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- Part 2
- >sw
- Maze
- The room is almost completely dark, with just enough light
- filtering in that you can see an exit to the west. A strong
- breeze flows through these corridors.
-
- >w
- Temple
- You are in a sanctuary deep inside the great temple of the
- sun. The air here seems to shimmer.
- There is a mural on the wall here that shows the sun-god
- disguised as a man escaping from a cannibal pot. Next to it is
- another mural that shows Indian armies defeating the armies of
- all nations that come against them. A darkened exit leads off
- to the east.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts mexico 1215
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Mexico, in the year 1215.
-
- >out
- Temple
- The great central plain of Mexico is now ruled by the Aztecs,
- the most barbarous civilization imaginable. They have taken
- over the Pyramid of the Sun and built their capital,
- Tenochtitlan, around it.
- According to Aztec belief, the sun god died every night when
- he was buried below the earth in the west. If he did not
- receive the nourishment of human blood in the course of the
- night, then he could not be reborn in the east in the morning.
- Using this as a pretext, the bloodthirsty savages slaughtered
- between ten and twenty thousand warriors from surrounding
- tribes every year.
- You are in a sanctuary deep inside the great temple of the
- sun. The air here seems to shimmer.
- There is a mural on the wall here that shows the sun-god
- disguised as a man escaping from a cannibal pot. Next to it is
- another mural that shows Indian armies defeating the armies of
- all nations that come against them. A darkened exit leads off
- to the east.
-
- >e
- Maze
- The room is almost completely dark, with just enough light
- filtering in that you can see an exit to the west. A strong
- breeze flows through these corridors.
-
- >ne
- Maze
- The room is too dark to see. A strong breeze flows through
- these corridors.
-
- >nw
- Maze
- The room is too dark to see. A strong breeze flows through
- these corridors.
-
- >e
- Maze
- The room is too dark to see. A strong breeze flows through
- these corridors.
-
- >ne
- Maze
- The room is too dark to see. The breeze seems to come from
- directly above you here.
-
- >up
- After feeling around the walls, you discover some ladder rungs
- that have been carved into the rock. Quickly, you scramble up
- towards the source of the light.
-
- Alcove
- You are on top of the Pyramid of the Sun, in an alcove just to
- the north of a gruesome screen made entirely of human skulls.
- Below you, iron rungs disappear into the darkness. When you
- peer around the edge of the screen, you are looking south
- towards a bloodstained altar, upon which you see a struggling
- warrior. A fearsome looking priest stands in front of the altar
- waiting for the sun to go down. From the way he is holding his
- sacrificial knife, you surmise that with the sunset, the
- warrior will die.
-
- >wear costume
- You put on the costume.
-
- >s
- Top of pyramid
- You are on top of the pyramid of the sun. There is a screen
- and an altar here. A priest stands in front of the altar, his
- arms raised over a struggling warrior who is tied down to the
- altar with leather thongs. The priest holds an obsidian
- sacrificial knife, and with the dying of the sun's last rays he
- plans to plunge it into the heart of the unfortunate victim.
- The priest looks at you in awe and backs away.
-
- >Release victim
- A quick slice of the knife cuts through the leather thongs. The
- victim leaps to his feet, revealing some familiar symbols
- carved into the altar where he had been bound. He wastes no
- time in turning on the priest who had been about to kill him.
- After a very brief struggle, he manages to push the priest over
- the side of the pyramid, where he plunges to his death. Then
- the would-be victim gives you a salute of thanks and disappears
- behind the screen and down into the heart of the pyramid.
- [Your score has just gone up by 10.]
-
- >read altar
- The symbols are a message written in English. "Actually, I've
- been wanting to do this since I was seventeen."
- [Your score has just gone up by 1.]
-
- >n
- Alcove
- You are on top of the Pyramid of the Sun, in an alcove just to
- the north of a gruesome screen made entirely of human skulls.
- Below you, iron rungs disappear into the darkness.
-
- >take off costume
- You take off the costume, and it falls to the ground.
-
- >take costume
- You take the costume.
-
- >down
- Maze
- The room is too dark to see. The breeze seems to come from
- directly above you here.
-
- >sw
- Maze
- The room is too dark to see. A strong breeze flows through
- these corridors.
-
- >w
- Maze
- The room is too dark to see. A strong breeze flows through
- these corridors.
-
- >se
- Maze
- The room is too dark to see. A strong breeze flows through
- these corridors.
-
- >sw
- Maze
- The room is almost completely dark, with just enough light
- filtering in that you can see an exit to the west. A strong
- breeze flows through these corridors.
-
- >w
- Temple
- You are in a sanctuary deep inside the great temple of the
- sun. The air here seems to shimmer.
- There is a mural on the wall here that shows the sun-god
- disguised as a man escaping from a cannibal pot. Next to it is
- another mural that shows Indian armies defeating the armies of
- all nations that come against them. A darkened exit leads off
- to the east.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts dover 1940
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Dover, in the year 1940.
-
- >out
- Shed
- You are in a small woodshed next to a tavern in Dover,
- England. There is a telltale shimmering in the air here, and an
- exit to the southeast.
-
- >se
- Lawn
- The astounding reports of the German Blitzkrieg have been
- trickling in for weeks. Now the entire British Army is
- encircled in a small area around the port of Dunkirk, the same
- place where the Duke of Parma's army waited in vain for trans
- port from the Spanish Armada.
