# Adventure770 -- Copyleft Mike Arnautov 1984-2017.
#
# "Random" texts.
#
TEXT SOK!
#
FRAGMENT .NULL
#
TEXT BLANK

#
TEXT OK!
    Ok.
#
TEXT YES.OR.NO?
    Please! Do us a favour and answer yes or no.

#
TEXT cycle U.TURN
    [Changed your mind? Fine by me.../Well, there is no shame in
    changing your mind./Decided not to? That's OK, I don't mind.]
#
FRAGMENT GAME.TO.RESTORE

    Game to restore (or press ENTER for a brand new game):_
#
FRAGMENT REINCARNATE?
    Do you want me to try reincarnating you?_
#
FRAGMENT BTW

    Oh, by the way..._
#
FRAGMENT INSTRUCTIONS?
    Would you like instructions?_
#
TEXT HI.THERE

    Welcome to Adventure! ({GAME.ID})

#
FRAGMENT REST.AWHILE
    "Rest awhile, oh Wanderer, whilst thine Dungeon is initialising,
    and contemplate the Imperfection of all Things. For the World
    thou art intent upon entering be Imperfection Incarnate. Thou
    shalt do well to temper thine Anger and cultivate thine Virtue
    of Patience, whenever it be slow of Wit or Action, or accosteth
    thee with Spurious Messages. Despair though not - the Forces of
    Chaos are not yet victorious..."
#
TEXT SPIEL

    With a clear metallic chime, everything around you dissolves
    into grey nothingness. As you peer about, groping with your
    confused mind for some distinct form or feature, there is about
    you a sudden swirl of faint pale colours accompanied by a
    glass-like tinkling, and a dusty voice breathes wearily into
    your ear:

    {REST.AWHILE}

    With that the voice passeth away, leaving you alone in the
    midst of Greyness, formless and boundless beyond all Measure.

    Which is not really as expected, but life is full of surprises and
    Superior Beings will have their Little Jokes. I suggest you do as
    instructed, so that we can get out of here without delay and get
    down to Ye Actual Adventuring.
#
FRAGMENT JOKE.HINT
    Are you actually trying to get into the game?_
#
TEXT increment BAD.OMEN
    [Stuck already? Hmm... Not a good omen. Well,
    you can always try typing VOCAB, if you are new to this
    adventuring thing. 

    Or is it just
    that you didn't really pay attention to what the dusty voice 
    said? A mistake, but fortunately for you, I have an excellent memory.
    The exact words were/Your memory isn't exactly wonderful, is it? 
    The dusty voice said/Sigh... If I must, I must]:
   
    {REST.AWHILE}

    [There, how's that for total recall?/Any better?/Now, do get on with 
    that contemplating. It's dead boring being stuck around here!]
#
TEXT increment NEARLY.RIGHT
    [You are beginning to get the idea, but a bit more thinking
    is obviously still required./We've already established that resting
    is not quite what is needed here./Right line of reasoning - wrong
    action.]
#
TEXT LETS.START
    Realising that there is nothing for it, you follow the dusty
    voice's advice and spend some time in deep contemplation. 

    And it seems to be working! Slowly, ever so slowly, the misty 
    greyness begins to coalesce into new (or is it old?) Shapes 
    and Meanings. Eventually you find that:

#
TEXT STUCK.IN.NOWHERE

    Loitering around here may be your idea of fun, but let's get on with
    adventuring. Or are you just too proud to do as instructed?
#
TEXT increment ORIENTAL.DRAWING
    It's just ordinary ancient oriental cave drawings[ of no conceivable
    interest to a mere adventurer like you/].
#
TEXT INTRO
    Somewhere nearby is Colossal Cave, where others have found fortunes in
    treasure and gold, though it is rumoured that some who enter are never
    seen again. Magic is said to work in the cave.

    I will be your eyes and hands. Direct me with commands of 1 or 2
    words, such as WEST, or ENTER, or GET LAMP... (Type INFO for more
    information about commands you can use.) Please don't try using
    longer commands, or I'll get all confused. Most words I know can be
    abbreviated, usually to three or four characters, and there are
    some special one-letter abbreviations, such as W for WEST, G for
    GET, L for LOOK (or EXAMINE), and so on. (But magic words cannot be
    abbreviated at all, of course.) Use the VOCABULARY (or just VOC)
    command for more info and for a list of words I know.

    Should you get stuck, typing HELP may result in some hints.
    Other generally useful commands are SAVE, RESTORE, MEMORIZE, RECALL
    (memory save and restore) and QUIT.

#
TEXT random DWARF.BLOCKS
    A little dwarf with a big knife [blocks your/smartly steps in the] way.
#
TEXT FIRST.DWARF

    A little dwarf just walked around a corner, saw you, threw a little axe
    at you, missed, cursed, and ran away.

    There is a little axe here.
#
TEXT KNIVES.THROWN

    [/One/$] nasty sharp kni[/fe is/ves are] thrown at you!
#
TEXT KNIVES.MISS
    [/It misses/They miss] you!
#
TEXT KNIVES.GOT.YOU
    [/It/One of them] gets you!
#
TEXT FIRST.DEFLECTOR
    Your magic ring shoots out a bolt of lightning that splinters
    the [/knife/knives] into dust before [/it/they] can reach you!
#
TEXT
    A glowing disk of black fire jumps out of your magic ring and swallows
    the hurtling [/knife/knives] before [/it/they] can harm you!
#
TEXT
    [/A ball/Balls] of searing flame burst[/s/] out of your magic ring,
    rebound[/s/] off the ground, and vaporize[/s/] the 
    kni[/fe/ves] before [/it/they] can reach you.
#
TEXT LAST.DEFLECTOR
    Your magic ring emits a blast of some strange magical energy that
    knocks the kni[/fe/ves] aside!
#
TEXT HOLLOW.VOICE

    A hollow voice says "Plugh".
#
TEXT cycle NO.CAN.GO
    [There is no way # from here, sorry.../Alas, you cannot 
    go #/There's no way # from here/No exit # from here, I am 
    afraid/Going # is not possible from here. Sorry/No, sorry, there
    is no way # from here/I am forced to point out that there
    is no way to go # from here/Look again: there is no way to go #
    from here/Sorry, going # from here is not possible/There is no
    exit leading # from here/There are no # exits here].
#
TEXT cycle IMPASSABLE.DESERT
    [The soft desert dunes become quite impassable in that direction./
    The way # is blocked by impassable dunes of soft sand./
    It is not feasible to proceed # from here, due to the massive
    sand dunes piled up there./You try going #, but quickly give
    up the hope of making any progress in that direction through 
    the massive dunes of soft, shifting sand./Your attempt to
    scramble up the dune to the # merely causes a minor avalanche
    of sand, leaving you exactly where you started./In case you
    haven't noticed, there is a whopping big impassable sand
    dune in that direction!/You try to climb the steep dune to the #,
    but keep sliding back./You fail to make any progress to the #,
    as the dunes are too soft and steep in that direction.]
#
TEXT random OOF!
    [You have run into a wall of rock and can go no further in this
    direction./You bump into a wall and wisely decide that there 
    probably no exit # from here./As I recall, there is no way to
    go # from here./Ouch! I think that was a rock wall you've
    just hit!/Ooof! Walking into walls hurts, and that was undoubtedly 
    a wall!]
#
TEXT NEED.A.DIRECTION
    I am unsure which way you are facing. Please give me a direction.
#
TEXT IN.FROM.OUT
    I don't know in from out here. [Use compass points or name something in
    the general direction you want to go/Just examine the object or place you
    want to look into].
#
TEXT VIAL.SEALED
    How? It is tightly sealed.    
#
TEXT cycle NATURALLY.NOTHING
    [Naturally enough,/As should come as no surprise,/I hope it comes
    as no surprise that/As one might expect,/Unsurprisingly,] nothing happens.
#
TEXT cycle I.AM.GAME
    [I'm game. Would you care to explain how/And how exactly do
    you propose to do that/How]?
#
TEXT cycle ONE.AT.A.TIME
    Hey, [not so fast/slow down a bit/give us a chance]! I can only deal
    with one at a time[ - there is only one of me, you know..// - it's 
    not as easy as you seem to imagine].
#
TEXT cycle DARK.WARNING
    [You'll have to move carefully if you want to avoid painful bruises,
    or worse/
    If you proceed you will likely fall into a pit/
    Trying to walk about without a light is not likely to be very safe/
    If I may be so bold, I would advise against walking about without
    a light/
    Remember that exploring without a light is often very unhealthy/
    I advise against blundering about in darkness - accidents are only
    too likely/
    I wouldn't try moving about here without a light, if I were you/
    It's safer not to walk about in darkness/
    Better get some light, or you might stumble and break your neck].
#
FRAGMENT BIRD.HINT
    Are you trying to catch the bird?_
#
TEXT
    For some reason the bird is frightened right now and won't let you
    anywhere near it. This may not sound very unusual, but believe
    me, this particular bird can be quite friendly and tame. I am no avian
    psychologist, but I'd say there must be some specific reason
    for its behaviour.
#
FRAGMENT BIRD.HINT.2
    Are you trying to catch the bird?_
#
TEXT
    The bird has no reason to trust you. Perhaps you should give it one?
#
FRAGMENT SNAKE.HINT
    Are you trying somehow to deal with the snake?_
#
TEXT
    You can't kill the snake, or drive it away, or avoid or bribe it,
    or anything like that. It is, however, entirely possible to get rid
    of it.
#
FRAGMENT SNAKE.FOOL.HINT
    Are you trying somehow to deal with the snake?_
#
TEXT
    You can't kill the snake, or drive it away, or avoid or bribe it,
    or anything like that. It is, of course, entirely possible to get rid
    of it, but you have very carelessly blown your only chance to do so.
#
TEXT CRUNCH
    [Ouch! That was something hard/You fell into a pit and broke every
    bone in your body]!
#
TEXT IT.IS.NOW.DARK
    It is now pitch dark. {DARK.WARNING}
#
TEXT cycle YOU.HAVE.IT
    You [are already carrying/already have] the #!
#
TEXT cycle BE.SERIOUS!
    [You can't be serious!/I am sure you are not being serious!/An
    amusing suggestion, but surely not a serious one!]
#
TEXT increment BIRD.IS.SCARED
    The bird was unafraid [when you entered/to start with], but as 
    you approach, it becomes disturbed and you cannot catch it.[/ Maybe
    it is something you are carrying?/]
#
TEXT increment NEED.CAGE
    [Y/As I already pointed out, y]ou might be able to catch the bird, but 
    you have no means of carrying it.
#
TEXT YOU.ARENT.CARRYING
    You aren't carrying the #!
#
TEXT cycle I.DONT.SEE
    [I see no # here./There's no # to be seen here./#? What #?]
#
TEXT BIRD.V.ENEMY
    [{BIRD.HOPS.OUT}, attacks the green snake and in an astounding flurry
    drives the snake away./
    {BIRD.HOPS.OUT}, attacks the green dragon and in an astounding flurry
    gets burnt to a cinder. The ashes blow away./
    The bird and the vampire resolutely ignore each other./
    {BIRD.HOPS.OUT} and attacks the troll, who blithely ignores it. The bird
    soon becomes discouraged, flies back to land at your feet, and begins
    singing to itself./
    {BIRD.HOPS.OUT}, attacks the ogre and in an astounding flurry gets
    caught and crushed. The mangled remains vanish into thin air./
    {BIRD.HOPS.OUT}, attacks the ferocious cave bear and in an astounding
    flurry gets ripped to shreds. The bloody remains disappear./
    {BIRD.HOPS.OUT}, flies over to the bear, circles curiously around its
    head several times, and then flies back to land at your feet and begins
    to sing./
    {BIRD.HOPS.OUT}, attacks the basilisk, and in an astounding flurry
    succeeds in awakening it. The basilisk glares at the bird, causing the
    it to explode into a cloud of fine sand, and then turns and stares
    balefully at you, turning you into a pillar of fine marble suitable for
    decorative lawn or garden use./
    {BIRD.HOPS.OUT}, attacks the spider and in an astounding flurry gets
    itself very messily eaten. It was a horrible sight, a flurry of feathers,
    hairy legs and blood./
    {BIRD.HOPS.OUT} and in an astounding flurry
    drives the snakes away.
   /]
#
FRAGMENT INTO.WATERFALL?
    What, into the waterfall?_
#
TEXT NO.LOCK
    It has no lock.
#
TEXT GRATE.NOW
    [The grate/=/I am taking the liberty of assuming that 
    you meant to unlock the grate first. It] [clicks itself/is
    now] [locked/unlocked][/. Anticipating your next wish,
    I've opened it for you as well/ and opened].
#
TEXT GRATE.STUCK
    The lock seems to be stuck - the key refuses to turn!
#
TEXT NO.LIGHT.HERE
    You have no source of light.
#
TEXT LAMP.NOW
    The lamp is now o[ff/n].

#
TEXT LAMP.ALREADY
    The lamp was [not/already] lit!
#
TEXT increment CANT.GET.PAST.BEAR
    There is no way to get past the bear to unlock the chain[, which is
    probably just as well/].
#
TEXT NOTHING
    Nothing happens.
#
TEXT WHERE?
    #? Where?
#
TEXT cycle PACIFIST
    [There's/Try as I might, I see] nothing here to attack.
#
TEXT BIRD.IS.DEAD
    The little bird is now dead. Its body disappears.
#
TEXT increment CANT.KILL.SNAKE
    [A/I said: a/Didn't you listen? A/][ttacking the snake doesn't work 
    and is also very dangerous./=/=/Forget it!]
#
TEXT KILLED.DWARF
    You killed a little dwarf.
#
TEXT random DWARF.DODGES
    You attack a little dwarf, but he [dodges/ducks/jumps/steps/retreats] out
    of the way.
#
TEXT increment DWARF.STABS
    You attack a little dwarf, but he dodges out of the way and stabs you
    with his nasty sharp knife! [I can't say I am really surprised; them
    dwarves have quite a reputation for hand to hand fighting./I take it
    you've never seen a brawl in a dwarvish tavern, or you'd think twice
    before trying to take on a dwarf hand-to-hand./All I can say is you
    had it coming!/]
#
FRAGMENT WITH.WHAT?
    With your bare hands??_
#
FRAGMENT WITH.BARE.HANDS?
    Do you really mean to attack [the/=/a] # with your bare hands?_
#
TEXT cycle OLDFASHIONED.MAGIC
    [Good try, but/Well, OK, but/Nah../Seriously,] that's a worn out, 
    old-fashioned magic word[/, not of any practical use any more/].
#
TEXT HELP.DATA
    Imagine that you are somewhere else (far, far away, in a strange land
    of magic and wonder). As your guide, I will describe to you your
    surroundings while you tell me what you want to do next. For example,
    to move, try words like ENTER (and EXIT), EAST (or E for short), NORTH
    (or N), SOUTHWEST (or SW), UP (or U) etc. (You don't have to say
    GO EAST etc., just the direction will do). Words like DOWNSTREAM,
    CLIMB, CROSS may also come handy. Some other useful commands
    are INVENTORY (or I), LOOK (or L, or EXAMINE, or X), SCORE, INFO,
    VOCABULARY etc.

    In addition to the special abbreviations (like I for Inventory), all
    words, other than magic ones, can be abbreviated to the shortest
    unambiguous length. READ, for instance, can be shortened to REA but
    not RE, since it would clash with REMOVE. Generally you will find that
    most words abbreviate to three or four characters.

    Objects can be manipulated using some of the verbs that I know.
    Usually you have to give both the object and the verb (in either
    order), but sometimes I can infer the object from the verb alone - e.g.
    both LIGHT (or ON) and EXTINGUISH (or OFF) imply LAMP. Some objects
    have side-effects; for instance, rods scare birds.
#
TEXT HELP.DATA.END
    Remember that I only understand commands of one or two words. Novice
    players often type commands like THROW AXE AT DWARF. Use THROW AXE
    instead, and I'll do my best to work out where you want to throw it.
    Usually people trying unsuccessfully to manipulate an object are
    attempting something beyond their (or my) capabilities and should try
    a completely different tack.

    To speed up the game you can sometimes move long distances with a
    single word. For example BUILDING usually gets you to the building
    from most places above ground except when lost in the forest.
    Outside the cave you can generally go anywhere you like, unless the
    description gives a reason why you can't do so (e.g. there
    is a cliff in the way!). Within the cave you can generally only move
    in directions explicitly noted as possible exits in the description.
    Also, note that cave passages turn a lot, so that leaving a room to the
    north does not guarantee entering the next from the south.

    Finally, it is worth remembering that I mostly mean just what I say.
    On the other hand, do not assume that everything to be seen or found
    in the Colossal Cave has any particular purpose, even though most
    things and beings do have one (or more).

   + _______________________Good luck!
#
TEXT CANT.HELP.YOU
    [Well, you do seem to be having problems, don't you? Unfortunately, I'm
    not allowed to help you out; you got yourself into this, and you'll
    have to find a solution to your problems yourself./
    I'm afraid right here and now, I can't tell you anything more that would 
    be useful][/; you'll have to figure out what to do on your 
    own./. Just get on with collecting treasures in the well house.]
#
TEXT SAVE.YOUR.FERTILISER
    [Birdseed farming is not a suitable preoccupation for an adventurer!/
    /There is nothing here that you need to fertilise./You don't need
    to fertilise that!] I suggest you save the contents of the packet
    for a more suitable occasion.
#
TEXT NO.UNLOCK.KEYS
    You can't unlock the keys.
#
TEXT cycle STILL.WHERE.YOU.WERE
    You have crawled [around in/through/along/through] some little passages 
    and [wound up/finished/found yourself/ended up] back where you started.
#
TEXT TRY.FOLLOWING.STREAM
    I don't know where the cave is, but hereabouts no stream can run on the
    surface for long. I would try the stream.
#
TEXT NEED.MORE.DETAIL
    I need more detailed instructions to do that.
#
TEXT FIND.IT.YOURSELF
    I can only tell you what you see as you move about and manipulate
    things. I cannot tell you where remote things or places are.
#
TEXT cycle NOCOMPRENDE.VERB
    [My ignorance shames me, but I do not know what action might be
    signified by "#"./Alas, my vocabulary is too limited to encompass "#".
    Try some other verb?/Very remiss of me to be sure, but I've never
    learned to "#"./To my shame, I have no idea what you mean by
    "#"./"#"? Sorry, I don't know what it means./I am afraid "#" is not a 
    verb I've ever learned./Ahem... "#" is not in my dictionary.
    Would you care to re-phrase?/Regrettably, that is not something I
    know how to do.]
#
TEXT cycle NOCOMPRENDE
    [Sorry to disappoint you, but I haven't got a clue how to "#"
    something./Unfortunately I don't know how to "#" something. 
    I expect it isn't really required around here./"#ing" things is
    not something I've ever learned, sorry...]
#
TEXT cycle NOCOMPRENDE.OBJECT
    [Er... "#" is not in my dictionary. Would you mind re-phrasing?/Your
    vocabulary is clearly bigger than mine - I have no idea what "#" might
    be./"#"? Sorry, I don't know the meaning of the word./'Fraid "#" is
    not a word I know. Whatever it might be, rest assured  that it is not
    required in this game./Sorry, but
    "#" is not a word I know the meaning of. Try something else?/Whatever 
    "#" might be, I have to admit to a complete ignorance about 
    it./"#"? Don't know the word. Sorry.../Unfortunately "#" is not something
    I know about, sorry./I don't know what manner of thing a "#" could be,
    I am afraid.]
#
TEXT random WHAT?
    [Huh/Eh/Sorry/What/Enk]??
#
FRAGMENT CAVE.HINT
    Are you trying to get into the cave?_
#
TEXT
    The grate is very solid and has a hardened steel lock. You cannot
    enter without a key, and there are no keys nearby. I would recommend
    looking elsewhere for the keys.
#
TEXT IN.FOREST
    The trees of the forest are large hardwood oak and maple, with an
    occasional grove of pine or spruce. There is quite a bit of
    undergrowth, largely birch and ash saplings as well as nondescript
    bushes of various sorts. This time of year visibility is quite
    restricted by all the leaves, but travel is quite easy if you
    detour around the spruce and berry bushes.
#
TEXT NEED.SHOVEL
    Digging without a shovel is quite impractical. Even with a shovel
    progress is unlikely.
#
TEXT NEED.DYNAMITE
    Blasting requires dynamite.
#
TEXT I.AM.CONFUSED
    I'm as confused as you are.
#
TEXT increment THIS.IS.MIST
    [/OK, once more... ]
    Mist is a white vapour, usually water, seen from time to time in
    caverns. It can be found anywhere but is frequently a sign of a 
    nearby large body of open water or of a deep
    pit leading down to water.
#
TEXT BLEAH
    Yeetttch! I think I just lost my appetite.
#
TEXT increment NO.TASTE.DUNG
    [Well, I suppose one could acquire the taste even for dung,
    if one were determined enough, but... no./No way!]
#
TEXT random URRP
    Thank you, it was [delicious/wonderful/just what the doctor
    ordered/most refreshing]!
#
TEXT assigned SLURP
    You have taken a drink from the [stream. The water tastes strongly of
    minerals, but is not unpleasant. It is extremely cold/fountain. 
    The water is fairly cold and has a faintly rusty tang to it/spring.
    The water is so cold, it is hard to tell whether it has any 
    taste/waterfall without getting yourself too wet. The water has
    a slightly unpleasant, sulphuric tang to it/the stream. The water
    is quite warm and has an unpleasant taste to it, suggestive of
    decomposing vegetable matter/lake. It is cold and refreshing]. 
#
TEXT NO.WEAR.CRUCIFIX
    The crucifix is not the kind you wear. It's far too large and heavy
    for that anyway.
#
TEXT SALT.H20.BAD
    I'm afraid that all that's available here is salt water, which isn't
    good for anything much... you'd better try elsewhere.
#
TEXT VESSEL.NOW.EMPTY
    The # of water is now empty.
#
TEXT YOU.RUB.LAMP
    Rubbing the electric # is not particularly rewarding. Anyway, nothing
    exciting happens.
#
TEXT random PECULIAR
    [Peculiar/Strange/Remarkable/How curious]. Nothing unexpected happens.
#
TEXT REPULSIVE
    What a repulsive idea!
#
FRAGMENT POUR.LIQUID.1
    The # pours out
#
FRAGMENT POUR.LIQUID.2
   / of your #.
#
TEXT POUR.LIQUID.3
   / It makes the ground rather damp.
#
FRAGMENT YOU.POUR
    You pour #
#
TEXT DUMP.DUNG
    You dump the unicorn dung out of the bucket.
#
TEXT GROUND.IS.DAMP
    The ground here is damp.
#
TEXT CANT.POUR
    You can't pour that.
#
TEXT cycle NO.FUCKING
    [Yes I know, some people have no manners. Thank you for the 
    reminder, though to tell the truth, guiding people around here
    is not an occupation conductive to missing this sad aspect of
    human nature./If you must. Just pardon me if I look away./Such
    language may be fashionable in some arty circles, but this
    is a family game. Please bear this in mind and express yourself
    accordingly!/Believe me, even the novelty value of such language
    pales rapidly when one has to endure it from hordes of 
    ill-mannered would be adventurers./Please! Not in public!/Bad
    language will get you nowhere around here./May I offer an 
    observation? If one wishes to be vulgar, one at least should try
    to be imaginative about it./Why is it that every bright spark
    has to demonstrate his superiority over a humble computer by 
    typing in swear words? Just one of those mysteries of life, I 
    suppose.../Do you think you could restrain yourself until the
    end of the game?/Such charming language...]
#
TEXT cycle WHICH.WAY?
    Which way [should I/do you want me to/would you like me to] #?
#
FRAGMENT increment YOU.ARE.DEAD
    [Oh dear, you seem to have gotten yourself killed. I might be able to
    help you out, but I've never really done this before. 

    Do you want me to try to reincarnate you?_/
    Tsk, tsk - you did it again! Remember - you're only human, and you
    don't have as many lives as a cat! (at least, I don't think so...)
    That's twice you've ended up dead. 

    Want to try for three?_/
    You clumsy oaf, you've done it again! I don't know how long I can keep
    this up. 

    Do you want me to try reincarnating you again?_/
    Now you've really done it! I'm out of orange smoke! You don't expect
    me to do a decent reincarnation without any orange smoke, do you?

    Come on, own up... DO YOU???_]
#
TEXT increment LAZARUS.JOB
    [As you wish. Hang on for just a second while I fire up my thurible...
    \>foof!\< An immense cloud of orange smoke fills the air. As it clears,
    you find that once again..../
    All right. But reincarnation is a chancy business and it's
    already worked once, so don't blame me if something goes wr......

   +           -- poof!! --

    You are engulfed in a cloud of orange smoke. Coughing and gasping, you
    emerge from the smoke and find..../
    Okay, now where did I put my orange smoke?.... \>poof!\< Everything
    disappears in a dense cloud of orange smoke./
    Yes... well, that's the kind of blinkered, Philistine pig-ignorance
    that I've come to expect from you mortals. You sit there on your
    loathsome, spotty behind, squeezing blackheads and not caring a
    thinker's damn about the struggling cave-sprite, you simpering,
    whining, moldy-faced heap of parrot droppings! If you're so smart,
    then you can just reincarnate yourself, because quite frankly I'm as
    mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore - I'm leaving!!!!]
#
TEXT YOU.SIT.STILL
    You concentrate on sitting quietly, doing nothing...
#
TEXT TEMPLE.IS.FOLLY
    It is a small, fairly plain circular building of white marble. The
    roof is a shallow marble cupola and there are small round windows
    set closely under the roof's edge all around the building. The 
    entrance is a narrow rectangular doorway,
    surrounded by a pseudo-classical portico. There is no actual door.
    Chiselled into the marble over the doorway is some lettering.
#
TEXT CANT.SEE.IN
    You can't make out any interior details from here.
#
FRAGMENT increment NOT.A.RATTLE
    [If you are referring to the thurible, it may look rattle-like, but
    it is actually a thurible, not a rattle. There are no rattles in
    this game.
   //Well, if you insist on calling a thurible "a rattle", 
    I dare say that is your problem.

   //\[Sigh...\]_/]
#
TEXT IN.TEMPLE
    [They are just decorative marble columns. Considering the small size
    of the building, I doubt they play any structural role./
    The temple's ceiling is a shallow marble dome./
    The small windows are far too high for you to look through./
    The marble steps disappear down lead down the hole into darkness./
    The floor is smooth, polished marble./
    The temple's walls are, just like the rest of it, smooth, polished
    marble.]
#
FRAGMENT HALF.HIDDEN.SHOES
    [/

    There is something half-hidden in a crevice under a large rock!/]
#
TEXT CANT.GO.BACK
    [Sorry, but I no longer seem to remember how it was you got
    here/There's doesn't seem to be any way to steer the rug. Once
    airborne, it just takes you wherever it takes you./You can't walk 
    on water and as for flying, the rug clearly wouldn't make it from
    here].
#
TEXT ARMS.ARE.FULL
    You can't carry anything more. You'll have to drop something first.
#
TEXT random ARMS.ARE.EMPTY
    You['re not carrying anything/ are empty-handed].
#
TEXT increment CANT.PASS.GRATE
    You can't pass through a locked steel grate![/ What makes you
    expect otherwise? Blind hope?/ Why don't you listen to 
    me?!/ (Sigh...)/]
#
TEXT IT.IS.HERE.NOW
    I believe what you want is right here with you.
#
TEXT increment SLIT.TOO.NARROW
    You [/really /*REALLY* /]don't fit through a five-inch slit!
#
TEXT TRY.THE.BRIDGE
    I respectfully suggest you go across the bridge instead of jumping.
#
TEXT increment NO.WAY.ACROSS
    There is [/still ]no way across the fissure.[// Take my word for it!/]
#
TEXT YOU.CURRENTLY.HAVE
    [Y/It's dark, but if I recall correctly, y]ou are[ currently/] carrying:
#
TEXT increment BIRD.NOT.HUNGRY
    [It might not be hungry - just pinin' for the 
    fjords. /=/][Besides, y/In any case, y/Y]ou have no bird seed.
#
TEXT SNAKE.EATS.BIRD
    The snake has now devoured your bird. I think you are now stuck. 
    Might as well abandon this game.
#
TEXT increment IT.WONT.EAT
    There's nothing here it wants to eat[ (except perhaps you)/].
#
TEXT FED.UP.DWARF
    You fool, dwarves eat only coal! Now you've made him *really* mad!!
#
TEXT cycle NO.WAY.TO.CARRY
    You have [nothing suitable for/no way of] carrying #.
#
TEXT NOTHING.TO.FILL
    There is nothing here with which to fill the #.
#
TEXT CANT.FILL.THAT
    You can't fill that.
#
TEXT cycle HAH!
    [Don't be/=/=/Oh come on!/Be serious,] [ridiculous!/silly!/absurd!/Do
    get serious!/please.]
#
TEXT increment DOOR.NEEDS.OIL
    The door is [/still ]extremely rusty and [//stubbornly ]refuses to open.
#
TEXT YOU.OIL.THE.PLANT
    The plant indignantly shakes the oil off its leaves and asks, "Water?"
#
TEXT HINGES.RUST
    The hinges are quite thoroughly rusted now and won't budge.
#
TEXT DOOR.NOW.OILED
    The oil has freed up the hinges so that the door will now move,
    although it requires some effort.
#
TEXT increment ROOTS.TOO.DEEP
    The # has exceptionally deep roots and cannot be pulled 
    free[/, so don't bother trying/ - you are not the first to try,
    nor the last to fail/].
#
TEXT random KNIVES.GO.POOF
    The dwarves' knives [/magically /mysteriously /conveniently ]vanish 
    as they strike the walls of the cave.
#
TEXT random SOMETHING.DOESNT.FIT
    Something you're carrying is too bulky to fit through with you. You'd
    better [take inventory/consider your possessions] and drop something.
#
TEXT BIVALVE.TOO.BIG
    You can't fit this five-foot # through that little passage!
#
TEXT TOO.MANY.STREAMS
    There are little streams all over the place. I am not sure which one
    you mean.
#
TEXT DROP.THE.BIVALVE
    I advise you to put down the # before opening it. \>strain!\<
#
TEXT NO.OPEN.BIVALVE
    You don't have anything strong enough to open the #.
#
TEXT BIVALVE.OPENED
    [You lever the clam open with the trident, and a glistening pearl 
    falls out of the clam and rolls away. Goodness,
    this must really be an oyster. (I never was very good at identifying
    bivalves.) Whatever it is, it has now snapped shut again./
    The oyster creaks open, revealing nothing but oyster inside. It
    promptly snaps shut again.]
#
TEXT increment KEEP.TOGETHER
    Better not. One of the # might roll into a hole or a crevice[, and
    I'd have to start deducting fractions of treasure value from your
    score. It's just not worth the bother and wouldn't achieve anything
    anyway/, and that would not be a good idea/].
#
TEXT CRAWL.CAVED.IN
    You have crawled around in some little holes and found your way
    blocked by a recent cave-in. You are now back in the main passage.
#
TEXT RUSTLING

    There are faint rustling noises from the darkness behind you.
#
TEXT increment PIRATE.ROBS

    Out from the [shadows behind you pounces a bearded pirate! "Har, har,"
    he chortles, "I'll just take all this booty and hide it away with me
    chest deep in the maze!" He snatches your treasure and vanishes into
    the gloom./darkness behind you leaps the pirate! "Har, har," he
    chortles nastily, "I see you've found some more treasure for me!
    Thanks, me hearty, you're doing just fine!" With that, he snatches
    your treasure and slips away into the gloom, chuckling with glee.]
#
TEXT CLOSING.NOW

    A sepulchral voice reverberating through the cave, says, "Cave closing
    soon. All adventurers please report to the treasure room via the
    alternate entrance to claim your treasure."

#
TEXT EXIT.CLOSED

    A mysterious recorded voice groans into life and announces:

   +   "This exit is closed. Please report to the treasure room
   +      via the alternate entrance to claim your treasure."
#
TEXT DEAD.&.CLOSED

    It looks as though you're dead. Well, seeing as how it's so close to
    closing time anyway, I think we'll just call it a day.
#
TEXT CAVE.NOW.CLOSED

    The sepulchral voice intones, "The cave is now closed." As the echoes
    fade, there is a blinding flash of light (and a small puff of orange
    smoke).... As your eyes refocus, you look around and find...

#
TEXT cycle DONT.KNOW.THE.WAY
    I [don't know/have no idea/don't recall] how to get there from here.
#
TEXT YOU.ARE.THERE
    That's where you are now!
#
TEXT random BEAR.FOLLOWS
    [You are being followed by a very large, tame bear./A very large tame
    bear is following your every footstep.]
#
TEXT INFO.FIRST
    This is Mike Arnautov's 770 point version of the one and only Adventure
    (type HISTORY for a brief summary of its development, and CREDITS for
    acknowledgements). The game now has 475 locations, masses of snide
    remarks (well over 500Kb of text altogether) and a vocabulary of
    over 1000 words.

    Command format is generally verb/noun, but you can specify several
    objects with a single verb: e.g. GET KEYS AND LAMP picks up both,
    but it still counts as two turns. Commas can be used in place
    of ANDs to save typing. If you are lazy, GET ALL and DROP
    ALL also work, again taking the appropriate number of turns, as do
    GET TREASURE and DROP TREASURE - all of these may be followed by
    EXCEPT and a list of objects to be excepted. You can also use IT 
    (or THEM) to refer to the last object mentioned by you, or to the 
    single object listed in the location description, or in your inventory.
    Some words (A, AN, THAT, THE, THIS...) are ignored, making GET THE AXE
    a legal command. Some verbs (e.g. GET) do not need a noun, provided
    there is only one suitable object.

    You can chain commands with full stops or with semicolons (e.g.
    THROW AXE.GET AXE). The special verb REPEAT (or R) can be used to
    repeat the previous command line, or, when embedded in a longer
    command sequence, the previous command in the sequence.
#
TEXT
    All words can be abbreviated to the shortest unambiguous length.
    In addition, the usual special abbreviations exist (E for EAST,
    SE for SOUTHEAST, U for UP...). Some additional abbreviations
    are G or T for GET (or TAKE), DR or DROP, X
    for EXAMINE (or LOOK), TH for THROW and I for INVENTORY.

    If you want to end your adventure early, say Q (or QUIT). To
    suspend your adventure such that you can continue later, say SAVE
    \<name\> (or PAUSE or SUSPEND), where \<name\> is the name by 
    which you wish this particular game dump to be known (it must 
    be a single word). To re-start your game at a later time, start
    up a new one and say RESTORE \<name\>. If you forget to specify 
    the name, the game will prompt you for it. And, of course,
    there is REMEMBER and RECALL for memory save/restore.

    To see how well you're doing, say SCORE. To get full credit for
    a treasure, you must have left it safely in the building, though
    you get partial credit just for locating it. There are also
    points based on your achievements; in particular, there is a
    large bonus just for getting in (to distinguish the beginners
    from the rest of the pack), and there are other ways to determine
    whether you've been through some of the more harrowing sections.
    You lose points for getting killed and for accepting hints.
#
TEXT
    When exploring outside the cave, don't assume that you can only
    move in directions actually mentioned in the description of the
    current location. This assumption may be generally true
    within the cave, but outside you can try going in any direction
    not obviously precluded by the description (e.g. in a deep 
    ravine you can probably only move along the ravine).

    If you think you've got all the treasures in the building, just
    keep exploring the cave for a while. If nothing interesting
    happens, you haven't collected them all yet. If something
    interesting *does* happen, it means you're getting a bonus and
    have an opportunity to garner many more points in the master's
    section.

    Do remember to examine things. Even where this is not essential,
    my responses may sometimes suggest particular properties or
    limitations of objects you find in the cave. If you seem to be
    having trouble, I may occasionally offer hints. If I do, I'll
    warn you in advance how much it will affect your score.
#
TEXT INFO.LAST
    Some descriptions contain details which are mere window-dressing. 
    You can usually tell if this is the case by trying words I use in
    descriptions. I can often tell you what is or is not just scenery,
    but if I don't know the words or am obviously misunderstanding them,
    it is safe to assume that such features cannot be in fact manipulated
    and that you would be wasting your time trying to do so.

    Finally, I will not normally repeat the full description of a
    place after the first time unless you explicitly ask me to by
    saying LOOK. You can instruct me always to give the full
    description by typing VERBOSE. On the other hand, if you are an
    experienced adventurer, you may wish to suppress long
    descriptions altogether by specifying TERSE. In the TERSE mode I
    will never under any circumstances give the full description of a
    place. You can always revert to the normal mode of operation by
    saying NORMAL.

    And, by the way, all adventurers are assumed to speak Dwarvish!
#
FRAGMENT MORE?

    Would you like me to continue?_
#
FRAGMENT WANT.TO.QUIT?
    Do you really wish to quit now?_
#
TEXT NO.VASE.FILLER
    There is nothing here with which to fill the vase.
#
TEXT VASE.SHATTERS
    The sudden change in temperature has delicately shattered the vase.
#
TEXT increment NO.CAN.FIX
     [T/Regrettably, t/T]here is no way to fix the #[, I am sorry to say/].
#
TEXT cycle DUNNO.HOW
    I [don't know/have no idea/wouldn't know/haven't a clue as to] how.
#
TEXT TOO.FAR.UP
    The # is too far up for you to reach.
#
FRAGMENT random DWARF.SMOKE
    [greasy/evil smelling/billowing/dense/roiling/fragrant/whispy]
#
TEXT random DWARF.POOF
    You killed a little dwarf. The body vanishes in a cloud of
    {DWARF.SMOKE} [black/white/yellow/green/purplish/grey] smoke.
#
TEXT CRAB.MEAT
    You have mortally injured a little dwarf with your #. The dwarf
    staggers, slumps to the ground, gasps "%Don't let them use embalming
    fluid. I insist on my right to be stuffed with crab meat!%" and 
    then expires in a puff of oily black smoke.
#
TEXT KILL.BIVALVE
    The shell is very strong and is impervious to attack.
#
TEXT NO.KILL.DRAGON
    The # bounces harmlessly off the dragon's thick scales.
#
TEXT DRAGON.BLOCKS.WAY
    The dragon looks rather nasty. You'd best not try to get by.
#
TEXT HISTORY.DATA
    The following is a brief history of this game.

    1. Original Adventure developed by Will Crowther.
   
    2. Greatly enhanced and expanded to the 350 pt version by Don Woods.
   
    3. Adventure II superset (440 pt, later known as Adv440) produced
       by Peter Luckett and Jack Pike.
   
    4. Adventure 3 (550 pt, hence known as Adv550) - a different superset
       and game language (A-code) developed by Dave Platt.
   
    5. The two supersets combined (with extensions) by Mike Arnautov,
       using DP's A-code into Adventure4+ (660pt), also known as Adv660.
   
    6. Adventure4+ further extended by popular demand into this 770 pt
       version by Mike Arnautov.

    What? You mean you wanted to know WHEN did it all happen?! In
    illo tempore, my friend, in "time before time"...
#
TEXT IGNORE.THEM
    The #s are just scenery, ignore them.
#
TEXT VOLCANO.ROAR
    The volcano roar is pretty loud and it makes no difference whether
    you are listening to it or not. It is a steady, deafening roar,
    occasionally punctuated by cracks of explosions.
#
TEXT THIRSTY.PLANT
    [All/=/Even from here] you can hear [is /=/]the [little /]plant [begging
    for/loudly demanding] water.
#
TEXT HUNGRY.BEANSTALK
    [All/=/In the distance] you can 
    hear [is /=/]the [little /]beanstalk [begging for/loudly 
    demanding] nourishment.
#
TEXT BEAR.SPOTS.TROLL
    The troll steps from under the bridge, blocking your way. The bear
    which until now has been mooching aimlessly about, suddenly gives
    out a deep growl and lumbers towards the troll, who bolts out of
    sight with a startled shriek. The bear, clearly puzzled,
    looks around and then ambles back, away from the chasm's edge.
#
TEXT TIDE.RECEDES
    You wait for a while, and are pleased to observe the water at the
    bottom of the shaft gradually receding.

#
TEXT increment BAD.SYNTAX
    [Sorry, you are trying a command beyond my comprehension. Do
    remember that my humble grasp of the English syntax is limited to
    commands of one or two words - usually a verb on its own, or a verb
    followed by a noun./If I may be indelicate enough to remind you of
    my limitations, I only really understand commands of no more than
    two words./There you go again... That's too complex a sentence for
    me. Try just one or two word commands./I'll say it again: one or
    two word commands only, please!/Too many words - try just one or
    two per command; that's all you really need.]
#
TEXT BIRD.V.DWARF
    {BIRD.HOPS.OUT}, attacks the dwar[/f/ves] and in an astounding
    flurry gets cut to shreds by [/his/their] nasty sharp kni[/fe/ves]!
    The tattered remains fade from sight.
#
TEXT cycle NO.ENLIGHTENMENT
    Sorry, there is nothing [I can add/more to be said/useful
    to be added/further to be added] on the subject.
#
TEXT increment BRIEF.OK
    [Fine, from now on I shall describe a place in full the first time you
    come to it. To get the full description, say LOOK. Use TERSE and
    VERBOSE for other description display modes./=/OK, default
    description mode it is.]
#
TEXT increment TROLL.DATA
    [Trolls are close relatives with the rocks and have skin as tough as
    that of a rhinoceros. /]The troll fends off your blows effortlessly.
#
TEXT EL.CHEAPO
    The troll deftly catches the #, examines it carefully, and tosses it
    back, declaring, "Good workmanship, but it's not valuable enough."
#
TEXT BOUGHT.HIM.OFF
    The troll catches the # and scurries away out of sight.
#
TEXT increment TROLL.BLOCKS.WAY
    The troll [/stubbornly ]refuses to let you cross.
#
TEXT NO.BRIDGE
    There is no longer any way across the chasm.
#
TEXT BEAR.WRECKS.BRIDGE
    Just as you reach the other side, the bridge buckles beneath the weight
    of the bear, which was still following you around. You scrabble
    desperately for support, but as the bridge collapses you stumble back
    and fall into the chasm.
#
TEXT BEAR.CHASES.TROLL
   / It lumbers toward the troll, who lets out a startled shriek and
    scurries away. The bear soon gives up the pursuit and wanders back.
#
TEXT AXE.NOW.BY.BEAR
    The axe misses and lands near the bear where you can't get at it.
#
TEXT NO.KILL.BEAR
    [With what? Your bare hands?? Against *his* bear hands??? Don't be
    ridiculous - he'd tear you to shreds!/The bear is confused; he only
    wants to be your friend.]
#
TEXT IT.IS.DEAD
    For crying out loud, the poor thing is already dead!
#
TEXT BEAR.EATS
    The bear eagerly wolfs down your food, after which he seems to calm
    down considerably and even becomes rather friendly.
#
TEXT BEAR.IS.CHAINED
    The bear is still chained to the wall.
#
TEXT CHAIN.LOCKED
    The chain is still locked to the wall and you don't seem to be
    able to pull it free.
#
TEXT CHAIN.NOW.UNLOCKED
    The unlocked chain slithers to the floor with a soft rattle.
#
TEXT CHAIN.NOW.LOCKED
    The chain is now locked to the wall.
#
TEXT BEAR.CHAINED
    You chain the bear back to the wall. It doesn't seem to object.
#
TEXT NO.LOCK.CHAIN
    There is nothing here to which the chain can be locked.
#
TEXT NO.FOOD
    There is nothing here to eat.
#
TEXT increment ILL.GIVE.HINT
    [I can give you some advice that might help you solve your problem, but
    I'll have to charge you $ points for it. TANSTAAFL, y'know!/
    The usual charge of $ points applies of course - TANSTAAFL and all that.]
#
FRAGMENT WANT.HINT?
    Do you want the hint?_
#
FRAGMENT HINT.MAZE
    Do you need help getting out of here?_
#
FRAGMENT
    You can make the passages look less alike by dropping things. You
    could then make a map that would let you find your way around.
#
TEXT TRY.CHEATING
   / Though if you *really* can't stick this traditional method,
    you can always try cheating. Not that I would approve, of
    course - what was good enough for Crowther, should be good
    enough for you.
#
FRAGMENT PLOVER.HINT
    Are you trying to explore beyond the Plover room?_
#
TEXT
    Well, you will definitely need some light to explore there. You have
    obviously tried, and failed, to get the lamp to the Plover room.
    (Incidentally, and in no particular connection with this particular
    hint: why to Plover? Hm?... Oh, never mind... Just a bad pun...).
    For all I know, you might find some other source of light. Not
    that you have to...
#
FRAGMENT WITTS.END.HINT
    Do you need help getting out of here?_
#
TEXT
    Don't go west.
#
TEXT NO.FEED.TROLL
    Gluttony is not one of the troll's vices. Avarice, however, is.
#
TEXT LAMP.IS.DIM
    Your lamp is getting dim. You'd best start wrapping this up, unless
    you can find some fresh batteries. I seem to recall there's a vending
    machine in th[e/e other/is] maze. Bring some coins with you.

#
TEXT LAMP.IS.DEAD
    Your lamp has run out of power.
#
TEXT CALL.IT.A.DAY

    There's not much point in wandering around out here, and you can't
    explore the cave without a lamp. So let's just call it a day.
#
TEXT PIRATE.RUNS

    There are faint rustling noises from the darkness behind you. As you
    turn toward them, the beam of your lamp falls across a bearded pirate.
    He is carrying a large chest. "Shiver me timbers!" he cries, "I've
    been spotted! I'd best hie meself off to the maze to hide me chest!"
    With that, he vanishes into the gloom.
#
TEXT LAMP.BATTERIES
    Your lamp is getting dim. You'd best go back for those batteries.

#
TEXT LAMP.REFUEL
    Your lamp is getting dim. I'm taking the liberty of replacing the
    batteries.

#
TEXT LAMP.GETTING.DIM
    Your lamp is getting dim, and you're out of spare batteries. You'd
    best start wrapping this up.

#
TEXT random MAG.IN.DWARVISH
    [I'm afraid/Sorry,/Regrettably,/Unfortunately,] the magazines are 
    written in a form of Dwarvish runes with which I am not familiar.
#
TEXT IT.SAYS.CHEST.ELSEWHERE
    "This is not the maze where the pirate leaves his treasure chest."
#
TEXT increment MACHINE.SIGN
    It [/still ]reads, "Drop coins here to receive fresh batteries."
#
TEXT cycle NO.UNDERSTAND
    [I'm afraid I don't understand./Eh?/Either I am being dense, 
    or you are really making no sense./Er, would you care to 
    rephrase that?/Sorry, I just don't seem to be able to work 
    out what you mean./I'm sorry, I don't understand that./What?/
    My apologies, but I don't know what you mean by that.]
#
TEXT DARK.ROOM
    The tablet still says, "Congratulations on bringing light into the 
    Dark room!"
#
TEXT THROW.VASE
    You have taken the vase and hurled it delicately to the ground.
#
FRAGMENT IS.THIS.OK?

