Start of a transcript of Lovely Assistant: Magical Girl An Interactive Fiction by Bitter Karella Release 1 / Serial number 201011 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib 6/12N) Identification number: //AF372C8C-8A9E-40EA-A548-27B9FA87A04A// Interpreter version 1.3.5 / VM 3.1.2 / Library serial number 080126 Standard Rules version 3/120430 by Graham Nelson >* "ocassional" is a typo That's not a verb I recognise. >help Quick Help Objects: Try LOOK AT..., SPEAK TO..., TAKE..., DROP..., OPEN..., GIVE... TO..., USE... ON/WITH... Talk to: Most characters in the game will have something to say, useful or not. Inventory: See which items you are carrying by typing I, INV or INVENTORY. Moving around: Press the compass buttons, or type GO NORTH, SOUTH, E, GO TO... Hints: To get hints, talk to the crystal ball in your bedroom. You can ask the crystal ball about various topics by using the command ASK CRYSTAL BALL ABOUT XX. Lovely assistant understand many verbs, but the game can be finished using only the following commands: Look at, Take, Talk to, Turn, Ask XX about XX, Saw XX with XX, Put XX in XX, Disassemble, Open, Answer, Turn on, Turn off, Extend, Go through, Pull XX from XX, Hold XX over XX, Hold XX on XX, Rub XX on XX, Give XX to XX, Unlock XX with XX, Cut XX with XX, Tie XX to XX, Climb, Climb down, Tap XX with XX, Hit XX with XX, Shoot XX with XX, Drill XX with XX, Pour XX in XX, Solder XX with XX A BIG Special thanks to Brian "Mathbrush" Rushton for bug-zapping, house cleaning, general fixing-upping and invaluable support!! >l Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. Mugwort the magician is standing dashingly near his desk. The mechanical dove is flying through the air. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. >x me It's you, Trixie, Mugwort's lovely assistant. It's your job to do all the heavy lifting of distracting the audience so that Mugwort can dazzle the rubes with sleight of hand parlour tricks. Of course, with your golden blonde hair cascading over your shoulders like a shimmering waterfall, your full red lips so often coyly pursed into a tantalizing pout, and your ample bosom encased in a sheer sequined gown, distracting audiences is no challenge for you. >* "intimate" used twice is first sentence of description, "mantelpiece" a typo You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >* "standing dashingly" is a good joke That's not a verb I recognise. >* how do we distract the straight ladies and the gay men? That's not a verb I recognise. >l Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. Mugwort the magician is standing dashingly near his desk. The mechanical dove is flying through the air. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. >x mugwort Mugwort the Magician is a husky man with a pencil-thin mustache and slicked-back black hair; he wears a tuxedo with a cape and top hat, perfect for a night on the town or a magic performance. Mugwort is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost magicians and a highly competent superhero in the realm of prestidigitation. >x tuxedo It's a formal black tuxedo draped over the arm of the chair; Mugwort wears outfits like this during his stage performance. A red handkerchief protrudes from the breast pocket. >x mugwort's tuxedo You can't see any such thing. >l Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. Mugwort the magician is standing dashingly near his desk. The mechanical dove is flying through the air. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. >x handkerchief It's a red handkerchief. Looks perfectly ordinary. >i You are carrying: a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >x gown The plunging neckline shows off your breasts and the shiny sequins draw attention to your curves elsewhere. >x dove It's a crude wind-up toy, little more than a plywood airplane painted to look like a dove, though it's good at fooling audiences who don't get a close look at it. It's currently buzzing around the room in circles. >take dove "Gotcha!" you say as you snatch the dove out of the air. A tiny key falls out of it and into your hand. Your thoughts are interrupted by the telephone ringing. >talk to mugwort "Well Trixie," says Mugwort with air of great satisfaction. "I think we've practiced this routine to perfection. I should think that, with our talents combined, we should be able to fool even the greatest trickster, the Norse god Loki himself!" "Ah ha, golly Mugwort, ya think?" You pause to fix your golden blonde hair and smooth the gauzy material of your distractingly lowcut evening gown. Mugwort chuckles. "Yes, but...we must never let our guard down. As the world's greatest magic act, we must always be vigilant, both to ensure that we never leave an audience less than dazzled and that we never let down our guard against the dark designs of that dastardly deviant The Ringmaster... not to mention other lesser villains from our delightful thematic rogue's gallery!" >l Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. Mugwort the magician is standing dashingly near his desk. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. You can also see a ringing telephone here. >x key It's a tiny copper key. >x dove It's a crude wind-up toy, little more than a plywood airplane painted to look like a dove, though it's good at fooling audiences who don't get a close look at it. >put key in dove That can't contain things. >w (first opening the maw door) You shouldn't leave just yet; you're in the middle of an act! >l Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. Mugwort the magician is standing dashingly near his desk. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. You can also see a ringing telephone here. >* maw door? That's not a verb I recognise. >x door The door is painted to look like a medieval hellmouth, a large mural of a grinning demonic mouth chomping sinners between its teeth. >* eek That's not a verb I recognise. >x portraits Eh. Mugwort is quite proud of his illustrious ancestors, each of whom -- to hear him tell it -- played some major, pivotal role in the development of the art of stage magic, but you couldn't care less about history. They tried to make you learn it in school but it was just SO BORING. >x mantelpiece You can't see any such thing. >x mantlepiece You can't see any such thing. >x fireplace It looks like it's made of marble, but you know it's just a faux finish. >x photos The photos are all victory trophies, snapshots taken of you and Mugwort posing with the superhero team The Guardians of the Globe after foiling some villain or another's plot. When you're not busy performing mind-blowing feats of prestidigitation for elite audiences in Las Vegas or Monte Carlo, you and Mugwort sometimes moonlight as a bona fide secret agents, joining fellow super heroes Luther the Strongman, Bullwhip Jones the Lion Tamer, and Buck Flashpan the Human Cannonball in a team known as The Guardians of the Globe for their eternal battle against the evil space tyrant known only as The Ringmaster." >* "as a bona fide secret agents" has a typo. Interesting superhero model! That's not a verb I recognise. >l Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. Mugwort the magician is standing dashingly near his desk. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. You can also see a ringing telephone here. >take handkerchief You grab the red handkerchief and pull it out of the tuxedo's breast pocket.... only to find that it's tied to a green handkerchief...which is tied to a blue handkerchief....You keep pulling, revealing an endless ribbon of handkerchiefs tied together. After a few minutes, you give up. You'll never find the end of this rope of handkerchieves, so you'd better just find a way to sever the cord if you want a length of your own. >i You are carrying: a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >l Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. Mugwort the magician is standing dashingly near his desk. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. You can also see an endless coil of handkerchieves and a ringing telephone here. >bite handkerchief That's not a verb I recognise. >* It worked in Academic Pursuits... That's not a verb I recognise. >x chair It's a plush chair with a high back, lined with purple velvet. >x cabinet It's a large wardrobe-sized cabinet, big enough for a person to stand comfortably inside. The outer walls of the cabinet are painted with question marks in all sizes, colors, and styles. >x lining You can't see any such thing. >* Phew, seen too many games with stuff hidden in the lining You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >open cabinet It seems to be locked. >unlock cabinet What do you want to unlock the prestidigitation cabinet with? >key That doesn't seem to fit the lock. >* figured not That's not a verb I recognise. >x desk It's a huge sturdy desk, made of oak and designed to never ever be moved. It's massive and disgustingly baroque. There's a drawer in the desk. >x drawer There's a drawer set into the desk. >open it It seems to be locked. >unlock it What do you want to unlock the drawer with? >key You unlock the drawer. >open it You open the drawer, revealing a staff. >x staff It's an ornamental cane topped with a handle shaped like a question mark. >* Huh, deep drawer You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >take it Taken. >x handle You can't see any such thing. >open staff It isn't something you can open. >twirl staff That's not a verb I recognise. >* alas That's not a verb I recognise. >speak to mugwort You can't see any such thing. >l Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. Mugwort the magician is standing dashingly near his desk. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. You can also see an endless coil of handkerchieves and a ringing telephone here. >talk to mugwort "Well Trixie," says Mugwort with air of great satisfaction. "I think we've practiced this routine to perfection. I should think that, with our talents combined, we should be able to fool even the greatest trickster, the Norse god Loki himself!" "Ah ha, golly Mugwort, ya think?" You pause to fix your golden blonde hair and smooth the gauzy material of your distractingly lowcut evening gown. Mugwort chuckles. "Yes, but...we must never let our guard down. As the world's greatest magic act, we must always be vigilant, both to ensure that we never leave an audience less than dazzled and that we never let down our guard against the dark designs of that dastardly deviant The Ringmaster... not to mention other lesser villains from our delightful thematic rogue's gallery!" >* huh, HELP said SPEAK TO should work? You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >l Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. Mugwort the magician is standing dashingly near his desk. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. You can also see an endless coil of handkerchieves and a ringing telephone here. >x coil It's an endless coil of handkerchieves, all tied together and trailing back into the breast pocket of Mugwort's tuxedo. >answer phone You pick up the telephone receiver and hold it to your ear. "Hello, Mugwort the Magician residence. Trixie speaking, how can I help you?" "Oh thank goodness you're home!" You perk up as you recognize the President's voice on the other end of the line. "We need help! It's an emergency!" "What's the problem, Mr. President?" says Mugwort, grabbing the phone. "Is it that perfidious priest of prestidigitation, that malefactory minister of magic Prester Chango causing trouble again?" "No! Worse!" "Worse? Is it that undead sorceror, that necromantic ne'er-do-well Abracadaver?" "No! Worse!" "Surely not.... The Ringmaster?" "I'm afraid it's something even worse..." "Even worse than The Ringmaster?!" gasps Mugwort. "What could possibly be worse than that?" "The worst thing of all! My son Kenny has his birthday party this afternoon and we were supposed to have Foxglove the Fantastic perform a magic act... but he cancelled at the last minute!" "Ah, Kenny, my archnemesis," says Mugwort, steepling his fingers. "I remember him well. Never fear, Mr. President, I'm on my way! Consider that party saved!" He slams the phone receiver back into its cradle. "Trixie, this is a dire emergency. We must get to the White House immediately! Now, Trixie, if you would be so kind as to hand me my magic staff!" >give staff to trixie You can't see any such thing. >give staff to mugwort "Thank you, Trixie! First, I'll just step into the prestidigitation cabinet to quickly and mystifyingly change into my birthday suit, by which I mean the cake-themed tophat and tuxedo appropriate for children's birth--" Mugwort's words are cut off as he steps into the prestidigtation cabinet... and instantly vanishes in a puff of smoke and a shower of sparks, leaving nothing behind but a small note. You blink in confusion. You're pretty sure that wasn't supposed to happen! >x note The note says, in fastidiously neat handwriting, "My Dearest Trixie, The time of rationality and sanity is finally at hand! For too long, Mugwort the So-Called Magician has fooled credulous rubes with this sleight-of-hand into believing that magic - Ha! Magic! I scoff to even describe so illogical a concept! - is real! But no more! For I, the Skeptical Rationalist, have kidnapped Mugwort using Facts and Logic! Two Tools which gullible magic-believing plebians such as you know nothing about! Nevertheless, I shall allow you the opportunity to recover your beloved Mugwort, provided that you best me in a game of reason, induction, and calm syllogistic thinking! I shouldn't MOON over your loss for long, STARCHILD, for it's time for you to SCOPE out some clues! Logically Yours, The Skeptical Rationalist" Oh no! Mugwort the Magician has been kidnapped by his third string nemesis, The Skeptical Rationalist! But he's supposed to entertain the President's son at his party tonight! It looks like it's up to you, Trixie, magician's assistant to decipher the Skeptical Rationalist's clues and find Mugwort before the party starts! >* maybe I could just do the party gig and let Mugwort sort himself out? That's not a verb I recognise. >read note The note says, in fastidiously neat handwriting, "My Dearest Trixie, The time of rationality and sanity is finally at hand! For too long, Mugwort the So-Called Magician has fooled credulous rubes with this sleight-of-hand into believing that magic - Ha! Magic! I scoff to even describe so illogical a concept! - is real! But no more! For I, the Skeptical Rationalist, have kidnapped Mugwort using Facts and Logic! Two Tools which gullible magic-believing plebians such as you know nothing about! Nevertheless, I shall allow you the opportunity to recover your beloved Mugwort, provided that you best me in a game of reason, induction, and calm syllogistic thinking! I shouldn't MOON over your loss for long, STARCHILD, for it's time for you to SCOPE out some clues! Logically Yours, The Skeptical Rationalist" >l Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. You can also see a note and an endless coil of handkerchieves here. >take note Taken. >x cabinet It's a large wardrobe-sized cabinet, big enough for a person to stand comfortably inside. The outer walls of the cabinet are painted with question marks in all sizes, colors, and styles. >enter cabinet No thank you! >* Fair That's not a verb I recognise. >look behind cabinet You can't see any such thing. >search cabinet The prestidigitation cabinet is empty. >l Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. You can also see an endless coil of handkerchieves here. >w (first opening the maw door) Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >x paintings They show various old men in the formal wear of different time periods, each