- You are standing on a lawn just to the south of a small pub
- that commands a stunning view of the English Channel. A rickety
- shed leans against the building's west wall. The great chalk
- cliff comes right up to the south edge of the lawn.
-
- >n
- Tavern
- You step into the Tavern, where you find some sailors huddled
- around a table near the fire, while the friendly-looking
- innkeeper is behind the bar polishing a tankard. A BBC radio
- announcer is sitting at a table behind a microphone, waiting
- for the cue from the home studio in London to begin the 6:00
- news broadcast. Meanwhile, orchestra music from a popular dance
- show fills the airwaves. A set of stairs leads up to the north,
- and the tavern's front door lies to the south.
-
- >wait 60
- [I assume you mean 60 minutes.]
- Time passes...
- Churchill comes humphing into the room, muttering under his
- breath. "Blighter thinks I'll surrender. Bah! It'll be a cold
- day in Hell before I say his billy-be-damned code-word. Nevah!
- Nevah!" He plops himself down behind the table and nods to the
- announcer. The announcer nods, looks at his watch, and says,
- "Six minutes to air."
- Do you want to continue waiting? >y
- The announcer says, "Ladies and gentlemen, live from Dover,
- the Prime Minister."
- Do you want to continue waiting? >y
- Churchill leans forward and starts growling into the
- microphone. "Citizens of the British Empire. Earlier today I
- received word that the German forces are converging upon our
- troops at Dunkirk. The situation looks bleak." He takes out a
- cigar, lights it, and then absentmindedly puts the lighter down
- on the table.
- Do you want to continue waiting? >n
-
- >take cigar
- Churchill's mouth drops open in surprised rage and he bellows,
- "What the devil are you doing with that cigar!?" He snatches it
- back and jams it into his mouth, clamping his teeth down on it.
- He glowers at you suspiciously.
- [Your score has just gone up by 5.]
-
- >wait 60
- [I assume you mean 60 minutes.]
- Time passes...
- Churchill recovers his composure, realizes that he has
- accidentally said the code word, and continues. "Mister Hitler,
- if you are listening - as I suspect you are - please do not let
- my inadvertent reference to my cigar lead you to believe that I
- have acquiesced in your mad scheme. I will rot in hell for all
- eternity before I allow a single German soldier to set foot on
- British soil. Let me say further that you are a madman, an
- idiot, and that your interest in my cigar suggests that it is
- far larger, firmer, and more flavourful than whatever it is
- that you are accustomed to putting in your mouth."
- Do you want to continue waiting? >y
- Churchill snaps off the microphone and leans back in his
- chair.
- Do you want to continue waiting? >y
- Churchill pushes his chair back, gets up and walks out of the
- room, leaving his lighter behind on the table. The announcer
- rises and follows him.
- Do you want to continue waiting? >n
-
- >take lighter
- You take the lighter from the table.
- [Your score has just gone up by 5.]
-
- >s
- Lawn
- You are standing on a lawn just to the south of a small pub
- that commands a stunning view of the English Channel. A rickety
- shed leans against the building's west wall. The great chalk
- cliff comes right up to the south edge of the lawn.
-
- >nw
- Shed
- You are in a small woodshed next to a tavern in Dover,
- England. There is a telltale shimmering in the air here, and an
- exit to the southeast.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts peking 1940
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Peking, in the year 1940.
-
- >out
- Shrine
- You are in a small roadside shrine just outside the gates of
- Peking. The wall here seems to shimmer.
- There is a poster here forbidding the celebration of any
- Chinese religious ceremonies. It is an ugly reminder of the
- current occupation of China by the Japanese army. Almost
- illegibly scrawled on one corner of the poster are the words "
- Revenge...midday."
-
- >n
- Tientan Park
- Since the Japanese occupation of Peking three years ago, the
- invading army has imposed rigid restrictions on movement in the
- countryside. All roads are patrolled on a regular basis, and
- anyone travelling without identification papers is summarily
- executed as a spy. Nevertheless, an active underground
- resistance movement is still believed to flourish.
- You are standing in a small park just south of Peking's main
- gate and just north of a roadside shrine. The road leads off to
- the east.
- A Japanese patrol rumbles by in a two-man tank.
-
- >wait 60
- [I assume you mean 60 minutes.]
- Time passes...
- A Japanese patrol rumbles by in a two-man tank.
- Do you want to continue waiting? >y
- A Japanese patrol rumbles by in a two-man tank.
- Do you want to continue waiting? >y
- You see a Japanese two-man tank come down the road on its
- regular patrol. Suddenly, small arms fire erupts from either
- side of the road. The Japanese soldier ducks inside the tank
- and pulls the top shut after him. A Chinese rebel runs toward
- the tank and tosses a Molotov cocktail at it. The bottle
- explodes with no result. The rebel is just about to light the
- other bottle when he is hit by a bullet from the tank's turret
- gun. He falls to the ground and the bottle rolls from his
- hand. A few of his comrades scurry out of the bushes and drag
- him back to safety. The tank disappears down the road in search
- of reinforcements, and suddenly everything seems unnaturally
- quiet.
- Do you want to continue waiting? >n
-
- >take cocktail
- You take the Molotov Cocktail.
- [Your score has just gone up by 5.]
-
- >s
- Shrine
- You are in a small roadside shrine just outside the gates of
- Peking. The wall here seems to shimmer.