    Is this acceptable?_
#
FRAGMENT WANT.TO.CONTINUE?
    Do you wish to continue playing anyway?_
#
TEXT BROKEN.NECK
    You are at the bottom of the pit with a broken neck.
#
TEXT DOME.UNCLIMBABLE
    The dome is unclimbable.
#
TEXT increment SNAKE.BLOCKS.WAY
    [The snake is now fully awake and y/Y]ou [///still ]can't get
    past [it/the snake].
#
TEXT CRAWLED.BACK.TO.MISTS
    You have crawled around in a little passage north of and parallel to
    the Hall of Mists, winding up in the Hall of Mists again.
#
TEXT PLUMMET
#
# This message is printed when the player tries to jump over the 
# chasm, jumps down the pit, etc. There should be one text switch
# element case for every player's life.
#
   [
   /   Aaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee........
   /                                            \>splat!\<

    Hmmmm... Not a pretty sight, to be sure./
   /   Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........
   /                                                  \>squish!\<

    Yetch - what a mess!/
   /   Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh...........
   /                                                   \>crunch!\</
   /   Haaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllpppppp...........
   /                                                      \>smash!\<]

#
TEXT cycle SLEEPY.BLOCKS.WAY
   [Sleepy as it is/Despite being quite lethargic/Though clearly not
   fully awake/While exuding the sleepy air of infinite boredom], the
   snake has no difficulty blocking your way #.
#
FRAGMENT SWAMP.HINT
   Do you need helping with the swamp?_
#
TEXT SWAMP.HINT.BODY
   You can't cross the swamp without [a proper equipment, so better
   get some!/having some idea of a reasonably safe route. A bird's-eye
   view of the swamp might help.]
#
TEXT cycle NOTHING.TO.CLIMB
    There's nothing[ climbable//] here[/ to climb/ that you could climb].
#
TEXT cycle DO.WHAT?
    What [do you want me/would you like me/do you intend] to do with the #?
#
TEXT CRACK.TOO.SMALL
    The crack is far too small for you to enter.
#
TEXT CRACK.INFO
    It's just a crack in the wall, quite manifestly too small
    for you to stuff yourself into.
#
TEXT PIPE.TOO.NARROW
    The stream flows out through a pair of 1 foot diameter sewer pipes. It
    would be advisable to [leave via the exit/use a more obvious entrance].
#
TEXT increment WATER.PIPES
    Standard sewer pipes, made of[... hmmm../] cement? Too narrow to be of
    any use to you[ whatever they are made of/].
#
TEXT SEWER.PIPE
    The inside of the sewer pipe[/s] is covered in muck - none of it is
    entirely dry.[// There is a very large fracture in the junction of the
    pipes, almost directly over your head.]
#
TEXT YOU.DONT.HAVE
    You have no #!
#
TEXT PLANT.NOT.CLIMBABLE
    There's nothing to climb here. Say "UP" or "OUT" to leave the pit.
#
TEXT PLANT.TOO.SHORT
    You have climbed up the plant and out of the pit.

#
TEXT UP.THE.PLANT.YOU.GO
    You scurry up the plant and into the hole in the wall.

#
TEXT BEAR.GUARDS.AXE
    As you approach the bear, it snarls threateningly; you are forced to
    retreat without the #.
#
TEXT DRAGON.GUARDS.RUG
    I think it would be prudent to deal with the dragon first.
#
TEXT RUG.UNDER.DRAGON
    You can't really see much of the rug, what with that dragon
    sprawling all over it. It does look Persian, though.
#
FRAGMENT YOU.SCORED

    You have scored [zero/one/$] point[s//s]
#
FRAGMENT SHOULD.YOU.QUIT
    You have so far scored [zero/one/$] point[s//s]
#
FRAGMENT LESS.PENALTIES
   / and forfeited [/one/$] penalty point[//s]
#
FRAGMENT STRICTLY.SPEAKING
    .

    Hence your overall score is [zero/one/$] point[s//s]
#
FRAGMENT MAXIMAL.SCORE
   / out of the possible maximum of $,
#
TEXT MOVE.COUNT
   / using [/one/$] turn[//s].
#
TEXT DWARF.QUITS
    The dwar[/f/ves] quickly scuttle[/s/] off into the gloom.
#
#TEXT SAID
#    Ok - "#".
#
TEXT AMATEUR
    You are obviously a rank amateur. Better luck next time.
#
TEXT NOVICE
    Your score qualifies you as a Novice Adventurer.
#
TEXT APPRENTICE
    You are now an Apprentice Adventurer.
#
TEXT EXPERIENCED
    You have achieved the rating of Experienced Adventurer.
#
TEXT SEASONED
    You may now consider yourself a Seasoned Adventurer.
#
TEXT JUNIOR.MASTER
    You have reached the Junior Master status.
#
TEXT MASTER.ADVENTURER
    Your score puts you in the Master Adventurer class.
#
TEXT SENIOR.MASTER
    You are now a Senior Master Adventurer.
#
TEXT GRANDMASTER
    All of Adventuredom gives tribute to you, Adventurer Grandmaster!
#
TEXT CHAMPION
    I hereby confer upon you the rank of a Supreme Adventure Champion.

    To achieve the next higher rating would be a neat trick!!
#
TEXT ONLY.NEED.ONE.POINT
    You only need one more point to reach the next level of expertise!
#
TEXT POINTS.NEEDED
    To reach the next qualification level you need $ more points.
#
TEXT NEW.BATTERIES
    The old batteries in your lamp were pretty well shot - I've taken the
    liberty of putting in the new ones.
#
TEXT increment CANT.READ.DOCUMENTS
    [How? I don't even recognise the language the documents are in!
    I suppose it's likely to be Giantish, but that does not exactly
    help/As I already explained, I can't read the documents. I don't 
    even recognise the language].
#
TEXT NO.POINT
    There is no point in [sav/memoriz]ing the game just yet.
    Let's get out of here first.           
#
TEXT increment MUST.WAIT
    [If you suspend your Adventure now, it will cost you
    10 points to restore the saved game in less than $ minutes from
    now. And it will also cost you 10 points to continue playing
    after the game is saved./Remember: 10 points for restoring a
    saved game in less than $ minutes, and 10 points for continuing
    with this game after the save.]
#
FRAGMENT DELETE.IMAGE?

    Do you really wish to overwrite it?_
#
TEXT CANT.SAVE
    I'm sorry, but I can't save your game at the moment; something seems
    to be wrong with the save file.
#
TEXT NO.IMAGE
    You don't seem to have a game saved under that name!
#
FRAGMENT EXPLOSION
    Um... looks like the cave got extensively renovated since you dumped
    that game. 'Fraid it's no good any more.

    Shall I get rid of it?_
#
FRAGMENT TOO.SOON
    This game was saved less than $ minutes ago. 
#
TEXT RESTORE.WOULD.COST
   / To restore it now would cost you $ points.

#
FRAGMENT REALLY.RESTORE?
    Do you wish to restore now, despite the penalty?_
#
FRAGMENT SAVE.THE.IMAGE
    Do you wish me to keep the save-image?_
#
FRAGMENT SAVE.WHAT?
    Name to save under:_
#
FRAGMENT RESTORE.WHAT?

    [Name of the game to restore:/Tell me the name or pathname of
    your save file:/Which of these do you want me to restore?]_
#
TEXT random WELL.MEET.AGAIN

    [Off you go then! Be sure not to get into any trouble without
    me!/See you around then./Well good-bye and do come again!/See
    you again soon, I hope./Ok, but remember: to be tired of 
    Adventure is to be tired of life./We'll meet again, don't know 
    where, don't know wheeeeen... or actually probably right here. 
    and preferably quite soon. 'Till then!]
#
TEXT random IF.NOT.NOT
    [If not, not./Fine by me.../As you wish, boss!/As you say.../
    Whatever you say.]
#
TEXT random ITS.GONE
    [OK, it's gone./Right, I've binned it./Easy come, easy go, I
    suppose.../Done. Too late to change your mind now./Well, no
    getting it back now!]
#
TEXT CONTINUE.NOW?
    Continuing with this game would cost you $ points.

#
FRAGMENT FROM.YOUR
   / from your #
#
TEXT DOUSED.DWARF
   / flies through the air and thoroughly drenches the
    dwar[/f. He/ves. They] shake[/s himself/ themselves] and
    curse[/s/] violently; [/he/they] *REALLY* look[/s/] angry now!
#
TEXT NOTHING.TO.DRINK
    There is nothing here that one could drink!
#
TEXT CANT.READ.IT
    There's nothing written on the #.
#
TEXT OYSTER.IS.BARE
    There is nothing written on the top of the oyster.
#
TEXT CANT.YOU.READ?
    What's the matter, can't you read? Now you'll have to start all
    over again...
#
TEXT cycle BIT.POINTLESS
    [A bit pointless, under the circumstances, wasn't it?/
     That was a waste of a turn, if I may say so./
     That was pretty pointless, eh?/
     But I simply cannot imagine why you bothered./
     And nothing useful has been achieved thereby.]
#
TEXT WIZARD.ENDS

    A large cloud of green smoke appears in front of you. It clears away
    to reveal a tall wizard, clothed in grey. He fixes you with a steely
    glare and declares, "At $ turns, this adventure has lasted too long."
    With that he makes a single pass over you with his hands, and 
    everything around you fades away into a grey nothingness.
#
TEXT TOO.DARK.TO.FIGHT
    You are not asking much, are you? It is pitch dark around here! How
    am I supposed to fight anybody if I can't see to the tip of my nose?
#
TEXT DROP.TO.DARKNESS
   / disappear[s/] in the darkness below.
#
TEXT HOURS.ARE
    The Colossal Cave is open all hours.
#
FRAGMENT R.U.A.WIZARD?
    Are you actually a wizard?_
#
FRAGMENT PROVE.IT
    Prove it - say the magic word!_
#
TEXT OH.POOH
    Oh, pooh - you are nothing but a charlatan![ That little piece of
    deception is going to cost you 10 points!!/]
#
TEXT NOTHING.OBVIOUS
    Nothing obvious happens[/, but..].
#
TEXT increment SCHLURP
    [Hmmmm... This sand is rather soft, and you're sinking in a little...
    In fact you're sinking in a lot! Oh, no - it's QUICKSAND!! HELP!!
    HELP!! HELP!!!

   /     \>glub\<
   /               \>glub\<
   /                          \>glub\<
   /                                     \>blurp\</

    You know, I've heard of people who really fell in for the soft sell,
    but

   /     \>glub\<
   /             this
   /                    \>glub\<
   /                             is
   /                                 \>glub\<
   /                                         ridiculous!
   /
   /                                                     \>blop!\<]

#
TEXT SLIMED
    As you enter into the passage, you are forced to brush up against some
    of the green slime. Instantly it flows down and covers your body, and
    rapidly digests away all of your flesh.
#
TEXT FZAP
    With a sharp sizzling sound, a large spark of electricity jumps out of
    thin air and strikes your lamp. The immense electrical charge flows to
    ground through your body and fries you to a crisp.
#
TEXT LAMP.GOES.POOF
    With a loud "zap" a bolt of lightning springs out of mid-air and
    strikes your lamp, which immediately and violently explodes. 
    You narrowly miss being torn to shreds by the flying metal.
#
TEXT LAMP.EXPLODES
    In a loud crackle of electricity, a bolt of lightning jumps out of
    nowhere and strikes your lamp. The lamp instantly explodes like a
    grenade, and you are mown down by a cloud of shrapnel.
#
TEXT increment LAMP.RECHARGED
    The air fills with tension, and there is a subdued crackling sound. A
    blue aura forms about your lantern, and small sparks jump from the
    lantern to the ground. The aura fades away after several seconds, and
    your lamp is once again shining brightly.[ Congratulations!/]

#
TEXT GOT.THE.SWORD
    The singing sword slides easily out of the rock.
#
TEXT SWORD.IS.STUCK
    The sword is firmly embedded in the stone, and you aren't strong enough
    to pull it out.
#
TEXT VIAL.EXPLODES
    The vial strikes the ground and explodes with a violent \>FOOM!\<, neatly
    severing your foot. You bleed to death quickly and messily.
#
TEXT random VIAL.BANG
    The vial explodes into splinters and disintegrates, releasing an
    oily liquid which rapidly sublimes into a large mushroom-shaped
    cloud of [pale puce vapour smelling like sequoia sap and ozone/
    bright green vapour smelling like pine needles and sea water/
    thick yellow vapour smelling like cheddar cheese and bananas/
    choking green vapour smelling like chlorine and apples/
    misty white vapour, strongly smelling of fish oil/
    pearly pink vapour smelling like rotting rose petals/
    sickly grey vapour smelling of manure and rotten eggs/
    elegantly pale blue vapour smelling of blueberry cheese-cake/
    nearly-invisible vapour with a strong odor of walnuts and onions/
    dark blue vapour, incongruously smelling of strawberries/
    ominously glowing vapour smelling of hot iron].
#
TEXT TROLLS.REVENGE
    As you reach the middle of the bridge, the troll appears from out of
    the tunnel behind you, wearing a large backpack. "So, Mister
    Magician," he shouts, "you like to use magic to steal back my
    hard-earned toll? Let's see how you like a little of MY magic!!" With
    that, he aims a tube running from the backpack directly at 
    the [bear/bridge] and pulls a trigger. A spout of magical fire roars
    out and [singes the bear's fur; the bear bellows in pain and dashes 
    onto the bridge to escape. The bridge shudders, groans, and collapses
    under the weight, and you and the bear plunge down into the 
    chasm/incinerates the bridge supports, causing the bridge to sway
    giddily and collapse into the chasm. You plunge down to your death].
#
TEXT CRACKED.WALL
    There's nothing remarkable about the wall, except for that crack 
    leading #.
#
TEXT WEAPON.MISSES
    The # misses the bear, bounces off the wall, and lands at your
    feet.
#
TEXT BEAR.MISSES
    The bear dodges away from your attack, growls, and swipes at you with
    his claws. Fortunately, he misses.
#
TEXT BEAR.GETS.YOU
    The bear snarls, ducks away from your attack and slashes you to death
    with his claws.
#
TEXT random FOOF.RANDOM
    [\>\>Foof!\<\</
    \>\>Foom!\<\</
    \>\>Poof!\<\</
    A thick cloud of orange smoke appears from thin air and blocks your
    view. When it vanishes, you find:/
    There is a brilliant flash of light and a sudden fanfare of trumpets!
    When your eyes recover from the flash, you find that:/
    \>\>Whoooosh!\<\<]

#
TEXT
   / \>sputter\<
   /               \>spark\<
   /         \>phut\<
   /                    \>hsssssssss
   /                               ssssss
   /                                     sss
   /                                        s
   /                                         s
   /                                          s
   /                                           .
   /                                            .
   /                                             .

    Oh, blast. Excuse me for a moment, please......

   =                                                        \{KICK!}
    \>\>Foof!\<\<
   
#
TEXT OOF
   /Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..........
   /
   /                                        \>oof!\<

#
TEXT increment SLIDE.SLIPPERY
    The icy slide is [/*really* /]far too steep and slippery to climb.
    [/ Take my word for it./ Honest!]
#
TEXT increment OGRE.BLOCKS.WAY
    [T/T/Predictably enough, t]he ogre growls at you and refuses to let
    you pass.[/ It didn't work the first time and there is no reason
    why repetition should improve things./]
#
TEXT assigned OGRE.CHOPS.YOU
    The ogre contemptuously rips the # out of your hands in mid-swing, 
    and uses it to [chop/knock] off your head. This might
    have worked with dwarves, but as should be obvious even to a hedgehog,
    ogreish arms are somewhat longer and stronger.
#
TEXT assigned OGRE.HALVES.YOU
    The ogre casually catches the # in mid-air, braces his feet, winds up
    and throws the # straight back at you with incredible force. You are
    unable to dodge and it [chops/breaks] you in half.
#
TEXT OGRE.KILLED
    The sword halts in mid-air, twirls like a dervish, and chants several
    bars of "Dies Irae" in a rough tenor voice. It then begins to spin like
    a rip-saw blade and flies directly at the ogre, who attempts to catch
    it without success; it strikes him full on the chest. There is a
    brilliant flash of light, a deafening roar and a cloud of oily grey
    smoke; when the smoke clears (and your eyes begin working properly
    again) you see that the ogre has vanished. The sword is lying on the
    ground moaning softly to itself.
#
TEXT OGRE.TOO.TOUGH
    You attack the ogre, but he fends off your attack easily and comes very
    close to crushing your skull with *his* bare (but extremely strong)
    hands. You are forced to retreat in disgrace.
#
TEXT OGRE.RIPS.HEAD.OFF
    You attack the ogre - a brave but foolish action. He quickly grabs you
    and with a heave of his mighty arms rips your body limb from limb.
#
TEXT increment NO.ARCH
    [I'm afraid I can't go that way - walking on red-hot lava is contrary to
    union regulations (and is bad for your health anyhow)./We don't go in
    for fire-walking here, sorry!/I am not walking on lava. Not for you, 
    not for anybody else./No. And that's my final word on the subject.]
#
FRAGMENT HUNGRY.FUMES
    As you approach the center of the archway, hot vapours saturated with
    brimstone drift up from the lava in the gorge beneath your feet._
#
TEXT FUMES.BURN
    You are swiftly overcome by the foul gasses and, with your lungs
    burned out, fall off the bridge and into the gorge.
#
TEXT FUMES.MISS
    The mithril ring on your finger quivers and glows, and the fumes
    eddy away from the bridge without harming you.

#
TEXT BURN.BOTH
    You and the bear are both overcome by the noxious gasses and, with your
    lungs burned out, slip off the bridge and plummet into the gorge.
#
TEXT BURN.BEAR
    The mithril ring on your finger quivers and glows, and a swirling
    vortex of white vapour encircles you and protects you from the 
    fumes. The bear is not so lucky, though, since the vortex is rather
    small; the noxious gasses choke it and it staggers off the side
    of the arch, plummeting into the gorge below.

#
TEXT GHOST.BANG
    As you reach the center of the bridge, a ghostly figure appears in
    front of you. He (?) stands at least eight feet tall, and has the
    lower body of an enormous snake, six arms, and an angry expression on
    his face. "You'll not have my sceptre that easily!" he cries, and
    makes a complex magical gesture with his lower right arm. There is a
    brilliant flash of light and a vicious \>crack\<, and the bridge cracks
    and plummets into the gorge.
#
TEXT increment NO.KEYHOLE
    [T/As already noted, t/T]he door to the safe has no keyhole, dial, or
    handle[ - I/, and I still] can't figure out how to open it[//, no
    matter how often you make me try]!
#
TEXT ALREADY.OPEN
    The # is already open!
#
TEXT IT.IS.MELTED
    The door to the safe seems to be fused shut - I can't open it.
#
TEXT ALREADY.SHUT
    The # is already locked!
#
TEXT SAFE.SHUTS
    \>screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech\<
   /                              \>ker-CHUNK!\<

    The safe is now closed.
#
TEXT SAFE.OPENS
    \>ker-THUNK\<
   /             \>screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech\<

    The (somewhat rusty) safe is now open.
#
TEXT WHISPER
    You pluck the sceptre from the skeleton's bony hand. As you do, the
    skeleton raises its head and whispers "Remember - #!" in a foreboding
    tone; it then sags to the ground and crumbles into dust which drifts
    away into the still air of the cave.
#
TEXT BLEW.SAFE
    As you pluck the sceptre from the skeleton's grasp, it raises its head
    and whispers, "You blew it...". It then shivers and collapses into a
    pile of fine dust which quickly vanishes.
#
TEXT SAFE.FUSES
    \>bong\<      The very air quivers with sound as though
   /   \>bong\<   someone, somewhere in the distance, has struck
   / \>bong\<     three powerful blows on an immense brass gong.

    Smoke trickles out from around the edges of the safe's door, and the
    door itself glows red with heat for a moment.

    A hollow voice says, "This is a Class 1 security alarm. All cave
    security forces go to Orange Alert. I repeat - Orange Alert."
#
TEXT SAFE.BLOCKS
    The safe's door is blocking the exit passage - you'll have to close the
    safe to get out of here.
#
TEXT SIZZLE
    EEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh..........
   /
   /                                  \>sizzle\<
#
TEXT SLICE.BLOB
    The # cuts through the blob's body (?) without harming it.
#
TEXT BLOB.RUBBERY
    You attack the strange blob, but bounce harmlessly off its strong
    but very rubbery skin.
#
TEXT STATUE.CRUMBLES
    Rock silently crumbles off the wall in front of you, revealing dark
    passages leading northwest, north, and northeast.
#
FRAGMENT FOG.HINT
    Having problems?_
#
TEXT
    Ok - what you need to do is apply a little philosophy. To wit: there
    is a question that you need to ask whenever you explore a new room in
    this cave. In most places, the answer to the question is "yes". In
    some other places, it's "no" for an obvious reason. Right here, the
    answer is "no" but the reason isn't so obvious. If you can figure out
    what the question is, you can get out of here easily.
#
TEXT BASILISK.GRUMBLES
    The basilisk stirs restlessly and grumbles in its sleep as you pass,
    but it does not awaken.

#
TEXT BASILISK.STONED
    The basilisk stirs grumpily and awakens, peering sleepily about. It
    sees its reflection in the metal plate that you are carrying, shudders,
    and turns into solid granite.

#
TEXT PETRIFY.ME
    The basilisk stirs grumpily and awakens, peering sleepily about. It
    spies you, growls, and stares you straight in the eye. Your body is
    instantly petrified.
#
TEXT HIT.BASILISK
    You attack the basilisk mightily. It instantly awakens and looks you
    dead in the eye, and your body turns to solid rock.
#
TEXT AXE.BASILISK
    The # rebounds harmlessly from the basilisk's tough scales. The
    basilisk awakens, grunting in shock, and glares at you. You are
    instantly turned into a solid rock statue (and not a particularly
    impressive one, at that).
#
TEXT REBOUND
    The # rebounds harmlessly from the pentagram's magic force field. It's
    just as well - the djinn doesn't seem dangerous.
#
TEXT KILL.A.FEW
    You kill several of the gooseberry goblins with your #, but the others
    swarm at you, force you to the ground, and rip out your throat.
#
TEXT increment TOUGH.DJINN
    That's not a wise thing to try[ - djinni are essentially immortal and
    thus are pretty hard to hurt/].[/ Besides, the djinn seems quite friendly
    - why don't you just try releasing him?/]
#
TEXT GOBLINS.EAT.YOU
    Goblins live exclusively on human flesh, and you can't spare any of
    your own to placate them. On the other hand, I suspect that they're
    going to eat you pretty soon whether you like it or not - you'd better
    find some way of killing them or driving them away!
#
TEXT DRAGON.WARRIORS

    As each tooth strikes the ground, a fully-armed human skeleton springs
    up from where it struck and leaps to your defense! The skeletal warriors
    attack the vicious gooseberry goblins and drive them away in screaming
    panic; they then salute you with their ancient and rusty swords, and
    fade silently into nothingness.
#
TEXT POLITE.DJINN
    The wax seal breaks away easily. A cloud of dark smoke pours up from
    the mouth of the flask and condenses into the form of a twelve-foot
    Djinn standing in the pentagram. He pushes experimentally at the
    magical wall of the pentagram (which holds), and nods politely to you.
    "MY THANKS, OH MORTAL," he says in an incredibly deep bass voice. "IT
    HAS BEEN THREE THOUSAND YEARS SINCE SOLOMON SEALED ME INTO THAT BOTTLE,
    AND I AM GRATEFUL THAT YOU HAVE RELEASED ME. IF YOU WILL OPEN THIS
    PENTAGRAM AND LET ME GO FREE, I WILL GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE THAT YOU MAY
    ONE DAY WISH TO POSSESS."
#
TEXT RUDE.DJINN
    The flask's wax seal crumbles at your touch. A large cloud of black
    smoke pours out, solidifying into the form of a twelve-foot Djinn. "AT
    LAST!" he says in an earth-shaking voice, "I KNEW THAT SOMEDAY SOMEONE
    WOULD RELEASE ME! I WOULD REWARD YOU FOR THIS, MORTAL, BUT IT HAS BEEN
    THREE THOUSAND YEARS SINCE I HAD A SOLID MEAL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO
    STAND HERE CHATTERING WHEN I COULD BE OUT EATING A SIX-INCH SIRLOIN
    STEAK. FAREWELL." With that, he somewhat rudely explodes back into
    smoke and drifts quickly out of sight.

    That, if I may say so, was unwise.
#
TEXT DJINN.ADVICE
    The pentagram's magical barrier sparks fitfully and goes down. The
    Djinn stretches gratefully and smiles at you. "AGAIN, MY THANKS," he
    says. "MY ADVICE TO YOU WILL TAKE THE FORM OF A HISTORY LESSON. WHEN
    RALPH WITT, THE ARCHITECT AND CONSTRUCTOR OF THIS CAVE, WAS VERY YOUNG,
    HE BECAME VERY INCENSED THAT HIS NAME WAS AT THE END OF THE ALPHABET.
    HE FELT (FOR SOME REASON) THAT THE LETTER W BELONGED NEAR THE BEGINNING
    OF THE ALPHABET, AND THAT ALL OF THOSE "UPSTART LETTERS WHICH UNFAIRLY
    USURPED THE BEST PLACES" SHOULD BE FORCED INTO EXILE AT THE END OF THE
    ALPHABET. HIS INSTINCT FOR MATTERS MAGICAL AND MYSTICAL LED HIM TO
    APPLY THIS STRANGE BELIEF INTO THE CAVE'S STRUCTURE WHEN HE EXCAVATED
    IT. YOU HAVEN'T YET BEEN AFFECTED BY HIS STRANGE HABITS, BUT YOU
    SHOULD REMEMBER THIS. FAREWELL, AND GOOD LUCK." With that, the Djinn
    evaporates into a cloud of smoke and drifts rapidly away.
#
TEXT KILL.GOBLINS
    You attack the goblins and manage to squash a few, but the others
    overwhelm you, forcing you to the ground and ripping out your throat.
#
TEXT PENTAGRAM.EMPTY
    The pentagram is empty - there's nothing to let out!
#
TEXT GOBLIN.CHASE
    You are being pursued by a horde of little gooseberry goblins!
#
TEXT FALL.&.STARVE
    You have jumped into a bottomless pit. You continue to fall for a very
    long time. First, your lamp runs out of power and goes dead. Later,
    you die of hunger and thirst.
#
TEXT FALL.&.STARVED
    You have jumped into a bottomless pit. Eventually, you die of thirst.
#
TEXT CANT.ENTER.SAFE
    The safe's door is closed, and you can't get in!
#
TEXT NO.HANDLE
    There is no handle on the inside of the safe door, nor any other way to
    get a grip on it. You'll have to leave the safe before shutting it.
#
TEXT CANT.SWIM
    I can't swim, or walk on water. You'll have to find some other way to
    get across, or get someone to assist you.
#
TEXT TURTLE.BACK
    You step gently on Darwin the Tortoise's back, and he carries you
    smoothly over to the southern side of the reservoir. He then blows a
    couple of bubbles at you and sinks back out of sight.

#
TEXT GONG.RINGS
    +\>BONNNNGGGGGGGGGG\<

    Darwin the Tortoise blinks in surprise at the noise, but does nothing.
#
TEXT GONG.FETCH
    You strike the gong a resounding blow.

    +\>BONNNNNGGGGGGGGG\<

    A hollow voice says, "The Gallop-a-Ghost Tortoise Express is now at
    your service!"

    With a swoosh and a swirl of water, a large tortoise rises to the
    surface of the reservoir and paddles over to the shore near you. The
    message, "I'm Darwin - ride me!" is inscribed on his back in ornate
    letters.
#
FRAGMENT WHIRLPOOL?
    What, into the whirlpool?!?_
#
FRAGMENT assigned INTO.THE.WHIRLPOOL
    You plunge into the water and are sucked down by the whirlpool
    [ into pitch darkness/].
#
TEXT STRONG.CURRENT
   / The current is incredibly strong, and [everything you were carrying is
    ripped/most of your possessions are pulled/you barely manage to hold onto
    your lamp][ / /; /; most /.][//everything else is ripped /=/][from your
    grasp and lost in the turbulent flow./=/=/=/]
#
TEXT OUT.OF.THE.WHIRLPOOL

    The swirling waters deposit you, fairly gently, on solid ground.
#
TEXT PHUGGG.DATA

    A large phosphorescent cloud of smoke drifts into view, and a large
    mouth and two dark eyes take shape on the side. One of the eyes winks
    at you, and the djinn's deep voice says "GREETINGS AGAIN, MORTAL. I
    HAVE REMEMBERED A PIECE OF ANCIENT LORE THAT I LEARNED FROM MY AUNT, AN
    AFREET OF GREAT KNOWLEDGE. THERE IS ANOTHER MAGIC WORD THAT YOU MIGHT
    FIND OF USE IF YOU SHOULD EVER FIND YOURSELF BEING ATTACKED BY THOSE
    PESTIFEROUS DWARVES. YOU SHOULD USE IT ONLY AS A LAST RESORT, THOUGH,
    SINCE IT IS A MOST POTENT WORD AND IS PRONE TO BACKFIRE FOR NO OBVIOUS
    REASON; ALSO, IT SHOULD NEVER BE USED NEAR WATER OR NEAR ANY SHARP
    WEAPON OR THE RESULTS MAY BE MOST UNFORTUNATE. THE WORD IS 'phuggg'",
    whispers the djinn, "AND IT MUST BE PRONOUNCED CAREFULLY IF IT IS TO
    HAVE THE PROPER EFFECT. FAREWELL AGAIN, AND GOOD LUCK!" With that,
    the djinn-cloud drifts away out of sight.
#
TEXT JELLYFISH
   +\>splurch!\<

    Oh, no! You've turned yourself into a jellyfish, and fallen to the
    ground and been splattered far and wide! Well, that certainly wasn't
    very smart!!! You were warned not to use that word near water!
#
TEXT CAVE.DESTROYED
    The ground begins to shudder ominously, and the very cave walls around
    you begin to creak and groan! A sulphurous stench fills the air! With
    an incredible lurch, the ground begins to dance and ripple as though
    it were liquid! You are thrown off your feet and tossed violently
    up and down! The cave walls begin to crumble and split from the stress!
    There is a terrible ROAR of rending rock!! The cave ceiling splits, and
    rocks plunge down and smash your lower body to a gooey paste.

    There is a violent blast in the distance! Steam and smoke drift into
    view through the rents in the walls, and furiously-bubbling red-hot
    lava flows in and surrounds you. The cave ceiling disintegrates in an
    incredible orgy of grinding destruction, and the cave walls fall and
    are pounded into fine dust.

    You are lying, badly mangled, on a small rock island in a sea of molten
    lava. Above you, the sky is faintly visible through a thick pall of
    smoke and steam. A short distance to the north, the remains of a
    well-house are sinking slowly into the bubbling ooze.

#
FRAGMENT MORE.BAD.NEWS?
    Shall I continue with the bad news?
#
TEXT TOO.LATE
    Oops! Too late... Hang on to your hat!

#
TEXT CAVE.2.DESTROYED
    There is a distant, sourceless screech of incredible anguish! With a
    sharp \>poof\< and a small puff of orange smoke, a bent and bearded elf
    appears. He is dressed in working clothes, and has a name-tag marked
    "Ralph" on his shirt. "You blithering idiot!" he storms. "You were
    warned quite clearly not to use that word near water!! I hadn't gotten
    all of the bugs out of it yet, and now your incredible incompetence has
    totally destroyed Colossal Cave!! Do you have the faintest scintilla
    of an iota of an understanding of how much work I'm going to have to do
    to get the cave rebuilt?!? I'll have to go all the way to Peking for
    another dragon, and I'll have to convince the Goblin's Union to send me
    another team of gooseberry goblins; I'll have to sub-contract the
    building of the volcano out to the local totrugs, and worst of all I'll
    have to go through eight months of paperwork and red tape to file a new
    Environmental Impact statement!! All because you couldn't follow
    directions, you purblind and meat-brained moron! I'm rescinding all of
    your game points and throwing you out! Out! OUT! GET OUT!\$!!!\%!"

#
TEXT ZOT.AXE
    Your axe glows bright orange and fades into nothingness.
#
TEXT ZOT.SWORD
    Your sword jumps into the air, chants several bars of the "Volga
    Boatman", shoots off several fitful blue sparks, and disintegrates.
#
FRAGMENT REVERBERATING.CHIME
    A clear, liquid chime reverberates in mid-air. A
#
FRAGMENT SIZZLING.SOUND
    There is a sharp sizzling sound. The
#
FRAGMENT WHISTLING.SOUND
    There is a sharp whistling sound from nowhere. The
#
TEXT random IT.WORKED.1
    [{REVERBERATING.CHIME} large, four-clawed hand reaches out of the
    ground, grabs the dwarf, and pulls it down into nothingness./
    {SIZZLING.SOUND} dwarf explodes into flame and vanishes./
    {WHISTLING.SOUND} dwarf shudders and turns into a moth, which
    then flies away.]
#
TEXT random IT.WORKED.2
    [{REVERBERATING.CHIME} long green tentacle covered with sucker 
    disks reaches out from nowhere, grabs the dwarves, and pulls
    them back to wherever it came from./
    {SIZZLING.SOUND} dwarves are engulfed in a wave of fire that 
    appears from nowhere, and are completely incinerated; the flames
    then vanish into nothingness again./
    {WHISTLING.SOUND} dwarves stiffen, shudder, and melt down into a
    large puddle of soggy goo that quickly soaks into the ground 
    and vanishes.]
#
FRAGMENT LIQUID.CHIME
    A clear, liquid chime fills the air. A large
#
FRAGMENT SIZZLING.BALL
    There is a sharp sizzling sound. A ball of fire
#
FRAGMENT CRACKLING.SOUND
    There is a sharp crackling sound from the air above you. The 
#
TEXT random IT.DIDNT.WORK.1
    [{LIQUID.CHIME}, four-clawed foot appears in mid-air and stomps
    violently downward, missing the dwarf but thoroughly squashing you./
    {SIZZLING.BALL} roars out of nowhere, misses the dwarf, bounces
    off a wall, and incinerates you./
    {CRACKLING.SOUND} dwarf shudders and turns into a sabre-toothed
    tiger, which attacks and kills you in short order.]
#
TEXT random IT.DIDNT.WORK.2
    [{LIQUID.CHIME} and very toothy mouth appears in mid-air and chomps
    ferociously. The dwarves manage to evade it, but it bites you in half./
    {SIZZLING.BALL} appears from nowhere, bounces off the ground, and
    explodes violently, incinerating both you and the dwarves./
    {CRACKLING.SOUND} dwarves stiffen, fall to the ground, and melt
    into a large puddle of soggy goo. The goo twitches a few times and
    then flows at you with incredible speed; it attacks and strangles
    you with little difficulty.]
#
TEXT SET.FLASK.DOWN
    You have set the flask down in the center of the pentagram.
#
TEXT random CAMEO

    [From somewhere in the distance, there comes a musical skirl of light,
    elvish laughter and the sounds of merriment./
    From somewhere nearby, there suddenly comes a sound of something
    mechanical in motion. As you turn towards it, an incredible figure
    rolls into the light of your lamp. It stands about five feet high on a
    wheeled metal pedestal, and has a globular light-filled head,
    accordion-pleated metal arms, and a cylindrical body the size of an oil
    drum with a plastic panel on the front. It rolls past without taking
    any notice of you, all the while waving its arms, flashing a light
    behind its front panel and bellowing "WARNING! WARNING! DANGER!" at
    the top of its not inconsiderable voice. It rolls on out of sight, and
    moments later there is an immense flash of light and a tremendous blast
    of sparks and smoke. When the air clears, you find that no trace
    remains of the strange apparition./
    All of a sudden you hear the rapidly approaching sound of many
    running footsteps. You barely have the time to press yourself
    against a nearby wall, when a massive wooden trunk on many
    furiously pumping feet, dashes past you at high speed and
    disappears in the darkness./
    With a sudden gust of air, a large cave bat flutters into view, flies
    around your head several times, squeaks with disgust, and flutters on
    out of sight./
    Suddenly, the ground quivers underfoot; a dull rumbling sound resounds
    from the rock around you, and in the distance you can hear the crash of
    falling rock. The earth tremor subsides after a few seconds without
    causing any major damage./
    From the darkness nearby comes the sound of shuffling feet. As you
    turn towards the sound, a nine-foot cyclops ambles into the light of
    your lamp. The cyclops is dressed in a three-piece suit of worsted
    wool, and is wearing a black silk top-hat and cowboy boots and is
    carrying an ebony walking-stick. It catches sight of you and stops,
    seeming frozen in its tracks, with its bloodshot eye bulging in
    amazement and its fang-filled jaw drooping with shock. After staring
    at you in incredulous disbelief for a few moments, it reaches into the
    pocket of its vest and pulls out a small plastic bag filled with a
    leafy green substance, and examines it carefully. "It must be worth
    eighty pazools an ounce after all" mumbles the cyclops, who casts one
    final look at you, shudders, and staggers away out of sight./
    From somewhere in the distance comes a heart-wrenching scream of mortal
    terror! "NO! DON'T! NO! NO! HELP!!!!" cries the voice, and then
    lets out a wail of agony that is cut off abruptly. Subdued crunching
    and slurping sounds can be heard for a minute or so, and then silence
    falls./
    All of the sudden, into the light of your lamp walks a procession of
    little men in green suits and green top hats. In front of the
    procession, six of them carry a tiny coffin. Sombre chords of a
    funeral march seem to be hovering in the air on the verge of
    audibility, but as you strain your ears, the only sound you can hear is
    the shuffling of little feet. The procession passes by you, without in
    any way acknowledging your presence, and disappears round a corner./
    A sepulchral voice suddenly reverberates through the cave:

    "Ralph Witt to the Main Office please! Ralph Witt to the Main Office!"/
    A sepulchral voice coming from nowhere in particular, mournfully
    announces

   +    "THIS IS A FIRE ALARM TEST. THIS IS A FIRE ALARM TEST.

   =                  !            !           !
   =                t            t           t
   =             ee           ee          ee
   =       Huee         Huee        Huee

   +      FIRE ALARM TEST COMPLETE. FIRE ALARM TEST COMPLETE."/
    From somewhere nearby come the sounds of sliding, stumbling feet. As
    you turn towards them, the beam of your lamp falls upon a tall,
    shambling figure approaching you out of the darkness. Standing no more
    than five feet tall, it cannot possibly weigh more than fifty pounds
    including the shroud and bandages in which it is wrapped; a musty reek
    like the scent of old, dead earth seeps from it and fills the air. As
    you cower back in disgust and horror, the figure halts, examines you
    through eyes resembling wet pebbles, and whispers "Peace, man!" in a
    voice like wind rustling through dead trees. It then turns and
    shambles away into the darkness.]
#
TEXT THROW.ROOF
    You hurl the # from the tower roof. I hope you really meant to
    do that!
#
TEXT THROW.DOWNSTAIRS
    You have hurled the # down the stairs.
#
TEXT THROW.CLIFF
    You have thoughtlessly tossed the # over the edge of the cliff.
#
TEXT THROW.PIT
    You have tossed the # down into the pit.
#
TEXT THROW.FISSURE
    You have thrown the # down into the fissure.
#
TEXT THROW.HOLE
    You have tossed the # down into the hole in the floor.
#
TEXT THROW.ROOM
    You have tossed the # down into the room below you.
#
TEXT THROW.CANYON
    You have tossed the # down into the canyon beneath your feet.
#
TEXT THROW.WHIRLPOOL
    You have hurled the # into the middle of the whirlpool.
#
TEXT THROW.CAVERN
    You have thrown the # down into the mist filling the cavern.
#
TEXT THROW.CHASM
    You have hurled the # down into the misty bottom of the chasm.
#
TEXT THROW.GORGE
    You have hurled the # down into the boiling lava at the bottom of the
    volcanic gorge.
#
TEXT THROW.CHIMNEY
    You have tossed the # down the chimney.
#
TEXT THROW.TUBE
    You have tossed the # down into the lava tube and out of sight.
#
TEXT THROW.STEPS
    You have thrown the # down the steps and out of view.
#
TEXT THROW.SLIDE
    You have tossed the # down the icy slide and out of sight.
#
TEXT THROW.BEACH
    You have carelessly thrown the # down onto the beach.
#
TEXT THROW.RESERVOIR
    You have negligently tossed the # into the center of the reservoir.
#
TEXT THROW.SPIRE
    You foolishly toss the # into the desert below. Not a chance
    of finding anything down there in all that sand!
#
TEXT SHATTERED.IT
    I hope you are not too surprised to hear the unmistakable sound
    of a delicate crash.
#
FRAGMENT ICE.HINT
    Are you having problems getting out of the ice tunnels?_
#
TEXT
    To get out of here, you'll first have to get your bearings so that you
    know where you are. I suggest that you draw a careful, accurate map of
    the tunnel system; for clarity's sake, keep your lines as straight as
    is feasible and draw in all of the dead ends and such. The old Yoga
    trick of standing on your head might also come in handy.
#
TEXT CANT.SEE.ANYTHING
    It's pitch dark in here - I can't [tell whether there's anything here
    that I can/see what's there to] pick up!
#
TEXT GROPE.FALL
    Hmmph - you're not asking for much, are you - it's pitch dark in here!
    Well, I'll grope around and try to find the #.....

   = \{hunt\}
   =         \{hunt\}
   =                  \{rummage\}
   =                              \{trip!\}
   =                                       Aaaiiii
   =                                              iie
   =                                                 ee
   =                                                   e
   =                                                    e
   =                                                    e
   =                                                    e
   =                                                     \>SPLAT!\<
 
    You stumbled into a pit and broke your back!
#
TEXT GROPE.MISS
    Hmmph - you're not asking for much, are you - it's pitch dark in here,
    and I'll have to grope around to try to find the #.
    Well, if I must, I must.....

   =                          \{hunt\}
   =                                     \{search\}
   =                                                \{hunt\}
   =            \{rummage\}
   =   \{peer\}
   =                      \{touch\}
   =       \{hunt\}
   =                             \>scrape\<
   =                                        Youch! \{curse\}
   =            \{hunt\}
   =                          \{seek\}

    No luck - I can't find the #! If you could get me some light in here,
    maybe I'd be able to do better. Sorry....
#
FRAGMENT USE.A.WEAPON
    That may be just as well. If you do insist upon trying to #
#
TEXT KILL.THE.WHATEVER
   / [the/=/a] #, you might be well advised to use a weapon of some sort.
#
TEXT increment NOT.ME
    [I do beg your pardon for not making the description clearer./Sigh...]

    A PROFUSION OF VICIOUS LOOKING BRAMBLES AND NETTLES MAKE ANY CLIMBING
    QUITE IMPOSSIBLE.

    Better?
#
TEXT ROUGH.STEPS
    Rough stone steps lead down the pit.
#
TEXT increment PORTCULLIS.RUSTY
    If you are [/still ]trying to open th[e/at] rusty portcullis, you
    are[/ definitely] wasting your time.
#
TEXT increment ORB.OUT.OF.REACH
    The globe [lies out of reach on the cellar floor/is still out
    of reach].
#
TEXT DOWN.THE.DRAIN
   / land[s/] near the round drain in the cellar, slide[s/] towards it and
    drop[s/] in!
#
TEXT HIT.ORB
   / strike[s/] the orb a glancing blow and slide[s/] off into the drain.
    The orb rocks slightly and then slowly rolls towards the drain and
    disappears also.
#
TEXT BE.OFF

    Through the portcullis steps a tall wizard clothed in grey. "BE OFF!"
    he commands raising an arm. As the scene fades, you can hear his
    distant voice adding "...[CLUELESS AMATEUR!/AND TAKE YOUR JUNK WITH 
    YOU!...]"

#
FRAGMENT assigned FLOOR?
    [floor/ground]
#
TEXT increment THROWER.IS.NAME?
    [. Strange... T/, its only ornamentation consisting of the word "THROWER"
    inlaid on the pommel. Remarkably enough, t]here is [absolutely /]no
    indication how it manages to do its singing. [Oh, it has "THROWER" inlaid
    on the pommel! I guess that must be its name. Magical swords often 
    have names, you know. What? Why do I think it must be magical? 
    Well, your mileage may vary, but I've never known non-magical
    swords to do any singing./]
#
TEXT SLAB.SHUTS
    The slab [/once again ]swings quietly shut behind you.
#
TEXT COMFORT
    It's a curtain. Curtains improve the comfort without blocking passages.
#
TEXT FLAGSTONE.LIFT
    The flagstone is [quite loose but very heavy. Rather than lifting
    it, with a bit of grunting and groaning you manage to shift it aside, 
    revealing a dark hole in the floor./already shifted aside - there is
    no need for further exertions!/fairly wobbly but stubbornly refuses
    to be moved.

    You didn't *really* think this would work, now did you?]
#
TEXT WELL.CLIMB
    You clamber up the sides of the well into the daylight.

#
TEXT TIDE.DESCRIPTION
    [Sewage laps about your legs./
    Sewage laps about your knees./
    The sewage comes above your knees./
    The sewage comes nearly up to your waist. This is not at all pleasant!/
    You are up to your waist in sewage. Lets leave!/
    The sewage comes nearly up to your chest! Lets get out of here!/
    You are nearly up to your neck in sewage. Help!!!/
    The pipe has completely filled with sewage......]
#
TEXT NO.CHEW.ROPE
    You'd only get your mouth full of bits of fibre. Just be happy
    that the rope has been provided for convenient climbing and stop
    trying to remove any of it from its proper place.
#
TEXT PICK.UP.SEAL
    [Whatever that shiny thing might be, i/I]t is too small for you to see
    properly without picking it up.
#
TEXT GOT.SEAL
    You pick up the[ shiny object. It would appear to be some sort 
    of a/] seal.
#
TEXT DARK.THERE
    It is too dark # there to see anything.
#
TEXT NO.SWIM
    Sorry,[/// that's the sea over there, and] I've never learned to 
    swim.[/ Besides, there's not enough water here for swimming./ And
    in any case, there is no water around here!/]
#
TEXT OPEN.IT.FIRST
    You'd have to open the # first!
#
TEXT RIGHT.HERE
    Right here!
#
TEXT GLUG.GLUG.GLUG...
    Glug...
   /         Glug...
   /                  (glug...)

    You have drowned horribly in a mixture of sea-water and sewage.
#
TEXT WHEEE...SPLASH
   /Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..........
   /
   /                               \>splash!\<

#
TEXT ON.STREAMBED
    As you start climbing down the steep slope, a stone suddenly gives way
    under your foot...
   /
   /    EEEEEeeeeeee!!...
   /                   Wham!!!..
   /                           \>Rumble... rumble...\<

    You are at the bottom of the streambed and all your bones are broken.
#
TEXT SOLID.ROCK
    There is solid rock behind the curtain.
#
FRAGMENT increment SENTRY
    [You are on a landing at the top of the steps. There is a massive dark
    door here and a notice '%DWARVES QUARTERS - NO ACCESS%'. The door is
    partly open and behind it you can see a party of dwarves arguing over
    a card game at a large oblong table amidst a chaos of dirty dishes, pewter
    mugs and sizable earthenware jugs. A large nasty looking dwarf is
    snoring on a stool by the door, resting his unshaven chin on the shaft
    of a long sharp axe. As you clear the last step, the dwarf suddenly
    opens his eyes, blinks in surprise, jumps up and with a single neat
    swing of the axe takes your head off./
    As the top landing comes into view, you can see on it two large nasty
    looking dwarves with wickedly gleaming axes. As they spot you, one of
    them growls to the other: "%The pesky tourists are getting to be a 
    blooming nuisance this season!%" and.../
    Well, if you insist... Ah! Just as I thought... There is a whole
    reception committee waiting for you here!...]
   /
#
FRAGMENT SENTRY.WILL.KILL
    Hm... Are you sure it is wise?_
#
FRAGMENT cycle BEING.PRUDENT
    [I'll take the prudent option of interpreting that as/
    To be on the safe side, I'll take that to mean/
    I think I'll assume you mean/
    Better safe than sorry, so I'll guess that's a]
TEXT LETS.BE.PRUDENT
    {BEING.PRUDENT} "[no/yes]".
#
TEXT JUST.AS.WELL
    Amen, brother.
#
TEXT DESOLATE.GARDEN
    What you can see of the garden from here, suggests that it
    got abandoned years ago. It looks like it used to be a fairly 
    formal rose garden, but by now some of the plants have gone
    wild and stopped producing flowers while others have died. 
    It's all very desolate. 
#
TEXT NO.OIL.GATE
    The gates do not appear to need oiling.
#
TEXT increment NO.OPEN.GATE
    [Try as I might, I can see no way to open the blessed things.
    You may consider this eccentric, but I don't think they are
    actually meant to open. Perhaps the owner installed them here
    simply as a symbolic gesture. Or then again, maybe they
    can only be opened by magic./There doesn't seem to be any
    way to open the gates.]
#
TEXT increment SPOON.QUIP
    The writing on the spoon's handle says EPNS in flowery 
    script[/, just as it did before].
#
TEXT E.P.N.S.
    Electro-plated nickel silver. It's nearly worthless.
#
TEXT BONES.UGH
    Bones UGH! I've got a thing about bones, I will have nothing to do
    with them.
#
TEXT THE.SCREAM
    Ok.................AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Not sure how that helps, but there you are...
#
TEXT NO.REST
    #? #?? You don't have time to #!
#
TEXT increment VAIN.CONTEMPLATION
    [You spend a little time in meditation, but soon decide that
    it is not going to get you anywhere./
    Once was enough. If you wanted a contemplative life, you
    shouldn't have embarked on a career in adventuring!]
#
TEXT NO.SLEEP
    It is *far* too dangerous to sleep around here!
#
TEXT increment TINY.MOUSE

    A tiny mouse appears from [a small/the mouse] hole, sees you and 
    hastily retreats.
#
TEXT HELPFUL.MOUSE

    A tiny mouse appears from beneath a flagstone, sees you and hastily
    retreats.
#
FRAGMENT FORBIDDING.NOTICE
    Eh... that notice about trespassers looks awfully forbidding... 

