Nightfall
Eric Eve
city cover art IF Competition 2008 IFComp Game library male protagonist map parser room-name navigation Terrorism walkthrough Xyzzy Awards 2008 XYZZY Best Setting XYZZY Best Story
The Enemy is expected to arrive at any moment. Staying behind is either the stupidest or the bravest thing you've ever done. Only one thing - or one person - could have made you stay. So now there's nothing for it but to find her before it's too late.
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You've lived in this city all your life, but now you may be the last man left here. It's already dusk, and before the next dawn comes -- well, it's not quite clear what's expected, but the whole city has fled from it. You could and should have been on that last train. You would have been on that last train but for her.

The train accelerates northwards up the track, its rear carriage disappearing into the distance. Just a minute ago this long, draughty platform was crammed with the last batch of people leaving the city. Now there isn't another soul in sight. The indicator boards are all blank: no more trains will be leaving here today - if ever. Just to the north the bridge across to Platform 2 has been blocked off with a steel gate; the only way out from here is thus east, back to the ticket office.

Just as the last echo of the departing train fades away, the sun finally sinks beneath the western horizon.

The station feels sadly deserted, a ghost station in what has already become a ghost city. Not long ago this long, draughty platform was crammed with the last batch of people leaving the city. Now there isn't another soul in sight. The indicator boards are all blank: no more trains will be leaving here today - if ever. Just to the north the bridge across to Platform 2 has been blocked off with a steel gate; the only way out from here is thus east, back to the ticket office.
You check your inventory
You are carrying a small brown envelope (closed).

[You can change inventory listing style with the commands I WIDE, I TALL, I CURT and I MINIMAL]
You look at the envelope
It's a small square envelope, only a couple of inches to a side. There's nothing written on it.
You examine the gate
A large slatted steel gate has been closed across the foot of the bridge.
You open the envelope
You slit it open with your finger, and find a small silver key within.
You look at key
It's a small, unmarked silver key.
About yourself
A slightly stocky young man of 28, dressed for a chilly night.

There's a distant hoot from the departing train as it rounds some bend on the outskirts of the city.
Go east
It's the sheer emptiness of this place that strikes you. Just a few minutes ago a press of people were jostling one another in ill-natured queues, increasingly anxious to buy their tickets to safety. Now every ticket position is closed, and there's no one here, just a bare empty hall with nothing to see but the now irrelevant timetables posted on the walls and the station clock ticking ever on into the fateful night. The equally deserted platform is just to the west, while the way out to Station Road lies to the north.

While you were queuing for your ticket just a few minutes ago, Jeremy turned to you and said, "She's still in the city, you know. She's not leaving; apparently there's something frantically important she has to do here."

"More important than getting away from the Enemy?" you asked.

"So she says," he replied, with a dismissive shrug, "Oh, and by the way, I nearly forgot. She asked me to give you this." He handed you a small brown envelope.

You didn't need to ask who he meant. There were thousands of women in the city, but only one she - in Jeremy's case because of their relationship; in yours - well, it was then that your notion about staying behind for her finally started to harden into resolve.
You examine the clock
The clock that hangs here is an old-fashioned round one with a white face and Roman numerals round its dial. According to this clock the time is now three minutes past eight.
You remember
While you were queuing for your ticket just a few minutes ago, Jeremy turned to you and said, "She's still in the city, you know. She's not leaving; apparently there's something frantically important she has to do here."

"More important than getting away from the Enemy?" you asked.

"So she says," he replied, with a dismissive shrug, "Oh, and by the way, I nearly forgot. She asked me to give you this." He handed you a small brown envelope.

You didn't need to ask who he meant. There were thousands of women in the city, but only one she - in Jeremy's case because of their relationship; in yours - well, it was then that your notion about staying behind for her finally started to harden into resolve.
Go north
As you emerge into Station Road you find that the sky has already turned black, but a full moon has risen, bathing the street in ghostly light which blends strangely with that from the row of lamp posts parading eastwards towards the junction with York Street. The entrance to the main railway station lies directly to the south. Otherwise, there's little here but litter.