- There is a poster here forbidding the celebration of any
- Chinese religious ceremonies. It is an ugly reminder of the
- current occupation of China by the Japanese army. Almost
- illegibly scrawled on one corner of the poster are the words "
- Revenge...midday."
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts cairo 44
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Cairo, in the year 44 B.C.
-
- >out
- Tomb
- You are in a tomb in Cairo's city of the dead. The air is
- stale and musty, nevertheless, there is a certain shimmer to
- it.
-
- >n
- Avenue of the Dead
- When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt some three hundred
- years ago, the country became an important center of the Greek
- world and attracted such scientific luminaries as Euclid and
- Archimedes. Now a new predator seeks to conquer the land of the
- pharaohs, and the mighty Roman empire is kept at bay only by
- the feminine wiles of Egypt's queen, Cleopatra VII.
- You are standing outside an ancient tomb on the Avenue of the
- Dead. This precinct has already been a cemetery for thousands
- of years. Tombs, mausolea, monuments and memorials of every
- size and design stretch as far as the eye can see. There are
- some steps here that lead down into the tomb from which you
- emerged, and the road continues off to the west. A huge crowd
- has collected here. You listen for a few moments and discover th
- at Cleopatra is returning from Rome, and that her procession
- will soon pass this way.
-
- >wait
- Time passes...
- From down the street you hear the sounds of trumpets. Moments
- later, a sedan chair bearing Cleopatra herself is carried into
- view by four burly Nubian slaves. Suddenly, you hear a voice
- commanding the slaves to stop. The curtain on the chair parts
- and you gaze once again upon the lovely features of Cleopatra.
- She seems as enamored of you as you are of her. After a long
- moment, she finally speaks. "We meet again, stranger. I never
- got the chance to thank you properly for saving my life. Would
- you do me the honor of joining me for an evening of pleasure?"
-
- >yes
- "Good," she says. "Climb in." You step into the sedan chair,
- she claps her hands, and it moves forward. After some time, you
- come to her palace. She takes you by the hand and leads you to
- her bedroom. "Pardon me," she purrs, "while I slip into
- something more comfortable." She disappears for a moment and
- then returns and lounges back on her bed. "At last," she says.
- "Now we are alone."
-
- Royal Palace
- You are in the private bedroom of Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile
- - who at this moment is lying on her bed in a very seductive
- pose and gazing at you with naked hunger in her eyes. The only
- exit is to the east.
-
- >e
- Cleopatra sighs and says, "I can see you are not ready for an
- evening of lovemaking with me." She disappears into the next
- room and then returns with a small vial. "Here. Take this," she
- says. "It is the powdered horn of a rhinoceros - the most powerf
- ul aphrodisiac known to modern science. Take some every day for
- five days, and then you will be ready for a night with me. But
- be careful. The powder is very rare and there are men,
- especially from the east, who would not hesitate to kill for
- it." She presses the vial into your hands, and then claps her
- hands. A guard appears and escorts you out of the palace.
- [Your score has just gone up by 5.]
-
- Royal compound
- You are in the royal compound outside a magnificent palace.
- The great pyramid rises to the south, a path leads downriver to
- the north, and a road leads back across the river to the east.
-
- >e
- You cross back over the river.
-
- Avenue of the Dead
- You are standing outside an ancient tomb on the Avenue of the
- Dead. This precinct has already been a cemetery for thousands
- of years. Tombs, mausolea, monuments and memorials of every
- size and design stretch as far as the eye can see. There are
- some steps here that lead down into the tomb from which you
- emerged, and the road continues off to the west.
-
- >s
- Tomb
- You are in a tomb in Cairo's city of the dead. The air is
- stale and musty, nevertheless, there is a certain shimmer to
- it.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts cairo 452
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Cairo, in the year 452.
-
- >out
- Tomb
- You are in a tomb in Cairo's city of the dead. The air is
- stale and musty, nevertheless, there is a certain shimmer to
- it.
-
- >n
- Avenue of the Dead
- As Rome declines, Egypt has gradually fallen under the
- domination of the Byzantine empire, whose capital is
- Constantinople. The Egyptian capital has shifted to Alexandria
- in the north, Cairo is virtually abandoned, and many of the old
- buildings have fallen into ruins.
- You are standing outside an ancient tomb on the Avenue of the
- Dead. This precinct has already been a cemetery for thousands
- of years. Tombs, mausolea, monuments and memorials of every
- size and design stretch as far as the eye can see. There are
- some steps here that lead down into the tomb from which you
- emerged, and the road continues off to the west.
-
- >w
- The street runs west until it crosses a narrow part of the
- river.
-
- Royal compound
- You are in the royal compound outside the ruins of a
- magnificent palace. The great pyramid rises to the south, a
- path leads downriver to the north, and a road leads back across
- the river to the east. There seems to be some strange carving
- on one of the blocks that has crumbled away from the palace wall
- .
-
- >read carving
- The carving reads, "Saying you're not stupid is like saying
- thirteen isn't an unlucky number."
- [Your score has just gone up by 1.]
-
- >e
- You cross back over the river.
-
- Avenue of the Dead
- You are standing outside an ancient tomb on the Avenue of the
- Dead. This precinct has already been a cemetery for thousands
- of years. Tombs, mausolea, monuments and memorials of every
- size and design stretch as far as the eye can see. There are
- some steps here that lead down into the tomb from which you
- emerged, and the road continues off to the west.
-
- >s
- Tomb
- You are in a tomb in Cairo's city of the dead. The air is
- stale and musty, nevertheless, there is a certain shimmer to
- it.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts cairo 800
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Cairo, in the year 800.