    Are you sure you want to ignore it?_
#
FRAGMENT HORSES.BOW
    As you approach the gates, the two horses facing each other
    in the intricate iron-work,[ suddenly/] bow their heads and
    the gates
#
TEXT increment AUTOMATIC.GATE
    {HORSES.BOW} [suddenly start swinging open.
    You step back, unnerved by this manifestation of magic. After a
    slight hesitation, the gates close again, just as silently as they
    opened./start swinging open, but when you make no move to walk
    through, they quietly close again.][/ I guess #ing them is not 
    something you are expected to do./]
#
FRAGMENT assigned BEYOND.GATES
    [forest track/garden]
#
TEXT increment THROUGH.THE.GATES
    {HORSES.BOW} slowly swing open[. Steeling
    yourself in the face of such manifestation of magical energies,
    you step through, to the {BEYOND.GATES} beyond. The gates/ to
    let you through, and then] close silently behind you.

#
TEXT TUSK.QUIP
    Hm.... #.... #.... #.... That's not on the list! I suppose
    it must be valuable..... Ok, we'll give you the benefit of the doubt
    and count the tusk as a treasure.
#
TEXT CANT.SCOOP
    The water is trickling down the wall in a corner and you cannot get
    the # to it.
#
TEXT CHALICE.LEAKING
    You have [scooped/poured] some water [with/from the bucket into] the
    chalice but it is rapidly leaking out through some cracks in 
    the [/chalice ]bottom. If you intend to drink it, better do so
    quick, before it all runs out!
#
TEXT IS.EMPTY
    I am sorry, but the # is already quite empty.
#
TEXT increment CHALICE.NO.MAGIC
    [A soft glow appears in the air and kind of hovers for several
    seconds, after which an irritated female voice says, "Look,
    would you mind using the chalice somewhere with more room? 
    How is one supposed to materialize in a dignified manner in such 
    a small place, when you are already occupying most of it?". As the 
    glow fades, the voice adds as a grudging afterthought: 
    "Have a nice day..."/I do think you could find somewhere with 
    more space to use the chalice. What's the point of upsetting 
    people unnecessarily?]
#
TEXT JUST.THE.EDGE
    You can't see much of the swamp from here -- just its eastern-most
    reach.
#
TEXT CHALICE.MAGIC
    A glowing figure of a beautiful young woman appears. In a distant 
    voice she says, "You have drunk pure water from the sacred chalice, my
    brave adventurer. I come to you as the spirit of goodness, but my power
    is weak, for the wicked dwarves have stolen the Ring of Orion[ and have
    hidden it deep in the Land of Mists, where I cannot go. W/. You
    have already found the cunningly hidden ring - w]ill you 
    restore [the ring/it] to the Temple of Orion and thwart the evil
    designs?"

#
FRAGMENT CHALICE.QUERY
    What do you reckon - will you[/ help the woman/ help her]?_
#
TEXT GOSH.UNICORN!
    "I thank you, noble one. My steed will aid you in reaching the 
    island. Have a nice day!". She fades away, and a swirl of
    mist rises from the floor. Gosh! It's turned into a unicorn!

    As you admire the creature, there is a roll of thunder and from
    a cloud of smoke steps a horned gentleman with a pointed tail. 
    "Here's a free piece of advice," he says with heavy sarcasm, 
    "[K/Never get involved in a land war in Asia, never go against a
    Sicilian when death is on the line, and k]eep your nose out of
    metaphysical disputes, particularly ones 
    you have no hope of understanding. Just you stick to pilfering a few
    treasures and you won't come to much harm. And in case you
    don't get my message, I will personally ensure that this here
    wretched parody of an animal does not carry you anywhere you 
    may wish to go. Better believe it, kiddo!" With that he screws his 
    tail into a tight spiral and disappears.
#
TEXT HOLLOW.LAUGH
    As the woman sadly fades away, you hear somewhere in the distance
    an unpleasant voice laughing hollowly.
#
TEXT RIDE.TO.HELL

    With you aboard, the unicorn gallops off at a furious pace. [T/It
    quickly grows dark and you become aware of t]unnel
    walls flash[/ing] past, dimly illuminated by an ethereal
    glow. Suddenly tunnel walls, unicorn and everything disappear
    and you fly on in pitch blackness. Far below you a door opens,
    revealing a dull red glow, and grotesque figures pour forth and
    dance and sway as you fall towards the aperture. Your descent
    is impeded, slowly at first and then more firmly, by a web of
    gossamer threads, on which you can clearly see stamped at
    intervals "Made in Fairyland." Below you the creatures leap,
    but try as they might they cannot reach you until there appears
    the horned gentleman, giving you a sardonic salute. "You chose the 
    wrong side, kiddo!" he says and slashes through the supporting 
    threads. As you fall you hear his evil laugh and him shout "I hope
    you enjoy your stay!!". 

    Now you really are in a mess. People like you didn't ought to be
    allowed in the cave, poking your nose into things you can't handle.
    I don't think I can stand any more of your bungling! I am going!...

#
TEXT ORION.QUIP
    Orion?... That's all mythology. You['d better stick to 
    reality/ probably mean old O'Ryan, but he's been dead for some years now].
#
TEXT NO.KILL.UNICORN
    Not a chance! I would not touch a thing of such pure beauty! And
    anyway, unicorns are a protected species, as you should know.
#
TEXT random NO.FOOD.FOR.IT
    You have nothing [with which /]to feed it[/ with].
#
TEXT UNICORN.EATS
    The unicorn eats the food daintily, gives a polite belch,
    raises its tail and presents you with a neat pile of dung.
#
TEXT assigned MUTTERS

    [Out of the gloom jumps a little figure. He looks about and says in a
    surprisingly deep voice "Chalice, chalice... Now where did I put that
    chalice? Strangely important powers it has..." With that he 
    scurries back into the gloom./
    A deep voice behind you says "Where do the eggs come from? There is no
    goose around and the owl can't have done it....". You turn round in
    time to see a small figure disappear muttering "Must be magic!.."./
    Suddenly, as if from nowhere, appears a little figure. He looks at you
    quizzically and then says in a deep voice: "I'll tell you a secret.
    You can't fly or jump across the lava, but you might get across by
    using magic.". Then he hops from foot to foot chuckling to himself and
    disappears into the gloom just as suddenly as he came./
    Suddenly, you become aware of a little figure standing quite still
    in the shadows just outside the reach of your lamp. He is studying you
    intently and after a moment turns away and disappears muttering to
    himself "Don't they teach them ANYTHING about pentagrams nowadays?..."/
    Without any warning a deep voice says behind you "Consider the Orb,
    my friend, consider the Orb...". Startled, you turn around only
    to glimpse a small figure disappearing into the darkness./
    Without any warning a little figure steps into the light of your lamp.
    He considers you thoughtfully, opens his mouth, shuts it again, shakes
    his head and scurries off into the gloom./
    A little figure suddenly jumps out of the shadows. He pirouettes on
    one foot and says in an unexpectedly deep voice: "Starstones are
    both useful and valuable if used with care, though how they manage
    that little trick of theirs, I really don't know...". Than he suddenly
    points behind you and shouts "Ha!". Startled you turn around but can
    see nothing unusual. When you look back, the little man is gone
    without a trace./
    Without a warning a little figure pops up in front of you. "I'll tell
    you a secret", he chuckles, "Them catacombs are quite simple really,
    if you don't go and mess them up!". He winks at you merrily and darts
    away into the gloom./
    Suddenly you become aware of a deep voice muttering somewhere nearby.
    All you can make out is "... dark ... mutter ... Thomas Alva ...
    ... mutter ... and lo! there ... mutter ...". Before you can
    manage to track down the source, the sound dies away./
    A little figure suddenly steps out of the gloom in front of you.
    "The sword will be yours, my friend", he says thoughtfully, "but
    the time is not yet...". Then he is gone, just as suddenly as he
    appeared./
    A little figure suddenly steps out of the shadows. He lifts a finger
    to his lips and whispers in a deep voice: "Shhhh.... Don't tell
    anybody, but of the keys, there are... er... ah....". He snaps his
    fingers, pulls his ear thoughtfully and then with a rueful shake of
    head and a sigh of "...damn memory..." quickly shuffles off./
    A small figure suddenly pops out of the gloom in front of you. He
    grins from ear to ear and says "But why to Plover?". Then he is
    gone again, his merry chuckles dying off somewhere in the distance./
    A little figure appears unexpectedly by your side and says in a deep
    voice "Been to the sewers yet? Not a healthy place...". He nods to
    himself thoughtfully and then slips back out of the light as quickly
    and quietly as he appeared./
    A little figure bounces up to you from the gloom. He hesitates
    briefly and then booms out in a deep voice: "You can't fly off
    the black cliff ledge, but you can get down by - guess what? -
    using magic!"/
    A little figure skips out of the darkness. "Getting taxed
    by the value added bridge?" he says, "Hah! I know a crafty
    way of cheating it with... No, I'm not telling, no sir, no-how!"
    With that he bounces off, chuckling at his own cleverness. /
    A deep voice behind you says: "... and then, of course, there
    is the free valuation service provided amongst the 
    canyons, and - let's see..." The voice fades as you turn
    around and there is nobody there to be seen./
    As if by magic, there is a small figure standing by your side.
    "Even unicorns need to eat," he says disapprovingly, and then
    is gone as inexplicably as he'd appeared./
    A small figure steps out of the shadows. Oh, no! It's the Little
    Old Lady In Tennis Shoes - the frequent adviser to Role Playing
    Gamers! What is she doing here?...

    Be it as it may, LOLITS clears her throat and says: "Hisself is
    indisposed-like, but says to tell ya to be doing them catacombs.
    I was to wrap it up someways, but I clean forget how, so
    ya can have it plain and count yerself lucky. And stop staring!
    'Tis rude." With that she melds into the shadows and is gone.]
#
TEXT FLY.TIME

    ["OI!" says the giant, "YOU HAD..."/"ZORRO!" the giant bellows], but
    then his eyes fall on the rug you are carrying: "OOOOH... FLY TIME?
    I WATCH, OK!"
#
TEXT BECAUSE
    That's for me to know, and for you to discover.
#
FRAGMENT PINE.HINT
    Are you trying to get to the other side of the ravine?_
#
TEXT
    I have no doubt you have guessed that the conveniently placed pine
    tree is somehow involved in getting across. The question to chew on
    is: how? You do not have any conventional instruments at your
    disposal, so clearly some unconventional thinking is required here.
    Perhaps being human limits your imagination in this particular instance?
#
TEXT NO.BREAK.PINE
    If the pine were fragile enough for you to break, it wouldn't be
    very useful for getting across, would it?
#
FRAGMENT increment REALLY.FLY?
    [Hmm... This might work, but it does look a tad risky. You might
    wish to save the game before attempting to take off from here. And you
    never know, even if you live through it, you may discover that you've
    forgotten something vital - one usually does.

   //]Are you sure you are ready to board that rug?_
#
TEXT STEEP.RAVINE
    The ravine is really more of a gash in the mountainside, which
    plunges steeply down for quite some distance. Trying to climb down
    there is not going to be a profitable exercise.
#
TEXT PINE.BRIDGE
    [If there ever was a bridge here, it is long gone./Well, yes,
    the fallen pine does form a bridge of sorts.]
#
TEXT DONT.BOTHER
    Don't even bother to try!
#
TEXT TOWERING.MOUNTAIN
    It towers [over the island/above you] most majestically.
#
TEXT BIG.SPLASH
   / Aaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee........
   /
   /                          \>SPLASH!\<
   /
   /                                  Glug, glug, glug...

#
TEXT HUGE.PIT
   It's a huge pit with the floor dimly visible over 50 feet below.
   You don't need to know anything more about it.
#
TEXT ITS.A.SAPLING
   It's a small sapling of some sort, growing out of a crack in the
   cliff.[ There seems to be something wedged between the sapling and
   the rock./]
#
TEXT NO.OPEN.BOX
   There is no point opening the box. It would only make a sugary mess
   and you wouldn't want to eat the contents anyway.
#
TEXT WHAT.ABOUT.THEM
   What about the #?
#
TEXT CANT.GET.TO.BOG
   You can't get to the swamp from here.
#
TEXT FOOD.DISAPPEARS
    It disappears into the sewage and the surface thrashes with activity.
#
TEXT RATS.HUNGRY
    My, those rats *are* hungry!
#
TEXT INTO.SEWAGE
   / [has/have] disappeared in the sewage!
#
TEXT increment GRILL.SOLID
    If you are [/still ]trying to get through a solid metal grill, 
    you're wasting your time.[/ And mine for that matter.]
#
TEXT DISTURBED.OWL
    Your light disturbs an enormous owl which flies off with a flurry of
    wingbeats (and a loud "HOOT").
#
TEXT OWL.BOUNCES
    With a flurry of wingbeats (and a loud "HOOT") an enormous owl appears.
    Disturbed by the light he flies off again.
#
TEXT DISTANT.OWL
    A distant owl calls "hoot".
#
TEXT OWL.ARRIVES
    You hear a flurry of wingbeats and a loud "HOOT".
#
TEXT OWL.KILLS
    You hear a flurry of wingbeats and sounds of a tremendous battle...

    +(rustle .. rustle .. hisss .. HOOT! .. scrape .. GULP! .. hoot?)
#
TEXT NEARBY.OWL
    Nearby an owl cries "HOOT".
#
TEXT NO.KILL.OWL
    Owls are very shy creatures. I don't think it will let you anywhere
    near it. Besides, you cannot see exactly where it is.
#
TEXT NO.KILL.SPIDER
    I am not going anywhere near that horrible hairy thing!!
#
FRAGMENT GIANT.PICKS.UP
    Suddenly a giant hand descends from above[ and/,] picks
    you up[. / and shakes you, scattering your possessions across
    the floor. ]
#
TEXT MY.DEEDS!

    "MY DEEDS!"  the giant shouts, "FOR THOSE YOU SHALL BE REWARDED!"  and
    tosses a large sapphire in your direction as he takes the documents.
    He rapidly flicks through the last few pages, gives out a triumphant
    bellow and rushes out, leaving you alone, your ears ringing.

    Well, now you'll just have to put up with him making a nuisance of
    himself at the picnic ground. A small enough price to pay 
    for a rather nice gem, I suppose.
#
TEXT EGG.FOO
    "AH....EGG FOO.....YUM YUM" the giant drawls and grabs the eggs,
    leaving you shaken but unharmed.
#
TEXT MISERABLE.MORSEL
    The giant grabs your food and bellows "A MISERABLE MORSEL!"  but
    stuffs it into his mouth and swallows it whole.

   +        "FEE FIE FOE FOO - FIN FOO OR I EAT YOU!"

    the giant thunders, and as you cast about for your possessions you are
    pushed back into the pantry.

#
TEXT increment STAY.IN.THERE
    "[/OI! /I SAYS ]STAY IN THERE TILL I READY TO EAT YOU!!" the giant 
    bellows and throws you into his dungeon.

#
TEXT GIANT.EATS.YOU
    The giant is now wearing a bib which is even more soiled than his
    shirt. He opens his mouth wide, revealing great rows of black teeth.
    The stench of his breath mercifully renders you unconscious as he
    bites into your leg and pulls..............
#
TEXT GRAB.MISS

    The giant's hand enters the dungeon and makes a grab but misses!
#
TEXT GOT.YOU

    The giant's hand enters the dungeon and grabs you.
#
TEXT ENRAGED.GIANT
    The # hits the giant, who lets out a roar of pain and rage, raises one
    foot high in the air ...... and brings it down ..... *SPLAT*.
#
TEXT HUNGRY.GIANT
    "FEE FIE FOE FOO!"  the giant thunders and at the thought of foo'
    great slivers of saliva issue from the giant's mouth and further soil
    his already filthy shirt front.
#
TEXT DOCUMENTS.FUNNY
    The documents seem to be a set of deeds with some associated plans,
    but the language is odd and the plans look incomprehensible.
#
TEXT VERY.FUNNY
    Yeah.... very funny. Which of his toes do I start with?
#
FRAGMENT RESERVOIR.HINT
    Are you having problems getting across the lake?_
#
TEXT
    If I were you, I would try to work out where does all that water in
    the stream yonder come from.
#
FRAGMENT CATACOMBS.HINT
    Are you thoroughly confused?_
#
TEXT
    The catacombs have been of late possessed by a spirit with a rather 
    skewed, though simple-minded sense of humour. Those who
    comprehend it, can get away with a bare minimum of mapping. Those
    who don't, may have to map and map again.
#
TEXT CHALICE.NOW.EMPTY
    The chalice is now quite empty - [it only had a few drops in it
    anyway/all the water has leaked out].
#
TEXT CUT.WEB
    Taking care not to get stuck in the web, you chop it to shreds with your
    axe. The documents fall to the ground with a heavy thud.

    Well, what do you know!... There is a large circular opening in the
    wall behind the web!
#
TEXT SPIDER.DODGES
    The spider dodges your axe, briefly exposing a bundle of papers stuck
    to the web. Hm... that axe is now quite out of reach...
#
TEXT ONLY.WIZARDS
    You flap your arms for a bit, but nothing very much happens. Most
    normal people would not be unduly surprised by this.
TEXT ONLY.WIZARDS.GLOW
    Only wizards can glow!
#
TEXT NOTHING.TO.CUT.WITH
    [Y/ In any case, y]ou have no instrument that could be sensibly used
    for cutting.
#
TEXT increment ROPE.TOO.TOUGH
    [T/As already noted, t/][he rope is very tough and hard as you
    try, you can't make any impression on it/=/][//You forget/It
    slipped your mind again][//: the
    rope is far too tough for ][//you to be able to cut it/that].
#
TEXT cycle VANDAL!
    [That would be a sensless act of gratuitous vandalism./There's no
    call for such destructive behaviour!/Chop, break, destroy... Is that
    all you can think of? For shame!/Why is it that your typical
    adventurer seems to delight in being a loutish vandal? No, don't
    bother to explain. That was a rhetorical question. I am not really
    interested in pathetic self-justifications./I will commit no such
    act of pointless vandalism!/That kind of destructive, negative
    attitude won't help you here./As the sage said, lashing out in
    senseless anger, is a sure sign of an inferior mind. Save your
    aggression for situations in which it is truly called for.]
#
TEXT IT.IS.IN.SHREDS
    There is hardly any point in that - it is already in shreds.
#
TEXT NASTY.WEB
    I'd rather not. It wouldn't be very smart to get entangled in that
    nasty sticky web.
#
TEXT increment  DOCUMENTS.STUCK
    [Sorry, the documents seem to be firmly stuck to the web./It's
    no good, I am afraid, you'll need to free the documents somehow,
    before you can do anything with them./You need to free the documents
    from the web first!]
#
TEXT increment ZORTON.INFO
    [Hm... It's a flowing sort of script... Could be Elvish, I suppose...
    Now, let's see if I still remember any of it...

    (Kzan, Oma... Phret... eh... Tres, Oma again... hum... 
    Noot perhaps?)

    OK, I think it transliterates as Z O R T O N... Doesn't seem to make
    much sense, does it?/
    It says ZORTON, which I am afraid makes no more sense than before.]
#
TEXT TRANSFORM.SWORD
    The sound of the word shocks through the sword, [knocking it right
    out of your hand. It clatters to the ground flaming and sparkling 
    and begins to emit/making it to clatter on the ground. It begins to
    sparkle and flame, emitting] a high pitch feedback whistle. Before
    your eyes it softens and melts, writhes as if in pain and shrinks
    rapidly, its whistle fading through ever ascending frequencies,
    until all that is left is a small silvery ring which cools rapidly.
#
TEXT DONT.BELIEVE

    How strange... I wonder, could *that* be the fabled Ring of Orion?

    No, I just don't believe it! It's simply too pat! Besides, there
    never was any Orion.
#
TEXT BULGING.COAT
    [He is/One of them is] clutching his bulging coat and muttering angrily.
#
TEXT LOUD.SQUEAK
    The horn emits a loud squeak.
#
TEXT MELLOW.NOTE
    The horn emits a surprisingly full and mellow note.
#
TEXT DWARVES.COME
    The little horn emits a surprisingly loud sonorous note. As the note
    dies away, the sound of[// many] hurrying footsteps becomes apparent.
#
TEXT THIRSTY.WORK

    Exploring is a thirsty work. You must soon take a drink[/// or lighten
    your load].
#
TEXT IAM.THIRSTY!

    You cannot go much further without a drink.
#
TEXT YOUVE.COLLAPSED

    You have collapsed and died of thirst!
#
TEXT increment PLAQUE.INFO
    The plaque[/ still] says%

   +         *******************
   +             THIS  SPACE  
   +           UNINTENTIONALLY
   +             LEFT  BLANK
   +         *******************%
#
TEXT increment NO.TIMBER
    [If you mean to use the axe for some timber work, I have to disappoint
    you/Let me explain once more]. This is a throwing axe. Not a chopping
    one.[ There is a difference./]
#
TEXT DULL.VIEW
    You clamber up a tree, but there is nothing to be seen except more
    trees[/ and the tower to the SW]. Disappointed, you climb down again.
#
TEXT NO.CLIMBING
    [No trees around here look easily climbable. If you do insist on
    displaying your physical prowess, I suggest you find some place more
    suited for the purpose./You'd need some heavy duty mountaineering gear
    to scale these rocks! Forget it.../Water mist makes the rocks here
    far too slippery for climbing.]
#
TEXT NO.PALM.CLIMBING
    Whatever for? It is not a coconut season and visibility is
    just as good from down here without unnecessary exertion.
#
TEXT GOT.STARSTONE
    Well, I'll try, but it may not be actually here, you know. Starstones
    are funny things...

    Ok, I've got it! It really was here after all.
#
TEXT increment NO.GET.STARSTONE
    [Hum... it's eluding my grasp. Let's try again... No! I am afraid it's
    no good, I don't think it is really here any more./
    If you insist... no, I am sorry, it only appears to be here.]
#
TEXT STARSTONE.FALLS
    As it falls, the starstone emits a short flash of blue light and for
    a brief moment becomes curiously unfocused[/, before dropping
    out of sight].
#
TEXT DARK.STARSTONE
    As it falls, the starstone emits a brief flash of blue light.
#
TEXT DRACHMA.DROPS
    The machine shudders violently and after much clanking and clicking
    spits out a small bronze coin - a drachma, by the looks of it.
#
TEXT NO.SPARES
    You're out of spare batteries.
#
TEXT SWAPPED.EM
    Hang on... OK, I've swapped them.
#
TEXT BUZZ.OFF

    "OI!" says the giant, "YOU'VE HAD YOUR REWARD. BUZZ OFF!". With these
    words he pushes you, not un-gently, back into the ravine.

#
TEXT POLISH.PLATE
    It is a hard work, but as you # the plate its surface gradually
    gets smooth and shiny.
#
TEXT DWARVES.UPSET
    The horn emits a surprisingly full and mellow note. Despite its
    undeniable musical qualities, the sound seems to further aggravate
    the already agitated dwar[/f/ves].
#
TEXT DRAIN.TOO.SMALL
    Would you perhaps care to explain how you propose to squeeze through
    a ten inch drain? Be serious!
#
TEXT NOT.ENOUGH.WATER
    Your # is now empty, but I don't think that trickle of water is
    going to do anything much.
#
TEXT FLASK.EMPTY
    Your flask is now empty.
#
TEXT NO.EMPTY.CONTAINERS
    You have no suitable empty containers!
#
TEXT FLASK.SEALED
    You can't fill a sealed flask!
#
TEXT BREAK.MIRROR
    You strike the mirror a resounding blow, whereupon it shatters into
    a myriad fragments. Viciously sharp pieces of glass rain everywhere.
    You try to dodge, but are cut down by the flying debris.
#
TEXT DWARVES.WAKE
    The resulting ruckus has awakened the dwarves. There are now several
    very angry little dwarves in here with you. Most of them throw knives
    at you! All of them hit you!!
#
TEXT DWARF.WAKES
    Well, on your head so be it...
    You prod the nearest dwarf, who wakes up grumpily, takes one look at
    you, curses and grabs for his axe, and... Exit one more would be
    adventurer grandmaster. What a surprise!
#
TEXT YOU.EXPLODE
    There is a loud explosion. Being foolishly near its epicentre, you
    suddenly find yourself splashed across the walls of the cave.
#
TEXT LAVA.FLOWS
    There is a loud explosion at the other end of the repository and
    the far wall collapses, burying the snakes in the rubble. A river
    of molten lava pours in through the hole, destroying everything in
    its path, including you. (Not even cinders remain!).
#
TEXT KABOOM
    There is a loud explosion at the other end of the repository and
    a section of the far wall collapses, burying the dwarves in the
    rubble. The settling dust reveals a dark hole leading northeast.
    When the air is finally clear, a snow-white golden-horned unicorn
    walks out of the hole and, gracefully picking its way through the
    heaps of rubble, calmly approaches you.
#
TEXT NO.FUTURE.IN.IT
    Plenty of it about, but somehow I don't think there is much future
    in #.
#
TEXT assigned ALREADY.HAD.ONE
    You already had [one/some]! I really don't think you 
    need [another/more] #.
#
TEXT OUT.OF.REACH
    It is too high for you to reach.
#
TEXT THROUGH.THE.MIRROR
    The unicorn neighs indignantly, rears up and suddenly leaps straight
    into the mirror. As you pass through the surface of the mirror,
    which curiously enough fails to shatter, you experience a sickening
    twisting sensation as if you were being turned inside out. Everything
    swims in front of your eyes, your arms weaken and you feel yourself
    slipping from the unicorn's back and falling... falling... falling...

    When you finally recover your senses, you find....

#
TEXT OTHER.DWARVES.WAKE
    You kill the nearest dwarf. Unfortunately the ruckus has awakened
    other dwarves. There are now several bloodthirsty little dwarves in
    here with you. All of them throw knives at you. All of them get you.
#
TEXT increment IS.DUTCH
    There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch - I couldn't agree more!
    [ You'd be amazed, though, how many adventuring slobs think otherwise./]
#
TEXT increment CHEST.LOCKED
    [Unfortunately,/You forget -] the chest has a combination lock on 
    it[. Still, it is obviously full of goodies, so I think we'll allow
    you the points for just leaving it in the building/. But don't worry,
    I am counting it as a treasure anyway/, but it still counts as a treasure].
#
TEXT USE.VOCABULARY

    You may wish to use the VOCABULARY command, or just VOC for short,
    if you are unsure what commands you could type.
#
TEXT COIN.NO.GOOD
    After a series of clinks and clanks the # reappears from the
    reject slot.
#
TEXT OYSTER.WRITING

    Interesting. There seems to be something written on the underside of
    the oyster.
#
FRAGMENT OYSTER.IS.HINT
    Hmmm... this looks like a clue. I would have to charge you $ points
    for reading it._
#
FRAGMENT READ.OYSTER?
    Should I go ahead and read it anyway?_
#
TEXT OYSTER.MEMO
    It says "There is something strange about this place which makes
    a word you have used before have a second meaning."
#
TEXT DOWN.THE.SLIT
    You plunge into the stream and are carried down into total blackness.
   /Deeper
   /          and deeper
   /                you go
   /                    down into
   /                          the
   /                      very
   /                            bowels of
   /                  the earth,
   /                         until
   /                               your lungs
   /                      are aching
   /                              with
   /                           the need
   /                  for fresh
   /                           air.

   /Suddenly,
   /                   with a violent
   /                                              \>SPLASH!\<

    you find yourself thoroughly drenched, sitting up to your chest in water.

#
FRAGMENT MORE.GOOD.NEWS?
    Shall I continue with the good news?
#
TEXT HAVE.IT.ANYWAY
    [/Actually, this once I'll ignore your wishes./Well, have it anyway!]
#
TEXT TREASURE.2

    The floor is covered with thick layers of precious Persian rugs!

    Rare coins, bars of silver, and lumps of gold and platinum are strewn
    carelessly about!

    There are diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, opals, pearls, and
    fabulous sculptures and ornaments carved out of jade and imperishable
    crystal resting on display shelves, along with rare Ming vases and
    ancient Indian turquoise beads!

    A flotilla of ruby-encrusted toy boats is floating in the pool of water
    beside you!

    A network of golden chains supports a fantastic Iridium crown!
    There is a display case on the wall filled with a mind-boggling
    collection of magical swords, which are singing "Hail to the Chief"
    in perfect multi-voice harmony.

#
TEXT TREASURE.3

    A multitude of friendly elves raise from tables prepared for a
    feast and greet you with a heart-warming cheer.

    Well, I suppose I'll leave you to all this merry-making. I have
    another nutcase to guide around the cave. Boy, the problems I have!...

    Anyway...
#
TEXT TREASURE.4

    A multitude of elves rise from tables laden with a mouth-watering
    selection of delicacies and with great joy proclaim you to be an
    all conquering adventurer grandmaster.

    It is time for this your humble servant to take leave of you in your
    moment of glory, with the gratifying feeling that our duty has been
    done. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be your guide and if
    any harsh words have been spoken between us, let there be no hard
    feelings.

   /         Hail and farewell,
   /              Oh Indomitable One!

#
TEXT BACK.TO.REALITY
    The syllables of the word seem to reverberate through the vastness
    of this strange place. As the sound dies away, a sudden gust of air
    brings with it a skirl of merry elvish laughter. Slowly to begin
    with, the greyness about you begins to coalesce into new (or is it
    old?) shapes and meanings. Finally you find...

#
TEXT ROD.FIDDLING
    Fooling about with rods does not appear to be amazingly productive.
#
TEXT SAME.AS.BEFORE
    The # says the same thing as it did before.
#
TEXT AS.YOU.WISH
    As you wish.
#
TEXT JUST.WONDERED
    Sorry... Somehow I got the impression otherwise. My mistake.
#
TEXT AS.I.WAS.SAYING
    Fair enough. You can always type INTRO to see it at any time anyway.
    And if you are new around here, I also strongly recommend INFO,
    HELP and VOCABULARY commands. 

    Now, as I was saying...

#
TEXT LEAVE.BIRD
    Oh, leave the poor thing alone.
#
TEXT HERESOMEWHERE
    I dare say whatever you want is around here somewhere.
#
TEXT ENOUGH!
    I think enough is enough.
#
TEXT assigned ORB.VISION
    As you consider the orb, it appears to expand, quickly filling your
    entire field of vision. Vague shapes seem to stir within its shadowy
    depth. Straining your eyes after the uncertain forms you begin to
    see [spiralling showers of pale yet fiery multicoloured sparks./
    a pattern of green patches, which slowly clarifies itself into a small
    plant growing at the bottom of a dark pit./
    billowing clouds of pale colours, which gradually resolve into a giant
    hungrily chewing his dirty fingernails./
    a storm of jet-black snowflakes, which gradually dissolves into a most
    terrifying giant spider crouching in the corner of a huge web. The
    darkness above the web is pulsing in a motion suggestive of the beat of
    a pair of enormous wings./
    a swirl of white mists. Through it, uncertain at first but gradually
    getting clearer, comes the image of a gleaming sword firmly embedded
    in a slab of rock./
    a pair of unfriendly eyes staring at you from darkness. Very slowly the
    image gets brighter, and gradually the ugly face of an ogre comes into
    full view./
    a swirling shower of gold and silver sparks. As you watch, mesmerised
    by the intricate patterns of their dance, the sparks gather into a
    circular band of light, which slowly contracts into a gleaming mithril
    ring./
    an intense red glow filled with clouds of dark smoke. Far below, an
    incandescent river of fire can be glimpsed through breaks in the billowing
    smoke./
    the head of a minotaur thoughtfully staring back at you./
    a swirl of darkness. Gradually a core of light develops in its centre,
    revealing the unearthly vision of a snake-like skeleton entwined with
    a peculiar metal contraption. Strangely, the image suggest hollow,
    chambering echoes, as if from a complex network of passages surrounding
    the place./
    a rose-coloured glow, which slowly contracts into the image of a huge
    crown floating in mid-air./
    a swirl of bright colours, which gradually sorts itself out into
    a giant, popping a large bottle of champagne./
    a rapidly spreading pool of darkness, in the midst of which,
    artfully highlighted by an invisible spotlight, floats a polished
    wood coffin./
    a dimly lit rock wall, with rusty stanchions, clearly intended 
    for chains./
    an inlaid chalice, dripping water from a crack in its cup./
    a seemingly random collection of white, grey and green splodges,
    which tumble around, changing their shapes and sizes, until
    out of the confusion there briefly emerges the image of a green
    foliage spreading upwards, along the face of a chalk cliff./
    a wobbling splodge of red colour against a dark background. 
    As the image gradually becomes sharper, you find yourself staring
    at a red fez rotating in mid-air in some dimly lit space./
    rivulets of black sand drifting in the wind towards a tall black
    shape, which rises into the dark sky on the horizon./
    a small sapling, clinging to the face of a sheer cliff./
    a shower of coloured droplets falling onto a dark surface and
    staining it with small splodges of colour. Slowly but surely, some
    semblance of order develops in front of your eyes, until a final
    burst of the coloured rain leaves you gazing at a somewhat blurred,
    yet unmistakable patterns of a Persian rug./
    a myriad of unfocused lights on a blue background.
    As the image gradually becomes sharper, you realise that the lights
    are sun reflections sparkling off the surface of a sea. Where the sea
    meets the sky, a distant island seems to float on the sea surface./
    a small white building, perching on the shoulder of a huge mountain./
    narrow stone steps curving up to a small landing with a window.
    Sunlight pours in through the window, and you can see dust
    motes dancing in the air, brightly lit against the dark stone walls./
    wrought iron gates, and beyond them a track leading away, into a
    dense forest./
    a black roiling, which you gradually realise is simply black sand
    swirling over a low basaltic outcrop./
    the inside of the well-house, with treasures and other objects
    heaped upon each other without rhyme or reason./
    some flickering lights, which by their feeble efforts appear to
    define a vast, dark space.]

    After a few moments the vision fades, leaving you somewhat giddy and
    none the wiser for the experience.
#
FRAGMENT assigned NO.SEE.BOG
    [/

    Perhaps you were hoping for a good aerial view of the swamp,
    but unfortunately rug's gyrations and subsequent unsteady flight
    quite prevented you from paying much attention to the swamp./

    What with all those aerial manoeuvres by the rug, you have again
    quite failed to note any swamp details.]
#
FRAGMENT DWARVES.ONLY
    %DWARVISH SPEAKERS ONLY%
#
TEXT DOOR.1.WORDS
    It says: "{DWARVES.ONLY}"
#
TEXT THANKS.TO
    It is hereby recorded for posterity, that the author of this trifle,
    one Mike Arnautov, wishes to express his thanks to

    1. The UK Branch of the Adventure Tastefulness Committee (you know
    who you are gentlemen) for a pleasant evening in the Czech Club,
    where the seeds of Adv770 were planted and watered by a quantity of
    Czech Budvar (i.e. the real thing, as opposed to that other alleged
    beer that goes by a similar name).

    2. His family, who put up with him during the lengthy gestation and
    development of the game.

    3. The star testers: Homfray-Cooper (Alpha phase), Russ Karlberg,
    Ambrosine and Dave Payne (Beta phase), and Dave Picton and
    Arnold C. Vermeulen (Gamma phase)
    for their dedication and patience. Without their sterling efforts
    the game would have remained bugged and full of holes.

    4. All the fans of Adv660 (a.k.a. Adventure4+) who kept wistfully
    asking about a sequel. Without them Adv770 would not have been born
    and all the loose ends of Adv660 would have remained loose!
#
TEXT random TRAPDOOR.IN.THE.WAY
    [Sorry/Tiresome though it is/Unfortunately/You can't], there is a
    shut trapdoor in the way.
#
TEXT TESTING.1.2.3
    [/

    ]Testing[, testing... One... Two... Three.../ over. Testing over.]
#
TEXT increment STORES.DOOR.SHUTS
    The door swings to, but refuses to shut altogether.[ Try as you might
    to push it shut, it stubbornly remains slightly ajar./]
#
TEXT LEAVE.IT.ALONE
    I think the # is best left exactly as it is.
#
TEXT DWARF.STARES

    A group of large dwarves troop past you, arguing loudly about
    something. As they disappear through the doorway to the south,
    the last one turns around and fixes you with a cold, suspicious
    stare. Then he shrugs his shoulders and with the growl of
    "%Tourists!..%" follows the rest of the dwarves.
#
TEXT DOOR.BANGS

    Through the closed trapdoor, you can hear distant shouting and, after
    a slight pause, the sound of a door being slammed shut.
#
TEXT CAUGHT.ROOF
    A bearded head pokes up through the trapdoor and quickly ducks back
    again. There are some angry voices from below and then... Goodness,
    who would have thought those dwarves could come up that trapdoor
    *that* fast? Particularly while waving those nasty large axes 
    of theirs! In case you didn't guess, they chop you to small bits.
#
TEXT CAUGHT.STOREROOM
    You can hear voices and sounds of heavy boots climbing the tower 
    stairs [and a group of dwarves comes into the view on the landing.
    They briefly freeze at the sight of the open door and then the
    dwarf nearest to you/outside the door. The clatter of boots and
    the voices stop just outside the door, and there is a brief moment
    of utter silence. Then the door swings open and a large dwarf] rushes
    into the room swinging his axe in front of him.
#
TEXT NO.SCRYING
    It is *much* too dark for scrying!
#
TEXT NEED.ORB
    There's nothing here suitable for scrying.
#
TEXT increment NO.WEAR.HELMET
    [D/As I had an occasion to remark once before, d]on't even bother 
    to try, the helmet quite clearly won't fit.
#
TEXT YER.WEARING
    You are already wearing the #!
#
TEXT YER.NOT.WEARING.IT
    You can't remove something you are not wearing!
#
TEXT increment DOOR.NOT.FOR.BREAKING
    The door [is not only locked but appears to have been reinforced
    by some exceptionally strong magic. I would say you are wasting
    your time - and mine too./stubbornly refuses to open.]
#
TEXT cycle THIS.IS.NOT.OIL
    [_I hope you are not mistaking the contents of the vial
    for a vulgar lubricant!///]
#
TEXT NO.DRINK.VIAL
    The liquid does not look particularly wholesome to me. In any case,
    the vial is tightly sealed and if you do insist on sampling that
    alchemical brew, you'll have to figure out how to get at it first.
#
TEXT SUCH.VANITY
    Very fetching, dearie. Let's just hope it doesn't give the dwarves
    any strange notions.
#
TEXT WEAR.RING.PERHAPS?

    (Perhaps you should have worn some sort of protection before taking
    that nonchalant stroll).
#
TEXT FEEL.FOOLISH
    Feeling, I hope, rather foolish, you carefully lower the crown on
    your head. It feels strange. Lighter than one might expect too.
#
TEXT SNAKE.MISSES
    The snake attempts to block your way, but its movements are sluggish
    and you manage to slip past.[/ The snake, now fully awake, hisses
    angrily after you.]

#
TEXT increment USE.TOO.VAGUE
    [#, #... I really detest this way some of you humans use 
    the vaguest sort of instructions and expect the details to take
    care of themselves! You'll have to be more specific than that/
    "#" is such a vague verb! Please be more specific].
#
TEXT FIGURE.WAVES

    The shadowy figure seems to be trying to attract your attention.
#
TEXT VAIN.REFLECTION
    Right now, reflecting on your problems will do you no good.
#
TEXT PRETTY.REFLECTION
    You reflect very prettily.
#
FRAGMENT SHADOW.HINT
    Are you suitably perplexed?_
#
TEXT
    This may be the time and the place to reflect on your problems.
#
TEXT NO.TRANSLATE.DWARVISH
    As an adventurer, you should know enough Dwarvish yourself!
#
TEXT TRANSLATE.WHAT?
    There is nothing here one could possibly #.
#
FRAGMENT GORGE.HINT
    Are you stuck?_
#
TEXT
    Well, you will definitely need more magic than a wave of a wand
    to cross that gorge.
#
FRAGMENT STATUE.HINT
    You are not stuck again, are you?_
#
TEXT
    For what it's worth, it is written:
    "Stand where the statue gazes, and make use of the proper tool".
#
TEXT SUCKER.HINT
    (Fancy the sucker paying for a hint freely available elsewhere!)
#
FRAGMENT OGRE.HINT
    Are you trying to do something about the ogre?_
#
TEXT
    Well, whatever weapon you eventually use against that meanie, I
    would suggest you do not get TOO close using it.
#
FRAGMENT SAFE.HINT
    Are you trying to work out how to open that safe?_
#
TEXT
    Well, as an honest, hard working sprite, I naturally would not know
    much about such things, but a friend of mine works in another game
    for Frobozz Magical Safe Company, and he reckons that, given the right
    skeleton key, no safe is ever really safe, keyhole or no keyhole.
#
TEXT E.P.N.S.TO.YOU.TOO
    And electro-plated nickel silver to you too!
#
TEXT DRAGON.VANQUISHED
    Congratulations! You have just vanquished a dragon with your bare
    hands! (Unbelievable, isn't it?)

#
TEXT increment TROLL.WANTS.TREASURE
    The troll steps out from beneath the bridge and blocks your 
    way[, growling "Whassa matter honcho, can't you read?"// with an air
    of infinite boredom/ in a bored sort of manner/].
#
TEXT FUNNY.NOT.CLEVER
    From beneath the bridge there sounds a muffled bellow of frustrated
    avarice. The troll stomps out, resumes his position by the end of
    the bridge, and glowers fiercely in your direction. "Very funny,"
    you hear him mutter, "but not very smart - you'll pay for that!"
#
TEXT FOOL.ME.ONCE
    The troll nimbly steps to one side and grins nastily as the nest of
    golden eggs flies past him and plummets into the chasm. "Fool me
    once, shame on you;  fool me twice, shame on me!" he sneers. "I want
    something a touch more substantial this time!"
#
TEXT BAD.ORDER
    What's the matter, can't you follow a simple rule? Now you'll have to
    start all over again...
#
TEXT increment LOOKS.GREASY
    [Well, what can I say? That oil just looks greasy. Pretty low
    quality, but you would not expect to find grade "A" stuff oozing
    out of a rock? Would you? Oh, all right, I should have known.../It
    looks greasy and really quite uninteresting.]
#
FRAGMENT PENTAGRAM.HINT
    What?! You mean to say you are baffled by a mere pentagram?_
#
TEXT
    In the olden days, practitioners of the Black Arts used pentagrams
    for confinement of demons and sundry nether spirits. And don't bother
    to ask me what a demon is - there are limits!
#
TEXT increment STARSTONE.IGNITES!
    As it falls, the starstone [is suddenly engulfed in a blinding
    conflagration of cold blue fire! The incandescence gradually subsides
    and when your eyes begin to function properly once again, you see the
    starstone on the ground, shining brightly with/ ignites with cold
    blue fire, which gradually subsides into] shimmering blue light.
#
FRAGMENT STARSTONE.LIGHTS.UP
    As it falls[// away], the starstone suddenly lights up with iridescent blue 
    glow![/ Then it/]
#
TEXT increment HELP.WILL.COST.YOU!
    [Yeah, well, I really can't see what you hoped to achieve by getting
    yourself lost in the forest. I can get you out, but it will cost
    you/Getting out of the forest the easy way costs] $ points.
#
FRAGMENT WANT.OUT?
    Do you really want help that badly?_
#
TEXT NO.DOOR
    The building may have had a proper door once, but if so, it is long
    gone. If you want to get #, why not just go #?
#
TEXT NOTHING.MORE.TO.READ
    There is nothing more on the # to read.
#
TEXT cycle TELL.ME.MORE
    [I can't work out what you mean by "#". If it's meant to be an
    abbreviation, it is too short to be unambiguous./There are at 
    least two words in my vocabulary starting with "#" and not being
    a mind reader, I cannot guess which of them you mean./What, "#"?
    You speak ambiguously./Sorry, I know at least two words beginning
    with "#". Could you be a bit more specific, perhaps?/I know more
    than one word starting with "#", and I am unsure which of them
    you have in mind.]
#
TEXT NO.OPEN.BAG
    Whatever for? If you are thinking of the vending machine, I should
    advise you that pieces of eight do not constitute a legal coinage.
#
TEXT BOTTLE.NO.STOPPER
    How? It has no stopper and you are out of corks.
#
TEXT CANT.SEARCH
    No such luck! It's you who'll be doing the searching in this game.
#
TEXT OWL.V.DRAGON
    You hear a flurry of wingbeats and sounds of a brief battle...

   +(rustle .. HOOT! .. hisss .. WHOOSH .. hoot? ... Chomp, Chomp...)

    [/And if I may say so, that was a serious mistake. You might as well
    wrap it up now.]
#
TEXT ABSOLUTELY.NOTHING
    With a deafening silence absolutely nothing happens.
#
TEXT increment JONAH.DEAD.END
    If you are trying to get beyond the stalactites, [I think /]you are
    wasting your time.[ Nobody has managed it yet. Perhaps it will become
    possible next time the cave gets renovated or extended.../]
#
TEXT PEA.SOUPER
    A real pea-souper. Dead easy to get lost in.
#
TEXT VOCAB.GENERAL
    Generally I understand commands in the form of "verb" or "verb noun", 
    such as for instance ENTER or LIGHT LAMP. If you use more words than two,
    I'll assume that you forgot to use punctuation and will do my
    best to work out how to split the command into two or more. There are
    some exceptions to this: if getting or dropping ALL or TREASURE, you
    can use EXCEPT (or BUT) like this: DROP ALL EXCEPT LAMP, BOTTLE AND KEYS.
   
    In practice this means that if you think that you need a command
    consisting of a verb and two nouns, for example PUT BIRD IN CAGE,
    you are definitely on the wrong track. Instead, you should trust me
    to do the right thing when you get it right. So if you are in a
    position to pick up the bird, I'll put it into the cage (if you
    have it and if the bird is amenable!) without being told to do so.

    The vocabulary display is split into several sections, of which this
    is the first. Others list specific categories of words, which I 
    understand. You can tell me to show you just one of these lists,
    rather than the whole lot, by specifying which list you want to
    see - e.g. VOCAB VERBS will only show you the bit relating to verbs,
    which is the one you should study most frequently and diligently.
#
TEXT VOCAB.VERBS
    The below verb list is not complete, but with the exception of magic
    formulae, it includes (but is not restricted to) all verbs you need 
    for the ultimate success. I've thrown in some words which are not
    strictly verbs, but you can use as such (e.g. EAST or TERSE). Some
    useful synonyms and abbreviations are given in brackets.

    east (e), north (n), northeast (ne), northwest (nw), south (s),
    southeast (se), southwest (sw), west (w), up (u), down (d)

    again (repeat, r), back (b, retreat), blast, break, brief, change, chew
    (bite), climb, close (lock), contemplate (meditate), credits (ack), cross,
    cut, dig, drink, drop (dr, free, release), dwarvish, eat, english, enter
    (in), exit (out), extinguish (off), feed, fill, fly, go (walk, run,
    follow), get (g, take, t), give (offer), help (?), history, hit, hoot,
    info, instructions (intro), inventory (i), jump, kick, kill, knock, lift,
    light (on), listen, look (l, examine, x), memorize (remember), open
    (unlock), play, pour, quit (q, cancel, abort), read, recall, redo,
    reflect, remove, rest (wait), restore, ride, roll, rub (polish),
    save, say, score (sc), scream, scry, sip (taste), tame (placate), terse,
    throw (th), translate, undo, unroll, upstream, verbose, vocabulary, wash,
    wave (swing), wear.
#
FRAGMENT VOCAB.NOUNS
    The below list of nouns is largely confined to things 
    and beings which you have already encountered in the game, and 
    to which you can sensibly refer, and may (or may not) be able to
    manipulate. For your convenience I include the three generic nouns
    ALL, IT and TREASURE, and some ubiquitous adventuring items even 
    though you may not have seen them yet. Here's the current list:

    all (everything), it, treasure (tr, valuables),_
#
FRAGMENT BOOK.VOC
    book (codex)
#
FRAGMENT BOWL.VOC
    bowl (rosebowl)
#
FRAGMENT BOX.VOC
    box (delight, turkish-delight)
#
FRAGMENT CHEST.VOC
    chest (treasure)
#
FRAGMENT DWARF.VOC
    dwarf (dwarves)
#
FRAGMENT EGGS.VOC
    eggs (nest)
#
FRAGMENT GOLD.VOC
    gold (nugget)
#
FRAGMENT INSCRIPTION.VOC
    inscription (pattern, design)
#
FRAGMENT MACHINE.VOC
    machine (vending)
#
FRAGMENT MAGAZINE.VOC
    magazine (Spelunker)
#
FRAGMENT MUSTAFA.VOC
    Mustafa (gentleman)
#
FRAGMENT OPALS.VOC
    opals (casket)
#
FRAGMENT ORB.VOC
    orb (globe)
#
FRAGMENT PACKET.VOC
    packet (fertilizer)
#
FRAGMENT PLANT.VOC
    plant (beanstalk)
#
FRAGMENT POTTERY.VOC
    pottery (shards)
#
FRAGMENT ROSE.VOC
    windrose (rose)
#
FRAGMENT SHOES.VOC
    shoes (mud-shoes)
#
FRAGMENT SILVER.VOC
    silver (bars)
#
TEXT VOCAB.TRAVEL
    In order to travel, use directions and travel options.

