Crack It!/Crack It!.iso/CONTENT/TIMEQ/TQWD.TXT

Text File | 1998-03-19 | 32KB | 839 lines

Part 6

>press hawk
You press against the tile inscribed with the pictograph of a
hawk. It slides slowly into the wall, and remains recessed
about two inches from the surface.

>press cat
You press against the tile inscribed with the pictograph of a
cat. It slides slowly into the wall, and remains recessed about
two inches from the surface.

>press scorpion
You press against the tile inscribed with the pictograph of a
scorpion. It slides slowly into the wall, and remains recessed
about two inches from the surface.

>press crocodile
You press against the tile inscribed with the pictograph of a
crocodile. It slides slowly into the wall, and remains recessed
about two inches from the surface.

>press snake
As you press the remaining tile, inscribed with a snake, the
whirling blades slow and finally come to a halt.

>w
You step gingerly over the stilled blades into the passage
beyond.

Ledge
   You are in a hidden passage whose western terminus is a ledge
that overlooks a large chasm. On the other side of the chasm is
another ledge. A rickety looking bridge spans the chasm, held
up only by two slender ropes attached to a U-shaped strut that
is imbedded in the ceiling. You can leave the pyramid by
returning to the east.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

>w
You clamber over the bridge, boards giving way below your feet.
As you near the other side, one of the supports gives way,
leaving the bridge hanging by a single rope. Nevertheless, the
bridge survives and you find yourself standing on the far
ledge.

King's chamber
   This is the entrance to the king's chamber. Unfortunately the
crevice in the west wall that allows entrance to the chamber
looks too small for you to squeeze through. A rickety bridge
leads back across the chasm to the east.
   You see an ankh here.

>take ankh
You take the ankh.
   [Your score has just gone up by 5.]

>e
You take a deep breath and sprint back across the bridge. Ten
feet from the safety of the ledge, you feel the final support
give way. You launch yourself through the air and just make the
ledge as the bridge falls into the chasm below.

Ledge
   You are in a hidden passage whose western terminus is a ledge
that overlooks a large chasm. On the other side of the chasm is
another ledge. Imbedded in the ceiling is a U-shaped strut. You
can leave the pyramid by returning to the east.

>e
Hidden passageway
   You are in a small east-west passage. Set into the wall are
five rectangular tiles, each inscribed with a pictograph of an
animal. The creatures represented seem to be a cat, hawk,
snake, scorpion, and crocodile. Further passage into the
pyramid is possible only because the blades have stopped. The
floor just in front of the blades is darker than in other
places - it appears to be a platform of some sort. You can
leave the pyramid by returning to the east.

>e
As you step out of the the hidden passage, the carved stones
rise back up to the level of the floor. Once again, the blades
begin to turn at a blinding speed.

Pit
   You are in a pit at the bottom of the descending passage, in
the very heart of the great pyramid. The descending passage
leads up to the north. A decorative stone panel has been placed
in the west wall. The panel has been moved slightly, and a
portion of the wall is gone, revealing a hidden passage to the
west.

>n
Descending passage
   You are in a dark passage within the pyramid. You see a dim
light above you to the north where the passage leaves the
pyramid. Another passage leads down into the darkness.

>n
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.

>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 rome 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 Rome, in the year 1798.

>out
Cloaca Maxima
   You step out into a murky underground cavern. When your eyes
adjust to the gloom you realize you are in the ancient Cloaca
Maxima, the great underground sewer of Rome. Uninviting tunnels
lead off in many directions, but a welcome ray of light filters
down from an opening overhead. The air near one wall is
shimmering.

>out
Street
   Rome has become a city of ruins, just another stop on the
'Grand Tour' for educated young gentlemen. Its decay has been
accelerated by the plunder of the city by the occupying French
army, who has carted off countless masterpieces and other
treasures to Paris.
   This quiet street runs southeast towards the Circus Maximus,
and northwest towards the Vatican. There is a passageway
between the buildings that leads south. Below your feet is an
opening, and near it is a fist-sized chunk of rock that appears
to have fallen off one of the old buildings.

>take rock
You take the rock.
   [Your score has just gone up by 5.]

>se
Circus Maximus
   You are standing outside the ruins of the ancient Circus
Maximus and gazing up at the Palazzo Venezia, a beautiful stone
building with a prominent triple-paned window on the second s
tory. The palace is guarded by two soldiers of Napoleon's army.
   A street leads off to the northwest.