-
- >out
- Tomb
- You are in a tomb in Cairo's city of the dead. The air is
- stale and musty, nevertheless, there is a certain shimmer to
- it.
-
- >n
- Avenue of the Dead
- When the Arabs conquered Egypt in 642, they abandoned the
- capital in Alexandria and established Cairo as the center of a
- provincial government that reports to Harun al-Rashid in
- Baghdad. Since then, harsh conditions in the countryside have
- forced the penniless and crippled to crowd into the city for
- relief.
- You are standing outside an ancient tomb on the Avenue of the
- Dead. This precinct has already been a cemetery for thousands
- of years. Tombs, mausolea, monuments and memorials of every
- size and design stretch as far as the eye can see. There are
- some steps here that lead down into the tomb from which you
- emerged, and the road continues off to the west. There is a man
- sitting on the ground with his back to the wall. He looks up at
- you and holds up a slate.
-
- >give chalk to man
- The man takes the chalk and quickly scrawls a message on the
- slate.
-
- >read message
- The slate reads, "Sandtraps surround the eighteenth hole -
- deathtraps surround my lair."
- [Your score has just gone up by 1.]
-
- >s
- Tomb
- You are in a tomb in Cairo's city of the dead. The air is
- stale and musty, nevertheless, there is a certain shimmer to
- it.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts cairo 1519
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Cairo, in the year 1519.
-
- >out
- Tomb
- You are in a tomb in Cairo's city of the dead. The air is
- stale and musty, nevertheless, there is a certain shimmer to
- it.
- There is a message scrawled in blood on the wall.
-
- >read message
- The writing is English. It says, "Numbers are important when
- you have no sixth sense and everything seems out of order."
- [Your score has just gone up by 1.]
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts cairo 1588
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Cairo, in the year 1588.
-
- >out
- Tomb
- You are in a tomb in Cairo's city of the dead. The air is
- stale and musty, nevertheless, there is a certain shimmer to
- it.
-
- >n
- Avenue of the Dead
- Still ruled by the Ottomans, Egypt has completed its decline
- into a cultural backwater that is completely ignored by the
- rest of the world.
- You are standing outside an ancient tomb on the Avenue of the
- Dead. This precinct has already been a cemetery for thousands
- of years. Tombs, mausolea, monuments and memorials of every
- size and design stretch as far as the eye can see. There are
- some steps here that lead down into the tomb from which you
- emerged, and the road continues off to the west.
-
- >w
- The street runs west until it crosses a narrow part of the
- river.
-
- Royal compound
- You are in the royal compound outside the ruins of a
- magnificent palace. The great pyramid rises to the south, a
- path leads downriver to the north, and a road leads back across
- the river to the east. There is some graffiti scrawled on the
- base of the pyramid.
-
- >read graffiti
- The graffiti reads, ".12 calibre bullets won't even slow me
- down." The interesting thing is that it is written in English.
- [Your score has just gone up by 1.]
-
- >e
- You cross back over the river.
-
- Avenue of the Dead
- You are standing outside an ancient tomb on the Avenue of the
- Dead. This precinct has already been a cemetery for thousands
- of years. Tombs, mausolea, monuments and memorials of every
- size and design stretch as far as the eye can see. There are
- some steps here that lead down into the tomb from which you
- emerged, and the road continues off to the west.
-
- >s
- Tomb
- You are in a tomb in Cairo's city of the dead. The air is
- stale and musty, nevertheless, there is a certain shimmer to
- it.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts baghdad 44
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Babylon, in the year 44 B.C.
-
- >out
- Secluded Cave
- You are in an abandoned cave on a hillside halfway between the
- ruins of Babylon and the village of Baghdad. The wall of the
- cave seems to shimmer, and the only exit lies to the west. A
- second glance at the wall reveals that it has something written
- on it.
-
- >read message
- The carving is in English. It says, "Everywhere you go, I've
- been there too."
- [Your score has just gone up by 1.]
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts baghdad 452
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Baghdad, in the year 452.
-
- >out
- Secluded Cave
- You are in an abandoned cave on a hillside halfway between the
- ruins of Babylon and the village of Baghdad. The wall of the
- cave seems to shimmer, and the only exit lies to the west.
-
- >w
- Caravan Trail
- Trapped between the armies of Byzantine empire to the west and
- the Parthian empire to the east, Persia has become little more
- than a battleground. The once fertile land is now dry and
- parched and the only people who live here are nomadic Bedouins.
- You are on a north-south road in the middle of nowhere. A
- caravan has stopped here to rest, as they have done since time
- immemorial. The travellers are ignoring you and their attitude
- suggests that you would be well advised to do the same. Up the
- hill to the east lies the entrance to a cave.
-
- >s
- You walk for a long time and eventually find yourself standing
- amidst the ruins of ancient Babylon.
-
- Ruins
- You are standing amidst the ruins of what once was Babylon.
- Among the rubble, you see a very fragile looking jug. The road
- disappears off to the north.
-
- >read jug
- Stamped on the jug are the words, "Risk is just a leaven to
- make your interest rise." What makes it unusual is that the
- words are written in English.
- [Your score has just gone up by 1.]
-
- >n
- Caravan Trail
- You are on a north-south road in the middle of nowhere. A
- caravan has stopped here to rest, as they have done since time
- immemorial. The travellers are ignoring you and their attitude
- suggests that you would be well advised to do the same. Up the
- hill to the east lies the entrance to a cave.
