The Magpie Takes the Train
A short tale by Brian Rushton
Having, as one should, duly enjoyed ‘Alias’ The Magpie, I was very excited to see this sequel among this year’s IFComp entries. To my further enjoyment, it turns out this sequel is almost just as good! Not that there is anything particularly wrong with it; I just wish it was longer and slightly more challenging, matching the length and difficulty of the original. Completing The Magpie Takes the Train took me 45 minutes.
Perhaps due to having played more IF than (most?) other humans, Rushton has managed to perfectly adopt the style of ‘Alias’ for this game. The language, the humor and the puzzles could all as easily have emerged from J. J. Guest, and are just as delightful. It certainly wouldn’t surprise me if this ends up being the game that takes home the prize.
Comments for the author (contain spoilers)
- I tried ‘take all’ very early in the game and it was perhaps more revealing than intended:
>take all
tray full of drinks: The tray has a glass of grape juice, a glass of water, a glass of soda, and a glass of vodka on it.
glass of grape juice: You grab the glass of grape juice from the server’s tray. He grunts in acknowledgment and continues to stare at the floor.
glass of water: You grab the glass of water from the server’s tray. He grunts in acknowledgment and continues to stare at the floor.
glass of soda: You grab the glass of soda from the server’s tray. He grunts in acknowledgment and continues to stare at the floor.
glass of vodka: You grab the glass of vodka from the server’s tray. He grunts in acknowledgment and continues to stare at the floor.
papers: That’d be difficult to do discreetly, and taking it doesn’t serve your ultimate goal at this time.
grooming kit: Hogg glares at you. “That’s for Horus!” she declaims. “You’re not his groomer!”
tweezers: The grooming kit isn’t open.
emery board: The grooming kit isn’t open.
toy mouse: The grooming kit isn’t open.
cracker: Taken.
cracker: Taken.
cracker: Taken.
cracker: Taken.
cracker: Taken.
magazine: That’d be difficult to do discreetly, and taking it doesn’t serve your ultimate goal at this time.
- Once vodka has been thrown at the viscount, the same action again gives a suboptimal response:
>x vodka
A strong drink. This is strong enough to strip paint off!
>x viscount
The Viscount is a perennial passenger in Hogg’s observation car, although he never seems to speak. He is wearing a wide hat and a heavy scarf. You could recognize him from his pungent odor alone, though.
>throw vodka at viscount
That isn’t available.
- The viscount’s neck has some peculiar properties:
>x neck
The Viscount has an unusually smooth neck.
>touch neck
You touch the short tanned neck. It feels exactly as you expected.
>kiss neck
You can only do that to something animate.
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