.SEGMENT "ZAN" .FUNCT ANONF-318:ANY:0:0 ICALL2 REMOVE-ALL,HURTH-STORIES REMOVE SPIRIT-STONE ICALL2 UPDATE-REMOVE,SIXTH-STONE SET 'SUBGROUP-MODE,TRUE-VALUE GRTR? RED-ROCK-COUNT,0 \?CND1 MOVE INVISIBLE-SPELL,ALWAYS-SPELLS ?CND1: ICALL2 GRAPHIC,G-ASTRIX PRINTI "Astrix took the Two stones in his hand, and it seemed that they became one, occupying the same space, and suffused with a brilliant white glow. Peering into the glow, Astrix went into a trance. ""The Anvil,"" he said in a breathless whisper, and collapsed to the ground, the Two separating as they fell from his grasp; the glow dimmed, then went out. Soon, Astrix' breath returned and he regained his composure." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I have seen it, felt it,"" he said, closing his eyes tightly and drawing a deep breath. ""The Anvil shall be found near the place of its creation at the dawning of our Age; on the Misty Isle, far to the south. This is where your efforts lead - the end of your Journey, for good or ill.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I have not heard of such an island,"" Praxix said, ""though I am not unfamiliar with lore and legend.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """The legends of your lands, perhaps,"" Astrix replied. ""The Misty Isle lies in the deep ocean, south of Zan, beyond the Twin Isles of Estril and Lethor. The sailors of Zan know it well, or rather they know of it. For it is shrouded in mist, and it is told that none who has entered that mist has returned alive. But that is where the Anvil is to be found, if indeed it can be found at all; it has a great power within it, and that is our last hope against the scourge from the North.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Rest here this night, and start fresh in the morning. The road to Zan lies here,"" he continued, taking out a crude map, ""It should be no more than a two-day march."" He paused, as if unsure of how to say what was to follow." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Word of your quest is in the air,"" he said darkly, ""Even the " PRINT BAD-GUY PRINTI " himself cannot be unaware of the uniting of the Six Stones. And this he has long feared, for the Legend tells that Five, having gained the Six Stones, shall find the Anvil, and claim it for their own. As long as your party of five are abroad in the land, you cause the " PRINT BAD-GUY PRINTI " great alarm. Take care - for the " PRINT BAD-GUY PRINTI " has eyes and ears everywhere, and it is said that Zan itself is in his thrall. Do not tarry there; the sooner you reach the open seas, the better!""" RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-319:ANY:0:0 SET 'SUBGROUP-MODE,FALSE-VALUE RETURN SUBGROUP-MODE .FUNCT ANONF-320:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,PROCEED-COMMAND \FALSE CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-OUTSKIRTS RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-321:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,EXAMINE-COMMAND \FALSE ICALL1 UPDATE-MOVE PRINTI "Of our party, Hurth's vision was the most acute, and Praxix asked him to examine the shadow carefully." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """It is a great, black bird,"" Hurth said, twisting his head to follow the rapidly moving form, ""and on its back a dark rider!""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """It searches for us,"" Praxix said glumly, ""and we are scarcely protected from its view! I must think....""" CALL ADD-TRAVEL-COMMAND,HERE,HIDE-COMMAND RSTACK .FUNCT ATTENTION-GETTER?:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,RAIN-SPELL,LIGHTNING-SPELL /TRUE EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,FAR-VISION-SPELL,FIRE-SPELL /TRUE RFALSE .FUNCT ANONF-322:ANY:0:0 PRINTI "It was a simple matter to locate the southern route that led to Zan, and by the afternoon of the second day we could see from afar the port of Zan at the shore of the great ocean." CRLF CRLF ICALL2 GRAPHIC,G-ZAN-DEMON PRINTI "As we descended through the open plains that led to the sea, it seemed that a cloud had passed before the sun, and the land was cast in shadow. But this was no cloud, but rather the form of some large creature that came from the north, spinning and diving through the sky like some bird of prey looking for its next meal." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """The great white bird,"" I said, thinking back to the graceful form we had seen as we descended from the high plain to the mountain lake. ""The one sent by Astrix to follow our progress!""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "But Praxix was concerned. ""You may be right,"" he said, ""but there are other creatures that roam the skies, and not all are friends of ours.""" RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-323:ANY:0:0,SP,?TMP2 EQUAL? ACTION,HIDE-COMMAND \?CCL3 ICALL1 REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND PRINTI "A hiding place was nowhere to be found in this open plain, and all eyes turned to Praxix. A seeming eternity passed before he spoke." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """None of my spells will protect us, but..."" He paused again, tapping his head with his staff as if trying to unjam some piece of mental machinery. ""Now that I think of it, I can recall that one combination of essences produces a kind of fog or mist. All I need do is figure out which two...""" CRLF CRLF CALL2 COUNT,ESSENCES GRTR? STACK,1 \?CCL6 PRINTI "The dark shadow lengthened as we breathlessly awaited the results of Praxix' magic." FSET HERE,SEEN CALL OPTION,PRAXIX,MIX-COMMAND RSTACK ?CCL6: PRINTI "Praxix now removed his pouch, but discovered that he didn't have enough essences to make any mixture whatever." RTRUE ?CCL3: EQUAL? ACTION,CAST-COMMAND \?CCL8 FSET? HERE,SEEN /?CCL8 CALL QSET?,HERE,TRIED ZERO? STACK \?CCL8 CALL1 ATTENTION-GETTER? ZERO? STACK /?CCL8 PRINTI "Praxix, flustered by the approach of this demon of darkness, tried casting his """ ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTION-OBJECT PRINTI """ spell, but this had the disastrous effect of bringing attention to our party and its location." CRLF CRLF CALL1 DEMON-KILLS-AT-OUTSKIRTS RSTACK ?CCL8: EQUAL? ACTION,CAST-COMMAND \?CCL14 EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,INVISIBLE-SPELL \?CCL14 PRINTI """Why not use the red rocks for invisibility,"" I said, thinking I had come up with a solution to our predicament." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """We have barely enough to make one person invisible,"" Praxix replied, ""and that would scarcely protect the rest of us. No, I must think of something else.""" RTRUE ?CCL14: EQUAL? ACTION,PROCEED-COMMAND \?CCL18 ZERO? DEMON-VICTIM /?CCL21 PRINTI "With heavy hearts, we pressed onward" JUMP ?CND19 ?CCL21: FSET? HERE,TRAPPED /?CCL23 FSET HERE,SEEN PRINTI "Ignoring the shadow that grew ever closer, we continued down the path leading to the sea. But after only a few short moments, the sky again darkened and we watched in horror as the shadow dove at our party." CRLF CRLF ICALL1 DEMON-KILLS-AT-OUTSKIRTS ICALL2 HINT,HINT-DKAO RTRUE ?CCL23: PRINTI "The fog had now completely cleared, and we could see no trace of the dark shadow. We pressed onward" ?CND19: PRINTI ", all the time aware that dark and ominous clouds had been building above us all afternoon. Rain threatened at any moment, and then it came, heralded by the booming of thunder and the pungent smell of a nearby lightning strike. Soon, we were in the midst of a downpour, and we hustled for cover into a nearby shallow cave." CRLF CRLF ICALL2 GRAPHIC,G-ZAN-CAVE PRINTI """We should be safe enough here,"" Bergon said, removing his flooded boots." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Yes, well, safe enough, I suppose,"" a voice that was not one of our own replied. ""What I mean is, we're safer than out there, but as to whether or not we are truly safe...."" He paused in his monologue, interrupted by some passing thought, and then attempted to finish his sentence. ""Now what was I saying?"" he said." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "From within our ranks came an unmistakable groan, and this brought a cry of recognition from the stranger." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Ah, Praxix,"" he said, pulling back his cloak and moving toward us from the dark recesses of the cave. ""Imagine that! We meet yet again!""