    Directions: north (n), northeast (ne), east (e), southeast (se),
    south (s), southwest (sw), west (w), northwest (nw),
    up (u) and down (d)

    Generally speaking, above ground you can move in any direction
    not specifically excluded by the description (though whether you
    would always wish to do so is another matter). In the cave, the
    reverse is true - mostly the only exits available are those mentioned
    in the description of the location. Though there are exceptions.

    You can if you like keep typing commands like GO NORTH, but you can
    drop the GO - just NORTH (or simply N) will do just as well.

    Travel options are special words, like BUILDING, which allow you
    to travel some distance in one move. Naturally, they only work in
    a few restricted places. Just where, you will have to discover for
    yourself.

    Travel options: barren, bedquilt, building, depression, fork, pit, 
    secret, view, ... I am myself unsure of the complete list. 
    There may be others.
#
TEXT VOCAB.SCREEN
    There are several commands affecting screen display, though please 
    note that these have no effect at all unless the game is being played
    in a console window (a.k.a. a terminal emulator).

    screen (depth, scroll) followed by a number, specifies the number
    of text lines in your screen (or window) -- the default value is 24,
    the minimal value is 4.

    length (line, width) followed by a number, specifies the width
    of the screen (or window) in characters -- default 80, minimal value 16.

    margin (offset) followed by a number, specifies the number of blank
    characters to be left at either side of the displayed 
    text -- the default margin is 1.

    justify toggles on and off the right margin justification of the 
    displayed text -- the default is no justification.

    All of these options, and some others too, can be specified in the
    command which invokes the game, or in the A-code configuration file.
    See the README file for details.
#
TEXT HELLO.SAILOR
    Hello, sailor! What are you doing in THIS game?!
#
TEXT IVE.CROSSED
    Ok. Things don't look any different from this side. Can't think why
    you bothered - it's only a little brook.
#
TEXT STREAM.CROSSED
    Ok, you are now on the other side of the stream. It makes no
    difference worth mentioning.
#
TEXT cycle HEAR.NOTHING
    [Can't hear anything unusual. Can you?/It's so quiet here, it is
    positively spooky./There is nothing to be heard, except for an
    occasional distant drip of water from somewhere./Ah, that sound of
    silence, so different underground from silence anywhere else!]
#
TEXT HEAR.MUSIC
    I dare say such expressions of artistic sensitivity do you credit,
    but passing your time listening to the # does not actually score
    any points.
#
TEXT EERIE.AINT.IT?
    Eerie, isn't it?
#
TEXT NOT.IN.THIS.NOISE!
    In this noise?! You jest.
#
TEXT ROARING.WIND
    All sounds are drowned by the roar of the hot wind blowing
    out of the cave in the cliff.
#
TEXT DISTANT.WIND.ROAR
    To the east, you can hear a muffled roar of wind issuing from
    the mouth of cave in the cliff.
#
TEXT WHISTLING.SAND
    The swirling wind makes more or less constant hissing noise
    as it shifts the dark sand about.
#
TEXT WHISTLING.WIND
    Unceasing gusts of wind make an eerie sound, as if of air rubbing
    against air.
#
TEXT NO.LISTENING
    This is no time to listen! Better start contemplating your life
    expectancy while you still have any.
#
TEXT BIRDIES.SING
    Birds sing, wind sighs, insects buzz - what else do you expect on
    a sunny day like this?
#
FRAGMENT SOOTHING.WAVES
    The rhythmic sound of gentle sea-waves is very relaxing and
    positively hypnotic.
#
TEXT HOMER
   / Some people find that it reminds them of the cadence of
    Homer's hexameters and it has been suggested that the blind
    poet may have been listening to the sound of sea waves as he
    composed his epics.  (Who said adventuring wasn't educational?)
#
TEXT RUSHING.STREAM
    All you can hear is the noise of the rushing stream.
#
FRAGMENT BAD.ALL.1
    What, #
#
TEXT BAD.ALL.2
   / #, just like that? That's a pretty cavalier way of doing
    things! How about trying to be a bit less wholesale?
#
TEXT FANCY.THAT
    Really? Well, fancy that!
#
TEXT CRYSTAL.BRIDGE
    A [mournful/joyous] chord reverberates through the air
    as [the/a] crystal bridge [spanning/materialises over] the
    fissure[ fades away./!]
#
TEXT increment IT.PLAYS.A.TUNE
    [Each of your steps over the crystal bridge calls forth a cluster of
    glass-like tones, marking your progress with a dis-harmonious, yet
    strangely beautiful cascade of sound./You cross the crystal bridge
    to the accompaniment of glass-like sound./
    You tinkle your way across the crystal bridge.]

#
FRAGMENT YOU.DO
    You #
#
TEXT assigned IT.IS
   / [the/a/an] #.
#
FRAGMENT IT.IS...
   / the #
#
TEXT YOU.FREE
    You free the #.
#
TEXT BOUGHT.BATTERIES
    You drop the coins into the coin slot. The machine comes to life
    and after some clicking and clanking reluctantly disgorges some
    fresh batteries.
#
TEXT YOU.CATCH.BIRD
    You catch the bird and put it into the cage.
#
TEXT RATS.HERE

    [//There is some *thing* swimming in the sewage!/
    You feel a vicious bite on the ankle from something in the sewage!/
    A large black sewer rat eyes you hungrily from the edge of the sewage,
    then slips below the surface............./
    There are sewer rats all around you, their eyes glinting in the
    lamp light./
    You feel several bites on your legs. You try to protect them, but more
    rats sink their teeth into your arms, then one leaps from the sewage
    and hangs onto your ear, weighing you down, now they are at your
    throat............./]
#
TEXT increment EASY.TO.SAY
    [Easier said than done!/By all means, just tell me how./OK, but
    tell me how.]
#
TEXT RATS.MIGHT.EAT.YOU
    Philanthropy is thoroughly out of place here! If you are not jolly
    careful, feeding rats is exactly what you'll be doing pretty soon.
#
FRAGMENT BIRD.HOPS.OUT
    The little bird flies out of the cage
#
FRAGMENT cycle DUNNO.HAO
    [Sorry,/I'm afraid/Regrettably,/Alas!/I have to confess that/Believe
    it or not,/I am ashamed to admit that/Unfortunately,/I am sorry, 
    but/My apologies, but] I don't know how to "#
#
TEXT SUCH.A.THING
   / #".
#
TEXT random WELL.THERE.IT.IS
    [Oh/Ah/I should have known/I see/Is that so/Well fancy that].
#
TEXT WEST.WILL.DO
    By the way, you don't have to keep saying "# west" and such like.
    Just WEST (or W), NORTHWEST (or NW) etc. will do.

    Now then, where were we...
#
TEXT SCATTER.TEETH
    You scatter the dragon's teeth on the ground.
#
TEXT PENTAGRAM.INFO
    A bit worn by generations of adventurers, but I guess still quite usable.
#
FRAGMENT STATUE.HINT.2
    Baffled as to what the 'proper tool' might be?_
#
TEXT
    Oh, all right!... Consider, in what other context does the word 'tool'
    occur in the cave. I really can't be more explicit than that.
#
TEXT CAGE.WITH.BIRD
   / the cage with the bird in it.
#
TEXT NO.PLURAL.PLEASE
    Now, let's not get too ambitious - one at a time, please.
#
TEXT random PARDON?
    [Pardon/Sorry/Eh]?
#
FRAGMENT BASILISK.HINT
    Unsure how to avoid getting stoned?_
#
TEXT
    Salvation may lie in hard work.
#
TEXT random DONT.MENTION.IT
    [That's ok, don't mention it../Pleased to be of assistance/
    My pleasure/Any time/You are welcome/Glad to be of service].
#
TEXT YOU.HOOT
    Your hoot echoes in the distance, but otherwise nothing happens.
#
TEXT BLOB.CHASES

    [///From somewhere in the distance comes an ominous bubbling sound./
    The bubbling sound grows louder./
    The bubbling sound ends with a loud \>splash\<./
    A hollow, echoing \>ROAR\< sounds in the distance.//
    A strange throbbing sound can be heard in the distance.//
    The throbbing sound is growing louder.//
    The source of the throbbing sound is approaching quickly. Another
    hollow \>ROAR\< echoes through the cave.//
    There is a loud \>ROAR\< only a short distance away!!//
    Into view there bounces a horrible creature!! Six feet across, it
    resembles a large blob of translucent white jelly;  although it looks
    massive, it is bouncing lightly up and down as though it were as light
    as a feather. It is emitting a constant throbbing sound, and it
    \>ROAR\<s loudly as it sees you./
    There is an immense and unfriendly-looking blob in the room with you!/
    The blob \>ROAR\<s triumphantly and bounces straight at you with amazing
    speed, crushing you to the ground and cutting off your air supply
    with its body. You quickly suffocate.]

#
TEXT increment CHANTING.SOUND
    You pause to listen to the strange sound effects of this place,
    [perhaps hoping to catch the words of some fleeting echo of a spell or
    cantrip. But if there really anything useful to hear here, which I
    doubt, it is drowned be the soft, all-pervasive sound of chanting,
    which seems to emanate from deep underground. The chanting itself
    is really just an intricate pattern of voices, with no
    distinguishable words to it/but there is nothing useful to be heard].

#
TEXT SLIME.EATS
    The slime look rather evil, so you prudently avoid getting near it
    and toss the food from a distance. It gets caught in the sticky
    tendrils, and virtually melts right in front of your eyes until
    nothing is left at all. Far from being satisfied, the slime is now
    twitching even more energetically, presumably anticipating a much
    bigger meal to yet to come.
#
TEXT increment NO.FILL.BOWL
    The bowl was never intended to hold water, as the drain holes
    around its bottom suggest.[ The idea was that you put a humbler,
    earthenware or glass bowl with water and flowers, inside the
    silver one. Not that this observation is of any use to you./]
#
TEXT cycle LOOK.AROUND
    [Exits they want! How about looking around and noting what
    exits there are? Sounds simple enough to me.../Just look around and
    see what exits there are. Or did you expect some pre-digested summary
    of exits and locations to which they lead? Sorry... This is a quality,
    hand-crafted game, not some common MUD!/Exits in this game are
    generally easy to observe, so please trouble yourself to do some
    observing! How? Just look around and *read* what the description says.]
#
TEXT increment GO.ANYWHERE
    [Misty as it is, there don't seem to be any obstacles to moving in
    any direction you like to pick. Well, all right, not quite true - this
    place is pretty flat, so I suppose 'up' and 'down' are unlikely to
    be of much use/You can go pretty much any direction you like, I guess].
#
TEXT NO.FIX.RUG
    Repairing Persian rugs is not something you can sensibly 
    undertake[, but it might be a good idea to clean it up a bit/].
#
TEXT ITS.A.CEILING
    [You are outdoors. As the song says, "above you only sky" - yes?/
    As I've already indicated, the ceiling is made of large wooden beams./
    The ceiling is a natural high vault, just possibly slightly improved
    by somebody's hand./
    There is a huge hole up there left by the fallen slab of stone./
    The ceiling is probably up there somewhere, but your lamp isn't
    powerful enough to reach that far./
    The ceiling is almost completely covered with moss./
    The only interesting thing about the ceiling is the dark fissure,
    which allows the mist to escape upwards./
    The glow emitted by the vaulted ceiling makes it impossible to
    make out its details./
    The ceiling is golden, just like the walls./
    The ceiling is just a natural high vault./
    The ceiling is low and rough, reinforcing the cramped,
    claustrophobic feel of this small room./
    Even for a natural cave ceiling, this one is remarkably irregular./
    Like the walls, the ceiling of this place is made from
    translucent ice, which diffuses the light of your lamp./
    The ceiling is too high up to make out any details./
    The ceiling is solid rock, which appears to be wet in some places./
    There is nothing remarkable about the ceiling, save for the
    counterweights suspended from it./
    You can't make the ceiling out from down here./
    The ceiling looks like ancient wooden planks laid over even more ancient
    massive dark beams./
    The ceiling is almost entirely covered by huge dusty cobwebs./
    The ceiling is a very simple, unpretentious vault, which is none the less
    attractive in the purity of its lines./
    All you see is just a rough, natural stone ceiling./
    There must be a ceiling somewhere up there, but despite
    the illumination provided by the volcano, you can't make it
    out from here.]
#
TEXT increment  BUILDING.ROOF
    [Well spotted! The building does indeed have a roof. Most buildings
    do, in my experience, and most of them are singularly dull. This 
    particular one is no exception/It's a roof. There's nothing
    on it]. I suggest we ignore it.
#
TEXT increment HOUSE.BRICKS
    [As one might expect, brick walls consist of bricks. And bricks are
    sometimes loose and may even be removed or pushed or pulled,
    revealing secret niches, or causing hidden doors to open, or
    triggering hidden crossbows to shoot poison arrows at hapless
    adventurers. All that is indeed possible, but it so happens that
    this particular brickwork conceals no such tricks. Sorry/It's
    just bricks. Leave them alone].
#
TEXT increment BUILDING.WALL
    The walls of the building are made of bricks. Nothing remarkable
    about this, for a brick building.[ Not a bad piece of brickwork, as
    it happens./]
#
TEXT FOREST.ALL.AROUND
    The forest is all around you, so better tell me the direction
    you wish to go.
#
TEXT increment PATH.INFO
    It's a well trodden path, which suggests that many adventurers
    have found it useful.[ Perhaps you should follow it?/]
#
TEXT GENERIC.UNDERGROWTH
    Just generic forest undergrowth. Mere scenery.
#
TEXT increment A.TREE.IS.A.TREE
    As far as I am concerned, a tree is a tree
    is a tree.[ I am not an elf to be passionately interested in arboreal
    matters, and neither are you. So let's just observe that forests
    are often full of generic trees and leave it at that./]
#
TEXT FOREST.SCENERY
    Looking [up through the forest canopy you can see
    that the sky is still bright and blue/down you note that
    the forest floor is largely covered by old leaves].
#
TEXT TOO.YOUNG
    The birch and ash saplings around here are too young to support
    your weight.
#
TEXT increment BLUE.SKY
    You look up and[/ once again] observe that the cloudless sky is a
    lovely blue colour.
#
TEXT increment DELICATE.STRUCTURE
    An exquisitely delicate structure. [Looks like Bohemian crystal,
    but you never know nowadays, it might be plastic. I dare say it
    is/Probably] safe enough, just don't stomp too hard.
#
TEXT increment RICKETY.AFFAIR
    The bridge is a rickety contraption, quite likely to collapse one
    of these days.[ I guess the troll is just too mean to have it fixed./]
#
TEXT BRIDGE.IS.GONE
    Whatever's left of the bridge is at the bottom of the chasm. I am not
    climbing down there just to satisfy your curiosity.
#
TEXT NOTHING.SPECIAL
    There is nothing special about the #.
#
TEXT SEWAGE.H20.BAD
    [I'm afraid that all that's available here is sewage... you'd better
    try elsewhere./If you have in mind using sewage as a fertilizer, it is
    regrettably my duty to advise you that around here sewage is no good
    for plants. However, you do seem to be thinking along the right lines!]    

#
TEXT INDIGNANT.BIRD
    The thump from [below/above] is followed by a loud and highly
    indignant series of chirps. I suspect it's just as well that
    I don't understand any of it!
#
FRAGMENT THE.IT
    The #
#
TEXT cycle JUST.A.FIXTURE
    The #? Just a fixture of no [particular/intrinsic/special] significance,
    I [regret/am sorry] to say.
#
TEXT COLD.ASHES
    The ashes are quite cold. Except for that curious indentation, there
    is nothing remarkable about them.
#
TEXT NEED.RAGS
    You have nothing suitable for #ing the plate.
#
TEXT FRAGILE.ARCH
    It arches gracefully over the lava gorge, which bubbles and spits
    below. The near section looks a bit fragile, but probably solid enough
    to support your weight. As for the rest of it... who knows? The
    top of the arch is shrouded in fumes and the further end is too
    distorted by the intervening mass of hot air to be able to make out
    any details.
#
TEXT DISTANT.STREAMBED
    The bottom of the streambed is shrouded in darkness and the way down
    looks very treacherous indeed.
#
TEXT CLIMBING.OUT.RISKY
    Climbing out of windows can be very dangerous. In this game it is also
    quite pointless.
#
TEXT FOREST.TOO.DENSE
    The forest in that direction is too dense to fight your way through.
#
TEXT DWARF.GONE
     The dwar[/f has/ves have] vanished!
#
TEXT NO.DISARM.DWARF
     You make a wild grab for [/the/a] dwarf's knife, but naturally
     enough, all that happens is that you are forced to retreat from
     the slashing blade.
#
TEXT VOLCANO.SIGHT
     An awesome sight. No purple prose can do it real justice.
#
TEXT MOLTEN.LAVA
     Streams and fountains of molten lava bubble and explode in spectacular
     showers of glowing debris.
#
TEXT LAVA.GLOWS
     The molten lava glows in a whole range of colours, from the deepest
     red, through bight orange, to incandescent white.
#
TEXT YOU.REST
    [You settle yourself down for a bit of rest, but soon realize that
    this is getting you nowhere, and get up again./
    _for a while...]
#
TEXT NOT.QUITE
    For a brief moment you have a feeling that something might happen,
    but then, nothing does.
#
TEXT assigned VALUATION.RESULT

    +"THE OBJECT [HAD BEEN/WAS][// MARGINALLY/ NOT// NEITHER] VALUABLE[/// BUT/ AND/ NOR][/// USEFUL]"
#
TEXT increment INSUBSTANTIAL.LETTERS
    [You attempt to {ARG1} the glowing letters, only to discover that
    there is nothing to {ARG1}. The lettering hanging in mid-air would
    seem to be just some magical illusion/No good. The glowing letters 
    are entirely insubstantial/I won't even bother to try].
#
TEXT increment ALARM.OUT.OF.REACH
    It's too high for you to reach. [And before you waste any time
    on trying to reach it anyway, let me advise you quite plainly that
    it will stay out of reach whatever you do. Tampering with safety
    equipment is not something this game aims to encourage./And no, you
    can't reach it by standing on things and such-like. So don't even
    bother to try./AND WILL REMAIN SO!/(Some people just don't take a
    hint...)/Permanently.]
#
TEXT increment HOUSE.CEILING
    [Seen from the inside, the wellhouse roof is really its ceiling, 
    no? There's nothing remarkable about the ceiling. No elaborate 
    supporting structures and no decorations - not even spider 
    webs. /]It looks to be in a good enough repair and nothing for you
    to worry about.
#
TEXT GIANTS.PICNIC
    Not far from the edge of the cliff the giant is having a celebratory
    picnic. To his right is a vast heap of sandwiches, to his left 
    a barrelful of caviar and a whole pile of other goodies. Some flat,
    gaudily coloured rectangular boxes spill from the pile towards 
    the cliff edge. An enormous crate of champagne is carefully 
    positioned in the shadow of a bush.
#
TEXT PUT.IN.NICHE
    You drop the # into the niche.
#
TEXT TUSK.IN.NICHE
    With a bit of a struggle you manage to stuff the tusk into the niche.
#
TEXT CAGED.BIRD.IN.NICHE
    You drop the cage, and the bird in it, into the niche.
#
TEXT NO.VALUE.BIRD
    You take the bird out of the cage and put it into the niche. The bird
    promptly flies out, lands on the floor and begins to sing.
#
TEXT VASE.IN.NICHE
    You carefully drop the vase into the niche and it delicately shatters
    into tiny fragments.
#
TEXT STARSTONE.IN.NICHE
    You drop the starstone into the niche. It emits a short flash of
    blue light and for a brief moment becomes curiously unfocused.
#
TEXT STARSTONE2.IN.NICHE
    You drop the starstone into the niche, and it suddenly lights up with
    iridescent blue glow.
#
TEXT assigned VALUATION.OUTCOME
    [/ruffled little bird hops out and flies off, chirping angrily,
    and a] large sign lights up briefly on the wall above, saying
#
FRAGMENT increment VALUATION.IN.PROGRESS

    [As you step back, a dark shiny cover slides noiselessly out of the wall
    and closes the niche off. From behind it you can hear intermittent
    buzzing, hissing and whirring noises, occasionally accompanied by
    showers of sparks, dimly visible through the somewhat transparent
    cover. After a while the sounds stop and the cover snaps open releasing
    a strong smell of ozone and revealing the empty inside of the niche. A/
    The cover slides out of the wall and the niche goes through its buzzing,
    hissing and whirring routine. When the cover finally snaps open, a]
    {VALUATION.OUTCOME}
#
TEXT HUH?
    Huh?...
#
TEXT cycle CRYING.NO.HELP
    Now, now... [No need to take things personally./Real adventurers don't
    cry, you know./Crying isn't going to solve any problems./Bursting into
    tears never helped anybody... Well, almost never... Oh, OK,  
    there are exceptions, I suppose. But not around here!]
#
TEXT NO.VALUE.SELF
    You are too big to fit in. In any case, don't you know your own
    worth?
#
TEXT DEEP.NICHE
    The niche is lit in some manner, although you cannot determine how.
    It is looks large enough to take almost any object you might wish to drop
    in there. Curiously enough, while there is plenty of dust all around,
    none has accumulated in the niche itself.
#
TEXT increment RUG.DOESNT.FIT
    [The rug is just too large and won't fit into the niche. You
    huff and puff trying to force it in, this way and that way, but
    it is no use. Finally you give up and in doing so, suddenly notice
    a discrete brass bell-pull on the wall right next to the niche./
    You've already tried that, remember? The rug didn't fit in the niche
    the last time, and you don't have to be a genius to
    realise that this means it won't fit this time either.]
#
TEXT BACK.TO.DUNGEON
    You wriggle through the narrow hole up into the dungeon.

#
FRAGMENT SNAKE.HINT.2
    Are you still trying to get past the snake?_
#
TEXT
    Well, it may be just a matter of emphasis. I said "You can't drive the
    snake away...", remember? You probably assumed I meant "You CAN'T".
    Suppose it was "YOU can't"? Does it not suggest an alternative line
    of thought? It doesn't? Oh, don't tell me, let me guess - you've
    never met a thought before and are really just an expert Klingon
    basher! Well, I suppose it takes all kinds...
#
TEXT SOMETHING.DROPS
    You have the strange sensation of something quietly wriggling out
    of your hand...

#
TEXT BUMP.NOSE
    You bump your nose against a wall.
#
TEXT STOP.PISSING.ABOUT

    All this exploring of dark places is doubtless very romantic, but that
    unicorn won't wait forever, you know.
#
TEXT UNICORN.DEPARTS
    You bump your nose against a wall... again. As you rub it, swearing
    under your breath, you suddenly hear a quick staccato of hoofs
    somewhere in the distance. The sound quickly dies away, leaving
    you with an uneasy feeling that you've just blown your chances of
    becoming an Adventurer Grandmaster.

    Well, don't tell me I didn't warn you.
#
TEXT increment WELLHOUSE.YOU.DUMMY
    [No, no... a misunderstanding. "W/I repeat: a "w]ell house" does not
    imply a "well". It just means that the spring wells out within the
    house.[ There is no well to be seen here./]
#
TEXT SPRING.IS.WATER
    I really don't know what you are getting at. The spring is a source
    of water. Nothing more to it. If you want to get into the cave, I
    suggest you look elsewhere.
#
TEXT NOT.GOING.ANYWHERE
    The # is not going anywhere.
#
TEXT increment WATER.IS.FOR.DRINKING
    Water in this dungeon is provided primarily for quenching 
    thirst.[ It does, of course, have other points, e.g. in its decorative
    value or as a natural obstacle to bar your progress in
    strategically chosen places./]
#
TEXT ITS.A.PLANT
    Looks like a [stunted/pretty common/large] fairy beanstalk to me.
#
TEXT ITS.A.BEANSTALK
    It is a [stunted/very large/gigantic] fairy beanstalk.
#
TEXT PLANT.GROWN
   /. The plant spurts into furious growth for a few seconds.
#
TEXT PLANT.GIGANTIC
   /. The plant grows explosively, almost filling the bottom of the pit.
#
TEXT PLANT.SHRIVELS
   /. You've over-watered the plant! It's shrivelling up! It's, it's...
#
TEXT BEANSTALK.GROWN
    You [empty the bucket of manure/open the packet and scatter its
    contents] under the beanstalk[ and as it/. As the powder] melts
    into the damp ground, the beanstalk spurts into
    furious growth for a short while.
#
TEXT BEANSTALK.GIGANTIC
    You [empty the bucket of manure/open the packet and scatter its
    contents] under the beanstalk[ and it/. The powder] is visibly
    sucked into the damp soil as the beanstalk resumes its 
    helter-skelter growth. After a while it slows down
    and then stops with a satisfied belch.
#
TEXT increment BEANSTALK.NOT.THIRSTY
    [I take it you are no gardener... With all that damp ground
    around the beanstalk, I shouldn't need to tell you that
    water is not what is required here/There's plenty of moisture in
    the soil around the beanstalk - no need to add any more].
#
TEXT increment PLANT.NOT.HUNGRY
    [With all the minerals available to it around here, the plant
    does not need feeding. If it needs anything, it's water./
    This plant is in no need of fertilizer.]
#
TEXT ITS.TOO.SMALL
    The # is far too small to support your weight.
#
TEXT SNEAKY.CRUNCH
    As you creep about in the dark, you incautiously stumble over a rock
    outcrop and with an almighty
   +           \>\>\>\>\>CRUNCH\<\<\<\<\<
   split your head on a conveniently positioned sharp stone.
#
TEXT increment NOWHERE.MIST
    [Well, not mist, really. J/It is j]ust a thin, pearly sort of gauze. 
    [It's only here/Its sole purpose is] to make the description a bit 
    more atmospheric.
#
TEXT CURTAINED.WALLS
    You can't see the walls - they are covered by the curtains.
#
TEXT CURTAINS.FIXED
    The curtains are fixed near the ceiling and cannot be opened, but
    passage through may be possible, if there are any openings behind.
#
TEXT NO.OPEN.CURTAINS
    The curtains are fixed somewhere above the other side of the opening,
    but will, probably, permit passage.
#
TEXT increment NO.WALLS
    [As could be plainly inferred from the description by anybody with
    even a very modest amount of intelligence, this strange place has
    no such conventional features as walls. Before you ask, no, it
    has no floor, ceiling, doors or windows either. I hope, the
    fact does not come as a great surprise/There aren't any walls here].
#
TEXT increment SEALED.FLASK.INFO
    It is a small earthenware flask, sealed with red wax. The seal is worn
    with time, but if you look carefully, you can still make out the shape
    of the Solomon's Seal imprinted into it.[ Or rather, you could if you
    knew what a Solomon's Seal was, which, in the circumstances, might be
    advisable./]
#
TEXT DOWN.THE.SHAFT
   / reside[s/] momentarily on the slippery surface, then slide[s/] down
    the shaft and disappear[s/].
#
TEXT DOWN.THE.DSHAFT
   / reside[s/] momentarily on the sloping surface, then slide[s/] down
    the drain and disappear[s/].
#
TEXT NO.CAP
    How? The seal is broken and you have no cap to fit.
#
TEXT cycle INSAFE.INFO
    The inside of the safe is completely featureless.[ Look as you might,
    you are not going to discover anything of interest./]
#
TEXT KEBAB

    Hmmm... The word "kebab" spring unbidden to one's mind.
#
TEXT DOOR.NOTICE
    The notice still says "%DWARVES STORES - NO ACCESS%".
#
TEXT REMOVE.IT.FIRST
    You'd have to remove the # first.
#
TEXT WHISPERS.STOP
    You take the crown off.... and the whispering sound fades away.
#
TEXT VOICES.STOP
    You remove the crown and the voices stop.
#
TEXT CHANTING.STOPS
    You remove the crown and are greatly relieved to find that the
    chanting stops.
#
TEXT ROAR.STOPS
    You snatch the crown off your head. Your ears still ring for a
    while with the echo of the roar, but the sound itself is gone.
#
TEXT JUST.IN.TIME
    You tear the crown off your head - none too soon I would say - and
    spend a while just sitting on the floor, fighting nausea and trying
    to forget the frightening impact of the roaring chant. Finally you
    get up, a bit shakily perhaps, ready to continue your explorations.
#
TEXT CROWN.SOFT
    You strain your ears...
#
TEXT CROWN.LOUD
    You pause and listen...
#
TEXT DEBRIS.NOTE
    The note still says "Magic word XYZZY". What did you expect?
#
TEXT NUGGET.ROOM.NOTE
    The note says the same as before: "[You/Ok, YOU] won't get[ it/] up
    the steps[/!]". Too true, if you ask me.
#
TEXT VALUERS.NOTE
    The sign still says "Drop your objects here for a free valuation".
#
TEXT FLAGSTONE.INFO
    The large flagstones covering the floor look old and pretty solid.
    They fit tightly together, [but/=/the] one [seems to rock a bit
    under your probing hand/has been shifted aside, revealing a narrow
    dark hole in the floor/in the corner showing signs of being recently
    re-fitted into its place].
#
TEXT VOICES

    You suddenly realise that the voices are gone.
#
TEXT

    You can hear a soft whispering sound somewhere nearby.
#
TEXT

    A whispering sound wafts around you.
#
TEXT

    A sound like that of several whispering voices seems to be lingering
    in the air.
#
TEXT

    Soft voices seem to whisper something quietly into your ears.
#
TEXT

    Whispering voices swirl about you. If you listen carefully, you could
    almost make out some words...
#
TEXT

    You are surrounded by the sound of murmuring voices. All you can
    make out is "... the keys......... the keys......... the keys....".
#
TEXT

    A chorus of soft voices murmurs into your ears
   /         "... four....... four....... four....... four..."
#
TEXT

    A soft voice startles you by saying very clearly and distinctly

   /         "Of the keys, there are FOUR..."
#
TEXT

    One of the voices begins to chant

   /         "Blerbi, Blerbi, Blerbi...."
#
TEXT

    The first voice gets gradually louder and is soon joined by another,
    chanting

   /         "Klaetu, Klaetu, Klaetu..."
#
TEXT

    Now three ghostly voices clamour in your ears chanting:

   /       Blerbi      KNERL   KNERL
   /   Klaetu   KNERL    Blerbi      Blerbi     Klaetu
   /       KNERL      Klaetu     Blerbi      Klaetu      KNERL
   /          Blerbi          KNERL

    Strangely enough, your hearing is not at all affected by the ghostly
    din.
#
TEXT

    As the chanting becomes louder and louder, a fourth voice can be heard
    in the chaotic chant:

   /          SNOEZE     SNOEZE...
   /             SNOEZE

#
TEXT

    You are surrounded by a chaos of disembodied voices chanting

   /        KNERL     SNOEZE     BLERBI     KNERL
   /      KLAETU          SNOEZE      BLERBI       BLERBI
   / KNERL      SNOEZE      BLERBI      KLAETU
   /     BLERBI           KNERL         SNOEZE
   /          KLAETU    KLAETU    SNOEZE        BLERBI
   /     KLAETU      SNOEZE            KNERL

#
TEXT

    The chant is swiftly turning into a disturbingly loud roar and it
    is beginning to be difficult to distinguish the individual words.
    You try to block your ears, but it is no good, the sound is really
    in your mind.
#
TEXT

    The ghostly chanting is rapidly becoming intolerably loud. It is no
    longer possible to distinguish in it any words, but its shifting
    rhythm beats against your mind with the ferocity of a hurricane.
#
TEXT

    You feel surrounded by a roaring sea of sounds, rippling with 
    cross-beats and crescendos of the chant. The volume is increasing
    steadily and you can feel your sanity wavering under the assault
    of the sound.
#
TEXT

    The roar of voices in your head raises to an impossible crescendo.
    In the last flash of sanity, you attempt to claw the crown off your
    head, but it is too late - the darkness envelops you as your mind
    is torn to shreds by the triumphant voices, swirling in for the kill.
#
TEXT increment ITS.A.WINDOW
    It's a window - a hole in the wall[, if you pardon such a vulgar,
    though apt, description. No glazing. Civilisation has not 
    reached this far yet./. No glass.]
#
TEXT NO.GLASS
    The window is just a hole in the wall. There is nothing in it to #.
#
TEXT SPLASHING.NOISES
    You pause for a while and listen to the [//distant ]splashing 
    sounds[/ of water falling into the swamp].
#
TEXT increment HOUSE.INFO
    [It's no architectural miracle - just/The house is] a simple brick
    structure with no windows, serving as a well house for a large spring.
#
TEXT SLAB.INFO
    A massive hunk of stone. Nothing particularly special about it.
#
TEXT HEELPRINT.INFO
    You examine the heelprint-like indentation and find nothing of interest.
#
TEXT YOU.HIT.NOTHING
    You flail about wildly with your #, but hit nothing.
#
FRAGMENT YOU.WAVE
    You wave your hand in the air.
#
TEXT NO.ONE.WAVES.BACK
   / Nobody waves back. Amazing, isn't it?
#
TEXT THIS.WAY.OUT
    There's no actual "#" here. Just an insubstantial illusion of glowing 
    letters hanging in mid-air. They spell out the words "This way out",
    just as they have been doing all along.
#
TEXT NO.KILL.DARWIN
    Darwin blinks in surprise, but being used to all sorts of customers
    simply blows a few bubbles and sinks back into the depths of the lake.
#
TEXT MAZE.HELP.OFFER
    Well, this is strictly against the rules, but if you are really desperate
    I can get you out of here. It'll cost you, of course. The standard charge
    is $ points anyway, but on top of that you'd have to leave here any
    valuables you happen to carry.

#
TEXT MAZE.HELP.NO.OFFER
    Sorry, you are an experienced enough player to be able to find your own
    way round mazes.
#
TEXT increment CLEAN.NOW
    [You splash some water on your face and discover that it is not really
    all that cold. Somewhat encouraged, you strip off and climb into the
    stream. (Don't worry, I am not looking - I know this bit by heart).
    Curiously enough, the water now feels quite warm and a bit soapy. You
    scrub yourself and give your possessions a proper rinse. As
    you climb out again, a hot breeze springs out of nowhere 
    and quickly dries you off. You put on your clothes,
    also quite dry by now, and feel cleaner than you have been for 
    ages. Magic, ain't it?

    OK, that's better. I think it is now safe to venture back into
    the cave./
    You wash yourself and your possessions in the stream.]
#
TEXT IN.THIS.MUCK?
    In case you haven't noticed, you are wading through some pretty mucky
    sewage. If you are trying to catch cholera, I can assure you there are
    much quicker ways of committing suicide around here.
#
TEXT CLEAN.ENOUGH
    You splash some water on your face, but it is bitterly cold and you
    quickly decide that you are quite clean enough as you are.
#
TEXT increment NO.WASTE.WATER
    Personal hygiene is all very well, but [only a B-movie adventurer
    would be daft enough to waste his meagre water supply for the sake 
    of appearances/a real adventurer should know not to waste water
    without real need].
#
TEXT NOTHING.TO.WASH.WITH
    There is nothing here suitable for washing i[n/t].
#
FRAGMENT SEWER.HINT
    Bored with wandering around here?_
#
TEXT
    Well, I do confess I have been leading you round in circles. For
    your own protection really, otherwise the dwarves might object rather
    strongly, as you must realise, given your recent circumstances. 
    They have been known to take some pretty drastic measures on past
    occasions.
#
FRAGMENT SEWER.HINT.2
    Still don't know how to remedy the situation?_
#
TEXT
    Ever wondered why most normal people avoid wading through sewers?
    No? Perhaps you should.
#
TEXT WHATEVER.FOR?
    Whatever for? There's no profit in that.
#
TEXT RAGS.DIRTY
    Don't bother. Nothing in the world is going to make those tatty things
    look any better - short of a Fairy Godmother that is, and hardened
    adventurers aren't supposed to believe in fairies.
#
TEXT cycle WASH.YOURSELF
    Half-measures won't get you anywhere[, flower/].
#
TEXT DRAIN.OUT.OF.REACH
    The drain is on the other side of the portcullis, too far from here.
#
TEXT ITS.OUT.OF.REACH
    [It's/They are] too far from here.
#
TEXT increment NO.CLIMB.PORTCULLIS
    [Climb the portcullis? You'd only get rusty all over. T/No, t]here is
    no way to get to the other side up there either.
#
TEXT increment SOMETHING.STRANGE
    [Oh... something strange here. Don't think this is where we
    were supposed to wind up./Sorry, somehow I think I got confused
    again.../This is most peculiar.../Hmmm... However did we get here?
    Most peculiar.../Very strange...]

#
TEXT UNICORN.WONT.MOVE
    The unicorn digs in its hoofs and refuses to move.
#
TEXT random SWEAR.WORDS
    Ok, here goes...

    [Frob this frigging game!/Kurnik shofa, aleluia!/Oh, mibblewip!/
    Sakramente!/Stupid silly game in a stupid silly computer!/
    By Uncle Sam's whiskers!/Oh flipping \<beep\>!/Oioioi Ulan-Bator!!/
    By golly and giminy!/Sakramenta sastafta!]

    Does that make you feel any better?
#
TEXT cycle ITS.TEARS.ARE.WET
    [Well, lets see... First of all, it is important to note that
    it is a #. Then we need to remark on its essential
    #-like qualities. And to round off this brief discourse on
    existential qualities of #s, I would like to recommend that
    you concentrate on things that matter - like looking for 
    treasure and earning merit points./To an adventurer like you,
    a # is a # is a #. Better get on with your adventuring./Why
    do *I* get to guide these inquisitive types? It's a #. OK?/There
    is nothing more to be said about the #, that would be relevant
    to your adventuring, so I won't waste my erudition, if that's OK
    with you./It's a #. Enough said./It's a #. This concise description
    is adequate for the purposes of this game./Suffice it to say, it
    is a very #-like #.]
#
TEXT PLENTY.OF.TREES
    Plenty of # around here. Do you have any particular direction
    in mind?
#
TEXT NOT.AROUND.HERE
    No # around here!
#
TEXT GOOD
    Good!
#
FRAGMENT UP.THE.DOME
   / sail[s/] through the air and lands in the passage at the top
    of the dome.[  /]
#
TEXT NO.FOOL.STEPS
    However, the only other effect of this crafty manoeuvre is a
    gentle  \>\>ping\<\< from the south. The dome itself remains
    stubbornly unclimbable.
#
TEXT increment SUICIDE.SILLY
    Oh, come, come! Things aren't really that bad.[ Try to think
    positively! You know, the "Every day in every way I feel
    better and better!" routine. And if that doesn't help, you can
    always quit. Wouldn't it be nice if all life's problems could
    be solved so easily? Come on, buck up./]
#
FRAGMENT REALLY.SUICIDE?
    Oh!... Are you REALLY that desperate?
#
TEXT WALK.WITHOUT.LIGHT
    Well, I don't know.... Somehow I don't think the Powers That Be
    would approve. A violent death or two, or an accident here and
    there, that's one thing, but suicide is something else. Could
    be altogether bad for the business. You know what? Why don't
    you just try walking about without a light? Just don't tell
    anybody it was my idea, there's a good fellow!
#
TEXT increment FAKE.AN.ACCIDENT
    Oh, come on![ I don't have to tell you again how to fake an
    accident, do I? One can't help noticing that your intellectual
    capacity is nothing to brag about, but even that pea-size
    brainlet of yours should be able to retain sound advice a bit
    longer than that!/]
#
TEXT increment THINGS.COULD.BE.WORSE
    That's the spirit![ Things could be considerably worse, so
    there's no need to despair just yet./]
#
TEXT RUG.ALREADY.IS
    The rug is already [rolled up//unrolled].
#
TEXT RUG.IS.NOW
    You [roll//spread] the rug [up into a neat tube//on the ground].
#
TEXT NO.ROOM.TO.UNROLL
    There isn't enough room here to unroll the rug.
#
TEXT FLYING.RUG.ROLLED
    The hovering rug clearly senses your intention, and gratefully
    sags to the ground. You roll it up.
#
TEXT increment DROP.RUG.FIRST
    [Even an adventurer of little brain should realise that if a rug
    is too large to be picked up unrolled, then it may be a good idea
    to drop it before unrolling it again. Let's see how your brain
    measures up/I say, drop the rug first, Oh Adventurer of Little Brain].
#
TEXT increment RUG.TOO.LARGE
    The rug is too large to be picked up like that. [/Perhaps
    you could exercise your little grey cells in pondering
    this little problem as a warming up for the challenges yet to
    come./Yawn...]
#
TEXT increment PORTCULLIS.NOW.OILY
    [Well, all right. /=/][The portcullis is now /=/=/][oily as well as 
    rusty. I wouldn't call it a great achievement. It's still firmly 
    stuck/even oilier, but stuck as firmly as before/very oily. I don't 
    think this is going to work/OK. You've wasted some more oil. There
    is no other effect.].
#
TEXT increment SPOON.STILL.TARNISHED
    You rub the spoon[, and it becomes marginally cleaner, but not
    any less tarnished. Ravages of age cannot be undone with a rub or two,
    as you will doubtless discover with years to come../, but it is
    already as clean as it could be, though just as tarnished as
    before. Why this compulsive interest in a worthless spoon? Were
    you hoping to discover that it was a rare example of a Bohemian Ear
    Spoon? Sorry... it's just a piece of old junk, washed up on the shores
    of this game by tides of the sea - or tides of sewage, as the case
    may be/ and nothing happens. I hope this doesn't come as a 
    surprise/. Nothing happens].
#
TEXT increment CHALICE.NOW.DRUNK
    You drain the remnants of water from the chalice and [/once
    again ]briefly feel [somewhat/rather] light-headed, but [that's the
    only effect there is/there is no other effect].
#
TEXT increment GOT.BEAR
    [Trying to pick up fully grown bears can be detrimental to one's
    state of health. Fortunately, this one appears to have got the
    message and/The bear] is now following your every step.
#
TEXT increment ALREADY.GOT.BEAR
    [It is not necessary to carry bears in this game. You'll have
    to be content with the fact that it is/The bear is already]
    following you around.
#
FRAGMENT FREED.BEAR
    You politely indicate to the bear that you no longer desire its
    permanent company. The bear seems to understand.
#
FRAGMENT increment GRATE.LOCKED
    The grate is LOCKED[. As should be obvious even to a hedgehog,
    that/, which] means that it cannot be #ed unless it is UNlocked!
#
TEXT increment PICK.IT.UP
    You'll have to pick up the # first[, lazybones/]!
#
TEXT cycle CANT.DRINK.EMPTY
    [No matter how I examine the #, it appears to be quite empty. That
    being so, I am unclear how you propose to drink from it/The # is
    empty. There's nothing in it to drink].
#
TEXT increment NO.DRINK.OIL
    [I am most dreadfully sorry, but I have this quite unreasoned
    prejudice against/I've already told you: I have no
    intention of] drinking oil.
#
TEXT increment OPEN.FLASK.FIRST
    [I can understand the sight of the flask clouding your wits, but
    in order to sample its contents, it just might be useful to
    open the flask first./You can't drink a closed flask!]
#
TEXT assigned NO.OIL.NEEDED
    [Some uses of oil are more sensible than others. Oiling the #
    does not strike me as one of those./
    Don't even bother! If pulling swords out of stones were that
    easy, once and future kings would be a drachma a dozen./
    Such care of your weapon is commendable and would be doubtless
    suitably rewarded by a diligent AD&D Dungeon Master, but this 
    is not an RPG and due to its magical nature, the # does not
    require your ministrations./
    The # doesn't appear to need oiling. This should come as no
    surprise - all Dwarven tools and weapons require hardly any
    maintenance. They wouldn't last very long otherwise!/
    The # may be a bit rusty, but not to the extent of interfering
    with their intended function. Oiling them may help to remove some of
    the rust, but it would also make them oily, so I'd rather not.]
#
TEXT DIRT.TRACK
    [It is a/Under your feet is the] narrow and rather overgrown
    dirt-track, which cuts through the forest.
#
FRAGMENT CHEATING.COSTS
    I'd have to charge you $ points.
#
FRAGMENT REALLY.CHEAT?
   / Are you quite sure you dislike the traditional maze mapping 
    technique strongly enough?_
#
TEXT YOU.ARE.NOW.CHEATING
  
    If you insist... \>\>\> zzzzing \<\<\< There, it's done.
#
TEXT CHEATING.NOT.ENCOURAGED
    Cheating is generally discouraged in this game. I am sure
    you can find some other way around your current problems.
#
TEXT ENOUGH.CHEATING
    You've cheated already - enough is enough.
#
TEXT I.AM.GLAD
    Glad to hear that!
#
TEXT NO.NEED.TO.CHEAT
    A bit of observation combined with a modicum of thought might reveal
    that cheating in this maze is just a little bit pointless. 
#
TEXT ENOUGH.MAZE.CHEATING
    You are too experienced an adventurer to rely on cheating in 
    this maze!
#
TEXT CHEAT.HELP
    Still desperate? \<sigh...\> I give up. Here's a very plain,
    but definitely final piece of advice - explore *all* exits
    beyond the pit with the orange column. OK?
#
TEXT LAZY.CHEAT
    Such deplorable lack of moral fibre... You haven't explored 
    this maze properly yet, even with cheating! Stop being lazy and
    get on with it.
#
TEXT increment SPIDER.ON.DOCUMENTS
    [It must have escaped your attention that the spider is sitting
    right on top of them # and let me tell you, /]I am not going
    anywhere near that horrid hairy thing!
#
TEXT OUTCROP.BLOCKS
    The way south is blocked by a rocky outcrop.
#
TEXT increment UP.THE.BEANSTALK
    You [roll up your sleeves, spit on your hands and start
    climbing. It is a long and tiring slog/scramble up the beanstalk].

#
TEXT cycle BEANSTALK.IS.HUNGRY
    I think it might be unwise to tackle the beanstalk in its current
    mood.[ You wouldn't want to wind up as fertilizer, would you?/]
#
TEXT IT.IS.TOO.FAR
    You can't reach it from here.
#
FRAGMENT SUNSTONE.HELPS
    With some trepidation you step onto the ridiculously narrow rock
    ledge, which is just about wide enough for your toes. To your 
    great relief the sunstone's stubborn refusal to move west
    allows you to maintain your balance quite effortlessly.
    You gingerly shuffle the short distance along the ledge.

#
TEXT SUNSTONE.SAVES
    Overcome by a momentary madness, you attempt to leap off into
    the void, but fortunately are prevented by the sunstone from
    doing so.
#
FRAGMENT LEDGE?
    That ledge looks *very* narrow. Are you quite sure?_
#
TEXT LEDGE.TOO.NARROW
    You gingerly step onto the ledge, which is barely wide enough
    for your toes. You press yourself against the cliff, but the 
    geometric laws of stability say that you are onto a loser here.
    You make a wild grab for the beanstalk foliage,
    but it is too late and you find yourself falling... falling...