>throw rock on window
The rock crashes through the window. The guards look at each
other, nod in unison, and grab you. They frog-march you into
the house and up the stairs.

Sala del Mappamondo
   You are in the huge Sala del Mappamondo on the second floor of
the Palazzo Venezia. The only way out is past the big guards.
   You see a rock here.
   Napoleon is wearing a bracelet.
Napoleon is seated in front of a large nautical chart from
which the room derives its name. He signals the guards to hold
you a few moments while he finishes talking with one of his
assistants. While you wait, you hear snatches of their
conversation.
   [Your score has just gone up by 5.]

>wait 60
[I assume you mean 60 minutes.]
Time passes...
   The aide is arguing his point strongly. Napoleon looks
skeptical. The aide raises his voice and you hear the words
"Must invade England soon." Napoleon glances at you and reminds
him to keep his voice down.
Do you want to continue waiting? >y
   You overhear Napoleon say, "Now is not the time for a direct
assault. There must be another place we can hurt them
indirectly."
Do you want to continue waiting? >y
   Napoleon straightens up and dismisses the aide with a curt
command. As his assistant leaves the room, Napoleon adds, "I
will make my decision at sundown today. If I can think of no
alternative in the meantime, we will proceed with your plan."
   Napoleon turns his attention to you and says "Either you are
very stupid or very clever. You don't look like the type to run
riot in the streets. I suspect you were just trying to meet me.
Well, make it good."
Do you want to continue waiting? >n

>give map to napoleon
Napoleon spreads the map out on his desk and says, "Ah, a
treasure map... Egypt, I see. The crown of Charlemagne, no
less." He scrutinizes it for a while and then becomes more
serious. "This certainly looks authentic. But such maps are
easily forged. Do you have anything to vouch for its authenticit
y?"
   [Your score has just gone up by 5.]

>yes
"Good," he says. "Let's see it."

>give ankh to napoleon
Napoleon examines the amulet carefully. "This is very
interesting," he says. "Obviously Egyptian, and obviously very
ancient - although remarkably well preserved."
   He compares the amulet to the drawing on the map and then gets
a faraway look in his eyes. "Amazing. After all these years.
That I should be the one to find Charlemagne's crown. Who then
could doubt that I am destined to re-unite his empire?" He
scrawls out a note on a piece of paper and thrusts it into your
hands. "I cannot come now. But meet me in Cairo this fall and
we shall find this treasure together." He gives you the map and
the bracelet and says, "Here. You may keep these as souvenirs."
Then he nods to the guards, who lead you back out into the
street.
   [Your score has just gone up by 30.]

Circus Maximus
   You are standing outside the ruins of the ancient Circus
Maximus and gazing up at the Palazzo Venezia, a beautiful stone
building with a prominent triple-paned window on the second s
tory. The palace is guarded by two soldiers of Napoleon's army.
   A street leads off to the northwest.

>nw
Street
   This quiet street runs southeast towards the Circus Maximus,
and northwest towards the Vatican. There is a passageway
between the buildings that leads south. Below your feet is an
opening.
   Suddenly, the bracelet begins to glow. Then it disappears.

>in
Cloaca Maxima
   You climb down into a murky underground cavern. When your eyes
adjust to the gloom you realize you are in the ancient Cloaca
Maxima, the great underground sewer of Rome. Uninviting tunnels
lead off in many directions, but a welcome ray of light filters
down from an opening overhead. The air near one wall is
shimmering.

>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 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 Dover, in the year 1798.

>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
   All Europe knows that Napoleon's desire to conquer England is
second only to his dream of becoming the second Charlemagne.
Daily come reports of false sightings of the French fleet.
Everyone believes he will strike - but no one knows where.
   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. Admiral Lord
Nelson is sitting at a table, muttering to himself. A set of
stairs leads up to the north, and the tavern's front door lies
to the south.

>give pass to nelson
Nelson reads the pass, then leaps to his feet and shouts, "I've
got him now! Napoleon's bound for Egypt! I'll have to make sure
he gets a proper welcome." He tosses the pass back to you and
strides out of the tavern, forgetting all about the boarding
hook.

>take hook
You take the boarding hook.
   [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 cairo 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 Cairo, in the year 1798.