-
- >e
- Secluded Cave
- You are in an abandoned cave on a hillside halfway between the
- ruins of Babylon and the village of Baghdad. The wall of the
- cave seems to shimmer, and the only exit lies to the west.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts baghdad 1215
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Baghdad, in the year 1215.
-
- >out
- Secluded Cave
- You are in an abandoned cave on a hillside halfway between the
- ruins of Babylon and the burgeoning metropolis of Baghdad. The
- wall of the cave seems to shimmer, and the only exit lies to t
- he west.
-
- >w
- Caravan Trail
- Under the caliph al-Nasir, Baghdad stands at the crossroads of
- the world. Merchants from China and India have come west in
- search of rare delicacies, while traders from England and
- France are eager to acquire the silks and spices of the east.
- You are on a north-south road in the middle of nowhere. A
- caravan has stopped here to rest, as they have done since time
- immemorial. The travellers are ignoring you and their attitude
- suggests that you would be well advised to do the same. Up the
- hill to the east lies the entrance to a cave.
-
- >n
- Selene Gate
- You are standing outside the walls of Baghdad in front of the
- massive Selene Gate. The gate is beautifully decorated with
- intricate designs that pilgrims come from all over the Middle
- East to see.
-
- >n
- You enter the city and wind through the streets until you come
- to a bustling bazaar.
-
- Bazaar
- Baghdad's bazaar is a riot of noise and confusion. Brightly
- colored awnings spill over one another, covering stalls stuffed
- with carpets, oriental silks, cooking pots, spices, figs,
- knives, fruit and countless other merchandise. Merchants cry
- out in a never-ending chant beseeching passersby to sample
- their wares. Veiled women finger the goods, shake their heads,
- and walk on. Young boys playing tag run through the crowds and
- trip over the dogs, pigs, and goats that also run free.
- The wall of the sultan's palace forms the western end of the
- bazaar, and a road leaves town to the south.
- A Chinese merchant catches your eye. He bows to you and says
- "Good day, honorable sir."
-
- >sell powder
- The merchant looks at the vial and says, "Oh my. This is worth
- far more than I can give you in local currency. I'll tell you
- what. I'll give you one drachma, and a 1,000 yuan note. You'll
- find if you come to Peking that you can live like a king for
- that amount. It's double what the vial is worth, but I know the
- value of the money is reduced because you'd have to go all the
- way to China to spend it. In any event, that's the most I can
- offer you. Do we have a deal?"
-
- >yes
- The merchant says, "Wonderful." He takes the vial, gives you
- the drachma and the 1,000 yuan note and says, "It's been a
- pleasure doing business with you." He starts to turn away, but
- then suddenly stops. "Oh. I almost forgot. If you go to Peking,
- you'll need a password to get into the city. Mongols
- everywhere, you know. If you say the words 'tower gate' to the
- guard he'll know you're a merchant like myself and he'll let
- you in. Bye bye." The merchant closes up his stall and leaves.
- [Your score has just gone up by 10.]
-
- >s
- Selene Gate
- You are standing outside the walls of Baghdad in front of the
- massive Selene Gate. The gate is beautifully decorated with
- intricate designs that pilgrims come from all over the Middle
- East to see.
-
- >s
- Caravan Trail
- You are on a north-south road in the middle of nowhere. A
- caravan has stopped here to rest, as they have done since time
- immemorial. The travellers are ignoring you and their attitude
- suggests that you would be well advised to do the same. Up the
- hill to the east lies the entrance to a cave.
-
- >e
- Secluded Cave
- You are in an abandoned cave on a hillside halfway between the
- ruins of Babylon and the burgeoning metropolis of Baghdad. The
- wall of the cave seems to shimmer, and the only exit lies to t
- he west.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts baghdad 1519
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Baghdad, in the year 1519.
-
- >out
- Secluded Cave
- You are in an abandoned cave on a hillside halfway between the
- ruins of Babylon and the burgeoning metropolis of Baghdad. The
- wall of the cave seems to shimmer, and the only exit lies to t
- he west.
-
- >w
- Caravan Trail
- After the Mongols sacked Baghdad in 1258, the caliphate was
- decimated and did not recover for centuries. Now, however,
- Baghdad has regained prominence under the harsh rule of Ismail
- I.
- You are on a north-south road in the middle of nowhere. A
- caravan has stopped here to rest, as they have done since time
- immemorial. The travellers are ignoring you and their attitude
- suggests that you would be well advised to do the same. Up the
- hill to the east lies the entrance to a cave.
-
- >n
- Selene Gate
- You are standing outside the walls of Baghdad in front of the
- massive Selene Gate. The gate is beautifully decorated with
- intricate designs that pilgrims come from all over the Middle
- East to see.
-
- >n
- You enter the city and wind through the streets until you come
- to a bustling bazaar.
-
- Bazaar
- Baghdad's bazaar is a riot of noise and confusion. Brightly
- colored awnings spill over one another, covering stalls stuffed
- with carpets, oriental silks, cooking pots, spices, figs,
- knives, fruit and countless other merchandise. Merchants cry
- out in a never-ending chant beseeching passersby to sample
- their wares. Veiled women finger the goods, shake their heads,
- and walk on. Young boys playing tag run through the crowds and
- trip over the dogs, pigs, and goats that also run free.
