decorated in the latest style, but has been allowed to keep its heavy oak pillars and its dark furniture. Nonetheless, the riches of the treasury could barely compare to the value contained in this room. Thousands of volumes crowd the shelves, the works of scholars in original languages dating back 2300 years, since even before the foundation of the Empire. One section of these shelves is pulled away, revealing a secret space beyond big enough for someone to stand in. On the shelves is On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon. >out Sun Court A room the size of several ballrooms set edge to edge. The floor is worked in the image of the sun in full blaze: chips of tinted glass, silver, and gold, worked into a glittering mosaic. Mirrors multiply the space, and the crowd within it. To the west, glass doors open onto the terrace and the night. Smaller exits lie north and south, deeper into the palace. Among the crowd here are a tall lady in blue, a very young woman, an old lady, and a portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat. A thin footman stands by the north door. The eastern side of the room is entirely taken up with the King on his throne. >s Games Room Smaller than the Sun Court, certainly, but still not by any means a little room. Wooden doors give egress to the north and west; in the center is set the gaming table itself, around which the players cluster, placing their stakes and talking loudly. The rattle of dice and the clatter of cards are everywhere. The androgyne Avril stands at the center of a small knot of people, light voice raised in jest, feathered hat stirred in the breeze. "Ah look," says Avril, turning startling green eyes upon you. "Someone new to join the game! And a beauty! What do you say, my dear?" >t yes Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t games Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >[Man, I want to play and stuff.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >a "I haven't time at the moment, I'm afraid." "Oh, no time!" Avril pulls a face of exaggerated dismay. "Well, well, I know how it is with you gendered people. Lives like mayflies and always looking for a mate. Run along, my dear, and do what you must..." "Now, Avril," says a deep voice from within the crowd. The group parts to let the newcomer speak: a lean stranger in a severe suit of deep wine. "You mustn't harrass his highness' guests, even if they are better dressed than yourself." There is general silence; then Avril makes a face of mock dismay and draws everyone's mind back to the gaming. >x stranger You can't see any such thing. >x valkir A lean man in a severe dark-red suit. His hair is dark, his nose a bit aquiline. There is a hint of something familiar about him, but you can't be completely certain. The redheaded woman in green velvet strolls into the room. "I apologize for Avril," says the stranger. "I am Valkir." Lord Valkir, to be exact; the Prince's closest friend. You know him by reputation, if you hadn't recognized his face. "But I don't believe I know your name." >a "I'm Soteria. Of the family of Basili." "A pleasure to know you," he says, bending slightly. "I believe I have heard of your family, though I had not the pleasure of meeting your father." You bite your lip. It still hurts a little; he has been six months in his grave. The portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat strolls into the room. >a "He was a good man." "Many of our good men have died lately." He does not say more, but it resonates in the air. This is a bad time. The air itself is bad. And of good men, the very best seems unable to be rescued. >a "Can nothing be done for the king?" He frowns at you, suddenly startled. "I would advise you, my dear, not to ask questions of that general sort around here. They might not be well received." You flinch a little at the harshness in his voice. He goes on again after a moment, more soothingly. "There are those who would take it as a sign of disloyalty, perhaps. In any case, I say this only for your safety. Come, let us speak of something more pleasant." >t moon (the Moon Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >b "How long ago did the Moon Minister join the Cabinet?" "It's been years and years now -- at least twenty, but probably longer." >t earth (You contemplate your options.) >t introduction Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t tall man Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t man Which do you mean, the portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat or Valkir? >t portly (You contemplate your options.) >t woman (You contemplate your options.) >t cheese (You contemplate your options.) >t book Which do you mean, Ye Mysticke Symbolism of ye Cheeses, their Preparation and Servinge, Hollow Earth, A Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette, Omen Lists by Year, the An Encyclopedia of Dreams or Dawn Tales? >earth (You contemplate your options.) >t omen (You contemplate your options.) >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >a "Will you be watching for the comet later?" "I think the comet is mostly superstitious nonsense, but it's amusing nonetheless. I will be watching the thele draught with greatest interest." The very young woman strolls into the room. >a "What is it that you think will happen at the toast?" "I don't know exactly," he says, after a tiny pause. "That is what makes it interesting." >a "Surely you have some idea, or you wouldn't hint..." He smiles. "You are quite relentless, my dear," he says. "If you had been born a man, what an excellent hunter you would have made-- though I can't say I wish for that myself." >a "If I were a man, you could not put me off so easily." "If you were a man we would not be having this conversation in the first place. Do be fair." >t man Which do you mean, the portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat or Valkir? >t men Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t dreams (You contemplate your options.) >t dream Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t avril (You contemplate your options.) >a "Why is Avril like that?" "Like what?" Valkir asks. "Rude?" "For lack of a better term -- though I suppose I would have said, flamboyant and difficult." "Local color, I suppose. It has an extremely high opinion of itself and would hardly like to be caught in a position where it was not the center of attention." >a "You call Avril 'it'?" "Certainly." Valkir shrugs. "I have little patience with undeserved honorifics, I'm afraid." >a "Why 'undeserved'?" "The rest of us occasionally do something to contribute to the good of the kingdom," Valkir says. "Do something of some kind, at least. Avril appears at parties, makes impolite remarks behind people's backs, and then dances a ceremonial dance once every hundred years or so. Aside from the unreasonableness of it getting to live so long while the rest of us are born and die, this seems to me a not terrifically interesting accomplishment." >t avril (You contemplate your options.) > Hot key -- Undo one turn Games Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Games Room [Previous turn undone.] >b "But 'it' makes it sound as though Avril is not human." Valkir makes a face. "Maybe it's not." "What is that supposed to mean?" "Oh, I don't know -- just old stories about men from under the earth, or from the sky -- perhaps the androgynes are the descendents of Other folk than ourselves." >a "Are you conversant with old legends?" "Not as much as the Moon Minister," he says. "You should ask him. He'll go on for hours if you allow it." >t androgyne (You contemplate your options.) >t earth (You contemplate your options.) >t sky Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t fashion (You contemplate your options.) >a "It was very bold of you to insult Avril's attire." He laughs shortly. "Oh, I'm in no danger," he replies. "Avril's power is all in that Person's tongue -- to gossip, to remark viciously at times. But I already have what I want. There is no position that a malign comment could keep me out of." >b "Really? And what is it that you want?" Valkir grins. "At the moment, what every man wants. And for the future? That will take care of itself soon enough, I think." >undo Games Room [Previous turn undone.] >a "Reputation is important in marriage as in politics." He looks at you thoughtfully. "I have not yet settled on a bride. But when I do, I shall heed your warning and be careful to select one whose father will have no qualms about me. Or, better yet, one without a father." You look away, cheeks stinging. You're in danger of forgetting your business here; you must be careful. The swarthy swordsman strolls into the room. >a [AIRILY] "I rather imagine I shall remain single." "Now that," he says, "would be a very great shame." With a last look he presses your hand and adds, "I have things I must attend to. You'll excuse me?" You nod, a bit foolishly, and he walks away. "I couldn't help noticing," Avril says to you, "that you seem to be on good terms with Lord Valkir. Or that he has chosen to put himself on good terms with you." >b "I think you are merely annoyed at his remark." Avril smiles. "What, about my taste in fashion? Who could surpass this, my dear?" (Lifting a bit of hand-worked lace cuff for your inspection.) "There hasn't been anything made like this in a generation. I haven't worn it for a decade and a half. Lovely as you look, you are comparatively unremarkable." >a "I wouldn't dream of competing." Avril nods. "Very wise." Tapping your ring with one finger, the androgyne adds, "That is the most unusual thing about you. I have seen it before, I think. It always appears at the critical hour. Like myself." >a "I begin to think your talk of fashion is mere distraction." "On the contrary. There is a great deal to be learned from how a man dresses himself. Or a woman, of course." >a "Such as?" "Take Lord Valkir. He is a serious and ambitious man who dresses simply because he has no patience for nonsense. At the same time there is a subtlety and taste in the cut of his clothes, and a certain arrogance in the fact that he uses colors as close as possible to the royal ones." >a "I don't really know Lord Valkir." "Few people do." Avril flips open the scent bottle the Person carries at all times, and sniffs on it for a moment. "Not even, I would say, the Prince." "What is that supposed to mean?" "That Lord Valkir is an ambitious man who hides his intentions," Avril says. "He has dangerous secrets; the Prince has only innocent ones." >a "Secrets of what kind?" Avril looks at you ambiguously. "This is the third Night of the Comet I have lived to see, and I do not hope to see a fourth. Things are always disordered. This time Lord Valkir is near the heart of that disorder. He and perhaps another." >a "You think someone else is involved in the disorder tonight?" "It is only a guess," Avril says. "I couldn't be certain unless I knew what was being planned, and I do not; I have only my knowledge of Valkir's character, and then certain far vaguer suspicions. It is a very unpleasant thing, like knowing that you have seen the most atrocious pair of gloves in a shop window and not being able to remember where, when someone turns up wearing them..." The redheaded woman in green velvet mutters a few lines from a famous poem on the Moon. >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >a "What's this about the comet? Why is tonight so important?" "Tonight it comes on its closest approach to Earth," Avril replies. "Between the Moon and Earth, and everything is at its least stable. All the forces that ordinarily hold their places are weak, and the influence of chance is strong. Tonight the balance is easily tipped. Once in a hundred years." The androgyne glances at the Phoenix on your finger. "I think your Order has forgotten the reason for its own foundation, or you would know all this. But ignorance and knowledge also go in cycles." >n Sun Court A room the size of several ballrooms set edge to edge. The floor is worked in the image of the sun in full blaze: chips of tinted glass, silver, and gold, worked into a glittering mosaic. Mirrors multiply the space, and the crowd within it. To the west, glass doors open onto the terrace and the night. Smaller exits lie north and south, deeper into the