one performing a trick that surely must have been very impressive at the time. Each painting has a small plaque explaining its significance, like "ERASMUS OF WITTENBURG PULLS THE FIRST RABBIT OUT OF HIS LIRIPIPE 1360" and "SIR REGINALD CODSWALLOP III CATCHES A FLINTLOCK LEAD SHOT IN HIS TEETH 1712". >g They show various old men in the formal wear of different time periods, each one performing a trick that surely must have been very impressive at the time. Each painting has a small plaque explaining its significance, like "ERASMUS OF WITTENBURG PULLS THE FIRST RABBIT OUT OF HIS LIRIPIPE 1360" and "SIR REGINALD CODSWALLOP III CATCHES A FLINTLOCK LEAD SHOT IN HIS TEETH 1712". >w Your Bedroom Your bedroom is decorated entirely in pink, from the wispy curtains surrounding the canopied bed to the big overstuffed heart-shaped beanbags that serve as chairs. You've decorated the walls with posters advertising some of the biggest venues and events that you've performed with Mugwort. Mounted on the wall is a perfectly ordinary crosscut handsaw. You can also see a crystal ball here. >x curtains You can't see any such thing. >x bed It's made to resemble a Goldin's box. >x bats You can't see any such thing. >x bags You can't see any such thing. >x posters The posters are mostly big splashy ads featuring close-up shots of Mugwort scowling to look mysterious as he holds out playing cards for you to peruse and you pretending to look amazed as he guess which card you picked. They bear such legends as THE MAGIC FORTRESS PATRONS NIGHT AUGUST 2017, ZAUBERFEST 9: DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, and CHOWCHILLA FESTIVAL OF MYSTERY 2010. >x beanbags They're big and soft and good for sitting on. >* Oh, this is modern? Weird You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >l Your Bedroom Your bedroom is decorated entirely in pink, from the wispy curtains surrounding the canopied bed to the big overstuffed heart-shaped beanbags that serve as chairs. You've decorated the walls with posters advertising some of the biggest venues and events that you've performed with Mugwort. Mounted on the wall is a perfectly ordinary crosscut handsaw. You can also see a crystal ball here. >x handsaw You see nothing special about the saw. >* Why is it mounted on the wall? That's not a verb I recognise. >take it Taken. >x it It's a perfectly ordinary crosscut handsaw, which Mugwort often uses when he saws you in half. If you were to let the audience examine the blade, they would agree that there is nothing suspicious or magical at all about it and, were you to use it against the flesh of a lovely assistant, it would absolutely tear her in half with no chance at all of any trick saving her. >* OK, weird You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >l Your Bedroom Your bedroom is decorated entirely in pink, from the wispy curtains surrounding the canopied bed to the big overstuffed heart-shaped beanbags that serve as chairs. You've decorated the walls with posters advertising some of the biggest venues and events that you've performed with Mugwort. You can see a crystal ball here. >x ball You peer into the depths of the crystal ball and, to your surprise, an image starts to materialize before your eyes. You see the head of an older woman with glowing yellow eyes and long wavy black hair tucked under a colorful head kerchief. "You have summoned the spirit of Madam Mugumba the All-Knowing," she intones in a thick Transylvanian accent. "I see all and know all! In your quest, you may encounter problems which seem insurmountable! But know that you have the knowledge of Madam Mugumba at your side! You may ask me any question... and I shall answer!" What luck! Madam Mugumba helped Mugwort design many of the strange architectural oddities and bizarre traps of the mansion before she passed over to the spirit realm. If you get stuck, you may be able to ask her for hints! Ask Madam Mugumba for hints by typing "Ask crystal ball about X". >e Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >* Nice mimetic incorporation of hints That's not a verb I recognise. >e Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. You can also see an endless coil of handkerchieves here. >cut handkerchief The saw is too big and awkward to cut the handkerchieves. You'll need something smaller. >w Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >s Bathroom The light blue walls and the tiled mosaic floor combine to give the bathroom an ocean theme, complemented by the brass fish waterspouts of the sink and the ornate Poseidon statue rising from the head of the bathtub. The floor is made of dark, soft pine wood. Unusually soft. Mugwort's zigzag cabinet is here, too. >x floor It's narrow, dark pine wood that creaks under your footfalls, giving the bathroom a distinctly nautical feel. The wood is soft and could be easily cut. >x walls They're just walls. There's nothing to see there. >* Nice detail! That's not a verb I recognise. >cut floor You shove the handsaw into the floor and, with some considerable effort, eventually find that you're able to make a cut through the floor. You continue sawing, gradually circling around the zigzag cabinet... until the floor becomes too unstable and, with a mighty crack, the boards split and the zigzag cabinet falls through the floor and down to the ground floor. >undo Bathroom [Previous turn undone.] >* Just because you can do a thing does not mean you should do a thing That's not a verb I recognise. >x cabinet It's a person-sized cabinet painted black with white lightning bolts composed of three interlocking boxes. Mugwort uses it for a trick in which you enter the cabinet and then magically appear to be cut into thirds. Ergo the zigzag cabinet can be DISASSEMBLED into thirds. >open it That's already open. >disassemble What do you want to disassemb? >cabinet There's no reason to do that if there's no one inside. >enter cabinet This trick only works if there's someone outside to finish it. >l Bathroom The light blue walls and the tiled mosaic floor combine to give the bathroom an ocean theme, complemented by the brass fish waterspouts of the sink and the ornate Poseidon statue rising from the head of the bathtub. The floor is made of dark, soft pine wood. Unusually soft. Mugwort's zigzag cabinet is here, too. >x statue A life-size ceramic statue of the Greek god Poseidon, brandishing his trident. >x tub You can't see any such thing. >* How can a statue of a god be life-sized? That's not a verb I recognise. >x sing You can't see any such thing. >x sink The hot and cold water spigots of the sink are two ornate bronze fishes; they vomit water when you turn the tap on. >turn on sink It isn't something you can switch. >n Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >n (first opening the heavy iron door) It seems to be locked. >unlock door Which do you mean, the maw door or the heavy iron door? >heavy What do you want to unlock the heavy iron door with? >key That doesn't seem to fit the lock. >i You are carrying: a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >* I like the mural gag! That's not a verb I recognise. >x fresco A large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" >x stand It's for umbrellas. >x rack It's for shoes. >l Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >x cards A large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" >n Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >* ah, a gnomon You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x lawn You can't see any such thing. >x grass It's just ordinary grass. Though you don't much appove of lawns like this; they're environmentally unfriendly. But Mugwort seems to think it makes a statement. >x sundial It's an ornate Roman sundial. An inscription on the face reads TO MASTER TIME IS TO MASTER THE COSMOS. The gnomon appears to be slightly loose, loose enough that you could turn it to different numbers. The gnomon is turned to 5. >x gnomon It's the part of the sundial that casts the shadow to indicate the time. The gnomon is turned to 5. >take it You twist the gnomon but it doesn't come loose. >turn gnomon to 8 The gnomon is now pointing at 8. You have the strangest feeling that you've somehow changed more than just the time on the sundial. >undo Lawn [Previous turn undone.] >l Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >e Garden The garden is a tastefully wild tangle of plants, both edible vegetables and ornamental flowers. A small ziggurat, designed to mimic the Mesopotamian style, has been erected at the far east end of the garden. The entry to the ziggurat is blocked by a sphinx. You can see a pyramid door here. The sphinx cries "By the Eye of Horus! The Sphinx watches!" >* missing line break? That's not a verb I recognise. >x vegetables Boffo planted these; he uses them in recipes sometimes. >x flowers They're pretty. The sphinx bellows "The riddles of the pharoahs shall never be revealed to tomb raiders! Not while The Great Sphinx stands vigilant!" >x ziggurat It's a miniature ziggurat, large enough for a single adult to fit inside, designed to mimic the Mesopotamian style. The sphinx bellows "The Mighty Sphinx stands guard at the gates of this pyramid like the great god Anubis stood guard at the gates of the underworld Duat!" >x sphinx It's a mechanical contraption designed to look like a lion with with Mugwort's head. Its hinged jaw flaps in the wind. >talk to sphinx A mechanism inside the sphinx clicks to life as you approach. "HALT HUMAN! NONE MAY APPROACH THE SACRED PYRAMID WITHOUT AN OFFERING TO THE MIGHTY SPHINX!" You sigh. Another of Mugwort's eccentric security systems. " And what kind of offering does the sphinx want?" The sphinx pauses, a grinding noise issuing from its head as its memory spools work to think of something. "The sphinx longs to return to the sandy dunes of its homeland! Bring me a token of the long distant dynasties of Egypt!" The sphinx solemnly intones "None may pass! I am the Great Sphinx!" >i You are carrying: a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) The sphinx bleats "The Great Cleopatra herself could not ask for a better guardian than... The Mighty Sphinx!" >e (first opening the pyramid door) It seems to be locked. >w Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >w Hedge Maze The hedge maze is more ornamental than actually baffling; since it's really just a single spiral and the hedges are below eye level, it's virtually impossible to get lost in here. You can see Chuckles the gardener and some hedgeclippers here. "Hyuck hyuck! Lookit all them pretty flowers! Don't they just remind ya of how lucky we are to be loved by God?"says Chuckles. >* umm That's not a verb I recognise. >x chuckles Chuckles is a short clown wearing floppy, oversized shoes, green pinstripe pants, suspenders and a giant comical polka dot bowtie. He works as the gardener here on the estate, but you notice that he often spends more time tripping over his own feet in a futile bid to get laughs than he ever does gardening >talk to chuckles "Hyuck hyuck, Miss Trixie! Shore is nice ta see you here in the garden... reminds me of another garden, ya know? The Garden of Eden, where man lived in harmony before the fall. Y'all ever accepted Jesus inta yer heart, Miss Trixie?" "Um... I think I'd better be going," you say. You forgot that Chuckles is one of those Christian clowns who uses clowning for ministry. "There's a deceptively large amount of God's love in the clown car that is my heart," says Chuckles. "Hyuck! Hyuck!" >* Ha! That's not a verb I recognise. >x shears You can't see any such thing. >l Hedge Maze The hedge maze is more ornamental than actually baffling; since it's really just a single spiral and the hedges are below eye level, it's virtually impossible to get lost in here. You can see Chuckles the gardener and some hedgeclippers here. >x clippers hedgeclippers, for clipping hedges. >* missing capital That's not a verb I recognise. >take them You reach for the hedgeclippers but Chuckles holds them away with a chuckle. "Hyuck hyuck, Miss Trixie! You can't have those! I need "em to clip this here hedge! Hyuck hyuck!" Annoying! If only there was some way to get him to abandon his hedge trimming... >* double quote should be single That's not a verb I recognise. >i You are carrying: a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >give note to chuckles Chuckles the gardener doesn't seem interested. >ask chuckles about mugwort You'd rather not start a converation with him. From past experience, you're pretty sure he'd just start proselytizing to you. >w You can only go east from here. >in You can only go east from here. "I'm gonna trim these hedges like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ trimmed sin outta our hearts," says Chuckles. "Hyuck hyuck!" >e Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >s Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >s Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see Smithereens the robot butler here. >x butler Smithereens is a custom-designed mechanical automaton made to fulfill all the butling needs for a modern man-on-the-go. His face plate is painted with a dapper mustache and his body chassis is painted to look like he's wearing a tuxedo. His treads are currently rusted solid after an incident where he butled his way into an ornate Greco-Roman style fountain on the back 40, so he's currently immobile. Mugwort was intending to get around to fixing that. He does have some useful features, though: His extensible arms can in theory telescope to dust in hand-to-reach places, and his lazer heat ray eyes are in theory good for lighting cigars. >x portraits Each one depicts a celebrated magician from history, but, to you, they all look like a bunch of interchangable nerds. >talk to buler You can't see any such thing. >talk to butler "BEEP BOOP BUTLING PROTOCOL ENGAGED" chirps Smithereens faintly. "BEEP BOOOOOOPpppp...." He's in far too much disrepair to engage in conversation. >x eyes Smithereens' lazer heat ray eyes are in theory good for lighting cigars. >i You are carrying: a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >light dove with eyes I only understood you as far as wanting to light the mechanical dove. >l Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see Smithereens the robot butler here. >light dove This dangerous act would achieve little. >s Parlour The parlour is a simple but comfortable washitsu style-room with tatami mat floors and rice paper walls. Several zabutons surround a central kotatsu, making it the perfect room for good friends to gather after a good meal for an evening of scintillating conversation. You can see a kotatsu, a top hat and Grimalkin here. >x mat You can't see any such thing. >x tatami You can't see any such thing. >x floors It's the floor. Nothing to see here. >x walls They're just walls. There's nothing to see there. >x zabutons They look comfortable. >practice sitting That's not a verb I recognise. >attain satori That's not a verb I recognise. >l Parlour The parlour is a simple but comfortable washitsu style-room with tatami mat floors and rice paper walls. Several zabutons surround a central kotatsu, making it the perfect room for good friends to gather after a good meal for an evening of scintillating conversation. You can see a kotatsu, a top hat and Grimalkin here. >x kotatsu A low table. There's an electric heating element under the table and a switch allowing the table to be turned on or off. The kotatsu is currently switched on. >x hat Mugwort uses this top hat in one of his most famous and imitated tricks, that of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. You've seen him do it hundreds of times and you're reasonably sure you could do it as well. >take it Grimalkin growls as you reach for the hat and you withdraw your hand. That cat has