Resident data ends at 8cf0, program starts at 8cf0, file ends at 37bec

Starting analysis pass at address 8cf0

End of analysis pass, low address = 8cf0, high address = 30d50


[Start of text]

S001: "CHRISTMINSTER"
S002: "
An Interactive Conspiracy by Gareth Rees.

Please type "help licence" for details about the absence of warranty and about
how you may distribute "Christminster". Type "help" for instructions.
"
S003: "951024"
S004: "5/12"
S005: "a"
S006: "You can't go that way."
S007: "the"
S008: "the"
S009: "the"
S010: "the"
S011: "the"
S012: "the"
S013: "the"
S014: "the"
S015: "the"
S016: "the"
S017: "the"
S018: "the"
S019: "Darkness"
S020: "It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing."
S021: "As good-looking as ever."
S022: "Nameless item"
S023: "your former self"
S024: "                                                        "
S025: "  Upon this Oath that I shall heere you give,           "
S026: "  For ne Gold ne Silver as long as you live,            "
S027: "  Neither for love you beare towards your Kinne,        "
S028: "  Nor yet to no great Man preferment to wynne:          "
S029: "  That you disclose the secret that I shall you teach,  "
S030: "  Neither by writing nor by no swift speech;            "
S031: "  But only to him which you be sure                     "
S032: "  Hath ever searched after the secrets of Nature.       "
S033: "  To him you may reveal the secrets of this Art,        "
S034: "  Under the covering of Philosophie before this world   "
S035: "                                           you depart.  "
S036: "    -- "Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum" (1652)           "
S037: "                                                        "
S038: " "
S039: " "
S040: "C H R I S T M I N S T E R"
S041: "An interactive conspiracy"
S042: " Gareth Rees, August 1995"
S043: " "
S044: "  [press a key to begin]"
S045: "Don't be silly!"
S046: "Futile."
S047: "What a concept!"
S048: "A valiant attempt."
S049: "You can't be serious."
S050: "Not likely."
S051: "An interesting idea."
S052: "No chance."
S053: "the"
S054: "keys"
S055: "books"
S056: "A gift from your grandmother, who seems to have thought that no
respectable young woman should be seen about town without her crocodile-skin
handbag."
S057: "your"
S058: "The telegram reads, "Dearest Christabel. Work goes well. Amazing
discovery in prospect. Come at once. Will tell all when you arrive on Sunday.
Your dearest brother, Malcolm Spencer.""
S059: "And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from"
S060: "the top to the bottom."
S061: " "
S062: "  -- Mark 15:38"
S063: "Hush, beating heart of Christabel!"
S064: " "
S065: "  -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "Christabel""
S066: "They crossed the moat and Christabel"
S067: "Took the key that fitted well;"
S068: "A little door she opened straight,"
S069: "All in the middle of the gate"
S070: " "
S071: "  -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "Christabel""
S072: "Sweet Christabel her feet doth bare,"
S073: "And jealous of the listening air"
S074: "They steal their way from stair to stair"
S075: " "
S076: "  -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "Christabel""
S077: "A sight to dream of, not to tell!"
S078: "O shield her! shield sweet Christabel!"
S079: " "
S080: "  -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "Christabel""
S081: "All alchemical books abound with obscure enigmas"
S082: "or sophisticated operations."
S083: " "
S084: "  -- "The Shut Palace Opened""
S085: "The first key is that which opens the dark"
S086: "prisons, in which the sulphur is shut up."
S087: " "
S088: "  -- "Six Principal Keys of the Secret Philosophy""
S089: "The second key dissolves the compound, or the"
S090: "stone, and begins the separation of the elements"
S091: "in a philosophical manner."
S092: " "
S093: "  -- "Six Principal Keys of the Secret Philosophy""
S094: "The third key comprehends of itself alone a longer"
S095: "train of operations, than all the rest together."
S096: " "
S097: "  -- "Six Principal Keys of the Secret Philosophy""
S098: "The fourth key of the art, is the entrance of the"
S099: "second work; it is that which reduces our water"
S100: "into earth."
S101: " "
S102: "  -- "Six Principal Keys of the Secret Philosophy""
S103: "The fifth key of our work is the fermentation of"
S104: "the stone with the perfect body, to make thereof"
S105: "the medicine of the third order."
S106: " "
S107: "  -- "Six Principal Keys of the Secret Philosophy""
S108: "The sixth key teaches the multiplication of the"
S109: "stone, by the reiteration of the same operation,"
S110: "which consists but in opening and shutting,"
S111: "imbibing and drying; whereby the virtues of the"
S112: "stone are infinitely multiplied."
S113: " "
S114: "  -- "Six Principal Keys of the Secret Philosophy""
S115: "Now they are giving me a fashionable white straw hat"
S116: "And a black veil that molds to my face,"
S117: "  they are making me one of them."
S118: "They are leading me to the shorn grove,"
S119: "  the circle of hives."
S120: " "
S121: "  -- Sylvia Plath, "The Bee Meeting""
S122: "dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux"
S123: "et vidit Deus lucem quod essem bona"
S124: "et divisit lucem ac tenebras."
S125: " "
S126: "  -- liber Genesis 1:3-4"
S127: "If this furious serpent, after it has been"
S128: "dissolved by the universal menstruum, does not"
S129: "turn into our virgin milk, invisibly devouring"
S130: "away every thing that comes near it, it is"
S131: "plainly to be seen that you err in the notion of"
S132: "the universal menstruum."
S133: " "
S134: "  -- Urbigens, "100 Aphorisms""
S135: "Take of aqua vitae, and put into this vegetable"
S136: "humidity a third part of a honey-comb, ferment or"
S137: "digest it in a gentle heat, and repeat the"
S138: "distillation nine times, renewing the comb every"
S139: "second distillation."
S140: " "
S141: "  -- Raymond Lully, "The Hermetic Mercuries""
S142: "I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have"
S143: "eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my"
S144: "wine with my milk."
S145: " "
S146: "  -- Song of Songs 5:1"
S147: "Now this our second and living water is called"
S148: "azoth: it is also called the soul of the"
S149: "dissolved bodies, which souls we have even now"
S150: "tied together for the use of the wise philosopher."