palace. A thin footman stands by the north door. The eastern side of the room is entirely taken up with the King on his throne. Among the crowd here are a tall lady in blue and an old lady. >undo Games Room [Previous turn undone.] >b "What do you know about the Order?" "Surely it's not my task to lecture you about your own group," Avril says. "I have no idea what you do these days, though my impression is that it involves a great deal of interfering in the business of others. And I don't interfere." >a "No? Then what-- pardon me-- are you doing now?" "Merely passing along a bit of interesting information that you might want. Be careful of Valkir; I don't trust him. I don't trust anyone, but my distrust for him is extreme and for once not based on his choice in clothes." >t phoenix (You contemplate your options.) >t ring (You contemplate your options.) > Hot key -- Undo one turn Games Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Games Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Games Room [Previous turn undone.] >b "No, you apparently just stir up trouble and then vanish." Avril's eyes light. "Now you begin to understand. Scent? No?" Opening the pungent scent bottle hanging from that Person's wrist, Avril takes a deep whiff of it. "Old nostrils, you see. Sensitive to all the wrong things. Do you suppose anyone bathes before a party? Neither do I suppose it. Enjoy the party, my pet. I knew you'd be an apt pupil." And the conversation is abruptly at an end. "I wish the Queen had lived to see this," remarks the very young woman to the redheaded woman in green velvet in passing. >t avril You're not currently in a conversation with anyone. >talk to avril You contemplate introductory remarks. The redheaded woman in green velvet mutters a few lines from a famous poem on the Moon. >a "This is a charming party, really." "'Charming'?" Avril repeats incredulously. "My dear girl. The only thing here with the slightest hint of charm is myself -- and perhaps that cape of yours," the androgyne adds, almost as an afterthought. "It's a very nice cut, though personally I think I would have selected something with a tassel in silver... But never mind that." >t cape (You contemplate your options.) >c fashion I only understood you as far as wanting to c. >t fashion (You contemplate your options.) >x cape It moves around you with a soft hush whenever you walk, and keeps you warm on this oddly chill summer evening. >t ring (You contemplate your options.) >t father Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t dad Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t physician (You contemplate your options.) >a "Any idea where the Court Physician is?" "I last saw him in the Queen's Hall," that Person says. >t moon (the Moon Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you think of the Minister of the Moon?" "I think he is probably honest; perhaps a little too inattentive; the sort of person easily used as a pawn, and easily convinced to grow long, foolish mustaches." The redheaded woman in green velvet vanishes. >a "Any idea where the Minister of the Moon is?" "I last saw him in the Terrace," that Person remarks. The old lady strolls into the room. >t earth (You contemplate your options.) >t king (You contemplate your options.) >a "What is happening to the King?" "An eclipse that may be merely temporary," Avril replies. "People really ought to consult the old stories more frequently. It would be edifying all around." >a "Can anything be done for the King?" "Better to hope that nothing is done TO the King, if you follow my meaning." >a "Have you seen anything done to Kings before?" "Principally to ones who deserved it, but yes. Still, the reversal is always necessarily associated with some loss as well. The innocent are almost always killed along with the guilty in situations of great upheaval." >t king (You contemplate your options.) > Hot key -- Undo one turn Games Room [Previous turn undone.] > Hot key -- Undo one turn Games Room [Previous turn undone.] >b "Supposing one wanted to, how would one attack the King?" "There are several ways; one might use his current blindness and the relaxation of his vigilance to attack him directly, physically or by poison, as one assassinates any other man. Or one might use the moment to change the position of someone else in the court, to work a reversal." >t reversal (You contemplate your options.) >a "What is this 'reversal' you speak of?" "Reversal of position, reversal of character; the revolution that the moment demands. Things remain stable because of their inherent nature. When the comet comes, natures grow shallower. Catastrophic change is easier. People are more readily untrue not only to each other, but also to themselves." >t poison (You contemplate your options.) >a "Do you know anything about poisons?" "What an alarming question," that Person observes. "No, I don't. You might ask the Court Physician, though I sincerely hope you have no personal applications for the information." The young lady swoons. >x young lady She's wearing a pale green muslin that does nothing positive for her complexion. She looks as though she was just released from the schoolroom. The old lady takes herself off, muttering about hot tea. >t person Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t avril (You contemplate your options.) >a "How old are you?" The androgyne regards you enigmatically. "I have forgotten exactly. Somewhere in the neighborhood of three hundred and fifty, I think." The redheaded woman in green velvet strolls into the room. >a "Whose side are you on?" "That is an interesting question," Avril says. "Whose side are YOU on? Do you even know what the sides are, or the stakes?" The swarthy swordsman taps out a dancing rhythm on the floor with the heel of his boot. >t side Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t stakes Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >x swordsman One of those swaggerers one sees so often about court; he carries a sword and wears a red doublet with slashed sleeves. From his bearing it seems clear that he has never wielded his weapon in his life. >l Games Room Smaller than the Sun Court, certainly, but still not by any means a little room. Wooden doors give egress to the north and west; in the center is set the gaming table itself, around which the players cluster, placing their stakes and talking loudly. The rattle of dice and the clatter of cards are everywhere. Among the crowd here are a very young woman, a portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat, a swarthy swordsman, and a redheaded woman in green velvet. The androgyne Avril stands at the center of a small knot of people, light voice raised in jest, feathered hat stirred in the breeze. From somewhere nearby comes the lift of conversation: "Have you seen the Earth Minister this evening?" "I have not, no." >t game (You contemplate your options.) >a "Why did you want me to join the game?" "I thought it might be interesting to have a word with you," the androgyne says. "You looked unusual to me." >t me (You contemplate your options.) >t myself (You contemplate your options.) >t unusual Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >x dice You can't see any such thing. >t game (You contemplate your options.) >i You are carrying: Ye Mysticke Symbolism of ye Cheeses, their Preparation and Servinge Hollow Earth A Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette Omen Lists by Year an An Encyclopedia of Dreams Dawn Tales a purse (which is open) a gold coin a black velvet cape (being worn) a white card a phoenix ring (being worn) >[The encyclopedia is bolded, but not the rest of the books] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >t cheese (You contemplate your options.) >t earth (You contemplate your options.) >t stories (You contemplate your options.) >t legend (You contemplate your options.) >t goodbye (You contemplate your options.) >a "It was a pleasure speaking to you." The androgyne makes farewell noises, and you go your separate ways. >l Games Room Smaller than the Sun Court, certainly, but still not by any means a little room. Wooden doors give egress to the north and west; in the center is set the gaming table itself, around which the players cluster, placing their stakes and talking loudly. The rattle of dice and the clatter of cards are everywhere. Among the crowd here are a very young woman, a portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat, a swarthy swordsman, and a redheaded woman in green velvet. The androgyne Avril stands at the center of a small knot of people, light voice raised in jest, feathered hat stirred in the breeze. >w Queen's Hall Here the refreshments have been set out for the evening, long tables laden with sweet and savory dishes. Fruits carved into the shapes of longships. Small birds roasted and stuffed, their breasts bursting with pomegranate seeds and saffroned rice. Loaves of bread ornamented with candy jewels. Cakes covered in smooth white shells of frosting, cut into diamonds and squares. The western end of the hall is closed by a heavy floor-to-ceiling curtain, though movement is audible on the other side. Not far from the window stands the Court Physician, with the emblem of the snake on his breast. The old lady strolls into the room. >talk to physician You contemplate introductory remarks. >a "This is a charming party, really." "I am enjoying it, it's true." The hawk-nosed man in grey strolls into the room. >a "A bit cold out, isn't it?" "Strange for this time of year, yes," he says. "I wonder whether the winter will be even colder." >t order (You contemplate your options.) >t phoenix (You contemplate your options.) >t king (You contemplate your options.) >t introduction Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >b "What is this toast scheduled for tonight?" "It is an ancient ritual, the origins lost to all except, perhaps, the androgynes. Goblets filled with thele are resting in the dining room, waiting for the liquid to settle. At the time the comet stands highest in the sky, we drink, though whether to celebrate or ward off the comet, I do not know." The portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat strolls into the room. >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >a "What does the comet mean?" "Many things, and I am no expert on them -- for that you must ask Avril, or perhaps the Minister of the Moon, who apparently saw the comet on his voyage here and was so stunned by the experience that he hasn't been able to speak of much else." He pauses, then sighs. "In conjunction with the king's illness, though, I fear the worst for tonight." >t king (You contemplate your options.) >t illness (You contemplate your options.) >show ring to physician His eyes flash upwards, meeting yours. "I see," he says. >a "What is it that the King is dying of?" He looks very grave. "It is nothing within the range of my power to cure," he says. "Surely you know," you reply urgently, "at least whether it is poison, disease, a plot--" "The stars are against him," says the Physician. "This is a vulnerable time, with the comet coming. The sun is at its weakest and great change is possible; disasters and revolutions always come at the times of omens. But that alone is not enough to kill him. I suspect intervention. An enemy." >b "An enemy? Who? Someone in the Cabinet?" The Physician shakes his head grimly. "I wish I knew," he says. "I watch everyone closely, but the capacity of vigilance is not one that I especially possess." >a "The Moon Minister tells me the Prince left the Cabinet...?" "Ah, yes. Disagreements with his father." "About what?" "Various things. His father's agricultural policies, mainly -- not doing enough for the poor -- letting the Earth Minister stay away under the earth for prolonged periods when he thought she could be doing something useful here. Nobility ceasing to perform its duties properly." The tall lady in blue strolls into the room. >c "Why was the Earth Minister so often gone?" "I don't know. Things to do under the earth, I suppose. I have no idea what occurs down there. Sometimes it seems as though it might be rude to ask. She has her own people to see to, though, and her power is strengthened when she spends time there, as I understand these things, which is only vaguely." "Those dancers are so