>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
   Chafing under 250 years of Ottoman rule, Egyptians welcome the
French invasion.  They hope that under French rule, Egypt will
be regenerated and regain its ancient prosperity.
   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
broadside nailed to a wall here. You can just make out its
headline. "NAPOLEON ARMY CONQUERS EGYPT WHILE FRENCH FLEET
DESTROYED BY NELSON AT BATTLE OF ABUKIR BAY".

>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.

This is the spot that Napoleon has chosen to pitch camp. His
tent is the largest one here, and outside it are two
familiar-looking soldiers.

>show pass to soldiers
One of the soldiers takes the pass and disappears inside the
tent. Moments later Napoleon emerges and says, "I've been
waiting for you. I've sent five men into that pyramid after the
crown. None of them has come back. This time I'm sending you,
and I'll be right behind you."

>w
The guards intercept you and say, "Zis tent, she ees not pour
vous to mess with."

>s
You and Napoleon scramble up the crumbling wall and enter the
pyramid.

Descending passage
   You are in a dark passage within the pyramid. You see a dim
light above you to the north where the passage leaves the
pyramid. Another passage leads down into the darkness.
   Napoleon saunters along behind you.

>s
Pit
   You are in a pit at the bottom of the descending passage, in
the very heart of the great pyramid. The descending passage
leads up to the north. A decorative stone panel has been placed
in the west wall. The panel has been moved slightly, and a
portion of the wall is gone, revealing a hidden passage to the
west.
   Napoleon saunters along behind you.

>w
You step beyond the opened wall into the hidden passage beyond.

Hidden passageway
   You are in a small east-west passage. Set into the wall are
five rectangular tiles, each inscribed with a pictograph of an
animal. The creatures represented seem to be a cat, hawk,
snake, scorpion, and crocodile. Further passage into the
pyramid is blocked by a set of sharp blades that are revolving
at a blinding speed. The floor just in front of the blades is
darker than in other places - it appears to be a platform of
some sort. You can leave the pyramid by returning to the east.
   Napoleon scrambles along behind you.

     **** AGAIN, PRESS THE TILES IN THE ORDER THEY WERE IN THE MAP
     ****

>press hawk
You press against the tile inscribed with the pictograph of a
hawk. It slides slowly into the wall, and remains recessed
about two inches from the surface.

>press cat
You press against the tile inscribed with the pictograph of a
cat. It slides slowly into the wall, and remains recessed about
two inches from the surface.

>press scorpion
You press against the tile inscribed with the pictograph of a
scorpion. It slides slowly into the wall, and remains recessed
about two inches from the surface.

>press crocodile
You press against the tile inscribed with the pictograph of a
crocodile. It slides slowly into the wall, and remains recessed
about two inches from the surface.

>press snake
As you press the remaining tile, inscribed with a snake, the
whirling blades slow and finally come to a halt.

>w
You step gingerly over the stilled blades into the passage
beyond.

Ledge
   You are in a hidden passage whose western terminus is a ledge
that overlooks a large chasm. On the other side of the chasm is
another ledge. Imbedded in the ceiling is a U-shaped strut. You
can leave the pyramid by returning to the east.
   Napoleon saunters along behind you.

>untie turban
You unhook the pin, and the turban unravels in your hands.
Unfortunately, upon closer examination, it turns out the ruby
is just a worthless piece of red glass.

>tie turban to hook
You tie the turban to the grappling hook.

>throw hook on strut
The boarding hook loops over the strut and locks firmly into
place!

>w
Taking a running start, you leap into the void, shout
"Guruka!!" and swing across the chasm. You land on the other
side, teeter for a moment on the edge, and then pull yourself
to safety.

   [Your score has just gone up by 20.]
King's chamber
   This is the entrance to the king's chamber. Unfortunately the
crevice in the west wall that allows entrance to the chamber
looks too small for you to squeeze through.
   The turban swings back to Napoleon, who grabs it and swings
over the chasm to land beside you.
   He peers into the crevice and catches a glint of gold. He
turns sideways and squeezes his adolescent-sized body through
the crack, ripping his uniform as he does so. Moments later you
hear a cry of triumph, and then his head reappears, soon
followed by the rest of his body. His eyes are ablaze with
dreams of empire as he says to you, "I have the crown. Let us
leave this place."

>e
Taking a running start, you leap into the void, shout
"Guruka!!" and swing across the chasm. You land on the other
side, teeter for a moment on the edge, and then pull yourself
to safety.