- The wall of the sultan's palace forms the western end of the
- bazaar, a small alley winds off to the northeast, and a road
- leaves town to the south.
- One of the vendors' voices rises above the rest. "Dates! Get
- yer dates here! Only one drachma."
-
- >ne
- Alley
- You are standing in an alley in what appears to be a poorer
- section of the city. There is a small house to the west and the
- bazaar is to the southwest. An ornery-looking mule is here,
- looking through the doorway of the house as if waiting for his
- owners to come out and feed him.
-
- >w
- House
- This is a single-room cottage whose lack of furnishing betray
- the poverty of its owners. The only exit is to the east.
- A woman is sitting on a chair, softly crying while she strokes
- the hair of her beautiful teenage daughter. Her young son is
- hiding behind her skirts. Your entrance startles her and she
- says, "Oh! I thought you were the soldiers coming for my
- daughter."
-
- >Ask mother about mule
- "Oh, he won't go anywhere unless you grab his tether and
- whisper sweet nothings in his ear."
-
- >e
- Alley
- You are standing in an alley in what appears to be a poorer
- section of the city. There is a small house to the west and the
- bazaar is to the southwest.
- You see a mule here.
-
- >take tether
- You grab the tether.
-
- >Whisper in mule's ear
- The mule's ears come forward.
- [Your score has just gone up by 5.]
-
- >sw
- You give a firm tug on the tether and the mule follows you.
-
- You emerge from the alley into the bazaar.
-
- Bazaar
- Baghdad's bazaar is a riot of noise and confusion. Brightly
- colored awnings spill over one another, covering stalls stuffed
- with carpets, oriental silks, cooking pots, spices, figs,
- knives, fruit and countless other merchandise. Merchants cry
- out in a never-ending chant beseeching passersby to sample
- their wares. Veiled women finger the goods, shake their heads,
- and walk on. Young boys playing tag run through the crowds and
- trip over the dogs, pigs, and goats that also run free.
- The wall of the sultan's palace forms the western end of the
- bazaar, a small alley winds off to the northeast, and a road
- leaves town to the south.
- One of the vendors' voices rises above the rest. "Dates! Get
- yer dates here! Only one drachma."
-
- >Buy dates
- You give the drachma to the vendor. He points to the urn and
- says, "They're all yours... here, let me help you load it onto
- your mule." He grabs one handle of the urn, you take the other,
- and the two of you manage to hoist the urn onto the mule's
- back. The hungry mule twists his head around, trying to get at
- the dates.
- [Your score has just gone up by 5.]
-
- >ne
- You give a firm tug on the tether and the mule follows you.
-
- Alley
- You are standing in an alley in what appears to be a poorer
- section of the city. There is a small house to the west and the
- bazaar is to the southwest.
-
- >w
- You give a firm tug on the tether and the mule follows you.
-
- House
- This is a single-room cottage whose lack of furnishing betray
- the poverty of its owners. The only exit is to the east.
- The woman says, "Thank you for bringing us food." She helps
- you take the urn off the mule's back. "It doesn't solve our
- problem, but at least we won't starve."
-
- >e
- You give a firm tug on the tether and the mule follows you.
-
- Alley
- You are standing in an alley in what appears to be a poorer
- section of the city. There is a small house to the west and the
- bazaar is to the southwest.
-
- >Drop tether
- You release the tether.
-
- >w
- House
- This is a single-room cottage whose lack of furnishing betray
- the poverty of its owners. The only exit is to the east.
- You see an urn here.
- In the urn you see some dates.
-
- >take dates
- You empty the dates out of the urn onto the ground.
-
- >girl, get in basket
- The girl climbs into the urn.
-
- >put dates in urn
- You cover up the girl with dates, but there's still a
- considerable pile of them left over on the floor.
-
- >e
- Alley
- You are standing in an alley in what appears to be a poorer
- section of the city. There is a small house to the west and the
- bazaar is to the southwest.
- You see a mule here.
-
- >Take tether
- You grab the tether.
-
- >Whisper in mule's ear
- The mule's ears come forward.
-
- >w
- You give a firm tug on the tether and the mule follows you.
-
- House
- This is a single-room cottage whose lack of furnishing betray
- the poverty of its owners. The only exit is to the east.
- You see a pile of dates and an urn here.
- In the urn you see some dates.
- The mule spies the pile of dates. He puts his head down and
- quite contentedly starts munching into them. Moments later,
- they have all disappeared.
-
- >Drop tether
- You release the tether.
-
- >wait 6 hours
- Time passes...
- The mule lowers his ears.
- Do you want to continue waiting? >y
- Time passes...
- Suddenly, a pair of soldiers enters the house. They do a quick
- search of the house and then leave. The mother throws her arms
- around you and kisses you. The young boy looks up at you as if
- you were a hero. After a while the girl gets back out of the
- urn. She does a brief traditional dance of thanks, and then
- goes back to the comfort of her mother's arms.
- [Your score has just gone up by 10.]
- Do you want to continue waiting? >n
-
- >e
- Alley
- You are standing in an alley in what appears to be a poorer
- section of the city. There is a small house to the west and the
- bazaar is to the southwest.
-
- >sw
- You emerge from the alley into the bazaar.
-
- Bazaar
- Baghdad's bazaar is a riot of noise and confusion. Brightly
- colored awnings spill over one another, covering stalls stuffed
- with carpets, oriental silks, cooking pots, spices, figs,
- knives, fruit and countless other merchandise. Merchants cry
- out in a never-ending chant beseeching passersby to sample
- their wares. Veiled women finger the goods, shake their heads,
- and walk on. Young boys playing tag run through the crowds and
- trip over the dogs, pigs, and goats that also run free.