a nasty scratch! You'd best not try to get the top hat while he's here. >look in hat You find nothing of interest. >x cat You can't see any such thing. >x grimalkin Grimalkin is a majestic black bengal cat. You always thought he looked like a little panther. He's currently sleeping on the kotatsu, enjoying its warmth. >* Hmm, cat should be a synonym You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >pet cat That's not a verb I recognise. >talk to cat You can't see any such thing. >* for shame, re petting! You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >turn on table You can't see any such thing. >turn on kotatsu That's already on. >turn off kotatsu You switch off the kotatsu and the heating element under the table dies. After a moment, the pleasant warmth dissipates and Grimalkin, annoyed that his nice warm sleeping spot is cooling down, stands up, stretches, and totters off. >take hat You take the top hat. >reach into hat That's not a verb I recognise. >look in hat You find nothing of interest. >open hat It isn't something you can open. >x hat Mugwort uses this top hat in one of his most famous and imitated tricks, that of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. You've seen him do it hundreds of times and you're reasonably sure you could do it as well. >pull rabbit What do you want to pull rabbit from? >hat You reach into the top hat and fumble around until your fingers make contact with something warm and fluffy. You pull your hand out and find that -- presto! -- you're scruffing a confused-looking yet adorable white rabbit. After several seconds, you realize that you don't really have any need of a white rabbit right now, so you shove it back into the hat. >n Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see Smithereens the robot butler here. >w Dining room The dining room is a grand, elegant room for hosting lavish soirees. It is designed in the Italian baroque style with a domed quadratura ceiling; the centerpiece of the room is, of course, the large segmented table made of sumptuous gilded wood at the room's center. The gallery is to the east, while the kitchen is accessible via a door to the west. A narrow ventilation outlet is built into the floor. You can also see a suit of armour here. >x ceiling It's just the ceiling. Nothing to see here. >x table It's a large table made up of a half dozen segments, which can added or removed depending on the size of the dining party. >disassemble table Only the zigzag cabinet can be disassembled, and only when someone's inside it. >* Give a man a verb... That's not a verb I recognise. >x outlet There's a narrow ventilation outlet built into the floor, covered by a metal grated faceplate. Lots of dust and debris has accumulated in the vent since Smithereens stopped cleaning, and you can make out the glint of something small and metallic -- a shiny silver key -- hiding amongst the dust bunnies just out of reach. >open it It isn't something you can open. >take key (the vent) You can't reach anything inside the vent. >open vent It isn't something you can open. >l Dining room The dining room is a grand, elegant room for hosting lavish soirees. It is designed in the Italian baroque style with a domed quadratura ceiling; the centerpiece of the room is, of course, the large segmented table made of sumptuous gilded wood at the room's center. The gallery is to the east, while the kitchen is accessible via a door to the west. A narrow ventilation outlet is built into the floor. You can also see a suit of armour here. >x armor You can't see any such thing. >* sigh That's not a verb I recognise. >x armour It is an authentic medieval suit of plate armour, hailing from 1400s England, but you've always been more impressed by the size of its codpiece than by its historical pedigree. The helmet looks a little loose. >open it It isn't something you can open. >take helmet It's way to heavy to carry the whole suit of armour, but you manage to pull off its helmet. You now have a helmet. >x codpiece You've always been more impressed by the size of the codpiece than by the armour's historical pedigree. >x helmet (the helmet) This almost looks like a cup. A very big cup, that is. >wear it You don't want to mess up your hair. >* fair That's not a verb I recognise. >w Kitchen The kitchen is where all the manor's meals are prepared. Since guests are forbidden from entering this part of the house, it's less ornate than the front of the house -- but the black-and-white tiled floor and adobe brickwork walls still give it a rustic charm. The dining room is to the east. Mugwort's personal valet and chef Boffo stands at the kitchen island, calmly cutting chicken. There is a refrigerator here as well. You can also see a cookbook and a pot (empty) here. >x floor It's the floor. Nothing to see here. >* lots of floor-wand-wall description That's not a verb I recognise. >x boffo Boffo the clown is Mugwort's personal valet and the muscle of the magician's hero operations. You see the ropy muscles of Boffo's massive clown arms bulge through the sleeves of his clown smock as he chops chicken reminding you that while Boffo is capable of capering and hi-jinks to amuse the most jaded child, he's also capable of ripping out a criminal's throat with his bare hands. >talk to boffo "Boffo, we've got to do something! Mugwort the Magician has been kidnapped by The Skeptical Rationalist... well, not kidnapped exactly, but we don't know where he is!" you cry, "And he's got to perform at the president's son's birthday today!" Boffo briefly put down his knife. He folds his hands together and bows slightly to acknowledge that he has heard you. He then picks up his knife again and resumes cutting. You didn't really expect an answer. As a brother in the Esteemed Order of Harlequin, Boffo has taken a vow of silence. But you had hoped that you'd get more of a reaction than that! "Wait..." you say, "Are you implying that finding and rescuing Mugwort is a quest that I must undertake alone in order to prove my worthiness to graduate from magician's assistant to magician's partner and thus achieve my ultimate dream?" Boffo nods sagely. >ask boffo for knife (Boffo first taking the knife) Boffo has better things to do. >take knife Boffo is using it. >* weird That's not a verb I recognise. >l Kitchen The kitchen is where all the manor's meals are prepared. Since guests are forbidden from entering this part of the house, it's less ornate than the front of the house -- but the black-and-white tiled floor and adobe brickwork walls still give it a rustic charm. The dining room is to the east. Mugwort's personal valet and chef Boffo stands at the kitchen island, calmly cutting chicken. There is a refrigerator here as well. You can also see a cookbook and a pot (empty) here. >x chicken Boffo is preparing them, no doubt for dinner. >take it You don't want that. >x fridge It's a refrigerator, a device for storing food at lower temperatures. >open it You open the refrigerator, revealing some garlic. >x garlic It's punguent, good for cooking or for repelling vampires. >take it You can't take that. >* Punguent is misspelled That's not a verb I recognise. >take garlic Taken. >* weird That's not a verb I recognise. >close fridge You close the refrigerator. >x pot It's a big iron pot. >put chicken in pot (first taking the chicken cutlets) Boffo needs them. >x cookbook Boffo has it open to the recipe for Coq au Vin, a dish requiring chicken, mushrooms, garlic, and wine. >read it Boffo has it open to the recipe for Coq au Vin, a dish requiring chicken, mushrooms, garlic, and wine. >give garlic to boffo He shakes his head and motions to the pot on the stove, as if to say, if you want to help him cook, just deposit the ingredients there. >cbop garlic That's not a verb I recognise. >put garlic in pot The garlic is now in the pot. >* Umm shouldn't we peel it first? That's not a verb I recognise. >take garlic Taken. >peel it That's not a verb I recognise. >* ah well. Must be a very rustic coq au vin That's not a verb I recognise. >put garlic in pot The garlic is now in the pot. >e Dining room The dining room is a grand, elegant room for hosting lavish soirees. It is designed in the Italian baroque style with a domed quadratura ceiling; the centerpiece of the room is, of course, the large segmented table made of sumptuous gilded wood at the room's center. The gallery is to the east, while the kitchen is accessible via a door to the west. A narrow ventilation outlet is built into the floor. You can also see a suit of armour here. >e Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see Smithereens the robot butler here. >push butler w Smithereens the robot butler cannot be pushed from place to place. >x arms Smithereens' extendibe arms were designed to telescope so that he could dust in hard-to-reach places. >extend arms >* oops That's not a verb I recognise. >x arms Smithereens' extendibe arms were designed to telescope so that he could dust in hard-to-reach places. >open arms It isn't something you can open. >telescope arms That's not a verb I recognise. >verbs That's not a verb I recognise. >help Quick Help Objects: Try LOOK AT..., SPEAK TO..., TAKE..., DROP..., OPEN..., GIVE... TO..., USE... ON/WITH... Talk to: Most characters in the game will have something to say, useful or not. Inventory: See which items you are carrying by typing I, INV or INVENTORY. Moving around: Press the compass buttons, or type GO NORTH, SOUTH, E, GO TO... Hints: To get hints, talk to the crystal ball in your bedroom. You can ask the crystal ball about various topics by using the command ASK CRYSTAL BALL ABOUT XX. Lovely assistant understand many verbs, but the game can be finished using only the following commands: Look at, Take, Talk to, Turn, Ask XX about XX, Saw XX with XX, Put XX in XX, Disassemble, Open, Answer, Turn on, Turn off, Extend, Go through, Pull XX from XX, Hold XX over XX, Hold XX on XX, Rub XX on XX, Give XX to XX, Unlock XX with XX, Cut XX with XX, Tie XX to XX, Climb, Climb down, Tap XX with XX, Hit XX with XX, Shoot XX with XX, Drill XX with XX, Pour XX in XX, Solder XX with XX A BIG Special thanks to Brian "Mathbrush" Rushton for bug-zapping, house cleaning, general fixing-upping and invaluable support!! >extend arms >extend bulter You can't see any such thing. >extend butler >* I feel like something's gone wrong here That's not a verb I recognise. >push butler east Smithereens the robot butler cannot be pushed from place to place. >x treads You can't see any such thing. >x butler Smithereens is a custom-designed mechanical automaton made to fulfill all the butling needs for a modern man-on-the-go. His face plate is painted with a dapper mustache and his body chassis is painted to look like he's wearing a tuxedo. His treads are currently rusted solid after an incident where he butled his way into an ornate Greco-Roman style fountain on the back 40, so he's currently immobile. Mugwort was intending to get around to fixing that. He does have some useful features, though: His extensible arms can in theory telescope to dust in hand-to-reach places, and his lazer heat ray eyes are in theory good for lighting cigars. >* maybe I need to repair him That's not a verb I recognise. >talk to butler "BEEP BOOP BUTLING PROTOCOL ENGAGED" chirps Smithereens faintly. "BEEP BOOOOOOPpppp...." He's in far too much disrepair to engage in conversation. >e Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. One bookshelf in particular is filled with many tomes. A thick grimoire is sticking out from on top of the bookshelf. >* sounds nice! That's not a verb I recognise. >x hamsa You can't see any such thing. >x hamsas They look like they want to give you a high five. >x books (the bookshelf) The bookshelf is crammed with thick, leather-bound tomes with titles like THE UNKNOWABLE ZIGGURAT and TREATISE ON THE KEEPERS OF THE SECRETS OF THE GOLDEN ORDER OF ADVANCED MIDNIGHT and HYPER-SENTIENCE: A THIRD DIMENSION OF THE MIND, arranged alphabetically. None of them sound very interesting to you. You notice a single empty slot on the shelf, right between THE LAST WIZARD OF INNER SPACE REVEALS ALL and THE LOST WISDOM OF THE DRUID MASTERS OF YORE. You could easily PUT a missing book INTO THE BOOKSHELF. In the bookshelf are some books. >read zigguart You can't see any such thing. >read ziggurat You can't see any such thing. >l Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. One bookshelf in particular is filled with many tomes. A thick grimoire is sticking out from on top of the bookshelf. >read books (the bookshelf) The bookshelf is crammed with thick, leather-bound tomes with titles like THE UNKNOWABLE ZIGGURAT and TREATISE ON THE KEEPERS OF THE SECRETS OF THE GOLDEN ORDER OF ADVANCED MIDNIGHT and HYPER-SENTIENCE: A THIRD DIMENSION OF THE MIND, arranged alphabetically. None of them sound very interesting to you. You notice a single empty slot on the shelf, right between THE LAST WIZARD OF INNER SPACE REVEALS ALL and THE LOST WISDOM OF THE DRUID MASTERS OF YORE. You could easily PUT a missing book INTO THE BOOKSHELF. In the bookshelf are some books. >l Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. One bookshelf in particular is filled with many tomes. A thick grimoire is sticking out from on top of the bookshelf. >x table It's a circular table, loaded down under piles of books. >x piles You can't see any such thing. >x piles of books You can't see any such thing. >search books (the bookshelf) In the bookshelf are some books. >* What about the books on the table? That's not a verb I recognise. >x tomes The bookshelf is crammed with thick, leather-bound tomes with titles like THE UNKNOWABLE ZIGGURAT and TREATISE ON THE KEEPERS OF THE SECRETS OF THE GOLDEN ORDER OF ADVANCED MIDNIGHT and HYPER-SENTIENCE: A THIRD DIMENSION OF THE MIND, arranged alphabetically. None of them sound very interesting to you. You notice a single empty slot on the shelf, right between THE LAST WIZARD OF INNER SPACE REVEALS ALL and THE LOST WISDOM OF THE DRUID MASTERS OF YORE. You could easily PUT a missing book INTO THE BOOKSHELF. In the bookshelf are some books. >x grimoire You spy a thick grimoire resting atop the bookshelf; from down here, it's difficult to see much but you can read THE LIST OF GREATEST HIEROPHANTS IN THE ANNALS OF THE MYSTICAL SOCIETY OF ILLUSONS on the spine. >take it You're not tall enough to reach the grimoire. To grab it, why, you'd need extensible arms! >* You don't say That's not a verb I recognise. >w Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see Smithereens the robot butler here. >push butler e Smithereens the robot butler cannot be pushed from place to place. >e Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. One bookshelf in particular is filled with many tomes. A thick grimoire is sticking out from on top of the bookshelf. >s Billiards Room The billiards room is decorated in the style of the British Raj, the walls painted an earthy burnt orange and decorated with detailed mandalas and the heads of big game animal trophies. The room is mostly dominated by a large pool table. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see some billiard balls here. >x trophies You can't see any such thing. >x heads You don't approve of hunting. >x talbe You can't see any such thing. >oops table It's for playing pool. Interestingly, unlike most pool tables, the corner holes do not lead to simple pockets but rather to a series of tubes leading down into the body of the table. Mugwort has rigged the table so that sinking all the balls in one shot triggers a mechanism inside the table to open a trapdoor in the floor. It's very impressive to Mugwort's more impressionable guests. >x balls They are arranged in a triangular cribbage formation, ready to be broken by a seasoned pool player. You've watched Mugwort do that in the past, but, unfortunately, since there aren't any pool cues available here there's not much you can do. >i You are carrying: a helmet a top hat a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >* no cane, sadly You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >l Billiards Room The billiards room is decorated in the style of the British Raj, the walls painted an earthy burnt orange and decorated with detailed mandalas and the heads of big game animal trophies. The room is mostly dominated by a large pool table. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see some billiard balls here. >break balls You need something cue-shaped to hit them. >* I can't just throw them around? That's not a verb I recognise. >l Billiards Room The billiards room is decorated in the style of the British Raj, the walls painted an earthy burnt orange and decorated with detailed mandalas and the heads of big game animal trophies. The room is mostly dominated by a large pool table. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see some billiard balls here. >s You can only go north and down from here. >d (first opening the trapdoor) It seems to be locked. >n Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. One bookshelf in particular is filled with many tomes. A thick grimoire is sticking out from on top of the bookshelf. >w Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see Smithereens the robot butler here. >n Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >d Wine cellar The wine cellar is a large, damp concrete room, the walls lined with scaffolding full of sturdy oak wine barrels. The air is cold and slightly musty down here. You can see a hogshead here. >x hogshead A wooden cask full of cheap red wine. >x walls They're just walls. There's nothing to see there. >x barrels The barrels contain fine vintages like EL BLANCO NINYO, CANCRELAT NOIR, and MOONFLOW MERLOT. >smell You smell nothing unexpected. >open hogshead You'd have to drill it open somehow. >i You are carrying: a helmet a top hat a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >saw hogshead What do you want to saw the hogshead with? >saw What do you want to saw? >* sigh You can't see any such thing. >saw hogshead with handsaw That's not something you need to saw! >u Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >u Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >u Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >x aperture You can't see any such thing. >x sky There are stars up there, but you can't make out any details with the naked eye. >* ooh, widow's walk You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x telescope You squint into the telescope's eyepiece, twisting the mechanism to bring the view into focus. The edge of the rising full moon is in focus. >x chalkboard It's covered in nonsense equations that you don't even want to try to decipher; astrology is one of Mugwort's big hobbies and he's always trying to look for signs in the stars. The only thing you can read is in the lower left corner, a message reading MOON 7 PM!!! CANALS VISIBLE??? in bold letters. >e Widow's Walk You are outside, under the open sky, standing on the roof of the mansion. The widow's walk is surrounded by a low fence. If you look over the side, you can see a small wooden structure atop a neighboring turret. The observatory is to the west. >x turret Mugwort often uses trained doves in his act, making them appear from thin air or sometimes seemingly transforming stuffed toys into actual doves. When not performing, they live in a giant wooden birdhouse atop the mansion. It's situated atop a turret slightly lower than the widow's walk and just out of reach without some sort of ladder or rope. >x fence A low fence that runs around the perimeter of the widow's walk. >i You are carrying: a helmet a top hat a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >w Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >x note The note says, in fastidiously neat handwriting, "My Dearest Trixie, The time of rationality and sanity is finally at hand! For too long, Mugwort the So-Called Magician has fooled credulous rubes with this sleight-of-hand into believing that magic - Ha! Magic! I scoff to even describe so illogical a concept! - is real! But no more! For I, the Skeptical Rationalist, have kidnapped Mugwort using Facts and Logic! Two Tools which gullible magic-believing plebians such as you know nothing about! Nevertheless, I shall allow you the opportunity to recover your beloved Mugwort, provided that you best me in a game of reason, induction, and calm syllogistic thinking! I shouldn't MOON over your loss for long, STARCHILD, for it's time for you to SCOPE out some clues! Logically Yours, The Skeptical Rationalist" >look through telescope You squint into the telescope's eyepiece, twisting the mechanism to bring the view into focus. The edge of the rising full moon is in focus. >look at moon You can't see any such thing. >turn telescope Nothing obvious happens. >point telescope at moon That's not a verb I recognise. >help Quick Help Objects: Try LOOK AT..., SPEAK TO..., TAKE..., DROP..., OPEN..., GIVE... TO..., USE... ON/WITH... Talk to: Most characters in the game will have something to say, useful or not. Inventory: See which items you are carrying by typing I, INV or INVENTORY. Moving around: Press the compass buttons, or type GO NORTH, SOUTH, E, GO TO... Hints: To get hints, talk to the crystal ball in your bedroom. You can ask the crystal ball about various topics by using the command ASK CRYSTAL BALL ABOUT XX. Lovely assistant understand many verbs, but the game can be finished using only the following commands: Look at, Take, Talk to, Turn, Ask XX about XX, Saw XX with XX, Put XX in XX, Disassemble, Open, Answer, Turn on, Turn off, Extend, Go through, Pull XX from XX, Hold XX over XX, Hold XX on XX, Rub XX on XX, Give XX to XX, Unlock XX with XX, Cut XX with XX, Tie XX to XX, Climb, Climb down, Tap XX with XX, Hit XX with XX, Shoot XX with XX, Drill XX with XX, Pour XX in XX, Solder XX with XX A BIG Special thanks to Brian "Mathbrush" Rushton for bug-zapping, house cleaning, general fixing-upping and invaluable support!! > I beg your pardon? >i You are carrying: a helmet a top hat a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >* hmm That's not a verb I recognise. >x telescope You squint into the telescope's eyepiece, twisting the mechanism to bring the view into focus. The edge of the rising full moon is in focus. >l Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >x chalkboard It's covered in nonsense equations that you don't even want to try to decipher; astrology is one of Mugwort's big hobbies and he's always trying to look for signs in the stars. The only thing you can read is in the lower left corner, a message reading MOON 7 PM!!! CANALS VISIBLE??? in bold letters. >move telescope Nothing obvious happens. >aim telescope at moon That's not a verb I recognise. >x moon You can't see any such thing. >l Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >x sky There are stars up there, but you can't make out any details with the naked eye. >x stars You can't see any such thing. >look at stars using telescope You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: a helmet a top hat a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) > I beg your pardon? >read note The note says, in fastidiously neat handwriting, "My Dearest Trixie, The time of rationality and sanity is finally at hand! For too long, Mugwort the So-Called Magician has fooled credulous rubes with this sleight-of-hand into believing that magic - Ha! Magic! I scoff to even describe so illogical a concept! - is real! But no more! For I, the Skeptical Rationalist, have kidnapped Mugwort using Facts and Logic! Two Tools which gullible magic-believing plebians such as you know nothing about! Nevertheless, I shall allow you the opportunity to recover your beloved Mugwort, provided that you best me in a game of reason, induction, and calm syllogistic thinking! I shouldn't MOON over your loss for long, STARCHILD, for it's time for you to SCOPE out some clues! Logically Yours, The Skeptical Rationalist" >x edge You can't see any such thing. >x moon You can't see any such thing. >x telescope You squint into the telescope's eyepiece, twisting the mechanism to bring the view into focus. The edge of the rising full moon is in focus. >x lens You can't see any such thing. >x eyepiece You can't see any such thing. >* Maybe he's in space? That's not a verb I recognise. >d Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >s Bathroom The light blue walls and the tiled mosaic floor combine to give the bathroom an ocean theme, complemented by the brass fish waterspouts of the sink and the ornate Poseidon statue rising from the head of the bathtub. The floor is made of dark, soft pine wood. Unusually soft. Mugwort's zigzag cabinet is here, too. >cut floor You shove the handsaw into the floor and, with some considerable effort, eventually find that you're able to make a cut through the floor. You continue sawing, gradually circling around the zigzag cabinet... until the floor becomes too unstable and, with a mighty crack, the boards split and the zigzag cabinet falls through the floor and down to the ground floor. >* I mean when all you've got is a hammer. That's not a verb I recognise. >n Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >s Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. Mugwort's zigzag cabinet is here, too. You can also see Smithereens the robot butler here. >put butler in cabinet Using all your strength, you're able to push Smithereens into the zigzag cabinet. You close the cabinet. >disassemble cabinet You pull the three boxes apart. You now have three zigzag boxes, each one containing a different part of Smithereens. >take all zigzag bottom compartment: The compartment is still too heavy to carry around by itself. zigzag middle compartment: The compartment is still too heavy to carry around by itself. zigzag top compartment: The compartment is still too heavy to carry around by itself. >push bottom east The zigzag bottom compartment cannot be pushed from place to place. >i You are carrying: a helmet a top hat a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >* Hmm, thought we were getting somewhere You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >n Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >n Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >w Hedge Maze The hedge maze is more ornamental than actually baffling; since it's really just a single spiral and the hedges are below eye level, it's virtually impossible to get lost in here. You can see Chuckles the gardener and some hedgeclippers here. >pull rabbit What do you want to pull rabbit from? >hat You reach into the top hat and fumble around until your fingers make contact with something warm and fluffy. You pull your hand out and find that -- presto! -- you're scruffing a confused-looking yet adorable white rabbit. After several seconds, you realize that you don't really have any need of a white rabbit right now, so you shove it back into the hat. "There's a deceptively large amount of God's love in the clown car that is my heart," says Chuckles. "Hyuck! Hyuck!" >give rabbit to chuckles You can't see any such thing. >* I thought the rabbit might distract chuckles by eating his vegetables. That's not a verb I recognise. >e Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >e Garden The garden is a tastefully wild tangle of plants, both edible vegetables and ornamental flowers. A small ziggurat, designed to mimic the Mesopotamian style, has been erected at the far east end of the garden. The entry to the ziggurat is blocked by a sphinx. You can see a pyramid door here. The sphinx turns its head to watch you, gears grinding loudly. >pull rabbit from hat You pull a rabbit out of the top hat and drop it gently into a bed of cabbage; it immediately goes to work doing what rabbits do best. Not satisfied that one rabbit will do enough damage, you reach into the hat again and find another...and another... and another... until the garden is bursting with rabbits, each one gnawing its adorable way through so many carrots and cabbages and rutabagas! Not surprising, the sound of so much sustained lapine chewing soon brings Chuckles running. "Hyuck, my garden!" he cries, his big floppy shoes squeaking as he futilely attempts to shoosh the rabbits away from their feast. "Hyuck hyuck, get outta here ya varmints!" The sphinx bellows "Who dares challenge The Mighty Sphinx? By the mummified corpse of King Tut, I remain ever steadfast!" >* There we go That's not a verb I recognise. >w Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >w Hedge Maze The hedge maze is more ornamental than actually baffling; since it's really just a single spiral and the hedges are below eye level, it's virtually impossible to get lost in here. You can see abandoned hedgeclippers here. >take clippers Taken. >e Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >s Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >u Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >e Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. You can also see an endless coil of handkerchieves here. >cut handkerchief You cut a length of handkerchieves from the endless coil with the hedgeclippers and shove it down your cleavage for safe keeping. >w Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >u Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >e Widow's Walk You are outside, under the open sky, standing on the roof of the mansion. The widow's walk is surrounded by a low fence. If you look over the side, you can see a small wooden structure atop a neighboring turret. The observatory is to the west. >tie handkerchiefs to railing You can't see any such thing. >tie handkerchiefs to fence You tie the handkerchief rope to the low fence, creating a makeshift rope ladder down to the dovecote. >d Dovecote Mugwort's birdhouse is here, and, like usual, it's full of doves. A crusty rod is sticking out of the birdhouse.. The handkerchief ladder leads back up to the Widow's Walk. You can also see a feeding dish (empty) here. >x cote You can't see any such thing. >x dovecote You can't see any such thing. >* two periods after birdhouse That's not a verb I recognise. >x rod You can see a long thin plastic rod protruding from one of the holes in the birdhouse. >take it You try to reach into the birdhouse but the doves peck your hand away. >* Stupid doves That's not a verb I recognise. >l Dovecote Mugwort's birdhouse is here, and, like usual, it's full of doves. A crusty rod is sticking out of the birdhouse.. The handkerchief ladder leads back up to the Widow's Walk. You can also see a feeding dish (empty) here. >x dish It's a dish used for feeding the doves. >i You are carrying: abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >put dove in dovecote You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a mechanical dove a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >l Dovecote Mugwort's birdhouse is here, and, like usual, it's full of doves. A crusty rod is sticking out of the birdhouse.. The handkerchief ladder leads back up to the Widow's Walk. You can also see a feeding dish (empty) here. >put dove in birdhouse You put the mechanical dove into the birdhouse. >l Dovecote Mugwort's birdhouse is here, and, like usual, it's full of doves. A crusty rod is sticking out of the birdhouse.. The handkerchief ladder leads back up to the Widow's Walk. You can also see a feeding dish (empty) here. >* Hmm, doves like garlic, right? You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >h That's not a verb I recognise. >u Widow's Walk You are outside, under the open sky, standing on the roof of the mansion. The widow's walk is surrounded