The quiet is momentarily broken by the sound of a loudspeaker in a nearby street. It can't be the Enemy - not yet; after a moment you realize it must be the police. You can't make out what the voice is saying, but you can guess.
You look at the litter
A couple of lager cans, boxes containing the remnants of take-away meals, scraps of packaging, all left littering the street.

You hear a distant rumble of thunder off to the west. At least, it sounds a bit like thunder.
Go east
This is normally one of the busiest junctions in the city, mainly due to the traffic from the railway station, but now there isn't so much as a bicycle in sight, just the ever-present street lighting, the river running by to the east, and the sign pointing north towards the City Sports Ground, south towards Mandlebury Bridge and the Hospital, and west towards the Railway Station.

You stand at the Junction, considering which way to go next. You know where she lives, of course: in a flat at 18 Gladstone Terrace, a few blocks south of the railway station, so that would be one obvious place to try. The other would be her office, at 12 Devon Road, some way to the east of the station, across the river (you can use the GO TO command to find your way round the city; e.g. GO TO HER OFFICE or GO TO GLADSTONE TERRACE).

[To see your character's thoughts in future, use the THINK command.]
You go to Gladstone Terrace
(Gladstone Terrace)
(going south)

York Street (South)
This part of York Street has moved considerably up-market in recent years. The old Victorian terraces lining the west side of the street may be small, and were probably built for Victorian labourers, but the recent hike in property prices makes them the best that many young professionals can afford. They lack nearby parking spaces, but that wouldn't be a problem tonight; there isn't a single car in sight; everyone with a car has used it to get away. The eerily deserted street continues alongside the river to north and south.
You remember Jeremy
The best way to do that is to find the places that trigger particular memories.
You take the stone
You select a large round stone and take that.
You examine the flats
She lives at number 18. It's three storeys tall, but otherwise a perfectly ordinary block of flats, especially by night, and you can't recall ever having seen it by day. As you might expect, there's a doorbell by the door.
You open the door
The street door is locked.
You unlock the door with the key
(first taking the small silver key)
That doesn't seem to fit the lock.
You examine the door
It looks extremely solid, as if particularly designed to keep burglars out, but at least there's a doorbell next to it, as well as a large number 18 on it.
You think
If she's not at home, her office would be the next obvious place to try. It's at 12 Devon Road, in the northeast part of the city.
You go to her office
(going to Her Office)
(going east)

Junction of Sussex Street and Gladstone Terrace.
This junction would be well-lit even without the moonlight. Sussex Street continues to north and south while Gladstone Terrace leads off to the west. Further north the street runs along the west bank of the river, but just here the river bends towards the southeast and parts company with the road.
You throw the stone at the camera
You hesitate; throwing things at CCTV cameras is the kind of loutish behaviour you've always disapproved of. But tonight of all nights may be a night for bending the rules. The large stone leaves your hand and hits the end of the camera, knocking it so that it now points over the river, into which the stone falls. You have joined the ranks of the louts.
You examine the placard
An Unknown Enemy is coming! They are expected to arrive by nightfall. For your own safety, please ensure that you are well clear of the city before dusk. Extra trains are being laid on for those without any other transport. In case of difficulty, contact the police.
You remember
You have, just once before, seen the bridge this deserted - a night burned on your memory. You were walking home from a late party - if only you had left that party a few minutes earlier you might have arrived here just in time to stop Kate falling to her death.
You go to the north
You step into the shadows of the park entrance just in time to avoid being caught in the beam of the approaching car's headlamps. You stand to watch as the car drives past onto Mandlebury Bridge. As it passes under the street lights in Mandlebury Road you can see that it's a police car. Your first thought is that it has been sent to investigate the CCTV camera you just knocked with that stone, but then it occurs to you it might just be out looking for stragglers left behind in the city. In either case, it seems a good idea to keep out of its way, so you carry on into the park.