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "It was Umber, and he was at his most cheerful, happily telling of his exploits since we had last met. About an hour into his story, the storm abated and the sky brightened, but Umber did not seem to notice, or in any event, gave no indication of a desire to leave the cave." CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-CAVE RSTACK ?CCL18: EQUAL? ACTION,MIX-COMMAND \FALSE ZERO? DEMON-SEARCHING? /FALSE FSET? HERE,SEEN \FALSE CALL QSET?,HERE,TRAPPED ZERO? STACK \FALSE PRINTI "Praxix came to a quick decision, mixing equal parts of " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTION-OBJECT PRINTI " and " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTION-PRSI PRINTI "; then he cast the mixture into the sky." CRLF CRLF GETPT ACTION-OBJECT,P?MIX-SPELL >?TMP2 GETP ACTION-PRSI,P?TEMP GET ?TMP2,STACK >SP ICALL2 USE-ESSENCES,SP EQUAL? SP,FOG-SPELL \?CCL32 ICALL2 GRAPHIC,G-FOG-CLEARS PRINTI "From nowhere, a dense fog formed, engulfing our party and the surrounding terrain in a heavy shroud of moisture. Yet even then we could sense the shadow as it passed above us, circled overhead, and departed to the south." JUMP ?CND30 ?CCL32: ICALL2 GRAPHIC,G-DEMON ICALL2 HINT,HINT-FOG SET 'DEMON-SEARCHING?,FALSE-VALUE PRINTI "But Praxix mixed the wrong powders, producing " EQUAL? SP,MUD-SPELL \?CCL35 PRINTI "what appeared to be the most useless of all possible spells - Mud" JUMP ?CND33 ?CCL35: PRINTI "the """ ICALL2 WPRINTD,SP PRINTI """ spell instead of fog" ?CND33: PRINTI ". Discouraged, we attempted to hide from the shadow as best we could, but to no avail." CRLF CRLF ICALL1 DEMON-KILLS-AT-OUTSKIRTS ?CND30: FSET HERE,DONT-CAST ICALL UPDATE-FCLEAR,HERE,DANGEROUS CALL1 END-OPTION RSTACK .FUNCT DEMON-KILLS-AT-OUTSKIRTS:ANY:0:0 SET 'DEMON-SEARCHING?,FALSE-VALUE ICALL REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND,HERE,HIDE-COMMAND CALL FIRST-IN-PARTY,HURTH,ESHER >DEMON-VICTIM PRINTI "Black as the darkest caverns, it hovered, formless, in the sky above us. And then, with a terrifying scream, it dove down upon us, landing on the ground before us." CRLF CRLF PRINT DEMON-DESC CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Praxix, whose pouch of magical essences was already at hand, was attempting to prepare some spell that would foil this demon, but it was now too late." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Fool!"" the demon boomed, and from his fingertips shot a bolt of red-hot flame that knocked Praxix to the ground, unconscious. ""I have no time for parlor magicians,"" he said mockingly." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """We know who you are, and we know what you are,"" the demon continued, ""but you will be needing a lesson in manners. Now who shall receive this lesson?""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Praxix will not do,"" the demon spat, ""I would not waste my energies on one so defenseless. No, I believe the honor should go to " ICALL2 WPRINTD,DEMON-VICTIM PRINTI ".""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "And then, the demon stretched out his arm, hand open, at " ICALL2 WPRINTD,DEMON-VICTIM PRINTI " and, as he slowly closed his hand, it seemed that " ICALL2 WPRINTD,DEMON-VICTIM PRINTI " was being squeezed mercilessly; he screamed in agony as the demon's fist closed ever tighter. Moments later, he was dead, crushed by this awful monster from Hell." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """The same fate, or worse, awaits all those who seek to defy the " PRINT BAD-GUY PRINTI ". This is but a taste of what is to follow."" Then, he swung his arm to his side and opened his clenched fist; " ICALL2 WPRINTD,DEMON-VICTIM PRINTI "'s body was flung into the sky and out of sight." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "And then, mounting the awful creature that had borne him here, he flew off into the distant north. Praxix now rose, albeit unsteadily, and Bergon took upon himself the unpleasant task of relating what had happened." CALL2 PARTY-REMOVE,DEMON-VICTIM RSTACK .FUNCT O-ASK-UMBER:ANY:0:0 CALL2 FIND-OBJECTS,ASK-UMBER-OBJECTS RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-324:ANY:0:0 PRINTI """Mudwargs?"" Bergon asked." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Ah, I see your point,"" Umber replied. ""You're not from here, so you and the mudwargs are not well acquainted. Well, to be honest, I don't know much about them myself, except that they live underground and feed during the day when the ground is flooded. You'll never see one at night, which is just fine with me, but during the daytime they can be quite trying.""" FSET ASK-UMBER-MUDWARGS,SEEN CALL2 UPDATE-REMOVE,ASK-UMBER-MUDWARGS RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-325:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,EXAMINE-COMMAND \FALSE ICALL1 UPDATE-MOVE IN? REAGENT,REAGENTS \?CND4 MOVE BLUE-REAGENT,REAGENTS PUT ESSENCE-OBJECT-TBL,BLUEOFF,BLUE-REAGENT REMOVE REAGENT ?CND4: MOVE BLACK-REAGENT,REAGENTS FSET BLACK-REAGENT,SEEN PRINTI "Umber was now snoring loudly and Praxix decided to find out what Umber was carrying in his sack. It turned out that it contained only a few stones, presumably from the trove in the castle's dungeons, as well as a single, large, multifaceted black stone that crumbled to the same consistency as that of Praxix' magical reagents. Carefully, Praxix broke off a piece of the stone, crushed it into a powder, and placed it among his own." RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-326:ANY:0:0 CALL OPTION,LEADER,LEAVE-COMMAND,STAY-COMMAND RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-327:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,GET-ADVICE-COMMAND \?CCL3 ICALL UPDATE-FCLEAR,HERE,ADVISE PRINTI """What do you propose that we do?"" Bergon asked Umber, who was now preparing some crude bedding on the ground." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Sit tight, that's my advice,"" he replied all too cheerfully. ""They'll be gone by nighttime. Don't much like the dark, you know.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """We haven't the luxury of that option,"" Bergon said. ""We must reach Zan this evening.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Ah,"" he replied, ""That will pose something of a problem."" And with that, he curled up into a ball and fell into a deep sleep." ICALL TRAVEL-COMMANDS,BERGON,GET-ADVICE-COMMAND ICALL UPDATE-FCLEAR,HERE,ADVISE CALL UPDATE-MOVE,UMBER-SACK,HERE RSTACK ?CCL3: EQUAL? ACTION,CAST-COMMAND \?CCL5 EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,INVISIBLE-SPELL \?CCL5 ICALL1 SAVE-SPELL PRINTI "Then, Praxix suggested using some of the red rock to make an invisibility spell. But even if this could have helped, he hadn't nearly enough to use on our entire party." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """No, I must think of something else,"" Praxix said." RTRUE ?CCL5: EQUAL? ACTION,LEAVE-COMMAND \?CCL9 CALL QSET?,HERE,BLUE-MIX ZERO? STACK \?CCL12 PRINTI "Trying to be as polite as possible, we told Umber of our eagerness to reach Zan by this evening, and excused ourselves. The air was warm, and the sky mostly clear, but large puddles of water covered our path." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "We had not taken a dozen steps when I stepped into a puddle and felt something squirming beneath my feet. As it wrapped itself around my ankles, I let out a terrified scream and ran back toward the cave with the rest of our party at my heels." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Ah, now I remember,"" Umber said as we hurried into the cave," ICALL1 MUDWARG-TELL CALL1 END-OPTION RSTACK ?CCL12: ICALL TRAVEL-COMMANDS,BERGON,GET-ADVICE-COMMAND ZERO? DARKNESS-CAST? /?CCL15 PRINTI "Using Praxix' staff as a cloak of darkness, we marched down the soggy path. The earth was unnaturally still as we trudged through the mudwarg infested pools." FSET? ASK-UMBER-MUDWARGS,SEEN \?CND16 PRINTI " But Umber had been right, or so it seemed - the mudwargs had no taste for those that travelled in darkness." ?CND16: CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Praxix now spoke, and his voice was filled with dread. ""I have been thinking about our friend, Umber,"" he began, ""and I cannot fathom how it is that he slept through our experiment" GRTR? BLACK-COUNT,1 \?CND18 PRINTC 115 ?CND18: PRINTI " with the black powder.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """He's a good sleeper?"" I tried, thinking it was just barely possible." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Perhaps,"" Praxix replied. ""But I wonder how it is that Umber possessed the black reagent, and how conveniently it was placed at our disposal."" A deathly chill ran through me as Praxix went on. ""Umber is not what he would appear, and I can only guess at his purpose.""" JUMP ?CND13 ?CCL15: CALL FIRST-IN-PARTY,MINAR,HURTH,ESHER >ZAN-VICTIM PRINTI "Seeing no alternative, we attempted to make our way through the mudwarg infested pools that lay along our path. It appeared we would come through our ordeal unscathed, when " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ZAN-VICTIM PRINTI " let out a horrific scream. Two mudwargs had grabbed onto his ankles, pulling him to the ground. Another was there instantly, wrapping itself around his torso and neck. Before we could react, the three slithered into the earth, dragging our friend along with them." CRLF CRLF ICALL2 PARTY-REMOVE,ZAN-VICTIM SET 'DEMON-SEARCHING?,FALSE-VALUE ICALL2 HINT,HINT-MUDWARGS PRINTI """There is nothing we can do here,"" Praxix said, urging us onward. It sounded callous, but it was not - this was no time to mourn, and we simply had no choice but to continue down the road, which we did without further incident." ?CND13: CRLF CRLF PRINTI "It was nearly twilight when we reached the outskirts of Zan. Many homes were scattered in the hillsides that surrounded this busy port, but the main thoroughfare was nearly deserted. As we approached the center of town, two shops loomed before us: a curio shop and the local emporium." CALL FIRST-IN-PARTY,MINAR,HURTH,ESHER >ZAN-VICTIM CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-1 RSTACK ?CCL9: EQUAL? ACTION,STAY-COMMAND \?CCL21 PRINTI """Ah, now I remember,"" Umber said, finishing his earlier, misplaced thought." FSET HERE,BLUE-MIX ICALL1 MUDWARG-TELL CALL1 END-OPTION RSTACK ?CCL21: EQUAL? ACTION,USE-MIX-COMMAND \FALSE EQUAL? MIX-REAGENT,BLACK-REAGENT \FALSE EQUAL? MIXTURE,DARKNESS-SPELL \?CCL28 SET 'DARKNESS-CAST?,TRUE-VALUE FCLEAR PRAXIX,LIT PRINTI "Praxix carefully applied a small bit of the mixture to the staff, and we watched in amazement as it began to glow (if that's the word) black. And then the blackness spread until we were are bathed in an eerie darkness that emanated from within the enchanted staff." JUMP ?CND26 ?CCL28: EQUAL? MIXTURE,COLD-SPELL \?CCL30 SET 'DARKNESS-CAST?,FALSE-VALUE FCLEAR DARKNESS-SPELL,SEEN PRINTI "As Praxix cast the mixture upon the staff, the air became still and the cave became cold. A chill came over us all, and Praxix excitedly pointed at the tip of the staff itself - it was frosted over with a deep blue ice." JUMP ?CND26 ?CCL30: EQUAL? MIXTURE,ILLNESS-SPELL \?CCL32 PRINTI "Praxix placed a small measure of his mixture upon the staff, but there was no obvious effect. A moment later, I felt somewhat faint and kneeled on the ground, barely able to stand." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """You, too,"" said Bergon, who was clutching the rock walls of the cave." JUMP ?CND26 ?CCL32: PRINTI "No sooner did Praxix place the mixture on his staff than a wave of despair, greater than any I have ever known, came over me. Bergon fell to his knees and began to weep; the others, too, were overcome with the same dark feelings of hopelessness and doom. The feeling soon passed, but the memory lingers to this day." ?CND26: INC 'BLACK-COUNT EQUAL? BLACK-COUNT,1 \?CCL35 CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I have a bad feeling for the black powder,"" Bergon said, ""and for the magic it contains."" But Praxix was deep in thought, and said nothing." JUMP ?CND33 ?CCL35: EQUAL? BLACK-COUNT,2 \?CCL37 CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Bergon is right about the black reagent,"" Praxix said sternly. ""It is dangerous, and contains the essence of some evil thing of which I know nothing.""" JUMP ?CND33 ?CCL37: EQUAL? BLACK-COUNT,3 \?CND33 CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Each mixture produces yet another dismal effect,"" Praxix said, ""I fear to know where this unnatural thing is from and by what means it was brought into the world.""" ?CND33: CALL1 MIXTURE-CAST RSTACK .FUNCT MUDWARG-TELL:ANY:0:0 PRINTI " ""I was about to tell you why it is safer in here."" He motioned us to gather around him, and then, in a conspiratorial voice, he whispered a single word, 'mudwargs,' and shook his head knowingly." CALL TRAVEL-COMMANDS,BERGON,GET-ADVICE-COMMAND,ASK-UMBER-COMMAND RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-328:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,EXAMINE-COMMAND \FALSE ICALL1 UPDATE-MOVE PRINTI "The curio shop's window was filled with a seemingly arbitrary assortment of items; the light inside was still on, and the proprietor could still be seen inside, straightening things up." EQUAL? ACTOR,PRAXIX,ESHER \TRUE CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Reminds me of Webba's shop, back in Lavos,"" " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTOR PRINTI " remarked. I had been thinking much the same thing." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Quite a nice fellow,"" I said, ""Webba, I mean.""" RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-329:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,EXAMINE-COMMAND \FALSE ICALL1 UPDATE-MOVE PRINTI "From all appearances, the emporium was closed for the night." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """An exciting place,"" commented " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTOR FSET? CURIO-SHOP,SEEN /?CCL6 PRINTI ", ""Let's hope something around here is open.""" RTRUE ?CCL6: PRINTC 46 RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-330:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,CAST-COMMAND \?CCL3 EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,FAR-VISION-SPELL \?CCL3 ICALL1 SAVE-SPELL PRINTI "Rather than make a public spectacle of ourselves, we convinced Praxix not to use his flare spell right here in the middle of town." RTRUE ?CCL3: EQUAL? ACTION,SCOUT-COMMAND \?CCL7 ICALL UPDATE-FSET,HERE,DONT-SCOUT FSET HERE,SCOUTED PRINTI "Moving swiftly ahead, " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTOR PRINTI " had gotten a feel for the layout of town." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """There is the main street here,"" he said, ""and the wharf at the end of the road. Otherwise, I can see only some scattered homes and shanties.""" RTRUE ?CCL7: EQUAL? ACTION,PROCEED-COMMAND \?CCL9 PRINTI "Nighttime was approaching as we continued down the main thoroughfare and into the more central part of town. A tavern and an inn lay on either side of the road, and the wharf could now be seen a short distance beyond." CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-2 RSTACK ?CCL9: EQUAL? ACTION,CURIO-SHOP-COMMAND \?CCL11 ICALL1 REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND PRINTI "We entered the curio shop, just as the proprietor was preparing to close up for the night. Squinting, he eyed each of us in turn, and evidently did not like what he saw." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I'm closing up now,"" he said in a decidedly unfriendly tone, ""If you must, have yourselves a quick look around.""" CALL2 MOVE-TO,CURIO-SHOP RSTACK ?CCL11: EQUAL? ACTION,EMPORIUM-COMMAND \FALSE ICALL1 REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND PRINTI "We approached the emporium, but it had already closed for the evening." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """It is later than I had thought,"" Bergon said, ""Let us hope the tavern doesn't keep the same hours.""" RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-331:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,EXAMINE-COMMAND \FALSE ICALL1 UPDATE-MOVE EQUAL? ACTOR,ESHER \?CCL6 PRINTI """A lovely name for a tavern!"" " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTOR PRINTI " said, pointing at the signpost which colorfully depicted its name, ""Stormy Seas.""" JUMP ?CND4 ?CCL6: PRINTI """I have never been at a tavern,"" Hurth said, looking at the signpost hanging above the entrance, ""but the name, Stormy Seas, is not very appetizing.""" ?CND4: CRLF CRLF PRINTI "But name to the contrary, and excusing the loud voices and smoke which emanated from the door, it still seemed a reasonable spot for dinner." RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-332:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,CAST-COMMAND \?CCL3 EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,FAR-VISION-SPELL \?CCL3 ICALL1 SAVE-SPELL PRINTI "Rather than make a public spectacle of ourselves, we convinced Praxix not to use his flare spell right here in the middle of town." RTRUE ?CCL3: EQUAL? ACTION,EXAMINE-COMMAND \FALSE ICALL1 UPDATE-MOVE PRINTI "Above the inn, a sign hung on a rusted chain. In the soft evening breeze, it made a loud squealing sound as it swung to and fro. Painted on the sign were the words, ""Rest Easy,"" nothing more." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """A pleasant enough thought,"" " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTOR PRINTI " said, watching the almost hypnotic movement, ""and it is getting rather late.""" RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-333:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,GET-ADVICE-COMMAND \?CCL3 ICALL UPDATE-FCLEAR,HERE,ADVISE PRINTI "Although there were two choices of how to spend the night, we all looked forward to a night of comfort at the inn." ZERO? INN-TALK /TRUE CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Bergon, however, urged caution. """ ICALL1 WPRINTTAG PRINTI " heard the men at the tavern talking about the inn and some task that they had to perform. I do not believe these were chambermaids, and I am loath to spend the night there and find out just what their task is." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Praxix agreed. ""Perhaps it would be best for us to camp out this night.""" RTRUE ?CCL3: EQUAL? ACTION,BACK-COMMAND \?CCL7 ICALL CHANGE-TRAVEL-COMMAND,HERE,BACK-COMMAND,CAMP-OUT-COMMAND PRINTI "We started to backtrack to the shops, but this turned out not to be an alternative; they were closed now, and their lights darkened. Only the tavern and inn remained open, though there was some activity also before us, at the wharf." RTRUE ?CCL7: EQUAL? ACTION,WHARF-COMMAND \?CCL9 ICALL1 REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND ICALL CHANGE-TRAVEL-COMMAND,HERE,BACK-COMMAND,CAMP-OUT-COMMAND PRINTI "Although it was dark, the wharf was brightly lit. There were over a dozen piers in varying stages of decay, and a handful of boats were moored at each. On some, the captain could be seen, giving orders to deckhands; others were deserted." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Bergon drew a deep breath of ocean spray and said, ""Did I ever finish telling you about my fishing days at Lendros?""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The group gave out a single groan, which persuaded Bergon to change the subject. ""Let us check out the boats,"" he said." CALL2 MOVE-TO,WHARF RSTACK ?CCL9: EQUAL? ACTION,TAVERN-COMMAND \?CCL11 ICALL1 REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND ICALL CHANGE-TRAVEL-COMMAND,HERE,BACK-COMMAND,CAMP-OUT-COMMAND REMOVE ZAN-2-TAVERN PRINTI "It was time for dinner, and it had been a long time since we had sat down to a meal." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Shall we?"" I asked, bowing and motioning to the entrance." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """How can we refuse?"" said Bergon, smiling widely. ""I believe we've earned ourselves a fine meal or two these past weeks.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The tavern was a large and noisy place, with a few dozen tables and a large bar. Either the drinks were exceptionally good or the food exceptionally bad, for the bar was filled with noisy sailors and townsfolk while " ZERO? DEMON-SEARCHING? /?CCL14 PRINTI "only one table was occupied, and nobody there was eating." JUMP ?CND12 ?CCL14: PRINTI "none of the tables in the dining area was occupied." ?CND12: CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Pleasantly surprised that our arrival had not attracted undue attention, we sat ourselves down for dinner, with the expectation of checking out the wharf later that evening." CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-TAVERN RSTACK ?CCL11: EQUAL? ACTION,INN-COMMAND \?CCL16 ICALL CHANGE-TRAVEL-COMMAND,HERE,BACK-COMMAND,CAMP-OUT-COMMAND FSET? INN,BLACK-MIX /?CCL18 FSET? WHARF,SOLVED /?CND17 ?CCL18: FSET HERE,BLACK-MIX ICALL1 REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND ?CND17: FSET? INN,SEEN \?CCL23 PRINTI "Again, we entered the inn; the old man was still there, and he smiled as we approached his desk." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Not much happening this time of night, is there?"" he asked, and smiled broadly enough to see that he had but three teeth left in his mouth." JUMP ?CND21 ?CCL23: PRINTI "We entered the inn through swinging doors. Inside, an old man, his long, stringy hair hidden beneath a dark, felt cap, was standing behind the counter, leaning on his elbow as if bored." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Can I help you folks?"" he said, tapping his fingers on the counter." ?CND21: CALL2 MOVE-TO,INN RSTACK ?CCL16: EQUAL? ACTION,CAMP-OUT-COMMAND \FALSE ZERO? CHOSEN-BOAT \?CCL28 ICALL2 REMOVE-PARTY-COMMAND,CAMP-OUT-COMMAND PRINT HAVENT-CHOSEN-BOAT RTRUE ?CCL28: ZERO? DEMON-SEARCHING? /?CCL30 FSET? INN,SCOUTED \?CCL30 FSET? ZAN-TAVERN,SOLVED \?CCL35 PRINTI "Concerned about the suspicious men at the tavern" JUMP ?CND33 ?CCL35: PRINTI "For some reason" ?CND33: PRINTI ", we decided to avoid the inn, finding instead" PRINT COMFORTABLE-SPOT CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Shortly before dawn, we were awakened by the sound of alarm bells ringing in town. We rose and approached town cautiously, and found the inn ablaze with fire." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """This is no coincidence,"" Bergon said, absently rubbing his room key between his fingers, ""The fire was meant for us. It is well that we depart this morning.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The eastern sky was now a dull orange, and we were soon expected at the wharf. With little time to spare, we hastily packed our things and headed back into town. But our arrival in town did not go unnoticed, and we were soon surrounded by an angry crowd. Things could have gotten pretty ugly in a hurry were it not for the presence of the local sheriff." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Come with me, boys,"" he said, ""unless you'd like a taste of mob justice.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Seeing little alternative, we were marched inside the small building that housed the town's single jail cell. ""You boys make yourselves comfortable,"" the sheriff said, ""You'll want to be resting up before your trial; you know, arson is a pretty serious crime, and we don't go lightly on criminals - especially strangers.""" CRLF CRLF FSET? GRAY-STONE,INCAPACITATED \?CND36 PRINTI "Just then, we heard a familiar voice entering the sheriff's office. ""Scoundrels and thieves!"" he cried as he made his way toward our crowded jail cell." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Oh, dear,"" Praxix said under his breath. The proprietor of the curio shop now appeared, holding a bag of cold water to his head." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """That's them,"" he said, ""Stole a rare stone from my shop just last night. Not surprised to find them in jail."" And then, waving a finger in Praxix' face, he proclaimed, ""This is the one that knocked me on the head!""" CRLF CRLF ICALL2 UPDATE-REMOVE,POUCH PRINTI "The sheriff called Praxix out of the cell and searched him thoroughly, confiscating his bag of powders. ""No stone,"" he reported, ""but don't you worry - we'll see that justice is done!""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The proprietor harumphed and stormed out of the building as the sheriff returned Praxix to the cell, throwing him to the floor like a common criminal, which, in fact, was not far from the truth." CRLF CRLF ICALL TRAVEL-COMMANDS,PRAXIX,EXAMINE-COMMAND ?CND36: PRINTI "And with that, he walked back to his front office and began snoring loudly. Outside our window, the sky had turned a brilliant orange; we had little time left before our boat would depart." ICALL REMOVE-ALL,INVENTORY,JAIL-STORAGE,TRUE-VALUE CALL2 MOVE-TO,JAIL RSTACK ?CCL30: ZERO? DEMON-SEARCHING? /?CCL39 SET 'DEMON-SEARCHING?,FALSE-VALUE PRINTI "It seemed wise to avoid the inn, so we found" PRINT COMFORTABLE-SPOT CRLF CRLF ICALL2 GRAPHIC,G-ASSASSINS PRINTI "Shortly before dawn, a band of marauders surprised us in our sleep, attacking us viciously with swords and knives. " ICALL2 WPRINTCHR,ZAN-VICTIM PRINTI ", who lay closest to our campfire, awakening us with his scream, but was cut down before he could rise to defend himself." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The rest of us, as quietly as we could, took our weapons and crouched in the pre-dawn gloom." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """The others are around here,"" said a gruff voice in the darkness." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I think we've done 'em enough damage,"" said another, apparently more anxious to depart." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I'm with Pregar,"" said a third man, ""They'll be running back to wherever it is they're from, that's for sure. Let's go.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The men departed, and we rushed to " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ZAN-VICTIM PRINTI "'s side - as we feared, he been killed instantly by a savage sword thrust." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The eastern sky was now starting to brighten, and it would soon be time to board the " ICALL2 WPRINTD,CHOSEN-BOAT PRINTI " on our voyage to the Misty Isle. With no time to waste, we quickly buried our fallen friend, and Praxix intoned the words of our burial ritual." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "With heavy hearts, we made our way back to the wharf and boarded the " ICALL2 WPRINTD,CHOSEN-BOAT PRINTC 46 ICALL2 HINT,HINT-CAMPGROUND ICALL2 PARTY-REMOVE,ZAN-VICTIM CALL2 MOVE-TO,BOAT RSTACK ?CCL39: PRINTI "Opting to spend the night under the stars, our party found a comfortable spot outside of town and camped there. We arose at dawn and hastily made our way back through town and onto the " ICALL2 WPRINTD,CHOSEN-BOAT PRINTC 46 CALL2 MOVE-TO,BOAT RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-334:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,EXAMINE-COMMAND \FALSE ICALL UPDATE-FSET,ACTION-OBJECT,DONT-EXAMINE PRINTI "Praxix took the gray stone in his hand, and confirmed what he had seen as I picked it up: that it was composed of a fine powder whose consistency was immediately suggestive of a magical reagent. It might be just an ordinary stone, of course, but we could only tell by mixing it with Praxix' essences." RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-335:ANY:0:0 FSET HERE,SEEN ICALL2 SAVE-PROVISION-COMMANDS,PRAXIX ICALL2 SAVE-PROVISION-COMMANDS,TAG CALL PROVISION-COMMANDS,TAG,BUY-COMMAND,INVENTORY-COMMAND RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-336:ANY:0:0 ICALL2 RESTORE-PROVISION-COMMANDS,PRAXIX CALL2 RESTORE-PROVISION-COMMANDS,TAG RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-337:ANY:0:0,CNT,CHR EQUAL? ACTION,LOOK-AROUND-COMMAND \?CCL3 CALL QSET?,HERE,SCOUTED ZERO? STACK \?CCL3 PRINTI "The shop was large, and filled with a vast assortment of artifacts; it would have taken hours to see everything (everything in plain view, that is) so " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTOR PRINTI " went off to explore on his own." GRTR? PARTY-MAX,3 \?CND6 PRINTI " This sounded like a good enough idea to the rest of us and soon we had separated to the far corners of the shop." ?CND6: PRINTI " Only Praxix remained alongside the counter, staring at the walls with indifference." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I don't suppose there's something in particular you're looking for?"" asked the proprietor, sourly." ?PRG8: IGRTR? 'CNT,PARTY-MAX /?REP9 GET PARTY,CNT >CHR EQUAL? CHR,PRAXIX,TAG /?PRG8 ICALL MAKE-BUSY,CHR,GONE-COMMAND JUMP ?PRG8 ?REP9: CALL OPTION,PRAXIX,REPLY-COMMAND,IGNORE-COMMAND RSTACK ?CCL3: EQUAL? ACTION,REPLY-COMMAND \?CCL15 ICALL GRAPHIC,FALSE-VALUE,G-GRAY-STONE,BOTTOM-RIGHT PRINTI """I have always had a keen interest,"" Praxix replied casually, ""in rare stones and jewels, though I don't suppose you would have any.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Rare stones and jewels,"" the proprietor echoed in an ornery tone, and shrugging added, ""It's possible I've got something you'd like. You just wait here."" He then ambled into his back room and soon ambled back again carrying a small wooden case filled with stones and gems. ""One of these priceless gems might interest you,"" he said with an odd mix of curiosity and disdain." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Praxix glanced absently at the collection of stones, musing about whether the proprietor had some confusion between the words 'priceless' and 'worthless'. Just then, I returned to Praxix' side, having found little in the shop to interest me. But these stones were quite another matter, for I found them quite beautiful, particularly a pale gray stone cut in the shape of a pyramid. Under the proprietor's watchful eye, I grasped the stone, admired it for a moment, then returned it to its case." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "And then, from a seeming stupor, Praxix sprang to life. ""We'll take the gray stone,"" he said crisply, ""How much do you ask?""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The proprietor pursed his lips, and gave a little shrug. ""Oh, I don't know about that,"" he said, ""That's quite a valuable stone. I don't expect you'll be able to afford it.""" ICALL1 END-OPTION ICALL UPDATE-MOVE,GRAY-STONE,HERE ICALL PROVISION-COMMANDS,TAG,BUY-COMMAND,SELL-COMMAND,INVENTORY-COMMAND FSET GRAY-STONE,SEEN RTRUE ?CCL15: EQUAL? ACTION,STEAL-STONE-COMMAND \?CCL17 REMOVE ZAN-1-CURIO-SHOP REMOVE HYE-STEAL PRINTI "Praxix regarded the stone intently, tapping his fingers nervously on the counter. And then, with a suddenness that surprised us all, he took matters into his own hands, grabbing the gray stone with his free hand and knocking the proprietor on the head with his staff. He then crushed the stone into a powder and placed it among his other magical items." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """This would be a good time to leave,"" he said, levelheadedly, as " GRTR? PARTY-MAX,3 \?CCL20 PRINTI "the others" JUMP ?CND18 ?CCL20: PRINTI "Bergon" ?CND18: PRINTI " arrived on the scene." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Outside of the shop, Bergon could hardly believe what had happened. ""I don't know what's gotten into you,"" he said to Praxix in a disapproving tone, ""I hope the stone is worth it!""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """As do I,"" Praxix replied. ""The stone appears to be a magical reagent, and the proprietor was oddly disinclined to sell. Since I am certain we can put the stone to better use than he would, I thought it would do no harm to twist his arm a little. And now, I would suggest we leave the scene of the crime before the poor man recovers from his headache and discovers what is missing.""" FSET GRAY-STONE,SOLVED MOVE GRAY-REAGENT,REAGENTS IN? REAGENT,REAGENTS \?CND21 MOVE BLUE-REAGENT,REAGENTS REMOVE REAGENT ?CND21: FSET GRAY-STONE,INCAPACITATED ICALL2 UPDATE-REMOVE,GRAY-STONE CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-1 RSTACK ?CCL17: EQUAL? ACTION,BUY-COMMAND \?CCL24 FSET GRAY-STONE,EXAMINED PRINTI "I took out my purse and looked expectantly at the proprietor. ""Let's say fifty silver pieces,"" he said." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "We were aghast at the outrageous price; we had not nearly enough silver to make the purchase." ICALL CHANGE-PROVISION-COMMAND,TAG,BUY-COMMAND,TRADE-COMMAND CALL PROVISION-COMMANDS,PRAXIX,STEAL-STONE-COMMAND RSTACK ?CCL24: EQUAL? ACTION,SELL-COMMAND \?CCL26 PRINTI "It occurred to me that selling something to the proprietor might help, but I wished to reserve this option as a last resort." CALL UPDATE-FSET,HERE,DONT-DROP RSTACK ?CCL26: EQUAL? ACTION,TRADE-COMMAND \?CCL28 EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,SPYGLASS \?CCL31 ICALL2 UPDATE-REMOVE,SPYGLASS FSET GRAY-STONE,SOLVED MOVE GRAY-REAGENT,REAGENTS IN? REAGENT,REAGENTS \?CND32 MOVE BLUE-REAGENT,REAGENTS REMOVE REAGENT ?CND32: PRINTI "Pulling the spyglass from my pack, I held it out to the proprietor who examined it with keen interest." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Quite a rare piece,"" he said, expressing little of the enthusiasm we could read in his eyes. Oddly, he was still reluctant to make the trade, although the spyglass was many times more valuable than the stone possibly could have been. But then, out of greed, perhaps, he relented. ""The gray stone for the spyglass,"" he said. ""Now, if you don't mind, it's closing time.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "After handing Praxix the gray stone, he ushered us back onto the street, where he bade us a perfunctory farewell with a wave of his hand." FSET? SPYGLASS,TRIED /?CND34 CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I did not realize you had taken the spyglass,"" Praxix said to me as he crumbled the gray stone into a fine powder, ""You are indeed a fine one; full of surprises! I'm certain nothing else would have satisfied him.""" ?CND34: CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I, for one, do not trust him,"" Bergon said, discreetly glancing back toward the shop. ""See how he peers at us still through his darkened window!""" ICALL2 UPDATE-REMOVE,ZAN-1-CURIO-SHOP CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-1 RSTACK ?CCL31: FSET? ACTION-OBJECT,DONT-DROP \?CCL37 PRINTI "I took the " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTION-OBJECT PRINTI " out of my pack, and prepared to offer it to the proprietor, but thought better of it. No matter how valuable the gray stone might be, it was not worth giving this up for." RTRUE ?CCL37: IGRTR? 'TRADE-COUNT,1 /?CCL39 PRINTI "Removing the " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTION-OBJECT PRINTI " from my pack, I held it up to the proprietor's view, but elicited only a frown in response. ""I have no time for haggling with strangers,"" he said, ""and it's past closing time.""" RTRUE ?CCL39: PRINTI "The proprietor showed even less interest in the " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTION-OBJECT PRINTI ". ""I must be closing up now,"" he said, ""Perhaps you will find something else of interest tomorrow. Good day."" And with that, he hustled us out the door and back onto the street." CRLF CRLF PRINT TELL-NO-SALE CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-1 RSTACK ?CCL28: EQUAL? ACTION,IGNORE-COMMAND \?CCL41 FSET GRAY-STONE,TRAPPED PRINTI """No, nothing in particular,"" Praxix replied, for in fact nothing whatsoever had caught his eye, only odd trinkets and wood carvings of questionable value." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Then, perhaps you and your friends would leave,"" he scowled. ""It's past closing time, and I've no interest in waiting on strangers.""" ICALL1 END-OPTION CRLF CRLF PRINTI "And with that, he escorted us out of his shop and back onto the street." CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-1 RSTACK ?CCL41: EQUAL? ACTION,EXIT-COMMAND \FALSE FSET? BERGON,BUSY \?CCL46 FSET? GRAY-STONE,EXAMINED \?CCL49 PRINTI "It seemed we would be unable to buy the stone at any price, so we returned to the street, the proprietor closing the shop behind us." CRLF CRLF PRINT TELL-NO-SALE JUMP ?CND44 ?CCL49: PRINTI "Praxix abruptly motioned for us to leave, which we did. The only item of interest had been the gray stone, but Praxix had become highly suspicious of the shopkeeper." CRLF CRLF PRINT TELL-NO-SALE JUMP ?CND44 ?CCL46: PRINTI "Unsurprisingly, we found mostly worthless trinkets and handicrafts here. It was just as well, for the proprietor was in a hurry to close up, and he nervously hustled us out of the shop, locking the door behind us." ?CND44: CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-1 RSTACK .FUNCT O-TRADE:ANY:0:0 ICALL FIND-OBJECTS,INVENTORY,NEVER-DROP RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-338:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? PARTY-MODE,OPTION-MODE /FALSE IN? TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE,HERE \FALSE ICALL2 UPDATE-REMOVE,TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Just then, the group at the other table rose and walked out of the tavern; peculiarly, three of the men huddled around the fourth, as if protecting him; from what, we could not imagine." RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-339:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,EXAMINE-COMMAND \FALSE ICALL UPDATE-FSET,ACTION-OBJECT,DONT-EXAMINE ICALL2 GRAPHIC,G-OTHER-TABLE PUTP HERE,P?CAST-LIMIT,2 ICALL UPDATE-FCLEAR,HERE,DONT-CAST ICALL QUEUE,T-O-T-LEAVES,6 FSET TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE,EXAMINED ICALL UPDATE-FSET,HERE,ADVISE EQUAL? ACTOR,HURTH \?CCL6 PRINTI """One moment" JUMP ?CND4 ?CCL6: PRINTI """Shh!" ?CND4: PRINTI """ " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTOR PRINTI " said, silencing one of my reminiscences of home. But what I took for uncharacteristic rudeness was nothing of the sort." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Those men at the next table,"" he whispered, ""They talk of us!""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Come now,"" Bergon replied, a little too loudly, ""Why would they be interested in us?"" And as if to prove that there was nothing suspicious going on, he turned and stared at the men at the table. As one, they turned away and their conversation grew quieter. In the dim light of the tavern, it appeared that Bergon blushed." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """This is grave, indeed,"" Praxix said, voice lowered. ""They know us, yet they are no friends of ours.""" RTRUE .FUNCT TAVERN-TALK:ANY:0:0,TMP,CNT GETP HERE,P?TEMP >TMP CALL MIN,TMP,3 >CNT ZERO? CNT \?CCL3 SET 'INN-TALK,TRUE-VALUE PRINTI "The man farthest away was now speaking. ""...less concerned about what you desire than about our reward. This is not a barbarian land like the northern hinterlands, with all respect. If we get caught, there will be hell to pay.""" JUMP ?CND1 ?CCL3: EQUAL? CNT,1 \?CCL5 PRINTI "The man whose face I could not see spoke in a deep, rasping voice. An involuntary shudder ran down my spine." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Hell to pay? What can you know of Hell?"" He had raised his voice, but now spoke more softly, in a hypnotic tone. ""Do as I ask; how you do it is not my concern. Have you checked the inn?""" JUMP ?CND1 ?CCL5: EQUAL? CNT,2 \?CCL7 PRINTI "The man to my left replied. ""We have spoken to the innkeeper. I believe he will be reliable."" A long silence followed, and then the hidden man spoke again." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """And the waterfront?"" he asked, hissing. ""Is it arranged?""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The reply came quickly. ""We have gone to the waterfront, and spoken to the captains of the ships in port...""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "It was at just this point that I started, slowly, to materialize. Rather than be observed, I hurried back to our table. " ZERO? RED-ROCK-COUNT \?CCL10 FSET TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE,DEAD PRINTI "But Praxix had no more of his invisibility spell, having used the last of the red rocks." CRLF CRLF PRINT TAVERN-MATERIALIZE REMOVE TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE EQUAL? PARTY-MODE,OPTION-MODE \TRUE ICALL1 END-OPTION RTRUE ?CCL10: ICALL1 CAST-INVISIBLE PRINTI "Fortunately, Praxix still had just enough of the red rock with which to cast another invisibility spell upon me. This done, I returned to the other table, ready to overhear the remainder of the conversation." JUMP ?CND1 ?CCL7: EQUAL? CNT,3 \?CND1 PRINTI "The man at my left was still speaking, though I had missed some of what he had been saying. ""...easy, but we spoke to them all, except for the drunkard " PRINT GOOD-CAPTAIN-NAME FSET TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE,SOLVED PRINTI ", of course, but he hasn't been sober in over a week. Don't worry. If they leave by boat, I guarantee they will have an unpleasant voyage, to say the least.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The hidden man had the final words. ""Succeed in your task,"" he said, ""and your reward will befit they who walk with kings. I must leave Zan at once, but I shall return in three days. I know I have chosen well here today.""" REMOVE TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE CRLF CRLF PRINTI "And that ended the conversation. The men stood up and left the tavern in a group, and it seemed they protected the fourth man, the one whose face was hidden from me, making it impossible for me to get a closer look." CRLF CRLF PRINT TAVERN-MATERIALIZE EQUAL? PARTY-MODE,OPTION-MODE \?CND1 ICALL1 END-OPTION ?CND1: ADD TMP,1 PUTP HERE,P?TEMP,STACK RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-340:ANY:0:0 ICALL1 RESTORE-TAG-COMMANDS ZERO? DEMON-SEARCHING? /FALSE FSET? TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE,SOLVED /FALSE CALL2 HINT,HINT-TAVERN RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-341:ANY:0:0 ZERO? DEMON-SEARCHING? \?CCL3 ICALL2 UPDATE-REMOVE,TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE JUMP ?CND1 ?CCL3: ICALL1 CHECK-FOREBODING FSET HERE,SEEN ?CND1: ICALL2 TRAVEL-COMMANDS,TAG PUTP HERE,P?TEMP,MOVE-NUMBER RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-342:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,EAVESDROP-COMMAND \?CCL3 CALL1 TAVERN-TALK RSTACK ?CCL3: EQUAL? ACTION,RETURN-COMMAND \?CCL5 PRINTI "I had heard enough. " PRINT TAVERN-MATERIALIZE ICALL2 GRAPHIC,G-ZAN-TAVERN CALL1 END-OPTION RSTACK ?CCL5: EQUAL? ACTION,GET-ADVICE-COMMAND \?CCL7 ICALL UPDATE-FCLEAR,HERE,ADVISE PRINTI """What do you think?"" Bergon asked, motioning toward the other table." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I think we'd best stay clear of them,"" I responded, ""There is malice in their eyes - I fear to imagine what they are saying!""" RTRUE ?CCL7: EQUAL? ACTION,CAST-COMMAND \?CCL9 EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,INVISIBLE-SPELL \?CCL9 FSET? TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE,EXAMINED \?CCL9 IN? TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE,HERE \?CCL9 ICALL UPDATE-FCLEAR,HERE,ADVISE PRINTI """Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"" I said, turning to Praxix." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "He was; in fact, he had already taken a red rock from his pack and powdered it, taking care to avoid spilling it on himself. Then, he stood up and, placing himself between me and the other table, spread the dust over me. In a moment, I had vanished, and it appears nobody noticed. Praxix nonchalantly took his seat, and I headed over to the neighboring table to find out what I could." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The group was in conversation; there were four men at the table; of these, there was only one whose face I could not see." CRLF CRLF ICALL1 CAST-INVISIBLE FSET HERE,SOLVED GETP HERE,P?TEMP SUB MOVE-NUMBER,STACK SUB STACK,2 DIV STACK,2 PUTP HERE,P?TEMP,STACK ICALL1 TAVERN-TALK GETP HERE,P?TEMP GRTR? STACK,3 /TRUE ICALL OPTION,TAG,EAVESDROP-COMMAND,RETURN-COMMAND RTRUE ?CCL9: EQUAL? ACTION,USE-MIX-COMMAND \?CCL17 EQUAL? MIXTURE,BEND-WILL-SPELL \?CCL17 EQUAL? ACTION-PRSI,WAITER,TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE \?CCL17 EQUAL? ACTION-PRSI,WAITER \?CCL23 ICALL UPDATE-FSET,WAITER,DONT-CAST PRINTI "Discreetly, Praxix cast his mixture at a passing waiter. The waiter sniffled just a bit, then sneezed once and continued on his way toward the bar." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """You know, I'm getting a bit thirsty,"" Praxix said. ""A pint of ale would fit the bill nicely.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Not a minute later, the waiter arrived, bearing a cold pint of ale for our Wizard-friend. Just as suddenly, he left, returning to the bar." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Must be a mind-reader,"" Praxix said, sipping his drink." JUMP ?CND21 ?CCL23: PRINTI "Praxix tried to cast his powders toward the other table, but they dropped harmlessly to the ground before reaching their intended target." ?CND21: CALL1 MIXTURE-CAST RSTACK ?CCL17: EQUAL? ACTION,CAST-COMMAND \?CCL25 CALL1 PRAXIX-TOO-DANGEROUS-TO-CAST RSTACK ?CCL25: EQUAL? ACTION,ORDER-MEAL-COMMAND \?CCL27 ICALL1 REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND FSET HERE,SCOUTED PRINTI "We were soon waited upon by a stout fellow with a cheery disposition. ""Can I bring you folks some dinner?"" he asked." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Assuring him that he could, we ordered some of the local seafood specialties with some draught beer. The meal arrived in short order, and we ate like starving men: quickly and noisily." RTRUE ?CCL27: EQUAL? ACTION,EXIT-COMMAND \FALSE FSET? HERE,SCOUTED \?CCL32 PRINTI "Our dinners finished" FSET? HERE,SOLVED \?CCL35 PRINTI " and our heads full of worry from the ominous conversation I had overheard, we returned to the street. The men were gone without a trace" JUMP ?CND30 ?CCL35: FSET? TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE,EXAMINED \?CCL37 PRINTI ", we returned to the street. We were concerned about the men at the other table, but soon put it out of our minds" JUMP ?CND30 ?CCL37: PRINTI ", we returned to the street" JUMP ?CND30 ?CCL32: PRINTI "We had not yet eaten, but " FSET? HERE,SOLVED \?CCL40 PRINTI "the results of my eavesdropping" JUMP ?CND38 ?CCL40: FSET? TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE,EXAMINED \?CCL42 PRINTI "our suspicions about the nearby table" JUMP ?CND38 ?CCL42: PRINTI "but some ill-defined feeling" ?CND38: PRINTI " had caused us to lose our appetites. We rose from the table and returned to the street" FSET? TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE,EXAMINED \?CND30 IN? TAVERN-OTHER-TABLE,HERE /?CND30 PRINTI ". There was no sign of the men at the table, and this alarmed us even further" ?CND30: PRINTC 46 CRLF CRLF PRINTI "It was now almost dark, though there was still some activity at the wharf." CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-2 RSTACK .FUNCT RESET-FOREBODING:ANY:0:0 FSET? FOREBODING-SPELL,ENCHANTED \FALSE CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Checking again on Praxix' staff, I found that it had now stopped glowing altogether." FCLEAR FOREBODING-SPELL,ENCHANTED RTRUE .FUNCT CHECK-FOREBODING:ANY:0:0 FSET? FOREBODING-SPELL,ENCHANTED \?CCL3 FSET? FOREBODING-SPELL,SEEN /?CCL3 FSET HERE,ENCHANTED FSET FOREBODING-SPELL,SEEN CRLF CRLF PRINTI "I don't know why, but at that very moment I glanced at Praxix' staff - it was now glowing with a dark red glow." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Perhaps the mixture has made itself useful, after all,"" Praxix said, ""All that's left is to find out what it means!""" FSET? ESHER,IN-PARTY \TRUE CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Is that all that's left?"" Esher asked, rolling his eyes skyward." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I believe so,"" Praxix replied, ""In fact, I'm quite certain.""" RTRUE ?CCL3: FSET? FOREBODING-SPELL,ENCHANTED \?CCL9 FSET HERE,ENCHANTED CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Looking down, I again noticed that Praxix' staff shone peculiarly, this time with a deep red glow." RTRUE ?CCL9: FSET? HERE,ENCHANTED \FALSE CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Unlike the last time we were here, Praxix' staff was not glowing a deep red." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I'm beginning to believe the mixture I cast on the staff wears off after a length of time,"" Praxix said, mainly to himself." RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-343:ANY:0:0 FSET? BEND-WILL-SPELL,TRAPPED \FALSE CALL QSET?,BEND-WILL-SPELL,DEAD ZERO? STACK \FALSE FSET? ESHER,IN-PARTY \FALSE CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Back outside, Praxix explained the odd happenings inside the inn." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """It would appear that the mixture was quite effective. You see, Esher had just made one of his typically insulting remarks, and I, not unnaturally, became angry. But what I was fantasizing, the innkeeper actually did! I have not heard of such a mind-controlling spell, but I cannot doubt its power." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "We could not fault Esher for his lack of enthusiasm. ""I don't suppose there might have been another way to find this out?"" he asked." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """None that I am aware of,"" Praxix replied, with just the slightest hint of a smile." RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-344:ANY:0:0 FSET HERE,SEEN CALL1 CHECK-FOREBODING RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-345:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,ACCEPT-COMMAND \?CCL3 PRINTI """No, we've been travelling long enough that even doubling up is something of a luxury,"" Bergon replied. ""Two rooms, just for tonight.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The rooms were inexpensive enough, and we paid in advance, expecting to leave early the next morning. The innkeeper gave us our keys, and told us how to find our rooms. ""Have a pleasant night. Rest easy,"" he said." ICALL CHANGE-TRAVEL-COMMAND,HERE,CHECK-IN-COMMAND,TO-ROOM-COMMAND FSET HERE,SCOUTED CALL1 END-OPTION RSTACK ?CCL3: EQUAL? ACTION,USE-MIX-COMMAND \?CCL5 EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,INNKEEPER \?CCL5 EQUAL? MIXTURE,BEND-WILL-SPELL \?CCL5 REMOVE HYE-INNKEEPER PRINTI "Praxix cast his mixture at the innkeeper, who merely sniffled a few times at first. Then his eyes turned red and he stared blankly, as if in a trance." CRLF CRLF FSET? ESHER,IN-PARTY \?CND9 PRINTI """Praxix, you've outdone yourself this time,"" Esher said, ""I don't believe I've ever seen an allergy spell before!""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I'd like to bust him one,"" or words to that effect were going through Praxix' mind when the most peculiar thing happened. The innkeeper, still entranced, walked from behind his counter and slugged poor Esher in the jaw, knocking him down. Then, calmly, he returned to the counter." CRLF CRLF FSET BEND-WILL-SPELL,TRAPPED ?CND9: PRINTI "A moment later, the innkeeper recovered. ""As I was saying,"" he began, then stopped. ""What was I saying?""" FSET? ESHER,IN-PARTY \?CND11 CRLF CRLF PRINTI "About this time, Esher was getting back to his feet, preparing to counterattack. Praxix held him back. ""I'll explain later,"" he said." ?CND11: CALL1 MIXTURE-CAST RSTACK ?CCL5: EQUAL? ACTION,DECLINE-COMMAND \?CCL14 PRINTI """No, thank you,"" replied Bergon, ""We'll just rough it, I suppose. Good night to you.""" FSET? WHARF,SOLVED \?CND15 ICALL REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND,ZAN-2,INN-COMMAND ?CND15: ICALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-2 CALL1 END-OPTION RSTACK ?CCL14: EQUAL? ACTION,CHECK-IN-COMMAND \?CCL18 PRINTI """We would like rooms for the night,"" Bergon said." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The innkeeper was happy to oblige, but there was a slight hitch. ""I've only got two rooms,"" he said. ""You'll have to double up, I reckon, or camp out!""" CALL OPTION,LEADER,ACCEPT-COMMAND,DECLINE-COMMAND RSTACK ?CCL18: EQUAL? ACTION,TO-ROOM-COMMAND \?CCL20 ZERO? CHOSEN-BOAT \?CND21 PRINT HAVENT-CHOSEN-BOAT ICALL2 REMOVE-PARTY-COMMAND,TO-ROOM-COMMAND RTRUE ?CND21: PRINTI "Our rooms were not together; Praxix and I took one, and " EQUAL? PARTY-MAX,3 \?CCL25 PRINTI "Bergon" JUMP ?CND23 ?CCL25: PRINTI "the others" ?CND23: PRINTI " took the second. It had been a strenuous day, and a long time since we had slept in a real bed. And so we fell off into a deep and dreamless sleep." CRLF CRLF ZERO? DEMON-SEARCHING? /?CCL28 ICALL2 HINT,HINT-INN SET 'DEMON-SEARCHING?,FALSE-VALUE PRINTI "But our slumber turned to horror, as we were awakened by shouting and screaming. ""Fire! Awake!"" came the cries. Outside our door, the corridor was consumed in smoke and flame, and we had barely enough time to escape through our window as the acrid fumes filled our lungs." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Back at the street, we waited for the others to escape the inferno. Before long, Bergon ran from the inn, filled with despair. """ ICALL2 WPRINTD,ZAN-VICTIM PRINTI "'s been trapped inside!"" he shouted. Praxix and I started to run toward the building, but were held back. ""It's too late!"" he said, now holding back tears. """ ICALL2 WPRINTD,ZAN-VICTIM PRINTI " is dead.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "The eastern sky glowed a fiery orange, as with heavy hearts we made our way back to the wharf and boarded the " ICALL2 WPRINTD,CHOSEN-BOAT PRINTC 46 ICALL2 PARTY-REMOVE,ZAN-VICTIM JUMP ?CND26 ?CCL28: PRINTI "We awoke the next morning before dawn and quickly checked ourselves out of the inn. Soon we had reached the wharf and boarded the " ICALL2 WPRINTD,CHOSEN-BOAT PRINTC 46 ?CND26: CALL2 MOVE-TO,BOAT RSTACK ?CCL20: EQUAL? ACTION,EXIT-COMMAND \FALSE FSET? HERE,SCOUTED \?CCL33 CALL QSET?,HERE,BLACK-MIX ZERO? STACK \?CCL33 PRINTI "Keys in hand, we started for the door. ""We shall return later,"" Bergon said." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """We're open all night,"" was the reply, and, thanking the man again, we returned to the street." JUMP ?CND31 ?CCL33: FSET? HERE,SCOUTED \?CCL37 PRINTI "Once again, we headed back toward the street. ""Make up your minds,"" the innkeeper shouted after us." JUMP ?CND31 ?CCL37: PRINTI """We may be needing rooms,"" Bergon said to the innkeeper, ""We shall return before long if we do. Thank you.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """We've only a few rooms left; don't spend all night thinking about it!"" the innkeeper replied with a mischievous giggle." ?CND31: CALL2 MOVE-TO,ZAN-2 RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-346:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,CALL-SHERIFF-COMMAND \?CCL3 ICALL1 REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND PRINTI "We called for the sheriff, but he just yelled back at us, ""I'm trying to get some sleep! You know, I'm not only the sheriff around here, but the judge as well, and I can tell you I'm one ornery fellow when I get too little sleep!""" RTRUE ?CCL3: EQUAL? ACTION,ESCAPE-COMMAND \?CCL5 ICALL1 REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND PRINTI "Escape from this cell was unlikely, if not impossible, but the thought filled our minds." RTRUE ?CCL5: EQUAL? ACTION,WAIT-COMMAND \?CCL7 CALL1 DO-JAIL-WAIT RSTACK ?CCL7: EQUAL? ACTION,MIX-COMMAND,CAST-COMMAND \?CCL9 IN? SHERIFF,HERE \?CCL9 PRINTI "Praxix took out his pouch of magical powders, but could not hide that fact from the sheriff. ""Here, I'll have those!"" he said, and demanded the powders from Praxix, who had little choice but to comply." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """What do you know?"" the sheriff said, spitting on the ground, ""We've got ourselves a Wizard in jail!"" Laughing, he returned to his office." CRLF CRLF CALL1 DO-JAIL-WAIT RSTACK ?CCL9: EQUAL? ACTION,USE-MIX-COMMAND \?CCL13 EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,SHERIFF \?CCL13 EQUAL? MIXTURE,BEND-WILL-SPELL \?CCL13 PRINTI "And then, Praxix cast the mixture at the sheriff. At first, he grabbed for his sword; then, it appeared he would sneeze; finally, his eyes glazed over, and he took on a trance-like expression." CRLF CRLF FSET? BEND-WILL-SPELL,TRAPPED \?CCL19 PRINTI "Praxix, meanwhile, concentrated on having the cell door opened. And" JUMP ?CND17 ?CCL19: FSET BEND-WILL-SPELL,TRAPPED PRINTI "Praxix, meanwhile, was uncertain of just what the spell would do. ""We need to get out of this cell!"" he reminded himself, and just" ?CND17: PRINTI " then, the sheriff unlocked the cell door and motioned us outside." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "I waved my hand before the sheriff's eyes, but he did not blink. ""Potent stuff,"" I said, ""Reminds me of the winner of last year's ale drinking contest.""" CRLF CRLF ICALL REMOVE-ALL,JAIL-STORAGE,INVENTORY PRINTI "Taking our things, we quietly left the sheriff's office. The nearby streets were deserted, the fire having been brought under control sometime earlier. It took but a few minutes to reach the wharf and we were soon on board the " ICALL2 WPRINTD,CHOSEN-BOAT PRINTC 46 ICALL1 MIXTURE-CAST CALL2 MOVE-TO,BOAT RSTACK ?CCL13: EQUAL? ACTION,CAST-COMMAND \FALSE EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,TREMOR-SPELL,WIND-SPELL,FAR-VISION-SPELL \?CCL24 ICALL REMOVE-TRAVEL-COMMAND,HERE,CALL-SHERIFF-COMMAND PRINTI "If it was Praxix' goal to get the sheriff's attention, he certainly did so by casting the """ ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTION-OBJECT PRINTI """ spell. But the pace of the sheriff's life was not appreciably quickened, and it was quite a while later that he finally arrived; he did not seem pleased." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """What's going on here?"" he boomed." ICALL GRAPHIC,FALSE-VALUE,G-SHERIFF,BOTTOM-RIGHT FSET? TAG,TRAPPED \?CND25 FCLEAR TAG,TRAPPED CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Well, you can imagine the sheriff's surprise when I started to materialize with my fingers grasping for the key chain on his belt. I braced for the worst, but it never came. Rather, the sheriff started to chuckle." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Hell,"" he said, ""there's one I haven't seen before. Now you boys keep out of trouble or things will be a lot worse for you than they already are.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "And with that, he sauntered back to his desk, presumably for another snooze. I slinked into the far corner of the cell where the dark shadows concealed the redness on my face." RTRUE ?CND25: ICALL QUEUE,SHERIFF-LEAVES,3 CALL UPDATE-MOVE,SHERIFF,HERE RSTACK ?CCL24: EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,INVISIBLE-SPELL \?CCL28 ICALL2 UPDATE-REMOVE,INVISIBLE-SPELL REMOVE HYE-JAIL PRINTI "Hope fading, I suggested that we use our remaining piece of red rock to make one of our party invisible. Praxix was intrigued by the idea, and consented to casting the spell. I was nominated to become invisible, and the task was soon accomplished." FSET TAG,TRAPPED CALL QUEUE,TAG-BECOMES-VISIBLE,2 RSTACK ?CCL28: EQUAL? ACTION-OBJECT,LIGHTNING-SPELL \FALSE FSET LIGHTNING-SPELL,SEEN PRINTI "When Praxix suggested using his Lightning spell, we talked him out of it." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """It is a small cell,"" Bergon noted, ""and I'm not certain I care to find out how accurate you are!""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Nor I,"" replied Praxix, ""Perhaps there is another spell that would be less dangerous.""" RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-347:ANY:0:0 FSET? TAG,TRAPPED \FALSE FCLEAR TAG,TRAPPED CRLF CRLF PRINTI "It was then that I materialized, having failed to turn my invisibility to our advantage." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Don't be cross with yourself,"" Praxix said reassuringly, ""It was worth a try; perhaps there is something else we can do.""" CRLF CRLF PRINTI "If there was, we had precious little time to think of it." RTRUE .FUNCT DO-JAIL-WAIT:ANY:0:0 ICALL2 HINT,HINT-JAIL PRINTI "There was nothing to do here but wait. A court convened later in the day, and we were convicted of burning down the old inn" FSET? GRAY-STONE,INCAPACITATED \?CND1 PRINTI ", as well as of assault and theft" ?CND1: PRINTI ". I suppose it could have gone far worse for us, for after the public flogging they took our possessions and deposited us outside of town with a warning that we would best not be seen again." CRLF CRLF PRINTI "Dispirited, we returned to Astrix, who was despondent at the outcome of our venture into Zan." CRLF CRLF CALL2 PART-ONE-BAD-ENDING,TRUE-VALUE RSTACK .FUNCT ANONF-348:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,EXAMINE-COMMAND \FALSE ICALL UPDATE-FSET,ACTION-OBJECT,DONT-EXAMINE PRINTI "The sheriff had a pleasant enough face, and he didn't seem particularly evil or dangerous. But his look was determined, and he was entirely convinced of our guilt. After all, hadn't we checked into the inn, then hidden outside of town, returning only after the deed had been done?" CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I don't believe he's going to let us out of here,"" " ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTOR PRINTI " said in a whisper." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """Perhaps not,"" Praxix replied obtusely, ""but it is always possible that he will have a change of heart.""" RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-349:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? ACTION,EXAMINE-COMMAND \FALSE ICALL1 UPDATE-MOVE ICALL2 WPRINTD,ACTOR PRINTI ", restless, walked to the window and pulled on the heavy iron bars; then, he walked back to the cell door, examined it, and quickly reached the conclusion that escape would be nearly impossible. Our possessions having been taken from us, there was little we could do but wait." CRLF CRLF PRINTI """If we only had our things,"" Bergon said" IN? SHERIFF,HERE \?CND4 PRINTI " quietly" ?CND4: PRINTI ", ""we might have some chance of escape.""" FSET? GRAY-STONE,INCAPACITATED /TRUE CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I have some of my things,"" Praxix " IN? SHERIFF,HERE \?CCL10 PRINTI "whispered, discretely indicating the pouch of powders hidden beneath his cloak." RTRUE ?CCL10: PRINTI "replied, removing his pouch of magical powders, ""It is a good thing the sheriff does not fear old men.""" RTRUE .FUNCT ANONF-350:ANY:0:0 EQUAL? HERE,JAIL \FALSE ICALL2 UPDATE-REMOVE,SHERIFF SET 'CURRENT-GRAPHIC,FALSE-VALUE ICALL2 GRAPHIC,G-JAIL CRLF CRLF PRINTI """I'm going back to sleep now; you boys do yourselves a favor and don't be waking me up!"" And with that, he returned to his office and the snoring followed closely upon his departure." RTRUE .ENDSEG .ENDI