by a low fence. If you look over the side, you can see a small wooden structure atop a neighboring turret. The observatory is to the west. You can see a makeshift rope ladder here. >w Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >turn chalkboard Nothing obvious happens. >look behind chalkboard You can't see any such thing. >save Ok. >* I really think I'm missing something obvious here That's not a verb I recognise. >d Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >* Let's see, doves eat grain, and per Ben Carson pyramids used to store grain... You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >* But to get into the ziggurat I need some Egyptian cruft That's not a verb I recognise. >* Rod might help me get through the trapdoor That's not a verb I recognise. >* What about moving the butler? That's not a verb I recognise. >d Wine cellar The wine cellar is a large, damp concrete room, the walls lined with scaffolding full of sturdy oak wine barrels. The air is cold and slightly musty down here. You can see a hogshead here. >u Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >s Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (closed), a zigzag middle compartment (closed) and a zigzag top compartment (closed) here. >x bottom It's a box that was the bottom third of a person-sized cabinet painted black with white lightning bolts. >open bottom You open the zigzag bottom compartment, revealing some robot treads. >take treads Those are way too heavy to carry. They're the whole reason you couldn't carry Smithereens around in his entirety! >i You are carrying: abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >oil treads That's not a verb I recognise. >* Are the hedgeclippers truly abandoned? I think I stole them That's not a verb I recognise. >u You can only go north, south, east and west from here. >n Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >s Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (in which are some robot treads), a zigzag middle compartment (closed) and a zigzag top compartment (closed) here. >open middle You open the zigzag middle compartment, revealing a robot torso. >x torso It's Smithereens's torso, including his extensible robot arms. The arms can be EXTENDED. >take torso Taken. >e Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. One bookshelf in particular is filled with many tomes. A thick grimoire is sticking out from on top of the bookshelf. >extend arms Pressing a switch on the back of the robot torso, you startle slightly as Smithereen's robotic arms suddeny telescope to their full length. The robotic hands manage to snag the grimoire perched at the very top of the bookcase and bring it back down to you. Excellent! You now have a grimoire. >x grimoire The title says THE LIST OF GREATEST HIEROPHANTS IN THE ANNALS OF THE MYSTICAL SOCIETY OF ILLUSONS, but inside contents are all written in an alphabet that you don't recognize. >* There we are -- feel like the clueing on trying to carry the cabinets could have been a bit sharper That's not a verb I recognise. >put grimoire on shelf Putting things on the bookshelf would achieve nothing. >put grimoire in space You can't see any such thing. >x shelf The bookshelf is crammed with thick, leather-bound tomes with titles like THE UNKNOWABLE ZIGGURAT and TREATISE ON THE KEEPERS OF THE SECRETS OF THE GOLDEN ORDER OF ADVANCED MIDNIGHT and HYPER-SENTIENCE: A THIRD DIMENSION OF THE MIND, arranged alphabetically. None of them sound very interesting to you. You notice a single empty slot on the shelf, right between THE LAST WIZARD OF INNER SPACE REVEALS ALL and THE LOST WISDOM OF THE DRUID MASTERS OF YORE. You could easily PUT a missing book INTO THE BOOKSHELF. In the bookshelf are some books. >put grimoire in slot You put grimoire into the empty space on the bookshelf and are rewarded with the sound of gears grinding as the book clicks into place. To your surprise, the bookshelf suddenly swings forward with an ominous creak, revealing a secret room beyond to the east. You can GO THROUGH THE OPEN BOOKSHELF to the laboratory. >* Some synonyms here would have been good That's not a verb I recognise. >* I mean is that surprising? That's not a verb I recognise. >e Laboratory The laboratory is a dark room filled with strange and unpredictable equipment, deliberately decorated to resemble a mad scientist's abode from an old 1960s Hammer horror film; your hair stands on edge as you enter, but you're not sure if that's due to the room's suddenly spookt atmosphere or all the static electricity generated by the row of Jacob's ladders. The library is west through the secret passage. The conservatory is to the south. You can see a plasma globe here. >x equipment These don't do anything useful, but they look really cool. You feel tempted to touch them. >* spookt is a typo That's not a verb I recognise. >touch equipment You touch the jacob's ladder and are surprised to see the electrical arc suddenly spike up into crazy dips and valleys; the other jacob's ladders follow suit and suddenly you realize that it's not random... the electric arcs form letters! You read: WELL WELL WELL MY DEAR TRIXIE LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE SOLVED MY RIDDLE OF LOGIC! DO YOU ENJOY MY USE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICAL PRECISION TO DELIVER THIS MESSAGE? NOW FOR YOUR NEXT CLUE I DON'T WANT TO "PIGEON HOLE" YOU BUT IT WILL "DOVETAIL" NICELY WITH YOUR MISSION! BUT YOU MIGHT THINK IT'S "FOR THE BIRDS!" ERUDITELY YOURS, THE SKEPTICAL RATIONALIST Jeez, this guy is long-winded! >* uh oh That's not a verb I recognise. >undo Laboratory [Previous turn undone.] >undo Laboratory [Previous turn undone.] >u You can only go south and west from here. >u You can only go south and west from here. >s Conservatory The southern, western, and eastern walls of the conservatory are made of glass, turning the room into the perfect greenhouse. Mugwort uses this room to grow special plants for his own personal use, plants that, for various reasons, can't be planted in the outside garden, like foxglove or fly agaric. The laboratory is to the north. You can see a tub (in which are some nightcrawlers) and a fly agaric here. >w You can only go north from here. >undo Conservatory [Previous turn undone.] >w You can only go north from here. >u You can only go north from here. >n Laboratory The laboratory is a dark room filled with strange and unpredictable equipment, deliberately decorated to resemble a mad scientist's abode from an old 1960s Hammer horror film; your hair stands on edge as you enter, but you're not sure if that's due to the room's suddenly spookt atmosphere or all the static electricity generated by the row of Jacob's ladders. The library is west through the secret passage. The conservatory is to the south. You can see a plasma globe here. >s Conservatory The southern, western, and eastern walls of the conservatory are made of glass, turning the room into the perfect greenhouse. Mugwort uses this room to grow special plants for his own personal use, plants that, for various reasons, can't be planted in the outside garden, like foxglove or fly agaric. The laboratory is to the north. You can see a tub (in which are some nightcrawlers) and a fly agaric here. >n Laboratory The laboratory is a dark room filled with strange and unpredictable equipment, deliberately decorated to resemble a mad scientist's abode from an old 1960s Hammer horror film; your hair stands on edge as you enter, but you're not sure if that's due to the room's suddenly spookt atmosphere or all the static electricity generated by the row of Jacob's ladders. The library is west through the secret passage. The conservatory is to the south. You can see a plasma globe here. >w Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. The bookshelf has swung open, revealing a passage to the east. >u You can only go south, east and west from here. >w Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (in which are some robot treads), a zigzag middle compartment (empty) and a zigzag top compartment (closed) here. >u You can only go north, south, east and west from here. >n Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >u Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >u Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >touch telescope You feel nothing unexpected. >* Hmm, I skipped a clue I'm pretty sure You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >touch chalkboard You feel nothing unexpected. >l Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >x note The note says, in fastidiously neat handwriting, "My Dearest Trixie, The time of rationality and sanity is finally at hand! For too long, Mugwort the So-Called Magician has fooled credulous rubes with this sleight-of-hand into believing that magic - Ha! Magic! I scoff to even describe so illogical a concept! - is real! But no more! For I, the Skeptical Rationalist, have kidnapped Mugwort using Facts and Logic! Two Tools which gullible magic-believing plebians such as you know nothing about! Nevertheless, I shall allow you the opportunity to recover your beloved Mugwort, provided that you best me in a game of reason, induction, and calm syllogistic thinking! I shouldn't MOON over your loss for long, STARCHILD, for it's time for you to SCOPE out some clues! Logically Yours, The Skeptical Rationalist" >x chalkboard It's covered in nonsense equations that you don't even want to try to decipher; astrology is one of Mugwort's big hobbies and he's always trying to look for signs in the stars. The only thing you can read is in the lower left corner, a message reading MOON 7 PM!!! CANALS VISIBLE??? in bold letters. >x telescope You squint into the telescope's eyepiece, twisting the mechanism to bring the view into focus. The edge of the rising full moon is in focus. >* Oh wait That's not a verb I recognise. >d Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >n (first opening the heavy iron door) It seems to be locked. >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >n Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >turn dial to 7 The gnomon is now pointing at 7. You have the strangest feeling that you've somehow changed more than just the time on the sundial. >x sky You can't see any such thing. >s Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >u Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >u Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >x sky There are stars up there, but you can't make out any details with the naked eye. >x telescope By shifting the gnomon forward, it seems that you have shifted time forward too! The moon has moved slightly further across the sky, enough that you can see the first of a series of canals cut into its craggy surface. Hmm, the canals intersect at unusual angles, almost as if they form... yes! They form letters! You can just make out the words "CLEVER DEDUCTION, TRIXIE, YOU HAVE SOLVED" The rest of the message is still illegibe this early in the evening. >* oi That's not a verb I recognise. >d Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >n Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >set dial to 8 The gnomon is now pointing at 8. You have the strangest feeling that you've somehow changed more than just the time on the sundial. >s Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >u Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >u Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >x telescope The moon has moved further across the sky, turning toward you enough that you can read "MY FIRST IMPECCABLY LOGICAL RIDDLE! USING THE SCIENCE LAZER" >d Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >n Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >set dial to 9 The gnomon is now pointing at 9. You have the strangest feeling that you've somehow changed more than just the time on the sundial. >s Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >u Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >u Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >x telescope The message continues: "WHICH I HAVE DEVELOPED USING MY HIGHLY RATIONAL BRAIN I HAVE CUT A MESSAGE TO YOU INTO THE MOON ITSELF!" >* Jeez long-winded much That's not a verb I recognise. >d Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >n Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >n You can only go south, east and west from here. >set dial to 10 The gnomon is now pointing at 10. You have the strangest feeling that you've somehow changed more than just the time on the sundial. >s Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >u Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >u Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >u You can only go east and down from here. >x telescope The message continues: "MY NEXT CLUE, MY DEAR ALEXANDRIA - MAY I CALL YOU THAT, MY DEAR? - WILL REQUIRE YOU" >d Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >n Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >n You can only go south, east and west from here. >set dial to 11 The gnomon is now pointing at 11. You have the strangest feeling that you've somehow changed more than just the time on the sundial. >s Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >u Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >u Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >x telescope The message continues: " TO "BOOK" IT QUICKLY TO YOUR NEXT LOCATION BUT BE CAREFUL! DON'T HURT YOUR'SHELF'! SINCERELY YOURS" >d Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >s Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (in which are some robot treads), a zigzag middle compartment (empty) and a zigzag top compartment (closed) here. >e Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. The bookshelf has swung open, revealing a passage to the east. >e Laboratory The laboratory is a dark room filled with strange and unpredictable equipment, deliberately decorated to resemble a mad scientist's abode from an old 1960s Hammer horror film; your hair stands on edge as you enter, but you're not sure if that's due to the room's suddenly spookt atmosphere or all the static electricity generated by the row of Jacob's ladders. The library is west through the secret passage. The conservatory is to the south. You can see a plasma globe here. >x ladders These don't do anything useful, but they look really cool. You feel tempted to touch them. >touch them You touch the jacob's ladder and are surprised to see the electrical arc suddenly spike up into crazy dips and valleys; the other jacob's ladders follow suit and suddenly you realize that it's not random... the electric arcs form letters! You read: WELL WELL WELL MY DEAR TRIXIE LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE SOLVED MY RIDDLE OF LOGIC! DO YOU ENJOY MY USE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICAL PRECISION TO DELIVER THIS MESSAGE? NOW FOR YOUR NEXT CLUE I DON'T WANT TO "PIGEON HOLE" YOU BUT IT WILL "DOVETAIL" NICELY WITH YOUR MISSION! BUT YOU MIGHT THINK IT'S "FOR THE BIRDS!" ERUDITELY YOURS, THE SKEPTICAL RATIONALIST Jeez, this guy is long-winded! >touch them You touch the jacob's ladder and are surprised to see the electrical arc suddenly spike up into crazy dips and valleys; the other jacob's ladders follow suit and suddenly you realize that it's not random... the electric arcs form letters! You read: WELL WELL WELL MY DEAR TRIXIE LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE SOLVED MY RIDDLE OF LOGIC! DO YOU ENJOY MY USE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICAL PRECISION TO DELIVER THIS MESSAGE? NOW FOR YOUR NEXT CLUE I DON'T WANT TO "PIGEON HOLE" YOU BUT IT WILL "DOVETAIL" NICELY WITH YOUR MISSION! BUT YOU MIGHT THINK IT'S "FOR THE BIRDS!" ERUDITELY YOURS, THE SKEPTICAL RATIONALIST Jeez, this guy is long-winded! >l Laboratory The