    Well, I suppose every cloud has a silver lining: at least the
    beanstalk is about to acquire some more fertilizer!
#
TEXT BACK.TO.BEANSTALK
    With the sunstone's help, you shuffle your way back to the beanstalk.
#
TEXT increment MUST.VALUE.RUG
    You drop the #[, presumably assuming that it is valuable, but
    that's far from certain. Most rugs sold these days are about as 
    genuine as a salesman's smile. For all I know it could be
    machine woven and I
    wouldn't care to vouch for its colours either -- aniline as likely
    as not. If you insist on counting it as a treasure, get it
    valued first./. (Just in case you have forgotten, I still 
    count it as worthless.)]
#
TEXT increment BRING.RUG
    [It is unwise to irritate Mustafa by summoning him unnecessarily.
    Fetch the rug first. *Then* ring for assistance./You seem to
    have a problem with a simple equation. Let me
    restate it for your benefit in the simplest possible form.
    No rug - no Mustafa! Comprende?/Sigh... Bring the rug, *then*
    ring the bell.]
#
TEXT MUSTAFA.HE.COME
    [Somewhere in the distance a bell rings.

   +Ding - dong - ding - dong - dingggg....

    As the sound dies away, in walks a suntanned, besuited
    gentleman with long mustachios. He is wearing a large name-tag
    decreeing his name to be Mustafa, which would probably explain
    the somewhat incongruous red fez he is sporting on his
    head/You ring the bell and shortly afterwards Mustafa walks in].

#
TEXT RUG.VALUABLE
    Having cast one glance at your possessions,
    Mustafa says "Oh, genuine Turkish viagra flavour! Delightful! 
    For that, my friend, even a Persian rag can be valuable!" 

    He strikes a curious pose and in an official tone of
    voice intones: "By the powers of valuation vested in me by 
    Ralph Witt and the Board of Directors of the Colossal Cave Company,
    I hereby pronounce this here Persian ... rug to be duly valuable, 
    without prejudice and irrespective of its otherwise sorry
    state." He grins at you, grabs the box of Turkish Delight and [with
    the words "But my friend, I do suggest you clean it up a
    bit!" /]walks out.
    
    Well, I am sure this is most irregular, but... OK, I suppose
    I'll have to accept the rug as a treasure.
#
TEXT ALREADY.VALUED.RUG
    You've had the rug valued already, remember?
#
TEXT increment PERSIAN.RUBBISH
    Having cast a long and thoughtful look at your possessions,
    Mustafa says: "[Value this Persian rubbish? Ha! Only
    something properly Turkish would delight my heart/I still
    see nothing Turkish here to delight me]!" He gives you a stiff
    little bow and walks out again.
#
TEXT increment READ.RUG
    [The rug suffered rather badly from serving as a dragon
    bed-sheet, but examining it carefully you can still make out      
    the ornamental lettering woven into its design. My Arabic is
    very rusty, but let me see... 

   /Hummm... 
   /       Er... 
   /          Ah... 
   /             Yes! 
   /It says "BASINGSTOKE". 

    Now there's a word teeming with meaning!/
    It has the word "BASINGSTOKE" woven into it in a flowing
    Arabic script.]
#
TEXT RUG.LANDS
    At the sound of its command word, the rug ripples gently
    and slowly settles to the ground.
#
TEXT RUG.QUIVERS
    The rolled up rug quivers [on the ground/in your hands], but
    otherwise nothing happens.
#
TEXT increment RUG.NOW.HOVERS
    [At the sound of the word, the rug begins to flap its corners
    and with a visible effort drags itself a couple of feet into
    the air. It steadies itself and then lets its corners droop
    down in a very hang-dog manner. Well, I guess you could try
    flying it now, but it may be best not to overestimate its cargo
    carrying capacity/The rug wearily drags itself a couple of feet
    into the air and hangs there somewhat unsteadily].
#
TEXT increment UNROLL.TO.BEAT
    [It may be a pure prejudice on my part, but i/Ehm... I]t is customary
    to unroll rugs before giving them a good thrashing.
#
TEXT increment RUG.ALREADY.CLEAN
    The rug is already as dust-free as it is going to get.[ Further
    beating might actually damage it, and we wouldn't want
    that to happen to something certifiably valuable, now would we?/]
#
TEXT assigned RUG.NOW.CLEANER
    You lay into the rug with your carpet-beater. It is a dusty,
    sweaty work, but at the end of it, the rug is much cleaner than
    it could have been for a very long time. [Why, one can actually
    see t/T]he intricate artistic patterns woven into it[! Though
    rather faded, they look quite interesting (hint, hint...)./ can
    be now seen to spell out "BASINGSTOKE" in a flowing Arabic 
    script - not that this is any news to you, of course!]
#
FRAGMENT GOT.NO.BEATER
    You have nothing suitable with which to beat the rug.
#
TEXT increment NO.FLY.UNDERGROUND
    [Surely *everybody* knows that magic rugs don't fly underground!/
    Well, clearly not everybody knows such basic facts. Magic rugs
    don't fly underground, OK?/Listen, fluffy-head: underground - no
    go. Can you hang on to that thought?/Sigh... Maybe this game is
    too intellectual for you. Ever considered taking up tiddlywinks?/
    Forget it. Not underground.]
#  
FRAGMENT YOU.BOARD.RUG
    You climb aboard the rug and seat yourself in the middle. As soon
    as you are sitting comfortably, the rug
#
TEXT RUG.NO.FLY
    {YOU.BOARD.RUG} makes a brave attempt to take off, its
    corners flapping furiously, but it's no good. It is too worn and you
    are too heavy. After gliding along for ten feet or so, it
    gives up and wearily settles to the ground.
#
TEXT ACTIVATE.RUG
    I suggest you activate the rug first.
#
TEXT FLY.RUG.HOW?
    And how exactly do you propose to do that? 
#
TEXT GRAB.RUG
    At the sound of the word, the rug begins to flap its corners
    and with a visible effort drags itself into the air ... only to
    be picked up by the wind and flung, fortuitously, against you.
    Deciding to abandon any notions of flying the rug to the far
    horizons, you roll it up again.
#
TEXT A.BIT.WINDY.FOR.RUG
    You unroll the rug, carefully smoothing it down, so that it
    doesn't get picked up by the wind.
#
TEXT TOO.WINDY.FOR.RUG
    You have already established that it is far too windy here
    for safe rug flying.
#
TEXT RUG.BLOWN.AWAY
    You unroll the rug and it is promptly blown away, down the
    river bed, by the mighty wind blowing from the opening in the cliff.
#
TEXT SAPLING.BLOCKS
    Further progress north is blocked by the sapling. In any case,
    the ledge disappears just a few feet beyond it.
#
TEXT INTO.BEANSTALK
    You scramble into the beanstalk foliage. 

#
TEXT NO.CLIMB.FURTHER
    The beanstalk stem is not strong enough to support your weight higher 
    up from here.
#
TEXT GIANT.MIGHT.PUSH
    That would be unwise. The giant might decide to push you back
    where you came from and then where'd you be? Fertilising the
    beanstalk?
#
FRAGMENT YOUR.OBJECT
    Your #
#
TEXT IS.NOW
   / is now [//empty/full of ][///water/oil/dung].
#
TEXT IS.ALREADY
   / is already [//empty/full of ][///water/oil/champagne/dung].
#
TEXT NO.OIL.IN.BUCKET
    The bucket is far too big for that! Try something smaller.
#
TEXT YOU.DEPOSIT
    You carefully deposit the [///////mostly /half /quarter /ERROR ]full # on
    the ground.
#
TEXT DOWN.THE.FOLIAGE
   / drop[s/] out of sight through the beanstalk foliage.
#
TEXT DOWN.TO.THE.BEACH
   / plummet[s/] down to the foot of the cliff.
#
TEXT increment CHAMPAGNE.HAS.NO.EFFECT
    [Well, you've just wasted a lot of quite decent champagne to no
    good effect. Congratulations/OK. All that did was to waste some
    fairly drinkable champagne].
#
TEXT EMPTY.BUCKET.FIRST
    The bucket would be quite suitable for scooping up the dung,
    but you'd need to empty it first.
#
FRAGMENT NEED.BUCKET.FOR.DUNG
    You don't have anything suitable for scooping up that smelly heap!
#
TEXT GOT.DUNG
    You neatly scoop the dung into the champagne bucket.
#
TEXT NO.THROW.DUNG
    You *could* dump it out of the bucket, but as for throwing the dung,
    forget it!
#
TEXT NO.POUR.DUNG
    The dung isn't liquid enough to be poured.
#
FRAGMENT WASTE.OF.CHAMPAGNE
    What a waste of champagne! Still, if you insist..._
#
TEXT DISTANT.EXPLOSION
    
    The sound of a muffled explosion reaches your ears.
#
TEXT assigned NO.EAT.DELIGHT
    No way! Please pay attention to the advertising label stuck on 
    the box.[/ I shudder to imagine what might be giving it the supposed 
    "genuine viagra flavour"!]
#
TEXT NO.WASH.BUCKET
    You'd pollute the spring by sticking that smelly bucket into it!
#
TEXT BUCKET.NOW.CLEAN
    If you don't mind, I'll wash out the bucket first... There.
    It is clean now!
#
TEXT BUCKET.IS.CLEAN
    The bucket is already quite hygienic enough.
#
TEXT IT.DOES
    . The [///water pours/oil pours/champagne pours/dung falls] out.
#
TEXT increment WASH.BUCKET
    It takes [quite a lot of effort to get the remains of the dung *and*
    the residual smell off the bucket, but I think we can declare a
    success:/a bit of scrubbing and rinsing, but] the bucket is now 
    clean again.
#
TEXT increment FAMILY.GAME
    [Now, look here. This is supposed to be a family game, yes? And
    how exactly do you think it would look if the management
    allowed adventurers to plaster themselves senseless on
    champagne? A bit of fighting and pilfering is one thing, but
    drunkenness is OUT!/I won't repeat myself. The answer is NO!]
#
FRAGMENT increment ZORRO.FRIEND

    ["OI!" says the giant, "YOU HAD YOUR...", but then a wide
    grin splits his face: "ZORRO! IT YOU! BEEN A LON' TIME! HERE,
    HAVE DRINK..."./The giant bellows: "ZORRO, ME FRIEN, HAVE MORE
    DRINK!!"/The giant shouts: "HAVE MORE DRINK!"]
#
TEXT HAVE.A.DRINK
   / He looks around, grabs an empty champagne bucket, pours
    a whole bottle of champagne into it, and [thrusts it into your
    hands./seeing that you arms are full, parks it in front of you.]
#
TEXT HAVE.SOME.MORE
   / He grabs a bottle of champagne and empties it into your bucket.
#
TEXT BRING.YOUR.BUCKET
   / He looks around for another champagne bucket and not finding one
    waves a huge hand at you, saying "BRIN BUCKET, HAVE DRINK!".
#
TEXT GIANT.PUT.OFF
   / He's about to pour more champagne into your bucket, when
    the manure smell hits him. "UG!! WASH! THEN HAVE MORE!", he says
    making a face, and gently pushes you into the ravine.

#
FRAGMENT ZORRO.ILLUSION
    You try to feel your new clothing, but quickly realise that
    it is just a very convincing illusion of no real substance.
#
TEXT ZORRO.OUTFIT
    Now that you can see again, you are surprised to discover that
    a voluminous black cloak envelops your body, and that you
    appear to have a wide-brimmed hat on your head. And if I may say so,
    both go very fetchingly with that black mask you are wearing.

    {ZORRO.ILLUSION}
#
TEXT increment MASK.OF.ZORRO
    [You put on the mask and to your surprise a wide-brimmed black
    hat materialises on your head, while a voluminous black cloak
    envelops your figure. {ZORRO.ILLUSION}/You don the mask and 
    the rest of the illusory outfit along with it.]
#
TEXT MASK.WORN
    After a bit of fumbling in the dark, you manage to put the mask on.
#
TEXT increment MASK.STILL.RECHARGING
    You try the mask on, but nothing happens. [Maybe it needs resting
    after use/Perhaps you ought to let it rest some more].
#
TEXT MASK.GOES.POOF

    The mask suddenly feels red hot. Before you have the time to react,
    there is a bright flash and the mask vanishes leaving you 
    temporarily blinded. After a bit of rubbing your eyes and swearing
    under your breath (yes, I *heard* you, I happen to have excellent
    hearing!), you recover your sight, but alas, the mask is gone for 
    good.[/
   /
   /Oh dear! That's torn it... You might as well give up now.]
#
TEXT MASK.GETTING.WARM

    The mask is beginning to get uncomfortably warm.
#
TEXT BETTER.REMOVE.MASK

    The mask is feeling *really* warm, almost hot. It might be an
    idea to remove before it shorts itself or whatever masks do...
#
TEXT MASK.REMOVED
    You remove the mask and the illusory black hat and black cloak
    fade away.
#
TEXT JUST.AN.ILLUSION
    We've already established that the # is just an illusion 
    somehow generated by the mask, OK?
#
TEXT HANDS.OFF
    The giant thunders: "MIN!! HANS OFF!!". 

    I think it's probably a good idea not to go finger-pokering around 
    his stuff without permission.
#
TEXT SIP.CHAMPAGNE
    You take a small sip of champagne from the bucket. It's not exactly
    a great vintage and it's a bit flat, but it could be worse.
#
TEXT NO.SIP.CHAMPAGNE
    No, enough is enough. Taking lots of small sips is a well known
    prescription for getting very drunk on very little alcohol.
#
TEXT SIP.WATER
    You sip some water[/, which doesn't do anything to quench your 
    thirst].
#
TEXT increment CATACOMBS.INFO
    [You squint at the plaque and your heart sinks when you see the
    inscription on it/The plaque is] headed with the dread words 
    "NEW IMPROVED RECIPE!". It continues:

   +         An Acclaimed Attraction!
   +         Beguilingly Befuddling!
   +         Catacombically Cryptic!
   +         Delightfully Devious!
   +         Excruciatingly Exciting!
   +         Fabulously Fair!
   +         Gorgeously Gothic!
   +         Humorously Harrowing!
   +         Incomparably Ingenious!
   +         Joyously Jinxed!

    [Oh well... Don't mind me. Go ahead and get yourself "excruciatingly
    excited". I've lived through worse./Not that you need to care about
    these linguistic excesses of a deranged mind./Which is as it may be,
    but quite irrelevant, really./Yawn.../]
#
TEXT cycle JUST.A.FOUNTAIN
    It is just a very simple drinking fountain, graciously provided
    by the management in response to popular demand.[

    Oh, all right, if you insist, it *is* a crude stone basin
    into which some water is trickling out of a rusty pipe. What did
    you expect, a marble collection of dolphins gurgling champagne?
    Hah!...///]
#
TEXT NEW.PREMISES
    The note says: "Moved to new premises."
#
TEXT ALLOW.USE
    Well, I suppose in this particular case it is clear enough
    what you mean to do...

#
TEXT increment WHY.KNOCK?
    [Your manners do you credit, but knocking on open doors seems to
    be overdoing it a bit. An open door is an invitation to go through.
    Or at least it should be to any self-respecting adventurer./Why?
    The door's open!]
#
FRAGMENT YOU.KNOCK
    You grasp the ring clapper and firmly bang it several times
    against the knocker plate.
#
TEXT increment KNOCK.KNOCK
    {YOU.KNOCK}[ The sound of your knocks reverberates through the air
    in a highly portentous manner, and... it would seem that nothing
    else happens. The good news is, this includes no 
    dwarves assaulting you for misuse of their property./]
#
TEXT increment DONT.KNOCK
    {YOU.KNOCK} [Suddenly the knocker's brass lion head opens its eyes,
    makes a nasty grimace at you and mouthes awkwardly through the ring
    fixed in its mouth: "%Shtop it! It'sh done already, sho get
    losht!...%"/The brass lion opens its eyes and glares at you: 
    "%It'sh done alshready, sho shove off, will ya?%".]
#
FRAGMENT COLOURS
    [red/purple/red/orange/yellow/green/blue/magenta/black]
#
FRAGMENT COLOURED.SUNSTONE
    is almost completely white, with just a hint of {COLOURS} at its core
#
TEXT ITS.A.SUNSTONE
    It {COLOURED.SUNSTONE}.
#
TEXT increment SUNSTONE.STOPS.YOU
    [You attempt to move #, but the sunstone you are carrying
    has other ideas and stubbornly refuses to move in that
    direction./You try moving #, but the sunstone won't be moved
    in that direction./The sunstone prevents you from going #.]
#
TEXT increment SUNSTONE.NO.RAMP
    , [or rather you try to do so, but it would mean moving #, and the 
    sunstone simply would not be moved in that direction/but are
    immediately stopped by the sunstone, which absolutely refuses to be
    moved to the #].
#
TEXT APPROACH.EDGE
    You cautiously approach the #ern edge, but there is not much more
    to be seen from here. A strong gust of wind slams into you,
    making you retreat back to the pedestal.
#
TEXT cycle BAD.IDEA
    I think that would be a [remarkably/stupendously/*very*] bad idea!
#
TEXT increment SUNSTONE.SAVES.YOU
    Fortunately for you, the sunstone prevents you from leaping
    off the [precipice. That's one of your lives saved, anyway./]
#
TEXT SUNSTONE.PREVENTS.YOU
    You find yourself unable to jump in the #erly direction.
#
TEXT SUNSTONE.NO.THROW
    The sunstone firmly refuses to be thrown over the precipice.   
#
FRAGMENT increment BLACK.FLASH
    [
   /Yes, I did say "black". You have a problem with that?/]
#
TEXT cycle CLIFF.OVER.DESERT
   / All view to the east is cut off by an immense black cliff towering
    over the desert. [It seems to be right on top of you, but that's
    merely an illusion generated by its unbelievable size.///] The fine 
    dark sand around you keeps moving, driven by the unceasing swirls of
    powerful wind.
#
TEXT CLIFF.OVER.SPIRE
   / Despite its size, the spire is dwarfed by the immense black
    cliff which rises out of the desert to the east and extends
    north south and up, seemingly forever. The cliff's presence is
    overpowering and only the sight of dunes stretching into the
    distance towards its foot suggests that it is actually 
    pretty far away. Strong gusts of wind slam into the spire,
    threatening to knock you over.
#
TEXT JUMPED.INTO.SAND
    [It's a scary leap, but you land safely in the soft sand below.
   //
    You bravely leap into the void... and fall... and fall... and
    are saved by the soft bank of sand piled up by the base of the spire. 
    You dig your way out shaken, but not seriously hurt.
   //
    It's a loooooong way down and though the sand at the base of the
    spire is deep and soft, plunging from that great height still
    proves to be fatal.]
#
TEXT increment EXPLORE.OUTDOORS

    [And if I may offer a suggestion, you should explore around
    the building, before venturing into the cave./
    (You really should do some exploring above ground, you know.)/
    And just how many times do you need to be told to EXPLORE ABOVE
    GROUND, before exploring the cave?/
    Would you please listen when i tell you that YOU NEED TO EXPLORE
    OUTSIDE THE CAVE?!/
    I give up. I've done my best. I'll shut up about exploring above
    ground now./]
#
TEXT increment EXPLORE.MORE.OUTDOORS

    [As an aside, you really haven't explored above ground 
    thoroughly enough yet, to venture into the cave./
    By the way, take my word for it: you do need to explore the big
    outdoors rather better, before going in for any serious cave
    adventuring./
    Which is all very well, but I seriously advise you to
    do some more exploring above ground before too long./
    If I may be rather blunt: YOU STILL NEED TO FIND THINGS OUTSIDE
    THE CAVE,/
    OK... I get the message. You don't want to explore above ground
    any more. Fine... Not my problem!/]
#
TEXT increment CANT.FOLLOW.RAMP
    , but [as it starts curving around the spire to the #
    the sunstone resists following the curve, with the effect of nearly
    causing you to fall off the ramp. Rather than risk being
    knocked off by a sudden gust of wind, you /the sunstone does not 
    allow you to follow the curve to the #, so in the end you have to ]
    retreat back to where you started.
#
TEXT increment CANT.APPROACH.RAMP
    [You attempt to move east, towards the ledge descending down,
    but the sunstone you are carrying has other ideas.
    It resolutely refuses to move in that direction./
    The sunstone refuses to let you move to the eastern edge
    of the platform, where the ledge starts its descent.]
#
TEXT increment SUNSTONE.NO.ISLAND
    [Rather unexpectedly, the sunstone refuses to move west. Perhaps
    it got somehow triggered by the volcano?/No, it's no good. Sunstones
    aren't supposed to do this sort of thing indoors or underground,
    but this one suddenly decided that it is not moving west./
    The sunstone won't be moved west.]
#
FRAGMENT REALLY.SPIRE.DROP?
    In this wind? I wouldn't... The wind is strong enough to sweep
    even fairly heavy objects off this narrow ledge, and finding them
    down there, in the shifting sands would be just about impossible.

    Are you sure you want to risk it?_ 
#
TEXT NO.DROP.IN.SAND
    I strongly advise against dropping anything around here. Things
    get buried by the shifting sands in no time at all!
#
TEXT NO.CLIMB.SPIRE
    Climbing the obsidian spire would require some pretty fancy
    climbing equipment, which in your case, you have not got.
#
TEXT NO.CROSS.SAND
    You attempt to move #, but dunes in that direction are just too big
    for you to plough through.
#
TEXT cycle SANDS.BLOW
    A sudden [powerful/mighty] series of wind gusts swirl the
    sand, [shifting/reshaping/altering] dunes [that surround/around] you.
#
TEXT TIME.SLIP
    You wave the rod [and for a little while nothing much happens,
    though a sense of expectancy seems to gather in the air. Then
    the whole world shudders /]and the view changes.

#
TEXT TIME.SNAP
    You wave the rod and [feel unseen energies gather around you,
    until /]with a sharp *SNAP*, the world changes.

#
TEXT TIME.RIVER
    As you step into the opening, you are suddenly hit by a wall of
    cold water, which throws you back. [Y/Lucky for you that it is
    pitch-dark in there, or you would have found yourself trapped
    by the sunstone and either drowned or crushed - take your pick.
    As it is, y]ou land painfully, gagging
    and choking, your clothes and hair dripping wet, yet the river bed
    around you is as dry as it was before. There is no sign of any water
    anywhere. The hot wind, still roaring out of the opening in the
    black cliff, quickly dries you off.
#
TEXT LATER!
    Not now! Let's get into the game first.
#
TEXT VERY.WISE
    That's [very/uncommonly/remarkably/uncharacteristically/rather] wise
    of you.
#
TEXT WIND.GETS.IT
   / and to your dismay, a powerful gust of wind carries [it/them] over
    the edge of the ramp and into the sands below.
#
FRAGMENT WIND.BLOWS.IT
    The ferocious wind blowing from the cliff picks up the # and blows 
#
TEXT BLOWS.IT.OFF
   / [it/them] off, down the dry river bed.
#
TEXT DONT.CHEW.YOURSELF
    With those fangs in your mouth? You'd chew yourself to shreds!
#
TEXT increment NO.CHEW.BEANSTALK
    I don't think that would be very helpful.[ Besides, isn't the
    beanstalk sap supposed to be poisonous? No? Well, I wouldn't
    be too sure.../]
#
TEXT NO.CHEW.TREE
    This is hardly the place to indulge your eager-beaver instincts!
#
TEXT NO.EAT.PEOPLE
    No, no... That would never do! Don't you know the consequences
    of drawing blood with vampire fangs? We don't need a public
    relations fiasco in the Colossal Cave, thank you very much!
#
TEXT BEAVER.FANGS
    You position the fangs in your mouth and after some careful
    manoeuvring, manage to snap them on without cutting yourself
    into ribbons.

    Despite all their craftsmanship, the fangs do not feel very
    comfortable. I suppose the vampire's jaw is rather narrower than
    yours. If you pardon me saying so, the resulting effect is far
    from that of a romantic horror image. If anything, the fangs give
    you a vaguely comical, beaver-like appearance.
#
TEXT FANGS.REMOVED

    The vampire fangs feel increasingly uncomfortable in your
    mouth[, forcing you to remove them/. Though your hands are full,
    you manage to remove them without doing yourself any damage].
#
TEXT YOU.REMOVE.FANGS
    Good idea. They are not very comfortable, are they...
#
TEXT BEAVER.WORK
    Bit of a shame really, but what an adventurer must do, an
    adventurer must do. You square your shoulders, bare your
    fake teeth and set to it.

    The pine wood is tough and resiny, but the vampire fangs
    are equal to the task and you chew your way round the trunk
    in a neat circle, gradually cutting deeper and deeper into the
    wood. As the cut gets deeper the tree begins to shudder,
    showering you with dry pine needles. Having chewed nearly
    through, you step back and lean on the pine, gently toppling 
    it across the gap. As its branches hit the other side, the tree
    bounces a bit, but quickly settles down. You remove the fangs
    with a sigh of relief.

    Well, I guess you've got yourself a bridge of sorts! Congratulations!
#
TEXT increment NO.MONOCLE
    [I believe it would be exceptionally unwise to try fishing anything
    out of that coffin./Since a gentle hint failed to do the job,
    let me put it to you quite plainly: you don't need no monocle; it's
    the vampire's - keep your hands off it! OK?/No.]
#
TEXT COFFIN.LID
    It is a coffin lid. Polished oak. Hinged. That's about it!
#
TEXT NO.OPEN.COFFIN
    To paraphrase an old saying, it is advisable to leave sleeping
    vampires lie. Leave that coffin alone.
#
TEXT COFFIN.OPENED
    You brace yourself for the effort of lifting the coffin lid, 
    but it swings open with unexpected ease, making you jump back in alarm. 
#
TEXT NO.CLOSE.COFFIN
    As you approach the coffin, the vampire opens his watery eyes
    and hopefully murmurs: "Drinky time?...". At the sight of the
    light flashing off the tips of his fangs, you prudently decide
    to step back again.
#
TEXT COFFIN.CLOSED
    You quietly close the coffin lid over the blissfully snoring vampire.
#
TEXT THIRSTY.VAMPIRE

    As if becoming aware of being stared at, the vampire stirs.
    His heavy lids lift to reveal watery blue eyes. His left hand gropes 
    briefly inside the coffin and comes up with a monocle which he
    proceeds to fit to his left eye socket. Once so equipped, he focuses
    his eyes somewhere in the area of your throat and drawls in
    an impeccable upper class accent: "Ah, mah young friend... How vehra
    apposite... Ah could use ah drink, to be sure...". Fortunately, 
    the combined hypnotic effect of the gaze and the voice is promptly
    spoiled by a mighty hiccough, which causes the vampire to lose his
    concentration. He shuts his eyes with the air of infinite weariness,
    letting the monocle drop back into the coffin.
#
TEXT VAMPIRE.STILL.THIRSTY

    The vampire stirs in his coffin, fixing you with a bleary gaze:
    "My deah, Ah would be much obliged for ah decent drink, don't
    you know..."
#
TEXT cycle INDECISIONS
    [Indecisions, indecisions.../I just love dealing
    with decisive adventurers like you!/I see you need to
    sleep on it. Well let me know when you feel like tackling
    such a tricky choice again.]
#
TEXT THROW.NOT.GIVE
    You don't want to get close enough for that.[/ Throwing things
    may be more to the point.]
#
FRAGMENT DRINK.OFFERED
    You gingerly offer the # of water to the vampire.
#
TEXT VAMPIRE.NO.WATER
   / He gazes at you reproachfully: "Ah would not call this
    here liquid exarctly ah drink, what?"
#
TEXT VAMPIRE.NO.OIL
    Whatever made you think vampires might be interested in oil?
#
TEXT VAMPIRE.NO.DUNG
    Quite frankly, considering the current contents of the bucket,
    I don't think that would be a very good idea.
#
TEXT NOT.ENOUGH.DRINK
    I don't think that would be enough to help his hangover.
#
TEXT VAMPIRE.DRINKS
    The vampire sits up in the coffin, accepts the bucket from you and
    with the words "Vintage stuff, eh?", drains its contents. Dropping
    the empty bucket on the floor, he slumps back, burps loudly and
    closes his eyes.
#
TEXT VAMPIRE.REWARDS
    As you [approach the coffin/turn to go], the vampire's suddenly
    wakes up and starts rummaging in the coffin around him. "A 
    moment \<hic\> please young fella... er... \<hic\> miss..." 
    he says weakly, "A regret... er... reward is poshitively in
    odour... order, what? Now, where the timothy... er... dickens...."
    Finally finding what he was looking for, he produces something that
    looks like a spare set of fangs: "Ah, this will do \<hic\> nicely.
    Please accept these with mah gratuity... er... gratitude...". He
    attempts to toss the object to you but merely succeeds in dropping
    it by the coffin. Visibly exhausted by the effort, he settles down
    into the upholstery and with a final \<HIC\> falls fast asleep.
#
FRAGMENT assigned YOU.STEP.CLOSER
    [Somewhat uneasily you step closer to the # in order to get a
    better look. /You step forward, intending to close the coffin, but
    find yourself examining it instead. ]
#
TEXT increment VAMPIRE.DONT.CARE
    The vampire [opens an eye and watches with apparent interest
    as you wave the crucifix around/shows no interest in your actions]. 
    Eventually you give up[ and the vampire goes back to sleep.
    If you expected him to disappear in a puff of
    smoke, or to run away screaming in terror, this must come as
    a bit of shock. You shouldn't believe everything you hear about
    the undead!/.]
#   
TEXT CRUCIFIX.NO.EFFECT
    You wave the crucifix around for a while, but it doesn't seem
    to have any effect.
#
TEXT NOTHING.IN.IT
    There's nothing in the #!
#
TEXT NOBODY.HERE
    To whom? There's nobody here...
#
TEXT random DONT.WANT.IT
   / [has no interest in/completely ignores your offer of/does not
    seem to be interested in/shows absolutely no interest in] the #.
#
TEXT BIRD.DISTRUSTFUL
    The bird is clearly unafraid, but it still keeps a wary eye on 
    you and makes quite sure of keeping out of your reach.[ It
    might be an idea to befriend it somehow./]
#
TEXT POLITE.BIRD
    The bird isn't really hungry, but it politely pecks at the few
    seed grains you have to offer.
#
TEXT BIRD.NOW.TRUSTS
    The bird looks at you enquiringly this way and that way.
    In the end it makes up its mind that you mean to be friendly,
    hops near and polishes off the few seed grains you[ have/'d] scattered
    on the ground. Having finished, the bird bursts into song again, 
    now clearly unconcerned about keeping at a safe distance from you.
#
TEXT YOU.GET.SEED
    You pick up a small amount of bird seed from the bird table.
#
FRAGMENT SCATTERED.SEED
    You scatter the few small grains on the ground. They blend in
    to such an extent that gathering them again would be a well nigh
    impossible task.
#
TEXT increment BIRD.IGNORES.SEED
   / The bird wouldn't have any such problem, of course, but it seems to
    be too frightened by something right now to be seduced by a few
    seed grains like that.[/ Is it perhaps something about you that
    it doesn't like?/]
#
TEXT LEAVE.SEED.FOR.BIRDS
    Don't be greedy! You've got some already, and the bird seed is clearly
    meant for birds, not for you.
#
TEXT TIME.FLIP.1
    As you pass through the tunnel entrance you briefly experience a
    strange gut-wrenching sensation.

#
TEXT TIME.FLIP.2
    As you pass through the tunnel exit, the world shudders and
    the bright sea shore is suddenly replaced by the red-lit dark
    desert.

#
TEXT WEAK.BRIDGE
    The bridge membrane sags alarmingly under you, but you
    manage to cross safely to the opposite shore.

#
TEXT BRIDGE.COLLAPSES
    The bridge membrane sags alarmingly under you until you reach the
    middle of the stream, where it unexpectedly parts under your feet 
    letting you to plummet into the icy waters. Before you have a chance
    to resist its power, the stream mercilessly smashes you against 
    overhanging rocks which force it downwards at the western end of 
    the cavern.
#
TEXT STRANGE.BRIDGE
    It's not really a bridge as such. More like somebody
    stretched a wide piece of thin white membrane between the two
    shores. Just why it should be sometimes referred to as the
    Value Added Tax Bridge, is beyond me. Anyway, it doesn't look 
    all that strong, but it just might support your weight.
#
TEXT INTO.THE.RIVER
    You toss the # into the icy waters of the underground river.
#
TEXT ROCKY.OUTCROP
    You are standing among some boulders on a black basaltic outcrop
    swept clean of sand by the unceasing wind. The outcrop gives
    way to a sea of forbidding dark dunes in all directions, though
    to the [south/north]east the dunes appear to be somewhat lower.
#
TEXT SMOOTH.OUTCROP
    The black basalt outcrop has been polished by sand to the point of being
    almost slippery.
#
TEXT MEMORY.COSTS
    [My Amazing Memory Act is cheap, but not free. I can memorize the
    state of the world for you at no charge, but it would cost you
    1 point to have it recalled subsequently/It'll cost you 1 point
    to have the state of the world recalled].
#
TEXT MEMORY.FAILS
    Oh dear... I don't seem to be able to memorize the state of the
    world right now for some reason! Terribly sorry about that...
#
TEXT increment MEMORY.IMAGE
    OK... I've fixed the state of the world in my mind.[ Just ask me
    to recall it whenever the need is upon you, and it shall be done./]
#
TEXT increment OLD.IMAGE
    Now, give me a moment to concentrate...[

    Yes! I do believe I've recalled the former state of the 
    world./ Right!.../ Done.]

#
TEXT NO.MEMORY.IMAGE
    Sorry, either I've forgotten, or you have never asked me
    to remember the state of life, universe and everything.
#
TEXT NO.BERRIES
    There are some berry bushes around, but currently no berries
    are to be found on them.
#
TEXT increment CLIFF.GEOLOGY
    [It's a cliff of soft white, well-bedded chalk with a
    few layers of porcellaneous siliceous nodules in the lower beds.
    The beds are not very fossiliferous -- not even an ammonite
    to be seen anywhere. None of which, come to think of it, is of
    any interest to you in your adventuring. I don't know why I am
    wasting my erudition./It is still the same chalk cliff, of no
    interest to you beyond the simple geographical fact of its existence.]
#
TEXT increment WHITE.CLIFFS
    It's the famous white cliffs of Horse Dover.
    They dominate the scenery by their majestic presence.[ We used
    to have some blue-birds wheeling above them too! - very
    decorative it was. But the birds got down-sized to blue 
    butterflies, which I dare say are up there somewhere.

    What? No, sorry... I have no idea why the cliffs should be
    named after some horse.../]
#
TEXT increment BASALT.GEOLOGY
    Incredibly enough, the cliff appears to be composed entirely of black
    basalt.[ It hurts my brain even to think about the geological 
    processes that might have been involved in its creation./]
#
TEXT increment BASALT.OUTCROP
    The basalt of the outcrop looks very much like that of the black
    cliff.[ In a word - completely incomprehensible. Yeah, OK, two words./]
#
TEXT random WAND.MISFIRES
    [Nothing hap... WHAT?!?!? There's a bowl of petunias just
    materialised at your feet out of the thin air!! This is
    ridiculous!... Excuse me, may I have that wand for a moment?
    Thank you.

   +       ....... \>ping!\< ....... 

    That's better. Here, have the wand back. 

    Petunias? What petunias? I know nothing about no petunias!.../
    Nothing hap... Oh!.. A flock of tiny flying pigs have just
    materialised in the air in the wake of the wand's swing. They take
    one look at you and with high-pitched squeals of fright scatter into
    the darkness.

    Well, knock me over with a feather duster! I am sure that wasn't
    supposed to happen!]
#
TEXT DULL.STUFF
    Lots of [it/them] about, but things are not made more interesting by being
    present in quantity.
#
TEXT ITS.TOO.FAR
    It's too far away. You need to get closer to it first.
#
TEXT CLIFF.TOO.FAR
    It is an immense black cliff, too far from here to make out any
    details.
#
TEXT increment FLYING.TO.THE.ISLAND
    {YOU.BOARD.RUG} heaves itself [towards the edge of the cliff
    in a flurry of flapping corners. It's a near thing and you take a
    hard bump on your rear end, though you hardly notice, being more
    concerned about the rug's air-worthiness. But the rug is up to it.
    Instead of flopping or plummeting to the distant beach below, it
    banks sharply to the left and, catching the updraft, starts
    circling to gain height. Very soon you are high above the cliff,
    and the rug sets out towards the distant island/over the edge of 
    the cliff, circles in the cliff's updraft to gain height and 
    eventually sets off towards the island].
#
TEXT NO.CRAWLING
    Crawling is undignified and unnecessary.
#
TEXT ITS.FERTILISER
    
    I guess it's just fertilizer - an innocent victim of a 
    thesaurus-wielding marketing consultant with an imperfect grasp
    of the English language. 
#
FRAGMENT GOT.FERTILISER
    You rummage through your possessions looking for something to
    feed the hungry beanstalk, and fortuitously notice that the
    paper packet from the shed in the forest, bears the inscription
    "Stupe-Gro (TM), Patent pending" and a picture of an aggressively
    green, leafy plant._
#
TEXT STRIDE.WITH.PRIDE
    I have an uncanny feeling that whatever is meant to happen,
    will happen, whether you make yourself look silly by crawling
    or not. So stride with pride and take whatever the Fates decree
    as befits an adventurer.
#
TEXT ITS.TOO.DARK
    I hesitate to point out the obvious, but it is pitch dark here!
#
TEXT SHED.INFO
    The old wooden shed has not been treated well by time and
    weather, but it is still managing to hold together and keep the
    elements out, despite apparently having been abandoned a long
    time ago. 
#
TEXT increment SHED.PLANKS
    The sturdy wood planks are well fitted together, as they need to be
    for the shed to last through the seasons.[ You spend a few moments
    admiring the workmanship of the carpenter, before turning your
    mind to other matters./]
#
TEXT increment SHED.ROOF
    [You jump up to have a look at the shed's roof, but like other roofs
    in this game, it turns out not to be of any interest/Inspect the
    roof however often you like, there's still nothing there/Nope, still
    nothing there].
#
TEXT WELL.INFO
    [Once upon a time it was clearly a well built well, with a
    proper stone surround and a crank or a wheel mounted on top.
    By now, the metal construction is gone, with only the remnants
    of rusty supports to suggest its former existence. The stone
    surround is crumbling too and l/L]ooking down the well shaft, you
    can see that its sides are also crumbly and uneven. As far as
    can be seen from here, there is no water at the bottom - just
    damp ground.
#
TEXT WELL.NO.INFO
    You peer into the [well/darkness below], but [it is too dark in
    there/the darkness is too complete] for anything to be seen.
#
TEXT WELL.DROP
    You negligently toss the # down the well.
#
FRAGMENT BEANSTALK.HINT
    Are you trying to feed the beanstalk?_
#
TEXT assigned
    [It would seem obvious that you need to feed the plant somehow.
    If I were you, I would take its plea at its face value and find some
    fertilizer for it./
    Seems to me that you need more fertilizer! Just remember that
    fertilizers come in two general varieties: there are artificial ones,
    and then there are natural ones - or organic if you prefer.]
#
TEXT NO.USE.ROPE
    [The rope is securely fastened to one of the beams, and pulling it
     has no effect./
     The rope is too thick to swing freely. You push it around a bit and
     it sways a bit. But that's all that happens./
     The rope is securely fastened to a large beam and clearly isn't
     meant to come free./
     The rope is far too stiff and heavy to be pulled up.]
#
FRAGMENT DUNGEON.HINT
    Are you trying to escape from the dungeon?_
#
TEXT
    Now, why would the description of this room bother to specify
    the kind of the floor in here? I suggest you ponder this curious fact.   
#
FRAGMENT GIANT.HINT
    Are you trying to deal with the giant?_
#
TEXT
    He seems to be hungry. Perhaps you could find something else for
    him to eat instead of you?
#
FRAGMENT PICNIC.HINT
    Are you trying to get to the viewpoint with the notice?_
#
TEXT assigned
    Your problem seems to be that the giant recognises you as somebody he
    has already rewarded. [Does that suggest anything to you?/Just bear that
    in mind...]
#
FRAGMENT UNICORN.HINT
    Are you trying to find some use for that unicorn?_
#
TEXT
    Unicorns are flesh and blood just like you are. Maybe it would
    be grateful for some attention being given to its bodily needs?
#
TEXT
    Be brave!
#
FRAGMENT SKULL.HINT
    Do you need help with that strange bridge?_
#
TEXT
    For some strange reason, the bridge is generally known as
    the VAT Bridge. No, no... not whiskey! VAT, as in Value Added Tax,
    see? Bizarre, sure, but there you are... Anyway, in my limited
    understanding of these things, it is perfectly OK to use any 
    legitimate means to avoid paying tax. The trick is in spotting
    the appropriate legitimate means, of course.
#
TEXT NO.OPEN.PACKET
    The contents of the packet feel dry and powdery and will spill
    out once you open it. I suggest you save the packet for some
    more suitable occasion.
#
TEXT SPIRE.TOO.FAR
    It is a massive spire formed of some black stone - just what
    kind, I can't tell from here.
#
TEXT SPIRE.INFO
    It is an amazing black spire formed of some glassy stone, not 
    unlike obsidian. Well, it is black and glassy and its surface 
    shows clear conchoidal fractures, but if it is obsidian, my mind
    boggles at the thought of geological processes implied by the 
    spire's existence. Yours should boggle too, if you know any geology.
#
TEXT DUNE.BLOCKS
    There is a large dune of fine dark sand in the way there!
#
TEXT NO.PUTTING
    Other than putting liquids into various vessels, you
    can't # objects into other objects in this game. Ever so
    occasionally I'll do it for you when
    you get or drop an object in suitable circumstances, but as a
    general rule, you just can't, so don't waste your time, OK?
#
TEXT FIRST.ISLAND.EVENT
    From behind you a deep voice suddenly says "Hehehe...". You
    quickly turn around, but it is only a gull flying by, low
    over the sand and out to the sea.
#
TEXT
    Two gaudy butterflies tumble through the air, venturing briefly
    over the waves of the sea and then heading back, toward the
    centre of the island.
#
TEXT LAST.ISLAND.EVENT
    Several largish crabs quickly scuttle out of sight.
#
TEXT ISLAND.STREAM
    It's a rapid stream of relatively warm water, clearly coming from the
    central mountain. It rushes through the jumble of rocks, not yet
    smoothed by its flow, and out into the sea.    
#
TEXT ISLAND.NO.ROD
    Nothing at all happens. I mean, there wasn't even a smidgeon of
    a suggestion of a
    possibility, however vague, that something might have happened.
    I guess the rod is not of much use away from the mainland.
#
TEXT DENSE.TANGLE
    That tangle of plants would probably delight a trained botanist by its
    biodiversity, but as far as I am concerned, it is just a tangle
    of dense tropical vegetation. Right now its main purpose in life is
    to restrict the number of directions in which you could go
    from here.
#
TEXT TROPICAL.PLANTS
    A somewhat scruffy collection of tropical plants, not
    really of any interest.
#
TEXT OPEN.VAULT
    [You are about to step outside the temple, as s/S]uddenly
    the familiar glowing figure appears by your side, radiant
    with joy: "You have succeeded in bringing the ring, my brave
    adventurer! Didn't I say that my steed would assist you?" She lifts
    her hand and you are startled to realise that she is now holding
    the ring. She places the ring in the centre of the floor
    and then produces something resembling a large child's rattle, which
    she proceeds to wave in the air. I suppose it must be a strange kind
    of thurible, because the rattle produces streams of white smoke,
    which collects in a tall column over the ring. After a few moments
    the column collapses into itself, and you can see that instead of
    the ring, there is now a large opening in the middle of the floor,
    with marble steps leading down into the darkness. The girl next to 
    you punches the air in triumph and with the shriek of "Yessss!!", 
    disappears down the steps.

    Almost simultaneously the horned gentleman with a pointed tail
    materialises out of nowhere in a fast trot, this time clearly 
    in no mood to bother with any special effects. He is quite out of
    breath, but still heads straight for the marble steps, just giving
    you an evil scowl on the way.
#
TEXT GET.LOST
    You quietly descend the steps. At the bottom are the girl and the
    pointy-tail, facing left into a large portal, illuminated by a
    soft golden light streaming out of the room beyond, and seemingly quite
    spellbound by whatever it is they are seeing.

    "All that moonshine!" breathes the girl, "I never realised..."
    "Your father was an industrious man," replies the pointy-tail
    still panting a bit. Then a wistful note creeps into his voice:
    "And to think that I almost had it all to myself! But for that
    interfering..."

    Ah... You must have made some sound, because both suddenly turn
    towards you. "Oh, it's you!" says the girl. "Ahem... Great indeed
    is my gratitude! Here, have this." and she thrusts the rattle-like 
    thurible into your hand. "Aw, be gone, you meddler!" snaps the horned
    gentleman, making an arcane gesture in the air. You feel yourself 
    lifted up and slammed back. When you regain your senses, you find... 

    You are on the east-facing island beach.
#
TEXT increment BETTER.FOLLOW.THEM
    [I think it might be a better idea to have a look what's down there.
    You might not get another chance! Besides, wasn't there some talk
    of a reward? As it stands, you are down one magic ring.../Listen,
    you *really* don't want to go out of here. You want to go *down*,
    believe me!/Nonono... DOWN!]
#
TEXT increment FLIGHT.REGULATIONS
    [I am sorry, but magic rug flying regulations specifically prohibit
    any activity other than (a) enjoying the view (recommended), (b) reviewing
    one's possessions (optional) and (c) clutching rug edges in sheer 
    stomach-churning terror
    (not recommended)./I know it is tiresome, but I have to insist that you 
    obey flight regulations. Our adventuring insurance fund does not cover
    flying rug accidents./Sorry. Not while we are airborne. You should be
    aware of the rules by now.]
#
TEXT NO.FALL.ABYSS
    Before trying to move #, you carefully feel with your foot in
    that direction, and finding no support, wisely decide to stay put.
#
TEXT increment OVER.ABYSS
   [Well, I don't know... This really doesn't sound like a good idea.
   But, OK... Here we go!

   Very tentatively you take a step over the edge of the precipice.

   Gosh! You are actually standing on air! Or at least on something as 
   transparent as air! Carefully feeling around with one foot, you
   determine that it is in fact some sort of invisible narrow bridge
   leading away to the east./You boldly step over the edge of the 
   precipice./]
#
TEXT THROW.ABYSS
    You hurl the # into the void beneath your feet.
#
TEXT DROP.ABYSS
   / bounce[s/] off the invisible something under your feet and
    plummet[s/] into the abyss below you.
#
TEXT ROD.SCARES.BIRD.OFF
    The bird, clearly frightened by your rod waving, abandons its
    song in mid-cadenza and flies off.
#
TEXT increment LEAVE.POSTER.ALONE
    [The poster is clearly intended to benefit *all* visiting adventurers,
    not just you. So by all means read it to your heart's content, but 
    otherwise let's leave it alone./The poster is provided for
    information only. You have no other use for it./If I say it once, 
    I say it three times - leave the poster alone!/Let me put
    it politely yet clearly... THE POSTER IS NOT FOR FINGER POKERING, OK?]
#
TEXT NO.HANDY.THEM
    The #s are too far from here, and they are just scenery anyway.
#
TEXT PINE.CLIMBED
    You climb into the pine without much trouble, but the view from
    here is really no different - worse in fact, what with pine
    branches getting in the way. As for getting to the other side,
    all this climbing is a wasted effort. The thick branches which
    would support you, do not extend far enough, while the small
    branches with their dense bunches of pine needles would get 
    hopelessly in the way of any attempt at jumping across the gap
    from here. Disappointed, you climb down again.
#
TEXT PINE.IS.BRIDGE
    You use the fallen pine to climb over the gap.

#
TEXT increment NO.JUMP.GORGE
    [The gap is narrow, but not *that* narrow. It is not in the
    direction of the ledge, so you can't take a run at it - it
    would have to be more or less a standing jump, and the gap
    is too wide for that/You can't just jump over to the other side.
    That would be far too easy].
#
FRAGMENT ITS.NO.GO.BOG
    What, into that bog? You wouldn't be able to get back up here
    and as for crossing the swamp, you'd
#
TEXT NO.GET.LOST.IN.BOG
    {ITS.NO.GO.BOG} first need to have a pretty good idea what route 
    to take. There won't be any chance to explore this way or that 
    way - even with mud-shoes, you'd have to keep moving,
    or it's a glug-glug-glug scenario!
#
TEXT increment INTO.THE.BOG
    [Luckily enough, despite having had no practice, you quickly find the
    the right stride and rhythm for running in the mud-shoes,
    without tripping over your literally very big feet. The route
    you saw from above is still quite clear in your mind and it would
    seem you manage to follow it pretty well - that is you get to
    the other side without mishap./You set out across the bog in that 
    funny gait enforced by the mud-shoes.]