lovely." You turn, startled, but the old woman does not seem to be talking to you. (Or anyone.) >a "What do you think of the Earth Minister?" "She's a strong woman," he says. "I don't pretend to know anything of agriculture, or whether her advice is good or not. To me it has sometimes seemed odd, but..." He shrugs. >t agriculture Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t moon (the Moon Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you think of the Minister of the Moon?" "I don't know him well. You'd be better advised to ask someone else." "The Earth Minister?" "No," he replies, a little too sharply. "No-- I'd rather suggest Avril." >a "What do you know about Avril?" "We're hardly well acquainted; such a Person has many more important concerns than conversing with the doctor," the Physician remarks, with what would appear to be genuine humility. "We have had a few conversations, when the press of society had died a bit, about the courses of the stars, the planets and the comets. Avril is exceptionally knowledgeable in such matters, as one would expect considering the Person's age." The old lady takes herself off, muttering about hot tea. >b "How old is Avril?" The Physician laughs. "Older than I, I can tell you that much. Persons of his type live much longer than we do -- in a way it is a kindness they speak to us at all." He pauses. "But I would not trade my life for that Person's, even for all those years." >a "Who were you before you became Court Physician?" "Just a doctor in the city," he says. "One of many who could have been chosen. I had, perhaps, a few connections, a better family, but in the end, it was, as so often, luck." >t young Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t avril (You contemplate your options.) >a "Have you met any other androgynes?" "Oh, no," he replies. "I was hardly high enough in society while Berril was still alive; let alone any of the others. There is a young Person somewhat related to the house of Tyre, but this Person is still learning dance steps and social niceties, and will not be ready to appear in public for some years to come, I imagine." The swarthy swordsman strolls into the room. >t berril Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >[It seems a bit odd that the NPCs only wander into the room where I am.] That's not a verb I recognize. >t phoenix (You contemplate your options.) >a "How did you join the Order?" "I was out riding near the castle, and stopped to aid a fellow traveller who had been attacked by bandits and left for dead. I noticed his ring, asked about it, and though he gave no response at the time, later I was contacted and told of the Order and its purpose. Of course I agreed to become a member, for what is dearer to me than the welfare of the people of the kingdom?" >a "Is anyone else here of the Order?" "There might be; obviously I know only a few members by sight..." The swarthy swordsman taps out a dancing rhythm on the floor with the heel of his boot. >a "But you haven't seen anyone you know from the Order?" He frowns. "Yes, but I think I had best not reveal a name; the skies will be chaotic enough tonight without adding any earthly complications." >a "How often does the comet appear?" "Once every hundred years," he observes. >t order (You contemplate your options.) >b "How many members of the Order do you know?" "You know I can't discuss that, even with you." He looks grave. "The mutual ignorance may be distressing, but if someone is questioned by our enemy it is best that he know as little as possible to reveal." >a "What's your purpose here?" "I was at the palace before I joined the Order, and my purpose remains the same: to heal and to tend, to aid the weak and shield the helpless. And, of course, tonight I have been asked to assist you in any way possible on your mission." The tall lady in blue departs the room in a swirl of skirts. >t mission Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t king (You contemplate your options.) >t queen (You contemplate your options.) >a "What did you think of the Queen?" "I regretted her passing extremely. In its way, it was not unlike the king's situation: a weakness for many months, gradually increasing until she could not withstand it. But for her it seemed purely a physical ailment, albeit a strange one, and the king clearly suffers from a spiritual malady as well as a physical one." The old lady strolls into the room. >t introductions Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t card (You contemplate your options.) >i You are carrying: Ye Mysticke Symbolism of ye Cheeses, their Preparation and Servinge Hollow Earth A Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette Omen Lists by Year an An Encyclopedia of Dreams Dawn Tales a purse (which is open) a gold coin a black velvet cape (being worn) a white card a phoenix ring (being worn) >show card to physician The Court Physician seems not to know what to make of this gesture. The portly man walks away, tapping his stick on the ground as he does so. >x portly man You can't see any such thing. >l Queen's Hall Here the refreshments have been set out for the evening, long tables laden with sweet and savory dishes. Fruits carved into the shapes of longships. Small birds roasted and stuffed, their breasts bursting with pomegranate seeds and saffroned rice. Loaves of bread ornamented with candy jewels. Cakes covered in smooth white shells of frosting, cut into diamonds and squares. The western end of the hall is closed by a heavy floor-to-ceiling curtain, though movement is audible on the other side. Among the crowd here are an old lady, a hawk-nosed man in grey, and a swarthy swordsman. Not far from the window stands the Court Physician, with the emblem of the snake on his breast. The portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat strolls into the room. >x portly man Round. Yellow. You think of bees, gold coins, and the spot a bug makes when you step on it. The old lady in black whispers to herself something about the hour approaching. >x old lady A shock of perfectly white hair knotted at the top of her head and tied in place with black ribbons -- a curiously childlike touch for someone so old. She stares around blankly. The swarthy swordsman removes his imposing presence from the general vicinity. >x swordsman You can't see any such thing. >x hawk-nosed He has the air of keen concentration, as though he has been thinking for weeks. He has an aristocratically hawked nose. >x swordsman You can't see any such thing. >l Queen's Hall Here the refreshments have been set out for the evening, long tables laden with sweet and savory dishes. Fruits carved into the shapes of longships. Small birds roasted and stuffed, their breasts bursting with pomegranate seeds and saffroned rice. Loaves of bread ornamented with candy jewels. Cakes covered in smooth white shells of frosting, cut into diamonds and squares. The western end of the hall is closed by a heavy floor-to-ceiling curtain, though movement is audible on the other side. Among the crowd here are an old lady, a hawk-nosed man in grey, and a portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat. Not far from the window stands the Court Physician, with the emblem of the snake on his breast. >x snake You can't see any such thing. >t snake Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t emblem Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t physician (You contemplate your options.) >t me (You contemplate your options.) >t order (You contemplate your options.) >t phoenix (You contemplate your options.) >t avril (You contemplate your options.) >t moon (the moon itself) (You contemplate your options.) >t prince (You contemplate your options.) >a "Any idea where the prince is?" "I believe I last ran into him in the Square Garden," he comments. The tall lady in blue strolls into the room. >a "Were the Prince's arguments reasonable, do you think?" "Perhaps... Certainly it has been difficult of late to get the nobility to see its obligations. More tenants being left uncared for in difficult times; more self-indulgence. But I can't be certain that is not just a sign of the times. Decadence, deteriorating morals... nothing the King could easily repair." >a "Do you think the Prince might be the King's enemy?" "No." You are silent, so he continues. "The Prince is a decent man, I think. His disagreements with the King were never personal, always about matters of state -- and whether he was right or not, I think he had at the very least good reason for concern. I never had the sense of emnity, only of frustration." >t prince (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you think of the Prince?" He says, with a certain audible reserve, "I think he is the King's son, and that that is all I need to know." >t prince (You contemplate your options.) >l Queen's Hall Here the refreshments have been set out for the evening, long tables laden with sweet and savory dishes. Fruits carved into the shapes of longships. Small birds roasted and stuffed, their breasts bursting with pomegranate seeds and saffroned rice. Loaves of bread ornamented with candy jewels. Cakes covered in smooth white shells of frosting, cut into diamonds and squares. The western end of the hall is closed by a heavy floor-to-ceiling curtain, though movement is audible on the other side. Among the crowd here are a tall lady in blue, an old lady, a hawk-nosed man in grey, and a portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat. Not far from the window stands the Court Physician, with the emblem of the snake on his breast. >t food (You contemplate your options.) >t cheese (You contemplate your options.) >t history Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t legend (You contemplate your options.) >i You are carrying: Ye Mysticke Symbolism of ye Cheeses, their Preparation and Servinge Hollow Earth A Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette Omen Lists by Year an An Encyclopedia of Dreams Dawn Tales a purse (which is open) a gold coin a black velvet cape (being worn) a white card a phoenix ring (being worn) The lady in blue fans herself with an ivory fan. >t dreams (You contemplate your options.) >x curtain A curtain of dark brocade mounted on rings, stretching across the width of the room. >t goodbye (You contemplate your options.) >a "It was a pleasure speaking to you." The Court Physician makes farewell noises, and you go your separate ways. The portly gentleman hums through his nose a few snatches of a popular dance. >w You attempt to sneak past the curtain, only to run smack into one of the numerous servants working within, setting the high table with food and goblets. "No guests in here before the toast!" grumbles an angry footman, who then expels you roughly. >l Queen's Hall Here the refreshments have been set out for the evening, long tables laden with sweet and savory dishes. Fruits carved into the shapes of longships. Small birds roasted and stuffed, their breasts bursting with pomegranate seeds and saffroned rice. Loaves of bread ornamented with candy jewels. Cakes covered in smooth white shells of frosting, cut into diamonds and squares. The western end of the hall is closed by a heavy floor-to-ceiling curtain, though movement is audible on the other side. Among the crowd here are a tall lady in blue, an old lady, a hawk-nosed man in grey, and a portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat. Not far from the window stands the Court Physician, with the emblem of the snake on his breast. >x cakes The display represents the labor of hundreds of people for many days on end. It is hard to realize, looking at it, that there are those who are starving only a few feet beyond the palace door. The lady in blue fans herself with an ivory fan. >eat cake (first taking the food) You've eaten your fill already today. >s You can go only east or west. >e Games Room Smaller than the Sun Court, certainly, but still not by any means a little room. Wooden doors give egress to the north and west; in the center is set the gaming table itself, around which the players cluster, placing their stakes and talking loudly. The rattle of dice and the clatter of cards are everywhere. Among the crowd here are a very young woman and a redheaded woman in green velvet. The androgyne Avril stands at the center of a small knot