Although you've often been here in daylight, you've never visited the park by night before, and it looks quite different by moonlight. By day it's a pleasant, green open space overlooking the river to the west, but now it's shrouded in sinister black, cold and unwelcoming. The main exit onto Mandlebury Road lies to the south, but there's also a narrow lane off to the east leading to the High Street.

When time permits you often come here to eat your lunch on the park bench. On one such occasion about four years ago you saw her jogging past on a circuit of the park. The second time round, much to your delight, she stopped to catch her breath and chat. You can't remember a great deal of the conversation - you were just so pleased to be talking with her - but you do remember she was enthusing about some book she'd just read.

"Have you read any Stanilev?" she asked.

"I've never heard of him," you admitted.

"He's a great thinker, you should read him, you really should," she urged you, "Until I read him I never realized anyone else could feel that way. It was so liberating!"

But though you promised her you'd look out for a copy of Stanilev's book, somehow you never got round to it.
You look at the bench
Although you can scarcely make out more than its outline now, you know it to be an old wooden bench, well weathered by years of exposure to the elements.

There's a roar overhead. Perhaps it's just a jet airliner, but perhaps it's a warplane, or even an incoming missile. You pause, unconsciously holding your breath as you listen to its approach. But then, at last, it fades away: not a missile, then, at any rate.
You go to the south
Mandlebury Road (West)
At this point Mandlebury Road is a broad, well-lit street, bordering the shadowy entrance to Mandlebury Park just to the north, and a traditional fish and chip shop to the south. The street continues east towards the city centre and west over Mandlebury Bridge.

An old newspaper lies abandoned just outside the fish and chip shop.
You take the newspaper
You pick up the old newspaper, fumbling a little as you try to keep the separate sheets together while they resist your efforts with the most stubborn display of the innate cussedness of inanimate objects. You eventually manage to tame it, with the surviving sheets forced into a reasonable semblance of order.
You read it
Most of it is missing, and the rest of it is at least several weeks old. Apart from the grease stains testifying to its use as a fish-and-chips wrapper, it is full of the usual bad news about undesirable things on the increase: inflation, unemployment, taxes, crime, global warming; according to one columnist, there's even a sharp rise in severe personality disorders among the under thirties. The sole surviving page of foreign news is no cheerier, since it bemoans increasing tension in the Middle East coupled with the danger of former Soviet republics selling nuclear weapons on the black market.
You ask the tramp about the drink
"Do I take it you'd like something to drink?" you enquire.

"Hallelujah, the man has more than one brain cell!" the tramp replies.
You ask the tramp about the liquor store
The tramp sways unsteadily on his feet. "Spare some change, mate?" he asks hopefully.
You hit the tramp
There's a brief but vicious scuffle, in which you fail to make much impression on him.

From somewhere across the city a clock chimes the half-hour.
You go to Supermarket
(going to the Supermarket)
It looks like you'll have to go back and find another route.

The tramp points down the hill. "There's a church down there" he says, "I used to sing in the choir. Would you believe that?" He starts to sing in a distorted parody of plain-chant, "Dies irae, dies illa, solvet saeclum in favilla!" and then offers the following translation: "That day of wrath, when fucking everything ends in ashes."
You ask the tramp about the church
The tramp scratches his head, as if deeply puzzled by your remark. "The whole world is coming to an end, so let's get drunk!" he suggests.
You go north
A churchyard by moonlight is always a little spooky, but it is doubly so tonight, with the city so deserted. The gravestones are little more than looming shadows in the dark; the great bulk of St Michael's Church is just to the north, while the lych-gate to the south leads back out to Church Street.

Kate's grave is somewhere here among the others; you used to visit it often. You'll never forget the shock you received when you came one day only a few weeks after Kate's funeral to find the grave desecrated. At least, someone had knocked over the headstone and smashed it, and the flowers were all torn up and strewn around. The police never did catch the culprits, and put it down to local hooligans, but that never seemed quite satisfactory somehow; why should it be Kate's grave that was attacked in this way?