S151: " "
S152: "  -- "The Secret Book of Artephius""
S153: "The position [of Master] still had glamour,"
S154: "repute, a good deal of personal power. It carried"
S155: "a certain amount of patronage. But its duties had"
S156: "faded away. Anyone who filled it had to create"
S157: "for himself the work to do."
S158: " "
S159: "  -- C P Snow, "The Masters""
S160: "Few human institutions had a history so"
S161: "continuous, so personal, so day-to-day."
S162: " "
S163: "  -- C P Snow, "The Masters""
S164: "The job of the writer is to describe the rose;"
S165: "that of the poet to sing its virtues; that of the"
S166: "artist to convey its beauty; that of the lawyer"
S167: "to convince us that it's not a rose at all."
S168: " "
S169: "  -- Barnabas Kubiak"
S170: "How do I enter the college?"
S171: "The cobbles in Chapel Street are in poor repair. Perhaps you should
examine them more closely?"
S172: "The window in Biblioll Street is a tempting target. Have you tried to
throw the cobble at it?"
S173: "The busker asks for an object from the audience. Perhaps you should
oblige him."
S174: "Have you tried giving your handbag to the busker?"
S175: "Have you examined the police constable carefully while he's standing in
Bridge Street? Is there anything different about him in that location?"
S176: "Have you tried giving something to the police constable?"
S177: "The police constable seems to want to take part in the magic trick, but
he needs a bit of encouragement. Have you tried instructing him in what to do?"
S178: "Have you tried breaking the window in Biblioll Street while the police
constable is distracted?"
S179: "Have you tried tickling the sleeping don with the feather?"
S180: "You need to find a place to hide the key where no-one would think of
looking. What about getting the busker to use it as part of his trick?"
S181: "How do I enter Malcolm's room?"
S182: "Most colleges in Christminster have a gate list; try finding your
brother's room on that."
S183: "Have you tried visiting Malcolm's room yet?"
S184: "Have you examined the porter closely?"
S185: "Have you spoken to the porter yet?"
S186: "The porter is deaf. Is there any way you might signal that you want one
of his keys?"
S187: "The porter doesn't want to give you a key until he know who you are. Is
there any way you could convince him of your identity (remember that he's deaf,
so you can't speak to him)?"
S188: "Help! I'm stuck! What do I do now?"
S189: "Try to enter the college."
S190: "Try visiting Malcolm."
S191: "Malcolm's room has clearly been ransacked for something important.
Perhaps you can succeed where the burglars failed."
S192: "Try getting into the library and reading some of the books there."
S193: "Try visiting the Master in his lodgings."
S194: "When you've decoded the lab book, you'll realise that you need to look
things up. Try borrowing the relevant texts."
S195: "Try asking the Master about the things you now know about."
S196: "Pay a visit to Wilderspin."
S197: "Try investigating Wilderspin's fireplace more closely."
S198: "Try to escape from the secret passage. You'll need Wilderspin's help, of
course."
S199: "Pay a visit to the cellars and see what you can find there."
S200: "Have you met Edward Forbes yet?"
S201: "Can you persuade Edward to go to his supervision with Bungay?"
S202: "Try getting into the college gardens?"
S203: "The gardeners must have a key to the garden gate. Perhaps you can find
where they have left it."
S204: "Try crossing the river on the punt."
S205: "You may need to convince Edward to help you cross the river, since he
can punt and you can't."
S206: "Now you should be close to reuniting Edward and his parrot."
S207: "Have you visited Edward in his room?"
S208: "You should now be at a point where you can put to use all the knowledge
you've gathered and all the things you've found."
S209: "Are you sure you can't get back into the Master's Lodgings?"
S210: "Is there any way you can eavesdrop on Jarboe and Bungay's telephone
conversation?"
S211: "Try to persuade the Master to invite you to tonight's commemoration
dinner."
S212: "Attend tonight's commemoration dinner."
S213: "Eat up your food!"
S214: "Don't keep good things to yourself."
S215: "Now's the time to put the knowledge you gained from the telephone
conversation to use."
S216: "Try to get through the crumbling door."
S217: "Now all you have to do is save Malcolm and escape."
S218: "Instructions for playing adventure games"
S219: "Summary of commands"
S220: "Abbreviations for common commands"
S221: "Game credits and thanks to all the people who helped"
S222: "Copyright and other legal necessities"
S223: "How to pay for "Christminster""
S224: "Adverts for the IF-Archive and Inform"
S225: "What to do if you're stuck"
S226: "About Christminster"
S227: "Instructions"
S228: "Command summary"
S229: "Abbreviations"
S230: "Credits"
S231: "Copyright, licence and warranty"
S232: "How to pay for "Christminster""
S233: "Adverts"
S234: "When you're stuck"
S235: "Instructions"
S236: "Adventure games"
S237: "Moving around"
S238: "Manipulating things"
S239: "Talking to people"
S240: "Looking things up"
S241: "Miscellaneous commands"
S242: "An introduction to adventure games"
S243: "Moving around"
S244: "Manipulating things"
S245: "Talking to people"
S246: "Looking things up in books"
S247: "Miscellaneous commands"
S248: "How many wrong ways are there to hide the brass key?"
S249: "What is the police constable's hobby?"
S250: "How many ways are there to acquire the tears?"
S251: "In how many ways can the game come to an end?"
S252: "Which puzzles are optional?"
S253: "What names may be looked up in "Men of Biblioll"?"
S254: "What are the secret debugging commands?"
S255: "How much of the background is real?"
S256: "Christminster trivia quiz"
S257: "Answer"
S258: "some"
S259: "some"
S260: "some"
S261: "brewing an elixir"
S262: "A tiny drop of crystal clear liquid."
S263: "A couple of drops of a viscous sweet-smelling cloudy brown liquid."
S264: "It's a pale liquid, with the consistency of wine."
S265: "The gum is very viscous and oily, and gives off a powerful, bitter
scent."
S266: "The sticky gunk is a thick brown liquid. It looks and smells very
unpleasant."
S267: "The mixture is a hot liquid, bubbling and fermenting, and giving rise to
unpleasant vapours and smokes."
S268: "It is a translucent liquid, with the thickness and consistency of molten