of people, light voice raised in jest, feathered hat stirred in the breeze. >e You can go only north or west. >n Sun Court A room the size of several ballrooms set edge to edge. The floor is worked in the image of the sun in full blaze: chips of tinted glass, silver, and gold, worked into a glittering mosaic. Mirrors multiply the space, and the crowd within it. To the west, glass doors open onto the terrace and the night. Smaller exits lie north and south, deeper into the palace. A thin footman stands by the north door. The eastern side of the room is entirely taken up with the King on his throne. The old lady strolls into the room. >w Terrace A terrace of lunar marble, surrounded by a low balustrade. It gleams softly of its own in the darkening night. To the west, shallow steps descend to the enclosure of the Square Garden; east beckons the brilliance of the Sun Court. The minister of the moon stands at the far end, gazing upwards. >d That option is undefined at the moment. >down You can go only east or west. >w Square Garden Surrounded on all four sides by the great bulk of the palace, but broad enough not to be overwhelmed. An arched tunnel leads through the west wall to the outer gardens. There are paper lanterns on strings, though not so bright as to obscure the sky. In the center honey wine gushes from a fountain. Lounging by the fountain with a goblet in his hand is the prince. Vivena is here, looking daggers at you. The prince looks up as you come near; a strange expression seems to pass over his eyes, though that might be a trick of the light. "Hello," he says. >a "Are we acquainted?" The woman beside him laughs, a trilling, irritating laugh that sets your nerve on edge. "I think you'd remember if you were personally acquainted with the prince," she says. "And if you don't..." The rest is left unsaid, but it's clear enough. She thinks you are seeking his attention in some cheap and undignified way. >a Just at that moment the herald comes, annoucing the formation of a set to dance. The girl on the prince's arm glances at him appealingly, but he shakes her off. "I'm sorry, my dear, but I believe I'd rather dance with her." And he turns to you. You really have no choice; so you allow yourself to be drawn away towards the Sun Court, where the sets are forming. Sun Court (dancing) The floor has been cleared of those who were standing, in order to make room for the performance of the dance itself. Perhaps a dozen couples have gathered, each at a different distance from the time-keeping musician who stands at the center. The androgyne has changed clothes, out of the gold lace and heavy skirts of earlier, and discarded the feathered hat, in favor of silver tissue that floats behind him as she walks. Avril weaves among the dancers on an eccentric path. You yourself are -- quite unexpectedly -- dancing in the grasp of the Prince. >a "I'm honored to be asked to dance, but why? I don't know you." He looks at you ironically. "No? I could have sworn you seemed familiar. And I dare say you know who I am, so that's what matters, is it not?" You are at best barely familiar with the figures of this dance: circles around a central marker, with a part for an androgyne. Such dances are rarely seen outside the court itself, the androgynous being few; and while the steps might be followed by someone's young brother or sister not yet presented in society, it is simpler to avoid the matter entirely. >b "Why not the girl you were with? She seemed eager." "And there you have why not," he replies, with the hint of a smile. "I would rather not have everyone coupling our names. Her company will soon bore me. I'd prefer not to have either of our reputations smirched when we do not wed." You glance at him a little uncertainly. There are several ways of reading THAT remark. He really is a very graceful dancer, you realize; he steers you perfectly on your course so that you never lose your step or enter into the paths of the couples circling to either side of you. It takes concentration to maintain an even distance from the center, so that the paths of one couple never cross those of another. >dance You pay very necessary attention to your steps for a bit. He notes your strange look and subsequent silence. "Jealous?" You flash him a scathing look. "Of course not!" "Good," he says. "There is no need. You are far more interesting than Vivena." The androgyne, drapery floating, passes by swiftly, and the Prince is forced to turn you a little too fast to avoid a collision. Out of the corner of your eye, you see -- or think you see -- a black-clad figure slipping through the north entrance. Your heart pounds. >b "Tell me about this Vivena." "What is it I am supposed to say? She attached herself to me--" "Unprovoked? You didn't pursue her?" He flushes ruddily. "I might have returned her flirtation a bit at first, but I attached no particular importance to it. I didn't think she did either. And I have no reason -- have never had any reason -- to believe that she cares for me deeply." >a "So you are the victim of her machinations?" "And of my own bad judgement, perhaps," he admits. "I could have been more definite about avoiding her. But it is so difficult, sometimes, to send only the messages one intends -- especially when the whole noble world is breathlessly watching for any sign of who will be the next queen." >a [COLDLY] "But I am safe because I am new?" "No; you are safe because it would not be embarrassing to have my name linked with yours," he says deliberately. >a "Since I appear so seldom in society...?" "Must you take everything I say awry?" he asks, irritated. "That is not what I mean; you should know it." >t vivena (You contemplate your options.) >x figure You can't see any such thing. >t figure Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t book Which do you mean, Ye Mysticke Symbolism of ye Cheeses, their Preparation and Servinge, Hollow Earth, A Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette, Omen Lists by Year, the An Encyclopedia of Dreams or Dawn Tales? >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >a "What does the comet mean?" "The Prince frowns. "I don't understand all the symbolism myself; you might be better off looking in the library, or asking the Moon Minister. I think it represents change, and is opposed to the orderly regulation of the heavens that happens every other night." >t library (You contemplate your options.) >t change (You contemplate your options.) >a "Do you prefer order, then?" He laughs. "Well, it's done well by me so far. You are right, though: order too can become stifling and corrupt, and agents of disorder like the comet can be agents of right and justice when hierarchy has failed. But I bore you with politics." >a "What kind of change does the comet bring?" "Like I said, I don't understand it all myself," he says, shrugging. "But I know that change can be good or bad." His gaze turns to face you directly. "In life we must learn to deal with the bad as best we can, and embrace the good while we may." >t noble Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t nobles Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t king (You contemplate your options.) >a "How is your father?" "I don't believe he will ever be as he was when my mother was alive," the Prince replies. "And beyond that there is a kind of confusion in him that I do not at all like to see. But he is far from unfit to rule; he still leads the cabinet meetings with great decision, and knows what he wishes to do." >t cabinet (You contemplate your options.) >a "I heard you left the Cabinet." "Yes. It ws too difficult to do anything useful -- my father wouldn't listen to reason, he was too agreeable with whatever the last person said (unless that person was myself, of course) -- and in general he didn't seem to be aware of how grave the troubles were becoming. And he didn't demand enough of the Earth Minister." >[typo--'was' for 'ws'] That's not a verb I recognize. >a "'Troubles'? Hunger, you mean? Or crime?" "Both, I suppose, though I'm more concerned with the hunger. But they aren't unrelated -- if there were more food there would be less need to steal." >a "What do you think the Earth Minister should have been doing?" "She could have traveled more, re-blessed more of the land. The soil is overtaxed in many places; that's why the crops are down and the prices high. I've spoken to the farmers and they tell me there is no more they can do by traditional means." >a "Why couldn't the Earth Minister have been doing more?" "She could, I suppose, but she chose not to. She kept saying that she was drained, that she needed to spend time below the earth." >a "Is it possible that that is true?" "I suppose it might be, but I'm not convinced. The truth is that she's always seemed perfectly strong and plentifully powerful, and on those occasions when she did act it seemed to cause her no great strain." >b "Did you try speaking to her about this?" He laughs harshly. "I did, and her response was quite illuminating. She reminded me that I am not my father, that I have neither his authority nor his insight, and that my recommendations were not required. Also that, on the whole, I would be wiser to confine my attention to gaming and horses." >undo Sun Court (dancing) [Previous turn undone.] >a "Did you see her do that?" "Yes, a few times -- visits to local fields, and once the blessing of a nobleman's orchard, as a personal favor. It produces very fine peaches now. Augmenting his already more than sufficient diet." >a "Did you try speaking to her about this?" He laughs harshly. "I did, and her response was quite illuminating. She reminded me that I am not my father, that I have neither his authority nor his insight, and that my recommendations were not required. Also that, on the whole, I would be wiser to confine my attention to gaming and horses." >t agriculture Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t hunger (You contemplate your options.) >a "And so you just gave up?" "Not exactly," he says, shooting you an unreadable glance. "I changed my approach, that is all." >a "What is that supposed to mean?" "Oh, come, Soteria," he says, his voice faintly chiding. "Surely you've guessed by now." >t guess Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t guessed Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t me (You contemplate your options.) >t approach Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t hunger (You contemplate your options.) >t soteria Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t prince (You contemplate your options.) >t queen (You contemplate your options.) >a "Do you miss your mother?" "Of course," he says. "She was a good woman. There is no one else like her I know. She understood my father, reconciled him with difficult decisions, guarded him against those who tried to make him overextend his strength. He wants to do the right thing; the trouble with great power is that it always seems as though it must be infinite. No one understands that there are limits; so the demands on it are limitless." >t earth (You contemplate your options.) >dance You pay very necessary attention to your steps for a bit. "Please tell me," he says, "that you will join me at the toast this evening. I am most eager to make the closer acquaintance of someone so --" Words seem to fail him, and he gestures with his free hand. "So refined." Refined indeed. He should see you crawling around in the dark with hay in your hair and a pair of men's breeches on. Then he'd recant soon enough. You do at least manage to stifle the urge to snort. >a "What toast?" "This evening's toast to the comet," he replies. "When it reaches its height. It is traditional." He regards you a little dubiously. "Perhaps -- I have the sense that no one has explained to you the full etiquette of this evening's affair." >a "I was given an invitation, not a booklet of instructions." He laughs. "Very well. The person who gave the invitation should have explained better, but since he did not, I will have to take on the task instead. "When the comet reaches its point of closest approximation to the earth, we all gather in the grand dining room, which is to say, the area that is currently sealed off by curtain and, I imagine, a small battalion of servants. My father makes a brief speech; the comet comes; we