#
TEXT NOT.WITHOUT.FOOTWARE
    {ITS.NO.GO.BOG} just sink!
#
TEXT TOO.LATE.TO.GET.OUT
    Sorry, you can't get back from here. You are now committed
    to getting across that bog, risky though it is.
#
TEXT NEED.FOOTWARE
    It might be a good idea to put those mud-shoes on first.
    You'd sink otherwise.
#
TEXT NO.USE.FOOTWARE
    Mud shoes are undoubtedly meant for crossing boggy areas,
    but the swamp here looks far to watery for the shoes to be of any use.
#
TEXT DONT.NEED.FOOTWARE
    There's absolutely no call to do that - they'd only get in the way
    of your walking.
#
TEXT DOWN.TO.BOG
    You part scramble, part slide the steep slope down to a dry
    patch at the edge of the bog. 

#
FRAGMENT WEAR.FOOTWARE
    You strap on the mud-shoes. 
#
TEXT PRACTICE.FOOTWARE
    {WEAR.FOOTWARE} A few experimental steps along this
    dryer patch of the ground convince you that walking or running
    around in the shoes is not simple. It is very easy to knock them
    into each other and lose balance, or worse to step with one
    onto the other with the predictably comical consequence. Still,
    you manage to stay on your feet and there's nothing for it -
    you have to try crossing the bog.
#
TEXT NO.SIZZLE
    You carefully step onto the invisible bridge leading west.

#
TEXT ABYSS.FALL
    In a momentary fit of madness, you leap into [the
    black void. You fall forever, though of course you don't
    live long enough to appreciate the fact/
    the starry void. As I believe one of your human writers
    once quipped in similar circumstances, below is the whole universe,
    just waiting for you to drop in. In the circumstances, you don't
    seem to have any alternatives. It is a long, long journey and you
    die long before getting anywhere interesting/
    the void. It is a long fall and you watch with some interest
    how the red glow in the east appears to grow higher and nearer.
    Unfortunately, just as it would seem to start making sense of what
    you are seeing, you meet some rather unforgiving stony ground/
    the fiery inferno below].
#
TEXT VERB.NOT.REQUIRED
    You can't # things in this game, sorry...
#
TEXT ENTER.CATACOMBS
    The catacombs are not exactly hard to find from here.
#
TEXT DOWN.TRAPDOOR
    You lower yourself into the dark room below,
    until your feet find the top rungs of the ladder.

#
TEXT OLD.SHELVES
    The rather dusty shelves are rough but fairly sturdy.
#
TEXT CAUGHT.BASE
    There is a sudden clatter of boots and loud arguing voices from outside
    the tower entrance. A moment later a whole bunch of burly dwarves
    run smack into you. Despite being clearly surprised, they lose no
    time in pinning you to a wall. After a brief but passionate
    argument, you are thoroughly searched, [//your valuables
    confiscated, ]and you are chucked out through the doorway[/ together
    with all your possessions// together with the rest of your possessions].

#
TEXT UP.TRAPDOOR
    You climb up to the tower roof through the open trapdoor.

#
TEXT CULPABILITY.NOAKES
    The plaque reads

   +      ****************************
   +             Garden  design
   +           Culpability Noakes
   +           by commission from
   +             Lady  Coverley
   +              A.D. MDCCCIX
   +      ****************************
#
TEXT increment PRACTICE.DWARVISH
    [You would like to practice your Dwarvish? What a scrumptious idea!
    Hang on, let me swap to my Dwarvish dictionary...
    %I could do with some practice too.%/Oh good! Let's practice our
    Dwarvish again!/Practice makes perfect, or so they say./Right you
    are...] %Just say whenever you want to switch back to English.%
#
TEXT increment BACK.TO.ENGLISH
    %[Tired of chatting in Dwarvish? Well, I hope you found it 
    useful./Had enough of Dwarvish? Well, fair enough.../As you please.]%
    Any time you want more Dwarvish practice, just say...
#
TEXT ALREADY.USING
    Sorry, I don't follow... Aren't we already using [English/Dwarvish]?!
#
TEXT BEACH.GLIDE
    {YOU.BOARD.RUG} perks up and clearly sensing an easy opportunity,
    executes a stately glide, sliding above the steps down to the rocky
    beach. There it hovers briefly, before settling down.
#
TEXT increment CLIMB.SHELVES
    [It's a bit awkward, but the shelf racks are close enough to
    each other to allow you to climb up, straddling the passage
    between them./You scramble up the shelves.]

#
TEXT increment ROUND.THE.TOWER
    {YOU.BOARD.RUG} takes off. However, to your surprise and frustration,
    instead of flying off into the distance, it decides to circle the
    tower in a slow downward spiral. Its route takes you right by the
    window of the dwarves' guard room, but fortunately for you, the
    dwarves are too engrossed in their resumed card game to notice
    magic rugs flying by. After circling the tower several times, the
    rug settles down in the rose garden at its foot.

#
FRAGMENT assigned LAMP.IN.TEETH
    [/grip the lamp in your teeth and ]
#
TEXT increment UP.THE.TOWER
    You [thoughtfully examine the tower wall covered with old ivy.
    Deciding that it just might be possible, you /]{LAMP.IN.TEETH}
    [start climbing. It is in fact a much easier going than
    one would imagine, except for the rather tricky bit of actually
    getting over the edge of the roof at the very top/manage to
    climb up without a mishap].

#
TEXT NO.CLIMB.TOWER
    You could perhaps manage it with just the lamp, but you really
    need to ditch any other stuff of any size, before even trying 
    to climb that ivy-covered wall!
#
TEXT cycle NO.POINT.IN.THAT
    [There is no point in doing that/That would achieve exactly
    nothing/Don't waste your time on such silliness/That would be
    quite pointless/There is no need to do that/That wouldn't do
    any good/Nothing would be achieved by doing that/That would be 
    a waste of time].
#
TEXT THROUGH.THICKET
    You fight your way through the thick forest, just about
    managing to keep to your chosen direction. Eventually
    the forest thins out and you find that...

#
TEXT ALARM.RINGS

    The smoke has set off the alarm again, but nobody seems to be
    paying attention.
#
FRAGMENT increment THURIBLE.WAVING
    [You firmly grip the thurible's handle and swing it about. Almost
    immediately you notice a thin haze emanating from the slits and
    holes in its ovoid body. As you continue waving it about, the thin
    wisps of haze rapidly turn into streams of dense white smoke
    pouring out of the thurible. You are soon enveloped in a cloud of
    pungently aromatic smoke, which tickles your eyes, nose and
    throat, forcing you to stop. The smoke/You wave the thurible 
    about, producing lots of pungently aromatic smoke. The] cloud
#
TEXT LOTSA.SMOKE
    {THURIBLE.WAVING} gradually lifts up and dissipates above your head.
#
TEXT LOTSA.SMOKE.ROOM
    {THURIBLE.WAVING} lifts to the ceiling, where it
    persists for a while as a thick roiling layer, until it gradually
    dissipates, leaving only a trace of its smell behind.
#
TEXT SMOKE.IN.DARKNESS
    You wave the thurible in the air and are enveloped by a pungently
    aromatic smell of smoke.
#
TEXT increment EVACUATE.CAVE

    [Without any warning, your ears are assaulted by the deafening sound
    of/And here it comes!..]

   =                        !          !         !
   =                       t          t         t
   =                     ee         ee       ee
   =                 Huee       Huee     Huee

  [

   Oh dear! I think you must have set off the fire alarm above the door!/]

    As soon as the sound stops, a sepulchral voice sternly announces:

   +          THERE IS A FIRE CONDITION IN ZONE TWELVE
   +         ALL STAFF EVACUATE ZONE TWELVE IMMEDIATELY[
   +            ASSEMBLE AT THE FIRE ASSEMBLY POINT B/
   +            WHILE ENGINEERS TEST THE ALARM SYSTEM]

   [Just a few seconds after the echoes of the voice die down,
   you narrowly avoid getting trampled by several very large dwarves,
   some of them still clutching playing cards in their hands/
   Knowing what to expect, you get out of the way in time to avoid
   being trampled by the very large dwarves], who
   dash out of the door to the south and disappear down the
   steps[//, muttering angrily].
#
TEXT ALARM.CANCELLED

    The sepulchral voice mournfully announces:

   +          FIRE CONDITION IN ZONE TWELVE HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED
   +          FIRE CONDITION IN ZONE TWELVE HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED
#
TEXT BETTER.GET.OUT.OF.HERE

    I think it would be very wise to get out of here before the dwarves
    come back!
#
FRAGMENT NO.TOURISTS
    You can hear voices and sounds of heavy boots climbing the tower
    stairs, followed by a sudden and ominous silence. Then a dwarf
    rushes in, waving about a wickedly gleaming axe. He nearly runs into
    the far wall, before realising that there is nobody there to attack,
    and coming to an abrupt halt. He peers up
#
FRAGMENT DWARVES.RETURN
    [There is a clatter of boots and loud voices outside the door, and 
    a whole bunch of large, unfriendly dwarves come to a sudden halt, 
    fixing you with their cold stares. Before you have the time to think
    of anything to do or say, the room explodes into violent action./
    {NO.TOURISTS} into the darkness, and your heart nearly stops as he
    seems to look straight at you. The dwarf hesitates for what seems
    like an infinite moment, and then almost lazily swings his axe and
    lets it fly straight towards you./
    {NO.TOURISTS} and in the light falling through the open trapdoor
    spots you above him. There is a blurred motion, which briefly resolves
    into a large gleaming axe whirling through the air towards you.]
#
TEXT LOOKING.UP
     You crane your neck and stare [upwards/into the bright sky], but
     cannot see anything interesting.
#
TEXT LOOKING.DOWN
     You stare at your feet, but get quickly bored.
#
TEXT NO.SEE.DOWN.THERE
     It's too [dark/misty] down there to see anything much.
#
TEXT NO.SEE.UP.THERE
     It is too dark up there to see anything.
#
TEXT ITS.A.GULLY
     It's just a gully running away to the south. Its presence here is 
     of no particular significance, other than that it channels the 
     stream emerging from the building through a pair of pipes.
#
TEXT BASILISK.SLEEPS
     The basilisk is asleep, and for your own sake I hope it stays
     asleep, so stop trying to offer things to it!
#
TEXT FOREST.POEM

     As I believe one of your human poets once wrote:

    /  I have come to the borders of sleep,
    /  The unfathomable deep
    /  Forest where all must lose
    /  Their way, however straight,
    /  Or winding, soon or late;
    /  They cannot choose.

     Well, maybe so - there's no accounting for adventurers' actions,
     but surely once should be quite enough. Now you'll just have to 
     thrash your way out of here and then remember to avoid the
     "denser and darker" bits of the forest.
#
TEXT increment ORYANS.DAUGHTER
    The lettering reads:

   + "IN MEMORIAM OF PATRICK O'RYAN"

    [Ah! The ring of O'Ryan! Not Orion! There... I knew all that "Orion"
    stuff had to be just mythology! I suppose the girl must be O'Ryan's 
    daughter then. Well, well, well.../]
#
TEXT SCRAMBLE.UP
    With some difficulty, you manage to scramble up the crumbling rocks.

#
TEXT NO.SCRAMBLE.UP
    You try to scramble up, but the crumbling rock offers no stable
    footing and you are forced to give up.
#
TEXT SCRAMBLE.DOWN
    The downwards slope to the east gets progressively stonier and steeper.
    In the end you half scramble, half slide down, narrowly avoiding
    an injury on the rock and boulders below.

#
TEXT NO.POINTING
    [It is rude to point!/That would be literally pointless.]
#
FRAGMENT increment NO.POINT.ROD
    [The rod is no weapon and pointing it at things or enemies is
    quite ... dare I say pointless? I am sure that if you'd only stop
    to think about it, you'd recall a far more traditional way of
    wielding magical rods, wands and such-like.
   //
    As I have already explained, in this game at least, rods are not 
    for pointing. Please try to fix this information in your mind!
   //
    {NO.POINT.IN.THAT}]
#
TEXT increment THROUGH.WATERFALL
    [Noting the way water cascades from the heights above, you
    sidle up to the rock wall and manage to squeeze along it without
    getting too wet. It'll probably come as no great surprise that
    you find yourself in a kind of a hollow, concealed behind the
    waterfall./You squeeze along the rock wall to the hollow space
    behind the waterfall, managing to avoid most of the falling water.]     

#
TEXT ITS.A.WATERFALL
    [It is one of moderately-sized waterfalls which cascade down
    the mountain and feed the bog in the ancient caldera. The water
    leaps from the heights in a series of picturesque cascades. By
    the time its last leap throws it into the bog, it is more of a 
    dense shower of small droplets and white water mist, drifting in the 
    still air./The waterfall is more of a curtain of small droplets and
    white water mist, blocking the view of the bog lying beyond.]
#
TEXT increment BETTER.BUT.NOTHING
    [That's the idea! Unfortunately, nothing happens. Maybe you should
    try waving the rod in other places./Nothing happens.]
#
TEXT NO.PULL
    Pulling the # has no effect.
#
TEXT NO.PUSH
    Pushing the # does nothing interesting.
#
TEXT increment NO.DRAG
#
    [Dragging portable objects around is more awkward and more
    tiring than carrying them. /]Just pick the # up[/ please].
#
TEXT increment NO.FLY.BACK
    {YOU.BOARD.RUG} takes off [with some difficulty. It/and] circles
    briefly, [presumably in search of a thermal, but fails to find one.
    Rather than continue losing height, it sets out to the east, dodges
    an inconvenient mountain shoulder and ends up skimming down the slope
    over the dense cover of tropical vegetation. Things look dodgy for
    a few moments, but the rug does make it to the beach and even manages
    to overshoot slightly, ditching in the shallow sea. 

    You wade back pulling the sodden rug behind you. Fortunately, it
    quickly dries in the sun, as does the rest of your stuff./but there 
    are no suitable thermals for gaining hight and you are lucky it
    manages to make it to the beach.]{NO.SEE.BOG}

#
TEXT LOAD.TOO.HEAVY
    You climb aboard the rug, but what with all your possessions,
    the load is clearly too heavy, and the rug sags heavily to the ground.
#
TEXT BEHOLD.MUD.SHOES
    Half-concealed in the crevice under a rock is a pair of old mud-shoes!
#
TEXT SHOES.IN.CREVICE
    As you turn to go, something catches your eye. {HALF.HIDDEN.SHOES}
#
FRAGMENT assigned IT.DOOR
    [the door/it]
#
TEXT increment DOOR.SLAMS.SHUT
    [Oops! - {IT.DOOR} has just slammed shut again, in a most unfriendly 
    manner!/And, oh dear!, {IT.DOOR} promptly decides to slam shut rather
    decisively!/And, what a surprise!, {IT.DOOR} slams shut again.]
#
FRAGMENT increment NOCOMP...
    [Sorry, but/Hmmm.../][ "#" is not..._/=/]
#
TEXT increment DOOR.OPENS
    [Oh! Now there's a thing! All by itself, t/Ah... T/T]he door [has
    decided to open!/opens all by itself.]
#
TEXT cycle DOOR.IN.THE.WAY
    [Er... there is a closed door in the way!/The way # is blocked
    by the closed door!/The door's shut, so you can't go that way./You
    aren't a wizard - you can't walk through closed doors./It may
    be a good idea to open that door, before trying to walk through it.]
#
TEXT cycle IT.WONT.BUDGE
    [T/T/Despite all your efforts, t/Try as you might, t]he door [stubbornly
    resists your attempts to open it/won't budge/refuses to open/remains
    obstinately closed].
#
TEXT IT.OPENS.OTHER.WAY
    The # refuses to move. It's probably because it opens the other way.
#
TEXT ALREADY.CLOSED
    The # is already closed.
#
TEXT increment CAUGHT.ON.STAIRS
    There is a clatter of boots and loud argumentative voices from below,
    and before you can react, a large, nasty looking dwarf coming up the
    stairs nearly runs into you. "[%Well, well... Look what the cat's
    brought in!%/%Not you again!%]", he says[/ disgustedly] and without
    further ado swings his large axe in a thrusting, upward motion...
#
TEXT DOOR.NO.KEYHOLE
    How? It has no keyhole!
#
TEXT DOOR.NO.OIL
    That would be a waste of oil - the door doesn't look like it is
    in need of oiling.
#
TEXT increment  NOBODY.ANSWERS
    [You knock on the door politely, but nobody answers./You knock
    rather energetically, but still nobody answers./You bang on the door
    as hard as you can, but there is still no reply. I guess there's
    nobody home.]
#
TEXT cycle SOMEBODY.HOME
    You bang on the door with all your might and [a guttural voice
    from upstairs shouts: "%Will ya stop that racket! A body is trying 
    to get some sleep here!%"/several large, heavily armed dwarves 
    clatter down the steps to investigate what is going on. They take
    one look at you, and...]
#
FRAGMENT STOREROOM.VIEW    # Tied to TRAPDOOR
    [dark/dimly lit]
#
TEXT STORES.DOOR.OPENS
    You give the door a shove and
    slowly, almost grudgingly, it swings opens, revealing nothing
    more exciting than a {STOREROOM.VIEW} room with some shelving stretching
    away from the entrance into the gloom.
#
TEXT increment TOWER.CLIMB.TRICKY
    [Well, I don't know... It just might be possible to climb down the 
    outside of the tower, what with all that ivy clinging to the walls,
    but I think you'd need to free your hands for that. You may
    be able to manage it with the lamp, but as for any other largish
    objects, forget it./You need your hands free for climbing down
    the tower - you'd get yourself killed otherwise!]
#
TEXT increment DOWN.THE.TOWER
    You {LAMP.IN.TEETH}[carefully lower yourself over the edge of the roof.
    Fortunately, the stonework is pretty rough and the ivy clinging to it
    is old and stubborn. Between them, they allow you a slow, but mercifully
    uneventful/cautiously] climb down into the garden.

#
TEXT TRAPDOOR.NOW.OPEN
    You've [pushed/pulled] the trapdoor open.
#
TEXT TRAPDOOR.NOW.CLOSED
    You [close the trapdoor above your head/bang the trapdoor shut].
#
TEXT increment NO.PASS.GATE
    [You can't go through closed gates! Good heavens, if we allowed
    every Tom, Dick and Hariette simply to walk through such carefully
    designed obstacles, there wouldn't be much point to this 
    game!/There seem to be some closed gates in the way!]
#
TEXT NO.CAN.SEE
     It is dark.
#
TEXT increment ARRIVING.ON.ISLAND
    [The nearer you get to the island, the more uncertain
    it becomes whether you are actually going to make it.
    In the end the rug somehow manages to skim over the sea
    swell and lands on the sandy beach. The landing is a bit bumpy,
    but you should be grateful enough just to be here/After a long 
    and not entirely comfortable flight, you reach the island].
 
#
TEXT increment NEED.BEAVER.TEETH
    [An interesting notion. But you are not a beaver and your pitiful
    human teeth are simply not up to the job/As I had an occasion to
    point out, your teeth aren't up to it].
#
TEXT increment NO.CUT.WITH.SWORD
    [&^_\$\#"!\#@???? Ah, no, forgive me. You are jesting of course. For
    a moment there I seriously thought you were going to wield that noble 
    sword as a vulgar tree axe! Such fine sense of humour... You nearly 
    had me there!/No, really, it was funny once, but let's not overdo
    that knightly humour. (Chopping trees with swords! Heh...)] 
#
TEXT increment BALCONY.PLAQUE

    The plaque[/ still] reads:

    +    You are looking at the Witt Company's
    +     main treasure room, constructed by 
    +the famous architect Ralph Witt in 4004 B.C., 
    +    and dedicated to the proposition that 
    +      all adventurers are created equal
    +     (although some more so than others). 

    +       NO ADMITTANCE VIA THIS ENTRANCE!

#
TEXT PAT.ORYAN
   Old Patrick O'Ryan... Yes, there was a character! The stuff
   of legend, you might say. He passed away, quite a while ago.[/If
   I recall correctly, there was some fuss about some stuff of his
   locked up in a magicked vault somewhere.]
#
TEXT increment NO.JUMP.BACK
   [Jumping down a couple of metres is easy enough, but jumping back
   up again is a different story altogether. In short, you can't go 
   back/Sorry, that jump was a one-way trip].
#
TEXT increment SWAMP.ROUTE
   [You survey the swamp far below your feet, taking a careful note of 
   any signs of firmer ground. Now, I don't know how much you know
   about swamps, but I would say that taking into the account variations
   in vegetation together with some clumps of bushes here and there, 
   there does appear to be a possible path leading in a complex curve
   from the weathered SE edge of the caldera, to the sheer cliffs on
   the NW side. I'll remember it on your behalf/A further examination of
   the swamp below reveals nothing new. Don't worry, I won't forget
   that possible route through it].
#
TEXT DANGEROUS.BOG
   All that lush greenery looks very treacherous!
#
TEXT ITS.MARBLE.STEPS
   Nothing much to see - just marble steps leading into a dark hole.
#
TEXT ITS.A.WALL
   [It is a well built, tall garden wall made of smooth stone. It looks
   quite aggressively unclimbable/The part of the tower wall facing the
   garden is covered in dark, ancient ivy, which had long ago established
   a secure foothold in the rough stonework].
#
TEXT increment NO.CLIMB.WALL
   [The garden wall presents too formidable an obstacle. It is tall,
   its smooth stonework offers no purchase for climbing, and unless I am
   very mistaken, it has sharp bits of broken glass set into its top/Don't
   even bother trying]. This wall was not meant to be climbed.
#
TEXT NO.FOLLOW.WALL
   The wall continues in two directions from here, so rather than asking
   me to guess your intent, why not just specify the direction you want to go?
#
TEXT ITS.A.ROOF         # Tied to trapdoor
   The tower roof is a square stone platform, with no railings, 
   balustrade or crenellations. Its only notable feature is
   the [closed/open] metal trapdoor near the middle.
#
FRAGMENT cycle GAS.QUOTE
   [/// It's "merely a corroborative detail, intended to give artistic 
   verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative."/////]
#
FRAGMENT cycle GET.ON.WITH.IT
   Let's [talk about something else./get on with adventuring./concentrate
   on essentials!]
#
TEXT cycle JUST.SCENERY
   [Not my area of expertise, #./Getting distracted by # doesn't
   score any points./Now, let's not get distracted by #!/Come
   on, don't waste your time on #!/#? It's just scenery of 
   no particular consequence.]{GAS.QUOTE} {GET.ON.WITH.IT}
#
TEXT increment IS.IT.A.TYPO?
   Sorry, I don't understand "#". I[ guess it may be a typo, but if
   so, it could match at least two different words that I 
   know/f it is a typo, it is an ambiguous one].
#
TEXT increment TIRING.CLIMB
   [The shaft seems to go on and on, but eventually it does come to the
   end, as all things must/It is a very long and very tiring climb].

#
TEXT STONE.TABLE
   As already noted it is a large chunk of rock, fashioned to 
   look like a stone table covered in heavy cloth. There is no more
   to be said about it.
#
TEXT increment EXITING.THE.MINE
   You wriggle out through the narrow opening and part slide, part
   tumble down the slope.[

   Ooof!! You are lucky you didn't do any serious damage to yourself!/]

#
TEXT DROP.ROOM
  / clatter[/s] on the floor below.
#
TEXT DROPPINGS.NO.GOOD
   [I can't imagine what you would want to do with giant rat droppings.
   Nothing wholesome I wager! So leave them alone. Their only purpose here
   is to alert you to the possible presence of unpleasantly large 
   rodents./If you have in mind using the droppings as a fertilizer, that's
   not a bad thought! But rat droppings, which is what these must be 
   despite their size, are no good for plants. Better look for some other
   sort of plant food.]
#
TEXT DROPPINGS.LARGE
   As I already noted, they look just like very large rat droppings.
#
TEXT increment THINKING
     [This is not a deep philosophical game. /]Thinking is only useful
     in so far as it suggests a course of action.
#
TEXT increment NO.GAIN.THERE.1

     [Just so that you know -  there is no need to go this way. There is
     no advantage to be gained, no treasure to be found, no points
     to be scored/Honestly, I wouldn't bother coming this way at all].
#
TEXT increment NO.GAIN.THERE.2

     [I can't think why you insist on going upstream. There is nothing
     to be accomplished there/Seriously, you are just wasting time 
     here].
#
TEXT increment ASTRAL.SQUATTER
     [Well, there. What did I tell you? No use. No use at all. The imp is
     just a nuisance, really. A metaphysical squatter. Ralph Witt did try
     to have it evicted, but it would seem that Oberon's writ doesn't run
     here. They say it was quite a sight when that eviction spell misfired.
     Just sheer luck that there were no casualties! Sorry... I know,
     I am just babbling. None of this is of any interest to you. It's just
     that such metaphysical manifestations make me nervous for some reason.
     Well, for a good and obvious reason, really. Who knows *what* the imp
     might be writing up there! Next thing you know, a poor cave sprite like
     me wakes up to find it has been written out of the script of the world.
     Wouldn't the thought make you nervous? It should! Basic existential
     anxiety, don't you know? Fear and trembling and all that. No, I realise
     you couldn't care less about me, but suppose it were you, huh? What?
     Shut up? Er... Yes. Quite right too. Sorry. I've shut up already.
     Don't pay any attention. Just nerves. Must be over-work. One of
     those days, know what I mean? Ahem, where was I.../
     Gives me the shivers, that imp does. But we've been through that.../
     An excellent idea - let's go somewhere else./
     I'll be glad to be out of here!]

#
TEXT increment NO.EVICT.IMP
     [I see. Evict the imp. Just like that. Good one. Who exactly do
     you think you are? An apprentice godling? Bah!... Look here,
     Oberon himself failed rather spectacularly, so I respectfully suggest
     you stop embarrassing yourself, and just accept my plain, honest
     and entirely sensible advice: LEAVE THE IMP ALONE, DON'T COME HERE,
     THERE IS NOTHING TO BE GAINED BY IT, THE IMP IS JUST A METAPHYSICAL
     NUISANCE - COMPRENDE?/
     Oh, do stop being silly - you are not a miracle worker and the imp
     is not leaving here in a hurry.]
#
TEXT GLASS.WATERFALL
     [By all rights the falling water should be making a dreadful
     racket, but it doesn't. All you hear is a loud continuous hum, 
     which drowns most of the splashing noises from the churning water
     below the waterfall/There is some sort of deep hum coming from
     upstream. I really wouldn't pay much attention to that, if I were
     you].
#
TEXT FLIGHT.SOUND
     There is nothing much to be heard except for a slight whistling
     of wind in the rug's tassels.
#
TEXT FALLING.WATER
     All you can hear is the fairly unremarkable sound of falling water.
#
TEXT BOG.SOUNDS
     There is an oppressive silence hanging over the swamp, interrupted
     only by an occasional sound of gas bubbles bursting on the surface.
#
TEXT RIVER.SOUNDS
     The turbulent river waters [roar as they disappear under the rock
     to the west/make a continuous gurgling sound].
#
TEXT DISTANT.RIVER.SOUNDS
     All you can hear is [the distant sound of rushing water/a
     soft murmur murmur of a sound, suggestive of flowing water].
#
TEXT OVER.THE.EDGE?
     What, just like that, step over the edge into the void?_
#
TEXT cycle NOT.A.GOOD.IDEA
     [That does *not* strike me as a good idea!/I think you should 
     reconsider that./That would be a seriously dumb thing to do./
     You know, let's pretend that you never made that silly suggestion./
     On mature reflection, I think we'll do nothing of the sort./As
     should be obvious even to a hedgehog, that would not be a very
     smart thing to do.]
#
TEXT increment THINK.SOME.MORE
    [No, no... You need to do more thinking
    about what to do, not just do more thinking./*I* don't need to
    think. *You* do. Think about what you should do. Got that?/With
    all that thinking you should have got it by now!]
#
FRAGMENT cycle TYPO
    [Sorry, the word "#" is not familiar to me./ I'll just assume you
    meant "#"/, i.e. "#"/./
    Regretfully, I don't have "#" in my dictionary./ But I do know
    "#"/, as in "#"/, so I'll assume you meant that./
    The word "#" is not one I know./ Let's assume you meant "#"/, 
    meaning "#"/./
    I have no idea what "#" might be./ I guess it could be mistyped
    "#"/, i.e. "#"/, so I'll assume that was what you meant.]
#
TEXT SPARE..T..1
#
TEXT increment SUNSTONE.NO.FLY
   [Sorry, I can't allow you to board the rug while in possession of the
   sunstone. Quite apart from it being against regulations, it must be
   surely obvious that holding the sunstone on a flying rug, is quite
   likely to lead to your speedy demise!/I think I've
   already explained that there are good reasons why rug passengers are not
   allowed to have sunstones in their possession./Not while you are
   hanging on to that sunstone!]
#
TEXT MIRROR.STRANGENESS
   Silly of me, I know, but I can't work out how to get there! This is
   all very confusing... 
#
TEXT assigned SUNSTONE.DROPS
    As it falls, the sunstone emits a brief flash of {COLOURS}
    light[/ before disappearing /=/][/out of sight/through the beanstalk
    foliage/].[/// It]
#
TEXT SAPLING.FALL
    As you watch the sunstone drop towards the ground below, it suddenly
    occurs to you that this was not a very smart thing to do. And indeed,
    without the sunstone's support, the laws of gravity and geometry
    eagerly reassert themselves. You make a wild grab for the sapling,
    but it is no use...

#
TEXT NO.GET.ALL.STARSTONE
    You attempt to pick up the starstone, but it eludes your grasp.
#
TEXT cycle SPIRE.THERE
    [The way # is blocked by the black spire!/You cannot go #, there is
    this whopping big black spire in the way!/There is the black spire 
    to the # of you, so it would seem natural to assume that you cannot
    just walk through it.]
#
FRAGMENT FOLLOW.RAMP
    You set # along the steep ramp
#
TEXT CHUCK.DOWN.SLOPE
    You chuck the # down the slope.
#
TEXT THROW.INTO.SWAMP
     You hurl the # down into the swamp.
#
TEXT THROW.INTO.RAVINE
     You watch the # disappear into the vegetation filling the ravine.
#
TEXT THROW.TO.STREAM
     You throw the # down the steep slope.
#
TEXT THROW.FROM.TEMPLE
     You negligently toss the # into the void below.
#
TEXT CHUCK.FROM.VIEW
     You carefully toss the # over the lower edge of the platform.
#
TEXT increment NO.WASH.CHEAP.RUG
     [I advise against doing anything so rash as attempting to wash the rug.
     I'd put no money on the dyes in it being natural. And if they are
     artificial, you could ruin the rug altogether./No. You would only
     ruin it anyway.]

TEXT increment NO.WASH.VALUED.RUG
     [Wash the rug??? Good grief! You don't wash certifiably valuable
     rugs like that! Mustafa is certainly right that cleaning it up would not 
     be a bad idea, but NOT by washing, *please*! What's wrong with
     more traditional methods?/You don't wash valuable rugs! Please use
     a more traditional method.]
#
TEXT THREE.HEADS

    A three-headed monkey scampers past you and disappears in the jungle
    towards the centre of the...

    Now, hang on there for just a teensy moment!... A THREE-HEADED MONKEY??
    Say, your name isn't Guybrush by any chance? 'Cause if it is, I guess
    one of us is in the wrong game!! It isn't? Oh, OK... Panic over. It
    must have wandered in here by mistake.
#
TEXT WRONG.GAME
    If you are looking for Mr Threepwood, you won't find him here. He's
    working for a much classier outfit.
#
TEXT NO.MONKEYS
    Sorry, we have no monkeys around here. Nor apes, orangutans or
    Unseen University librarians.
#
TEXT JUMPED.OFF
    As the ramp bends to the southeast, you find that right now the
    sunstone seems to object to being moved in that direction. Since
    the bend is pretty near the ground level anyway, you simply jump off.

#
TEXT increment NEED.SUNSTONE
    Very sensible of you.[ If you really want to venture north here, along
    that ledge, you could do with something to stop you falling off 
    it.// Now, if you had some means of preventing you from falling away
    from that cliff-face.../]
#
TEXT increment QUIT.AND.START
    To # the game, use the QUIT command to quit, and then start a new 
    game.[ Simple solutions are the best, eh?./]
#
TEXT NO.GET.TABLE
    The bird table is clearly intended for our feathered friends. On
    close examination, you do not appear to qualify as one, so please
    leave the table alone. Pinching a bit of bird seed off it is one
    thing, but taking it away altogether would be just plain mean.
#
FRAGMENT SAPLING.HINT
    Are you trying to get to that sapling over there?_
#
TEXT
    It may be useful to recall the geometric laws of stability. The
    ledge leading to the sapling is too narrow for your centre of
    gravity to be above it as you inch your way to the sapling. Hence
    your weight inevitably pulls you away from the cliff-face.
    Unfortunately, the cliff offers no hand-holds which would help you
    to counteract this pull, and you won't get very far hanging on to 
    the beanstalk foliage.

    With me so far? Now, if you had some other, less conventional means
    of preventing movement away from the cliff, things might be different.
#
TEXT NO.PLUGHOLE
    Your knowledge of Adventure history does you credit, but there are
    no plugholes to be found in the Colossal Cave these days. There is,
    of course the magic word suggested by the hollow voice... If that is
    what you have in mind, please use the exact form as given.
#
TEXT increment BEDROCK.BLOCK
    It's a large bedrock block, that's all.[ Geology is undoubtedly an 
    important science, but this is not the time or the place to pursue
    geological enquiries into something quite so mundane./]
#
TEXT increment TEETH.PLURAL
    [Attention to detail is generally a good idea, but in this particular
    case it is misplaced. I have no intention of handling them teeth
    one by one. Please # the lot, if that's what you wish to do./Don't
    bother with individual teeth. You'll need them all together.]
#
TEXT NO.COUNTING
    Accountants count. Adventurers don't count. Adventurers adventure.
    So, get on with it.
#
TEXT cycle YOU.JUMP
    You [leap into the air in a display of youthful exuberance/jump
    into the air, presumably just for the fun of it./hop about a bit]. 
    [//I dare say you needed the exercise.]
#
TEXT ISLAND.TOO.FAR
    The island is too far from here to make out any details, but it
    would seem to be essentially a mountain rising out of the
    sea.
#
TEXT ITS.AROUND.YOU
    It is all around you!
#
TEXT increment ROAD.INFO
    [Hoping for yellow bricks, eh? Sorry to disappoint. Perhaps 'road'
    is too grand a word for it. /]It's only a dirt track, really, which
    runs west from the building, up a low hill and into the forest.
#
TEXT increment HILL.INFO
    It is a wide low hill, partly covered by the forest.[ A fairly
    unremarkable geographical feature./]
#
TEXT WINDOWS.TOO.HIGH.TO.SEE
    The windows are too high up for you to see properly.
#
TEXT TOO.FAR.TO.SEE
    The # is too far from here to see properly.
#
TEXT TOO.FAR.PLURAL
    The #s are too far from here to see properly.
#
TEXT increment SEA.INFO
    [Is it a sea or an ocean? I am never sure what the difference is...
    Whichever, it/The sea] is quite calm, its surface ruffled by a gentle 
    breeze in large irregular patches, which sparkle in the sunlight.
#
TEXT cycle ITS.JUST.A
    It's just a #. [Nothing very remarkable about it/Not remarkable in 
    any way/Nothing special to it/The apt description is "unremarkable"].
#
TEXT DENSE.FOREST
    The forest around you consist largely of mature conifers. It looks
    dark and vaguely unfriendly.
#
TEXT increment ONCE.IS.ENOUGH

    [And thank goodness for that! /]I [/really /*really* /*REALLY* ]don't
    know why you decided to go and get lost in that dark forest. Let's
    say [once/twice/thrice/enough] is enough and not do it again, huh?
#
TEXT BAD.PUN
    My apologies. I know it's a terrible pun...
#
TEXT TOO.LARGE.TO.CARRY
    The # is far too large and heavy for you to take it with you!
#
TEXT SLITS.TOO.NARROW
    In case you wondered why I described the slits as "tiny", it was
    to indicate in an unobtrusive manner that they are of no practical
    significance to you, beyond accounting for the presence of the stream. 
#
TEXT BEAR.ALREADY.FREE
    You have already unlocked bear's chain!
#
TEXT NO.DROP.BEAR
    To # a bear you'd have to have a bear first!
#
TEXT KICK.DOOR
    You give the door a good kick. It doesn't seem to mind.
#
TEXT JUST.A.TRICKLE
    Not so much a stream as a trickle, really. A source of water,
    that's all.
#
TEXT STREAM.FLOWS.OUT
    The water from the well flows out of the building through a pair of
    one foot pipes.    
#
TEXT NOWHERE.TO.JUMP
    There is nowhere for me to jump to.
#
TEXT COULD.YOU.CLARIFY?
    What do you want me to {ARG1}?
#
TEXT HELP.AFTER.ALL?
    The familiar beautiful young woman appears. Looking at you imploringly,
    she says, "Have you changed your mind, oh brave adventurer? Will you
    help me after all?"

#
TEXT NO.TOUCH.MUG
    None of the stuff on the table looks to be of great interest, and is
    probably highly unhygienic anyway. Best leave it alone.
#
TEXT DOOR.NOW
    The door is now [closed/opened].
#
TEXT GOLDEN.SAND
    The sand of the beach is golden in colour and quite smooth, clearly
    well worked over by the waves of the sea.
#
TEXT BLACK.SAND
    The sand of this eerie desert is nearly black in colour and unexpectedly
    smooth, presumably due to being constantly shifted by the
    ferocious wind. When it moves, it emits a faint hissing sound.
#
TEXT DIRTY.SAND
    The sand of the beach is rather dirty, with fragments of sea-weed
    and bits of wood mixed in, none of the debris being of any use to you. 
#
TEXT WINDOW.VIEW
    The view from the window shows nothing but the dense forest 
    stretching away to the east.
#
TEXT ITS.A.STOOL
    The stool is provided for the convenience of dwarf sentries, and in
    order to prevent it being removed by adventurers, or by dwarves
    for that matter, it is securely bolted to the floor.
#
TEXT DWARVES.TABLE
    The oblong table is strewn with dirty dishes, earthenware mugs and
    empty jugs. None of it of any use or value to you.
#
TEXT WOODEN.STOOL
     The stools are just basic utilitarian four-legged seats. Mere furniture
     of no adventuring import.
#
TEXT increment NO.KILL.IMP
     [I am not sure that it is possible to kill the imp, but in any
     case /]I am certainly not going to allow you even to try![ Who knows what
     the consequences might be? Let's not meddle with matters metaphysical!/]
#
TEXT ALREADY.INSIDE
    You are already inside the #!
#
TEXT ALIEN.OCEAN
    [All you can see in the dark are glittering reflections of the light
    of the three moons./The vast surface of the ocean is quite unnaturally
    smooth./A beautiful sight! The mighty expanse of water (I guess it
    must be water!) sparkles in a wide range of greenish reflections
    under the combined light of the two suns./You can't see much of it
    against the setting sun.]
#
TEXT SHELF.INFO
    [It looks like some rocks falling from high above smashed a part of the
    rock shelf. It is now impossible to get down to the beach -
    short of a suicidal jump, of course./The narrow beach is too far to make
    out the details, but judging by its dark colour, it is composed of
    weathered debris from the black cliff./This may come as an unwelcome
    surprise, but when I described the break as too wide to cross, I
    meant that it was too wide to cross.]
#
FRAGMENT increment IMPS.LEGEND
    fall with the water and are immediately obliterated in the churning
    foam below[.
 
    It is said, though I have no idea how anybody would know, that
    the writing spells out the secret meaning of the world. Or
    was it "a world"? Or "the worlds"? I don't quite recall.
    Something on those lines/]
#
TEXT increment IMPS.WRITING
    [The green fiery letters are utterly incomprehensible, and anyway, 
    they {IMPS.LEGEND}./
    You do expect miracles, don't you? I describe the writing as
    "utterly incomprehensible" and you ask me to # it for you!]
#
TEXT RIVER.INFO
    [A nearly black, ice-cold rushing stream, covered in flecks of foam.
    Definitely not something to fall into!/It is a narrow, fairly flat
    rock shelf running east\/west, only a foot or so above the swirling
    icy stream rushing past./The water surface is all churned up by
    the rapid flow of the stream./Flecks of foam cover the water
    surface, many of them caught eddies of the turbulent flow./The
    edges of the river banks are quite smooth, strongly suggesting that
    the water level sometimes rises above them.]
#
TEXT increment NO.DAMAGE.ALARM
    [Better be careful with that #! You might damage the alarm above the
    door, and that would never do./I think I already suggested that
    trying to hit that fire alarm is not too bright an idea./Listen,
    bud, if I told you once, I've told you three times: stop engaging
    in actions liable to cause damage to health and safety equipment! /
    OK?/Aw, don't bother!.. It won't get you anywhere.]
#
TEXT assigned ANGRY.VOICES
    [You can't make out the words, but it sounds like dwarves having a
    protracted argument./You strain your ears, but all you can hear from
    above is an ominous silence./There's nothing to be heard - I think
    the dwarves are all gone.]
#
TEXT WHITE.WINDROSE
    You place the windrose in the centre of the pedestal, clearly
    expecting something to happen as the result. But a windrose
    fashioned by winds out of sand has nothing to do with the
    cartographic "wind rose" design... 

    Hang on... Something *is* happening! The blackness seems to be leaching
    out of the windrose, while the individual rays of the design on
    the pedestal are becoming brightly coloured! After about a minute
    each ray has a different strong hue, while the windrose itself is
    now pearly white in colour. You pick it up and examine it carefully,
    but beyond the colour, it has not changed at all. 
#
TEXT GIANTS.BACK
    You can only see the giant's back from here, but he certainly seems
    to be having a good time!
#
TEXT NOT.FROM.HERE
    The swamp is far too watery around here[. You'd just drown!/ for the
    mud-shoes to be of any use./. The route you saw from above started
    from the swamp's SE edge, not the NE one.]
#
TEXT cycle FIRMLY.ATTACHED
    The # is firmly attached in its place.[/ You don't need it anyway!/]
#
FRAGMENT AGITATED.HORSES
    and stop in amazement, at the sight of the metal horses rearing up
    and tossing their heads.
#
TEXT increment MOEBIUS.GATES
    [Ok, but don't blame me if you get arrested, or something...
   
    Anyway, you {LAMP.IN.TEETH}stick your foot into the fancy iron-work, 
    {AGITATED.HORSES} After a while, you decide to ignore the magical
    display, pull yourself up, and reach
    the top of the gates with an unnerving ease. You swing yourself
    over the top and jump down, landing somewhat heavily ... and are
    astonished to see the garden and the tower on the other side of the 
    gates. You look around wildly, but there is no denying it: somehow
    you managed to jump down back onto the forest track, rather than into
    the garden./
    You {LAMP.IN.TEETH}climb up the gates, studiously ignoring the iron
    horse shapes coming to an agitated semblance of life. At the top of
    the gates you pause, making absolutely sure that there could be no
    mistake as to which side of the gates is which, and start climbing
    down ... only to realise that in some mysterious fashion, the garden
    and the tower are once again on the other side, and you are climbing
    down back to the forest track. Perplexed, you try getting over the
    top again, but the result is always the same. Eventually you give up
    and climb down back onto the track./Don't even bother to try,
    you'd only wind up back here again. And let's not forget that
    wizard, who is clearly minded to persecute would be trespassers - for
    all you know, next time you could end up as a toad or worse. There
    have been precedents!]

    [As you stare uncomprehendingly through the gates, a tall wizard in
    grey materialises on the other side. He gives you a hard, cold
    stare, nods to himself and fades away./After a while you become
    aware of the grey wizard examining you with the air of profound
    suspicion from the other side of the gates. He lifts his left hand
    and is about to speak - goodness alone knows with what unpleasant
    consequences - but then changes his mind, shrugs, and fades out of
    sight. A lucky escape if I've ever seen one!/] 
#
TEXT CRACK.TOO.NARROW
    You may just get your lamp through that awkward #, but most hard
    objects will not fit.
#
TEXT RING.CLAPPER
    It is a solid brass ring, clearly intended to bang against
    the knocker plate underneath it.
#
TEXT increment OVER.THE.GATES
    [You {LAMP.IN.TEETH}somewhat nervously stick your foot into the fancy
    iron-work {AGITATED.HORSES} Unnerved but undeterred, you climb up
    anyway, reaching the top of the gate without problems. You heave
    yourself over and jump down, landing lightly on your feet.

    As you do so, a tall wizard in grey materialises behind the gate.
    He inspects with the air of minute carelessness, shakes his head
    and fades out of existence, muttering to himself something
    inaudible, but probably unpleasant./
    You climb up the gate, resolutely ignoring the iron horses coming
    to life. The climb is a bit tricky, but not too strenuous, and you
    get to the other side without much trouble./
    Ignoring the agitated iron horses, you climb over the gate.]

#
TEXT NO.FIRES
    Sorry, we have stringent fire safety regulations around here. Strictly
    no playing with fire in this game!
#
TEXT NO.WAY.THERE
    There's no way to get there directly from here.
#
TEXT increment STREAM.BANKS.2
    There are no banks as such. The stream runs along the bottom of the
    small gorge, which it has cut in the soft volcanic rock.[ It is by
    now quite unclear what caused it to change its direction at this point,
    but it must have encountered some initial obstacle which diverted
    its flow through a right angle bend, to the northeast./]
#
TEXT STEEP.CLIFF
    [The cliff here is rather crumbly wall of tufa. It may be possible
    to climb it/The steep banks of volcanic rock at either side of the
    stream do not look climbable/It is a tall, sheer cliff, which would
    be quite unclimbable, except the large crack on it, which offers
    some pretty easy footholds].
#
TEXT CAVERN.STREAM
    [The rushing stream leaps over the waterfall in a cloud of water spray
    which is full of sparkling reflections from your lamp/The mass of
    falling water is full of sparkling reflections of your light/The
    falling water swirls in a large roaring whirlpool, which appears to
    drain through a big hole somewhere at its base].
#
TEXT GARDEN.THINGS
    [The badly weathered pedestals are made of some kind of white stone.
    I guess they were simply intended to provide places for bowls of flowers,
    but that was a long time ago. Just ignore them -- they are of no use
    to you./
    The square white tower at the end of the southward path dominates 
    the garden./
    It's just a simple stone bench of no particular use to busy adventurers./
    The shallow basin of the fountain is full of surprisingly clean rain
    water. Its original water supply presumably came from the cupid
    poised elegantly on one leg over the fountain, but if so, the cupid 
    must have run dry a long time ago./
    A badly damaged, but still recognisable statue of a cupid stands
    elegantly on one leg over the far end of the fountain's basin. One can only 
    guess that it provided the original source of water. (No, don't ask!)] 
#
FRAGMENT assigned WHAT.RING
    [Mithril ring/Ring of Orion/O'Ryan's ring]
#
TEXT increment NO.REST.GARDEN
    [That would be unwise. Don't you know what happens in these lands to
    people who fall asleep in enchanted rose gardens? Next you know,
    it's hundred years later!... This particular garden may only have
    a little enchantment on it, but that's no reason to risk it.
    If nothing else, you can't expect me to wait for you to wake up!/
    No -- you might fall asleep and why should I be expected to wait for
    hundred years for you to wake up? No resting here, and that's that.]
#
TEXT INTO.STOREROOM
    You push the door open and step through.