Ledge
   You are in a hidden passage whose western terminus is a ledge
that overlooks a large chasm. On the other side of the chasm is
another ledge. Imbedded in the ceiling is a U-shaped strut, to
which a long turban is attached by means of a boarding hook.
You can leave the pyramid by returning to the east.
   The turban swings back to Napoleon, who grabs it and swings
over the chasm to land beside you.

>e
Hidden passageway
   You are in a small east-west passage. Set into the wall are
five rectangular tiles, each inscribed with a pictograph of an
animal. The creatures represented seem to be a cat, hawk,
snake, scorpion, and crocodile. Further passage into the
pyramid is possible only because the blades have stopped. The
floor just in front of the blades is darker than in other
places - it appears to be a platform of some sort. You can
leave the pyramid by returning to the east.
   Napoleon scrambles along behind you.

>e
As you step out of the the hidden passage, the carved stones
rise back up to the level of the floor. Once again, the blades
begin to turn at a blinding speed.

Pit
   You are in a pit at the bottom of the descending passage, in
the very heart of the great pyramid. The descending passage
leads up to the north. A decorative stone panel has been placed
in the west wall. The panel has been moved slightly, and a
portion of the wall is gone, revealing a hidden passage to the
west.
   Napoleon saunters along behind you.

>n
Descending passage
   You are in a dark passage within the pyramid. You see a dim
light above you to the north where the passage leaves the
pyramid. Another passage leads down into the darkness.
   Napoleon saunters along behind you.

>n
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.

This is the spot that Napoleon has chosen to pitch camp. His
tent is the largest one here, and outside it are two
familiar-looking soldiers.
You emerge from the pyramid. Napoleon holds up the crown and
says, "Behold at last the crown of Charlemagne, destined all
these years to become mine. I shall have it engraved and will
wear it myself upon my coronation when I return to France."
Without giving a backward glance at you, he disappears into his
tent.
   [Your score has just gone up by 25.]

>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. There is a
broadside nailed to a wall here. You can just make out its
headline. "NAPOLEON ARMY CONQUERS EGYPT WHILE FRENCH FLEET
DESTROYED BY NELSON AT BATTLE OF ABUKIR BAY".

>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 rome 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 Rome, in the year 1940.

>out
Cloaca Maxima
   You step out into a murky underground cavern. When your eyes
adjust to the gloom you realize you are in the ancient Cloaca
Maxima, the great underground sewer of Rome. Uninviting tunnels
lead off in many directions, but a welcome ray of light filters
down from an opening overhead. The air near one wall is
shimmering.

>out
Street
   After 28 years under Benito Mussolini, much of ancient Rome
has disappeared, replaced by huge, faceless monuments of
Fascist Architecture. This part of the city, however, remains
relatively unchanged.
   This quiet street runs southeast towards the Circus Maximus,
and northwest towards the Vatican. There is a passageway
between the buildings that leads south. Below your feet is an
opening.

>se
Circus Maximus
   You are standing outside the ruins of the ancient Circus
Maximus and gazing up at the Palazzo Venezia, which houses a
museum on its first floor and Mussolini's headquarters on the se
cond floor. Someone has scrawled some graffiti on the side of
the building.
   A street leads off to the northwest.

>n
Museum
   You are in a museum dedicated to Napoleon, on the ground floor
of the palace that is said to have been his headquarters during
his occupation of Rome. The stairs that lead up to the second
floor are guarded by a corpulent Nazi soldier.  The street exit
is to the south. There is a display case here with various obje
cts of Napoleonic paraphernalia in it, including napoleon's
crown and a small card.

>take crown
You wait until the guard's head is turned and then take the
crown out of the case.

>n
   The guard looks at your nondescript clothing and mistakes you
for a member of the cleaning crew. He stands aside to let you
pass and says, "Better hurry. You know how they hate a dirty
office."

Sala del Mappamondo
   You are in the huge Sala del Mappamondo on the second floor of
the Palazzo Venezia. Sixty feet from the doorway is the only
piece of furniture in the room, a desk that rests in front of
the huge nautical chart that gave the room its name. Hitler and
Mussolini are leaning against the desk, hunched over a radio.
   Mussolini is wearing a bracelet.
   The two leaders scarcely look up when you enter.

>wait
Time passes...
   Hitler glances up at you and says, "Don't just stand there -
hop to it."