- The wall of the sultan's palace forms the western end of the
- bazaar, a small alley winds off to the northeast, and a road
- leaves town to the south.
-
- >s
- Selene Gate
- You are standing outside the walls of Baghdad in front of the
- massive Selene Gate. The gate is beautifully decorated with
- intricate designs that pilgrims come from all over the Middle
- East to see.
-
- >s
- Caravan Trail
- You are on a north-south road in the middle of nowhere. A
- caravan has stopped here to rest, as they have done since time
- immemorial. The travellers are ignoring you and their attitude
- suggests that you would be well advised to do the same. Up the
- hill to the east lies the entrance to a cave.
-
- >e
- Secluded Cave
- You are in an abandoned cave on a hillside halfway between the
- ruins of Babylon and the burgeoning metropolis of Baghdad. The
- wall of the cave seems to shimmer, and the only exit lies to t
- he west.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts baghdad 1588
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Baghdad, in the year 1588.
-
- >out
- Secluded Cave
- You are in an abandoned cave on a hillside halfway between the
- ruins of Babylon and the burgeoning metropolis of Baghdad. The
- wall of the cave seems to shimmer, and the only exit lies to t
- he west.
-
- >w
- Caravan Trail
- Baghdad has been part of the Ottoman empire since Suleyman the
- Magnificent conquered the city in 1534. In an unusual move,
- however, the emperor decided not to make the city his capital
- and chose instead to install a native-born official as his
- governor.
- You are on a north-south road in the middle of nowhere. A
- caravan has stopped here to rest, as they have done since time
- immemorial. The travellers are ignoring you and their attitude
- suggests that you would be well advised to do the same. Up the
- hill to the east lies the entrance to a cave.
-
- >n
- Selene Gate
- You are standing outside the walls of Baghdad in front of the
- massive Selene Gate. The gate is beautifully decorated with
- intricate designs that pilgrims come from all over the Middle
- East to see. There is a sign hanging on the gate.
-
- >read sign
- The sign says:
-
- Baghdad is a closed city.
- Anyone not wearing a badge
- will be arrested as a spy.
- YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
-
- >n
- You enter the city and wind through the streets until you come
- to a bustling bazaar.
-
- Bazaar
- Baghdad's bazaar is a riot of noise and confusion. Brightly
- colored awnings spill over one another, covering stalls stuffed
- with carpets, oriental silks, cooking pots, spices, figs,
- knives, fruit and countless other merchandise. Merchants cry
- out in a never-ending chant beseeching passersby to sample
- their wares. Veiled women finger the goods, shake their heads,
- and walk on. Young boys playing tag run through the crowds and
- trip over the dogs, pigs, and goats that also run free.
- The wall of the sultan's palace forms the western end of the
- bazaar, a small alley winds off to the northeast, and a road
- leaves town to the south.
- One of the vendors' voices rises above the rest. "Badges! Get
- yer badges here! Can't stay in town unless you gotta de badge."
- The badge vendor is holding a badge.
-
- >look at badge
- It's just a small piece of cloth.
- Suddenly a hand grabs you from behind with an iron-like grip. "
- You're coming with me, infidel spy dog." The soldier hauls you
- into the sultan's palace. The vizier leaps to his feet and
- embraces you. "You have returned," he cries. You are just as I
- remember you all those years ago when you saved my sister. How
- is it you look so young still? Well, no matter. I welcome you
- back to our city. Here is a badge which will keep you from
- getting arrested - spies everywhere, you know." He pins a small
- badge on you and leads you back out into the bazaar.
- [Your score has just gone up by 5.]
- You emerge from the sultan's palace.
-
- Bazaar
- Baghdad's bazaar is a riot of noise and confusion. Brightly
- colored awnings spill over one another, covering stalls stuffed
- with carpets, oriental silks, cooking pots, spices, figs,
- knives, fruit and countless other merchandise. Merchants cry
- out in a never-ending chant beseeching passersby to sample
- their wares. Veiled women finger the goods, shake their heads,
- and walk on. Young boys playing tag run through the crowds and
- trip over the dogs, pigs, and goats that also run free.
- The wall of the sultan's palace forms the western end of the
- bazaar, a small alley winds off to the northeast, and a road
- leaves town to the south.
- One of the vendors' voices rises above the rest. "Badges! Get
- yer badges here! Can't stay in town unless you gotta de badge."
-
- >ne
- Alley
- You are standing in an alley in what appears to be a poorer
- section of the city. The bazaar is to the southwest. Someone
- has scrawled some graffiti on the wall here.
-
- >read graffiti
- The words are written in English. "Eat my dust. It's the
- sixteenth century and you don't have a clue."
- [Your score has just gone up by 1.]
-
- >sw
- You emerge from the alley into the bazaar.
-
- Bazaar
- Baghdad's bazaar is a riot of noise and confusion. Brightly
- colored awnings spill over one another, covering stalls stuffed
- with carpets, oriental silks, cooking pots, spices, figs,
- knives, fruit and countless other merchandise. Merchants cry
- out in a never-ending chant beseeching passersby to sample
- their wares. Veiled women finger the goods, shake their heads,
- and walk on. Young boys playing tag run through the crowds and
- trip over the dogs, pigs, and goats that also run free.