all drink. Then there's more music if people are so inclined, but the party is in essence at an end once that moment has passed." >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >a "How often does the comet appear?" "Once every hundred years," he says. >t toast (You contemplate your options.) >t etiquette (You contemplate your options.) >t servants Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t food Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t let them eat cake Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t speech Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t youth Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t young Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t dance (You contemplate your options.) >a "Is there a meaning in this dance?" "No special meaning, other than the pleasure of re-enacting the steps of the planets," he replies. "And of the Great Comet." (With a nod to the androgyne.) >t androgyne (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you think of Avril?" "I think that Person is neither to be trusted nor distrusted; that what has no loyalty cannot betray; and that I fear the blankness I sometimes detect in those silver eyes." >a "Do you speak from experience, or general distrust of the kind?" "Since Avril is the only one of the kind, as you put it, whom I have ever met, I can't say how I would feel about others. I only mean that having observed that Person's behavior, I see mostly triviality and silliness and egocentrism. No great concern for anyone else." >a "Perhaps it is a facade." "Of course," he replies. "We all wear masks. But the ones we select convey something too, don't you think?" >t fashion (You contemplate your options.) >t moon (the Moon Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >a "Any idea where the Minister of the Moon is?" "I last saw him in the Terrace," he remarks. >t earth (You contemplate your options.) >t legends Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >read book Which do you mean, Ye Mysticke Symbolism of ye Cheeses, their Preparation and Servinge, Hollow Earth, A Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette, Omen Lists by Year, the An Encyclopedia of Dreams or Dawn Tales? >earth Entry For many days and nights they made attempts on the locks with hammers, and files, and picks, but the iron remained inviolate as though it were adamant. And so they began to despair of opening the door at all, and thought of going home. That night while they sat at the fire, however, a woman came to them, in clothes the color of blood, and she said, "You wish to open the door in the mountain; I will show you how it may be done." So she went ahead of them and set her hand on the door, and all the wax seals melted, and the locks grew liquid and ran like beads of sweat. The dance draws towards its conclusion: the couples move more quickly, the androgyne enters and leaves the pattern with a speed approaching frenzy; and then just as it becomes too heady to endure the rhythm breaks, the musician falls still, and all is at an end. "Thank you," he says. "Until we meet again." And then he's gone from the room, and you are left to recover your balance. >l Sun Court A room the size of several ballrooms set edge to edge. The floor is worked in the image of the sun in full blaze: chips of tinted glass, silver, and gold, worked into a glittering mosaic. Mirrors multiply the space, and the crowd within it. To the west, glass doors open onto the terrace and the night. Smaller exits lie north and south, deeper into the palace. The Court Physician stands nearby, having watched the dancing. Among the crowd here is an old lady. A thin footman stands by the north door. The eastern side of the room is entirely taken up with the King on his throne. >t physician You're not currently in a conversation with anyone. >talk to physician You contemplate introductory remarks. >a "This is a charming party, really." "Yes." The portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat strolls into the room. >t prince (You contemplate your options.) >a "Any idea where the prince is?" "I believe I last ran into him in the Square Garden," he remarks. >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >t moon (the Moon Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >t the moon (the Moon Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >t moon itself (You contemplate your options.) >t forest Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t earth itself (You contemplate your options.) >t agriculture Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t goodbye (You contemplate your options.) >a "It was a pleasure speaking to you." The Court Physician makes farewell noises, and you go your separate ways. >s You're disinclined to wander away before you figure out where the man in dark clothing went -- it looked as though he slipped through the north door. The hawk-nosed man in grey strolls into the room. >n The thin footman seems not to see you at all as you pass by. Library Unlike the rooms meant for public show, the library has not been decorated in the latest style, but has been allowed to keep its heavy oak pillars and its dark furniture. Nonetheless, the riches of the treasury could barely compare to the value contained in this room. Thousands of volumes crowd the shelves, the works of scholars in original languages dating back 2300 years, since even before the foundation of the Empire. One section of these shelves is pulled away, revealing a secret space beyond big enough for someone to stand in. There's no sign of anyone around in the room. A heavy red leather book has been left out. On the shelves is On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon. >x book (The Nature and Causes of the Power of Kings) Bound in red leather with gold stamping on the spine: a guide to the principles of kingship and the power that contributes to or detracts from it. It is written in rather flowery language, translated from an older text, and without much scholarly matter to support it. The table of contents reads as follows: Vigilance Healing Breaking Reversal Potent Toast >read it (first taking The Nature and Causes of the Power of Kings) There's a noise behind you, barely more than the scuff of a boot on the hard floor. You whirl, heart pounding. "You always turn up in the most unexpected places." The man in the mask leans casually against one of the great oak pillars, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He steps forward, more fully into the light. You stare at him, but his mask covers too much of his face. But on his hand: the ring of the Phoenix, glittering with jewels, and set at the center with the great diamond that marks a leader. One of your own Order. >a "You shouldn't be here!" "No?" "They're looking for you," you hiss urgently. "You'll be arrested by the King's guard." "I had to keep my appointment," he replies, smiling slightly. "Having invited you, I could hardly fail to appear myself..." >b "Why do you concern yourself with me?" "You know why." Your gaze drops and you remember: four, five desperate hours before dawn, sitting together in the shadows, waiting. By pure chance, because he had come to rescue you from ambush on the highway. He drove off the ruffians, but the horses escaped as well, both yours and his own, and you were left there with nothing to do but hope that more friendly traffic would come to rescue you. And talk. >b "This is absurd. We spoke only for a few hours." "Can you truly tell me that you have found anyone else with whom you could converse so easily, at such length? Because I have not. Perhaps I have merely been unfortunate, but to me it seemed like finding the other half of my own soul." >a "Are you going to tell me who you really are?" "Not yet." "But--" "My dear, you already know the most important things." >a "I know that your singing voice is abominable." He laughs. "Soteria-- there are reasons. Things are difficult now, but when they're over, I promise, you'll know everything..." >a "Do you not trust me?" "With my life," he replies, in a low voice. "But there are things beyond that that I have promised not to divulge to anyone. Please understand." >a "Perhaps I am afraid of you." "You? I saw you stare down five men armed with cudgels." >a "You are convicted as a criminal!" "Yes, and who was just warning me to be cautious?" He laughs. "Believe me, it is the man I attacked who deserves to be hanged." He is standing very close now, almost looming over you; you have backed up to the table, braced yourself against it with your hands. "But then, I somehow don't think you ever doubted that. Did you." You stare at him, breathless. >kiss him It takes just the lifting of your head; he meets you halfway. "That's what I thought," he says a little smugly. He reaches to take your hand, and stops, staring at the ring on your finger. "You too?" he asks. "Yes," you say; and he smiles. "Then we are even more alike than I supposed." He sighs. "My absence will be noted soon. But I will find you again, I promise." And then he is gone. >read book (The Nature and Causes of the Power of Kings) (first taking The Nature and Causes of the Power of Kings) Taken. Breaking The power of the King is eternal and stable, for which reason it is threatened only in the times of change. When the Great Comet appears in the sky and the world is made unstable, others must look to the King's protection; he can no longer protect himself with perfect efficacy. On the first night of the comet those forces opposed to him, if they were so inclined, could change him. This is the time of the Rite of Reversal. >g Which do you mean, On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon, The Nature and Causes of the Power of Kings, Ye Mysticke Symbolism of ye Cheeses, their Preparation and Servinge, Hollow Earth, A Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette, Omen Lists by Year, the An Encyclopedia of Dreams or Dawn Tales? >read kings Reversal Identities become shallow and changeable in the time of the comet. Reversals occur, personalities invert. Who drinks the potent drink at the toast of the comet is in that moment changed. >g Potent Toast The top of the page begins to describe the preparation of some kind of beverage, but past a few lines the paper has been torn away by a hasty hand. >g Vigilance The king's vigilance is a power of the observation of all things. He sees without flaw into the hearts of men and knows who would betray him. He observes the plight of his people and grieves for their grief. Only if his vision were to be bound from the outside would the king's vigilance ever flag. >g Healing The king's power to heal comes to him from the sun. His touch removes pain. To interfere with death alone is forbidden to him; all that pertains to the living is within his rightful domain. >g Breaking The power of the King is eternal and stable, for which reason it is threatened only in the times of change. When the Great Comet appears in the sky and the world is made unstable, others must look to the King's protection; he can no longer protect himself with perfect efficacy. On the first night of the comet those forces opposed to him, if they were so inclined, could change him. This is the time of the Rite of Reversal. >x book Which do you mean, On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon, The Nature and Causes of the Power of Kings, Ye Mysticke Symbolism of ye Cheeses, their Preparation and Servinge, Hollow Earth, A Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette, Omen Lists by Year, the An Encyclopedia of Dreams or Dawn Tales? >kings Bound in red leather with gold stamping on the spine: a guide to the principles of kingship and the power that contributes to or detracts from it. It is written in rather flowery language, translated from an older text, and without much scholarly matter to support it. The table of contents reads as follows: Vigilance Healing Breaking Reversal Potent Toast >l Library Unlike the rooms meant for public show, the library has not been decorated in the latest style, but has been allowed to keep its heavy oak pillars and its dark furniture. Nonetheless, the riches of the treasury could barely compare to the value contained in this room. Thousands of volumes crowd the shelves, the works of scholars in original languages