wax. It smells very unpleasant."
S269: "A pellucid liquid with the consistency of the finest sherry."
S270: "The bottle is made of translucent brown glass, and on the bottom you can
see the stamp of the maker."
S271: "It's the word "vau" and below it, the word "han", fashioned from raised
glass."
S272: "The retort is made of glass, stained with chemicals and soot. It's a
round flask with a narrow neck and a flat base, suitable for standing on a ring
or stand above a flame."
S273: "You could head north to Bridge Street, south to Biblioll Street, or try
to enter the college to the east."
S274: "The gate is vast and sturdy. Built of solid oak timbers and weathered by
the centuries, it has witnessed the comings and goings of many generations of
scholars. Above the gate is displayed Biblioll College's coat of arms, and a
wicket gate is set into the bottom of the gate."
S275: "The gate is closed."
S276: "The gate is closed, but a little wicket gate stands open."
S277: "Three gold lions rampant on a white field, a red virgule and a silver
cup on a green field."
S278: "the"
S279: "The cobblestone is about an inch across. Its upper surface is highly
polished and the lower surface is rough."
S280: "Bridge Street runs east to west and is bounded to the south by the brick
wall of Biblioll College. The street broadens into a square here."
S281: "You could head west to Chapel Street or east to Lady Margaret Green."
S282: "cups"
S283: "successfully hiding the key from the don"
S284: "He's a tall gangling man, with long and nimble fingers."
S285: "A busking magician stands behind a folding trestle table, exhorting
passers-by to come and watch his tricks. On the table are three inverted cups
(one red, one green and one blue)."
S286: "It has a silver star on the tip. You've never seen it before, but it has
a strange air of deja vu about it."
S287: "It's very sticky."
S288: "The brick wall is about twelve feet tall, but unevenness in the
brickwork makes it look climbable."
S289: "This damp grassy meadow slopes gently down towards the wall of Biblioll
College to the west. To the north and south you could re-enter the streets of
Christminster."
S290: "You can head north to Bridge Street or south to Biblioll Street."
S291: "There is a man lying on the grass here, fast asleep."
S292: "stealing a key from the sleeping don"
S293: "You can go east to Lady Margaret Green or west to Chapel Street."
S294: "It's an ordinary window, very high up. You can see a grey parrot sitting
on the windowsill."
S295: "breaking a window"
S296: "A grey bird, sitting on the windowsill and looking down at you. Every
once in a while it hops a pace or so to the left or right."
S297: "A long grey feather. It's very ticklish."
S298: "It's a good thirty feet above your head and the pane has been smashed."
S299: "getting the police constable involved in a magic trick"
S300: "climbing the wistaria"
S301: "getting into Biblioll college"
S302: "an"
S303: "The work of several hundreds of years of careful attention by
generations of gardeners."
S304: "The wistaria has embedded its roots into the fabric of the college for
decades, and its gnarled branches are thicker than your arms."
S305: "some"
S306: "Hundreds of pigeonholes line the walls of this large room. A doorway to
the southeast leads out to a courtyard."
S307: "The porter grins at you. "Having trouble, love?" he asks you. "The only
way out's the way you came in.""
S308: "The porter is an ancient chap, wrinkled of face and gnarled of hand."
S309: "A porter stands here, idly sorting through some papers."
S310: "There are hundreds of pigeonholes, one for each fellow and student of
the college, labelled by surname only. You'll have to be specific about which
one you want. To refer to a particular person's pigeonhole, use his surname;
for example, "Johnson's pigeonhole"."
S311: "It's a list of fellows and students of Biblioll college, together with
their room numbers. You can try looking up surnames or room numbers."
S312: "Tacked up on the wall is the college gate list."
S313: "acquiring the key to Malcolm's room"
S314: "This hallway smells of ancient varnish and carbolic soap. To the east is
the door to A1; to the west is the door to A2; stairs lead up; and a doorway
leads south onto First Court."
S315: "A1"
S316: "Nudd"
S317: "A2"
S318: "Pidduck"
S319: "A placard on the wall of this narrow landing reads, "Entertaining of
females in undergraduate rooms is strictly prohibited on pain of rustication.
By order of the Bursar." You feel distinctly unwelcome. To the east is the door
to A3; to the west is the door to A4; creaky wooden stairs lead up to the
second floor and down to the ground floor."
S320: "A3"
S321: "Kisbee"
S322: "A4"
S323: "Trembath"
S324: "A dirty skylight admits a little light into this second floor landing.
To the east is the door to A5; to the west is the door to A6; and creaky wooden
stairs lead down to the first floor."
S325: "A6"
S326: "Guzewich"
S327: "A5"
S328: "Spencer"
S329: "Your heart sinks as you look around this room. It has been thoroughly
ransacked: the furniture has been turned upside down and Malcolm's papers torn
and scattered all over the floor. You could go back out to the second-floor
landing to the west, or you could go through to another room to the south."
S330: "entering Malcolm's room"
S331: "Like Malcolm's study, his bedroom has been thoroughly searched. The bed
has been broken up as if for firewood, the mattress and pillows torn apart and
feathers scattered everywhere. Whatever the burglars were looking for, they
wanted it a lot. A doorway leads back north into the study."
S332: "You search carefully through the junk, but it has been thoroughly and
completely ruined by whoever ransacked the room."
S333: "some"
S334: "An ordinary doorway. It's positioned so that you can't easily see from
room to room."
S335: "An ordinary sash window. It reminds you of the window in your brother's
bedroom at home."
S336: "A closed window looks out south onto First Court."
S337: "An open window looks out south onto First Court."
S338: "some"
S339: "finding Malcolm's lab book"
S340: "The lab book is considerably the worse for wear, having been left out in
the rain, and Malcolm's handwriting was atrocious at the best of times. In
fact, the only page that is remotely readable appears to be full of nonsense
words and numbers:

    Fuffy 364

Qbs teopq qwk cos rfsco:

    Codwoeabq 143 (bkjsy kt Saymq?)
    Lkbj 11:43 (hcqb kt Deja?)

Msobcmp Pegkj Jkhfs'p fejsp kj Bsfekachcfup,

    Tko E bcvs wsmq gkos qscop qbcj s'so
    Qbs cjresjq pcas iei wssm cq gcj'p
    aoscq tkffy...

cos c rfus qk qbs qbeoi?"
S341: "The note reads, "Dear Malcolm, Thanks for returning Zinovic, much
obliged, Mr Baskeyfield.""
S342: "Jarboe is a tall, gaunt man, with thin, ungainly limbs and a long sharp
nose. His suit hangs loosely from his narrow shoulders."
S343: "hiding Malcolm's lab book from Doctor Jarboe"
S344: "Bungay is a short man, at five feet and two inches a little shorter than
yourself, but his vast bulk more than makes up for his lack of height. His
clothes are all but bursting at the seams."
S345: "the"
S346: "A richly decorated entrance hall, with thick carpet that deadens your
footsteps, and a mantelpiece covered with antique silver plate. Biblioll
College must have accumulated a great deal of money in its nearly
seven-hundred-year history to allow its Master to live in such luxury. Wooden
stairs lead up, and a large door leads southwest."
S347: "The goblets, plates and other silverware are very old and, you are sure,
are immensely valuable."
S348: "Like the reception room below, the Master's study is a luxurious place.
You've seen more expensively decorated rooms, but none with such an air of
permanence. The walls are lined with hundreds of books, and in the centre is a
large leather armchair. Stairs lead down."
S349: "visiting the Master of Biblioll College"
S350: "There are hundreds of them, their leather bindings cracked with age.
Obviously a collection built up over the centuries. The names on the spines
don't mean very much to you."
S351: "the"
S352: "the"
S353: "The Master is an old man, but sprightly and still handsome. His goatee
beard is black."
S354: "The Master of Biblioll College is sitting in the armchair, reading a
newspaper."
S355: "borrowing a copy of Arkwright from the Master"
S356: "getting invited to a dinner"
S357: "The Master has folded it to the financial pages. You can make out the
headline, "230,000 unemployment figure shocks City!""
S358: "An archway leading south to the library."
S359: "A poorly lit archway just south of First Court. This must be one of the
oldest parts of the college; the brickwork is crumbling and sagging, and
perhaps in a hundred years' time it will have to be knocked down and rebuilt.
The door to the library is to the south."
S360: "First Court is to the north, and the library is to the south."
S361: "the"
S362: "A notice is pinned to the door."
S363: "The notice is from the librarian, Mr Baskeyfield, and contains boring
details like the opening times: closed on Sundays, of course. There is a
handwritten addendum: "If anyone needs access outside these times, see me
during office hours and I will tell you where I hide the spare key.""
S364: "A vast room, filled with bookshelves from floor to ceiling: rows and
rows of narrow dark stacks stretching away into the distance. There is a card
index next to the door, which leads out to the north."
S365: "The only exit is the door to the north."
S366: "visiting the library"
S367: "There must be a hundred thousand books in the library, and the
cataloguing system predates Dewey decimal by some hundreds of years. You would
do best to look for what you want in the card index."
S368: "The card index is a stack of drawers lined with 3-by-5 index cards. The
older cards are yellow with age, and lettered in neat copperplate; the newer
ones are typewritten. Annoyingly, you can only look up authors' surnames in the
index."
S369: "finding a secret way into the hidden courtyard"
S370: "It's an old, old copy of the King James version of the Holy Bible, bound
in cloth with gilt edges to the pages."
S371: ""Letter Substitution Ciphers" is a slim book, hardly larger than a
pamphlet, by Dmitri Zinovic. A warning on the back cover says, "Possession of
this book may be illegal in some countries". The content appears to describe
three types of letter substitution cipher: Cyclic, Keyword and Random."
S372: "Written by William MacLane, "Men of Biblioll: 1240-1939" is an
encyclopaedia of famous men in the history of Biblioll College. There are so
many of them that you'll have to look them up by surname."
S373: "finding the rusty key"
S374: "Robert Skery"
S375: "Peter Field"
S376: "Nicholas Hoskins"
S377: "Daniel Pocock"
S378: "Charles Walthamstowe"
S379: "Michael Plumb"
S380: "George Shepherd"
S381: "Frederic Winkler"
S382: "Benjamin Arnott"
S383: "Graham Quinn"
S384: "The book, by Eugenius Philalethes and dated 1662, is a long treatise on
alchemy (the art of turning base metals into gold and silver by the action of a
mysterious substance called the "Philosopher's Stone") and how the author
intends to produce vast quantities of gold and destroy the evil system of
money, so that "this prop and stay of the anti-Christ may come to naught".

The bulk of the text is a long series of recipes, in which strange allegorical
names like "Philosophic Mercury", "the Dew of Hermes" and so on substitute for
real chemicals.

Near the end of the book you discover the following passage:

"At the close of three years labour, performed with diligence, patience and
good will, you will have a small quantity of a reddish powder, of a splendid
vermillion, a deeper and fuller hue than cinnabar. Glorify God and be thankful!

"To form the Virgin's Milk, which is the cause of prophetic dreams and mystic
visions, dissolve the powder in a bottle of good wine, which you may give to
your cellarer to put away so that it may mature in darkness over a space of at
least five years.

"Afterwards, uncork the bottle carefully, and treat the Milk by the recipe
described elsewhere, to possess the Elixir of Life. It is possible to further
transform the Elixir into the Powder of Projection, but I will say no more
herein."

