Dear me. What happened? Your vision is a bit blurry. Nothing hurts, at least. You can hear Watson barking. It’s bright, very bright, so it must be morning. The last thing you remember was coming down the stairs. Did you stumble and fall? Nigel would fuss and scold you over it, saying to be more careful at your age. Things are coming into focus now... Oh. Oh no. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. Your body lies at the bottom of the stairs. Ever-faithful Watson is crouched over it, whimpering faintly. > stand up You focus your thoughts, and try to stand up, and yet nothing seems to happen... Watson looks up at you and blinks in surprise. > look at my body Oh, dear. You must have fallen down the stairs and broken your neck. At least there isn’t much blood...and, well, it must have been quick. “What’s this then?” Inspector Hughes strides into the hall, flanked by a little gaggle of lower-ranking constabulary. “Bloody hell...so this is how the old bird finally went. Never thought she’d meet her end in an accident, not after a career of dealing with crime.” > look at watson Watson is a wonderfully intelligent collie, and he’s been oh so much help in your past investigations. You’ve trained him quite well, if you do say so yourself. Constable Phillips sets to work marking out where you’ve fallen, while his colleague Davis examines your body. Hughes strokes his moustache as he surveys the stairs. “Looks like an open-and-shut case. Look at ’er nightdress. Must have got up in the morning and took a tumble down the stairs.” The morning? No...no, that’s not right. It was just past midnight...you were trying to find your way downstairs with a torch...you had to get to...the telephone, wasn’t it? Everything is so fuzzy... > talk to inspector hughes Inspector Hughes shows not the slightest hint of recognition. You might as well be talking to a brick wall. The Inspector turns to go. “For all we know, that bloody dog of hers might have given her a push.” Watson?! He would never! “I’ll get the coroner in. Davis, get a report written up and sent to Biddlecombe by the end of today. Looks like it really was an accident in the end.” No! That’s it! You woke up, you recognised those symptoms...the choking feeling, the burning in your stomach—how could you ever mistake the signs of white arsenic poisoning? You tried to get to the telephone, but the electricity had gone out again. You were making your way down with a torch...that’s it, the torch would prove it was the middle of the night, not the morning, now wouldn’t it? Now where in heaven’s name did it get off to? > tell watson to stop the inspector Your mind is still a bit fuzzy, and you can’t quite make sense of that idea at the moment. “For once, a nice, open-and-shut case.” Oh, that small-minded Inspector! Even a perfunctory investigation should find signs of poison! But he’s so sure it was your ordinary morning routine that he won’t even consider the possibility. > tell watson to come here Your mind is still a bit fuzzy, and you can’t quite make sense of that idea at the moment. Hughes strides out while Davis finishes up her measurements. “And get that bloody creature out of our way!” Suddenly Phillips has grabbed Watson by the collar and is dragging him off to the sitting room. Watson’s eyes are fixed on you as he’s pulled away, whimpering and scrabbling at the carpet. Even if the police won’t listen, Watson will! So you imagine yourself following him, and the world around you changes... ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Miss Gosling’s Last Case An interactive mystery by Daniel M. Stelzer. Release 2. Serial number 240909. Dialog compiler version 0m/03. Library version 0.46 (modified). Sitting room The big south-facing windows in this room give it the best light in the house, so you always take your breakfast and tea here. Normally it would be half-filled with your potted plants, but you took those out for Alfred to look at last week, and you haven’t had a moment to move them back in yet. The room continues west from here, while the hall leads north over a small step to the rest of the house. Watson’s lead has been looped over the post of your favourite chair, keeping him from interfering in the crime scene. A rubber ball lies on the floor nearby. Your ill-conceived binocular stand is fixed in front of the bay window. In this state, you can’t do much yourself. Look around to get a description of your surroundings, then click the name of an object to examine it, like the ball. Your score has gone up by one point. > n (pulling your comfortable chair along) Watson scampers up over the step with ease, but the lead catches and he’s drawn up short—it’s simply too high an obstacle for the chair’s wheels to handle. He falls back with a sad whimper. For anything more elaborate than that, you’ll have to rely on Watson. Once you’ve drawn his attention to something, the link bar will show the various things he can do with it. You can also type in commands for Watson directly, like TAKE THE BALL. This is never truly necessary—the game can be played entirely via links—but can sometimes be easier than searching for the right link for what you want to express. > s (pulling your comfortable chair along) Watson turns to look southward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. You’ve taught Watson plenty of ways to manipulate objects; the link bar will suggest the ones that might be useful for a particular thing. Small items can be picked up or dropped, devices can be switched on or off, doors can be opened or closed, and so on. Clicking Watson will list some of the general tricks he’s mastered, like “speak” and “roll over”. > undo Undoing the last turn (s). Sitting room > windows When you look through it, you get a beautiful view of your tea garden. If you click the name of something that isn’t close at hand, the game will tell you where you last saw it. For people, it will also tell you what you remember about them. You’ve taught Watson plenty of ways to manipulate objects; the link bar will suggest the ones that might be useful for a particular thing. Small items can be picked up or dropped, devices can be switched on or off, doors can be opened or closed, and so on. Clicking Watson will list some of the general tricks he’s mastered, like “speak” and “roll over”. > my favourite chair Wonderfully comfortable, with just the right amount of back support for reading. You’ve mounted it on wheels so you can get sunlight in the sitting room in the morning and lamplight in the evening room at night, and cleared the floor so the wheels don’t get stuck on anything. Watson’s lead is looped over one of the posts, where he can’t unhook it himself. To navigate between rooms, use the compass directions shown in the link bar. If you know where you want to end up, you can also type the name of a room and let Watson handle the navigation. > lead A proper collar, and a proper lead, for whenever you take Watson out of the house. It’s now keeping him from moving more than four feet from the chair. A few special commands are always available: - UNDO to take back your last action - SAVE and RESTORE to save your game - THINK to list the puzzles you’re facing and the ones you’ve already solved - HELP for a full list of commands - ABOUT for information about the game - MAP to see a map of the house - HINTS if you’re stuck on a puzzle There are links to these at the top of the page for easy access. > west (pulling your comfortable chair along) Watson tugs on his lead, and the chair on its wheels glides smoothly along behind. You drift after him to the west. Evening room Really this is just another part of the sitting room, but when the house was modernised and electrified, the west half was lit up and the east half left to its natural light. So you’ve taken to calling this the evening room, a comfortable place to sit after supper when you don’t want to brave the stairs to the library. The stairs themselves end to the north, up a small step. A layer of police tape blocks off the door to the north. Watson’s lead has been looped over the post of your favourite chair, keeping him from interfering in the crime scene. Your collection of mystery novels is kept on a high shelf, out of Watson’s reach. Some people do think it’s odd that you’ve taught him compass directions, but he would always get so confused between your right and his right. This just works out better all around. > north police tape Bright yellow tape meant to keep people out of a crime scene. It’s thoroughly blocking the north door. > collection of mystery novels Most of your books are kept in the library upstairs, of course, but you’ve turned this room into such a lovely place to read in the evenings, and the stairs have been getting harder to manage every year. So you’ve started a collection of paperback mystery novels down here, for when you’re in the mood for some light reading. > high shelf You made sure to put the bookshelf high enough that Watson couldn’t reach it. It’s not that he’d chew on the books; no, he’s far too well-trained for that. But he has a tendency to knock things over in his excitement. Now your paperback murder mysteries are both safe, and within easy reach. Easy reach for a human, at least. > jump on the bookshelf Watson stretches his body, trying to reach the bookshelf, then settles back with a sad whimper. Messages like this, telling you why you can’t do something, often indicate puzzles to be solved. In this case, the shelf is too high for Watson to reach; perhaps he could reach it if he were higher up? > my favourite chair Wonderfully comfortable, with just the right amount of back support for reading. You’ve mounted it on wheels so you can get sunlight in the sitting room in the morning and lamplight in the evening room at night, and cleared the floor so the wheels don’t get stuck on anything. Watson’s lead is looped over one of the posts, where he can’t unhook it himself. > search my comfortable chair Watson snuffles around your comfortable chair, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > look under my comfortable chair Watson snuffles around under your comfortable chair, but turns up nothing. > jump on my comfortable chair Watson leaps up onto your comfortable chair. > jump on the bookshelf Watson leaps up onto the bookshelf. > search the bookshelf Watson snuffles around the bookshelf. On it he turns up some books. > books Most of your books are kept in the library upstairs, of course, but you’ve turned this room into such a lovely place to read in the evenings, and the stairs have been getting harder to manage every year. So you’ve started a collection of paperback mystery novels down here, for when you’re in the mood for some light reading. If you could somehow knock the chair down, Watson could pull his leash free...but pulling it just makes it roll around. What if something stopped it from rolling? > push the books Watson gives the books a vigorous push, sending them off the edge to land on your comfortable chair. > read the books Plenty of classic Agatha Christies here, though they’re hard to read when you can’t turn the pages. > get down Watson leaps off the bookshelf and lands on your comfortable chair. > get down Watson leaps off your comfortable chair. > jump on chair Watson leaps up onto your comfortable chair. If Watson put something large enough under the wheels, then pulling on the leash might knock the chair down. > search my comfortable chair Watson snuffles around your comfortable chair. On it he turns up some books. > books Most of your books are kept in the library upstairs, of course, but you’ve turned this room into such a lovely place to read in the evenings, and the stairs have been getting harder to manage every year. So you’ve started a collection of paperback mystery novels down here, for when you’re in the mood for some light reading. > push the books The books tumble around and under the chair’s wheels in a messy pile. > get down Watson leaps off your comfortable chair. > lead A proper collar, and a proper lead, for whenever you take Watson out of the house. It’s now keeping him from moving more than four feet from the chair. > take the lead Watson tries to struggle out of the collar, but to no avail. You’ve put quite a lot of effort into making that impossible. > n (pulling your comfortable chair along) Watson scampers up over the step with ease, but the lead catches and he’s drawn up short—it’s simply too high an obstacle for the chair’s wheels to handle. He falls back with a sad whimper. > pull chair In what direction? > e Watson lopes back east, pulling the chair behind him...until it catches, pulling him up short. One of your books is trapped under the wheel! But he keeps pulling, and between the lead on the post pulling it forward and the caught wheel holding it back, it topples forward with a grand, stately crash. With the top posts now resting on the floor, the lead is within Watson’s reach, and with a look of doggy triumph he pulls it free! Watson is free, and it’s time to solve this case! First, you’ll have to get back to the scene of the crime: if you can find evidence that this happened at midnight instead of in the morning, maybe that will convince the constables that it wasn’t an accident. Good luck, detective! Your score has gone up by one point. > n Watson noses at the police tape, but can’t find a way past. > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Sitting room The big south-facing windows in this room give it the best light in the house, so you always take your breakfast and tea here. Normally it would be half-filled with your potted plants, but you took those out for Alfred to look at last week, and you haven’t had a moment to move them back in yet. The room continues west from here, while the hall leads north over a small step to the rest of the house. A rubber ball lies on the floor nearby. Your ill-conceived binocular stand is fixed in front of the bay window. > x ball It’s a hard rubber ball, the sort Watson loves to chew on. You’ve put a treat inside it for him to try to work out, a little puzzle for him to solve. > take the rubber ball Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up the rubber ball. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. That police tape is meant to keep you out of the crime scene, but too bad. You need to get in there to solve the case! > bite the rubber ball Watson gnaws happily at the toy, chomping on it at different angles until the treat inside pops out! > treat A tasty snack to reward Watson’s puzzle-solving skills. > eat the treat Watson holds up the rubber ball currently occupying his mouth. He would need to drop it to get his teeth into something else. > the rubber ball It’s a hard rubber ball, the sort Watson loves to chew on. The puzzle is now solved, the toy bereft of treats. > drop the rubber ball Watson sets the rubber ball carefully on the ground. Really, police tape is more a suggestion than a real barrier. Watson’s teeth should make short work of it. > treat A tasty snack to reward Watson’s puzzle-solving skills. > eat the treat Watson doesn’t need telling twice. Soon there’s nothing left of the treat. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Sitting room The big south-facing windows in this room give it the best light in the house, so you always take your breakfast and tea here. Normally it would be half-filled with your potted plants, but you took those out for Alfred to look at last week, and you haven’t had a moment to move them back in yet. The room continues west from here, while the hall leads north over a small step to the rest of the house. Your ill-conceived binocular stand is fixed in front of the bay window. > x stand You’d set up a little stand in front of your best window, hoping to attach your binoculars to it for birdwatching. But then it never quite worked, because you always wanted to move them around too much; they’re much better for spying on people than birds. Now it just collects dust while you try to think of something better to put on it. > search the binocular stand Watson snuffles around the binocular stand, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Evening room Really this is just another part of the sitting room, but when the house was modernised and electrified, the west half was lit up and the east half left to its natural light. So you’ve taken to calling this the evening room, a comfortable place to sit after supper when you don’t want to brave the stairs to the library. The stairs themselves end to the north, up a small step. A layer of police tape blocks off the door to the north. Your chair lies toppled, no longer keeping Watson imprisoned. The high shelf now stands bereft of books. > bite tape Watson chomps down on the police tape, taking a big chunk out of the middle and chewing it happily while the ends flutter to the ground. > read the shredded police tape “...DO...CR...IME S...” > n Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A layer of police tape blocks off the door to the north. Your body lies at the bottom of the stairs. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > niche It is, even you have to admit, rather old-fashioned to have a telephone niche. Most people keep their telephones on tables now. But you always liked how it looked, so when you upgraded to a modern telephone, you kept it in the old niche. Things do occasionally roll under it and get lost. > look under the telephone niche Watson noses under the telephone niche, fishing around with one paw. But he retreats a moment later, nothing found. > newspapers You’ve gathered up the old ones here for Nigel to take the next time he comes by. There’s something he does with them, and he always takes them off your hands when they start piling up. It’s possible something could roll behind them. > look behind the stack of newspapers Watson pushes his nose into the stack, feeling around for anything behind it. But he pulls back with a sad wuf. Nothing. > x grate Things are always falling and getting lost in it. You kept meaning to put some sort of screen over it, but, well, you never quite found the time. > search the grate Watson works one paw into the grate and fishes around in there. Something clanks—he’s found your torch! > torch It’s a very durable torch, even if it’s not waterproof, and provides a good, steady light. The sort you can rely on when the electricity is out. Very useful if you were, say, trying to get down to the phone after midnight to report that you’d been poisoned. It’s currently shining brightly. > take my torch Best not to move it yet. The constables need to see that you dropped it when you fell, rather than Watson bringing it in later. > think You currently have 2 points out of a maximum of 18, in 61 turns. You’ve earned points for: - Finding a way to interact with the world - Escaping the armchair Right now, you need to: - Draw the constables’ attention to the torch, to prove that this was no accident > body Oh, dear. You must have fallen down the stairs and broken your neck. At least there isn’t much blood...and, well, it must have been quick. > my corpse Oh, dear. You must have fallen down the stairs and broken your neck. At least there isn’t much blood...and, well, it must have been quick. > s Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Evening room Really this is just another part of the sitting room, but when the house was modernised and electrified, the west half was lit up and the east half left to its natural light. So you’ve taken to calling this the evening room, a comfortable place to sit after supper when you don’t want to brave the stairs to the library. The stairs themselves end to the north, up a small step. Your chair lies toppled, no longer keeping Watson imprisoned. The high shelf now stands bereft of books. > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Sitting room The big south-facing windows in this room give it the best light in the house, so you always take your breakfast and tea here. Normally it would be half-filled with your potted plants, but you took those out for Alfred to look at last week, and you haven’t had a moment to move them back in yet. The room continues west from here, while the hall leads north over a small step to the rest of the house. Your ill-conceived binocular stand is fixed in front of the bay window. The Watson link will list various general tricks he’s learned, which don’t pertain to any particular object. One of those may be the key here. > watson Watson is a wonderfully intelligent collie, and he’s been oh so much help in your past investigations. You’ve trained him quite well, if you do say so yourself. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Evening room Really this is just another part of the sitting room, but when the house was modernised and electrified, the west half was lit up and the east half left to its natural light. So you’ve taken to calling this the evening room, a comfortable place to sit after supper when you don’t want to brave the stairs to the library. The stairs themselves end to the north, up a small step. Your chair lies toppled, no longer keeping Watson imprisoned. The high shelf now stands bereft of books. > n Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A layer of police tape blocks off the door to the north. Your body lies at the bottom of the stairs. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > speak Watson lets out a loud bark that echoes through the house, then looks up at you for approval, tail wagging happily. Off in the dining room, Davis sets aside her work with a sigh and undoes the police tape. > jump Watson leaps upward, demonstrating how high he can jump. He’s doing such a good job! Davis makes her way from the dining room to the bottom of the stairs (where you are). > torch It’s a very durable torch, even if it’s not waterproof, and provides a good, steady light. The sort you can rely on when the electricity is out. Very useful if you were, say, trying to get down to the phone after midnight to report that you’d been poisoned. It’s currently shining brightly. Davis scans the room for anything amiss. Nothing, nothing...then Watson barks again, sniffing at the grate, and she takes a closer look. “What’s this? A torch?” She fishes it out, turning it over in her hand. “Still on, cells still good. Why would she ’ave had a torch at nine in the morning on a bright sunny day?” You watch as it clicks in her head, and she hurries to the telephone. “Something’s wrong here. I better ring the Inspector and tell the boys at the lab...” ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ “...results back from Fletcher at the lab. The Marsh test was positive. Arsenic poisoning, without a doubt.” Well, obviously; you could have told them yourself if you’d made it to the phone in time. The constables are gathered around your dining room table now, listening as Davis summarises the situation. “Given her experience with poisons, it’s unlikely this was an accident. I think we need to seriously consider the possibility of foul play.” Hughes is tugging at his moustache. “Hmph. Quite. Good catch with the torch; would have been a disgrace for the department if we’d missed that. Now that we know, we’re not going to leave a single stone unturned. Do we have a motive? Inheritance?” “It seems likely. We found a will in her library. Various bequests to charities and organizations, and four specific people who will benefit quite, well, substantially.” “Opportunity?” Phillips clears his throat. “I’ve been going through her diary.” Inevitable, you suppose—you would have done the same—but rude nonetheless. “Fletcher says death occurred between midnight and 2:00 AM, and the poison must have been consumed—orally—somewhere between four and twelve hours before that. That gives all four of them the opportunity.” Hughes furrows his bushy eyebrows. “Four to twelve hours? She had lunch with me at the King’s Arms yesterday. I’ll be asking some questions around there.” Davis lays her papers out on the table. “Each of those people had access to her food or drink within that timespan.” (“Or medication,” Phillips adds.) “First is her nephew Nigel. That afternoon, he was helping her go through some records in her attic. It seems she’s got a sort of a laboratory up there, and he could have tampered with her chemicals.” Nigel? He’d never have the stomach for it. “Second is Mrs Charlotte Peabody. Gosling had dinner with her that night, and specifically mentioned a one-peck bundle of carrots Peabody brought from the farmer’s market. Gosling ate plenty, but Peabody didn’t touch them.” Well, of course. Lottie can’t stand the smell of carrots, that’s why she gave them to you in the first place. “We need to find and test the remaining carrots.” “Third is Alfred Tucker, her gardener.” Preposterous. “After supper she drank an herbal tea made with green roses. They must have been gathered from one of her gardens. Arsenious oxide is sometimes used as a weed killer. If Tucker applied some to the flower petals, she’d be poisoned some time later, when she finally made tea from those ones.” Not at all his style. “We need to find the bush she took these from and test if it’s absorbed anything.” “Finally, there’s her aide, Emily Morris.” Emily? The girl never had a malicious thought in her life. “She arranged for all her medications, and could easily have tampered with them.” Hughes stands, smoothing out his now-frazzled moustache again. “Right then! Biddlecombe will be setting up in the library to handle communications. Phillips, I want you to find and test those medications first thing. They have to be somewhere in her room. Davis, track down the details on those suspects. We’ll be asking them a few questions. We’ll have this case cracked right open before it hits the papers!” He glares down at Watson, who’s snuffling curiously at his hand. “And get that bloody beast out of here!” ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. Your score has gone up by one point. > think You currently have 3 points out of a maximum of 18, in 71 turns. You’ve earned points for: - Finding a way to interact with the world - Escaping the armchair - Proving it was murder Right now, you need to: - Access the gardens, where the rosebushes are - Access the attic, where your laboratory is - Access the root cellar, where those carrots are stored - Access your bedroom suite, where your medications are > stove Not very big, perhaps, but it’s very easy to work with—and very easy on your old hands. All you have to do is push the knob and it lights. It’s currently off. > search the stove Watson snuffles around the stove, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > dumbwaiter shaft It’s a marvelous old thing, connecting all four levels of the house, and you’ve kept it in good condition. Much safer than carrying things up the attic stairs yourself at your age. Of course, currently the dumbwaiter is on a different floor, so there’s only the empty shaft here. You can push or pull the wheel to change that. > search the dumbwaiter shaft Watson snuffles around the dumbwaiter shaft, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > push the wheel The dumbwaiter sinks into sight. > dumbwaiter It’s a marvelous old thing, connecting all four levels of the house, and you’ve kept it in good condition. Much safer than carrying things up the attic stairs yourself at your age. The wheel next to the shaft moves it from one floor to another. > search the dumbwaiter Watson snuffles around the dumbwaiter, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. On the table are a tape recorder and your torch. Davis takes a bite of her sandwich. > table It can seat six comfortably, but nowadays your dinners are usually for one or two. So you’ve made sure it’s not too big for that. Your torch is on the table. Davis stares blankly at the cabinets, lost in thought. > search the table Watson snuffles around the table. On it he turns up a tape recorder, a sandwich, your torch, and Davis’s reports. Davis sets her sandwich aside as she pulls out another page. > chandelier It was once a beautiful arrangement of crystal and candles, and now it’s a beautiful arrangement of crystal and electric lights. Davis takes a bite of her sandwich. > display cabinets You would never call yourself vain, or overly proud of your success. But you could never resist showing off a few of your best and most notable accomplishments. Right now, you have the evidence from the Disgybl Gwydion case laid out here, with some of your other cases displayed in the reception room and the upstairs balcony. Davis sets her sandwich aside as she pulls out another page. > sandwich There’s no accounting for taste, but really, you can’t help feeling a twinge of disapproval. It’s too large to be a tea sandwich, but too small to be a proper lunch on its own. Surely the constabulary should be ensuring its officers have proper meals while they’re investigating your murder! Davis stares blankly at the cabinets, lost in thought. > eat the sandwich Watson tries to reach for the sandwich, but Davis pulls it away. He’d probably need to grab it first, to get it out of her reach. Davis sets her sandwich aside as she pulls out another page. > take the sandwich Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the sandwich off the table. “Oi! What’s that all about?” Davis blinks in surprise as her food is snatched away right in front of her eyes. She rises to her feet, ready to give chase! > eat the sandwich Watson doesn’t need telling twice. Soon there’s nothing left of the sandwich. “Gotcha!” Davis has finally cornered Watson, forcing him to open his mouth...to find no trace left of her food. Watson looks much happier than she does as she turns to leave, empty-handed. > evidence from the disgybl gwydion case You normally wouldn’t include an unsolved case here...much less one where the constables never proved there was even a crime committed at all. But it did get a lot of press, and it did revolve around your house—and you kicked off the whole thing when you found this notebook during renovations. It seems one of the previous occupants called himself “Disgybl Gwydion”, claimed to be heir to the ancient Druids, performing strange rituals in the flower gardens and seeking eternal life. ...ancestral spirits / lares and penates, bound through belief, worship? / no, alchemical process-congelation of the soul! See Petrus Catadesmicus, Liber Animarum / but held to the anchor, how to move and act? / Kizzuwatnan ritual, the kuwac hapanza - Father’s Encyclopedia vol K p 197 - replaces the nails or spikes! / must be in the right place... Perhaps the translation the constables gave you is faulty, or perhaps (as you’ve long suspected) it’s just nonsense. But it’s a reminder that sometimes there just aren’t answers to be found anywhere in this world. > x reports The evidence from the Disgybl Gwydion case: You normally wouldn’t include an unsolved case here...much less one where the constables never proved there was even a crime committed at all. But it did get a lot of press, and it did revolve around your house—and you kicked off the whole thing when you found this notebook during renovations. It seems one of the previous occupants called himself “Disgybl Gwydion”, claimed to be heir to the ancient Druids, performing strange rituals in the flower gardens and seeking eternal life. ...ancestral spirits / lares and penates, bound through belief, worship? / no, alchemical process-congelation of the soul! See Petrus Catadesmicus, Liber Animarum / but held to the anchor, how to move and act? / Kizzuwatnan ritual, the kuwac hapanza - Father’s Encyclopedia vol K p 197 - replaces the nails or spikes! / must be in the right place... Perhaps the translation the constables gave you is faulty, or perhaps (as you’ve long suspected) it’s just nonsense. But it’s a reminder that sometimes there just aren’t answers to be found anywhere in this world. Davis settles back into her chair and returns to work. Now bereft of her sandwich, she pulls a biscuit from a pack. Davis’s reports: Poor dear, this looks like a real mess of paperwork. It can be much easier to work on cases when you’re not officially part of the constabulary. Davis flips one of the sheets over, tapping her pen against the table. > davis’s reports Poor dear, this looks like a real mess of paperwork. It can be much easier to work on cases when you’re not officially part of the constabulary. Davis absent-mindedly tries to dip her biscuit in some tea, then realises she doesn’t have any. > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter is here, with nothing in it. The stove is tucked away to one side. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. You see a rubber ball here. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter is here, with nothing in it. The stove is tucked away to one side. > se Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Reception room You designed this room specifically for uninvited guests. Back when the front door was at the west end of the house, they’d have to wait awkwardly outside until you had the sitting room or dining room in order. Now, there’s a place to sit and take tea with them at a moment’s notice—and admire the framed case reports on the wall—and that can make witnesses ever so much more willing to open up. What used to be the back door of the house leads northwest to the kitchen, and the new front door leads out to the south. Today’s mail is scattered across the floor. > framed case reports Under all the dry, formulaic language of a police report is the story of a serial murderer who baffled the constabulary, striking apparently without rhyme or reason. The case was about to be abandoned when you uncovered the truth: Lord Macaulay wanted to silence an old business associate, and orchestrated the other murders as a distraction. The trial is ongoing, but thanks to you, he’s quite likely to be convicted; really it’s become quite the press spectacle. Apart from the report framed here, you have others on display in the dining room and the upstairs balcony. After a career like yours, it’s only natural to want to admire your past victories. > the report on the macaulay case Under all the dry, formulaic language of a police report is the story of a serial murderer who baffled the constabulary, striking apparently without rhyme or reason. The case was about to be abandoned when you uncovered the truth: Lord Macaulay wanted to silence an old business associate, and orchestrated the other murders as a distraction. The trial is ongoing, but thanks to you, he’s quite likely to be convicted; really it’s become quite the press spectacle. Apart from the report framed here, you have others on display in the dining room and the upstairs balcony. After a career like yours, it’s only natural to want to admire your past victories. > lord macaulay Taking him down was one of the highlights of your career. You have the case files on display in your reception room. > mail You receive enough mail that you have a little system for judging it. If someone wrote your name and address with their own hand, it’s probably worth reading. If it’s stamped on in that precise, soulless font, probably not. The Total Human Project wants more money, some new disaster has hit Pickering Station, the “BOSH” (bureau of something-or-other) has a bake sale coming up...none of it at all relevant now. > read the mail Your name and address are stamped on with mechanical precision. No soul to it, none at all. > s (first attempting to open the front door to the south) Watson noses at the front door, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. > the front door Solid and secure, and painted such a lovely shade of blue. At the moment, it is firmly locked. > open the front door Watson noses at the front door, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. > nw Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter is here, with nothing in it. The stove is tucked away to one side. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. You see a rubber ball here. > d Watson saunters down the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you have to fear the worst. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. > photo album Lottie left it when she was over for dinner, filled with photos of her trip out to the Orient. Her son is some sort of archaeologist out there, with his wife, and she loved talking about all the intricate details of what they were doing. Fiddly details have always been her favourite thing, and she kept pushing you to keep working on those constabulary records that weren’t lining up—she just had a feeling it was a sign of something worse. > northeast Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Pantry (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light to the southwest. > listen Watson listens closely, but doesn’t seem to hear anything special. > smell Watson sniffs at the air. Whatever canine insights he’s gained from it, you can only guess. > s (first attempting to open the root cellar door to the south) The root cellar should be that way, but in the darkness you can’t seem to locate the door. > sw Watson noses his way southwest, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you now know it’s thoroughly failed at that. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. > pump Annoyingly noisy, but that’s a small price to pay to keep your cellar dry. Of course, it only works when there’s electricity. > turn the pump off Watson paws at the pump, and it switches off! > turn the pump on Watson paws at the pump, and it switches on! > turn the pump off Watson paws at the pump, and it switches off! > u Watson saunters up the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. You see a rubber ball here. > e Watson just sits down and wags his tail happily. You’ve taught him not to go in there, since all he’d do is try to drink the toilet water; anyway, there’s barely enough room to turn around there, and nothing in there would be much help in solving your murder. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Sitting room The big south-facing windows in this room give it the best light in the house, so you always take your breakfast and tea here. Normally it would be half-filled with your potted plants, but you took those out for Alfred to look at last week, and you haven’t had a moment to move them back in yet. The room continues west from here, while the hall leads north over a small step to the rest of the house. Your ill-conceived binocular stand is fixed in front of the bay window. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Evening room Really this is just another part of the sitting room, but when the house was modernised and electrified, the west half was lit up and the east half left to its natural light. So you’ve taken to calling this the evening room, a comfortable place to sit after supper when you don’t want to brave the stairs to the library. The stairs themselves end to the north, up a small step. Your chair lies toppled, no longer keeping Watson imprisoned. The high shelf now stands bereft of books. > n Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. Your body lies at the bottom of the stairs. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > u Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. > windows You’ve always liked having plenty of natural light. > close the miscellaneous windows You keep most of the shades permanently open, at this point. Opening and closing them just got to be too much of a hassle. > north (first attempting to open the library door to the north) Watson noses at the library door, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. > northwest Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. A dangling cord marks the location of the trapdoor to the attic. A mattress is propped up against one wall, for lack of anywhere better to put it. > mattress Dragged out of the guest room while it’s being repainted, and left in the hallway because it’s too much of a hassle to move it anywhere else. At least while it’s propped on its edge it doesn’t get in the way too much. > trapdoor The cord hangs down just above Watson’s head, easily within reach. > pull cord Watson leaps upward and catches the cord in his teeth, trying to hold onto it with all his strength. For a moment it doesn’t seem like his weight will be enough...but with a steady groan the trapdoor opens and the stairs swing downward. His momentum carries him off to the south, depositing him with a gentle thump on the balcony. Balcony The hallway ends with a narrow balcony, connecting your bedroom to the south with everything else to the north. The railing to the east protects you from a dizzying drop to the bottom of the stairs. Evidence from another of your past cases is displayed proudly on the wall. The trapdoor to the attic is open, blocking off the passage to the north. Unfortunately, the stairs are on the other side. > evidence The Tempete case was an odd one: a murder committed at sea, with only a half-dozen people aboard the vessel. Murder, extortion, smuggling, and worse...all spiralling from small, very human desires for money and safety. You have the customs papers here as a sort of memento. A reminder that murder is usually an ugly, desperate act, when someone’s greed or fear becomes more important than someone else’s life, rather than any grand plot or intricate scheme. Apart from this one, you have other mementos on display in the dining room and the reception room. You like to think of it as justifiably displaying your credentials rather than boasting. > the report on the tempete case The Tempete case was an odd one: a murder committed at sea, with only a half-dozen people aboard the vessel. Murder, extortion, smuggling, and worse...all spiralling from small, very human desires for money and safety. You have the customs papers here as a sort of memento. A reminder that murder is usually an ugly, desperate act, when someone’s greed or fear becomes more important than someone else’s life, rather than any grand plot or intricate scheme. Apart from this one, you have other mementos on display in the dining room and the reception room. You like to think of it as justifiably displaying your credentials rather than boasting. > s (first attempting to open the bedroom door to the south) Watson noses at the bedroom door, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. > n The stairs to the attic block off that hallway completely. > nw Watson turns to look northwestward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. > ne Watson turns to look northeastward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. > w Watson turns to look westward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. > e Watson peers over the edge, then look up at you with a scared whimper. He’s always been a good jumper, but after what happened last night, you can’t really blame him. > x stairs You can only see the back side of them from here, completely blocking off the hallway to the north. > push stairs Watson shoves his face and paws under the bottom step, rolling over onto his back and pushing with all his might. It only moves a little, but that’s enough for the mechanism to take over, and it snaps up into the ceiling. > push mattress Watson understands the instruction to push something, but doesn’t understand what. > x mattress Watson understands the instruction to examine something, but doesn’t understand what. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. A dangling cord marks the location of the trapdoor to the attic. A mattress is propped up against one wall, for lack of anywhere better to put it. > push mattress In what direction? > push the mattress In what direction? > e Watson turns to look eastward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. > push mattress under trapdoor Watson understands the instruction to push something, but doesn’t understand what. > push mattress e Watson turns to look eastward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. > pull mattress In what direction? > jump on mattress Watson noses at the mattress, but he wouldn’t really fit on it. > get mattress Watson noses at the mattress, but can’t find any way to really pick it up. > pull cord Watson leaps upward and catches the cord in his teeth, trying to hold onto it with all his strength. For a moment it doesn’t seem like his weight will be enough...but with a steady groan the trapdoor opens and the stairs swing downward. His momentum carries him off to the south, depositing him with a gentle thump on the balcony. Balcony The hallway ends with a narrow balcony, connecting your bedroom to the south with everything else to the north. The railing to the east protects you from a dizzying drop to the bottom of the stairs. Evidence from another of your past cases is displayed proudly on the wall. The trapdoor to the attic is open, blocking off the passage to the north. Unfortunately, the stairs are on the other side. > go through the attic stairs Unfortunately, the actual steps are on the other side; from here, it’s just a big, slanted piece of wood coming down from the ceiling. > close the attic stairs Watson shoves his face and paws under the bottom step, rolling over onto his back and pushing with all his might. It only moves a little, but that’s enough for the mechanism to take over, and it snaps up into the ceiling. > push mattress under stairs Watson understands the instruction to push something, but doesn’t understand what. > think You currently have 3 points out of a maximum of 18, in 147 turns. You’ve earned points for: - Finding a way to interact with the world - Escaping the armchair - Proving it was murder Right now, you need to: - Access the gardens, where the rosebushes are - Access the attic, where your laboratory is - Access the root cellar, where those carrots are stored - Access your bedroom suite, where your medications are > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. A dangling cord marks the location of the trapdoor to the attic. A mattress is propped up against one wall, for lack of anywhere better to put it. > se Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. > s (first attempting to open the suite door to the south) Watson noses at the suite door, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. > bark Watson lets out a loud bark that echoes through the house, then looks up at you for approval, tail wagging happily. Off in the dining room, Davis steadfastly ignores the sound. She’s investigating a murder now, and can’t be distracted by barking dogs! > bark Watson lets out a loud bark that echoes through the house, then looks up at you for approval, tail wagging happily. Off in the dining room, Davis steadfastly ignores the sound. She’s investigating a murder now, and can’t be distracted by barking dogs! > back You last saw the back door in the bottom of the stairs. > bark Watson lets out a loud bark that echoes through the house, then looks up at you for approval, tail wagging happily. Off in the dining room, Davis steadfastly ignores the sound. She’s investigating a murder now, and can’t be distracted by barking dogs! > think You currently have 3 points out of a maximum of 18, in 154 turns. You’ve earned points for: - Finding a way to interact with the world - Escaping the armchair - Proving it was murder Right now, you need to: - Access the gardens, where the rosebushes are - Access the attic, where your laboratory is - Access the root cellar, where those carrots are stored - Access your bedroom suite, where your medications are > w Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. Your body lies at the bottom of the stairs. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > n Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. On the table are a tape recorder and your torch. Davis fishes another biscuit out of the pack. > tape recorder They make them so small nowadays, small enough to fit into a coat pocket. It seems the Inspector has Davis taking dictation for him again...at least, he did until the murder investigation took priority. Three buttons on the bottom are labelled OFF, REC, and PLAY. OFF is currently pressed down. Davis munches on a dry biscuit. > take the tape recorder Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the tape recorder off the table. Davis has no objection to the theft of the tape recorder. She doesn’t seem to care what Watson does, as long as it doesn’t interfere with her paperwork or her lunch. > south Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. Your body lies at the bottom of the stairs. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > newspapers You’ve gathered up the old ones here for Nigel to take the next time he comes by. There’s something he does with them, and he always takes them off your hands when they start piling up. It’s possible something could roll behind them. > put something behind the stack of newspapers Put what there? > put tape recorder on newspapers Watson noses at the stack of newspapers, but there’s no real way to put things on it. > put tape recorder behind newspapers Watson sets the tape recorder carefully behind the stack of newspapers. > n Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. On the table is your torch. Davis flips one of the sheets over, tapping her pen against the table. > get torch Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks your torch off the table. Davis fishes another biscuit out of the pack. > turn on torch Watson paws at your torch, and it switches on! Davis absent-mindedly tries to dip her biscuit in some tea, then realises she doesn’t have any. > s Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. Your body lies at the bottom of the stairs. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > e Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. > w Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. Your body lies at the bottom of the stairs. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > s Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Evening room Really this is just another part of the sitting room, but when the house was modernised and electrified, the west half was lit up and the east half left to its natural light. So you’ve taken to calling this the evening room, a comfortable place to sit after supper when you don’t want to brave the stairs to the library. The stairs themselves end to the north, up a small step. Your chair lies toppled, no longer keeping Watson imprisoned. The high shelf now stands bereft of books. > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Sitting room The big south-facing windows in this room give it the best light in the house, so you always take your breakfast and tea here. Normally it would be half-filled with your potted plants, but you took those out for Alfred to look at last week, and you haven’t had a moment to move them back in yet. The room continues west from here, while the hall leads north over a small step to the rest of the house. Your ill-conceived binocular stand is fixed in front of the bay window. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. You see a rubber ball here. > d Watson saunters down the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you now know it’s thoroughly failed at that. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. > ne Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Pantry In the torchlight, your fears are confirmed: Watson is standing in at least three inches of water. Oh, what a mess... The door to the root cellar is now visible to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft ends here, well above Watson’s head. > sw Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you now know it’s thoroughly failed at that. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. > turn on pump Watson paws at the pump, and it switches on! > ne Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Pantry In the torchlight, your fears are confirmed: Watson is standing in at least three inches of water. Oh, what a mess... The door to the root cellar is now visible to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft ends here, well above Watson’s head. > s (first attempting to open the root cellar door to the south) Watson whines, and holds up your torch. This door needs to be pulled open, and he can’t do that with his mouth occupied. > dumbwaiter shaft It’s always such a nuisance, the bottom of the dumbwaiter shaft being a good foot above your head. But it comes out right in the middle of the room, and better this than banging your head on it every time, or it getting all fouled up when the cellar floods. It still works well enough to bring things up to the kitchen... ...for you, that is. Watson couldn’t possibly reach it. He should still be able to reach the wheel, at least. > wheel This big metal wheel can be pushed or pulled to move the dumbwaiter. > push the wheel The dumbwaiter sinks into sight. > ne Watson turns to look northeastward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. > nw Watson turns to look northwestward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. > se Watson turns to look southeastward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. > sw Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you now know it’s thoroughly failed at that. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. > drop torch Watson sets your torch carefully on the ground. > turn off torch Watson paws at your torch, and it switches off! > e Watson saunters up the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. You see a rubber ball here. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Sitting room The big south-facing windows in this room give it the best light in the house, so you always take your breakfast and tea here. Normally it would be half-filled with your potted plants, but you took those out for Alfred to look at last week, and you haven’t had a moment to move them back in yet. The room continues west from here, while the hall leads north over a small step to the rest of the house. Your ill-conceived binocular stand is fixed in front of the bay window. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Evening room Really this is just another part of the sitting room, but when the house was modernised and electrified, the west half was lit up and the east half left to its natural light. So you’ve taken to calling this the evening room, a comfortable place to sit after supper when you don’t want to brave the stairs to the library. The stairs themselves end to the north, up a small step. Your chair lies toppled, no longer keeping Watson imprisoned. The high shelf now stands bereft of books. > n Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. Your body lies at the bottom of the stairs. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > n Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis flips one of the sheets over, tapping her pen against the table. > x davis You’ve always seen promise in Davis, from when she was just starting out as a bright-eyed new recruit. But she’s got a certain earnestness you’ve never quite been able to sway her from. Now she spends most of her time taking every menial task that’s pushed onto her, thinking straightforward honesty is the best path to promotion. Eventually, something is bound to shake her enough to take some initiative of her own...or at least, that was always your hope. Davis munches on a dry biscuit. > get biscuit Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the biscuit off the table. “Oi! What’s that all about?” Davis blinks in surprise as her food is snatched away right in front of her eyes. She rises to her feet, ready to give chase! > e Watson scampers east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. Davis follows from the dining room to the kitchen (where you are), in hot pursuit. > se Watson scampers southeast, and you drift along behind. Reception room You designed this room specifically for uninvited guests. Back when the front door was at the west end of the house, they’d have to wait awkwardly outside until you had the sitting room or dining room in order. Now, there’s a place to sit and take tea with them at a moment’s notice—and admire the framed case reports on the wall—and that can make witnesses ever so much more willing to open up. What used to be the back door of the house leads northwest to the kitchen, and the new front door leads out to the south. Today’s mail is scattered across the floor. Davis follows from the kitchen to the reception room (where you are), in hot pursuit. > s (first attempting to open the front door to the south) Watson noses at the front door, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. “Gotcha! Huh?” Davis looks down at Watson, then up at the front door. He lets his tail droop and gives her his best whine. “You want out, then? Here you go. That should get you off my arse for a bit.” She flips the lock and pushes the door open before retreating, bereft of food. When you look back at Watson, he’s taken advantage of the confusion to devour his snack. Well, you suppose he deserves it. Your score has gone up by one point. > s Watson saunters out the front door, and you drift along behind. Veranda A little refuge from the weather, for when you want the fresh outdoor air without all the sun and the rain, between the front door to the north and the lawn to the south. A bin in the corner collects any stray glass for recycling. > x bin Alfred’s been so very into recycling recently, and he’s asked you to collect any stray glass you don’t need; he picks it up every week or so for processing. A squat bottle is in the bin. A narrow bottle is in the bin. Davis makes her way from the reception room to the kitchen. > x squat bottle A wide, squat glass bottle you’d set out for recycling. From the shape, it must be the red one Alfred left behind; you could never tell red from green yourself, but they do different things to the colours when you look through them. Davis makes her way from the kitchen to the dining room. > x narrow bottle A tall, narrow glass bottle you’d set out for recycling. From the shape, it must be the green wine bottle from last week; you could never tell red from green yourself, but they do different things to the colours when you look through them. Davis settles back into her chair and returns to work. She reaches for a biscuit, but the pack is empty. She disposes of it with a sigh. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Lawn It’s really not big enough to be called the grounds, but you’ve always been proud of your lawn and gardens, encircling the house on all sides. The most important one right now is your tea garden, down to the south; the veranda is back to the north. Today’s newspaper lies in front of the porch steps. > x newspaper More coverage of the Macaulay case, it seems. Lord Macaulay has been convicted on five counts of murder (you’re quite proud of that one); in a statement, his sister Elisabeth calls the verdict “an absurdity of the highest order” and vows to “set right this gross miscarriage of justice”. You’ll have to keep an eye on that one. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, centre Your tea garden is nestled deep in the foundation of the old ruins, the stone walls rising up on every side to give the plants just the perfect amount of sunlight and shade. Here at the centre is where you placed that lovely fountain, and a sturdy chair, to sit in while you contemplate your options. The garden beds themselves are arranged in a ring around you, and the path north leads back to the lawn. You have a lovely view of the whole thing from your sitting room. On the garden chair are a pair of gardening gloves. > x fountain Oh, it’s just the prettiest thing, three tiers all sculpted out of that local clay with the coloured streaks through it. The pipes would always get all clogged up in the fall until you packed it full of soil and planted lavender, and now it’s a lovely spot of dark blue tying the whole garden together. > x lavendar Watson understands the instruction to examine something, but doesn’t understand what. In particular, the word “lavendar” seems to be confusing him. > x lavender Such a wonderful blue! The other plants are all a uniform yellowish to your eyes, but that just makes the lavender stand out more. The tea from it always helps when you’re having trouble falling asleep. > bite lavender Oh, the damage his teeth would do to your poor flowers! You can’t bear the thought. > search fountain Watson snuffles around the lovely fountain. In it he turns up a lavender plant. > x bench Watson understands the instruction to examine something, but doesn’t understand what. In particular, the word “bench” seems to be confusing him. > x chair The perfect place to sit and appreciate the gardens. A pair of gardening gloves has been left on the chair. > search chair Watson snuffles around the garden chair. On it he turns up a pair of gardening gloves. > x ruins It really does give the tea garden a charming look, the crumbling stones of the old building around them. It used to be an old cottage, but you always thought a garden would look better there, and kept offering it to the police and the fire department if they wanted to destroy it for some training or other. Eventually you got tired of waiting and, well, you like to think it did end up providing some useful practice for them in the end. It isn’t considered arson if it’s your own property; you made very sure of that first. > search ruins Watson snuffles around the old ruins, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > x gloves Alfred must have left them here, intending to keep working on these beds tomorrow. He’s a diligent, hard-working man, and you’ve never known him to take shortcuts on his work; he prefers to handle things with his own two hands. > jump on chair Watson leaps up onto the garden chair. > d (first attempting to get off the garden chair) Watson leaps off the garden chair. Watson turns to look downward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. > ne Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, northeast The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The rosebush is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > x rosebush Alfred has planted three rosebushes at your direction; according to him, one is red, one yellow, and one green, for symmetry, though neither you nor Watson has ever been able to see the difference. The tea from them has the most wonderful smell to it, and just the right sort of sweetness. The constables say it was green rose tea you were drinking the night of your death, so the green bush is the one you need to find. > bite rosebush But can you be sure that’s the right rose? You have three of them in the tea garden, after all, and only one of them is green. You can’t make poor Watson bite thorns three times. > se Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, east The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The rosebush is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > x rosebush Alfred has planted three rosebushes at your direction; according to him, one is red, one yellow, and one green, for symmetry, though neither you nor Watson has ever been able to see the difference. The tea from them has the most wonderful smell to it, and just the right sort of sweetness. The constables say it was green rose tea you were drinking the night of your death, so the green bush is the one you need to find. > sw Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, southeast The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The calendula is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > x calendula The bed here is overflowing with calendula marigolds, bright and cheery. They make a lovely floral tea with more bitterness to it than the roses, better for earlier in the day, and Alfred says they’re a lovely golden yellow. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, southwest The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The mint is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > x mint You’ve made very sure the mint can’t escape its bed, with a carefully-cleared exclusion zone around it on every side. But spearmint tea with a dash of honey is just the thing when you’re feeling under the weather, and it’s always best fresh. There are no flowers on this bed; just a carpet of dense green leaves clustered under the wall. > nw Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, west The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The beebalm is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > x beebalm They may not be native here, but you’ve always loved the way these flowers look, and they’ve taken to the garden quite well. The tea has a spicy earthiness to it that always helps your digestion, and Alfred says the flowers are a bright red. > ne Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, northwest The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The rosebush is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > x rosebush Alfred has planted three rosebushes at your direction; according to him, one is red, one yellow, and one green, for symmetry, though neither you nor Watson has ever been able to see the difference. The tea from them has the most wonderful smell to it, and just the right sort of sweetness. The constables say it was green rose tea you were drinking the night of your death, so the green bush is the one you need to find. > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, northeast The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The rosebush is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > bite rosebush But can you be sure that’s the right rose? You have three of them in the tea garden, after all, and only one of them is green. You can’t make poor Watson bite thorns three times. > bite the rosebush But can you be sure that’s the right rose? You have three of them in the tea garden, after all, and only one of them is green. You can’t make poor Watson bite thorns three times. > sw Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, centre Your tea garden is nestled deep in the foundation of the old ruins, the stone walls rising up on every side to give the plants just the perfect amount of sunlight and shade. Here at the centre is where you placed that lovely fountain, and a sturdy chair, to sit in while you contemplate your options. The garden beds themselves are arranged in a ring around you, and the path north leads back to the lawn. You have a lovely view of the whole thing from your sitting room. On the garden chair are a pair of gardening gloves. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Lawn It’s really not big enough to be called the grounds, but you’ve always been proud of your lawn and gardens, encircling the house on all sides. The most important one right now is your tea garden, down to the south; the veranda is back to the north. Today’s newspaper lies in front of the porch steps. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Veranda A little refuge from the weather, for when you want the fresh outdoor air without all the sun and the rain, between the front door to the north and the lawn to the south. A bin in the corner collects any stray glass for recycling. > x squat bottle A wide, squat glass bottle you’d set out for recycling. From the shape, it must be the red one Alfred left behind; you could never tell red from green yourself, but they do different things to the colours when you look through them. > x narrow bottle A tall, narrow glass bottle you’d set out for recycling. From the shape, it must be the green wine bottle from last week; you could never tell red from green yourself, but they do different things to the colours when you look through them. > take narrow bottle Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the narrow bottle out of the bin. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Lawn It’s really not big enough to be called the grounds, but you’ve always been proud of your lawn and gardens, encircling the house on all sides. The most important one right now is your tea garden, down to the south; the veranda is back to the north. Today’s newspaper lies in front of the porch steps. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, centre Your tea garden is nestled deep in the foundation of the old ruins, the stone walls rising up on every side to give the plants just the perfect amount of sunlight and shade. Here at the centre is where you placed that lovely fountain, and a sturdy chair, to sit in while you contemplate your options. The garden beds themselves are arranged in a ring around you, and the path north leads back to the lawn. You have a lovely view of the whole thing from your sitting room. On the garden chair are a pair of gardening gloves. > ne Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, northeast The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The rosebush is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > look through narrow bottle Through a green lens, the plants here look deep black. > sw Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, centre Your tea garden is nestled deep in the foundation of the old ruins, the stone walls rising up on every side to give the plants just the perfect amount of sunlight and shade. Here at the centre is where you placed that lovely fountain, and a sturdy chair, to sit in while you contemplate your options. The garden beds themselves are arranged in a ring around you, and the path north leads back to the lawn. You have a lovely view of the whole thing from your sitting room. On the garden chair are a pair of gardening gloves. > sw Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, southwest The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The mint is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > look through narrow bottle Through a green lens, the plants here look brilliant white. > nw Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, west The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The beebalm is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > ne Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, northwest The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The rosebush is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > look through bottle Through a green lens, the plants here look brilliant white. > drop bottle Watson sets the narrow bottle carefully on the ground. > bite rosebush But can you be sure that’s the right rose? You have three of them in the tea garden, after all, and only one of them is green. You can’t make poor Watson bite thorns three times. > se Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, centre Your tea garden is nestled deep in the foundation of the old ruins, the stone walls rising up on every side to give the plants just the perfect amount of sunlight and shade. Here at the centre is where you placed that lovely fountain, and a sturdy chair, to sit in while you contemplate your options. The garden beds themselves are arranged in a ring around you, and the path north leads back to the lawn. You have a lovely view of the whole thing from your sitting room. On the garden chair are a pair of gardening gloves. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Lawn It’s really not big enough to be called the grounds, but you’ve always been proud of your lawn and gardens, encircling the house on all sides. The most important one right now is your tea garden, down to the south; the veranda is back to the north. Today’s newspaper lies in front of the porch steps. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Veranda A little refuge from the weather, for when you want the fresh outdoor air without all the sun and the rain, between the front door to the north and the lawn to the south. A bin in the corner collects any stray glass for recycling. > get squat bottle Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the squat bottle out of the bin. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Lawn It’s really not big enough to be called the grounds, but you’ve always been proud of your lawn and gardens, encircling the house on all sides. The most important one right now is your tea garden, down to the south; the veranda is back to the north. Today’s newspaper lies in front of the porch steps. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, centre Your tea garden is nestled deep in the foundation of the old ruins, the stone walls rising up on every side to give the plants just the perfect amount of sunlight and shade. Here at the centre is where you placed that lovely fountain, and a sturdy chair, to sit in while you contemplate your options. The garden beds themselves are arranged in a ring around you, and the path north leads back to the lawn. You have a lovely view of the whole thing from your sitting room. On the garden chair are a pair of gardening gloves. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, west The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The beebalm is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. > look through squat bottle Through a red lens, the plants here look brilliant white. > x beebalm They may not be native here, but you’ve always loved the way these flowers look, and they’ve taken to the garden quite well. The tea has a spicy earthiness to it that always helps your digestion, and Alfred says the flowers are a bright red. > ne Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, northwest The garden bed under the old walls is just as neat and tidy as ever, as it should be. The rosebush is flourishing, ready for your next cup of tea. You see a narrow bottle here. > look through squat bottle Through a red lens, the plants here look deep black. Your score has gone up by one point. > drop bottle Watson sets the squat bottle carefully on the ground. > bite rosebush Watson delicately closes his mouth around one of the buds, trying to tear it free of the stem without getting pricked on the thorns. Oh, your poor flowers...but he does succeed, in the end. > i Watson holds up the torn-off rosebud proudly for your inspection. He’s also, as always, wearing his collar. “Take inventory” is one of the stranger tricks you’ve taught him, but it just feels more professional than “show me”. > se Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Tea garden, centre Your tea garden is nestled deep in the foundation of the old ruins, the stone walls rising up on every side to give the plants just the perfect amount of sunlight and shade. Here at the centre is where you placed that lovely fountain, and a sturdy chair, to sit in while you contemplate your options. The garden beds themselves are arranged in a ring around you, and the path north leads back to the lawn. You have a lovely view of the whole thing from your sitting room. On the garden chair are a pair of gardening gloves. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Lawn It’s really not big enough to be called the grounds, but you’ve always been proud of your lawn and gardens, encircling the house on all sides. The most important one right now is your tea garden, down to the south; the veranda is back to the north. Today’s newspaper lies in front of the porch steps. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Veranda A little refuge from the weather, for when you want the fresh outdoor air without all the sun and the rain, between the front door to the north and the lawn to the south. A bin in the corner collects any stray glass for recycling. > n Watson saunters through the front door, and you drift along behind. Reception room You designed this room specifically for uninvited guests. Back when the front door was at the west end of the house, they’d have to wait awkwardly outside until you had the sitting room or dining room in order. Now, there’s a place to sit and take tea with them at a moment’s notice—and admire the framed case reports on the wall—and that can make witnesses ever so much more willing to open up. What used to be the back door of the house leads northwest to the kitchen, and the new front door leads out to the south. Today’s mail is scattered across the floor. > nw Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis pulls out another page, cross-checking it against the last. > show davis rosebud “Hm? What’s this?” The constable looks down at the torn branch in Watson’s mouth. “Wait—is this—?” She takes it carefully, avoiding the thorns and the dog slobber. “The green roses! This must be from the same bush as the tea she drank last night! The boffins at the lab will need a look at this.” Watson sits back and wags his tail happily as Davis hurries off. It will take some time for the laboratory tests to come back, but you already know what they’ll say: that the roses weren’t poisoned, and Alfred is innocent. Your score has gone up by one point. > x dumbwaiter Watson understands the instruction to examine something, but doesn’t understand what. > dumbwaiter shaft Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to recall the dumbwaiter shaft or the dumbwaiter shaft? > the dumbwaiter shaft Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to recall the dumbwaiter shaft or the dumbwaiter shaft? > the dumbwaiter shaft Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to recall the dumbwaiter shaft or the dumbwaiter shaft? > push button Watson understands the instruction to push something, but doesn’t understand what. > push wheel Watson understands the instruction to push something, but doesn’t understand what. > x dumbwaiter Watson understands the instruction to examine something, but doesn’t understand what. > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. Davis makes her way from the reception room to the kitchen (where you are). > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis’s seat stands conspicuously vacant. Davis makes her way from the kitchen to the dining room (where you are). > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. Davis settles back into her chair and returns to work. > x dumbwaiter It’s a marvelous old thing, connecting all four levels of the house, and you’ve kept it in good condition. Much safer than carrying things up the attic stairs yourself at your age. Of course, currently the dumbwaiter is on a different floor, so there’s only the empty shaft here. You can push or pull the wheel to change that. > push wheel The dumbwaiter rises into sight. > x dumbwaiter It’s a marvelous old thing, connecting all four levels of the house, and you’ve kept it in good condition. Much safer than carrying things up the attic stairs yourself at your age. The wheel next to the shaft moves it from one floor to another. > search the dumbwaiter Watson snuffles around the dumbwaiter, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > put something in the dumbwaiter Put what there? > enter dumbwaiter Watson noses at the dumbwaiter, but he wouldn’t really fit in it. > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. You see a rubber ball here. > get ball Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up the rubber ball. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter is here, with nothing in it. The stove is tucked away to one side. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis looks for her biscuit, realises she’s run out, and sighs. > s Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. Your body lies at the bottom of the stairs. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > u Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. > s (first attempting to open the suite door to the south) Watson noses at the suite door, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. > x door Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to examine the suite door to the south or the library door to the north? > the suite door to the south It’s currently closed and locked while Phillips searches the room. > open the suite door Watson noses at the suite door, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. > put ball under door Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to put the rubber ball under the suite door to the south, the various doors, or the library door to the north? > the suite door to the south Watson noses at the suite door, but there’s no real space under it. > n (first attempting to open the library door to the north) Watson noses at the library door, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. > x door Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to examine the suite door to the south or the library door to the north? > the library door to the north It’s currently closed and locked while Biddlecombe does her work. > bark Watson holds up the rubber ball in his mouth. He would need to drop it to do anything else with his mouth. > drop ball Watson sets the rubber ball carefully on the ground. > bark Watson lets out a loud bark that echoes through the house, then looks up at you for approval, tail wagging happily. Off in the dining room, Davis steadfastly ignores the sound. She’s investigating a murder now, and can’t be distracted by barking dogs! > bark Watson lets out a loud bark that echoes through the house, then looks up at you for approval, tail wagging happily. Off in the dining room, Davis steadfastly ignores the sound. She’s investigating a murder now, and can’t be distracted by barking dogs! > bark Watson lets out a loud bark that echoes through the house, then looks up at you for approval, tail wagging happily. Off in the dining room, Davis steadfastly ignores the sound. She’s investigating a murder now, and can’t be distracted by barking dogs! > get ball Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up the rubber ball. > w Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. Your body lies at the bottom of the stairs. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > e Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. > nw Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. A dangling cord marks the location of the trapdoor to the attic. A mattress is propped up against one wall, for lack of anywhere better to put it. > n The guest room is closed off until the repainting is finished. Who knows when that will be, now... > s Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Balcony The hallway ends with a narrow balcony, connecting your bedroom to the south with everything else to the north. The railing to the east protects you from a dizzying drop to the bottom of the stairs. Evidence from another of your past cases is displayed proudly on the wall. A dangling cord marks the location of the trapdoor to the attic. > x railing A wooden railing on the east edge keeps people from falling to their deaths. It is certainly an imposing drop...and, you must admit, not a very tall railing. > x evidence The Tempete case was an odd one: a murder committed at sea, with only a half-dozen people aboard the vessel. Murder, extortion, smuggling, and worse...all spiralling from small, very human desires for money and safety. You have the customs papers here as a sort of memento. A reminder that murder is usually an ugly, desperate act, when someone’s greed or fear becomes more important than someone else’s life, rather than any grand plot or intricate scheme. Apart from this one, you have other mementos on display in the dining room and the reception room. You like to think of it as justifiably displaying your credentials rather than boasting. > s (first attempting to open the bedroom door to the south) Watson noses at the bedroom door, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. > drop ball Watson sets the rubber ball carefully on the ground. > pull cord Watson leaps upward and catches the cord in his teeth, trying to hold onto it with all his strength. For a moment it doesn’t seem like his weight will be enough...but with a steady groan the trapdoor opens and the stairs swing downward, carrying Watson with them and depositing him with a gentle thump on the balcony. Balcony The hallway ends with a narrow balcony, connecting your bedroom to the south with everything else to the north. The railing to the east protects you from a dizzying drop to the bottom of the stairs. Evidence from another of your past cases is displayed proudly on the wall. The trapdoor to the attic is open, blocking off the passage to the north. Unfortunately, the stairs are on the other side. You see a rubber ball here. > close stairs Watson shoves his face and paws under the bottom step, rolling over onto his back and pushing with all his might. It only moves a little, but that’s enough for the mechanism to take over, and it snaps up into the ceiling. > n Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. A dangling cord marks the location of the trapdoor to the attic. A mattress is propped up against one wall, for lack of anywhere better to put it. > push mattress s Watson maneuvers the mattress carefully south, with you following behind. Balcony The hallway ends with a narrow balcony, connecting your bedroom to the south with everything else to the north. The railing to the east protects you from a dizzying drop to the bottom of the stairs. Evidence from another of your past cases is displayed proudly on the wall. A dangling cord marks the location of the trapdoor to the attic. A mattress is propped up against one wall, for lack of anywhere better to put it. You see a rubber ball here. > pull cord Watson leaps upward and catches the cord in his teeth, trying to hold onto it with all his strength. For a moment it doesn’t seem like his weight will be enough...but with a steady groan the trapdoor opens and the stairs swing downward, carrying Watson with them and depositing him with a gentle thump on the balcony. Balcony The hallway ends with a narrow balcony, connecting your bedroom to the south with everything else to the north. The railing to the east protects you from a dizzying drop to the bottom of the stairs. Evidence from another of your past cases is displayed proudly on the wall. The trapdoor to the attic is open, blocking off the passage to the north. Unfortunately, the stairs are on the other side. A mattress is propped up against one wall, for lack of anywhere better to put it. You see a rubber ball here. > x mattress Dragged out of the guest room while it’s being repainted, and left in the hallway because it’s too much of a hassle to move it anywhere else. At least while it’s propped on its edge it doesn’t get in the way too much. > close stairs Watson shoves his face and paws under the bottom step, rolling over onto his back and pushing with all his might. It only moves a little, but that’s enough for the mechanism to take over, and it snaps up into the ceiling. > lay mattress flat Watson understands the instruction to drop something, but doesn’t understand what. In particular, the word “flat” seems to be confusing him. > tip mattress Watson looks up at you with a sad little whine. He has no idea how to “tip”. > turn mattress In what direction? > turn mattress on side Watson understands the instruction to pull something, but doesn’t understand what. > pull mattress In what direction? > pull mattress flat Watson understands the instruction to pull something, but doesn’t understand what. In particular, the word “flat” seems to be confusing him. > the mattress Dragged out of the guest room while it’s being repainted, and left in the hallway because it’s too much of a hassle to move it anywhere else. At least while it’s propped on its edge it doesn’t get in the way too much. > jump on mattress Watson noses at the mattress, but he wouldn’t really fit on it. > push mattress e With a mighty heave, Watson shoves the mattress over the edge! It tumbles end-over-end in a rush of air, the corners of the fabric fluttering wildly, until it lands with a mighty whomp at the foot of the stairs. Well, at least you won’t have to look at your own corpse any more. > pull cord Watson leaps upward and catches the cord in his teeth, trying to hold onto it with all his strength. For a moment it doesn’t seem like his weight will be enough...but with a steady groan the trapdoor opens and the stairs swing downward, carrying Watson with them and depositing him with a gentle thump on the balcony. Balcony The hallway ends with a narrow balcony, connecting your bedroom to the south with everything else to the north. The railing to the east protects you from a dizzying drop to the bottom of the stairs. Evidence from another of your past cases is displayed proudly on the wall. The trapdoor to the attic is open, blocking off the passage to the north. Unfortunately, the stairs are on the other side. You see a rubber ball here. > e Watson braces himself on the edge for a moment, steeling his nerves. Then with a mighty leap, he launches himself up and over the balcony! You find yourself drifting down with him as he plummets down the stairs and lands with a whump on the mattress below. Bottom of the stairs (on the mattress) This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > u (first attempting to get off the mattress) Watson leaps off the mattress. Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. > nw Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. The trapdoor to the attic is open, the collapsible steps leading up to the south. > u Watson clambers up the attic stairs, and you drift along behind. Attic, west (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light below. The collapsible stairs lead down through the trapdoor to the rest of the house. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. Off to the northeast, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southeast, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. Your score has gone up by one point. > open shutters Watson looks up at the chains, and flops down forlornly. They’re a good eight feet above the ground, far too high for him to jump. > d Watson clambers down the attic stairs, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. The trapdoor to the attic is open, the collapsible steps leading up to the south. > torch You last saw your torch in the landing. > d Watson turns to look downward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. > se Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. > w Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > go to landing (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Evening room Really this is just another part of the sitting room, but when the house was modernised and electrified, the west half was lit up and the east half left to its natural light. So you’ve taken to calling this the evening room, a comfortable place to sit after supper when you don’t want to brave the stairs to the library. The stairs themselves end to the north, up a small step. Your chair lies toppled, no longer keeping Watson imprisoned. The high shelf now stands bereft of books. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Sitting room The big south-facing windows in this room give it the best light in the house, so you always take your breakfast and tea here. Normally it would be half-filled with your potted plants, but you took those out for Alfred to look at last week, and you haven’t had a moment to move them back in yet. The room continues west from here, while the hall leads north over a small step to the rest of the house. Your ill-conceived binocular stand is fixed in front of the bay window. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you now know it’s thoroughly failed at that. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. You see your torch here. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. > get torch Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up your torch. > go to top of stairs (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. (attempting to go south) Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Sitting room The big south-facing windows in this room give it the best light in the house, so you always take your breakfast and tea here. Normally it would be half-filled with your potted plants, but you took those out for Alfred to look at last week, and you haven’t had a moment to move them back in yet. The room continues west from here, while the hall leads north over a small step to the rest of the house. Your ill-conceived binocular stand is fixed in front of the bay window. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Evening room Really this is just another part of the sitting room, but when the house was modernised and electrified, the west half was lit up and the east half left to its natural light. So you’ve taken to calling this the evening room, a comfortable place to sit after supper when you don’t want to brave the stairs to the library. The stairs themselves end to the north, up a small step. Your chair lies toppled, no longer keeping Watson imprisoned. The high shelf now stands bereft of books. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. > nw Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. The trapdoor to the attic is open, the collapsible steps leading up to the south. > u Watson clambers up the attic stairs, and you drift along behind. Attic, west (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light below. The collapsible stairs lead down through the trapdoor to the rest of the house. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. Off to the northeast, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southeast, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. > turn on torch Watson paws at your torch, and it switches on! > l Attic, west There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the west side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? The collapsible stairs lead down through the trapdoor to the rest of the house. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. Off to the northeast, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southeast, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. > x victrola It’s well out of date nowadays, but you always liked the older sort of phonographs that are actual pieces of furniture, over the new ones that just look like square little boxes. You just don’t get a good resonance on the low notes with the new ones. And on top of that, it’s how you found that clue by playing Isn’t It Strange I Don’t Love You backwards. Though, even you have to admit that a cabinet four feet long and three feet high is a bit of a pain to fit anywhere. And thus it has found its new home up in the attic. > put torch on victrola The victrola isn’t close at hand; Watson would need to go to it first. > go to victrola Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the victrola, heading for the north side of the attic. (attempting to go northeast) Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, north There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the north side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. Your old victrola rests under the dumbwaiter. Off to the southeast, you can almost make out an organ. > put torch on victrola Watson sets your torch carefully on the victrola. > l Attic, north There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the north side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. Your old victrola rests under the dumbwaiter. On the victrola is your torch. Off to the southeast, you can almost make out an organ. > search victrola Watson snuffles around the victrola. On it he turns up your torch. > x organ Nigel thought it was a silly purchase at the time, but you’ve always had an interest in the less common sorts of musical instruments. It’s only the size of an upright piano, about five feet high, but it has quite a lot of different stops to combine. > search organ The organ isn’t close at hand; Watson would need to go to it first. > go to organ Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the organ, heading for the east side of the attic. (attempting to go southeast) Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, east (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light to the northwest. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. You can just about trace the outlines of a tall organ against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southwest, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. > nw Watson noses his way northwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, north There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the north side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. Your old victrola rests under the dumbwaiter. On the victrola is your torch. Off to the southeast, you can almost make out an organ. > get torch Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks your torch off the victrola. > sw Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, west There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the west side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? The collapsible stairs lead down through the trapdoor to the rest of the house. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. Off to the northeast, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southeast, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. > x shutters You’ve always liked large windows, but they used to turn the attic into a veritable greenhouse in the summer, so you installed heavy shutters to keep it cool while you’re away. Now you can open or close them by pulling the chain...usually with a long stick, because it hangs a good eight feet above the ground. > se Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, south There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the south side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. The grandfather clock looms just under the windows. Off to the northeast, you can almost make out an organ. > x clock It’s a trophy of sorts from one of your most notable cases. Early in the evening, Lady Meldrew locked herself in her study to read; several hours later, the servants were alarmed at her unresponsiveness and broke down the door to find her dead. The butler had rigged a canister of cyanide gas to the chimes, ensuring he’d have a perfect alibi at the time of death. It is admittedly a rather unwieldy trophy, a good seven feet tall, but you’d never part with it. > search clock Watson snuffles around the grandfather clock, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > ne Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, east There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? The door to your laboratory stands to the west. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southwest, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. > x organ Nigel thought it was a silly purchase at the time, but you’ve always had an interest in the less common sorts of musical instruments. It’s only the size of an upright piano, about five feet high, but it has quite a lot of different stops to combine. > search organ Watson snuffles around the organ, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > w (first attempting to open the laboratory door to the west) Watson tugs, but it doesn’t open from this side without a key—and that requires opposable thumbs. > nw Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, north There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the north side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. Your old victrola rests under the dumbwaiter. Off to the southeast, you can almost make out an organ. > jump on victrola Watson leaps up onto the victrola. > jump on organ Watson peers toward the organ in the east side of the attic, then whimpers nervously. He’s a great leaper and could probably cross the distance, but he can’t see it well enough in the dark to be sure of his landing. > d Watson leaps off the victrola. > go to organ Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the organ, heading for the east side of the attic. (attempting to go southeast) Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, east There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? The door to your laboratory stands to the west. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southwest, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. > jump on organ Watson can just barely get his paws up on top, but it’s a bit too tall to jump to from the ground. > put torch on organ Watson sets your torch carefully on the organ. > nw Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, north (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light to the southeast. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. You can dimly make out the shape of your old victrola, pushed back against the wall. Off to the southeast, you can clearly see an organ. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > jump on victrola Watson leaps up onto the victrola. > jump on organ Watson focuses intently on the organ, gauging the distance for a moment. Then with a mighty leap, he launches himself across the gap! Attic, east (on the organ) There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? The door to your laboratory stands to the west. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Your torch is on the organ. Off to the northwest, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southwest, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. > x shutters You’ve always liked large windows, but they used to turn the attic into a veritable greenhouse in the summer, so you installed heavy shutters to keep it cool while you’re away. Now you can open or close them by pulling the chain...usually with a long stick, because it hangs a good eight feet above the ground. > pull chair Watson understands the instruction to pull something, but doesn’t understand what. > pull chain Watson reaches for the chains, but even from the organ, they’re out of reach—a good eight feet above the ground. > get torch Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up your torch. > x clock It’s a trophy of sorts from one of your most notable cases. Early in the evening, Lady Meldrew locked herself in her study to read; several hours later, the servants were alarmed at her unresponsiveness and broke down the door to find her dead. The butler had rigged a canister of cyanide gas to the chimes, ensuring he’d have a perfect alibi at the time of death. It is admittedly a rather unwieldy trophy, a good seven feet tall, but you’d never part with it. > jump to clock Watson peers toward the grandfather clock in the south side of the attic, then whimpers nervously. He’s a great leaper and could probably cross the distance, but he can’t see it well enough in the dark to be sure of his landing. > d Watson leaps off the organ. > go to clock Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the grandfather clock, heading for the south side of the attic. (attempting to go southwest) Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, south There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the south side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. The grandfather clock looms just under the windows. Off to the northeast, you can almost make out an organ. > push clock ne Watson pushes on the grandfather clock, but can’t find a good way to maneuver it. > go to organ Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the organ, heading for the east side of the attic. (attempting to go northeast) Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, east There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? The door to your laboratory stands to the west. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southwest, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. > push organ sw Watson pushes on the organ, but can’t find a good way to maneuver it. > go to victrola Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the victrola, heading for the north side of the attic. (attempting to go northwest) Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, north There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the north side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. Your old victrola rests under the dumbwaiter. Off to the southeast, you can almost make out an organ. > push victrola se Watson pushes on the victrola, but can’t find a good way to maneuver it. > go to clock Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the grandfather clock, heading for the south side of the attic. (attempting to go southeast) Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, east There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? The door to your laboratory stands to the west. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southwest, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. (attempting to go southwest) Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, south There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the south side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. The grandfather clock looms just under the windows. Off to the northeast, you can almost make out an organ. > put torch on clock Watson stretches as best he can, but can’t reach the top of it from here. > go to victrola- Watson understands the instruction to find something, but doesn’t understand what. In particular, the word “victrola-” seems to be confusing him. > go to victrola Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the victrola, heading for the north side of the attic. (attempting to go northeast) Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, east There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? The door to your laboratory stands to the west. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southwest, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. (attempting to go northwest) Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, north There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the north side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. Your old victrola rests under the dumbwaiter. Off to the southeast, you can almost make out an organ. > x dumbwaiter It’s a marvelous old thing, connecting all four levels of the house, and you’ve kept it in good condition. Much safer than carrying things up the attic stairs yourself at your age. Of course, currently the dumbwaiter is on a different floor, so there’s only the empty shaft here. You can push or pull the wheel to change that. > push wheel The cables glide along their tracks, sending the dumbwaiter to the first floor. > push wheel The dumbwaiter rises into sight. > put torch in dumbwaiter Watson sets your torch carefully in the dumbwaiter. > l Attic, north There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the north side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. The dumbwaiter is here, with your torch in it. Your old victrola rests under the dumbwaiter. Off to the southeast, you can almost make out an organ. > jump on victrola Watson leaps up onto the victrola. > jump on organ Watson peers toward the organ in the east side of the attic, then whimpers nervously. He’s a great leaper and could probably cross the distance, but he can’t see it well enough in the dark to be sure of his landing. > get torch Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks your torch out of the dumbwaiter. > d Watson leaps off the victrola. > go to organ Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the organ, heading for the east side of the attic. (attempting to go southeast) Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, east There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? The door to your laboratory stands to the west. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southwest, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. > put torch on organ Watson sets your torch carefully on the organ. > go to victrola Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the victrola, heading for the north side of the attic. (attempting to go northwest) Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, north (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light to the southeast. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. You can dimly make out the shape of your old victrola, pushed back against the wall. Off to the southeast, you can clearly see an organ. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > jump on victrola Watson leaps up onto the victrola. > jump to organ Watson focuses intently on the organ, gauging the distance for a moment. Then with a mighty leap, he launches himself across the gap! Attic, east (on the organ) There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? The door to your laboratory stands to the west. A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Your torch is on the organ. Off to the northwest, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southwest, you can almost make out a grandfather clock. > get torch Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up your torch. > throw torch to clock Watson understands the instruction to throw something, but doesn’t understand what. > throw torch sw With a sharp flick of his head, Watson flings your torch southwestward, sending it sailing to the south side of the attic. > l Attic, east (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light to the southwest. Off to the northwest, you can almost make out a victrola. Off to the southwest, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson could probably make that leap. > jump to clock Watson focuses intently on the grandfather clock, gauging the distance for a moment. Then with a mighty leap, he launches himself across the gap! Attic, south (on the grandfather clock) There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the south side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. Outside your little circle of torchlight, who knows what might be hidden in the darkness? A faint hint of light outlines the heavy shutters blocking the window. You see your torch here. The grandfather clock looms just under the windows. Off to the northeast, you can almost make out an organ. > pull chain From his perch atop the clock, Watson stretches up and catches the chain in his mouth. With a sharp tug the shutters all around the attic snap open, and the afternoon sunlight streams in. Attic, south (on the grandfather clock) There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the south side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. You see your torch here. The grandfather clock looms just under the windows. Off to the northeast, you can clearly see an organ. Watson could probably make that leap. Your score has gone up by one point. > jump to organ Watson focuses intently on the organ, gauging the distance for a moment. Then with a mighty leap, he launches himself across the gap! Attic, east (on the organ) There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The door to your laboratory stands to the west. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson could probably make that leap. Off to the southwest, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson could probably make that leap. > d Watson leaps off the organ. > get torch Watson understands the instruction to take something, but doesn’t understand what. > go to clock Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the grandfather clock, heading for the south side of the attic. (attempting to go southwest) Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, south There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the south side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. You see your torch here. The grandfather clock looms just under the windows. Off to the northeast, you can clearly see an organ. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > get torch Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up your torch. > turn torch off Watson paws at your torch, and it switches off! > x vents The vents run through the floor of the attic, to keep heavier-than-air gasses from accumulating in your laboratory. A layer of carpet over the top then keeps people from tripping and breaking their ankles. In the sunlight, you can just barely trace the outlines. > search vents Watson snuffles around the floor vents, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > x carpet The vents run through the floor of the attic, to keep heavier-than-air gasses from accumulating in your laboratory. A layer of carpet over the top then keeps people from tripping and breaking their ankles. In the sunlight, you can just barely trace the outlines. > ne Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, east There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The door to your laboratory stands to the west. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southwest, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > x laboratory door Very secure, but for safety reasons it opens at the slightest touch from the inside. > x clutter Too many things to even list—not that that’s stopped Nigel from trying. He wants to make a proper inventory of it at some point, and that sort of fastidiousness is what he lives for. > pull carpet You kneel down and guide Watson’s nose to the right place, and he starts scratching at the carpet with furious intensity. He doesn’t get the opportunity to dig very often, and he’s determined to make the most of this moment. Soon a corner tears free, revealing the vent hidden underneath. > enter vent Watson launches himself into the floor vents, and you follow along behind. > w You can’t see Watson moving, but as he scrabbles through the vents, you find yourself pulled along to the west. Laboratory (in the floor vents) At the very center of the attic is the laboratory, where you spend your spare time tinkering with chemicals. Nigel jokes that you’re a fairy-tale witch updated to the twentieth century, but it’s been plenty of help with cases in the past—and besides, everyone needs a hobby. The door leads out to the east, thankfully easier to open from this side. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. Your box of poisons lies in the midst of the equipment, clearly labelled for safety. > x poisons There are plenty of nasty chemicals you need to work with in your laboratory, but these ones are so easily and dangerously misplaced that you keep them in a special sealed box. This is the one the constables think Nigel might have tampered with, causing you to poison yourself in your work. > e You can’t see Watson moving, but as he scrabbles through the vents, you find yourself pulled along to the east. Attic, east (in the floor vents) There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The door to your laboratory stands to the west. The carpet has been torn up to reveal the vent underneath. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southwest, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > drop torch There’s not enough room to move things around down there. > w You can’t see Watson moving, but as he scrabbles through the vents, you find yourself pulled along to the west. Laboratory (in the floor vents) At the very center of the attic is the laboratory, where you spend your spare time tinkering with chemicals. Nigel jokes that you’re a fairy-tale witch updated to the twentieth century, but it’s been plenty of help with cases in the past—and besides, everyone needs a hobby. The door leads out to the east, thankfully easier to open from this side. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. Your box of poisons lies in the midst of the equipment, clearly labelled for safety. > e You can’t see Watson moving, but as he scrabbles through the vents, you find yourself pulled along to the east. Attic, east (in the floor vents) There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The door to your laboratory stands to the west. The carpet has been torn up to reveal the vent underneath. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southwest, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > exit vent Watson leaps out of the floor vents. > drop torch Watson sets your torch carefully on the ground. > enter vent Watson launches himself into the floor vents, and you follow along behind. > w You can’t see Watson moving, but as he scrabbles through the vents, you find yourself pulled along to the west. Laboratory (in the floor vents) At the very center of the attic is the laboratory, where you spend your spare time tinkering with chemicals. Nigel jokes that you’re a fairy-tale witch updated to the twentieth century, but it’s been plenty of help with cases in the past—and besides, everyone needs a hobby. The door leads out to the east, thankfully easier to open from this side. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. Your box of poisons lies in the midst of the equipment, clearly labelled for safety. > x euqipment Watson understands the instruction to examine something, but doesn’t understand what. In particular, the word “euqipment” seems to be confusing him. > x equipment It’s probably a bit antiquated, by modern standards, but you’ve found it very serviceable. > get box A muffled bark resounds from inside the vents. He’d have to get out before he could reach the box of poisons. > exit vent Watson tries, but there’s a layer of carpet in the way. He’ll have to get through that first. > bite carpet There’s a scratching, scrabbling noise as Watson struggles to get his teeth and claws into the carpet—followed by a loud, satisfying rip. His head emerges from the floor, tongue lolling out happily. > get box A muffled bark resounds from inside the vents. He’d have to get out before he could reach the box of poisons. > exit vent Watson leaps out of the floor vents. > get box Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up the box of poisons. > e (first attempting to open the laboratory door to the east) Watson noses the laboratory door open. Watson saunters out the laboratory door, and you drift along behind. Attic, east There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The door to your laboratory stands open to the west. The carpet has been torn up to reveal the vent underneath. You see your torch here. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southwest, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > nw Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, north There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the north side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. The dumbwaiter is here, with nothing in it. Your old victrola rests under the dumbwaiter. Off to the southeast, you can clearly see an organ. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > d Watson turns to look downward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. > sw Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, west There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the west side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The collapsible stairs lead down through the trapdoor to the rest of the house. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. Off to the northeast, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southeast, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > d Watson clambers down the attic stairs, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. The trapdoor to the attic is open, the collapsible steps leading up to the south. > se Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. > d Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > n Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis pulls out another page, cross-checking it against the last. > show box to davis “What’s this now?” Watson pushes the box insistently into Davis’s hands, and she has to turn it around to read it. “Poisons? Now where on earth did you get this?” She extricates it carefully from his mouth, and opens it to see the assortment of carefully-labelled vials inside. “This would be from her laboratory, then? The nephew could have tampered with them—you,” she looks severely at Watson, “need to be more careful! It could have poisoned you too.” She seals the box again. “The fingerprints will tell us one way or another.” But you already know the answer; Nigel isn’t the sort to do a thing like that. The tests will prove him innocent. Your score has gone up by one point. > torch You last saw your torch in the east side of the attic. Davis makes her way from the reception room to the kitchen. > go to east side of attic (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. Davis makes her way from the kitchen to the dining room. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. Davis settles back into her chair and returns to work. (attempting to go northwest) Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. The trapdoor to the attic is open, the collapsible steps leading up to the south. (attempting to go up) Watson clambers up the attic stairs, and you drift along behind. Attic, west There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the west side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The collapsible stairs lead down through the trapdoor to the rest of the house. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. Off to the northeast, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southeast, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. (attempting to go northeast) Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, north There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the north side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. The dumbwaiter is here, with nothing in it. Your old victrola rests under the dumbwaiter. Off to the southeast, you can clearly see an organ. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. (attempting to go southeast) Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, east There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The door to your laboratory stands open to the west. The carpet has been torn up to reveal the vent underneath. You see your torch here. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southwest, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > get torch Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up your torch. > go to kitchen (attempting to go southwest) Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, south There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the south side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. The grandfather clock looms just under the windows. Off to the northeast, you can clearly see an organ. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. (attempting to go northwest) Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, west There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the west side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The collapsible stairs lead down through the trapdoor to the rest of the house. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. Off to the northeast, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southeast, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. (attempting to go down) Watson clambers down the attic stairs, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. The trapdoor to the attic is open, the collapsible steps leading up to the south. (attempting to go southeast) Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. > drop torch Watson sets your torch carefully on the ground. > push wheel The cables glide along their tracks, sending the dumbwaiter to the first floor. > x dumbwaiter It’s a marvelous old thing, connecting all four levels of the house, and you’ve kept it in good condition. Much safer than carrying things up the attic stairs yourself at your age. Of course, currently the dumbwaiter is on a different floor, so there’s only the empty shaft here. You can push or pull the wheel to change that. > push wheel The dumbwaiter sinks into sight. > turn on torch Watson paws at your torch, and it switches on! > put torch in dumbwaiter (first attempting to take your torch) Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up your torch. Watson sets your torch carefully in the dumbwaiter. > push wheel The dumbwaiter sinks out of sight. > go to pantry (attempting to go south) Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you now know it’s thoroughly failed at that. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in near-total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. (attempting to go northeast) Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Pantry In the torchlight, your fears are confirmed: Watson is standing in at least three inches of water. Oh, what a mess... The door to the root cellar is now visible to the south. The dumbwaiter hangs well above Watson’s head, with your torch in it. > s (first attempting to open the root cellar door to the south) Watson noses the root cellar door open. Watson saunters through the root cellar door, and you drift along behind. Root cellar (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light to the north. The door to the root cellar swings closed again. Your score has gone up by one point. > l Root cellar (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light to the north. > listen The air is still, and perfectly silent. You could hear a pin drop in the darkness. > smell Watson splashes through the water as he snuffles around, before stopping a few feet off to the east. > e Watson splashes away to the east, and you try your best to follow...until his paw hits something with a soft thump. He must have found the carrots! Depths of the root cellar (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can’t even make out any exits. From the sound of Watson’s snuffling, there’s something at your feet. > get carrots Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up the bundle of carrots. Your score has gone up by one point. > n Watson drags the bundle aimlessly through the darkness. But it’s heavy, and the going is slow; he would need to drop the bundle or have a definite heading to get anywhere. Depths of the root cellar (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can’t even make out any exits. > listen The air is still, and perfectly silent. You could hear a pin drop in the darkness. > smell Watson splashes through the water as he snuffles around, but doesn’t seem to find anything of interest. > n Watson drags the bundle aimlessly through the darkness. But it’s heavy, and the going is slow; he would need to drop the bundle or have a definite heading to get anywhere. Depths of the root cellar (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can’t even make out any exits. > go to pantry Watson looks around, trying to figure out an open path, before giving up with a sad look. Some more doors will have to be opened first. > throw carrots s Watson heaves the bundle with all his might, but it makes it barely a few inches. He picks it up again, chagrined. > drop carrots Watson sets the bundle of carrots carefully on the ground. > n Watson splashes away to the north, and you try your best to follow...until suddenly a hint of light is visible in the darkness. Root cellar (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light to the north. > n (first attempting to open the root cellar door to the north) Watson noses the root cellar door open. Watson noses his way out the root cellar door, and you drift along behind. Pantry In the torchlight, your fears are confirmed: Watson is standing in at least three inches of water. Oh, what a mess... The door to the root cellar is now visible to the south. The dumbwaiter hangs well above Watson’s head, with your torch in it. The door to the root cellar swings closed again. > go to kitchen (attempting to go southwest) Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you now know it’s thoroughly failed at that. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in near-total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis flips one of the sheets over, tapping her pen against the table. > x recorder Watson understands the instruction to examine something, but doesn’t understand what. > recorder You last saw the tape recorder in the bottom of the stairs. Davis runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. > go to bottom of stairs (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. > get take recorder Watson understands the instruction to take something, but doesn’t understand what. > get tape recorder Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the tape recorder out from behind the stack of newspapers. > go to kitchen (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis sets the last sheet aside, turning to the next. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. > push play The recorder clicks on, and a tinny voice starts to play. Some sort of testimony, from the sound of it. “...their country-place, Styles Court, had been purchased by Mr Cavendish early in their married life...” > push wheel The dumbwaiter rises into sight, bringing you your torch. “...he had been completely under his wife’s ascendancy, so much so that, on dying, he left the place to her for her lifetime...” > put recorder in dumbwaiter Watson sets the tape recorder carefully in the dumbwaiter. “...as well as the larger part of his income; an arrangement that was distinctly unfair to his two sons...” > push wheel The dumbwaiter rises out of sight. > push wehel Watson understands the instruction to push something, but doesn’t understand what. In particular, the word “wehel” seems to be confusing him. > push wheel The cables glide along their tracks, sending the dumbwaiter to the attic. > push wheel The cables glide along their tracks, sending the dumbwaiter to the first floor. > push wheel The dumbwaiter sinks into sight, bringing you a tape recorder and your torch. “...their step-mother, however, had always been most generous to them...” > push wheel The dumbwaiter sinks out of sight. > go to pantry (attempting to go south) Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you now know it’s thoroughly failed at that. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in near-total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. (attempting to go northeast) Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Pantry In the torchlight, your fears are confirmed: Watson is standing in at least three inches of water. Oh, what a mess... The door to the root cellar is now visible to the south. The dumbwaiter hangs well above Watson’s head, with a tape recorder and your torch in it. “...indeed, they were so young at the time of their father’s remarriage that they always thought of her as their own mother...” > s (first attempting to open the root cellar door to the south) Watson noses the root cellar door open. “...Lawrence, the younger, had been a delicate youth. He had qualified as a doctor...” Watson saunters through the root cellar door, and you drift along behind. Root cellar (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light to the north. The door to the root cellar swings closed again. > smell Watson splashes through the water as he snuffles around, before stopping a few feet off to the south. > s Watson splashes away to the south, and you try your best to follow...until his paw hits something with a soft thump. He must have found the carrots! Depths of the root cellar (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can’t even make out any exits. From the sound of Watson’s snuffling, there’s something at your feet. > get carrots Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up the bundle of carrots. > listen Watson is silent for a moment, listening intently, before you hear him move to the northwest. There seems to be some source of noise that way! > nw Watson splashes away to the northwest, and you try your best to follow...until suddenly a hint of light is visible in the darkness. Root cellar (in the dark) It’s pitch dark, and you can barely see a thing. You can make out light to the north. > listen In the silence of the root cellar, you can make out a faint noise to the north, and it seems Watson can too. > n (first attempting to open the root cellar door to the north) Watson noses the root cellar door open. Watson noses his way out the root cellar door, and you drift along behind. Pantry In the torchlight, your fears are confirmed: Watson is standing in at least three inches of water. Oh, what a mess... The door to the root cellar is now visible to the south. The dumbwaiter hangs well above Watson’s head, with a tape recorder and your torch in it. The door to the root cellar swings closed again. “...but early relinquished the profession of medicine, and lived at home while pursuing literary ambitions...” > go to dining room (attempting to go southwest) Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you now know it’s thoroughly failed at that. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in near-total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis pulls out another page, cross-checking it against the last. > show carrots to davis Davis looks down at Watson, and winces at the sight of water being dripped all over your rug. (Well, it can’t be helped.) It takes her a moment more to realise what exactly it’s dripping from. “The carrots!” Watson lets go obligingly as she heaves the bundle up onto the table, trying to keep it from soaking her paperwork. “Don’t know how you knew we needed these, but I’ll get them to the lab right away. Thanks, boy.” Watson sits back with a proud smile as Davis makes the arrangements, though he seems a bit sad not to be given a carrot himself for his efforts. The lab tests will take a while, but you’re confident they’ll come back clean. Lottie is innocent. Your score has gone up by one point. > go to kitchen (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. Davis makes her way from the reception room to the kitchen (where you are). > x smoke Watson understands the instruction to examine something, but doesn’t understand what. > x detector Watson understands the instruction to examine something, but doesn’t understand what. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis’s seat stands conspicuously vacant. Davis makes her way from the kitchen to the dining room (where you are). > x detector They’re all the rage now, Emily keeps insisting, and soon everyone will have them; given your reputation, she says, arson is far from impossible, and you really should be prepared for it. Thankfully, it’s never been needed yet. It’s a small device, a bit smaller than an ashtray, of an utterly hideous design. After you replaced the cells you left it on top of the cabinets where you wouldn’t have to look at it. Davis settles back into her chair and returns to work. > display cabinets You would never call yourself vain, or overly proud of your success. But you could never resist showing off a few of your best and most notable accomplishments. Right now, you have the evidence from the Disgybl Gwydion case laid out here, with some of your other cases displayed in the reception room and the upstairs balcony. Davis sets the last sheet aside, turning to the next. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis looks for her biscuit, realises she’s run out, and sighs. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis pulls out another page, cross-checking it against the last. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis sets the last sheet aside, turning to the next. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis looks for her biscuit, realises she’s run out, and sighs. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis sets the last sheet aside, turning to the next. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis looks for her biscuit, realises she’s run out, and sighs. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis pulls out another page, cross-checking it against the last. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis sets the last sheet aside, turning to the next. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis flips one of the sheets over, tapping her pen against the table. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis sets the last sheet aside, turning to the next. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis flips one of the sheets over, tapping her pen against the table. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis sets the last sheet aside, turning to the next. > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > x stove Not very big, perhaps, but it’s very easy to work with—and very easy on your old hands. All you have to do is push the knob and it lights. It’s currently off. > push knob The lighter makes a clicking sound as Watson paws at the dials, until finally he catches it just right, and the flame takes hold. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. The smoke detector, abandoned on top of the cabinets, is mercifully silent now. Davis pulls out another page, cross-checking it against the last. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis looks for her biscuit, realises she’s run out, and sighs. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis flips one of the sheets over, tapping her pen against the table. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis pulls out another page, cross-checking it against the last. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. > get smoke detector Watson stretches his body, trying to reach the smoke detector, then settles back with a sad whimper. > jump on table Watson leaps up onto the table. “Down from there! Now!” Davis gives Watson a little shove, and he hops down with a whimper. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. Davis sets the last sheet aside, turning to the next. > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side, deceptively hot. The burners on the stove continue to burn, heating nothing. > turn off stove Watson paws at the dial again, and the flame vanishes. > novel You last saw the books in the evening room. > go to evening room (attempting to go south) Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. (attempting to go south) Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Sitting room The big south-facing windows in this room give it the best light in the house, so you always take your breakfast and tea here. Normally it would be half-filled with your potted plants, but you took those out for Alfred to look at last week, and you haven’t had a moment to move them back in yet. The room continues west from here, while the hall leads north over a small step to the rest of the house. Your ill-conceived binocular stand is fixed in front of the bay window. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Evening room Really this is just another part of the sitting room, but when the house was modernised and electrified, the west half was lit up and the east half left to its natural light. So you’ve taken to calling this the evening room, a comfortable place to sit after supper when you don’t want to brave the stairs to the library. The stairs themselves end to the north, up a small step. Your chair lies toppled, no longer keeping Watson imprisoned. The high shelf now stands bereft of books. > get book Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the books out from under your comfortable chair. > go to kitchen (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Sitting room The big south-facing windows in this room give it the best light in the house, so you always take your breakfast and tea here. Normally it would be half-filled with your potted plants, but you took those out for Alfred to look at last week, and you haven’t had a moment to move them back in yet. The room continues west from here, while the hall leads north over a small step to the rest of the house. Your ill-conceived binocular stand is fixed in front of the bay window. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. > put book on stove Watson sets the books carefully on the stove. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. The smoke detector, abandoned on top of the cabinets, is mercifully silent now. Davis looks for her biscuit, realises she’s run out, and sighs. > x davis You’ve always seen promise in Davis, from when she was just starting out as a bright-eyed new recruit. But she’s got a certain earnestness you’ve never quite been able to sway her from. Now she spends most of her time taking every menial task that’s pushed onto her, thinking straightforward honesty is the best path to promotion. Eventually, something is bound to shake her enough to take some initiative of her own...or at least, that was always your hope. Davis flips one of the sheets over, tapping her pen against the table. > kiss davis Constable Davis is briefly lavished with canine affection, despite her best attempts to prevent it. Davis sets the last sheet aside, turning to the next. > kiss davis Constable Davis is briefly lavished with canine affection, despite her best attempts to prevent it. Davis flips one of the sheets over, tapping her pen against the table. > w Watson turns to look westward, then looks back to you with a puzzled whine. He doesn’t see any way to go that direction. Davis runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. On the stove are some books. > push button Watson understands the instruction to push something, but doesn’t understand what. > turn on stove The lighter makes a clicking sound as Watson paws at the dials, until finally he catches it just right, and the flame takes hold. It’s not long before the books on top start to fill the room with smoke. Really, you suppose, that’s the best you can expect from a dog’s cooking. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. The smoke detector, abandoned on top of the cabinets, is mercifully silent now. A haze of smoke clouds the air. The smoke alarm begins to shriek. As the alarm starts to blare, Davis puts aside her work with a groan. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. A haze of smoke clouds the air. The smoke alarm continues to shriek. Davis gets up from her chair. > z Watson tries as hard as he can to demonstrate patience. A haze of smoke clouds the air. The smoke alarm continues to shriek. Davis makes her way from the dining room (where you are) to the kitchen. > get smoke detector Watson stretches his body, trying to reach the smoke detector, then settles back with a sad whimper. > jump on table Watson leaps up onto the table. A haze of smoke clouds the air. The smoke alarm continues to shriek. Following the smoke to the kitchen, Davis is confronted with the horrors of the smoldering books, and immediately turns off the stove. > jump on cabinet Watson noses at the cabinets, but he wouldn’t really fit on them. A haze of smoke clouds the air. The smoke alarm continues to shriek. > get smoke alarm Balancing on his hind legs and stretching to his full length, Watson manages to knock the smoke detector down from its perch and scoop it into his mouth. A haze of smoke clouds the air. The smoke alarm continues to shriek. Davis makes her way from the kitchen to the dining room (where you are). > d Watson leaps off the table. A haze of smoke clouds the air. The smoke alarm continues to shriek. Davis settles back into her chair and returns to work. > go to top of stairs (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. The alarm falls silent, and Watson can finally relax again. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. > drop smoke detector Watson sets the smoke detector carefully on the ground. > go to kitchen (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis pulls out another page, cross-checking it against the last. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. On the stove are some books. > turn on stove The lighter makes a clicking sound as Watson paws at the dials, until finally he catches it just right, and the flame takes hold. It’s not long before the books on top start to fill the room with smoke. Really, you suppose, that’s the best you can expect from a dog’s cooking. > go to top of stairs (attempting to go west) Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. A haze of smoke clouds the air. At the telltale smell of smoke, Davis puts aside her work with a groan. (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. A haze of smoke clouds the air. Davis gets up from her chair. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. From the sound of it, Phillips is hard at work in the suite to the south. You see a smoke detector here. A haze of smoke clouds the air. The smoke alarm begins to shriek. The sound of an emergency alarm is finally enough to pull Constable Phillips away from his work. He throws open the door to the suite and launches himself down the stairs. Davis makes her way from the dining room to the kitchen. Your score has gone up by one point. > s Watson saunters through the suite door, and you drift along behind. Master suite Such a grand name for what amounts to five feet of hallway-slash-closet, connecting your bedroom to the west to your bathroom to the northeast. The door to the north leads out to the rest of the house. Your racks of clothes stand in disarray, methodically ransacked by the constables. A haze of smoke clouds the air. In the top of the stairs, the smoke alarm continues to shriek. Phillips hurries through the dining room to the kitchen. Following the smoke to the kitchen, Davis is confronted with the horrors of the smoldering books, and immediately turns off the stove. > x clothes What could the constables have been searching for in here? You keep your medicines locked in the bathroom, and the keys on the nightstand in your bedroom. In the top of the stairs, the smoke alarm continues to shriek. Phillips sprints out to the veranda, finally pausing to see if the alarm continues. > think You currently have 13 points out of a maximum of 18, in 596 turns. You’ve earned points for: - Finding a way to interact with the world - Escaping the armchair - Proving it was murder - Gaining access to the gardens - Identifying the green roses - Exculpating your gardener Alfred - Gaining access to the attic - Opening the attic windows - Exculpating your nephew Nigel - Gaining access to the root cellar - Finding the carrots - Exculpating your friend Charlotte - Gaining access to your bedroom suite Right now, you need to: - Open the locked medicine cabinet > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Bedroom As your age advances, the little luxuries of your bedroom have suffered for it. Even with Emily’s help, you’ve had to recognise the difficulties in day-to-day life, and the room is now designed around being cared for rather than comfortable. The suite opens out to the east, and a door to the north leads out to the rest of the house. Your bed stands in equal disarray. You’d given no thought to tidying it up. The nightstand is placed next to the head of the bed, entirely devoid of keys. The alarm falls silent, and Watson can finally relax again. Phillips heads off to investigate this false alarm. Davis makes her way from the kitchen to the dining room. > x bed Not quite as soft as you would like it, sadly; at your age, getting into and out of it easily has become more of a priority. Now the mattress is too firm and there’s an unattractively large gap underneath. Davis settles back into her chair and returns to work. > look under bed Watson snuffles around under your bed and turns up a truncheon. He looks up at you proudly. > x truncheon You got this from the constables, at Emily’s insistence; she maintains that someone you exposed will eventually want revenge, and having a weapon on hand will make them think twice about coming into your house. She means well, but she’s never quite understood how these things actually happen—you have no idea how to use something like this effectively, and a person bent on murder won’t be dissuaded by it. > search bed Watson snuffles around your bed. Under it he turns up a truncheon. > x nightstand Functional. That’s about all there is to say. > search nightstand Watson snuffles around the nightstand, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Master suite Such a grand name for what amounts to five feet of hallway-slash-closet, connecting your bedroom to the west to your bathroom to the northeast. The door to the north leads out to the rest of the house. Your racks of clothes stand in disarray, methodically ransacked by the constables. > ne Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Bathroom Watson is far more excited about this room than you are—it’s normally off-limits to him, and the sink, bath, and toilet are all mysterious and new. The only exit leads back southwest. You keep your medicines in a mirrored cabinet to one side. > x sink Simple and functional, and unlikely to be much help with this case. > x bath Simple and functional, and unlikely to be much help with this case. > x toilet Simple and functional, and unlikely to be much help with this case. > x cabinet More a functional piece of furniture than a beautiful one, it works as both a full-length mirror and a place to keep your medicines and toiletries. You don’t normally lock it, though; what would be the point, in your own bathroom? You only wish it could be set into the wall, instead of free-standing. The baseboards keep it from standing quite flush, leaving an inch or so of space behind it, and you can see a glint of something caught back there. > look behind cabinet Watson snuffles around behind the standing mirror and turns up an earring. He looks up at you proudly. > get earring Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the earring out from behind the standing mirror. > x earring It looks like one of your earrings—you’d been wondering where that went! > drop earring Watson sets the earring carefully on the ground. > l Bathroom Watson is far more excited about this room than you are—it’s normally off-limits to him, and the sink, bath, and toilet are all mysterious and new. The only exit leads back southwest. You see an earring here. You keep your medicines in a mirrored cabinet to one side. > open cabinet Watson gives it a tug, but it doesn’t open. That’s odd; why would it be locked? > push cabinet Watson pushes it hard, and it wobbles a bit, but he doesn’t quite have enough leverage to make it fall. > jump on sink Watson noses at the sink, but he wouldn’t really fit on it. > jump on cabinet Watson noses at the standing mirror, but he wouldn’t really fit on it. > bite cabinet Watson gives the mirror a mighty whap, but it doesn’t crack. > enter bath Watson launches himself into the bath, and you follow along behind. > turn it on Watson paws at the bath, and it switches on! Water pours from the bathtub faucet, thoroughly soaking Watson’s fur. > turn off bath Watson paws at the bath, and it switches off! > go to cabinet Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to find the cabinets, the standing mirror, or the victrola? > x mirror More a functional piece of furniture than a beautiful one, it works as both a full-length mirror and a place to keep your medicines and toiletries. You don’t normally lock it, though; what would be the point, in your own bathroom? The baseboards keep it from sitting quite flush against the wall, leaving an inch or so of space behind it. > knock over cabinet Watson looks up at you with a sad little whine. He has no idea how to “knock”. > pull mirror over Watson understands the instruction to pull something, but doesn’t understand what. > push mirror Watson pushes it hard, and it wobbles a bit, but he doesn’t quite have enough leverage to make it fall. > go to bedroom Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to: 1. go to your bedroom, or 2. find the bedroom door? > 1 (attempting to go southwest) (first attempting to get out of the bath) Watson leaps out of the bath. Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Master suite Such a grand name for what amounts to five feet of hallway-slash-closet, connecting your bedroom to the west to your bathroom to the northeast. The door to the north leads out to the rest of the house. Your racks of clothes stand in disarray, methodically ransacked by the constables. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Bedroom As your age advances, the little luxuries of your bedroom have suffered for it. Even with Emily’s help, you’ve had to recognise the difficulties in day-to-day life, and the room is now designed around being cared for rather than comfortable. The suite opens out to the east, and a door to the north leads out to the rest of the house. Your bed stands in equal disarray. You’d given no thought to tidying it up. The nightstand is placed next to the head of the bed, entirely devoid of keys. > get truncheon Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the truncheon out from under your bed. > go to mirror Watson leaps up and sprints off in hot pursuit of the standing mirror, heading for the bathroom. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Master suite Such a grand name for what amounts to five feet of hallway-slash-closet, connecting your bedroom to the west to your bathroom to the northeast. The door to the north leads out to the rest of the house. Your racks of clothes stand in disarray, methodically ransacked by the constables. (attempting to go northeast) Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Bathroom Watson is far more excited about this room than you are—it’s normally off-limits to him, and the sink, bath, and toilet are all mysterious and new. The only exit leads back southwest. You see an earring here. You keep your medicines in a mirrored cabinet to one side. > put truncheon behind mirror Watson manages to work the handle end into the little gap behind the cabinet, leaving it sticking out at an odd angle. > push truncheon Watson gives the truncheon a vigorous tug, and for a moment, it seems like nothing will happen. But he tugs again, and the cabinet wavers—and slowly begins to topple forward! He darts out of the way as the whole cabinet comes crashing down, the mirror shattering into hundreds of pieces on the tiles. Your medicine box now lies amid the wreckage. Your score has gone up by one point. > get medicine box Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the medicine chest out of the shattered mirror. > open medicine chest Watson noses at the medicine chest, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. > go to kitchen (attempting to go southwest) Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Master suite Such a grand name for what amounts to five feet of hallway-slash-closet, connecting your bedroom to the west to your bathroom to the northeast. The door to the north leads out to the rest of the house. Your racks of clothes stand in disarray, methodically ransacked by the constables. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters out the suite door, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. You see a smoke detector here. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis flips one of the sheets over, tapping her pen against the table. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. On the stove are some books. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. > show chest to davis Davis looks blankly at the box, not understanding its significance. It seems you’ll have to spell it out for her, and show her the actual medications inside. Davis looks for her biscuit, realises she’s run out, and sighs. > x chest You keep your various medicines locked in a little frosted-glass box, just in case anyone tries to tamper with them—you’ve seen the effects of that sort of thing far too often in your work. The key should be on your nightstand, just like the key to the cabinet. Davis sets the last sheet aside, turning to the next. > drop chest Watson sets the medicine chest carefully on the ground. Davis runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. > go to bedroom Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to: 1. go to your bedroom, or 2. find the bedroom door? > 1 (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. You see a smoke detector here. (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the suite door, and you drift along behind. Master suite Such a grand name for what amounts to five feet of hallway-slash-closet, connecting your bedroom to the west to your bathroom to the northeast. The door to the north leads out to the rest of the house. Your racks of clothes stand in disarray, methodically ransacked by the constables. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Bedroom As your age advances, the little luxuries of your bedroom have suffered for it. Even with Emily’s help, you’ve had to recognise the difficulties in day-to-day life, and the room is now designed around being cared for rather than comfortable. The suite opens out to the east, and a door to the north leads out to the rest of the house. Your bed stands in equal disarray. You’d given no thought to tidying it up. The nightstand is placed next to the head of the bed, entirely devoid of keys. > x nightstand Functional. That’s about all there is to say. > look under nightstand Watson snuffles around under the nightstand, but turns up nothing. > search nightstand Watson snuffles around the nightstand, but he doesn’t turn up anything of interest. > e Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Master suite Such a grand name for what amounts to five feet of hallway-slash-closet, connecting your bedroom to the west to your bathroom to the northeast. The door to the north leads out to the rest of the house. Your racks of clothes stand in disarray, methodically ransacked by the constables. Watson’s fur seems to have finally dried out. > n Watson saunters out the suite door, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. You see a smoke detector here. > n (first attempting to open the library door to the north) Watson noses at the library door, but it doesn’t open. It seems to be locked. > go to kitchen (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. You see a medicine chest here. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis flips one of the sheets over, tapping her pen against the table. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. On the stove are some books. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. You see a medicine chest here. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis looks for her biscuit, realises she’s run out, and sighs. > bite chest Watson is certainly strong enough to shatter the glass between his jaws, but the thought of all those splinters in his mouth—oh, you can’t bear to contemplate it. Davis sets the last sheet aside, turning to the next. > get chest Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up the medicine chest. Davis looks for her biscuit, realises she’s run out, and sighs. > go to attic Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to: 1. go to the west side of the attic, 2. go to the north side of the attic, 3. go to the south side of the attic, 4. go to the east side of the attic, 5. find the attic windows, or 6. find the attic stairs? > 1 (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. You see a smoke detector here. (attempting to go northwest) Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. The trapdoor to the attic is open, the collapsible steps leading up to the south. (attempting to go up) Watson clambers up the attic stairs, and you drift along behind. Attic, west There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the west side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The collapsible stairs lead down through the trapdoor to the rest of the house. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. Off to the northeast, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southeast, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > jump on victrola Watson focuses intently on the victrola, gauging the distance for a moment. Then with a mighty leap, he launches himself across the gap! Attic, north (on the victrola) There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the north side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. Your old victrola rests under the dumbwaiter. Off to the southeast, you can clearly see an organ. Watson could probably make that leap. > jump to organ Watson focuses intently on the organ, gauging the distance for a moment. Then with a mighty leap, he launches himself across the gap! Attic, east (on the organ) There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The door to your laboratory stands open to the west. The carpet has been torn up to reveal the vent underneath. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson could probably make that leap. Off to the southwest, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson could probably make that leap. > jump to clock Watson focuses intently on the grandfather clock, gauging the distance for a moment. Then with a mighty leap, he launches himself across the gap! Attic, south (on the grandfather clock) There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the south side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. The grandfather clock looms just under the windows. Off to the northeast, you can clearly see an organ. Watson could probably make that leap. > throw chest In which direction? > throw chest s Watson looks southward, then looks back at you, puzzled. He could toss something that way, but if it wouldn’t make for a good chase and fetch, what’s the point? > drop chest Watson sets the medicine chest carefully on the grandfather clock. > get chest Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up the medicine chest. > throw chest e With a sharp flick of his head, Watson flings the medicine chest northeastward, sending it sailing to the east side of the attic. It hits the ground with an awful, crystalline crack. > d Watson leaps off the grandfather clock. > x chest Watson understands the instruction to examine something, but doesn’t understand what. > l Attic, south There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the south side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. The grandfather clock looms just under the windows. Off to the northeast, you can clearly see an organ. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > ne Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Attic, east There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the east side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The door to your laboratory stands open to the west. The carpet has been torn up to reveal the vent underneath. You see a broken medicine chest here. A reed organ is positioned against the inner wall. Off to the northwest, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southwest, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. > x chest You keep your various medicines locked in a little frosted-glass box, just in case anyone tries to tamper with them—you’ve seen the effects of that sort of thing far too often in your work. After that fall, it’s not securing anything any more. Your pill box is hidden inside. > x pill box Emily fills it with a week’s worth of pills at a time, portioned out by day, so you can never forget whether you’ve taken them or not. You’ve never really been the forgetful sort, but you appreciate the gesture all the same—and now, it can demonstrate that she never tampered with them. > get pill box Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the pill box out of the broken medicine chest. > go to kitchen (attempting to go southwest) Watson saunters southwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, south There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the south side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. The grandfather clock looms just under the windows. Off to the northeast, you can clearly see an organ. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. (attempting to go northwest) Watson saunters northwest, and you drift along behind. Attic, west There are only two real rooms in the attic: the laboratory, in the center, and everything else, forming a huge ring around it. This is the west side of that ring, packed to the gills with the clutter of a life well lived. The collapsible stairs lead down through the trapdoor to the rest of the house. In the afternoon sunlight, you can just barely trace the outline of the vents under the carpet. Off to the northeast, you can clearly see a victrola. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. Off to the southeast, you can clearly see a grandfather clock. Watson might be able to leap to it, from the right starting point. (attempting to go down) Watson clambers down the attic stairs, and you drift along behind. Upstairs hall The hall runs alongside the staircase here before bending sharply at the end, with a little balcony to the south overlooking the first floor. The top of the stairs is back to the southeast, and the guest room will be to the north—once it’s been properly repainted and made livable, at least. The trapdoor to the attic is open, the collapsible steps leading up to the south. (attempting to go southeast) Watson saunters southeast, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. You see a smoke detector here. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis pulls out another page, cross-checking it against the last. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. On the stove are some books. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis runs her hands through her hair with a sigh. > show box to davis Watson has to nudge Davis’s hand a few times with the pill box before she hears it rattling. “What’s this? Is this—are these the pills Phillips was turning the bedroom upside down for?” She actually laughs as he drops it in her hand. “How did you find these before he did? Such a good dog!” She opens the box and counts out the remaining pills. “I’ll get these down to the lab, and they’ll know if anyone tampered with them.” They didn’t, of course; Emily is the only one to have the opportunity, and she’s too diligent to make that mistake. But this will confirm it, and rule her out once and for all. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Some time later, Davis is back in the dining room, going over the files. “This doesn’t make sense. There were only four people with a motive and an opportunity...but no evidence pointing toward any of them. How else could it ’ave happened?” She looks down at Watson, as if he’s going to have an answer for her, then stands. “I’m getting the other two. We need a new direction.” Biddlecombe is promptly summoned down from the library, and Phillips from wherever he’s gotten off to; soon all three of them are huddled together around the table, comparing notes. Your score has gone up by one point. > go to top of stairs (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. You see a smoke detector here. > n Watson saunters through the library door, and you drift along behind. Library Nobody else ever likes this room. They say the carpets and the drapes clash horribly with the bookshelves, and they can never find what they’re looking for. But that really doesn’t matter; it’s a place for you to work, study, and read, and to your eyes, the colours are perfectly fine. The only door leads back to the south. The dumbwaiter used to run through here, but you covered over the shaft when you turned the room into a library. There was just too much risk of something spilling out. > x carpets Apparently they’re an odd mixture of purple, orange, and red that clashes horribly with the shelves, but to you, they go together very well. > x drapes Apparently they’re an odd mixture of purple, orange, and red that clashes horribly with the shelves, but to you, they go together very well. > x bookshelves The shelves line every wall, leaving no real place to work—your desk, after all, is hidden in the niche behind them. All you have to do now is open it. > x desk Watson understands the instruction to examine something, but doesn’t understand what. > open desk Watson understands the instruction to open something, but doesn’t understand what. > look behind bookshelves Watson snuffles around behind the bookshelves, but turns up nothing. > open bookshelves It’s very simple, if you know the trick. You direct Watson to pull one particular book off the shelf, then a second, then a third—and as the last one falls, the cases swing silently outward to reveal your desk in the niche behind them. It’s still covered with those ledgers and files from last week; you kept meaning to get back to that investigation... > x desk It is, perhaps, not truly necessary to hide your desk behind a bookcase. But when you came across a mechanism like this in one of your investigations, you simply couldn’t resist. Now your workspace is tucked away behind the shelves when it’s not being used. > ledgers and files Dozens of records and ledgers from the constabulary are laid out here, carefully arranged so you can compare them side by side. This isn’t the sort of business you normally do, but the Inspector had remarked a few weeks back that their auditors couldn’t make heads nor tails of the discrepancies, and you thought it might be linked to something deeper. Really, you started to regret it by the third page, which is why you left it sitting here for a week and a half. But being murdered does tend to lend some urgency to things. You settle yourself over the desk and direct Watson how to push the papers around, letting you look for the patterns you need. It’s tedious work, but you don’t seem to grow tired the way you used to. None of these discrepancies make sense. Their bookkeeping isn’t just atrocious: it seems designed to be as confusing as possible. But the only person with the authority to cause that sort of snarl... ...would be the Inspector himself. Your score has gone up by one point. > get files Oh, there are far too many for Watson to hold. > push files But that would just make even more of a mess! > go to kitchen (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the library door, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. You see a smoke detector here. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis is hurriedly gathering up the most important files. “I have to get this all in order—the Inspector is on his way!” She spares Watson a quick, apologetic glance, then hurries out of the room. So Hughes is coming. He’ll never let the other constables see the evidence now. But this isn’t time to panic; it’s time to act. You know exactly where he’s going to be: in the library, destroying the ledgers. You have a chance. Push him hard enough and he’ll slip—and give you the evidence you need for a conviction. > recorder You last saw the tape recorder in the pantry. > go to pantry (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. On the stove are some books. (attempting to go south) Watson saunters south, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you now know it’s thoroughly failed at that. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in near-total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. (attempting to go northeast) Watson saunters northeast, and you drift along behind. Pantry In the torchlight, your fears are confirmed: Watson is standing in at least three inches of water. Oh, what a mess... The door to the root cellar is now visible to the south. The dumbwaiter hangs well above Watson’s head, with a tape recorder and your torch in it. “...though his verses never had any marked success...” > get tape recorder Watson stretches his body, trying to reach the tape recorder, then settles back with a sad whimper. > push wheel The dumbwaiter rises out of sight. > go to kitchen (attempting to go southwest) Watson noses his way southwest, and you drift along behind. Landing The stairs turn around sharply here at a little wooden landing, just a foot or so above the ground. The pump here is supposed to keep your cellar from flooding, but with the electricity out, you now know it’s thoroughly failed at that. The cellar proper is down to the northeast, in total darkness without the light from the hall windows, or you can go back up to the east. That photo album Lottie brought has been set in the corner for when she comes back. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the cellar stairs, and you drift along behind. Hall This narrow hallway is right at the centre of the house, linking the sitting room to the south to the kitchen to the north. To the west, dark stairs lead down to the cellar, and to the east used to be a closet until you had it turned into a tiny little lavatory. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters north, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter is here, with a tape recorder and your torch in it. The stove is tucked away to one side. On the stove are some books. “...John practised for some time as a barrister, but had finally settled down to the more congenial life of a country squire...” > get recorder Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the tape recorder out of the dumbwaiter. “...he had married two years ago, and had taken his wife to live at Styles...” > push stop Watson understands the instruction to push something, but doesn’t understand what. > turn tape recorder off The recorder clicks off. > go to library Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to: 1. go to the library, or 2. find the library door? > 1 (attempting to go west) Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis’s seat stands conspicuously vacant. (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. You see a smoke detector here. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the library door, and you drift along behind. Library Nobody else ever likes this room. They say the carpets and the drapes clash horribly with the bookshelves, and they can never find what they’re looking for. But that really doesn’t matter; it’s a place for you to work, study, and read, and to your eyes, the colours are perfectly fine. The only door leads back to the south. Your desk is now visible behind the secret door, covered with various ledgers and files. The dumbwaiter used to run through here, but you covered over the shaft when you turned the room into a library. There was just too much risk of something spilling out. > shaft You can still push or pull the wheel to send it to a different floor, but there’s no way to access it from here. > go to kitchen (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the library door, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. You see a smoke detector here. (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis’s seat stands conspicuously vacant. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. The dumbwaiter is here, with your torch in it. The stove is tucked away to one side. On the stove are some books. > drop recorder Watson sets the tape recorder carefully on the ground. > get torch Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks your torch out of the dumbwaiter. > drop torch Watson sets your torch carefully on the ground. > get recorder Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up the tape recorder. > put recorder in dumbwaiter Watson sets the tape recorder carefully in the dumbwaiter. > get tape recorder Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the tape recorder out of the dumbwaiter. > push record The recorder clicks on, and begins to record. > put recorder in dumbwaiter Watson sets the tape recorder carefully in the dumbwaiter. > push wheel The dumbwaiter rises out of sight. Your score has gone up by one point. > get torch Watson opens his mouth and carefully scoops up your torch. > drop torch Watson sets your torch carefully on the ground. > go to library Watson thumps his tail, about to spring into action. Did you want him to: 1. go to the library, or 2. find the library door? > 1 (attempting to go west) Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis’s seat stands conspicuously vacant. (attempting to go south) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. (attempting to go east) Watson saunters up the stairs, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. You see a smoke detector here. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the library door, and you drift along behind. Library Nobody else ever likes this room. They say the carpets and the drapes clash horribly with the bookshelves, and they can never find what they’re looking for. But that really doesn’t matter; it’s a place for you to work, study, and read, and to your eyes, the colours are perfectly fine. The only door leads back to the south. Your desk is now visible behind the secret door, covered with various ledgers and files. The dumbwaiter used to run through here, but you covered over the shaft when you turned the room into a library. There was just too much risk of something spilling out. Barely a moment later the door slams open and Inspector Hughes strides in, his bulky frame wrapped in an enormous overcoat. “None of the suspects, she says. All four of the theories ruled out. Have to look deeper. And Biddlecombe doesn’t find a single bloody thing. It’s time to take care of this myself.” > s But you can’t leave now—this is your last chance before Hughes destroys the evidence! “Now, what have we here?” Hughes sets his briefcase on the desk. > watson Watson is a wonderfully intelligent collie, and he’s been oh so much help in your past investigations. You’ve trained him quite well, if you do say so yourself. “Oh ho...” He runs his fingers over the outline of the secret door. “That clever old bird.” > dance Watson spins around in a circle, chasing his own tail, then looks up at you for approval. Hughes thumbs through the ledgers. Hughes is already annoyed, and he’s always hated Watson. Maybe you can make him angry enough to let something slip! > speak Positioning himself right behind Hughes’s work, Watson waits for the perfect moment to let out a thunderous bark. The Inspector jumps, clenching his hand so hard on a pen that it snaps in half. “Shoo! Get out of here! Go!” With a hiss of displeasure, Hughes turns back to the desk. > speak Hughes grits his teeth and ignores the sound. Hughes flips through another ledger, grumbling under his breath. > kiss hughes Watson needs very little encouragement to throw himself upon the Inspector, lavishing him with distinctly unwanted canine affection. Hughes tries his hardest to push him away, but Watson is undeterred, and by the time the Inspector fights free his face and hands are thoroughly wet. “Wretched mutt! You’re as bad as she was!” Hughes visibly composes himself for a moment before going back to his task. > kiss inspector hughes “No! Off!” Hughes slaps Watson’s mouth away. Hughes throws a book aside with far too much force. > show something to inspector hughes Show him what? > watson Watson seems distinctly confused about how to do that to himself. Hughes lets out a low growl of frustration as he searches. > bite inspector hughes You’ve trained Watson well not to get aggressive with people, but he’s smart enough to understand the anger behind that command—he leaps at the Inspector with a growl, teeth bared to bite! Hughes does his best to fend him off, but his Inverness coat now has some dramatic new tears. “ENOUGH!” Hughes whirls on Watson, rage burning on his face. “You confounded beast! I had it all arranged! There was no evidence to be found! We’d file it as an accident and close the case, or send Davis and Phillips on a snipe hunt until the case went cold! But you, you had to get in my way at every single turn!” He snatches up a stack of papers and starts to shred them between his hands. “But it’s not enough. This was the last evidence of the motive, and without it, they’ll never even begin to investigate. This house is going up for auction, and you’re going to the pound!” He aims a petty kick at Watson as he flings the door open and storms out of the room. Your score has gone up by one point. > s Watson saunters through the library door, and you drift along behind. Top of the stairs The afternoon light coming through the big windows makes the first floor look so cheerful and pleasant, and not at all like the place someone fell to her death just last night. It’s better that way; you’ve never wanted this house to look dreary by any stretch of the imagination. Identical doors lead north and south to your library and master suite, respectively; the hallway continues to the northwest, and the stairs lead back down to the west. You see a smoke detector here. You can hear the Inspector storming out, almost bowling over Constable Davis in the process. She tries in vain to apologise as he slams the front door behind him. > go to kitchen (attempting to go west) Watson saunters down the stairs, and you drift along behind. Bottom of the stairs This was once the front room of your house, before you sealed off the door here and built the larger front room on the other side. Now it just serves as a little hallway connecting the evening room to the south to the dining room to the north. The stairs to the east lead up to the first floor. A mattress lies at the bottom of the stairs, where you fell. A big grate is set into the floor under the stairs. Your telephone hangs in its niche on the north wall. Various old newspapers are stacked in the corner. Davis makes her way from the reception room to the kitchen. (attempting to go north) Watson saunters through the shredded police tape, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis’s seat stands conspicuously vacant. Davis makes her way from the kitchen to the dining room (where you are). (attempting to go east) Watson saunters east, and you drift along behind. Kitchen Your kitchen isn’t spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but you’ve always found it cozy rather than cramped. A big door leads west to the dining room, and a smaller one leads southeast to your new reception room; the rest of the house is back to the south. You see your torch here. The dumbwaiter shaft is set into the north wall. The stove is tucked away to one side. On the stove are some books. Davis settles back into her chair and returns to work. > push button Watson understands the instruction to push something, but doesn’t understand what. > push wheel The dumbwaiter sinks into sight, bringing you a tape recorder. > get recorder Watson opens his mouth and carefully plucks the tape recorder out of the dumbwaiter. > show recorder to davis Watson understands the instruction to show the tape recorder to someone, but doesn’t understand who. > w Watson saunters west, and you drift along behind. Dining room This is the proper place to share a meal with someone, with plenty of windows, a big table, and a lovely chandelier. Display cabinets along the walls show off some of your favourite curiosities from your long career; doors lead east to the kitchen and south to the rest of the house. Constable Davis herself sits in one of your chairs, hard at work. Her paperwork covers the table. Davis pulls out another page, cross-checking it against the last. > show recorder to davis “Hm? What’s’at?” Davis sounds exhausted as she looks down at the recorder. “Ah, you found this for us. Thanks, dog.” She checks the tape, then rewinds it and taps ‘play’. There’s a minute of muffled silence, the sounds of someone rifling around in the library, and Davis frowns. But then Hughes’s voice comes through loud and clear. I had it all arranged! There was no evidence to be found! We’d file it as an accident and close the case, or send Davis and Phillips on a snipe hunt until the case went cold! The recorder falls from the constable’s hand with a crash. “Inspector Hughes? He—why—” Watson sits back on his haunches, panting happily as Davis grabs the recorder and sprints off. Finally taking her own initiative, for once in her life; you wish you could tell her you were proud. She’s the sort who will dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s, and with a confession like that, Hughes has no way to wiggle out of it. The front door slams, and you’re left alone in the silence. Davis will get the credit, of course, but you don’t mind that; you’ve had plenty of glory in your time. Someone else can get the accolades for solving your own murder. And Nigel will take good care of Watson; your will is explicit on that point. The real question is—what comes next for you? *** The End *** You scored 18 points out of 18. Would you like to: UNDO the last move, RESTORE a saved position, see your SCORE, or RESTART from the beginning? > score You currently have 18 points out of a maximum of 18, in 751 turns. You’ve earned points for: - Finding a way to interact with the world - Escaping the armchair - Proving it was murder - Gaining access to the gardens - Identifying the green roses - Exculpating your gardener Alfred - Gaining access to the attic - Opening the attic windows - Exculpating your nephew Nigel - Gaining access to the root cellar - Finding the carrots - Exculpating your friend Charlotte - Gaining access to your bedroom suite - Opening the medicine cabinet - Exculpating your companion Emily - Discovering the real identity of the murderer - Hiding a tape recorder - Recording Hughes’s confession Your work here is finished. Would you like to: UNDO the last move, RESTORE a saved position, see your SCORE, or RESTART from the beginning? >