dating back 2300 years, since even before the foundation of the Empire. One section of these shelves is pulled away, revealing a secret space beyond big enough for someone to stand in. On the shelves is On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon. >enter space Secret Room A narrow room, little more than a cell, lined with sturdy paneling. From here you can see almost nothing of the library. Valkir is nearby as well, watching the proceedings with a somewhat distracted expression on his face. A wadded-up page of something lies crumpled in the corner. A man's leather glove lies discarded here. >get page Taken. >x it Hastily torn and much crumpled, it describes the preparation of some kind of drink. >get glove Taken. >x it Made of black leather, of the same kind that might be worn by any man of taste, but distinguished by the gold stitching around the cuff, an embellishment reserved to the royal house and high nobility. >x valkir A lean man in a severe dark-red suit. His hair is dark, his nose a bit aquiline. There is a hint of something familiar about him, but you can't be completely certain. >talk to him You contemplate introductory remarks. >a "This is a charming party, really." "Yes." >t mask Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >x him A lean man in a severe dark-red suit. His hair is dark, his nose a bit aquiline. There is a hint of something familiar about him, but you can't be completely certain. >t familiar Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >a "A bit cold out, isn't it?" "Exceptionally odd for this time of year, yes," he comments. >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >a "How often does the comet appear?" "Every hundred years, almost exactly. The precise details are unknown to me," he says. >t room (You contemplate your options.) >t secret (You contemplate your options.) >t what are you doing here? Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t king (You contemplate your options.) >t queen (You contemplate your options.) >t prince (You contemplate your options.) >a "How long have you known the prince?" "Since we were young boys. Our mothers were friends before we were born." >a "You are close to the Prince?" "If I say yes, it sounds as though I'm bragging, and if I say no, it sounds as though I consider him aloof and unknowable. You must learn to ask less dangerous questions, my dear." >b "But what is he like?" He sighs faintly. "Would that someone prized me for my own company," he laments, "rather than for anecdotes about the prince!" You open your mouth to apologize, but he forestalls you. "It's a perfectly natural question," he replies. "The prince is an interesting man. He is handsome, unmarried..." >b "I only ask because we danced together." "A perfectly reasonable curiosity..." He frowns momentarily. "I should warn you, though, that if you cherish hopes-- that is, I have no good way to put this delicately, but the prince has often--" He sighs. "Simply, and I hope you will take it without malice. A lady as beautiful as yourself has often caught his eye. None has ever held it long. If you succeed, may you have joy of it -- but don't pin your hopes in unreasonable places." >a "I assure you I have no designs on the Prince." You read something in his eye that might almost be relief. It is quickly veiled. "Just as well," he says. "These are difficult and unpleasant times. I would hate to see anyone innocent drawn in." >t times Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t hunger (You contemplate your options.) >t kings (You contemplate your options.) >t king (You contemplate your options.) >t vivienne Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >[dagnabbit, I forget her name] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >t woman (You contemplate your options.) >a "Where is the fortune teller?" "In the outer garden, I believe." >t woman (You contemplate your options.) >t women Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t man (You contemplate your options.) >t men Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t innocent Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t ring (You contemplate your options.) >t order (You contemplate your options.) >t highwayman Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t masked man (You contemplate your options.) >a "Who is the masked man?" "Count Lannor is an old friend of my family," says Valkir, "and therefore of my own as well, though I have not come to know him well... Some time ago he was viciously attacked by a masked intruder, which is why that person is now an outlaw, desired for hanging." >a "Do you think Lannor is trustworthy?" Valkir makes a face. "I think he is not lying about where he got his scars," he says. "And I imagine that he also pays his gaming debts, and that he does not contract duelling appointments for which he does not intend to be present. But that is a man's kind of trustworthiness; for a woman I think he might be less reliable." >t lannor (You contemplate your options.) >x library You can't see any such thing. >l Secret Room A narrow room, little more than a cell, lined with sturdy paneling. From here you can see almost nothing of the library. Valkir is nearby as well, watching the proceedings with a somewhat distracted expression on his face. >out Library Unlike the rooms meant for public show, the library has not been decorated in the latest style, but has been allowed to keep its heavy oak pillars and its dark furniture. Nonetheless, the riches of the treasury could barely compare to the value contained in this room. Thousands of volumes crowd the shelves, the works of scholars in original languages dating back 2300 years, since even before the foundation of the Empire. One section of these shelves is pulled away, revealing a secret space beyond big enough for someone to stand in. On the shelves is On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Moon. >s (First restoring your selections to the shelves.) (first closing the secret door to avoid leaving evidence of your presence) Sun Court A room the size of several ballrooms set edge to edge. The floor is worked in the image of the sun in full blaze: chips of tinted glass, silver, and gold, worked into a glittering mosaic. Mirrors multiply the space, and the crowd within it. To the west, glass doors open onto the terrace and the night. Smaller exits lie north and south, deeper into the palace. Among the crowd here are an old lady, a hawk-nosed man in grey, and a portly gentleman in a yellow waistcoat. A thin footman stands by the north door. The eastern side of the room is entirely taken up with the King on his throne. >x king It is more or less impossible at this point for you to see him as a man. He is the King: his features are on every coin minted, his statue stands in every square. His presence guards and protects. His hands heal. His eyes see all. He is fearsome and great. And dying. It's written in the trembling of his hands, and in the papery transparence of his skin, though no one would say so aloud. The tall lady in blue strolls into the room. >w Terrace A terrace of lunar marble, surrounded by a low balustrade. It gleams softly of its own in the darkening night. To the west, shallow steps descend to the enclosure of the Square Garden; east beckons the brilliance of the Sun Court. The minister of the moon stands at the far end, gazing upwards. >w Square Garden Surrounded on all four sides by the great bulk of the palace, but broad enough not to be overwhelmed. An arched tunnel leads through the west wall to the outer gardens. There are paper lanterns on strings, though not so bright as to obscure the sky. The Prince is sitting here, once again drinking from a silver goblet. You have the impression when you look at him that he has just looked away from you. In the center honey wine gushes from a fountain. >x wine "Oh, THERE you are," trills a voice you are beginning to hate heartily. It is, incredibly, Vivena, her skirts hampering her a little as she descends the stairs. She turns to the Prince and says, "I have been looking for you everywhere." "You must not have been doing a very good job," he replies, "considering that I have been sitting out here ever since the dance." She fails, perhaps deliberately, to read any mockery or chiding into this, but confidently threads her arm through his. "I know, I'm sorry. Some of my friends are coming out with refreshments in a minute, I think, and we can all have a nice little outdoor party here, since you kept saying how you hate the inside and all the frantic pace..." And she continues to prattle in this vein for some time. It is clear that the moment for private conversation has passed. >undo Square Garden [Previous turn undone.] >talk to prince "Oh, THERE you are," trills a voice you are beginning to hate heartily. It is, incredibly, Vivena, her skirts hampering her a little as she descends the stairs. She turns to the Prince and says, "I have been looking for you everywhere." "You must not have been doing a very good job," he replies, "considering that I have been sitting out here ever since the dance." She fails, perhaps deliberately, to read any mockery or chiding into this, but confidently threads her arm through his. "I know, I'm sorry. Some of my friends are coming out with refreshments in a minute, I think, and we can all have a nice little outdoor party here, since you kept saying how you hate the inside and all the frantic pace..." And she continues to prattle in this vein for some time. It is clear that the moment for private conversation has passed. >w Archway Inside a sort of archway through the body of the palace itself. To the east lies the square garden; west, more gardens but more wild. In the south wall is an unobtrusive door. >s You can't, since the small door is in the way. >x door An undecorated little door, obviously without any ceremonial purpose, opening southward into the body of the palace. >open it It seems to be locked. >knock on door No one answers. >w Outer Garden Outside the palace building proper, but overlooked by its long windows. To the west, the trees grow thick and impenetrable; the grass is thick and already gathering dew. East and inward is the square garden. The mouth of the Queen's Grotto lies to the south. A woman wearing a webbed veil sits before a small table, shuffling a deck of fortune-telling cards. A few feet away from her stands a dark-haired man, clearly of the same nationality. >x veil Like most of her kind, she seems to come from abroad. She is dressed in a heavy black gown of good cut, which, however, has seen some wear, given the fraying around the hem and some restitching at the elbows. Such people are generally admitted to provide interest and entertainment to those of the guests who like to ask to have their cards told. The very young woman strolls into the room. >talk to woman Which do you mean, the very young woman or the veiled woman? >veiled You contemplate introductory remarks. The swarthy swordsman strolls into the room. >[Hey, no remarks on the list] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >t fortuen Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t fortune (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you see for yourself?" Her eyebrows rise and her mouth quirks. She mutters something that you can't understand, but then cooperatively withdraws a card from her pack and holds it out for your inspection. On one side, a woman sits spinning thread from a wheel, which her companion begins to weave. On the other, the same woman is caught in an inexorable web. >t card (You contemplate your options.) >t wheel Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t card (You contemplate your options.) >t fortune (You contemplate your options.) >t earth (the Earth Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you see for the Earth Minister?" She takes a card from her pack and holds it out for your inspection.On one half is the moon, on whose face a man wanders, bow slung on his shoulder, after an animal that ever eludes him. On the other, the hollow earth with a woman seated in it, her hands busy with the mixing of dough. The young lady swoons. >t me (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you see for me?" She takes a card from her pack and holds it out for your inspection.On one half