- The wall of the sultan's palace forms the western end of the
- bazaar, a small alley winds off to the northeast, and a road
- leaves town to the south.
- One of the vendors' voices rises above the rest. "Badges! Get
- yer badges here! Can't stay in town unless you gotta de badge."
-
- >s
- Selene Gate
- You are standing outside the walls of Baghdad in front of the
- massive Selene Gate. The gate is beautifully decorated with
- intricate designs that pilgrims come from all over the Middle
- East to see. There is a sign hanging on the gate.
-
- >s
- Caravan Trail
- You are on a north-south road in the middle of nowhere. A
- caravan has stopped here to rest, as they have done since time
- immemorial. The travellers are ignoring you and their attitude
- suggests that you would be well advised to do the same. Up the
- hill to the east lies the entrance to a cave.
-
- >e
- Secluded Cave
- You are in an abandoned cave on a hillside halfway between the
- ruins of Babylon and the burgeoning metropolis of Baghdad. The
- wall of the cave seems to shimmer, and the only exit lies to t
- he west.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts baghdad 1798
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Baghdad, in the year 1798.
-
- >out
- Secluded Cave
- You are in an abandoned cave on a hillside halfway between the
- ruins of Babylon and the burgeoning metropolis of Baghdad. The
- wall of the cave seems to shimmer, and the only exit lies to t
- he west.
-
- >w
- Caravan Trail
- Despite the rise of technology in the West, Persia stubbornly
- clings to the old ways. A visitor to the bazaar in central
- Baghdad would find little changed from five hundred or even one
- thousand years ago.
- You are on a north-south road in the middle of nowhere. A
- caravan has stopped here to rest, as they have done since time
- immemorial. The travellers are ignoring you and their attitude
- suggests that you would be well advised to do the same. Up the
- hill to the east lies the entrance to a cave.
-
- >n
- Selene Gate
- You are standing outside the walls of Baghdad in front of the
- massive Selene Gate. The gate is beautifully decorated with
- intricate designs that pilgrims come from all over the Middle
- East to see.
-
- >n
- You enter the city and wind through the streets until you come
- to a bustling bazaar.
-
- Bazaar
- Baghdad's bazaar is a riot of noise and confusion. Brightly
- colored awnings spill over one another, covering stalls stuffed
- with carpets, oriental silks, cooking pots, spices, figs,
- knives, fruit and countless other merchandise. Merchants cry
- out in a never-ending chant beseeching passersby to sample
- their wares. Veiled women finger the goods, shake their heads,
- and walk on. Young boys playing tag run through the crowds and
- trip over the dogs, pigs, and goats that also run free.
- The wall of the sultan's palace forms the western end of the
- bazaar, and a road leaves town to the south.
- One of the stalls is particularly crowded, and when you elbow
- your way towards it, you see a vendor caressing a large,
- intricately woven carpet.
-
- >l at carpet
- It's an intricately-woven carpet with many complicated
- patterns. After staring at it a while, you realize that one of
- the patterns spells out the English words, "Keep three things
- in mind: you're confused, I'm not, and you're never going to
- catch me."
- [Your score has just gone up by 1.]
-
- >s
- Selene Gate
- You are standing outside the walls of Baghdad in front of the
- massive Selene Gate. The gate is beautifully decorated with
- intricate designs that pilgrims come from all over the Middle
- East to see.
-
- >s
- Caravan Trail
- You are on a north-south road in the middle of nowhere. A
- caravan has stopped here to rest, as they have done since time
- immemorial. The travellers are ignoring you and their attitude
- suggests that you would be well advised to do the same. Up the
- hill to the east lies the entrance to a cave.
-
- >e
- Secluded Cave
- You are in an abandoned cave on a hillside halfway between the
- ruins of Babylon and the burgeoning metropolis of Baghdad. The
- wall of the cave seems to shimmer, and the only exit lies to t
- he west.
-
- >in
- You press the button on the wristlet and the shimmering melts
- away to reveal a black rectangle that hovers in midair. You
- step through the hole in space and find yourself inside the
- interkron.
-
- Interkron
- The interkron is a cramped space full of dials and switches.
- Directly in front of you is a slot with a key card in it and a
- green light next to it. The display screen is taken up by a
- world map, and there are ten years highlighted next to it.
- Under the keyboard, a technician has scrawled on a piece of t
- ape, "To go to a new timeplace, type 'timeset,' followed by the
- name of the city and the year that you want to go to. Eg.
- Timeset Rome 44."
-
- >ts peking 44
- You hear a low humming that slowly crescendos into a
- full-fledged roar. The interkron begins to shake and you become
- disoriented. You fall to the floor and pass out...
- When you awaken and struggle to your feet, you realize that
- you have travelled to Peking, in the year 44 B.C.
-
- >out
- Shrine
- You are in a small roadside shrine just outside the gates of
- Peking. The wall here seems to shimmer.
-
- >n
- Tientan Park
- By the time of the Han dynasty, Chinese society has already
- settled into its permanent form. Invaders will come and go, but
- 2000 years from now, the Chinese will still call themselves the
- "people of Han." This year, the threat from the northern
- barbarians is greater than usual. Patrol towers along the Great
- Wall are constantly manned, and the emperor's army stands ready
- to ride to the rescue of any of the outposts that sounds the
- distress signal.
- You are standing in a small park just south of Peking's main
- gate and just north of a roadside shrine. The road leads off to
- the east.
-
-