What a load of nonsense!"
S385: "Raymond Lully (1235-1315) was a mediaeval alchemist who set out to
convert the Muslims and died in the attempt. The "Clavicula" (Little Key) is a
description of the Art of Alchemy. In it, he writes, "This book embodies the
whole of the Art, but the words I use cannot be understood by the unlearned,
for the treatises are split into sections and obscure as to language." He's
right; you cannot make head or tail of anything in the book, which appears to
be utter nonsense from cover to cover."
S386: "The Meldrews are a family of minor nobility, and this three-volume work
by the Honourable Peter Meldrew is their definitive history. The book is a
hastily-bound manuscript copy and the pencilled dedication from the author
implies that it was never published.

Browsing through the pages, you discover an entry on Abner Meldrew (1612-1670),
who dissipated a large fortune in an insane belief in the power of alchemy to
transmute lead into gold, by which power he insisted he would regain the money
he had spent. He consulted many alchemists, including the famous Thomas
Vaughan, and paid them much money, but they never did him any good."
S387: "A weighty work of Egyptology, Arkwright's book covers the Amarna period
in ancient Egyptian history, in which the pharaoh Akhenaten, who ruled Egypt
from 1358 to 1340BC, attempted to reform the priesthood of Amon-Ra and replace
it with a monotheistic religion worshipping Aten, the sun-disk. Needless to
say, he failed, and was deposed by the priesthood he attempted to dismantle.

You notice that the book has been borrowed from the college library and is
several years overdue."
S388: "The book is by Cicely Barker, and contains a set of nauseously sweet
poems about fairies who live in flowers. The Master must have been very
contemptuous of your intelligence to have given you this."
S389: "You feel incongruous and out of place among these ancient rooms and dark
narrow wooden staircases. To the east is the door to B1; to the west is the
door to B2; stairs lead up and down; and a door leads northwest onto First
Court."
S390: "B1"
S391: "Halfhide"
S392: "The narrow stairs are uneven and slippery from the passing of centuries
of inhabitants - famous men in their time no doubt, now forgotten, their books
gathering dust in library stacks. To the east is the door to B3; to the west is
the door to B4; a rickety ladder leads up to the second floor and stairs lead
down to the ground floor."
S393: "B3"
S394: "Moody"
S395: "B4"
S396: "Jarboe"
S397: "This tiny landing has a single door, leading east to B5. A ladder leads
down to the first floor, and a little window overlooks a complex vista of
roofs, turrets, walkways and gargoyles."
S398: "Peering through the grimy window, you can see a complex vista of roofs,
turrets, walkways and gargoyles."
S399: "B2"
S400: "Wilderspin"
S401: "visiting Professor Wilderspin"
S402: "The exit is to the east."
S403: "a pile of"
S404: "the"
S405: "A griffin is a mythological creature with a lion's body, and an eagle's
head and wings. This griffin is made of brass, is about two feet high, and has
only one eye."
S406: "The griffins stand by the fireplace, one to the left, the other to the
right. They are made of brass, are about two feet high, and have only one eye
each."
S407: "the"
S408: "The griffin's single eye stares back at you."
S409: "opening the secret passage"
S410: "You're not versed in these matters, but if you were then you would be
able to recognise that the wearer of this gown is a fellow of Biblioll College
by examining the length and the cut of the sleeves."
S411: "A beautiful handlebar moustache. In London, it would only be twenty
years out of fashion. Here in Christminster, Wilderspin is probably ahead of
his time."
S412: "escaping from the secret passage"
S413: "You don't fancy climbing back down in the dark."
S414: "You don't fancy climbing back down in the dark."
S415: "Since you don't want to climb back down, you had better follow the ledge
south."
S416: "A shaft of light from a crack high up in the south wall illuminates a
tiny room, perhaps five feet by seven, barely larger than a cupboard, with a
tiny passage leading west into darkness.

In the dim light, you can see a laboratory bench along one wall, and a human
skeleton curled up in a corner. A shiver runs up your spine at the sight."
S417: "You can hardly bear to go near the thing. It's the body of an adult
human, reduced by the ravages of time to a white skeleton, clothed with rotten
and crumbling robes."
S418: "finding a secret way into the library"
S419: "The bench is covered with crucibles, flasks and other chemical
paraphernalia."
S420: "The chemical equipment looks to be of an antique design. Most of it is
broken; some of the crucibles still have crystalline residues of whatever
chemical the experimenter was preparing."
S421: "some"
S422: "B5"
S423: "Forbes"
S424: "A poky and unbeautiful attic room, not improved by the broken glass all
over the floor from the broken window. There is an unmade bed jammed up against
a tiny desk, and a door leads out to the west."
S425: "visiting Edward Forbes"
S426: "The gas ring is lit, and produces an erratic blue flame."
S427: "An unstable table supports a gas ring that must be a terrible fire
hazard."
S428: "Edward's handwriting is too atrocious to make out any more than the
subject, which appears to be the cultural impact of the Fourth Crusade, and the
opening paragraph:

"The destruction of Constantinople by the soldiers of the Fourth Crusade
(1200-1204) was instrumental in the bringing of Byzantine art to the houses of
Western Europe, a legacy that surely inspired the greatest artists of the
Renaissance. Who has not marvelled at the magnificent bronze horses in Saint
Mark's square in Venice, or the great marble columns of the Venetian ducal
palace? But these are the merest fraction of the treasure brought from
Constantinople.""
S429: "Edward Forbes is a tall and slender young man, carrying with him an air
of otherworldly introspection, as if he sees the concrete world through a veil
of deep thought on some complex matter."
S430: "recapturing the parrot"
S431: "lighting the gas ring"
S432: "leading Edward Forbes to his parrot"
S433: "A grey bird, sitting contentedly on Edward Forbes' shoulder."
S434: "A grey parrot perches on Edward Forbes' shoulder."
S435: ""C" staircase is grander than the staircases in First Court, with larger
rooms and higher ceilings; you imagine that the most senior and eminent fellows
battle over who gets to occupy these rooms. To the north is the door to C1; to
the south is the door to C2; a wide flight of wooden stairs leads up; and a
door leads west onto Second Court."
S436: "C1"
S437: "Baskeyfield"
S438: "C2"
S439: "Middlemann"
S440: "To the north is the door to C3; to the south is the door to C4 and a
wide flight of wooden stairs leads down to the ground floor. A window to the
east overlooks a river running past the base of the building, with trees and
grass beyond."
S441: "The window overlooks a river running past the base of the building, with
trees and grass beyond."
S442: "C4"
S443: "Yeglitt"
S444: "C3"
S445: "Bungay"
S446: "A narrow hallway for Bungay's visitors to hang up their gowns and for
his students to stand around nervously in as they await their supervisions. The
door to C3 leads out to the stairs to the south, there's a white-painted door
to the east, and an open doorway leads north into a study. A coat of arms hangs
on the wall."
S447: "sneaking into Professor Bungay's rooms"
S448: "A red Maltese cross on a white shield, with some kind of building - a
church, perhaps - above it."
S449: "escaping from Professor Bungay"
S450: "The only exit is south, back to the entrance hallway."
S451: "Through the window you can see a delightful view of the college
gardens."
S452: "A window to the north looks out over the college gardens."
S453: "An open window to the north looks out over the college gardens."
S454: "Once a beautiful work of art, but now an unkind person might describe it
as a little threadbare."
S455: "You've made about a foot of room behind the desk, just about enough to
stand in."
S456: "A beautiful work of craftsmanship, this Chinese lacquer box is about two
inches cubed, and decorated with pictures of Chinese men and women walking in
ornamental gardens."
S457: "stealing Professor Bungay's chapbook"
S458: "A low archway leading east to second court."
S459: "A long, low stone archway with First Court to the west, and a door to
Second Court to the east. On the north wall is a war memorial, a series of
simple slate tablets listing the names of the members of Biblioll College,
undergraduate and graduate, who died in the First World War of 1914-1918. You
bow your head for a moment in memory of these young men and what they might
have become."
S460: "You can go west to First Court or east to Second Court."
S461: "An announcement is stapled to the south wall."
S462: "It is an announcement of a dinner in honour of some long-deceased
benefactor of the College, to be held this evening at seven o'clock in the
Great Hall. Fellows wishing to attend should apply to the Master for an
invitation."
S463: "an"
S464: "some"
S465: "The black iron bands hold the planks of the door together. They are very
rusty."
S466: "Thick planks, varnished and heavily weathered. They are held together by
black iron bands."
S467: "You're unable to force your way through the crowd."
S468: "West to First Court, northwest to the antechapel, northeast to the
gardens, east to "C" staircase, southwest to the Great Hall."
S469: "A crowd of people is streaming out of the chapel."
S470: "The crowd consists of students, bright young things, animatedly talking
to each other."
S471: "the"
S472: "Unlike the cobbles in Chapel Street, these cobbles are in perfect
repair."
S473: "A magnificent example of Renaissance architecture."
S474: "slips"
S475: "darts"
S476: "stalks"
S477: "walks"
S478: "slinks"
S479: "The clock tower isn't accessible from here."
S480: "You can go southeast to second court or east into the chapel proper."
S481: "Each flagstone is a memorial to some old member of the college. The
passage of students and fellows to their devotions is wearing a path into the
marble, slowly erasing this record of the past."
S482: "The clock tower doesn't appear to be accessible from here."
S483: "The antechapel is to the west."
S484: "A dusty lectern stands in one corner."
S485: "On closer examination, the lectern is a beautiful work of art, sadly
neglected. It is made of solid brass, and is in the form of an eagle: wings
spread and talons poised as if to strike."
S486: "The Bible is a beautiful illuminated manuscript, probably mediaeval. The
text is in Latin."
S487: "A sombre crowd of worshippers, mostly undergraduates dressed in dinner
suits and gowns."
S488: "An old man, whose last trace of hair vanished some decades ago, wearing
half-moon spectacles and a cross on a chain."
S489: "The choir sings a plainsong chant."
S490: "The choirs sings an introit."
S491: "The choir sings some responses."
S492: "The choir sings a psalm."
S493: "The choir sings a hymn."
S494: "The chaplain reads from the Old Testament."
S495: "The chaplain reads from the New Testament."
S496: "The choir sings the Nunc Dimittis."
S497: "The choir sings an anthem."
S498: "The choir sings the magnificat."
S499: "The male-voice choir is a picturesque sight in the evening gloom of the
chapel: young choir-boys dressed in white gowns and their older colleagues from
the College singing the lower parts."
S500: "attending Evensong in Chapel"
S501: "The bottom of the staircase is unlit, but enough light filters down from
above to see by. It's a grimy place, smelling of cigarette smoke and drains.
Stairs go up to the ground floor."
S502: "The only way out is up."
S503: "The cabinet looks quite new compared with the dingy surroundings. It's
mounted on the wall close to the floor."
S504: "pairs of wires"
S505: "pairs of sockets"
S506: "The box is about four inches square and two inches deep."
S507: "The telephone is not ringing."
S508: "The telephone is ringing."
S509: "You hear a dialling tone."
S510: "You can hear ringing."
S511: "Ok."
S512: "You can hear an engaged tone."
S513: "The handset is silent."
S514: "It's an ordinary black telephone with a handset. A label reads, "Number:
212. Dial 1 for an outside line.""
S515: "eavesdropping on a telephone conversation"
S516: "The serving staff won't let you pass."
S517: "One end of the hall is occupied by the high table."
S518: "the"
S519: "the"
S520: "A long table extends across the remainder of the room."
S521: "the"
S522: "Serving staff bustle here and there, arranging furniture and laying
tables."
S523: "A small area between the bustling kitchens (to the south) and the Great
Hall (to the north), used for collecting dishes while a feast is proceeding in
the hall."
S524: "You walk into the bustling kitchens, but the angry stare and brandished
cleaver of one of the cooks tells you that you are not welcome here, and you
quickly make your exit."
S525: "hiding from the cook"
S526: "a nice sauvignon blanc"
S527: "the Moet grand cru"
S528: "the 1931 Haut Medoc"
S529: "the 1936 Cotes de Brouillard de Plessy-Frais"
S530: "I want the Orvieto Classico Secco"
S531: "a ruby port. No, vintage. No, ruby"
S532: "a Veuve Cliquot champagne"
S533: "a subtle Loire white"
S534: "the dryest Gewurztrauminer I can find"
S535: "the 1940 is ready to drink"
S536: "an occasion such as this merits the Chateau Nimes St Jacques 1914"
S537: "the"
S538: "The cook stands before the bins, considering which bottle he should
take."
S539: "He looks rather sinister down here in the gloom."
S540: "The cellar is a cool refuge from the heat of the summer day outside.
There are seven storage bins placed against the walls of the cellar, the
shelves of each stacked from floor to ceiling with dusty bottles, and a
gathering of dark shadows in one corner signifies an alcove."
S541: "The only way out is back up."
S542: "an"
S543: "The shadows are deep and dark. Perhaps spiders lurk in the corners."
S544: "the"
S545: "There are many hundreds, if not thousands of bottles in the storage
bins, imported from all over Europe and laid down among the dust and cobwebs to
work their magic."
S546: "finding the old bottle in the wine cellar"
S547: "William Canynges"
S548: "Thomas Heydon"
S549: "Elias Tymme"
S550: "Edward Farber"
S551: "Bernard Starkey"
S552: "Robert Mayow"
S553: "Francis Tausend"
S554: "Your way is blocked by a bed of roses."
S555: "The blooms are splendid, but the sharp thorns and interlocking stems of
the rose-bushes form an effective barrier to the east."
S556: "This line of dwarf conifers forms a hedge to the northwest."
S557: "The gate to the gardens is tall, made of bars of wrought iron. In the
centre of the gate a bas-relief of a lion's head is supported."
S558: "Were it alive, it would be a frightening thing, its mouth open in a
toothy grin."
S559: "This is a narrow path to the south of a small garden shed. It is
concealed by a line of bushes from the rest of the gardens, but you could
squeeze back through them to the southeast."
S560: "You could squeeze back through the bushes to the southeast, or try to
enter the shed to the north."
S561: "opening the garden shed"
S562: "This wooden shed is where the college gardeners have their tea-breaks
and shelter from the rain. It's deserted now. A door leads out to the south."
S563: "The only exit is to the south."
S564: "A steel key hangs here on a peg."
S565: "The veil consists of a broad-brimmed canvas hat from which hangs a
close-woven net that gathers around the wearer's neck."
S566: "A floppy, broad-brimmed canvas hat. It's not elegant, but it will shade
you from the sun."
S567: "If you intend to swim, say so!"
S568: "If you intend to swim, say so!"
S569: "If you intend to swim, say so!"
S570: "You could approach the trees to the north, or try to cross the river to
the east."
S571: "A punt floats next to the bank."
S572: "A punt is a flat-bottomed wooden boat, about five yards long and one
across. It is propelled on shallow and slow-flowing rivers with the aid of a
long pole."
S573: "The pole is immensely long - perhaps four yards - and very heavy. You
always find it amazing that anyone should choose such a bizarre object as a
method of propulsion."
S574: "The trees are much too tall to climb and you'd only go and tear your
dress anyway."
S575: "You could walk southwest onto a wide lawn, or take a path south towards
the river."
S576: "The lowest branches are far higher than you can reach."
S577: "A grey bird, looking down at you from its perch in the tree. Every once
in a while it hops a pace or so to the left or right."
S578: "crossing the river"
S579: "A grassy meadow runs down to the bank of the river to the west, which
flows torpidly from south to north as though made indolent by the summer heat.