is a peacock, its tail spread in magnificent display. On the other, a phoenix in flames, and all the air heavy with smoke. >[Needs a space after 'inspection.'] That's not a verb I recognize. >t masked man (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you see for the masked man?" Wordlessly she withdraws a card from her pack and holds it out for your inspection. On each half is a man masked and clothed in a dark cloak. In one half, he rescues a woman from danger; in the other, he stabs someone below the ribs. The swarthy swordsman taps out a dancing rhythm on the floor with the heel of his boot. >t moon (the Moon Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you see for the Moon Minister?" She takes a card from her pack and holds it out for your inspection.On one half is the moon, on whose face a man wanders, bow slung on his shoulder, after an animal that ever eludes him. On the other, the hollow earth with a woman seated in it, her hands busy with the mixing of dough. >a "What do you see for the Court Physician?" She takes a card from her pack and holds it out for your inspection.On each half is a snake: on one side biting viciously, on the other curled around its own tail. The young lady swoons. >t vivena (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you see for Vivena?" She shuffles the deck and then extracts from its very center a card divided between an angry cat -- its tail pulled by a child -- and a sleeping dog. >t prince (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you see for the Prince?" She takes a card from her pack and holds it out for your inspection. On each half is a man masked and clothed in a dark cloak. In one half, he rescues a woman from danger; in the other, he stabs someone below the ribs. The very young woman moves away vaguely. >[The *prince* is the masked man? Or they just have the same fates? That's not a verb I recognize. >t prince (You contemplate your options.) >t valkir (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you see for Lord Valkir?" Wordlessly she withdraws a card from her pack and holds it out for your inspection. On each half is a man masked and clothed in a dark cloak. In one half, he rescues a woman from danger; in the other, he stabs someone below the ribs. The tall lady in blue strolls into the room. >[OK, this is just weird.] You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >t androgyne (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you see for Avril?" Wordlessly she withdraws a card from her pack and holds it out for your inspection. A hermaphrodite, the left side male and bearded, the right side female and gowned; the womanly hand holds a cup, the manly one a snake. Overhead a comet arcs. >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >t council Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t king (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you see for the King?" Wordlessly she withdraws a card from her pack and holds it out for your inspection. On one half sits a man enthroned with the sun rising behind his head, looking out over everything with a single all-seeing eye. On the other, a blindfold Fool stumbles towards the edge of a cliff. >l Outer Garden Outside the palace building proper, but overlooked by its long windows. To the west, the trees grow thick and impenetrable; the grass is thick and already gathering dew. East and inward is the square garden. The mouth of the Queen's Grotto lies to the south. Among the crowd here are a tall lady in blue and a swarthy swordsman. A woman wearing a webbed veil sits before a small table, shuffling a deck of fortune-telling cards. A few feet away from her stands a dark-haired man, clearly of the same nationality. >x man Which do you mean, the swarthy swordsman or the dark-haired man? >dark-haired Unlike the veiled woman, he wears clothes that were never of the finest quality; correspondingly, they have survived wear much better. His boots look much walked-in but still sturdy. He sometimes speaks to the other guests in a faintly accented tongue, but always keeps an eye on his companion. The tall lady in blue departs the room in a swirl of skirts. >t dark-haired man (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you see for him?" A faint smile crosses her lips. She shuffles the deck and with a flourish withdraws another card. On one side is a pirate, sailing his ship amid the stars, the parrot on his shoulder whispering in his ear. Coffers of gems spill around his feet. On the other, the same man pours out a bag of coins into the hands of his elderly mother, who looks up at him with undisguised affection. The redheaded woman in green velvet strolls into the room. >t tall lady Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t woman Which do you mean, the redheaded woman in green velvet or the veiled woman? >green (You contemplate your options.) >t swordsman (You contemplate your options.) >t game (You contemplate your options.) >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >t goodbye (You contemplate your options.) >a "It was a pleasure speaking to you." The veiled woman makes farewell noises, and you go your separate ways. The redheaded woman in green velvet mutters a few lines from a famous poem on the Moon. >l Outer Garden Outside the palace building proper, but overlooked by its long windows. To the west, the trees grow thick and impenetrable; the grass is thick and already gathering dew. East and inward is the square garden. The mouth of the Queen's Grotto lies to the south. Among the crowd here are a swarthy swordsman and a redheaded woman in green velvet. A woman wearing a webbed veil sits before a small table, shuffling a deck of fortune-telling cards. A few feet away from her stands a dark-haired man, clearly of the same nationality. >talk to man Which do you mean, the swarthy swordsman or the dark-haired man? >dark-haired You contemplate introductory remarks. >a "This is a charming party, really." "Yes." The swarthy swordsman removes his imposing presence from the general vicinity. >t woman Which do you mean, the redheaded woman in green velvet or the veiled woman? >veiled (You contemplate your options.) >a "Who is that woman?" "She is the fortune-teller. Go on, ask her for a fortune." The man grins suddenly, in a not entirely pleasant way. The old lady strolls into the room. >a "Why are you with her?" He spreads his hands. "I go where she goes." >t moon (the Moon Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >t earth (the Earth Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >t prince (You contemplate your options.) >t king (You contemplate your options.) >t masked man (You contemplate your options.) >a "Have you seen a man in black clothing and a mask recently?" "I seem fated to meet such persons continually in my travels," he replies. "But if you mean, have I seen one tonight, the answer is no, I have not." >t dance (You contemplate your options.) >t avril (You contemplate your options.) >t fortune (You contemplate your options.) >t door (You contemplate your options.) >t key Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t legends Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t legend (You contemplate your options.) >t council Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t vivena (You contemplate your options.) >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >t ga,e Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >a "How often does the comet appear?" "Every hundred years, almost exactly. The precise details are unknown to me," he comments. The old lady in black whispers to herself something about the hour approaching. >t old lady (You contemplate your options.) >talk to old lady You have no introduction. >bye That's not a verb I recognize. >e Archway Inside a sort of archway through the body of the palace itself. To the east lies the square garden; west, more gardens but more wild. In the south wall is an unobtrusive door. > Hot key -- Undo one turn Outer Garden [Previous turn undone.] >w You can go only south or east. >s Grotto Built as a cooling refuge for the queen during the hottest months of summer, but now kept warm enough to be tolerable by the hasty addition of portable fires. The rough walls flicker with dozens of flames; strands of scarlet silk twist in the busy air. Somewhere nearby you can hear a faint but distinct dripping. The way continues twisting deeper inward some distance. A maid moves here and there, tending the fires. >listen It sounds like liquid collecting slowly and then dropping into a pool. Plish. plish... >talk to maid You contemplate introductory remarks. >b "What are you doing here?" "Keeping the fires to make sure the grotto is warm," she says. >b "What is that dripping sound?" "There's that white water, my lady, that gathers a little deeper in there, that some people like to drink, I think." >a "Have you overheard anything here?" She looks at you wide-eyed, and then speaks in a very low voice. "I am not supposed to overhear." In other words, she DID overhear, but she's not sure she wants to reveal what. Incentive might help here. >give gold to maid (first taking the gold coin) "Thank you," says the maid. Nothing more passes between you but the understanding is there. You have gained -- purchased -- an ally. >a "Have you overheard anything here?" "The Earth Minister," she whispers, "was talking to someone about a plan for tonight. Something to do with the king. I couldn't hear all of it," she adds. "She was telling someone to get more information, they needed more information and it might be in the library. Something about ascertaining the dosage." >a "Did you see who it was the Earth Minister was speaking to?" "I-- I didn't want to," she admits. "Oh my lady, something is wrong. I don't want to be caught in it. They'll kill me. Sometimes people die just for knowing things... it was a man, that is all I know." >t masked man (You contemplate your options.) >a "Have you seen a man in black clothing and a mask recently?" Her mouth makes a little round o. "I haven't seen him, no, but I've heard of him!" she says excitedly. "He gave money to a friend of my mother's who was sick, and he was seen wandering around the palace grounds once, but they say that he is a vicious thief and that he tried to murder someone..." >a "Do you believe that?" "Oh, no, my lady. That is, I don't know. I'm sure the Cabinet had a reason to make him an outlaw, but that doesn't sound right at all." She lowers her voice. "They say that he is a nobleman, you know. Perhaps even someone from the palace." >t vivena (You contemplate your options.) >t earth (the Earth Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >a "Do you know where the Minister of Earth is?" "I haven't seen her this evening." >[Heh.] That's not a verb I recognize. >t moon (the Moon Minister) (You contemplate your options.) >t dance (You contemplate your options.) >t comet (You contemplate your options.) >t va Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t valkir (You contemplate your options.) >a "Any idea where Valkir is?" "I last saw him in the Terrace," she remarks. >t androgyne (You contemplate your options.) >t maid (You contemplate your options.) >t water (You contemplate your options.) >l Grotto Built as a cooling refuge for the queen during the hottest months of summer, but now kept warm enough to be tolerable by the hasty addition of portable fires. The rough walls flicker with dozens of flames; strands of scarlet silk twist in the busy air. Somewhere nearby you can hear a faint but distinct dripping. The way continues twisting deeper inward some distance. A maid moves here and there, tending the fires. >t drip Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >read page leche... easily mixed in thele... immediate effect... flavor not discernible and no smell that would be noted... personality reversal complete and after the comet not possible to revoke. The King loses his crown... Applicability to other people depends upon their personality type and the nature of the obverse... Some part of the page refers to the preparation of an antidote, but the details have been completely obliterated. >l Grotto Built as a cooling refuge for the queen during the hottest months of summer, but now kept warm enough to be tolerable by the hasty addition of portable