It's long since been put right, of course, but the memory of the broken gravestone still leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Kate deserved better than that - much better.
Go north
St Michael's has a large nave, built at a time when Victorian congregations were booming. The original wooden pews are still here, facing the chancel to the east, as is the original Victorian stained glass, all but invisible in the poor light. The way out is to the south, next to the large stone font at the rear of the church.

You remember when you came here for Kate's funeral, just over six years ago. She was sitting up in one of the front pews, quite unaware of your presence, although your eyes kept wandering to the back of her head. At some appropriate point in the service she went up to the lectern and made some thoroughly fitting speech about the tragically early death of her dear friend Kate, who had had a wonderful life ahead of her. You can't remember precisely what she said; what you remember is how solemn and composed she was as she spoke, saying just the right things in just the right sombre tone, without ever giving way to emotion and tears.
You look at the chancel
The chancel is to the east, set off from the nave for the use of choir and clergy.
Go east
Raised slightly above the Nave, which lies just to the west, much of the space in the Chancel is taken up by the choir stalls on either side and the altar at the east end. A small wooden door is set in the wall on the north side of the altar.
Go north
(first trying to open the small wooden door)
The small wooden door is locked.
You examine the door
It may be small, but it looks pretty solid, with large iron hinges and an arched shape at the top. It's currently closed.
You examine the stalls
Two rows of dark wooden stalls line either side of the chancel.
You look in the stalls
The choir stalls is empty.
You sit in the stalls
You get into the choir stalls.
You stand
You get out of the choir stalls.

Raised slightly above the Nave, which lies just to the west, much of the space in the Chancel is taken up by the choir stalls on either side and the altar at the east end. A small wooden door is set in the wall on the north side of the altar.
Go west
St Michael's has a large nave, built at a time when Victorian congregations were booming. The original wooden pews are still here, facing the chancel to the east, as is the original Victorian stained glass, all but invisible in the poor light. The way out is to the south, next to the large stone font at the rear of the church.
You look at the font
It's a large round font, made of stone, and covered by a wooden lid.
You open it
Removing the lid reveals a large iron key in the font.
You take the iron key
Just a little reluctantly, you lift the iron key from its naively trusting hiding place, where it was perhaps left for the use of a church cleaner or some dear old lady coming to arrange the flowers. You're not that eager to add robbing churches to your achievements.
Go east
(first putting the lid back on the font)

Raised slightly above the Nave, which lies just to the west, much of the space in the Chancel is taken up by the choir stalls on either side and the altar at the east end. A small wooden door is set in the wall on the north side of the altar.
You unlock the door with the iron key
You unlock the small wooden door.

As a distant clock chimes quarter to the hour, it occurs to you it might be time to pay a visit to her office.
You open the door
You open the small wooden door.
You go north
A plain wooden table runs under the window of this small, narrow room, with an old-fashioned safe set into the opposite wall. The only way out is via the door to the south.

On the table is a large blue diary.
You look at diary
(first taking the large blue diary)
You flick through the diary. It's mainly a record of services and parish meetings, but you find an entry from two days ago that catches your eye: "Meet DS at KA 2 pm". "KA" is likely to be the Kings Arms, the pub in the High Street.
You examine safe
All you can see of it is the green-painted metal door set into the wall. It's unlikely to contain anything of interest, just crosses, candlesticks and communion wafers.
You open it
The safe is locked.
You drop the diary
Dropped.
You look around
A plain wooden table runs under the window of this small, narrow room, with an old-fashioned safe set into the opposite wall. The only way out is via the door to the south.

You can see a large blue diary here.
You look at the window
The window looks out over part of the churchyard.
You examine the door
Which do you mean, the small wooden door or the safe?
You examine the wooden door
It may be small, but it looks pretty solid, with large iron hinges and an arched shape at the top. It's currently open
You close the door
You close the small wooden door.
You lock the door with the iron key
You lock the small wooden door.
You go to the west
St Michael's has a large nave, built at a time when Victorian congregations were booming. The original wooden pews are still here, facing the chancel to the east, as is the original Victorian stained glass, all but invisible in the poor light. The way out is to the south, next to the large stone font at the rear of the church.