laboratory is a dark room filled with strange and unpredictable equipment, deliberately decorated to resemble a mad scientist's abode from an old 1960s Hammer horror film; your hair stands on edge as you enter, but you're not sure if that's due to the room's suddenly spookt atmosphere or all the static electricity generated by the row of Jacob's ladders. The library is west through the secret passage. The conservatory is to the south. You can see a plasma globe here. >x globe It's a large glass ball filled with noble gases that cause dazzling purple lightning to periodically shoot from a high-voltage electrode. It's so charged with static electricity that you can see it drawing dust to stick to its surface; its strength is so that it would probably have the same effect on small objects. You can RUB it on something to try to attract small objects. >touhc it That's not a verb I recognise. >touch it You feel nothing unexpected. >i You are carrying: a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >rub gown on globe That's not useful right now. >rub globe on gown The plasma globe hums mysteriously, but there is nothing small to pick up here. >take globe You put your fingertips against the glass and your hair immediately stands on end from the force of the static electricity generated. This could be useful! You add the plasma globe to your inventory. >l Laboratory The laboratory is a dark room filled with strange and unpredictable equipment, deliberately decorated to resemble a mad scientist's abode from an old 1960s Hammer horror film; your hair stands on edge as you enter, but you're not sure if that's due to the room's suddenly spookt atmosphere or all the static electricity generated by the row of Jacob's ladders. The library is west through the secret passage. The conservatory is to the south. >s Conservatory The southern, western, and eastern walls of the conservatory are made of glass, turning the room into the perfect greenhouse. Mugwort uses this room to grow special plants for his own personal use, plants that, for various reasons, can't be planted in the outside garden, like foxglove or fly agaric. The laboratory is to the north. You can see a tub (in which are some nightcrawlers) and a fly agaric here. >x foxglove A pot of blooming purple Digitalis plants. >x agaric It's a large toadstool with a red spotted cap. >* Umm That's not a verb I recognise. >x tub It's a big tub full of dirt and worms. Mugwort keeps them to help improve the quality of the soil for potting in the conservatory. In the tub are some nightcrawlers. >x nightcrawlers A clew of wriggling pink earthworms. >take all tub: You don't want to carry the whole tub. fly agaric: Taken. nightcrawlers: You reach into the tub and retrieve a handful of wriggling worms. >n Laboratory The laboratory is a dark room filled with strange and unpredictable equipment, deliberately decorated to resemble a mad scientist's abode from an old 1960s Hammer horror film; your hair stands on edge as you enter, but you're not sure if that's due to the room's suddenly spookt atmosphere or all the static electricity generated by the row of Jacob's ladders. The library is west through the secret passage. The conservatory is to the south. >w Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. The bookshelf has swung open, revealing a passage to the east. >w Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (in which are some robot treads), a zigzag middle compartment (empty) and a zigzag top compartment (closed) here. >open top You open the zigzag top compartment, revealing a robot head. >x head Smithereen's head, with his dapper mustache and his glassy heat lazer eyes. The robot head could be used to SOLDER and UNSOLDER things. >take it Taken. >w Dining room The dining room is a grand, elegant room for hosting lavish soirees. It is designed in the Italian baroque style with a domed quadratura ceiling; the centerpiece of the room is, of course, the large segmented table made of sumptuous gilded wood at the room's center. The gallery is to the east, while the kitchen is accessible via a door to the west. A narrow ventilation outlet is built into the floor. You can also see a suit of armour here. >rub globe You rub the plasma globe. >put glove on outlet You can't see any such thing. >oops globe You hover the plasma globe over the vent and watch as the static electricity quickly pulls all the dust and lost items up to it -- crumbs, pencil shavings, coins... and suddenly a shiny silver key! You take the key. >x silver You see nothing special about the shiny silver key. >w Kitchen The kitchen is where all the manor's meals are prepared. Since guests are forbidden from entering this part of the house, it's less ornate than the front of the house -- but the black-and-white tiled floor and adobe brickwork walls still give it a rustic charm. The dining room is to the east. Mugwort's personal valet and chef Boffo stands at the kitchen island, calmly cutting chicken. There is a refrigerator here as well. You can also see a cookbook and a pot (in which are some garlic) here. >x cookbook Boffo has it open to the recipe for Coq au Vin, a dish requiring chicken, mushrooms, garlic, and wine. >give mushroom to boffo He shakes his head and motions to the pot on the stove, as if to say, if you want to help him cook, just deposit the ingredients there. >* I mean if you say so That's not a verb I recognise. >put agaric in bot You can't see any such thing. >oops pot The fly agaric is now in the pot. >i You are carrying: a shiny silver key a robot head some nightcrawlers a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >e Dining room The dining room is a grand, elegant room for hosting lavish soirees. It is designed in the Italian baroque style with a domed quadratura ceiling; the centerpiece of the room is, of course, the large segmented table made of sumptuous gilded wood at the room's center. The gallery is to the east, while the kitchen is accessible via a door to the west. A narrow ventilation outlet is built into the floor. You can also see a suit of armour here. >s You can only go east and west from here. >e Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (in which are some robot treads), a zigzag middle compartment (empty) and a zigzag top compartment (empty) here. >s Parlour The parlour is a simple but comfortable washitsu style-room with tatami mat floors and rice paper walls. Several zabutons surround a central kotatsu, making it the perfect room for good friends to gather after a good meal for an evening of scintillating conversation. You can see a kotatsu here. >i You are carrying: a shiny silver key a robot head some nightcrawlers a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >n Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (in which are some robot treads), a zigzag middle compartment (empty) and a zigzag top compartment (empty) here. >u You can only go north, south, east and west from here. >n Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >u Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >n (first opening the heavy iron door) It seems to be locked. >unlock iron What do you want to unlock the heavy iron door with? >silver You unlock the heavy iron door. >n (first opening the heavy iron door) Mugwort's Room Mugwort's room is decorated in dark style that can best be described as Halloween goth, with painted bats plastered across the ceiling and guazy black curtains over the windows. The walls are painted black and the air is heavy with a cloying incense that makes you choke. There is a bed of spikes made to look like a coffin in the center of the room as well as other torture implements that Mugwort uses in his act, such as the guillotine and the drill of death. >x bats You see nothing special about the bats. > curtains That's not a verb I recognise. >x curtains They're black and gauzy. Very gothic. >open curtains It isn't something you can open. >smell You smell nothing unexpected. >* should be incense That's not a verb I recognise. >x bed You asked Mugwort once why he preferred to sleep on this and he started on a very long story about how he learned to use the nail bed as a tool for psychic focus from an Indian fakir. You didn't inquire further. >lie on bed That's not a verb I recognise. >get on get You can't see any such thing. >get on bed That's not something you can enter. >enter bed That's not something you can enter. >stand on bed That's not something you can stand on. >take nail You can't see any such thing. >l Mugwort's Room Mugwort's room is decorated in dark style that can best be described as Halloween goth, with painted bats plastered across the ceiling and guazy black curtains over the windows. The walls are painted black and the air is heavy with a cloying incense that makes you choke. There is a bed of spikes made to look like a coffin in the center of the room as well as other torture implements that Mugwort uses in his act, such as the guillotine and the drill of death. >x guillotine It's used in tricks where it LOOKS like a lovely assistant gets her head chopped off. >i You are carrying: a shiny silver key a robot head some nightcrawlers a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >put head in guillotine That can't contain things. >use guillotine What do you want to use the guillotine with? >head That's not useful right now. >put helmet on head Putting things on the robot head would achieve nothing. >* ah well That's not a verb I recognise. >x drill In the drill of death routine, the lovely assistant will appear to be impaled on the drill bit. >take it The drill of death is far too large to remove from this room. But if you could somehow remove the drill bit, that could be useful. >remove drill bit I only understood you as far as wanting to remove the drill of death. >x bit You can't see any such thing. >x drill bit I only understood you as far as wanting to examine the drill of death. >* Hmm That's not a verb I recognise. >disassemble drill Only the zigzag cabinet can be disassembled, and only when someone's inside it. >l Mugwort's Room Mugwort's room is decorated in dark style that can best be described as Halloween goth, with painted bats plastered across the ceiling and guazy black curtains over the windows. The walls are painted black and the air is heavy with a cloying incense that makes you choke. There is a bed of spikes made to look like a coffin in the center of the room as well as other torture implements that Mugwort uses in his act, such as the guillotine and the drill of death. >i You are carrying: a shiny silver key a robot head some nightcrawlers a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >solder drill with head That's not helpful right now. >* Not really sure what the issue is with the drill That's not a verb I recognise. >x death In the drill of death routine, the lovely assistant will appear to be impaled on the drill bit. >impale That's not a verb I recognise. >help Quick Help Objects: Try LOOK AT..., SPEAK TO..., TAKE..., DROP..., OPEN..., GIVE... TO..., USE... ON/WITH... Talk to: Most characters in the game will have something to say, useful or not. Inventory: See which items you are carrying by typing I, INV or INVENTORY. Moving around: Press the compass buttons, or type GO NORTH, SOUTH, E, GO TO... Hints: To get hints, talk to the crystal ball in your bedroom. You can ask the crystal ball about various topics by using the command ASK CRYSTAL BALL ABOUT XX. Lovely assistant understand many verbs, but the game can be finished using only the following commands: Look at, Take, Talk to, Turn, Ask XX about XX, Saw XX with XX, Put XX in XX, Disassemble, Open, Answer, Turn on, Turn off, Extend, Go through, Pull XX from XX, Hold XX over XX, Hold XX on XX, Rub XX on XX, Give XX to XX, Unlock XX with XX, Cut XX with XX, Tie XX to XX, Climb, Climb down, Tap XX with XX, Hit XX with XX, Shoot XX with XX, Drill XX with XX, Pour XX in XX, Solder XX with XX A BIG Special thanks to Brian "Mathbrush" Rushton for bug-zapping, house cleaning, general fixing-upping and invaluable support!! >pull drill bit I only understood you as far as wanting to pull the drill of death. >pull drill bit from drill I only understood you as far as wanting to pull the drill of death. >open drill It isn't something you can open. >take drill bit I only understood you as far as wanting to take the drill of death. >take drill The drill of death is far too large to remove from this room. But if you could somehow remove the drill bit, that could be useful. >cut drill Cutting it up would achieve little. >i You are carrying: a shiny silver key a robot head some nightcrawlers a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >l Mugwort's Room Mugwort's room is decorated in dark style that can best be described as Halloween goth, with painted bats plastered across the ceiling and guazy black curtains over the windows. The walls are painted black and the air is heavy with a cloying incense that makes you choke. There is a bed of spikes made to look like a coffin in the center of the room as well as other torture implements that Mugwort uses in his act, such as the guillotine and the drill of death. >s Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >u Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >u Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >e Widow's Walk You are outside, under the open sky, standing on the roof of the mansion. The widow's walk is surrounded by a low fence. If you look over the side, you can see a small wooden structure atop a neighboring turret. The observatory is to the west. You can see a makeshift rope ladder here. >d Dovecote Mugwort's birdhouse is here, and, like usual, it's full of doves. A crusty rod is sticking out of the birdhouse.. The handkerchief ladder leads back up to the Widow's Walk. You can also see a feeding dish (empty) here. >put worms in dish You drop the nightcrawlers into the feeding dish; the doves immediately react to the sound of soft squishy worm bodies hitting the bottom of the bowl. One by one, the birds swoop down, each elegantly catching a worm in its beak, before they suddenly take to the air and assemble into formation. To your surprise, the birds are flying in formation to spell out letters! Someone must have worked really hard to train them to do that! DEAREST TRIXIE! SURPRISED? YOU NEEDN'T BE! TIS NO MAGIC TRICK JUST MERE OPPERANT CONDITIONING THAT ALLOWED ME TO TRAIN MUGWORTS DOVE SO! YOURE AT THE TOP BUT NEXT YOU MUST GO TO THE BOTTOM! THE DEEPEST DEPTHS! DRINK YOUR FILL OUT OF OUR GAME FOR ITS THE FINEST VINTAGE OF LOGIC AND REASON YOULL FIND! EVER SO INTUITIVELY YOURS THE SKEPTICAL RATIONALIST >* the skeptical rationalist missed an apostrophe in "it's" That's not a verb I recognise. >take rod You reach into the birdhouse and your fingers fall upon a long thin rod. You pull it out and find that you're holding Mugwort's lost magic wand, now encrusted with petrified dove droppings. >* ick That's not a verb I recognise. >w You can only go up from here. >u Widow's Walk You are outside, under the open sky, standing on the roof of the mansion. The widow's walk is surrounded by a low fence. If you look over the side, you can see a small wooden structure atop a neighboring turret. The observatory is to the west. You can see a makeshift rope ladder here. >w Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >d Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >e You can only go north, south, up and down from here. >s Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (in which are some robot treads), a zigzag middle compartment (empty) and a zigzag top compartment (empty) here. >e Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. The bookshelf has swung open, revealing a passage to the east. >s Billiards Room The billiards room is decorated in the style of the British Raj, the walls painted an earthy burnt orange and decorated with detailed mandalas and the heads of big game animal trophies. The room is mostly dominated by a large pool table. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see some billiard balls here. >play billiards That's not a verb I recognise. >break balls with cue You can't see any such thing. >break balls with wand Using the magic wand as a pool cue, you tap the cue ball. The cue ball taps the cribbage formation, sending the balls rollings into the corner holes. You grin in self-satisfaction as you see that you've successfully knocked ALL the balls into the holes with one shot... and you can hear the resulting grinding of gears as the balls trigger the mechanism inside the table. A second later, the trapdoor in the floor swings open. >d Grotto The grotto is a cavernous room designed to resemble an underground cave lake, based on Ludwig II's private opera theater in Neuschwanstein castle. Mugwort performs special private shows for select fellow initiates into the magical arts and sometimes bachelorette parties and bar mitzvahs. There is a stage for performers and guests watch the action from ornate swan pedal boats bobbing in the shallow water. A canal leads off to the south. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see Giggles here. As you descend into the grotto, you notice a large woman, wearing a horned helm and a valkyre's metal breastplate, her face caked with white grease paint and a bulbous red clown nose, standing on the stage. That's Giggles, Mugwort's personal opera diva. She participates in performances sometimes. "It's about time you showed up," snaps Giggles. "Did you bring my supper? My contract specifically calls for per diem meals or I don't sing! Especially not special requests! You can tell Mugwort that this weird new aria he sent me is rubbish! But if he wants me to sing it, he'd better feed me!" "Weird new aria?" you say. That sounds intriguing; could it be that this mysterious new aria wasn't sent by Mugwort at all but by the Skeptical Rationalist? Could it be that it might contain the next clue that you need? "Golly, I don't suppose you might be able to tell me what it says?" "No free performances," says Giggles. "Not before my evening meal, at least!" >l Grotto The grotto is a cavernous room designed to resemble an underground cave lake, based on Ludwig II's private opera theater in Neuschwanstein castle. Mugwort performs special private shows for select fellow initiates into the magical arts and sometimes bachelorette parties and bar mitzvahs. There is a stage for performers and guests watch the action from ornate swan pedal boats bobbing in the shallow water. A canal leads off to the south. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see Giggles here. Giggles dramatically stabs her spear into the floorboards of the stage while pantomiming along to a few lines of "Casta Diva" from Bellini's Norma. >* missing "to" between "guests" and "watch" That's not a verb I recognise. >x trapdoor You can see the outline of a trapdoor in the floor. >l Grotto The grotto is a cavernous room designed to resemble an underground cave lake, based on Ludwig II's private opera theater in Neuschwanstein castle. Mugwort performs special private shows for select fellow initiates into the magical arts and sometimes bachelorette parties and bar mitzvahs. There is a stage for performers and guests watch the action from ornate swan pedal boats bobbing in the shallow water. A canal leads off to the south. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see Giggles here. >open trapsdoor You can't see any such thing. >open trapdoor It seems to be locked. >unlock it What do you want to unlock the trapdoor with? >silve You can't see any such thing. >unlock it What do you want to unlock the trapdoor with? >silver That doesn't seem to fit the lock. >unlock it What do you want to unlock the trapdoor with? >copper That doesn't seem to fit the lock. >i You are carrying: a magic wand a shiny silver key a robot head a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >l Grotto The grotto is a cavernous room designed to resemble an underground cave lake, based on Ludwig II's private opera theater in Neuschwanstein castle. Mugwort performs special private shows for select fellow initiates into the magical arts and sometimes bachelorette parties and bar mitzvahs. There is a stage for performers and guests watch the action from ornate swan pedal boats bobbing in the shallow water. A canal leads off to the south. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see Giggles here. >x lake You can't see any such thing. >x swan They're designed to look like regal swans. >x stage Performers usually perform from here. Giggles flexes her spear-brandishing arm as she quietly hums the tune to "Der Hoelle Rache" from Mozart's Die Zauberfloete. >x giggles Giggles is an enormous woman in every sense of the word, from the obvious -- her towering stature and vast girth -- to the sublime -- her incredible singing voice and domineering diva personality. She is dressed as a Wagnerian valkyre with spear and horned helm, an image only tenuously defeated by her white greasepainted face and bulbous red clown nose. Giggles leans against her valkyre spear and adjusts her horned helmet. >talk to giggles You start to talk but Giggles cuts you off. "Trixie, is it? I'd know Mugwort's gofer anywhere. Why don't you go back upstairs and tell that layabout you work for that supper is late and, as per my contract, I shall NOT be singing until I receive my due!" "Er... see, that's the thing," you say, "Mugwort's kind of been kidnapped...." "That's hardly any of my concern," snaps Giggles, "Being kidnapped shouldn't stop him from fulfilling the terms of our contract and, as such, I should expect to have my hot supper before I do ANY evening performances! I don't care a whit for these ridiculous notes he's given me full of frankly ridiculous changes to tonight's performance.... but if he wants to hear my beautiful singing voice rise in tantalzing crescendo tonight, he'll see that I'm fed properly!" >s Giggles blocks your way. "Not until I get my evening meal!" says Giggles. >l Grotto The grotto is a cavernous room designed to resemble an underground cave lake, based on Ludwig II's private opera theater in Neuschwanstein castle. Mugwort performs special private shows for select fellow initiates into the magical arts and sometimes bachelorette parties and bar mitzvahs. There is a stage for performers and guests watch the action from ornate swan pedal boats bobbing in the shallow water. A canal leads off to the south. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see Giggles here. >u Billiards Room The billiards room is decorated in the style of the British Raj, the walls painted an earthy burnt orange and decorated with detailed mandalas and the heads of big game animal trophies. The room is mostly dominated by a large pool table. There is also a trapdoor. >w You can only go north and down from here. > I beg your pardon? >n Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. The bookshelf has swung open, revealing a passage to the east. >w Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (in which are some robot treads), a zigzag middle compartment (empty) and a zigzag top compartment (empty) here. >i You are carrying: a magic wand a shiny silver key a robot head a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >n Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >d Wine cellar The wine cellar is a large, damp concrete room, the walls lined with scaffolding full of sturdy oak wine barrels. The air is cold and slightly musty down here. You can see a hogshead here. >solder hogshead What do you want to solder the hogshead with? >head That's not helpful right now. >u Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >u Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >u Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >e Widow's Walk You are outside, under the open sky, standing on the roof of the mansion. The widow's walk is surrounded by a low fence. If you look over the side, you can see a small wooden structure atop a neighboring turret. The observatory is to the west. You can see a makeshift rope ladder here. >d Dovecote Mugwort's birdhouse is here, but the doves are flying in formation right now. The handkerchief ladder leads back up to the Widow's Walk. You can also see some doves and a feeding dish (in which are some nightcrawlers) here. >e You can only go up from here. >u Widow's Walk You are outside, under the open sky, standing on the roof of the mansion. The widow's walk is surrounded by a low fence. If you look over the side, you can see a small wooden structure atop a neighboring turret. The observatory is to the west. You can see a makeshift rope ladder here. >w Observatory The observatory is a large, domed room, dominated by a massive telescope positioned to point through a large aperture in the ceiling to view the night sky beyond. A spiral staircase leads back down to the hallway below. A door to the east leads outside to the widow's walk. You can see a telescope and a chalkboard here. >d Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >e Study Mugwort the Magician's study is both sufficiently grand to inspire awe in guests yet intimately cozy enough to hold small intimate gatherings for friends and acolytes. Almost all the wall space is filled with oil portraits of Mugwort's many many ancestors and even the mantleplace over the fireplace is covered with photos of illustrious colleagues. A door in the western wall leads to the hallway outside. Mugwort's large oaken desk with a plush ornate wingback chair is pushed up against the northern wall, and his prestidigitation cabinet is in the corner. A tuxedo is draped over the arm of a chair, a handkerchief poking out of its pocket. You can also see an endless coil of handkerchieves here. >w Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >n Mugwort's Room Mugwort's room is decorated in dark style that can best be described as Halloween goth, with painted bats plastered across the ceiling and guazy black curtains over the windows. The walls are painted black and the air is heavy with a cloying incense that makes you choke. There is a bed of spikes made to look like a coffin in the center of the room as well as other torture implements that Mugwort uses in his act, such as the guillotine and the drill of death. >* I think I really need this drill now -- maybe I'm missing an item? That's not a verb I recognise. >unscrew drill It is fixed in place. >help Quick Help Objects: Try LOOK AT..., SPEAK TO..., TAKE..., DROP..., OPEN..., GIVE... TO..., USE... ON/WITH... Talk to: Most characters in the game will have something to say, useful or not. Inventory: See which items you are carrying by typing I, INV or INVENTORY. Moving around: Press the compass buttons, or type GO NORTH, SOUTH, E, GO TO... Hints: To get hints, talk to the crystal ball in your bedroom. You can ask the crystal ball about various topics by using the command ASK CRYSTAL BALL ABOUT XX. Lovely assistant understand many verbs, but the game can be finished using only the following commands: Look at, Take, Talk to, Turn, Ask XX about XX, Saw XX with XX, Put XX in XX, Disassemble, Open, Answer, Turn on, Turn off, Extend, Go through, Pull XX from XX, Hold XX over XX, Hold XX on XX, Rub XX on XX, Give XX to XX, Unlock XX with XX, Cut XX with XX, Tie XX to XX, Climb, Climb down, Tap XX with XX, Hit XX with XX, Shoot XX with XX, Drill XX with XX, Pour XX in XX, Solder XX with XX A BIG Special thanks to Brian "Mathbrush" Rushton for bug-zapping, house cleaning, general fixing-upping and invaluable support!! >hit drill Violence isn't the answer to this one. >take drill The drill of death is far too large to remove from this room. But if you could somehow remove the drill bit, that could be useful. >turn drill It is fixed in place. >saw drill What do you want to saw the drill of death with? >handsaw That's not something you need to saw! >help Quick Help Objects: Try LOOK AT..., SPEAK TO..., TAKE..., DROP..., OPEN..., GIVE... TO..., USE... ON/WITH... Talk to: Most characters in the game will have something to say, useful or not. Inventory: See which items you are carrying by typing I, INV or INVENTORY. Moving around: Press the compass buttons, or type GO NORTH, SOUTH, E, GO TO... Hints: To get hints, talk to the crystal ball in your bedroom. You can ask the crystal ball about various topics by using the command ASK CRYSTAL BALL ABOUT XX. Lovely assistant understand many verbs, but the game can be finished using only the following commands: Look at, Take, Talk to, Turn, Ask XX about XX, Saw XX with XX, Put XX in XX, Disassemble, Open, Answer, Turn on, Turn off, Extend, Go through, Pull XX from XX, Hold XX over XX, Hold XX on XX, Rub XX on XX, Give XX to XX, Unlock XX with XX, Cut XX with XX, Tie XX to XX, Climb, Climb down, Tap XX with XX, Hit XX with XX, Shoot XX with XX, Drill XX with XX, Pour XX in XX, Solder XX with XX A BIG Special thanks to Brian "Mathbrush" Rushton for bug-zapping, house cleaning, general fixing-upping and invaluable support!! >disassemble drill Only the zigzag cabinet can be disassembled, and only when someone's inside it. >solder drill with head That's not helpful right now. >opend rill That's not a verb I recognise. >open drill It isn't something you can open. >turn on drill It isn't something you can switch. >use drill What do you want to use the drill of death with? >head That's not useful right now. >i You are carrying: a magic wand a shiny silver key a robot head a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >help Quick Help Objects: Try LOOK AT..., SPEAK TO..., TAKE..., DROP..., OPEN..., GIVE... TO..., USE... ON/WITH... Talk to: Most characters in the game will have something to say, useful or not. Inventory: See which items you are carrying by typing I, INV or INVENTORY. Moving around: Press the compass buttons, or type GO NORTH, SOUTH, E, GO TO... Hints: To get hints, talk to the crystal ball in your bedroom. You can ask the crystal ball about various topics by using the command ASK CRYSTAL BALL ABOUT XX. Lovely assistant understand many verbs, but the game can be finished using only the following commands: Look at, Take, Talk to, Turn, Ask XX about XX, Saw XX with XX, Put XX in XX, Disassemble, Open, Answer, Turn on, Turn off, Extend, Go through, Pull XX from XX, Hold XX over XX, Hold XX on XX, Rub XX on XX, Give XX to XX, Unlock XX with XX, Cut XX with XX, Tie XX to XX, Climb, Climb down, Tap XX with XX, Hit XX with XX, Shoot XX with XX, Drill XX with XX, Pour XX in XX, Solder XX with XX A BIG Special thanks to Brian "Mathbrush" Rushton for bug-zapping, house cleaning, general fixing-upping and invaluable support!! >pull drill bit from drill I only understood you as far as wanting to pull the drill of death. >* So the drill bit isn't implemented as a separate object That's not a verb I recognise. >i You are carrying: a magic wand a shiny silver key a robot head a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >hint That's not a verb I recognise. >d You can only go south from here. >s Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >w Your Bedroom Your bedroom is decorated entirely in pink, from the wispy curtains surrounding the canopied bed to the big overstuffed heart-shaped beanbags that serve as chairs. You've decorated the walls with posters advertising some of the biggest venues and events that you've performed with Mugwort. You can see a crystal ball here. >ask ball about drill "The drill of death is too heavy to carry?" says Madam Mugumba. "A shame! But if only there was something in that same room that would allow you to CUT off the drill bit..." >e Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >n Mugwort's Room Mugwort's room is decorated in dark style that can best be described as Halloween goth, with painted bats plastered across the ceiling and guazy black curtains over the windows. The walls are painted black and the air is heavy with a cloying incense that makes you choke. There is a bed of spikes made to look like a coffin in the center of the room as well as other torture implements that Mugwort uses in his act, such as the guillotine and the drill of death. >cut drill bit I only understood you as far as wanting to cut the drill of death. >cut drill bit with guillotine I only understood you as far as wanting to cut the drill of death. >put drill in guillotine You manage to lug the drill of death over to the guillotine and position it so that the drill bit is poking through the head stocks. You release the guillotine blade and - WHACK - the bit is cut off, falling to the floor! >* Not enough detail on how things are set up to make this clear, I think You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >* And better responses to CUT DRILL WITH SAW would help too That's not a verb I recognise. >take bit Taken. >x it It's a pointed rod of metal, with a spiral carved around its length. It's big enough to hold in two hands. You could use it to DRILL holes. >d You can only go south from here. >s Hallway The hallway is a long corridor, plushly carpeted, the walls covered with oil paintings depicting great events from the history of stage magic. The study is to the east. Your bedroom is to the west. Mugwort's bedroom is to the north. The bathroom is to the south. A spiral staircase leads down to the ground floor below and up to the observatory above. >d Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >d Wine cellar The wine cellar is a large, damp concrete room, the walls lined with scaffolding full of sturdy oak wine barrels. The air is cold and slightly musty down here. You can see a hogshead here. >drill hogshead What do you want to drill the hogshead with? >bit You press the point of the drill bit against the top of the hogshead and slowly start to turn it. It takes some effort, but eventually the bit starts to penetrate the wood. After a few minutes you have successfully drilled a hole into the hogshead! You could pour the wine out now...if only you had a receptacle. >pour wine into helmet That's not something you can pour. >pour wine in helmet That's not something you can pour. >pour hogshead into helmet You tilt the hogshead over, enough for wine to spill from the hole into the helmet. >* Wine should be synonym here That's not a verb I recognise. >u Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >w You can only go north, south, up and down from here. >s Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (in which are some robot treads), a zigzag middle compartment (empty) and a zigzag top compartment (empty) here. >w Dining room The dining room is a grand, elegant room for hosting lavish soirees. It is designed in the Italian baroque style with a domed quadratura ceiling; the centerpiece of the room is, of course, the large segmented table made of sumptuous gilded wood at the room's center. The gallery is to the east, while the kitchen is accessible via a door to the west. A narrow ventilation outlet is built into the floor. You can also see a suit of armour here. >w Kitchen The kitchen is where all the manor's meals are prepared. Since guests are forbidden from entering this part of the house, it's less ornate than the front of the house -- but the black-and-white tiled floor and adobe brickwork walls still give it a rustic charm. The dining room is to the east. Mugwort's personal valet and chef Boffo stands at the kitchen island, calmly cutting chicken. There is a refrigerator here as well. You can also see a cookbook and a pot (in which are a fly agaric and some garlic) here. >put wine in pot Boffo nods as he sees you place the last ingredient in the pot. He tosses the chicken in as well and begins tossing the coq au vin mixture. A delicious smell fills the room and evetually he ladles out a large helping onto a plate and hands it to you. >* "evetually" is a typo That's not a verb I recognise. >eat co You can't see any such thing. >eat coq That's plainly inedible. >i You are carrying: a coq au vin a drill bit a magic wand a shiny silver key a robot head a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >* I mean I know it's poisoned... That's not a verb I recognise. >e Dining room The dining room is a grand, elegant room for hosting lavish soirees. It is designed in the Italian baroque style with a domed quadratura ceiling; the centerpiece of the room is, of course, the large segmented table made of sumptuous gilded wood at the room's center. The gallery is to the east, while the kitchen is accessible via a door to the west. A narrow ventilation outlet is built into the floor. You can also see a suit of armour here. >e Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (in which are some robot treads), a zigzag middle compartment (empty) and a zigzag top compartment (empty) here. >e Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. The bookshelf has swung open, revealing a passage to the east. >s Billiards Room The billiards room is decorated in the style of the British Raj, the walls painted an earthy burnt orange and decorated with detailed mandalas and the heads of big game animal trophies. The room is mostly dominated by a large pool table. There is also a trapdoor. >d Grotto The grotto is a cavernous room designed to resemble an underground cave lake, based on Ludwig II's private opera theater in Neuschwanstein castle. Mugwort performs special private shows for select fellow initiates into the magical arts and sometimes bachelorette parties and bar mitzvahs. There is a stage for performers and guests watch the action from ornate swan pedal boats bobbing in the shallow water. A canal leads off to the south. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see Giggles here. >give coq to giggles Giggles accepts the coq au vin with a curt but appreciative nod. You wait patiently while she finishes her meal, then she stands up and says "Finally! A meal fit for a true star! Now I'm ready to give the performance of a lifetime... granted, I thought those notes that Mugwort sent down were a little... strange. I've never heard an aria with such... esoteric lyrics. Nevertheless...!" She clears her throat, adjusts her helmet and bursts into song. "AH TRIXIE! YOU'VE FOUND MY LAST CLUE! YOU HAVE PROVED YOURSELF AS SCIENTIFIC AND METHODICAL AND REASONABLE AS THE WRITING STAFF OF RICK AND MORTY, MY FAVORITE TELEVISION SERIES WHICH I PRIZE FOR ITS LOGIC! YOU'VE ALMOST "WRAPPED" UP THIS MYSTERY! BUT DON'T CRY FOR YOUR "MUMMY" YET OR YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF IN A "TOMB" WITH A VIEW!" As she holds the high note, the cave shakes in response, several stalactites falling loose from the ceiling. Her performance completed, Giggles bows graciously. Giggles sings a few lines of "Largo al Factotum" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia to herself. >s Basement The basement is decorated to resemble the burial chamber of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, the ceiling supported by ornate papyriform columns and light provided by flickering torches held in scarab-shaped wall sconces. It's all very ostentatious for a room meant to store boxes of old clothes and busted furniture bound for the thrift store. You can see an ushabti here. >n Grotto The grotto is a cavernous room designed to resemble an underground cave lake, based on Ludwig II's private opera theater in Neuschwanstein castle. Mugwort performs special private shows for select fellow initiates into the magical arts and sometimes bachelorette parties and bar mitzvahs. There is a stage for performers and guests watch the action from ornate swan pedal boats bobbing in the shallow water. A canal leads off to the south. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see Giggles here. Giggles adjusts her might metal brassiere beneath her equally might metal breastplate. >x stalactite They add cave ambience. >take it They add cave ambience. >s Basement The basement is decorated to resemble the burial chamber of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, the ceiling supported by ornate papyriform columns and light provided by flickering torches held in scarab-shaped wall sconces. It's all very ostentatious for a room meant to store boxes of old clothes and busted furniture bound for the thrift store. You can see an ushabti here. >x columns They're carved to resemble bundles of reeds. >x torches They provide the only light in this room. >x boxes You can't see any such thing. >* Hmm That's not a verb I recognise. >x ushabti It's carved to look like a tiny Egyptian sarcophagus. >take it Taken. >u You can only go north from here. >n Grotto The grotto is a cavernous room designed to resemble an underground cave lake, based on Ludwig II's private opera theater in Neuschwanstein castle. Mugwort performs special private shows for select fellow initiates into the magical arts and sometimes bachelorette parties and bar mitzvahs. There is a stage for performers and guests watch the action from ornate swan pedal boats bobbing in the shallow water. A canal leads off to the south. There is also a trapdoor. You can also see Giggles here. Giggles leans against her valkyre spear and adjusts her horned helmet. >u Billiards Room The billiards room is decorated in the style of the British Raj, the walls painted an earthy burnt orange and decorated with detailed mandalas and the heads of big game animal trophies. The room is mostly dominated by a large pool table. There is also a trapdoor. >w You can only go north and down from here. >n Library The library is a large, stately room in the moorish style, with tall sturdy shelves carved from solid black walnut wood set into keyhole arch-shaped alcoves in deep blue tinted walls painted with decorative hamsas and nazars. Every inch of shelf space is filled with books of all shapes and sizes. A round table in the center of the room is barely visible beneath stacked piles of books. The gallery is to the west. The billiards room is to the south. The bookshelf has swung open, revealing a passage to the east. >w Gallery The gallery is a vast corridor that forms the main artery of the mansion, linking to the dining room in the west, the library to the east, and the parlour in the south. The walls of the gallery are lined with yet more oil portraits of famous magicians. You can see a zigzag bottom compartment (in which are some robot treads), a zigzag middle compartment (empty) and a zigzag top compartment (empty) here. >n Atrium The atrium is a modest but still impressive room meant to welcome guests to Mugwort Manor. An umbrella stand and shoe rack are placed next to the front door; a large fresco on the ceiling recalls Michelangelo's Creation of Adam with the notable difference that in this depiction God is offering Adam his choice of playing cards. Above then, two cherubs unfurl a banner bearing the inscription "Colligunt enim Pecto, Stirpe sórores Pecto!" The atrium opens up into the gallery to the south. The front lawn is accessible to the north. A spiral staircase leads up to hallway of the second floor and down to the wine cellar below. >n Lawn The wide green expanse of the mansion's front lawn stretches before you, an ocean of perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass surrounding one central focal point -- an ornate Roman sundial (with a gnomon). The garden is to the east and the hedge maze is to the west. You can see a sundial here. >e Garden The garden is a tastefully wild tangle of plants, both edible vegetables and ornamental flowers. A small ziggurat, designed to mimic the Mesopotamian style, has been erected at the far east end of the garden. The entry to the ziggurat is blocked by a sphinx. You can see rabbits, Chuckles the gardener and a pyramid door here. The sphinx bleats "The Great Cleopatra herself could not ask for a better guardian than... The Mighty Sphinx!" >give ushbati to sphinx You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: an ushabti a drill bit a magic wand a shiny silver key a robot head a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) >give ushabti to sphinx You give the ushabti to the sphinx. "Excellent! This reminds me of my younger days as a sphinxling along the banks of the river Nile!" it booms, despite the fact that it's clearly an automaton and was never younger. "Your offering has pleased the sphinx! You may enter the pyramid, oh worthy one!" It stands aside and you see a door open in the side of the ziggurat behind it to the east. >e (first opening the pyramid door) Pyramid The pyramid consists of a single chamber, dark with the only light spilling in from the entrance to the west. The walls are inscribed with rows of hieroglyphics. In the dim light, you can just make out the outlines of four statues surrounding a large sarcophagus in the center of the room. You can see a pyramid door here. >x rows You can't see any such thing. >x hieroglyphs You don't know enough about Egypt to understand what they say. >x statues The statues depict the jackal-head god of the dead Anubis, the ibis-headed god of wisdom Thoth, the cat-headed goddess of cats Bast, and the crocodile-headed god of crocodiles Sobek. >x door You see nothing special about the pyramid door. >e You can only go west from here. >d You can only go west from here. >i You are carrying: an ushabti a drill bit a magic wand a shiny silver key a robot head a plasma globe a robot torso abandoned hedgeclippers a helmet a saw a note a tiny copper key a sheer sequined gown (being worn) > I beg your pardon? >l Pyramid The pyramid consists of a single chamber, dark with the only light spilling in from the entrance to the west. The walls are inscribed with rows of hieroglyphics. In the dim light, you can just make out the outlines of four statues surrounding a large sarcophagus in the center of the room. You can see a pyramid door here. >x statues The statues depict the jackal-head god of the dead Anubis, the ibis-headed god of wisdom Thoth, the cat-headed goddess of cats Bast, and the crocodile-headed god of crocodiles Sobek. >x sarcophagus It's a golden sarcophagus in the classic Egyptian style. It is soldered shut, but air holes have been punched into the lid. You can hear scratching from within. >touch it You feel nothing unexpected. >open it The sarcophagus is soldered shut. You would need a blowtorch to open it. >solder sarcophagus with head You flick a switch on the back of the robot head to activate his heat lazer eyes, which you quickly use to unsolder the sarcophagus. The sarcophagus swings open, and Mugwort himself pops out, gasping for breath. "By the homunculus of Paracelsus!" he cries, "Thank you, Trixie! That dastardly plot by the The Ringmaster was nearly the end of me-" "Actually, Mugwort, it was The Skeptical Rationalist," you say. "The Skeptical Rationalist? That incredulous egghead of evil! But Trixie, one thing baffles me, how did you ever solve the his surely deviously reasonable puzzles?" "Golly it wasn't difficult," you say. "But Trixie! I fear the Skeptical Rationalist has still won... by preventing me from attending to Little Kenny's birthday party! I must be off at once..." He pauses. "But what good is a magician without a lovely assistant? Come, Trixie, we have a party of small children awaiting mystification! They're counting on us to fill their dreams with wonder and whimsy!" "Golly Mugwort, we'd better hurry!" "Absolutely and now... we're off! PRESTO CHANGO! And you're off! *** The End *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT or UNDO the last command? > quit