>clean
You bustle about the room, pretending to neaten things up.

>wait 60
[I assume you mean 60 minutes.]
Time passes...
   Mussolini glances at Hitler and says, "What was the word
again? Sitar?"
   "No, you fool" snaps the German leader. "'Cigar!' The code
word is 'cigar.' Now just shut up and wait for six o'clock."
Do you want to continue waiting? >y
   Hitler glances up at you and says, "Don't just stand there -
hop to it."
Do you want to continue waiting? >n

>clean
You bustle about the room, pretending to neaten things up.

>wait
Time passes...
   Hitler glances up at you and says, "Don't just stand there -
hop to it."

>clean
You bustle about the room, pretending to neaten things up.

>wait 60
[I assume you mean 60 minutes.]
Time passes...
   The radio music stops and is replaced by a voice with a
British accent that says, "Ladies and gentlemen, live from
Dover, the Prime Minister."
Do you want to continue waiting? >y
   The polished tones of the announcer's voice are replaced by
the gravelly voice of Winston Churchill. "Citizens of the
British Empire. Earlier today I received word that the German
forces are converging around our troops at Dunkirk. The
situation looks bleak." Hitler and Mussolini lean closer to the
radio.
Do you want to continue waiting? >y
   Suddenly Churchill interrupts his speech and shouts, "What the
devil are you doing with that cigar?" Hitler and Mussolini look
at each other in triumph. "The British jackal has given up,"
Hitler says. "Let's hear what else he has to say."
Do you want to continue waiting? >n

>turn off radio
You pretend to dust around the radio and surreptitiously cut
off the power. Hitler bellows, "You clumsy fool!" He fumbles
with the radio for a moment, trying to restore power.

>wait 60
[I assume you mean 60 minutes.]
Time passes...
   Hitler finally succeeds in restoring power to the radio. He
glares at you as he listens.
   Churchill continues his speech, and after he finishes Hitler
looks at Mussolini in triumph. "He's done it! Britain will be
ours without another drop of blood. Send the order to halt the
advance." Mussolini removes his bracelet and says, "Obviously I
won't be needing this anymore." The two of them shake hands and
leave the room.
   [Your score has just gone up by 30.]
Do you want to continue waiting? >y
   Suddenly, the bracelet begins to glow. Then it disappears.
Do you want to continue waiting? >n

>s
Museum
   You are in a museum dedicated to Napoleon, on the ground floor
of the palace that is said to have been his headquarters during
his occupation of Rome. The stairs that lead up to the second
floor are guarded by a corpulent Nazi soldier.  The street exit
is to the south. There is a display case here with various obje
cts of Napoleonic paraphernalia in it and a small card.

>s
Circus Maximus
   You are standing outside the ruins of the ancient Circus
Maximus and gazing up at the Palazzo Venezia, which houses a
museum on its first floor and Mussolini's headquarters on the se
cond floor. Someone has scrawled some graffiti on the side of
the building.
   A street leads off to the northwest.

>read wall
The graffiti is in English and it says, "This is the last
message I will leave in the nineteen hundreds."
   [Your score has just gone up by 2.]

>nw
Street
   This quiet street runs southeast towards the Circus Maximus,
and northwest towards the Vatican. There is a passageway
between the buildings that leads south. Below your feet is an
opening.

>in
Cloaca Maxima
   You climb down into a murky underground cavern. When your eyes
adjust to the gloom you realize you are in the ancient Cloaca
Maxima, the great underground sewer of Rome. Uninviting tunnels
lead off in many directions, but a welcome ray of light filters
down from an opening overhead. The air near one wall is
shimmering.

>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 rome 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 Rome, in the year 800.

>out
Cloaca Maxima
   You step out into a murky underground cavern. When your eyes
adjust to the gloom you realize you are in the ancient Cloaca
Maxima, the great underground sewer of Rome. Uninviting tunnels
lead off in many directions, but a welcome ray of light filters
down from an opening overhead. The air near one wall is
shimmering.

>out
Street
   The glory that was Rome has faded somewhat, and the city is no
longer the center of a vast empire. At this halfway point
through the Dark Ages, the city itself seems dark and deserted.
   This quiet street runs southeast towards the Circus Maximus,
and northwest towards the Vatican. There is a passageway
between the buildings that leads south. Below your feet is an
opening.