fires. The rough walls flicker with dozens of flames; strands of scarlet silk twist in the busy air. Somewhere nearby you can hear a faint but distinct dripping. The way continues twisting deeper inward some distance. A maid moves here and there, tending the fires. >in Deep in the Grotto Darker than the upper part of the grotto, but still roomy. The walls curve and twist out again. The dripping sound is more audible here. The Earth Minister sits nearby in one of the carved benches. >x earth All the weight and wear of years has not entirely destroyed her beauty. She is old, round, and wise; her expression suggests long experience and patience. >talk to earth You contemplate introductory remarks. >b "You're all alone here." "So I am," she says, with a heavy sigh. "But I find this sort of celebration exhausting; sometimes it is pleasant to be back in the presence of the earth itself, with the rock closed around me. It feels... safe." >a "And you feel some special need for safety?" "...not exactly as though I were in danger," she says. "But that comet would make anyone careful, don't you think? There is something in the air tonight, certainly." >a "What is the importance of the comet?" "It is a sign of a time of change," she says. "Violent catastrophic revolution..." >t change (You contemplate your options.) >b "Bringing chaos doesn't sound at all positive." "Then look at it in this way. The alternative is stagnation. If the Kingdom could never be changed, if the King were infinitely powerful, if everything remained ever in the hands of the same people, there would be no means of repair when things went awry." >a "What kind of change does the comet bring?" "It doesn't bring any one kind of change," she says. "It makes all kinds possible." >t maid Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t draught Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t page (You contemplate your options.) >i You are carrying: a glove a torn page a purse (which is open but empty) a black velvet cape (being worn) a white card a phoenix ring (being worn) >t purse (You contemplate your options.) >t glove (You contemplate your options.) >show glove to earth (You contemplate your options.) >t cape (You contemplate your options.) >t agriculture Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t moon (the moon itself) (You contemplate your options.) >t moon minister (You contemplate your options.) >a "What do you think of the Minister of the Moon?" "He is not entirely right in the mind," she says, with a deep sigh. "He wanders. He is no good here." >t legends Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t legend (You contemplate your options.) >a "Can you tell me any old stories about the role of Earth?" She raises an eyebrow. "Interested in mythology?" "Something like that." "There are, of course, stories that go back a very long time, about how men first found the center of the earth. There were not, originally, the great gates that we have now, that are easily climbed in and out of; the passage was tortuous, an exploration of many days through convoluted caves." >a "What did the early explorers find?" "The same thing that is there now," she says. "The great hearth at the center of the earth that burns without ceasing, the Sun's darker sister, hotter but less bright. That which heats all things and gives them the power to grow. And which also can become angry and cause earthquake and eruption, and every kind of destruction, when it is abused." >a "Any other stories about the Earth?" "Certainly. Perhaps the oldest is the one in which a young man wandering in the mountains gets lost in a cave on the Night of the Comet. He's an idiot, a fool, useless to his people; he belongs to the royal house, but he can do nothing for anyone. "But in the caves he meets a woman, a Daughter of Earth, and she gives him something to drink. A miraculous potion that unleashes him from his blindness and changes his nature, so that he becomes a King as we have kings..." She trails off. "I've always found it an inspiring story." >t king (You contemplate your options.) >t fool Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t water (You contemplate your options.) >a "What is that dripping sound?" She shrugs eloquently. "In these damp little caves water often collects and then runs down again. Sometimes gathering the essence of the rock as it goes." >t rock Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t earth (You contemplate your options.) >a "Who were you before you became the Earth Minister?" She looks at you in grave startlement. "Like all of my station--" (and her voice is deep and melodious, like the patient speech of the ancestors) "-- I was chosen from among the peasants. I had no life before this." >a "What does the Earth Minister do?" "Part of my job, as anyone else's on the Cabinet, is to give the king advice and to help however I can with the running of the kingdom. And part of it is ceremonial, as a representative of the Earth herself." >a "What do you mean, represent the Earth?" "The power of the Sun is focused in the King," she explains, in a voice that reminds you of your grandmother telling stories: resonant and leisurely. "But it is not the only kind of power there is. It rules the others, but it cannot compel them; rebellion is possible." >a "What sorts of powers does the Earth grant?" "To me?" She looks faintly surprised at the question, as though it were indelicate to discuss such matters. And perhaps it is, but she takes it, it would seem, as naive curiosity. "As the King has the ability to heal the sick and oversee the hearts of men, I have some slight ability to heal the earth: to make barren fields grow, to take away famines and blights, to restore the good will between men and the land." >a "Do you exercise your powers often?" "I travel a bit and go where I am needed," she says, "or where I am sent for. And sometimes I must return into the Earth, as the Moon Minister must return to the Moon, so that I do not forget my purpose or lose my abilities." >a "Can you cause bad things as well? Earthquakes and eruptions?" "Why would I wish to?" But she does not answer the question. >t earthquake Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t toast (You contemplate your options.) >t dance (You contemplate your options.) >t agriculture Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t fields Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t earth itself (You contemplate your options.) >t earth (You contemplate your options.) >a "How long ago did you join the Cabinet?" "Four years ago." >a "I would have guessed it had been longer than that." "I was chosen for the position years before that," she replies, "but there is a great deal of preparation that must be made. One must go under the earth, and learn the lore that belongs to it, and begin to steep oneself in the power of the position..." >t power (You contemplate your options.) >t hollow Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >t kings Nothing on that topic leaps to mind. >i You are carrying: a glove a torn page a purse (which is open but empty) a black velvet cape (being worn) a white card a phoenix ring (being worn) >t torn page (You contemplate your options.) >t phoenix (You contemplate your options.) >t order (You contemplate your options.) >t ring (You contemplate your options.) >t valkir (You contemplate your options.) >t vivena (You contemplate your options.) >in You can go only out. >l Deep in the Grotto Darker than the upper part of the grotto, but still roomy. The walls curve and twist out again. The dripping sound is more audible here. The Earth Minister sits nearby in one of the carved benches. >listen It sounds like liquid collecting slowly and then dropping into a pool. Plish. plish... >follow sound That's not a verb I recognize. >x liquid You can't see any such thing. >out Grotto Built as a cooling refuge for the queen during the hottest months of summer, but now kept warm enough to be tolerable by the hasty addition of portable fires. The rough walls flicker with dozens of flames; strands of scarlet silk twist in the busy air. Somewhere nearby you can hear a faint but distinct dripping. The way continues twisting deeper inward some distance. A maid moves here and there, tending the fires. >e You can go only north, out or in. >n Outer Garden Outside the palace building proper, but overlooked by its long windows. To the west, the trees grow thick and impenetrable; the grass is thick and already gathering dew. East and inward is the square garden. The mouth of the Queen's Grotto lies to the south. Among the crowd here are an old lady and a redheaded woman in green velvet. A woman wearing a webbed veil sits before a small table, shuffling a deck of fortune-telling cards. A few feet away from her stands a dark-haired man, clearly of the same nationality. >s Grotto Built as a cooling refuge for the queen during the hottest months of summer, but now kept warm enough to be tolerable by the hasty addition of portable fires. The rough walls flicker with dozens of flames; strands of scarlet silk twist in the busy air. Somewhere nearby you can hear a faint but distinct dripping. The way continues twisting deeper inward some distance. A maid moves here and there, tending the fires. >out Outer Garden Outside the palace building proper, but overlooked by its long windows. To the west, the trees grow thick and impenetrable; the grass is thick and already gathering dew. East and inward is the square garden. The mouth of the Queen's Grotto lies to the south. Among the crowd here are an old lady and a redheaded woman in green velvet. A woman wearing a webbed veil sits before a small table, shuffling a deck of fortune-telling cards. A few feet away from her stands a dark-haired man, clearly of the same nationality. "Those dancers are so lovely." You turn, startled, but the old woman does not seem to be talking to you. (Or anyone.) >talk to old woman You have no introduction. >out But you aren't in anything at the moment. "One hundred years," says the old lady, to no one in particular. >s Grotto Built as a cooling refuge for the queen during the hottest months of summer, but now kept warm enough to be tolerable by the hasty addition of portable fires. The rough walls flicker with dozens of flames; strands of scarlet silk twist in the busy air. Somewhere nearby you can hear a faint but distinct dripping. The way continues twisting deeper inward some distance. A maid moves here and there, tending the fires. >n Outer Garden Outside the palace building proper, but overlooked by its long windows. To the west, the trees grow thick and impenetrable; the grass is thick and already gathering dew. East and inward is the square garden. The mouth of the Queen's Grotto lies to the south. Among the crowd here are an old lady and a redheaded woman in green velvet. A woman wearing a webbed veil sits before a small table, shuffling a deck of fortune-telling cards. A few feet away from her stands a dark-haired man, clearly of the same nationality. The redheaded woman in green velvet mutters a few lines from a famous poem on the Moon. >w You can go only south or east. "Those dancers are so lovely." You turn, startled, but the old woman does not seem to be talking to you. (Or anyone.) >e Archway Inside a sort of archway through the body of the palace itself. To the east lies the square garden; west, more gardens but more wild. In the south wall is an unobtrusive door. >s You can't, since the small door is in the way. >e Square Garden Surrounded on all four sides by the great bulk of the palace, but broad enough not to be overwhelmed. An arched tunnel leads through the west wall to the outer gardens. There are paper lanterns on strings, though not so bright as to obscure the sky. Vivena is here, looking daggers at you. The Prince is sitting here, once again drinking from a silver goblet. You have the impression when you look at him that he has just looked away from you. In the center honey wine gushes from a fountain. >talk to vivena You have approximately no desire to speak with her. >talk to prince Vivena interposes herself neatly between you and the prince. "Old friends take precedence, my sweet," she says. "Do run along now." >x goblet You can't see any such thing. >drink wine You would have to go and get a goblet first. >e Terrace