#
TEXT GATE.CLIMB.TRICKY
    The gates do look fairly easy to climb, but your hands are too full 
    for trying it.
#
TEXT TOWER.DOWN.VIEW
    Looking down over the edge of the roof, you see an overgrown walled
    garden at the northern base of the tower, where an old ivy climbs up
    the tower wall almost to the roof level. [On all other sides the
    walls are bare, rising straight out of a dense forest surrounding
    the tower./The garden seems to be full of old rose-bushes gone wild.
    Some path can be seen between the bushes, one running straight
    north, from the tower to an ornamental gate in the middle of the
    northern wall.]
#
TEXT TOWER.NO.SUNSTONE
    You can't expect to climb spiral steps while carrying the sunstone!
    Didn't you notice the daylight diffusing from above?
#
FRAGMENT DUNES.HINT
    Having trouble crossing the dunes?_
#
TEXT
    As the sage said: "All things come to he who waits".
#
TEXT ABYSS.HINT
    Are you looking for the way to the mainland?_
#
TEXT
    Perhaps you ought to boldly go where you would not have gone before.
    Or something to that effect.
#
TEXT increment ISLAND.EXIT
    [Well, if I try really hard, the first word could be "%TO%",
    but after that, your guess is as good as mine./It still seems to say
    "%TO%", or something like it, followed by something illegible.]
#
TEXT RUG.NEEDS.SHEER.DROP

    As you should have already realised, the rug needs a substantial
    and fairly sheer drop in order to take off.
#
TEXT NO.FLY.SWAMP
    Whatever for? [The drop here is not big enough for the rug to carry
    you very far/There is no drop here for the rug to take off]. You'd
    only wind up in the swamp, getting wet and muddy, or worse.
#
TEXT IS.CHAMPAGNE
    It looks like champagne usually does: a pale liquid with some 
    bubbles in it.
#
TEXT BOXES.TOO.FAR
    You can't quite see the boxes properly from here.
#
TEXT WRAPPER.WORDS
    The torn paper wrapper bears the words "Stupe-Gro (TM)".
#
TEXT NO.USE.BOARDS
    The dinghy boards are in a sorry state. They are of no use to you.
#
TEXT BIRD.IS.FREE
    The bird [hops onto the feeder table and examines the bird seed on
    offer. Deciding it really isn't hungry, it positions itself on the
    table's edge, and bursts into a complicated bird-song cadenza/hops out
    of the cage, but instead of flying off, settles itself on the ground
    and starts singing/is clearly not hungry - it ignores the feeder table
    and flies off in a quick flurry of wings/looks at you enquiringly,
    decides you really do mean it, and flies off].
#
TEXT NO.SHAKE.RUG
    [You shake the rolled rug a bit, but soon decide that this tiring
    activity isn't getting you anywhere./Whatever for? The rug is
    already as clean as you are likely to make it!/The rug is somewhat
    too large for you to shake it on your own, and I doubt you would
    find anybody around here willing to lend a hand.]
#
TEXT WHAT.WHERE?
    Eh? What? Where? Can't see anything threatening!...
#
TEXT WAVE.CRUCIFIX?
    If you are attempting a spot of exorcism, be advised that the 
    customary approach is to wave the crucifix.
#
FRAGMENT NOWHERE.HINT
    Are you having trouble getting out of here?
#
TEXT
    I suggest pondering Djinn's remarks concerning Ralph Witt's
    revolutionary linguistic notions.
#
TEXT WEAKLING
    There's no helping it! As you are, you just aren't strong enough
    to pull the sword out of the stone.
#
TEXT TRESPASS.NOTICE
    It still warns off potential trespassers. Did you expect to change
    while you weren't looking? Sorry to disappoint...
#
TEXT HOW.TO.GO.AROUND
    To go around something, just specify the appropriate sequence
    of directions.
#
TEXT NO.CLIMB.FIR
    [Have you ever actually tried to climb a conifer? No? I thought
    not. Don't even/You'd have to get to those trees first, but
    even if you did, climbing one is not something I would] bother to try.
#
TEXT PRICKLY.CONIFERS
    All the # trees around here look quite vigorous and prickly.
#
TEXT IN.OPEN.FOREST
    Around here, the forest is a sunny, open one - largely maple and a
    few ancient oaks. Further away, a pine or two can be seen above
    the leafy canopy.
#
TEXT HORSE.SHAPES
    The two horses are an integral part of the gate's iron-work.
    Their shapes are simply cut-outs from a flat metal sheet, but none 
    the less life-like for that. Both hold their heads high, with one
    front hoof in the air.
#
TEXT DARK.FOREST.SCENERY
    [You look up towards the sky above, but even its cheerful blue
    colour cannot dispel the air of gloom and decay which surrounds you./
    The forest floor is covered in a thin layer of dry conifer needles,
    which offer nothing of interest to your eyes.]
#
TEXT DARK.PATH
    Not so much a [path/track], as a faint suggestion of 
    a [track/path] through the undergrowth.
#
TEXT DISTANT.MOUNTAINS
    The distant range of snow-capped mountains is far too far from
    here to be of any consequence in your adventuring. Just ignore it.
#
TEXT cycle ATTENTION.TO.DETAIL
    [Generally speaking, attention to detail is undoubtedly a good thing,
    but attending to minutia such as #, strikes me as taking things a 
    bit too far./It's #. This says everything you need to know
    about it. It serves no actually useful purpose in this game./
    I suggest you don't pay much attention to the # - I only mention
    such details for the sake of a descriptive verisimilitude.]
#
TEXT PATH.IN.RAVINE
    The well trodden path [snakes its way through the forest, and
    disappears in a narrow ravine to the NW/runs along the bottom
    of the ravine/leads into a deep ravine to SW].
#
TEXT EXAMINE.CAVE
    Draw yourself a good map and then you can examine the cave to your
    heart's content.
#
TEXT NO.TREASURE
    [There's no treasure here/You aren't carrying any treasure]!
#
TEXT NO.OTHER.TREASURE
    But [there's no/you aren't carrying any] other treasure[ here/]!
#
TEXT NO.OTHER.OBJECTS
    But [there's no/you don't have any]thing else [here to pick up/to drop]!
#
TEXT NO.ALL
    [There is nothing here that you could pick up/You aren't carrying
    anything]!
#
TEXT VALLEY.VIEW
    You can't really see much of the valley from here.
#
TEXT NO.LOOK.SUN
    You should know better than trying to look at the sun!
    [/In any case, ][/it is obscured by the dense beanstalk foliage./
    any view of it is blocked by the dark conifers around you.]
#
TEXT ALIEN.SUN
    [The huge red sun hangs menacingly in the western sky. Casting a brief
    glance at it, you note a number of large dark splodges scattered
    across its disk./
    The two suns are far too bright to be looked at without damaging
    your eyes!/
    The orange disk of the sun is low over the western horizon./
    You can't see the red sun from here - it is behind the spire.]
#
TEXT ALIEN.SKY
    [Three small moons shine in the sky, which is alive the multi-hued
    glow of an aurora/The sky is dark green in colour. Feathery silver
    clouds stretch from above the cliff towards the western horizon/The
    dark blue sky is dominated by two suns: one orange and one 
    white-blue/The sky is indigo in colour, darkening to near black
    directly overhead, where a small moon can be seen near the line of
    the cliff. A huge orange sun id setting in the west/The dark indigo
    sky is dominated by the huge red sun in the west. There are no clouds
    to be seen anywhere].
#
TEXT YOUR.BREATH
    It's your breath, condensing in the cold air.
#
TEXT BREAKING.WAVES
    The ocean waves grow as they approach the shore, acquiring
    lively white heads, until they curl over and crash onto the
    lava beach in a rolling-like motion.
#
TEXT SEA.REFLECTIONS
    The [moon/sun/green/orange] reflections [glitter/sparkle] all over 
    the [dark ocean/sea/ocean's] surface.
#
TEXT IN.SHADOW
    You can't see the # from here.
#
TEXT NO.SEE.SPIRE
    You can't see the spire against the sun.
#
TEXT ALIEN.MOON
    [Three small crescent form a nearly perfect equilateral triangle
    in the sky///A small half-moon hangs in the dark sky near the
    edge of the cliff and almost directly above your head].
#
TEXT ALIEN.LANDSCAPE
    It looks profoundly alien.
#
TEXT AURORA.BOREALIS
    The aurora shimmers against the dark sky in vast transparent
    curtains of light, with a myriad of subtle, shifting hues of gold.
#
TEXT CLEARING.FOREST
    [The clearing is surrounded by a dark, forbidding conifer forest./Massive
    old conifers tower into the sky all around the clearing, managing
    to impart even to this open space a gloomy, claustrophobic feel.]
#
TEXT CLEARING.INFO
    [The small, near circular clearing is overgrown by tall grass
    and surrounded by the dark forest. I have no idea what preserves
    its existence. You'd expect conifer saplings to be growing all
    over it, but none are to be seen./The clearing ground is fairly
    level and is overgrown by tall grasses.]
#
TEXT ITS.CRUMBLING
    Badly weathered and rather crumbly.
#
TEXT NONE.NO.MORE
    There [isn't one/aren't any, not] any more.
#
TEXT IMPENETRABLE.ROCK
    The rock walls look very impenetrable.
#
TEXT cycle IGNORED.BY

    The # completely ignores your [/well-meant /inadequate /pathetic /]
    attempts at communication.
#
TEXT DONT.WAKE.BASILISK
    Shhh!... You might wake the basilisk up, and that would be
    unfortunate!
#
TEXT I.SAY
    OK, I #. And if you want more, you should say what it is you want me to #.
#
TEXT increment NO.LOOK.DIRECTION
    [You don't need to look in specific directions in this game. Just
    type "look" and if there is anything interesting to be seen to the #
    from here, I'll include it in the description./Just look around instead
    of looking in a particular direction.]
#
TEXT NO.CROSS.ROAD
    You are not a chicken, so you don't need to cross the road.
#
TEXT increment WALL.THERE
    Ooops! [This is most irregular... The way out should be to the
    west, but t/T]here is a wall there!
#
TEXT EEK.CLIFF!
    Oh dear! Somehow, you nearly managed to walk off the cliff's edge!
#
TEXT IS.THICKET
    A thicket is a particularly dense bit of the forest.
#
TEXT FAR.HAZE
    The air is actually quite clear. It is only if gazing into
    the distance that you can see a certain haziness in the atmosphere.
#
TEXT NO.LOOK.ROCK
    This is an adventure, not an interactive geology course! You
    have better things to do than inspecting rocks.
#
TEXT TOO.LITTLE.WATER
    There is not enough water in the stream. And I can't swim anyway.
#
TEXT BUBBLY.STREAM
    The stream is very clear and quite cold. It gurgles merrily on its
    way #.
#
TEXT IF.I.MUST
    Well, OK, if I must... Can't see that this achieved anything.
#
TEXT NOTHING.TO.CROSS
    There isn't anything here to cross.
#
TEXT MUGS.GAME
    Crossing #s is a mug's game! I won't even try.
#
TEXT CROSS.ENOUGH
    The dwar[/f is/ves are] already quite cross enough!
#
TEXT NOTHING.INTERESTING
    There's nothing interesting about the #.
#
TEXT LOOK.SLIT
    It is a dark and obviously deep natural slit in the rock.
    The water from the stream disappears down it with a gurgle
    and the rest of the streambed continuing south is quite dry.
#
TEXT GREEN.VALLEY
    [The north\/south valley is but sparsely wooded, allowing quite a bit
    of grass to flourish along the rocky streambed/The sparsely wooded 
    valley ends here rather abruptly, in a steep jumble of rock].
#
TEXT CRUMBLY.CONCRETE
    The concrete is of a rather low quality and is somewhat crumbling
    around the edges, but there's a lot of it and the grate is set
    into it very firmly.
#
TEXT cycle NOT.A.HOPE
    Not a [chance/hope/prayer]!
#
TEXT ITS.DIRT
    It's bare, compact dirt with no redeeming features.
#
TEXT LOOK.DEPRESSION
    This shallow depression was presumably once upon a time the original
    sinkhole for the stream. Now that the stream gets swallowed by the slit    
    in the bedrock higher up the valley, the streambed running north
    from here, is quite dry and the grate set in concrete guards
    the secrets of the cave system underneath.
#
TEXT VISCIOUS.LOT
    The # look like a pretty vicious lot, not to be tangled with.
#
TEXT WILD.ROCKERY
    The rock jumble would be hard enough to climb even without
    the unfriendly vegetation growing all over it.
#
TEXT increment ROMANS.ATE.NETTLES
    [I seem to recall that ancient Romans were rather partial to nettles, but
    raw nettles?? Please!... 

    Eh? Yes, of course Romans were here. The nettles settle it, don't they?/
    This is getting boring. Just forget them nettles, please./No.]
#
TEXT WRONG.SEASON
    It's the wrong season and there are no berries on those brambles.
#
TEXT increment ITS.FERNS
    [The damp ravine obviously suits the ferns. They are large and
    vigorously green. But they are just ferns, not a crafty concealing
    place for some essential item/They still look large and green.
    And they still don't hide anything].
#
TEXT ITS.RAVINE
    [The entrance to the ravine reveals nothing except for a
    profusion of greenery, encroaching on a narrow path/The ravine is deep,
    quite narrow and pretty damp. It seems to be suiting the ferns, which
    grow in profusion on both sides of the path].
#
TEXT WOODEN.SHED
    The [/dusty /]shed [walls/floor/ceiling/door] [are/is] made of
    well fitted wood planks, which despite their age still appear to be
    wind- and rain-proof.[/// Set into the door is a tiny and very dirty
    window][///, which provides a dim illumination to the shed's interior./.]
#
TEXT DUSTY.SHED
    The thick layer of dust offers nothing of significance to your
    probing gaze.
#
#FRAGMENT assigned IS/ARE
#    [is/are]
#
#TEXT NO.INTEREST
#    The # {IS/ARE} of no actual interest to you.
#
FRAGMENT cycle CREAKY.SHED.DOOR
    Behind you, the door slowly swings shut with 
    a [tired/weary/quiet/sad/slow] creak.
#
TEXT THROUGH.SHED.DOOR
    You [pull/push] the shed door open and [walk in/step out].
    {CREAKY.SHED.DOOR}

#
TEXT SHED.NO.STAY.OPEN
    You open the shed door, [revealing the dusty interior/letting in
    more light], but as soon as you let go, it creakily swing shut 
    again.[ I guess you'll just have to go in, instead of merely opening
    the door./]
#
TEXT SHED.WINDOW
    The small window set in the door is rather dirty[ and you can't see
    anything through it/, but it admits enough dim light for you to be
    able to see the shed's interior].
#
TEXT WINDOW.CLEAN.ENOUGH
    Let's not waste time on that. You are unlikely to improve things
    much[/, and there is enough light in here as it is].    
#
TEXT IT.DONT.DO.IT
    It doesn't #.
#
TEXT STEEP.BANKS
    The ravine banks are very steep and rather crumbly.
#
TEXT RAVINE.SKY
    Above you, blue sky can be seen between the steep banks of the ravine.
#
TEXT cycle NO.AGRICULTURE
    [An interesting thought, but inventing agriculture is not one of your
    tasks in this game./Well, I do seem to recall that birdseed often
    contains some hemp seeds, but this is not that sort of a game. Full
    marks for trying, though (but no points)./There is nothing magical
    about the birdseed, so waiting for it to germinate and grow into
    plants would be about as interesting as watching the proverbial
    paint dry. You have other, things to do!]
#
TEXT IT.WONT.GROW
    That's not something that could grow!
#
TEXT SHEER.CLIFF
    Standing recklessly near the edge of the cliff, you look straight
    down along the sheer, dirty-white cliff face. There isn't much to
    be seen, except for [/the beanstalk growing/=/][/ part/ all 
    the/=/][/ way up the cliff, and /=/][a small sapling of some sort, 
    clinging to the rock some way below you/=/=/some scruffy vegetation,
    far below at the foot of the cliff].
#
TEXT SUICIDAL
    That would be suicidal!
#
TEXT BEACH.FROM.ABOVE
    The beach far below is simply a wide strip of sand between the
    sea and the [sparse, scruffy vegetation at the cliff's foot/foot
    of the mountain].
#
TEXT SEA.FROM.CLIFF
    The sparkling sea is quite calm, its gentle swell rising to
    white-headed rollers only as it reaches the shallows by the beach.
#
TEXT BANKS.TOO.STEEP
    The banks surrounding this place would be too steep to climb, even
    if you could fight your way to them through the dense gorse bushes.
#
TEXT FLOWERING.GORSE
    Ah, the flowering gorse! Very... ethnic, don't you think?
#
TEXT increment NO.PICK.FLOWERS
    Picking flowers is not what you are here for![ You'd be picking
    your nose next!/]
#
TEXT cycle WELL.WORN.STEPS
    The stone steps are well worn[ by feet of countless 
    adventurers/. This is not entirely surprising, given the
    number of visitor we get here/ by generations of adventurers in
    pursuit of treasure and glory/ by many an adventuring foot].
#
TEXT RED.SANDSTONE
    It's well compacted, rather hard sandstone, somewhat reddish in colour.
#
TEXT ITS.CORAL
    It's ossified coral of some sort. Marine paleontology is not
    something I am strong on.
#
TEXT SEA.VISTA
    The sea is fairly calm. Its waves lap the beach in a lazy fashion,
    only rarely working up enough energy to show some white foam.
#
TEXT BEACH.STEPS
    The steps are crudely cut into the rock sloping from the
    rock shelf to the beach.
#
TEXT increment SEA.HORIZON
    You gaze at the distant horizon for a while[, which is a romantic
    pastime but not, I fear, a very useful one/].
#
TEXT DARK.WAY
    The # is too dark to see anything.
#
TEXT ROCKY.BEACH.VIEW
    A rocky beach is a rocky beach. If you want a closer view, let's go
    down there.
#
TEXT increment FAR.HORIZON
    It's that line, far away, where the sea merges with the sky. [Some
    people say it's where the world ends, others burble on about waterfalls,
    giant tortoises and elephants. Myself, I don't know. I haven't
    been to see for myself. All that water doesn't agree with me./]
#
TEXT BELOW.CLIFF
    Looking up, you can see the white cliff stretching upwards towards
    the blue sky[/, and a huge fairy beanstalk clinging to the
    cliff's face].
#
TEXT NO.PASS.JUMBLE
    I've described the rock jumble as impassable. That's all you
    need to know about it.
#
TEXT NARROW.LEDGE
    The ledge leading # is exceedingly narrow. It is
    unlikely that you would be able to traverse it without some
    assistance.
#
TEXT NOT.REQUIRED
    You don't need it.
#
TEXT SHELF.FROM.BEACH
    It is a layer of rock protruding forward from the cliff.
#
TEXT increment ITS.A.SHORE
    [A shore is a place where land ends and sea begins. A deeper
    contemplation of the concept may be of use to philosophers and
    mathematicians, but it is safe to say that to adventurers a shore
    is merely an obstacle to further progress./It's a shore. Water meets
    lands. Enough said.]
#
FRAGMENT increment NORTHERN.SHORE
    [Well, yes, this is a northern shore of the island, but if you 
    are after clues regarding the configuration of the Northern Shore, 
    I fear you are in for a disappointment. The shore here is just a
    straight strip of sand, with no mythic connotations.
   //{ITS.A.SHORE}]
#
TEXT FOLIAGE.IN.THE.WAY
    Nothing much to be seen there - too much foliage in the way.    
#
TEXT JUTTING.OUTCROP
    It juts out of the main cliff into the sea, blocking the way south.
#
TEXT increment BEAN.STEM
    The beanstalk stem is amazingly thick and strong, almost woody 
    in texture.[ I guess it needs to be, to support all that weight!/]
#
TEXT increment NO.CHEW.STEM
    [Hmmm... An interesting idea! But doing so might not be the smartest
    thing in the world. /]I suggest you save the fangs for a better occasion.
#
TEXT NO.GRAB.BEANSTALK
    It's too far for you too reach from here.
#
TEXT BEAN.FROM.LEDGE
    A short distance to the south, the leafy beanstalk stretches from
    far down all the way up the cliff.
#
TEXT increment BEACH.FROM.LEDGE
    [I strongly advise against looking down./I seriously don't advise
    looking down./On your head so be it... Ooops! There, what did I tell
    you! Nearly lost your balance, and all for a brief glimpse of the
    ground far below!/You snatch a quick glimpse down to the far ground.
    It doesn't appear to be particularly interesting.]
#
TEXT NO.COCONUTS
    There aren't any. It's not the season for coconuts.
#
TEXT SAPLING.CRACK
    At the end of the ledge, a crack in the rock provides a foothold
    for a small sapling.
#
TEXT cycle NO.MORE.TO.SAY
    Sorry, there [/really ]is[n't any/ no] more to [say/add] about the #.
#
TEXT SWAMP.EDGE
    The ancient volcanic caldera is now entirely filled with a
    treacherous swamp, stretching away to the [north and northwest/south and
    southeast].
#
TEXT STREAM.IN.GORGE
    Far below, you can see a narrow north/south gorge through which runs
    a stream draining the swamp into the sea.
#
TEXT NO.BREAK.SKULL
    You pick up the crystal skull. Shame about its condition! It would
    have been much more valuable undamaged, but you did have to go and toss
    it into that river, didn't you?! Well, too late to regret it now...
#
TEXT TOO.BRIGHT.OUTSIDE
    Looking out through the doorway, into the bright daylight, you
    cannot see anything of great interest.
#
TEXT VAMPIRE.HAD.ENOUGH
    I really think the vampire has had more than enough to drink.
    Leave him alone.
#
TEXT BUNDLE.OF.RODS
    There is nothing special about any of the rods in the bundle.
#
TEXT ROD.IS.DYNAMITE
    On closer inspection, the [rod/bundle of rods] appears to be
    surrounded by a faint aura of dormant power!
#
TEXT NO.JUMPING.OVER.ABYSS
    Jumping is very dangerous around here. Should you fall off
    this invisible something, that's it - curtains!
#
TEXT NO.GET.BOOK
    You tug at the book, but it remains floating exactly where it was,
    serenely ignoring your selfish attempts to appropriate it.[/

    Hm... We do seem to have a fine philosophical point here. The book is 
    clearly valuable, but it is not one of our listed treasures, on the
    account of it being *infinitely* valuable, so allowing you
    to score points for even just finding it, would bust our maximal
    score limit. On the other hand, it seems churlish to deny you a
    reward for your enterprise... Um.... I know! Suppose we waive any
    normal penalties you might have accrued, whenever your score gets
    calculated, how's that?/ I can't see why you bother. We've
    already established your reward for finding it. Yes, yes?]
#
TEXT NO.MOVE.BOOK
    However hard you # the book hanging in mid-air, it serenely
    ignores your efforts and remains exactly where it is.
#
TEXT increment INFINITE.WISDOM
    You[ cautiously/] open the book[, not being at all sure what to expect/].
    The first page appears to be a kind of publisher's blurb, going on
    enthusiastically about some Omega Number, which is supposed to contain
    in its first few thousand digits "answers to more questions than can
    be written down in the entire universe".[ If it is true, I suppose there
    must be an awful lot of answers looking in vain for their questions!/]
    
    The second page reads: 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
    1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
    0 1 0 0 0 0 ... and so on. Leafing through the book, you
    see that it is entirely filled with an apparently random collection
    of zeroes and ones. Realising that the infinite wisdom in question
    is not for a simple adventurer like you, you shut the book [with
    a feeling of profound loss and disappointment/again].
#
TEXT STARS.LIKE.DUST
    It is very dark here, except that far under your feet, you can see
    stars like diamond dust, scattered over the black velvet of the
    eternal night.    
#
TEXT VOLCANIC.GLOW
    It is dark here, except for a reddish glow of some sort, far below
    to the east.
#
TEXT YOU.DONT.HOLD.VESSEL
    There is an empty # here, true, but you should pick it up before
    trying to fill it.
#
TEXT LUCKY.SHOT

    A lucky shot! But it wasn't necessary to do that, you know...
#
FRAGMENT increment OWL.GRIPS
    There is a flurry of wingbeats and a loud "HOOT" and [your shoulders
    are suddenly, and rather painfully gripped by large talons. You
    feel being/you]
#
TEXT increment OWL.EXPRESS
    {OWL.GRIPS} [lifted off the ground and carried a short distance through
    the darkness. Then your feet find the ground again, the talons let go,
    and to the accompaniment of another loud "HOOT" the sound of
    wings/find yourself carried a short distance through the 
    air, and then dropped a few inches back to the ground. The 
    wingbeats] fade away.
#
TEXT increment NO.OWL.EXPRESS
    {OWL.GRIPS} [/feel being ]pulled upwards [/by powerful talons], but your
    weight proves to be too great. The talons let go, and with a
    frustrated "HOOT!?", the wingbeats fade away into the darkness.
#
FRAGMENT ISLAND.VIEW
   [towering cone of a mountain, likely of
   volcanic origin, surrounded by a strip of golden sand.
   Dense vegetation starts beyond the sandy beach and climbs
   the mountain slopes, gradually changing to darker hues of
   green, before giving way to grey and brown rock./=/is mostly
   a massive mountain rising out of the sea and surrounded by
   a thin yellow line - presumably a sandy beach./still too far
   to be seen with any clarity.]
#
TEXT ISLAND.AHEAD
    [A/A/It/It is] {ISLAND.VIEW}
#
TEXT APPROACHING.MOUNTAIN
   The mountain [looks like an old volcano top sticking out of the sea, 
   with one side of the huge crater either blasted or weathered away./looks
   like a wide cone, somewhat crumbled on one side./is too far to see
   properly, but it looks somewhat conical in its shape.]
#
TEXT IN.FLIGHT.BEACH
   [The golden beach is really little more than a strip of sand
   surrounding the mountain sticking out of the sea./You can't
   see the beach very well from here - it's too far./The stoney beach
   is rapidly receding behind you.]
#
TEXT IN.FLIGHT.BEANSTALK
   This is probably the only place from which you can see the beanstalk
   in all its leafy splendour. It looks really impressive, from its base
   on the stoney beach, up along the cliff, and all the way to the giant's
   picnicking place.
#
TEXT IN.FLIGHT.CLIFFS
   The white cliffs or Horse Dover are [barely visible from here/too far
   from here to see properly/fast receding behind you].
#
TEXT TASTY.FOOD
    You take a teensy nibble from the food. It is quite tasty.
#
TEXT EAT.IT
    No half measures, please. Either eat it, or not!
#
TEXT increment NO.PISS.PLANT
    [Ingenious, but as any gardener will tell you, raw body waste is not
    good for plants. If you ever observed patches of dead grass where a
    cat relieved itself, you'd know that without having to be told/
    You forget - it's not good for plants].
#
TEXT FIND.VALUERS
    I do believe we have a free valuation service on 
    offer [somewhere/=/=/right] [within the cave/in the canyons
    area/around here/in front of you].
#
TEXT HOW.TO.VALUE
    As the sign suggests, just drop the object you want to value.
#
TEXT increment TRY.KNOCKING
    [I take it you are not familiar with door knockers? One doesn't
    push, pull or otherwise mishandle them. One just knocks./It's
    a door knocker, so just knock!]
#
TEXT BELL.SPOTTED
    Ah, yes! Well spotted! There is a bell-pull on the wall, right by
    the niche!

#
TEXT RUSTY.STAR
    [It is a s/S]mall rusty star[,/s are] firmly attached 
    to [one end of the rod/rod ends].
#
TEXT TORN.PACKET
    You already tore the packet open, remember? It is now just
    an empty paper wrapper.
#
TEXT WRAPPER.BLOWN.AWAY
    The wind gets hold of the torn paper wrapper and blows it away.
    And good riddance, I say.
#
FRAGMENT SPIRE.HINT
    Are you trying to leave, taking the sunstone with you?_
#
TEXT
    I'd pay attention to its colours, if I were you - there is just 
    enough room for moving about here, so you could experiment with
    their effects.
#
FRAGMENT JUMP.HINT
    Still having problems taking the sunstone with you?_
#
TEXT
    It is often helpful to formulate one's problem in as simple and
    and concise manner as possible. In this particular case your
    difficulty lies in that to follow the ramp down, you also have to
    follow it around the spire, which the sunstone prevents you from
    doing. Looking at the matter in this way, may suggest a solution to
    your problem. Or it may not. Over to you.
#
TEXT GATES.HINT
    Do you need help getting out of the garden?_
#
TEXT
    Perhaps you were too quick in getting off that tower? Just a thought...
#
TEXT DOOR.HINT
    Are you trying to get through that door?_
#
TEXT
    Dwarves are very literal people. Their notices usually mean
    just what they say. Assuming you can figure out what it is they say.
#
TEXT TOWER.HINT
    Do you need help in dealing with the dwarves at the top of the
    tower?_
#
TEXT
    Perhaps you could do something that would persuade them to leave...
#
TEXT WHICH.STONE?
    Sorry, I can't work out whether you mean the sunstone or the
    starstone. You'll have to be more specific.
#
TEXT YOU.ARE.HUMAN
    You appear to be human, and if you pardon me saying so, all you
    humans look alike to me.
#
TEXT DONT.GET.PERSONAL
    Now, now!... There's no call for getting personal!
#
TEXT NO.FOLLOW.YOU
    Sorry, no. That would be an abdication of my responsibilities.
#
TEXT VIAL.DWARF

   [/The dwarf catches a lungful of the cloud, gags audibly and 
   stumbles out of the room retching, sneezing, and cursing up a storm./
   The dwarves blanch in horror and dash away as fast as their brief
   and misshapen legs can carry them.]
#
TEXT VIAL.EFFECT

   [The troll calmly waves the vapor away./
   The bear inhales some of the vapor and snarls angrily./
   The bear inhales some of the vapor and moans appreciatively./
   The snake completely ignores the vapor./
   The bird breathes in a minuscule amount of the vapor and immediately
   sings a twenty-second segment of Morton Subotnik's "Sidewinder"./
   The slime filling the passage to the south blackens and shrivels
   away into nothingness./
   The dragon sniffs the air, rumbles deep in his chest, and shoots out
   a small puff of flame that ignites and incinerates the vapor./
   The djinn takes a deep sniff of the vapor and comments, "AH!  A
   TRULY FINE ARABIAN PERFUME!  I HAVEN'T SMELLED ANYTHING LIKE THAT
   FOR YEARS!"/
   Luckily for you, the basilisk doesn't wake up./
   The gooseberry goblins sniff the vapor, screech in terror, and dash off
   into the distance./
   The spider twitches uneasily, but stands her ground./
   With a contemptuous growl the ogre waves the vapor aside./
   The vampire twitches his nose at the vapour, but is clearly too polite
   to comment on your outlandish behaviour.]
#
TEXT OBERONS.SYGIL
   The tastefully stylised sygil is quite unmistakably the one denoting
   Oberon the Fair in a horsey mood.
#
TEXT WAVING.IGNORED
   Your frantic waving is completely ignored by the #.
#
TEXT NO.CLEAN.SHOES
   You shake the mud shoes, bang them together for a while, and decide
   that grimy as they are, the shoes are about as clean as they are ever
   likely to be.
#
TEXT increment STAR.DUST
   A [beautiful/poetic] sight - stars like diamond dust, scattered over the
   black velvet cloak of the eternal night...[ 

   A while back, an adventurer, a funny-looking professor type, know what
   I mean?... What was his name... Fred something or another...
   Hole?... Hale?... Yeah, we get all sorts here, funny
   names and all... Anyways, he told me we were all star-dust. No, really!
   Apparently other than some gas, every single teensy bit of our bodies,
   and of everything around us too, was made in the furnace of a star and
   scattered across the vastness of the universe when the star died.

   Makes you think, doesn't it?/ Let it not, however, distract you from
   the curious fact that there are no familiar stellar constellations
   to be seen anywhere./ I suppose it confirms the old saying 
   "as above, so below"./]
#
TEXT THEY.ARE.TOO.FAST
   [/I don't see... Oh.../I see no rats here!/Not a hope - rats are
   just too fast for you.]
#
TEXT SPOON.DECORATION
   Oh! There appears to be an inscription on the spoon.
#
TEXT ALREADY.DISPLAY.MODE
   You are already in the "[terse/normal/verbose]" display mode!
#
TEXT increment TERSE.OK
   OK, [no long place descriptions any more, except when you use the
   LOOK command. Use NORMAL or VERBOSE to switch to other description
   display modes/=/terse description mode it is].
#
TEXT increment VERBOSE.OK
   Very well, [from now on I shall always describe a place in full
   whether you have already visited it or not. To switch to other
   description display modes use the commands TERSE (or FAST) and 
   NORMAL (or BRIEF)./=/I'll give you the long descriptions every time.]
#
TEXT ITS.NOT.GONE
   Oops... Sorry! Some strange problem here... The saved file is
   refusing to be deleted...
#
FRAGMENT increment PINE.NO.BEANSTALK
   [I am not sure I am following your thought processes here. How exactly
   would making the pine taller help in any way? Besides, this is an
   honest to goodness pine -- not some magic beanstalk/That plan does not
   improve with repetition]._
#
TEXT NO.WATER.PINE
   [{PINE.NO.BEANSTALK}Forget it./
   Watering a growing pine would have been pointless. Watering a fallen
   one is plain ridiculous.]
#
TEXT increment NO.AVOID.PINE
   [There is a reason why I said that the only exit was east. /]The mountain
   slope here is not climbable.
#
TEXT JUMPED.INTO.SWAMP
   Wheeeee!.... Splash!! 

   Well, it's a swamp all right, so without further ado, you start
   sinking into it. Thrashing about doesn't seem to help much, and
   in no time at all, it's...

  /     \<glug...\>
  /                   \<glug...\>
  /                                   \<PLOP!\>

#
TEXT DROWNED.IN.RIVER
   You foolishly leap into the icy water and are in short order swept 
   along by the torrent, until it dives down under a wall of rock. That's
   where it all ends, because when the rock meets a human skull at that 
   speed, something has to give, and sure as eggs is eggs, it isn't the rock.
#
TEXT NO.JUMP.RIVER
   The river is too wide to jump[ and falling in that icy torrent would
   be a sure suicide/, which is presumably why that strange
   bridge is here. I respectfully suggest you use the bridge to get
   to the other side].
#
TEXT increment RUG.CLUTCHING
   You clutch the rug edges in the approved (but not recommended)
   display of terror[/, but I hope you will pardon my doubts concerning
   the authenticity of the emotion being portrayed/].
#
TEXT TOO.RISKY
   In front of the giant?? I think that would be a tad too risky!
#
TEXT ITS.A.LOCK
   [The lock is an integral part of the grate, that's all you need to
   know about it - and you probably didn't need to know even that much/
   The four-tumbler combination lock is solidly built into the chest. Just
   leave it alone - I am allowing the chest as a treasure as it is].
#
TEXT increment DOWN.THE.BEANSTALK
   You [push aside beanstalk's lush foliage, get a firm hold of its stem,
   and /]climb down[/ the beanstalk].

#
TEXT NO.CLIMB.CLIFF
   That cliff would be a tough challenge even to an experienced rock
   climber. [Forget it!/=/I respectfully suggest using the beanstalk 
   instead.]
#
TEXT DOWN.THE.PLANT.YOU.GO
   You use the plant to scramble down into the pit.

#
TEXT PIT.VIEW
   It's dark down there.[/ All you can see is ][/the top of a large
   beanstalk sticking out of the pit./a gigantic beanstalk growing
   out of the pit.]
#
TEXT increment ITS.A.HOLE
   The hole is large and dark.[ Goodness knows where it leads./]
#
TEXT PATCH.OF.SOIL
   The patch of soil looks a bit darker than the surrounding area. There
   is a [small/large/huge] beanstalk growing out of it.
#
TEXT CLIFF.MOISTURE
   The patch of soil is slightly damp, so presumably there is
   a bit of moisture seeping out of the cliff, but there is no other
   sign of any water source that could be of use to you.
#
TEXT SMOOTH.MARBLE
   The marble of the # is already polished as well as it could be.
#
TEXT VEINED.MARBLE
   The marble of the [building/temple] is the slightly pinky, veined
   kind.[/ It is now somewhat weathered, though it clearly started off
   well polished - the polish still remaining in some of the more sheltered
   places.]
#
TEXT THE.PERIPHERY
   There's just the columns and the walls behind them.
#
TEXT increment LEAVES.AND.SKY
   Above your head, the beanstalk stem quickly tapers off.[ Its
   tender green leaves look very pretty against the background of the
   deep blue sky./]
#
TEXT YOU.CAN.CLIMB
   It is a [gentle/fairly easy/steep/very steep] slope[ which
   should present no obstacle to your progress/ which should present
   no serious obstacle to your progress/, but you should be able to
   manage it without too much trouble/, but you might be able to manage
   it, should you be so inclined].
#
TEXT YOU.CANT.CLIMB
   It's a[ shallow/ steep/n
   unclimbable] slope[, made/=][/ quite/][ unclimbable by the
   cover of dense vegetation/=/. Enough said].
#
TEXT DANGEROUS.SLOPE
   The slopes here are too risky to climb.
#
TEXT JUMBLE.OF.ROCKS
   It is a chaos of rocks of various sizes, scattered across the 
   ground. Fortunately, except by the foot of the outcrop, only a
   few of the rocks are piled on top of each other, so that crossing
   this area is not at all difficult.
#
TEXT WEATHERED.OUTCROP
   The outcrop of volcanic rock is obviously the source of all the loose
   rocks scattered around here. The last rock fall must have happened
   relatively recently, leaving a sheer, unclimbable rock face.
#
TEXT ISLAND.WATER
   The water of the stream finds its way between the rocks, flowing
   from the direction of the mountain, towards the sea.
#
TEXT cycle NOT.MUCH.OF.IT
   [#? Not much of it about here/# is rather conspicuous by its absence,
   I'd say/Can't say there's much # to examine here/There isn't much #
   around here].
#
TEXT SWAMP.PLANTS
   The swamp plants are lush green and vigorous, but there is
   something sinister and unhealthy about them.
#
TEXT JUST.GENERIC
   It's just generic #.
#
TEXT increment MIGHT.BE.POISON
   I advise against. You never know what might be poisonous to 
   humans.[ A bit of a fragile species, humans./]
#
TEXT BENDY.TRAIL
   The trail [stops at the edge of the ravine/runs east, bending around
   the mountain to the ][/north/south].
#
TEXT HEALTHY.OR.DEAD
   In this game, [your health/health of various creatures] is
   a binary affair - either 100\% healthy or 100\% dead. I don't think
   you need to worry about failing to spot the difference between the two.
#
TEXT RESTFUL.SHADE
   A standard issue tropical palm shade, as featured in many a tourist
   brochure.  A hardened adventurer like you, can have no interest
   in such incidental trivia.
#
TEXT NO.REST.IN.SHADE
   The palm shade looks inviting and restful, but if that's what you
   were after, you should have booked yourself on a package holiday,
   not an adventure!
#
TEXT LOW.RIDGE
   The ridge to the east is low enough to present no obstacle.
#
TEXT SHELF.OF.ROCK
   The rock shelf is rather a small one. I only call it a shelf rather than a
   platform because it is rather narrow.
#
TEXT REDDISH.SOIL
   The reddish colour of the soil might suggest the presence of iron
   oxides. Or would that promote plant growth, rather than inhibit it?
   Not sure I know! But it make no difference to you anyhow.
#
TEXT SOUNDS.OF.STREAM
   It definitely sounds like a rushing stream.
#
TEXT STEPPING.STONES
   The boulders and stones of various sizes are strewn all across the
   bottom of the narrow gorge, so that the stream has to find its way
   around, through and under them. Conveniently enough, this means that
   they also offer you a chance to follow the gorge without getting
   wet and with only a minimal risk of personal injury. Just make sure
   you watch your step.
#
TEXT increment STREAM.GORGE
   The gorge is very narrow, clearly cut by the stream through
   relatively soft rock.[ There must have been a breach of some sort
   of course, for the water to get through in the first place, but once
   it did, the rest was just a matter of time./] The stream finds its way
   through the jumble of stones and boulders of various sizes, which 
   are scattered across the bottom of the gorge, incidentally offering
   you a fairly easy way through.
#
TEXT THERE.ISNT.ONE
   Look again! There isn't one.
#
TEXT BOG.STREAM
   The stream's
   water is quite warm, yellowish in colour, and gives off a somewhat
   unpleasant smell of rotting vegetables.
#
TEXT MOUNTAIN.FOLD
   The deep fold in the mountainside is completely filled with a variety
   of trees and bushes, none of them being of any interest to you,
   other than presenting an impassable obstacle to any movement further
   eastwards, around the mountain.
#
TEXT NO.GO.FOLD
   To climb any of the trees growing in that mountain fold, you'd
   have to get down there first. And that's not feasible - 'cause I say so.
#
TEXT UNSTABLE.ROCKS
   The rocks covering the slopes of the mountain look far too
   unstable to try climbing either up or down from here.
#
TEXT ALTERNATE.VENUE

     The noise of the stream is suddenly drowned by the familiar sepulchral
     voice, which wearily intones:

    +   THIS FUNCTION ROOM TEMPORARILY OUT OF USE DUE TO FLOODING
    +             PLEASE PROCEED TO THE ALTERNATE VENUE
    +               WE APOLOGISE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE
#
TEXT increment CLIMBED.OUT
   With some effort, you pull yourself up and climb out of the
   well.[ Fortunately, after all that exhausting adventuring, you
   are in a pretty good shape. At least physically./]

#
TEXT LETS.HANG
   You climb over the lip of the well, and lower yourself in. To your
   surprise, your feet fail to find any purchase, which would allow you
   to attempt further descent.

#
TEXT SKY.FROM.WELL
   Above, you can see the circle of blue sky, surrounded by the lip of
   the well.
#
TEXT TREASURE.1
   You [let go of/jump over] the well lip and 

   +                             drop 

   +                             into 

   +                             the

   +                             darkness

   +                             below

   +                               .
   +                               .
   +                               .

   It feels like a long fall, but when you land, it is with a soft thud
   rather than with a bone-smashing crash. Dazed, you look around and
   find that you are sitting on a pile of rugs, in the middle of
   a vast, torch-lit chamber.

#
TEXT increment NO.GO
   [I say we stay put. You were lucky to land in a shallow place, but
   there is no telling how deep the water may be away from here. And I
   can't swim./No. With all that water flooding this place, moving around
   would be as dangerous as walking in the dark - you wouldn't break
   your neck, but you could easily drown instead./It would be too
   dangerous to walk about.]
#
TEXT SHALLOW.WATER
   The water glistens dimly in the light of the overhead torches. 
   It is shallow enough here, but who knows what pits and hollows
   may hide under the surface.
#
TEXT ZAPPING.OUT
   There is a blinding flash, accompanying by a loud thunderclap.
   When your eyes recover, you see that...