A tall laburnum tree stands by the river, drooping its yellow flowers into the
water, and a path ascends towards some trees to the southeast."
S580: "If you intend to swim, say so!"
S581: "The profusion of branches makes it impossible to climb the laburnum tree
without tearing your clothing to shreds."
S582: "A sunny glade sheltered by trees. The air here seems to be full of bees,
and their buzzing is loud in your ears. You could walk out of the glade towards
the river to the northwest, or follow an earthen path through the wood to the
south.

There are three bee-hives in the glade, the first in the northeastern corner
beside a tall tree, the second in the southeastern corner in the shade of a
pink-flowering tree, and the third on the west side near a white-flowering
shrub."
S583: "A tall tree, maybe fifty feet tall and two feet in diameter, with deep
green heart-shaped leaves. A label attached to the trunk reads "Diospyros
virginiana"."
S584: "The lowest branches are out of your reach."
S585: "Perhaps fifteen feet tall, the leaves of this shrub are small and
narrow, and the tiny white flowers are clustered on long stalks. A label
attached to a branch reads "Tamarix africana"."
S586: "The leaves are much too spiky to contemplate the climb."
S587: "A short tree, perhaps fifteen feet tall, with a crowded mass of branches
bearing small pink flowers. A label attached to the trunk reads "Cydonia
oblonga"."
S588: "The branches are much to crowded to climb."
S589: "Oozing with honey, but crawling with dozens of bees. You can hardly bear
to look at it, let alone contemplate touching it."
S590: "The remotest part of the gardens, a narrow earthen path winding between
trees and coming to end by an imposing red-brick wall."
S591: "A bird table stands near the wall."
S592: "Despite the season of spring being well advanced, someone appears still
to be feeding the birds."
S593: "peanuts"
S594: "The sort that get put out in bowls at dull dinner-parties, and which
always end up getting lost in the carpet or under the chairs rather than being
eaten."
S595: "A grand room with a vaulted ceiling far above your head, echoing with
the loud conversation of twenty fellows sitting around the high table and maybe
sixty students on the low table.