#
TEXT NO.ENTER.GAP
   There's no way you are going to go back the way you came! It was
   rough enough on the way down. You can forget any notions of using
   that water-spouting gap in the wall as an exit from here.
#
TEXT increment WATERY.GAP
   The three-foot gap in the wall is spouting a noisy stream of water 
   into the chamber.
#
TEXT NO.SEE.TORCH
   The few torches are quite high up the walls, and whatever little
   light they provide, makes it even harder to make out any details
   of the torches themselves.
#
TEXT MASSIVE.TORCHES
   The massive torches are high up the walls, and their own flickering
   light makes it hard to make out any details.
#
TEXT TORCHES.TOO.HIGH
   The torches are mounted too high on the walls for you to reach.
#
TEXT NOISY.STREAM
   All you can hear is the noise made by the stream emerging from a
   three-foot gap in the nearby wall.
#
TEXT WELL.SWING
   You try swinging yourself from side to side, hoping to find some 
   purchase for your feet, but only succeed in nearly losing your grip
   on the lip of the well.
#
TEXT ANIMAL.TRAIL
   [It's not much of a trail, really, but at least it allows reasonably
   easy movement along it, which is more than can be said about
   all other directions./The trail is reasonably clear of loose rocks,
   which is more than can be said about the most of mountain slopes
   around here.]
#
TEXT increment FIRS.ON.SLOPES
   [The mountain slope is very steep here, though you can't see much
   of it because of the dense growth of firs to both sides of the 
   trail. /]There's not a hope of fighting your ways through either up 
   or down the slope. Be glad that the trail running from the southwest
   to the east, allows you to pass through.
#
TEXT cycle JUST.THEM
   # is #. [Enough said/That's all there is to it/As if you didn't know].
#
TEXT LOW.CRAWL
   The crawl may be low, but not *that* low. You can probably get
   through without actually crawling.
#
TEXT LOOKS.LIKE.DAYLIGHT
   It looks like daylight!
#
TEXT IS.PASSAGE
   The passage [is low but wide/offers an easy way out].
#
TEXT IS.CANYON
   The [steep /]canyon [looks rather awkward/=/].
#
TEXT ORANGE.WALLS
   A most peculiar formation. Looks quite pretty in its way!
#
TEXT cycle DARK.EXITS
   [Your light isn't strong enough for you to see into the #s leading
   away from here/The #s are dark. There's nothing to be seen in 
   them/It's dark there/Stare as hard as you care, there's just darkness
   there in them #s/All that can be seen in the #s is an impenetrable 
   darkness].
#
TEXT cycle DARK.EXIT
   [It's dark in that #/It's too dark in there to see anything/There's
   nothing but darkness to be seen in that #/It's
   dark in there/You can't see anything in the #, it's dark in 
   there/It's too dark in there to see anything/You peer into the 
   dark #, but there is nothing but darkness to be seen].
#
TEXT TOO.MANY.EXITS
   There are too many #s about. Please tell my in which direction
   you wish to proceed.
#
TEXT LARGE.N.SMALL
   There are cracks all over the place - some large, some small.
#
TEXT LOST.IN.JUMBLE
   You thread your way through the jumble, managing to squeeze through 
   some of the cracks, but soon find yourself back where you started from.
#
TEXT ALL.BROKEN.UP
   The wall really just a jumble of broken rock. With some effort you
   may be able to squeeze through some of the gaps.  
#
TEXT NS.PASSAGE
   The narrow passage at the far end of the hall leads north and south.
#
FRAGMENT TOOLROOM.WORDS
  +   "Witt Company Tool Room - Melenkurion division"
#
TEXT TOOLROOM.NOTICE
   The words on the wall read: 

   {TOOLROOM.WORDS}
#
TEXT SHARP.WALLS
   The walls have lots of nasty sharp edges here. Better be careful!
#
TEXT MISTS.STAIRS
   Not so much a sweep of a grand staircase, as an irregular series of 
   narrow terraces leading down into the darkness.
#
TEXT NO.GO.PORTCULLIS
   There's the rusty portcullis in the way!
#
TEXT WARM.WALL
   The walls here are just a standard cave walls. Nothing unusual about
   them, except for being rather warm.
#
TEXT STEEP.INCLINE
   It's steep. There's not a hope of you scrambling up it from below.
#
TEXT increment FEE...FOO
   The inscription [/still ]says "Fee Fie Foe Foo"[. Yes I know it's not
   quite how it's supposed to go, but facts are facts!/.]
#
TEXT BEANSTALK.LEAVES
   The foliage filling the hole to the east, is that of the beanstalk,
   which you used to climb up here.
#
TEXT STREAM.IN.PIT
   The pit doesn't look too deep, and you can see fleeting reflections
   of the light of your lamp at the bottom, suggesting a flow of water.
#
TEXT CHAPEL.BEAMS
   The massive beams [appear to be/are] made of age-darkened [/hard ]wood.
#
TEXT SOURCE.NOT.SEEN
   However much you look around, there is no light source to be seen.
   There's clearly magic at work here.
#
TEXT PLOVER.LIGHT
   The # is a fairly short one, and you can see that it soon
   opens up into some sort of a dimly lit space.
#
TEXT PLOVER.PATH
   The path is quite narrow, but it does seem to open up a bit further on.
#
TEXT increment NO.ENTER.PENTAGRAM
   [If I may draw your attention to such insignificant cabbalistic
   details, the absence of any sygils in the pentagram's points suggests
   that its magic is a confining rather than protective one. Or to put
   it more plainly, it is expected to have the spirits confined *inside*,
   while the magus remains *outside*, not the other way around./As I
   think I already explained, that would be foolhardy. Given the nature
   of the pentagram, you could easily find yourself trapped in there./You
   seem to have some difficulty grasping a very simple point - you don't
   want to enter the pentagram. Trust me!/Sigh... No.]
#
TEXT GLOWING.CAERN
   The caern is made of large rocks, which for some strange reason
   emit an eerie light.
#
TEXT NO.GET.GLOWING.ROCK
   The caern rocks are far too large for you to shift[/, let alone
   to carry about].
#
TEXT RUMBLING.VOLCANO
   All you can hear is the [/rather ]distant rumbling of the
   volcano[//, mingled with basilisk's snores].
#
TEXT BASILISK.HOLLOW
   Basilisk dens usually do not amount to much, and indeed, this one
   is really just a little hollow in the rock. It has no significance
   other than the place where the basilisk is to be found.
#
TEXT SURVEYORS.MARK
   The Y2 chiselled into the rock looks very much like a surveyor's
   mark.
#
TEXT DUSTY.PLACE
   For some reason it is exceptionally dusty around here. But
   don't let such trivia distract you from your questing.
#
TEXT USELESS.CRACKS
   All these cracks are far too small to be of any use to you.
#
TEXT DIRT.AND.DUST
   There's plenty of dirt and dust all over this blessed place, none of
   it of any interest to you.
#
TEXT DIRTY.PLACE
   Agreed, this place is quite exceptionally dirty, but it isn't polite
   to remark on such things.
#
TEXT STONE.SPIRAL
   The spiral staircase is formed by slabs of stone protruding in a
   spiral fashion from a massive column, which [rises from a hole
   in the floor and /]disappears through a[nother/] hole in the ceiling.
#
TEXT USEFUL.HOLES
   The[re are holes everywhere/ walls are like Swiss cheese - full of
   holes]. Some may be even large enough for you to crawl through.
#
TEXT SMOOTH.PATCH
   Hmmm... It looks surprisingly smooth...
#
TEXT BLOCKED.FORK
   The debris blocking the fork exit is pretty effective in its task,
   but otherwise neither the debris, nor the fork are of any interest
   to you.
#
TEXT RIBBED.WALLS
   The walls have a curious "ribbed" texture, quite
   incidentally giving this place a look suggestive of an enormous
   rib cage.
#
TEXT NARROW.CHIMNEY
   The chimney is narrow, but not too narrow for you to climb [up/down] it.
#
TEXT LARGE.HOLE
   It's large. It would have to be for that waterfall to drain down it!
#
TEXT EDGE.ON.MIRROR
   It's huge, but from here you can only see it edge-on.
#
TEXT increment LAVA.TUBE
   The lava tube is a roughly cylindrical passage, with walls composed
   of hardened lava.[ Such tubes are sometimes formed when a rapid
   lava flow is suddenly interrupted and the lava drains away, leaving
   behind just the solidified tubular shell./]
#
TEXT LAVA.SLIDE
   The lava tube leads steeply down and in fact forms a kind of a slide.
   So much so that climbing up it look pretty much impossible.
#
TEXT THIS.IS.LAVA
   Lava is a the molten rock spewed out by volcanoes, which solidifies
   as it cools down. The resulting rock can vary in hardness, depending
   on the amount of gas trapped within it. This lot here, for example, is
   pretty hard.
#
TEXT SEDIMENTARY.ROCK
   As the word suggests, sedimentary rock consists of petrified
   sediments that had accumulated at the bottom of a sizable body of
   water. It is therefore not unusual to find embedded in it remnants
   of water-living creatures, shells being particularly frequent because
   of their non-organic composition. Around here, though, the abundance
   of small shells in the rock is quite astounding - it suggests
   huge colonies of mollusks, living for millenia in a sheltered
   nook.
#
TEXT ITS.SHELLS
   The shells are really rather too small to make out any details
   with a naked eye. Besides, the individual shells would be probably
   only of interest to a marine paleontologist. It is their quantity
   that catches attention.   
#
TEXT RESERVOIR.PASSAGES
   I assume you mean the passage that you can just about discern
   across the water to the [north/south]. Sorry, can't see enough of it
   from here. The other one, leading [south/north] is just your standard
   dark passage.
#
TEXT increment STREAM.HOLE
   The hole is rather large and the stream tumbling out of it carries
   quite a lot of water.[/ I wonder... Where does all that water come from?]
#
TEXT assigned RESERVOIR.INFO
   This underground lake is in fact a pretty substantial body of water.
   One can't really tell by looking, because the water surface is rather
   churned up by the stream crashing into it, but it is quite deep 
   too.[ Who knows what monsters may live down there.../]
#
TEXT assigned  DARWINS.TRACKS
   [The tracks seem to suggest that some clawed monster occasionally
   comes out of the water here. You'd better be careful!/It's only the tracks
   left by Darwin, the tortoise - nothing to worry about.]
#
TEXT increment STONE.CAUSEWAY
   The gap of the old dry streambed would be impossible to cross, but
   for the stone causeway which leads across it.[ What is a causeway? A
   causeway, n., is a raised road across low or wet place or piece of water./]
#
TEXT CANT.SEE.PROPERLY
   You can't really see the # properly from here.
#
TEXT CANT.SEE.MUCH
   You can't really see much of the # from here.
#
TEXT NO.STREAM
   There isn't actually a stream here any more. There obviously used to be
   one, but not any longer.
#
TEXT REDDISH.GLOW
   It's a glow. It's reddish. It comes in through the southern wall.
   That's as much as can be said on the subject.
#
TEXT TRANSLUCENT.WALL
   It's a translucent whitish mineral of some sort. Not salt, as can be
   readily ascertained by taste. Beyond that... pass. You'd need a
   mineralogist to tell you any more about it.
#
TEXT NOT.SALT
   Well, it's certainly not salt!
#
TEXT MINERALS.APLENTY
   There's lots of various minerals all over the blessed place, but
   your task is to pilfer treasures, not to conduct a mineralogical
   survey.
#
TEXT cycle ODD.FORMATIONS
   The formations are... odd.[ But not in an interesting sort of way, if
   you take my meaning.//]
#
TEXT ITS.A.MINERAL
   Look, I can't give you a condensed mineralogy course! # is... #, OK?
   limestone, OK?
#
TEXT TO.MISTS
   Beyond lies the Hall of Mists.
#
TEXT DIGGING.REMNANTS
   Some of the passages look newer then others. Whoever dug them out
   didn't really bother to clean up after themselves. But it's been like
   this for some decades, so don't let it bother you.
#
TEXT MAZED.PASSAGES
   The passages are all somewhat different, but it would be too much
   effort to try describing their subtle distinctions. They are all
   different - that's all you need to know.
#
TEXT PARTIAL.BLOCKAGE
   Looks like some of that irregular ceiling collapsed there. The
   resulting heap of debris is blocking the tunnel, but naturally enough
   the ceiling is now higher over the fall, so you can climb over easily
   enough. 
#
TEXT increment PIT.NO.BOTTOM
   There's nothing to be seen in the pit.[ This is not really surprising
   for a truly bottomless pit like this one./]
#
TEXT FIRM.EDGE
   The brink of the pit is quite solid - not much erosion around here
   I guess.
#
TEXT NOT.THERE.NO.MORE
   The rock-slide that at some past time sliced of the remainder of the
   edge proceeded to slide down into the pit - nothing was left behind.
#
TEXT PIT.LEDGE
   The ledge[s are/ is] quite narrow and reasonably 
   level. [They/It] run[/]s around the pit to the [east and 
   west/west/north].[/ It would appear that once upon a time it also
   continued ][/east/south][/, but that part of it got][/ sliced off
   by a rock-fall/ shattered by a falling rock][/ some time ago.]
#
TEXT GLASSY.WALLS
   The walls are smooth to the point of having a glassy sheen to them.
#
TEXT ITS.EMPTY
   The # is empty.
#
TEXT increment NO.SWAG
   There's no # here.[ In any case, there is no need to use such ugly
   slang words: # is just something stolen by thieves - which is of
   course not at all the same as stuff pilfered by adventurers./]
#
TEXT ITS.SWAG
   As I already told you, it just says "SWAG".
#
TEXT CANT.FLY
   Sorry, I never learned to fly.
#
TEXT MISTY.PATH
   The wide path runs south and west along the edge of a sheer drop.
#
TEXT BOULDERS.BLOCK
   The boulders are quite large and they solidly block the two passages
   that once led east and west. No hope of getting through there.
#
TEXT increment MAY.CLIMB.WALL
   I would say the walls here are irregular enough to offer sufficient
   climbing opportunities.[ Why not try it?/]
#
TEXT RAMP.ABOVE
   The ramp is high above you. What you can see of it, is climbing
   quite steeply around the spire up in the northerly direction.
#
TEXT NO.RAMP.ABOVE
   The ramp is too far up to see from here.   
#
TEXT ITS.SCREE
   The scree is loose enough to make moving over it awkward, but not
   loose enough to make it impossible.
#
TEXT NO.MORE.IT
   If there ever was a # there, it is long gone.
#
TEXT STREAM.BEND
   The stream flowing from the NW performs a 90 degree turn here, and
   continues NE.
#
TEXT NO.SEE.INTO.MINE
   The tunnel interior is rather dark and you can't see anything much there.
#
TEXT CUPOLA.ROOF
   The roof of the temple is a shallow cupola, presumably assembled
   of marble blocks. A clever bit of structural engineering, but
   of no interest otherwise.
#
TEXT TEMPLE.WALLS
   Temple walls are made of somewhat weathered, pinky-veined marble.
#
TEXT NO.CLIMB.TEMPLE
   There is nothing of interest to you on the temple roof.
#
TEXT DISTANT.CLIFFS
   Seen from here, the white cliffs are really not much more than just a
   white smudge over the eastern horizon.
#
TEXT VERY.ROMANTIC
   Very romantic!
#
TEXT increment USEFUL.CRACK
   You [thoughtfully survey/take another look at] the crack in the
   cliff face, and decide that [it definitely offers some climbing
   possibilities/you still quite like the look if it].
#
TEXT FALLEN.CHUNKS
   There are half-submerged chunks of rock all over the place. I guess
   falling pieces of rock could be quite a health hazard around here.
#
TEXT UPPER.REACHES
   The upper reaches of the mountain are guarded by unclimbable,
   sheer drops. There's no way to climb any higher from here.
#
TEXT N/S.TRACK
   Looking down over the eastern edge, you can see a track or trail
   of sorts, running just a few meters below.
#
TEXT WET.CLIFFS
   The wall of the ancient crater towers over you into
   the sky. [A small waterfall cascades down the cliffs, most of
   it breaking up into a fine mist before it reaches the ground/Here
   and there, small waterfalls can be seen cascading along the cliffs
   from high above].
#
TEXT STONY.RIDGE
   The small stony ridge should be very easy to climb.
#
TEXT LOOKS.MAGNIFICENT
   The # looks absolutely magnificent!
#
TEXT SLIGHT.TILT
   The stone platform on which you are standing, slopes very gently
   towards the east. It's really more of a gentle tilt than your
   actual slope.
#
TEXT ROCK.PLATFORM
   The rock platform under your feet is fairly flat and tilts
   slightly towards the east. It is well weathered by wind and rain.
#
TEXT WATERFALL.OVERHANG
   The rock overhang forms a kind of irregular sloping ceiling.
#
TEXT increment GOLDEN.WALLS
   The rock of the walls is shot with golden threads, giving them
   a distinctive golden colour.[ But don't get excited, it's just
   valueless pyrites, not actual gold!/]
#
TEXT increment WATERFALL.INFO
   Several widely spaced waterfalls cascade from somewhere far up
   the sheer mountain face. None of them appear very large[, but
   their very existence is slightly puzzling. Maybe it rains rather more
   here than the current weather would suggest/].
#
TEXT MOUNTAIN.SHOULDERS
   The two mountain shoulders enclose the swampy area in front of you.
#
TEXT DARKNESS.TOO.DARK
   You peer into [the surrounding /]darkness[/ beyond the limits of
   your light], but it is too dark [there /]to see anything at all.
#
TEXT DISTURBED.DUST
   The room is quite dusty, but the dust layer has clearly been
   disturbed by feet of visiting adventurers.
#
TEXT DARK.ARCH
   The arched doorway leading out of this room is rather narrow,
   but not so narrow as to make it difficult for you to get through.
#
FRAGMENT NO.BIG.DUNES
   None of the dunes around here are exceptionally large, [and you should be
   able to traverse any of them./though I don't like the looks of the
   ones to the]
#
FRAGMENT assigned PERMANENT.DUNES
   [NE, north, NW and west/northwest///southwest/west and
   southwest/north//southwest/south, SW and west/east, NE, north and
   west/in all directions except to the southeast/northeast and
   northwest//south/north//southeast and southwest/east, SE, south, SW
   and west/east, NE, north, NW and west/northeast and northwest/south,
   SW and west/north, NW, west and SW/NW, west, SW and south]
#
FRAGMENT SOME.BIG.DUNES
   There are really big, permanent looking dunes to the
   {PERMANENT.DUNES}[. The rest doesn't look quite so forbidding,
   and you should have no problems in traversing them./, and I wouldn't
   be too sure about crossing the ones to the]
#
FRAGMENT DUNE.TYPES
  / [none of which look particularly large/some of them look large
   enough to be a real obstacle/some of them really huge/some huge,
   some merely large enough to be a serious nuisance].
#
TEXT DUNES.IN.DESERT
   [T/Except for the ][/mighty cliff to the east, t/black spire to
   the west, t]he black desert ripples with dunes as far as the eye can
   see.[/ The uniformity of the view is only broken by some kind of a low
   rocky formation ][/to the NE./far off in a roughly north-westerly
   direction.]
#
TEXT SMALL.DUNES
   Looking into the desert, you can see that the dunes nearest to
   you are fairly small and should be relatively easy to traverse.
#
TEXT HUGE.DUNE
   A huge curved dune is looming over you, blocking your way to 
   the [south, SW, west and NW/north and NW/south, SW and west].
#
TEXT USE.BUCKET

   It's hot, dry and very thirst-making around here. It may be a
   good idea to carry [/a lot of /considerably more /rather more ]water 
   with you!
#
TEXT DRINK.BUCKET
   You take a good, long drink from the bucket.
#
TEXT YOU.ARE.ON.TOP
   Being as you are on the top of the spire, you can only see its top,
   and what you see is a flat, irregularly circular area of black
   stone, with the pedestal in the middle.
#
FRAGMENT VERY.STEEP.RAMP
   It is very steep, the overall slope being further increased by the
   frequent but irregular step-like drops of several feet each.   
#
TEXT increment RAMP.AT.TOP
   The narrow ramp leads down from the eastern edge of the
   platform. [{VERY.STEEP.RAMP} /]Initially heading north, the ramp curls 
   spire towards NW and then disappears from the view, around the spire.
#
TEXT increment RAMP.AT.NEARLY.UP
   The narrow ramp climbs up from west to east, bending to the south,
   around the spire, in both directions.[ {VERY.STEEP.RAMP}/]
#
TEXT increment RAMP.AT.PART.UP
   The narrow ramp climbs up from south to north, bending to the east,
   around the spire, in both directions.[ {VERY.STEEP.RAMP}/]
#
TEXT NEAR.DESERT
   Looking down, you can see that you are some way above the soft desert dunes.
#
TEXT DISTANT.DESERT
   Looking down, you can see that you are quite far from the soft sands
   of the desert.
#
TEXT NEAR.TOP
   Looking up, you note that the top of the spire is getting
   distinctly closer.
#
TEXT DISTANT.TOP
   Looking up along the side of the spire, the top still looks far away.
#
TEXT FAR.AWAY.DESERT
   As you look down, over the edge of the platform, the black dunes of
   the desert look alarmingly far away.
#
TEXT DESERT.HORIZON
   You study intently the distant line of the desert horizon, but there
   is nothing of interest to be seen there[/ except for the black spire].
#
TEXT JUMP.IF.YOU.WANT.TO
   The only way to get there directly from here, is to leap off the
   spire. Be my guest!
#
TEXT OUTCROP.END
   The basalt outcrop emerges from the sand a short distance
   from you and leads off to [NW/SW], among some huge dunes. It has been well
   smoothed by the wind and sand, so that walking over it should be
   quite easy.
#
TEXT OUTCROP.OTHER.END
   The NW end of the outcrop is rather more eroded than its SE one.
   This is presumably due to the rounded boulders scattered around here,
   which are liable to cause any sand carried by sandstorms to swirl
   and eddy in a chaotic fashion.
#
TEXT ROUNDED.BOULDERS
   The several boulders scattered haphazardly around here, are all well
   rounded - probably smoothed by wind and sand, rather than by water.
#
TEXT SEA.OF.DUNES
   The NW end of the outcrop is surrounded by a veritable sea of 
   huge, impenetrable dunes.
#
TEXT RECEDING.GIANT
   [You can't see the giant from here - he's left 
   far/=/][, far//][ behind!/=/][//The fast receding giant is waving
   a friendly good-bye.]
#
TEXT RUG.UNDER.YOU
   It is probably not a good idea to concentrate on the somewhat
   threadbare rug. It might remind you that there is nothing else
   between you and the sea waves. In any case, it looks no different
   just because you happen to sit on it.
#
TEXT SMOOTH.BASALT
   The # is surprising smooth. Not polished, but certainly smoothed
   by some artificial means.
#
TEXT LIGHT.GLIMMER
   It's just an undifferentiated glimmer of light.
#
TEXT DARK.BEACH
   Out of the cave opening, you see a brightly lit beach of dark sand,
   and the sparkling surface of the sea beyond the beach.
#
TEXT NO.INSECTS
   You can't actually see (or hear) any insects. It's only the glimpses
   of bat shapes against the starry sky below, that suggests their 
   presence.
#
TEXT ABYSS.LOOKS.BACK
   It is probably unwise to stare into the abyss. Didn't one of your
   philosophers say once that in doing so, you risk the abyss staring
   back at you? Or some words to that effect...
#
TEXT NOT.A.CHANCE
   Not a chance!
#
TEXT increment MAYBE.BATS
   Well, I assume they are bats.[ What little you can see of them
   against the stars, suggests that they fly like bats -- a bit
   unsteady-like, jerky, fluttery, if you know what I mean... *And*
   they seem to have bat-like wings. Hmmm... If they are not
   bats... well, maybe better not speculate on that one, eh?/] Anyway,
   none of them ever come near enough for an inspection[, which may
   be just as well/].
#
TEXT cycle STAR.LIGHTS
   As we have already established, the lights below, are in fact 
   stars.[ And very pretty they look too.//It's quite a sight!/]
#
TEXT ABYSS.WALL
   The irregular stone wall plunges down into fathomless darkness.
#
TEXT ABYSS.HOLLOWS
   They are just hollows in the irregular rock surface - nothing
   remarkable about them.
#
TEXT ABYSS.BAT.VIEW
   Looking down, past your feet, you see the breathtaking sight of a
   blazing starry sky, and rather disturbingly, some bat-like dark
   shapes flitting against the starry background.
#
TEXT SOURCELESS.GLOW
   The glow is too distant to make out its source.
#
TEXT MINE.OPENING
   The narrow opening is filled with dusty green, narrow-leaf foliage of
   some kind.
#
TEXT CRAWL.EXIT
   The crawl is narrow, but since you've already managed to look
   out of the opening at its end, it is clearly not too narrow for you.
#
TEXT MINE.EXIT.VIEW
   Parting the foliage at the end of the crawl, you look out at the
   mountain side, sloping to the south-west. The slope is steep and full
   of unstable-looking rocks and boulders, interspersed with some sparse
   mountain vegetation, but a path of some sort can
   be seen some distance below, leading off to the northwest.
#
TEXT MUDDY.GRASS
   The soil looks muddy here, but the grass looks quite ordinary, 
   indicating that this bit of land is relatively solid -- as confirmed
   by the fact that you are standing here without sinking.
#
TEXT SWAMPY.WATER
   There is no open water within easy reach, and anyway, I wouldn't
   expect it to be too healthy.
#
TEXT INDISTINCT.EDGE
   There is no sharp edge to the swamp. [The ground simply gets
   progressively softer as one ventures further in/The chunks of rock
   accumulated along the cliff base, get fewer and sparser further out,
   giving way to swamp vegetation and patches of clear water].
#
TEXT increment RIDGE.BANK
   The steep bank above is irritatingly enough just too tall for you to
   climb out.[/ I guess you are committed to crossing that swamp.]
#
TEXT BRACKISH.WATER
   All water around here is rather brackish and almost certainly
   not too healthy.
#
TEXT SOLID.BLOCKAGE
   The rock-fall looks very solid. I think you'll have to turn back.
#
TEXT CLIMBING.AID
   The # cut into the wall are well shaped, if a bit worn, and should
   make climbing the shaft quite easy.
#
TEXT increment STONE.CLOTH
   The workmanship of the stone table-cloth is quite stunningly
   realistic.[ Unfortunately for you, there is no way you could lug this
   sample of dwarvish art to the building with you. You'll just have to be
   satisfied with the flower instead./]
#
TEXT ABYSS.EDGE
   The platform edge is quite sharp. It is either fairly fresh, or
   there's not much erosion going on here.
#
TEXT ABYSS.PLATFORM
   It is a small, quite flat, nearly circular platform, about half of
   which thrusts out into the empty void.
#
TEXT DARK.VOID
   It is very dark.
#
TEXT STRANGE.STUFF
   The membrane is a strange stuff. It is quite thin and 
   semi-transparent, with the degree of transparency varying quite
   irregularly.
#
TEXT RIVER.GONE
   Whatever river might have flown here at some past time, it is long gone.
#
TEXT RIVER.BOULDER
   It's a large, rounded boulder, sitting on the part of the river-bed
   which is mostly free of sand.
#
TEXT increment CUT.RIVER
   The opening is curiously dark.[ You can't see *anything* inside, which
   is really rather strange. Staring into that peculiar darkness for a
   while gives one the impression that the darkness is somehow roiling,
   but that could just as easily be an illusion./]
#
TEXT NO.LOOK.SEWAGE
   No, thanks. It's bad enough to be wading in the stuff, without having
   to look at it too closely!
#
TEXT increment OUT.OF.SEWER
   With some effort, you crawl up through the pipe fracture.[ And thank
   goodness for that! It was getting *really* unpleasant wading through
   that muck./]

#
TEXT SHELF.PASSAGE
   The room is fairly narrow and the shelves leave adequate, but not
   generous passage between them.
#
TEXT DOOR2.INSIDE
   The door is made of solid oak, darkened with age. It is [firmly 
   shut/wide open/slightly ajar].
#
TEXT SHELF.WALL
   It's just a narrow strip of stone wall, to which the ladder is 
   firmly affixed.
#
TEXT cycle NO.PICK.UP
   # is not something you can [pick up/take/carry].[ Not in this game, 
   anyway.// At least not in this game.]
#
TEXT LARGE.FRACTURE
   It's large enough for you to crawl through, should you so wish.
#
TEXT SLIMEY.BRICKS
   The bricks of the culvert are old an slimy. It's best to leave them
   alone.
#
TEXT TIDE.LEVEL
   It still says "CAUTION - HIGH TIDE LEVEL!" - a warning you would do
   well to heed!
#
TEXT CULVERT.TUNNEL
   The brick culvert tunnel leads south, away from the grill and the
   sea view, into a smelly darkness.
#
TEXT TIDE.LINE
   The line is rather ominously close to the culvert roof.
#
TEXT CULVERT.ROOF
   Like the rest of it, the culvert's arched roof is made of bricks.
#
TEXT SEWAGE.DEBRIS
   Just standard sewage debris. You *really* don't want to know.
#
TEXT ROUGH.CEILING
   The wood of the beams and of the planks laid over them, is rather 
   rough and darkened with age.
#
TEXT NO.MOULD
   There is no mould to be immediately seen, but that of course doesn't
   prove anything. It smells of mould here, so there's mould here
   somewhere. But it would be a waste of time searching for it.
#
TEXT CANT.TELL
   A close study of the marks in the dust reveals no further information.
#
TEXT MISTY.FLOOR
   It's dark down there and anyway, the floor is largely obscured by
   the mist.
#
TEXT DIRTY.ICE
   The clear blue glacial ice glistens in the light of your lamp, but
   you can't see anything through it. Maybe there is nothing to be seen.
#
TEXT ICY.WALL
   The walls and the ceiling are ice. Clear, smooth, very cold ice.
#
TEXT increment FLOOR.NOT.ICE
   [It extremely fortunate that u/U]nlike the rest of your surroundings, the
   floor is plain solid rock.[ Otherwise walking around here would be
   sheer murder./] 
#
TEXT ICY.SLIDE
   The ice slide is steep and smooth. Not a chance of climbing it.
#
TEXT CELLAR.VIEWING
   The round cellar beyond the portcullis, is made completely of brick.
   Its floor slopes towards a small circular drain in its center.
   A large stone slab is poised over the dark exit leading north.
#
TEXT RUSTY.STAIRCASE
   The spiral staircase visible through the portcullis looks very rusty.
#
TEXT PORTCULLIS.CHAMBER
   The small chamber beyond the portcullis is only just large enough
   to accommodate the bottom of a spiral staircase, which disappears
   upwards, into the darkness.
#
TEXT BRICK.CELLAR
   As I've indicated, the cellar is made entirely of brick. This includes 
   its walls, ceiling and floor.
#
TEXT CELLAR.FLOOR
   The brick floor of the cellar slopes gently towards a circular
   drain in its center.
#
TEXT CELLAR.BRICKS
   The aggressively red bricks look fairly new.
#
TEXT CELLAR.SLAB
   The slab is large and solid. It is very effectively blocking the
   cellar entrance.
#
TEXT RUSTY.RUST
   It's kind of... rusty. Rust often is, in my experience.
#
TEXT assigned RUSTY.GAME
   Trying to clean up[ a/] rusty # is a mug's game. Let's not bother.
#
TEXT POLISHED.PASSAGE
   The floor, walls and even the ceiling of the passage have the look
   of rock gradually polished by a flow of water.
#
TEXT ARCHED.DOORWAY
   The doorway is neo-romanesque in appearance: a rounded arch, with
   only a slight point to it, and far too new to be anything but "neo-".
#
TEXT increment ITS.SEWAGE
   [Hmmm... There's some stuff floating down there in that water.
   What with the smell, I guess it's probably... er... sewage./I
   think we have already established that it is sewage down there.]
#
TEXT LOOK.SEWAGE
   Not an attractive sight. Pardon me for sparing you the details.
#
TEXT YUCKY.SLIME
   The slimy walls look highly unhygienic to me.
#
TEXT BRICK.CULVERT
   The culvert seems to be made of old bricks; and they look to
   be covered in slime, just like the walls of the shaft.
#
TEXT ITS.A.CURTAIN
   It's a heavy curtain of some sort. Further details are inessential,
   so I won't bother with them.
#
TEXT CURTAINED.OPENING
   As already noted, there is some sort of a heavy curtain covering
   the # from the other side.
#
TEXT MISTY.OPENING
   You can't see much through the opening, because of the mist,
   which obscures the view.
#
TEXT TOP.LANDING.VIEW
   [You can't see the landing from here - the door's shut!/Through the
   open door, you can see a part of the landing. There's nobody there.]
#
TEXT GNAWED.BONES
   One could almost believe some... thing!... had been gnawing at those
   bones.
#
TEXT SLIPPERY.FLOOR
   The sloping floor is quite slippery because of all that water dripping
   from the ceiling.
#
TEXT WET.CEILING
   The low roof of the cave is quite wet, with water slowly dripping from
   it in many places.
#
TEXT NO.COLLECT.WATER
   The trickle of water is too tiny and the individual water drips are
   too slow, to be of any practical use to you. 
#
TEXT NARROW.EXIT
   That # looks very narrow, but you just might be able to squeeze 
   through it, provided you leave any bulky stuff behind.
#
TEXT CRYSTAL.WALLS
   The walls are composed of thousands of crystals of smoky quartz.
   They are dark, almost black in colour.
#
TEXT TEETH.LIKE.CRYSTALS
   The crystals are the size and approximate shape of large teeth.
   They glisten in the light quite menacingly.
#
TEXT UNSAFE.ROOF
   The roof of the passage looks [rather/*very*] unsafe[./ to me! Better
   get out of here quickly!]
#
TEXT ROTTED.TIMBER
   If there ever was any timber here, it has all rotten away since then.
   I suppose that could account for the smell.
#
TEXT DECAYING.TIMBER
   Despite the evidence of recent attempts to improve things with some
   fresh timber, the overall state of the timber structure is pretty
   poor.
#
TEXT SAGGING.WALLS
   There are several falls of various sizes here, caused by the failing
   support structure. One particularly large one, has revealed
   fair-sized fracture in the west wall.
#
TEXT PIT.PATH
   The path snakes its way amongst rock slabs, across the Twopit room,
   avoiding the two major pits.
#
TEXT LOTSA.HOLES
   Plenty of small holes around here, but only the large one in the
   western wall is likely to be of any use to you.
#
TEXT THIN.SLABS
   The floor is littered with thin slabs of rock.
#
TEXT DARK.IN.THERE
   It's dark in the # - you can't see anything.
#
TEXT SOLID.COUCH
   The massive couch is very solidly built. One wouldn't expect
   otherwise for a piece of furniture used by a giant.
#
TEXT COUCH.TOO.HEAVY
   The couch is far too heavy for you to shift!
#
TEXT HIDDEN.LIGHT
   The place is lit, that's for certain. But you cannot determine where
   the light is coming from.
#
TEXT DAMP.WALLS
   The walls are damp, but I can't tell whether it's just condensation
   or whether there is some water seeping from the rock.
#
TEXT ARCH.WITH.STEPS
   To the north, there is a low stone archway, with steps leading
   down into the darkness.
#
TEXT increment ELRIC.PREFERRED
   [No, no, I don't want to talk about Mr Cornelius. Yes, so, he was
   here too... So? Personally, I much prefer Lord Elric!/Mr Cornelius is not
   a topic I am prepared to discuss. Sorry...]
#
TEXT increment ELRIC.LIVES
   [Elric of Melnibone? I've never actually met him, but by all accounts
   he is a real gentlemen!/One of these days he'll visit too, perhaps.]
#
TEXT cycle JERRY.WORDS
   "Jerry Cornelius was here." [So, big deal! So were many other
   people./Not sure why he thought we wanted to know./ As useless
   a piece of information as you are likely to encounter./I guess he
   thought we would be impressed./Not that this should concern you in
   any way/One could speculate as to why, but it would be boring./And
   who cares!]
#
TEXT MASS.OF.BOULDERS
   Any further progress along the canyon is blocked by a veritable
   mass of large boulders, piled higgledy-piggledy in a huge pile all
   the way to the ceiling.
#
TEXT TABLE.VIEW
   From what you can see of the table with all the stuff on it, it is a mess.
#
TEXT STONE.FACES
   The stone faces are amazingly life-like, especially so in the
   flickering light of the volcano.[ One in particular seems
   to be looking straight at you with a quizzical lift of an eyebrow,
   as if questioning your presence here, while at the same time
   approving of that same presence with a benevolent smile./]
#
TEXT STALACTITE.IN.MAZE
   The stalactite is unusually large, and will probably support your
   weight.
#
TEXT STALACTITE.ROOF
   There are a number of small stalactite-like protrusion hanging from 
   the ceiling, in addition to the one large one, which descends almost
   all the way to the floor below.
#
TEXT ORANGE.COLUMN
   It's really a huge stalactite fused with the wall and coloured
   orange by some minerals dissolved in the water that had made it.
#
TEXT ORANGE.BRINK
   A sharp edge, beyond which there is a sheer drop of about thirty feet.
#
TEXT WARM.WALLS
   The walls of this chamber are just normal cave walls, the only
   unusual thing about them being their remarkable warmth.
#
TEXT CHAMBER.BOULDERS
   The large, rough-edged boulders nearly fill this small chamber.
#
TEXT increment UP.WELL.VIEW
   You look up towards the circular patch of daylight above your head,
   but see nothing worth noting.[ If you were expecting to see stars,
   I have to disappoint you. My many visits to this well lead me to
   conclude that being able to see stars at daytime from the bottom of a
   well, is just one of those popular myths, with no actual substance
   to it./]
#
TEXT WELL.WALL
   The walls of the old well may be damp and crumbly, but they still
   offer sufficient foot and hand-holds, should you be inclined to try
   climbing them.
#
TEXT DAYLIGHT.ABOVE
   It comes from somewhere above, but you can't actually see its source.
#
TEXT LOBBY.WORDS
   The words still say "ENCHANTED CATACOMBS".
#
TEXT LOBBY.ARCHWAY
   It looks most imposing - an impression further enhanced by those
   portentous words above it.
#
TEXT DARK.PORTAL
   It is dark beyond the portal, so you can't see anything there,
   but the echoes suggest a large space beyond.
#
TEXT PORTAL.ECHOES
   It is deathly quiet. As you pause to listen, even the echoes of
   your movements cease.
#
TEXT PLENTY.ABOUT
   There's plenty of # about.
#
TEXT JONAH.TEETH
   It's a bizarre sight - the image of gigantic clenched teeth is
   quite inescapable!
#
TEXT JONAH.BLACKNESS
   Even by the exacting standards of this cave, it is a very black
   blackness!
#
TEXT ROMANTIC.VIEW
   It's a highly romantic sight, though I suspect, somewhat "enhanced" in 
   some magical way. [I don't recall nearby mountains or lakes around here,
   and the meadows are far too lush for the local sunny climate./A
   ravine, yes, but we don't have enough surface water for a decent
   torrent here, with or without rapids!/The cliff's plausible enough,
   but that raging sea doesn't quite square with what one can see of the
   sea from elsewhere.] In any case, it's just scenery.
#
TEXT SHARP.THORNS
   The thorns on the rose bushes are wickedly sharp.
#
TEXT WILD.ROSE.BUSHES
   The rose bushes are badly neglected and by now mostly wild.
   Vigorous shoots grown from the root stock have largely overwhelmed
   the grafted, garden variety. The result is a prickly tangled mess
   with only a few small, wild rose flowers.
#
TEXT DEAD.ROSE.BUSHES
   The rose bushes enclosing this area are mostly dead.
#
TEXT ROSE.FLOWERS
   The rose bushes have gone wild, with the result of there being
   only a few small, simple rose flowers.
#
TEXT increment NO.PICK.ROSES
   Better not - you might prick yourself, with who knows what
   consequences. [Blood poisoning, for example. Or worse... 
   Besides,/And] you don't need rose flowers[/ anyway].
#
TEXT NO.CUT.ROSES
   Look, this is an archetypal wild rose garden. You wouldn't want to 
   spoil it by clearing out the tangle, would you? You would? Well *I*
   wouldn't.
#
TEXT GRAVEL.PATH
   Patches of grass and weeds grow through the gravel of the path[/s].
#
TEXT ORDINARY.GRASS
   It's just ordinary grass and weeds, growing here just because
   such things do grow if not kept in check. So just don't bother.
#
TEXT TOWER.NO.CLIMB
   The sheer wall of the tower does not offer enough purchase for
   climbing.
#
TEXT BELOW.TOWER
   The [tower wall, overgrown with ivy/sheer wall of the tower] looms
   above you.
#
TEXT TOWER.OVER.ROSES
   A short way off, the top part of the white tower can be seen above
   the rose bushes.
#
TEXT TOWER.TO.SOUTH
   The south running path leads directly to the foot of the imposing
   white tower.
#
TEXT CAST.SHADOW
   It's just the shadow cast by the #. Not anything of particular interest.
#
TEXT IGNORE.SHADOWS
   There's many a shadow around here, naturally enough. Let's not get
   distracted by the fact.
#
TEXT OLD.PERGOLA
   There's not much to be seen of the old pergola. Some of it has fallen
   down, and the rest is thoroughly overgrown by wild roses.
#
TEXT SPIRE.NO.SUN
   You can't see the sun from here - it's behind the spire.
#
TEXT THIS.IS.BALCONY
   As a guess, it started off as a piece of rock jutting out of the
   cavern wall, but it has been extensively carved, presumably by
   dwarves, who are great stone carvers and masons, into its current
   shape of a proper balcony with a stone balustrade.
#
TEXT THIS.IS.BALUSTRADE
   The balustrade is fashioned out of the "living rock", to look like
   a row of closely spaced small columns, with a continuous piece of
   stone laid over them.
#
TEXT BALCONY.TORCHES
   A large number of flickering torches can be seen set into the chamber 
   walls, quite high above the ground.
#
TEXT DUNGEON.PASSAGE
   It leads to the giant's quarters.
#
TEXT AUDIENCE.LIGHT
   I really cannot describe it any better than as "moonlight shining off
   polished silver". As to what is doing the shining, I really can't tell.
#
TEXT RED.PILLARS
   The pillars are fashioned of red Egyptian granite - very rare! In
   fact, their whole look is vaguely Egyptian, though it may be just 
   their massive presence reminds one of the monumental Egyptian 
   architecture.
#
TEXT JUST.THAT
   It's just ordinary #. Nothing fancy.
#
TEXT increment AUDIENCE.WALLS
   Just take my word for it - the walls are the finest marble you could
   possibly imagine[, and I don't care how good your imagination is/].
#
TEXT AUDIENCE.FLOOR
   The slabs of onyx and bloodstone, which make up the floor of this
   chamber, are heavy and well fixed in place. There's no moving any of them.
#
TEXT NO.GO.DAIS
   Most of the dais is occupied by that throne-like thing. There's not
   enough room for you on it as well.
#
TEXT AUDIENCE.DAIS
   The dais is large but not very high. It is more of a raised part of
   the floor than a "thing" in its own right.
#
TEXT SKELETON.HAND
   The bony hand clutching the sceptre doesn't look anatomically
   right to me, but I confess I know very little about such things.
#
TEXT AUDIENCE.THRONE
   The interlocking metal bars and rods of of the throne are all well
   polished.
#
TEXT WATER.DROPS
   The place is dank and damp, but there's no actual water here, except
   for an occasional drip from the ceiling. You'd die of thirst trying
   to collect water here!
#
TEXT ROCK.WALL
   It's a rock wall - solid and unclimbable. I'd venture a guess that
   it was put there as an obstacle.
#
TEXT STONE.FEET
   The statue's massive feet are high above you, so you can't see them
   very well.
#
TEXT increment BLASTED.RUBBLE
   The whole floor is covered with rubble from the collapsed wall.[ You
   haven't the time to search the rubble for any loot. And as
   for survivors, rest assured that there aren't any. Tragic!
   Positively tragic! But it was an accident, of course.../]
#
TEXT BLASTED.WALL
   The blast caused the NE wall to shed a massive amount of rock, 
   which is now covering the floor in a deep layer of heaped rubble.
   In the middle of the newly exposed surface is a large dark opening.
#
TEXT ARABESQUE.PATTERNS
   The patterns look very ornamental, but quite pointless.
#
TEXT REFLECTIVE.MINERALS
   Some mineral crystals embedded in the shaft walls, reflect and
   refract the light of your lamp. It's rather pretty, really.
#
TEXT GOLD.SEAMS
   The walls show great seams of gold-bearing rock. Unfortunately the
   they are out of your reach, and in any case, you don't have access to
   any of the equipment that would be required for extracting gold
   from that rock. Then again, maybe there's nothing unfortunate about
   it. Just digging gold, would make for a very dull game.
#
TEXT FOREST.VIEW
   The tower is surrounded by a dense mass of conifers, but conifers are
   replaced by tall pines on the hill to the north. To the east,
   conifers gradually give way to oaks and maples. 
#
TEXT CRAGGY.ROCKS
   A crag is just a fancy name for a large, craggy piece of rock
   sticking above other scenery - and that's exactly what you see there.
#
TEXT BIT.OF.A.HILL
   It's not a very big hill, with some pines growing on it and a track
   running up towards its top from the forest below.
#
TEXT TRACK.FROM.TOWER
   The track starts from the garden gates and runs north through the
   conifers, bending to the right. It is soon hidden by the trees,
   but it seems to be the same track as can be seen further off,
   climbing up, to the top of the hill.   
#
TEXT SUSPENDED.SLAB
   It would appear that the slab is designed to close the opening in the
   south wall, but it is not at all clear what would trigger this
   action.
#
TEXT NO.MOVE.SLAB
   The slab refuses to be moved, however hard you try to # it.
#
TEXT NO.BREAK.MECHANISM
   That would be exceedingly unwise. Please pay attention to that warning,
   which strongly suggests caution. Only a fool would try meddling with
   wizardly contraptions.
#
TEXT DELICATE.MECHANISM
   The counterweight mechanism looks rather strange, which is only to be
   expected when wizardly designs are involved. Its main purpose
   appears to be to hold that slab suspended in the air, though I would
   not swear to this being its only purpose.
#
TEXT SNAKE.PIT
   The snake pit is not very deep, but fortunately for you, it's
   deep enough to keep the snakes confined in it.
#
TEXT NO.GO.SNAKE.PIT
   No, no... You *really* don't want to climb into that snake pit!
#
TEXT LIQUID.LIGHT
   'Tis a wondrous sight! The stalactite is covered by veins of pulsing
   blue light, which accumulates on the stalactite's tip as 
   a bright, iridescent globule. This globule gradually elongates until
   a large drop breaks off and floats towards the ground, vanishing
   suddenly in a puff of blue mist about half way down.
#
TEXT UNCAST.SHADOWS
   The shadows flit too fast for you to make anything of them.
#
TEXT SORCEROUS.RUNES
   The runes and scripts are quite incomprehensible, as you might have
   gathered from my reference to "indecipherable scripts". Be content
   with being able to read that "noside samoht" phrase!
#
TEXT SNORING.DWARVES
   Dwarf snoring is not a beautiful sound. Let's not dwell on it.
#
TEXT NO.APPARITIONS
   Well, when I say "apparitions" I don't *really* mean "apparitions" - it's
   just a figure of speech, to describe the sinister, but quite natural
   shadow-play on the walls.
#
TEXT ALABASTER.FORMATIONS
   The twisted alabaster formations do some really strange things with 
   the flickering glare of the volcano. The resulting shadow-play upon
   the walls is quite sinister.
#
FRAGMENT assigned TT.MODE.ON
   [/<pre>]
#
FRAGMENT assigned TT.MODE.OFF
   [/<\/pre>]
#
TEXT CRYSTAL.BALL
   The orb is essentially a large crystal ball, like one of those used
   by mystics for scrying.
#
TEXT increment CRUMBLED.SHELF
   There isn't much left of the rock shelf. Some of it just crumbled
   away, some got smashed by falling pieces of rock.[ The bonus is that
   there is now a scree slope leading down to where the beach used to be./]
#
TEXT COLLAPSED.TUBE
   The tube entrance is thoroughly blocked by its collapsed ceiling.
#
TEXT I.SEE.NO.PLURAL
   I see no #s here.
#
TEXT ALIEN.SEA.SOUND
   [All you can hear is the sound of ocean waves breaking on the 
   beach./There is not a sound to be heard./You listen to the sound
   of the waves for a while./The deep whooshing noise of the breaking
   rollers is really rather unnerving.]
#
TEXT FLYING.ON
   The rug is heading towards the island, whether you like it or not.
#
TEXT MOUNTAIN.SLOPES
   The lower slopes of the mountain are well covered in vegetation,
   though higher up, greenery disappears, giving place to naked rock.
#
TEXT RESTORING.GAME

   Restoring game # ...

#
FRAGMENT DIR.IS
   [north/NE/east/SE/south/SW/west/NW]
#
FRAGMENT assigned DIR.SEP
   [ /, / and ]{DIR.IS}
#
TEXT SENTENCE.END
   .
#
TEXT FEROCIOUS.WIND
  / Ferocious wind makes a strange hissing noise as it swirls
   the sand under the enormous, red sun.
#
FRAGMENT TALL.BLACK.SPIRE
  / A tall black spire can be seen above the sands some way off in 
   the [////////////westerly/=/=////northerly/southerly/] direction.
#
FRAGMENT MASSIVE.BLACK.SPIRE
  / A massive black stone spire raises over the sands to
   the [///////////////southwest/west/northwest///south/north/southeast/east].
#
TEXT NO.EXPLAIN
   Sorry, you'll have to figure it out for yourself.
#
TEXT increment NO.MAP
   [Um... Didn't you know? Traditionally, it's the adventurer who does 
   the mapping! And we do our level best to be traditional around here./Maps
   are for townie rats! Of course, if you drew one yourself - that would
   be acceptable. Traditional even./No, no... *You* do the mapping in 
   this game.]
#
TEXT HEHEHE
   A hollow voice says "Hehehe..."

#
TEXT increment DOME.STEPS
   Thoroughly worn by countless novice adventurers ferrying their
   hard-won treasure out of the cave. [Amazingly enough, some of the
   suckers never /Strange though it may be, some losers never /Pathetic,
   isn't it?/][suss it out./take the hint./]
#
TEXT cycle NO.DROP.WORN
   [You/=/Do trouble yourself] [need to/should/to] remove objects you 
   are wearing, before [you can drop/dropping/trying to drop] them.
#
FRAGMENT cycle HANG.ON!

   [Wait a minute!/Sorry, boss.../Hang on!/Look again!/But...]_
#
TEXT NO.EXCEPT
   I don't understand. What do you mean "except #"? Makes no sense!
#
FRAGMENT increment SQUARE.CIRCLE
   [ I guess the garden's designer had in mind some vague artistic
   notions of squaring circles or some such nonsense./]
#
TEXT cycle TIS.AMUSING
   [Glad to know you find this an amusing experience./Something's funny?
   Oh well, I am not very good at spotting this human humour thing.../That's
   the spirit! Laughter is the only healthy response to life's
   adversities./Laughing at your troubles is a sign of mental health,
   but it doesn't actually solve anything./You know, you are almost cute
   when you laugh like that./Laugh away, but remember that around here
   it is usually Ralph Witt who has the last laugh!]
#
TEXT cycle SCRUFFY.VEGETATION
   [Scruffy is the only word to describe it/There's nothing noteworthy
   about that scruffy lot/Unprepossessing is too mild a word for it.
   Downright scruffy is more accurate].
#
TEXT USELESS.BITS
   They are just useless bits of #. Please ignore.
#
FRAGMENT increment NO.BAZAAR
   [ Not that we run a bazaar around here, but you know what I mean./]
#
FRAGMENT assigned RUG.VALUE
   [ I doubt it would fetch a good price on a bazaar.{NO.BAZAAR}/ Still,
   it's been certified as a treasure, so it must be valuable despite
   its condition.]
#
FRAGMENT DOWN.TO.STREAMBED?
   That descent looks very treacherous. Are you sure you want to
   try getting down there?_
#
TEXT ROOM.ENOUGH
   [Got an attack of claustrophobia? It is a bit tight here, I agree.
   Still, the cure is in your own hands - go somewhere else./I know
   caves can feel a bit claustrophobic, but there's surely room
   enough here!/Room? Plenty of room above ground. It's not like
   down in the cave...]
#
TEXT FLY.SOON

    "FLY SOON?" enquires the giant hopefully.
#
TEXT FLY.TOO?

    The giant looks somewhat surprised. "[/ZORRO! ]YOU FLY TOO?!
    GOOD GOOD!" 
#
FRAGMENT assigned RAVINE.EXIT
    You are on the [north/south] side of the mountain ravine.
    The trail leads east, bending to 
    the [left/right] towards [north/south], around the
    mountain. To the [south/north], the fallen mountain pine
    allows access across the gap, to the [south/north] side of
    the ravine.
#
TEXT increment EMPTY.YOUR.BUCKET
  / He's about to pour you more champagne, but then notices the water
    in the bucket. "[OH, /]NO MIX DRINKS! NO, NO.[ MIX DRINKS BAD. ZORRO
    BAD BOY!/]"
#
FRAGMENT assigned RUG.SHREAK
    [./!]
#
#######################################################################
#
TEXT JUSTIFY.NOW
    OK... Text justification is now [off/on].
#
FRAGMENT PARAM.SET
    OK... Line # now set to_
#
TEXT PARAM.VAL
    $.
#
TEXT WHAT.PARAM?
    You need to specify a value for the line #!
#
TEXT WHAT.DEPTH?
    You must specify the number of lines per screenful!
#
TEXT SCREEN.SIZE
    Scrolling pause now set at $ lines.
#
#------------------------------------------------------------------
#
TEXT PLEASE.REPORT
    I am sure there plenty of imperfections to be found around
    here. Just make sure you report them to the author, by e-mail
    to mla@mipmip.org.
#
TEXT ERROR
    Sorry, a runtime error has occurred. Please report its context
    to Mike Arnautov: mla@mipmip.org.
#
TEXT SPARE..T..2
#
###################################################################