Sitting near you around the high table you can see Wilderspin (to your left),
the Master (to your right), Jarboe, Bungay, and Halfhide."
S596: "It would be impolite to leave until dinner is over."
S597: "This plush room is crowded with the fellows of the college, talking
loudly and drunkenly. None of them affect any interest in you."
S598: "The door to the kitchens is now shut."
S599: "Displayed prominently on High Table is the College's collection of
plate."
S600: "This collection of tableware is meant for admiring rather than eating
off: here we have Henry II's gold christening cup, Charles I's mead horn, the
Bishop of Gloucester's silver communion cup, and many other treasures."
S601: "the"
S602: "The Master is an old man, but sprightly and still handsome. His goatee
beard is black."
S603: "Jarboe is a tall, gaunt man, with thin, ungainly limbs and a long sharp
nose. His suit hangs loosely from his narrow shoulders."
S604: "Bungay is a short man, at five feet and two inches a little shorter than
yourself, but his vast bulk more than makes up for his lack of height. His
clothes are all but bursting at the seams."
S605: "Wilderspin is tall and bewhiskered, and you might guess his age to be
about fifty."
S606: "He's a donnish sort of chap, with a receding hairline and a handlebar
moustache."
S607: "You look at the lobster. It stares back unnervingly. It looks like it
will be a tough battle, and you are not altogether sanguine of the outcome."
S608: "eating the lobster"
S609: "It is a U-shaped piece of metal. A screw runs through holes in the ends,
connecting them together."
S610: "An ordinary wine glass."
S611: "killing the snail"
S612: "The snail lies dead on your plate. You appear to have made rather a mess
of its innards, and the result is not a beautiful sight."
S613: "A small glass, for dessert wine or spirits."
S614: "A beautiful glass decanter."
S615: "passing the port"
S616: "some"
S617: "Here the fellows of the college will gather after dinner to drink and
talk. In their absence, the expensive furnishings are dull and lustreless, and
there's nothing to do except return to the hall."
S618: "Wax candles provide flickery light."
S619: "It's cool and breezy up here on the tiles of the college, and you have
an excellent but somewhat alarming view of First Court, and of the college flag
flying above the Great Gate. You could attempt to descend the wistaria, or
follow a narrow ledge to the south."
S620: "A precipitous drop prevents you from getting closer to the clock tower."
S621: "The only safe way out of here to follow the ledge to the south, but you
could also try descending the wistaria."
S622: "A fearsome stone gargoyle crouches by the gutter."
S623: "It's an ugly creature, its face perhaps a caricature of a past Fellow of
the college. The initials "JF" have been carved neatly into its hindquarters."
S624: "The flag flutters in the breeze, and you can make out the college coat
of arms: three lions rampant and a silver cup."
S625: "You are on a narrow ledge on the roof of Biblioll College. Tiled roofs
slope up to the east and west, and the ledge runs to the north. To the south, a
metal ladder descends into an enclosed space between the college buildings."
S626: "The roofs are too steep to climb."
S627: "A small space enclosed on all sides: a college staircase to the north,
the kitchens to the east, the library to the west, and a tall brick wall to the
south. A rickety metal ladder ascends the building to the north, and ugly weeds
grow all around."
S628: "The cover is metal, and so old that its surface is peeling with rust.
There is a keyhole to one side."
S629: "the"
S630: "A secret entrance to the library leads west."
S631: "The secret entrance is very low, perhaps a foot and a half high, but you
crawled through it one way, so you're sure that you can crawl back."
S632: "You are standing on uneven wooden floorboards in a dark tunnel. A little
light enters from a hole in the roof and the tunnel leads into darkness to the
east."
S633: "The rotting wooden walls of this gloomy tunnel drip with moisture. It
continues to the west, but to the east there's a door."
S634: "The door is made of the same wood as the tunnel walls, and has been
going slowly rotten for a long time."
S635: "opening the door in the tunnel"
S636: "From behind a thick curtain, you look upon a dark underground room,
dimly lit by arrays of flickering candles. Thick tapestries cover all four
walls, apart from an open doorway to the east.

In the centre of the room, your brother Malcolm stands on a chair, his feet and
hands tied, and a tight noose around his neck is attached to the ceiling.
Jarboe and Bungay are here, dressed in long white robes. The scene fills you
with horror, but you dare not move or protest lest you be heard.

A dark hole leads west."
S637: "Bone-dry from years in this underground room, the tapestries have gone
up in flame like kindling."
S638: "This underground chamber is lined with thick tapestries, now all ablaze.
Fire runs up the walls and across the ceiling. The heat is oppressive, and the
smoke stifling. If you don't escape soon, you will surely perish!"
S639: "They are enormously old, and bone-dry. They look almost ready to crumble
away."
S640: "He stands on tiptoes on the chair, his hands and feet tied, the noose
biting into his neck and pulling him upwards. He is clearly in much pain and
having trouble breathing. If only you could rescue him!"
S641: "cutting the noose"
S642: "It is a horrible sight, covered in Bungay's blood."
S643: "Malcolm's body hangs by a noose from the ceiling."
S644: "He hangs motionless from the ceiling, the noose biting cruelly into his
neck. His eyes are lifeless and his face is blue."
S645: "Malcolm lies motionless on the ground."
S646: "He lies motionless on the ground. You can hear no heartbeat nor feel any
breath. His eyes are lifeless and his face is blue."
S647: "giving Malcolm the elixir"
S648: "Malcolm lies unconscious on the ground."
S649: "He lies unconscious on the ground, and there is terrible bruising around
his neck, but at least he is alive!"
S650: "Bungay lies dead on the ground."
S651: "He lies quite dead on the ground, blood pouring from a wound at his
throat and flames licking at his robes."
S652: "It is out of control. If you don't get out of here soon, then you will
surely die!"
S653: "saving Malcolm from the fire"
S654: "Doctor Jarboe stands here."
S655: "Jarboe is a tall, gaunt man, with thin, ungainly limbs and a long sharp
nose. He is dressed in a long white robe, and his eyes stare madly at you."

[End of text]

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