Somewhere in the distance a dog barks. You're not sure whether it's a local stray or the advance guard of the enemy, perhaps using dogs to flush out anyone remaining in the city. After a short while the barking stops.
You put the iron key in the font
The font is closed.
You open the font
You pick up the round wooden lid and examine it.

It's made of some dark wood, and looks both well-worn and solid.
You put the iron key in the font
You put the large iron key into the font.
You go south
(first putting the lid back on the font)

A churchyard by moonlight is always a little spooky, but it is doubly so tonight, with the city so deserted. The gravestones are little more than looming shadows in the dark; the great bulk of St Michael's Church is just to the north, while the lych-gate to the south leads back out to Church Street.
Go south
Church Street runs up the hill to the northeast and down to the southwest past rows of prickly bushes, while directly to the north a lych-gate leads through to St Michael's church yard.

You hear the sound of a car, and see headlights approach, so you instinctively dive into the shadows. A police patrol car drives past again, hopefully not looking for you, but you don't want them to see you.
You go to Supermarket
(going to the Supermarket)
[To continue an existing journey you can use the command CONTINUE or just C]
(going southwest)

Mandlebury Road (East)
A large car park lies immediately to the south, while Church Street forks off to the northeast. Mandlebury Road continues to both east (past the Police Station) and west (back to the City Centre).
You examine Supermarket
The supermarket occupies the entire corner on which it stands, and was seemingly designed by an architect desperate to win the International Bland Building of the Millennium contest. Through its plate glass window you can see the front part of the shop is partially lit, perhaps as a security measure. An unmistakeable security measure is the burglar mounted just above the entrance.
You look at the alarm
It's a square, red box with "Metro Alarms" printed on it.
You look through the window
Through the window you can see the partly-lit interior of the shop, with a rack of budget CDs prominently displayed near the front.
You go to Kings Arms
(going to the Lounge Bar)
(going south)

High Street (South)
The High Street runs north to the City Centre and continues to the south. A narrow alley runs off to the east, opposite a newsagent to the west.
You take all from the counter
matchbook: You pick up the matchbook and examine it.

It's the sort of matchbook you see all over the place used to advertise the establishment that handed it out; from the front cover it's apparent that it must have come from the Grand Hotel (in Market Street). This one has no matches left in it, but inside someone has doodled:

H   C
E   K
D   E
TEMPTRESS
V     C
MILLIONAIRE
L     M

bar mat: You pick up the bar mat and examine it.

The front of it bears a crude depiction of the Kings Arms, and a slogan advertising "Mottles Real Ale". On the back someone has scribbled:
"2M -> Uzbekistan

arm's deal?

whats the plan?"
Search bar
The interior of the Kings Arms matches its exterior, going for an olde worlde feel. On balance, you consider that a good thing, since even if the old-fashioned rustic look is largely a bogus marketing creation, the Lounge Bar of the Kings Arms at least feels as if it has some kind of character beyond the plastic blandness imposed by all too many soulless breweries. Besides, you really rather like the cosy feel the exposed wooden beams give to the place, and the way it divides the space into irregular nooks and crannies.

The bar must have been evacuated in a hurry, since half the lights have been left on, the street exit to the east has been left wide open, and the counter left unattended.
You examine the drink
The usual selection of brandy, martini, gin, whisky, sherry and the like are on display behind the bar counter.

From somewhere across the city a clock chimes the hour. Time may be starting to run out.
You go to the tramp
(going to Church Street Bus Stop)
(going east)
You walk back out into the street.

High Street (Outside Hairdressers and Pub)
Amongst the various buildings lining the street here you particularly notice two: the glass-fronted Ladies' Hairdresser to the east and the mock-Tudor olde worlde pub - the Kings Arms - which stands directly opposite it to the west. The High Street continues to both north and south.
You give the scotch to the tramp
You hand the bottle to the tramp saying, "Here, mate; have this!"

The tramp takes the bottle from your grasp and stares at it blearily for a few moments. Then he removes the top with his teeth and takes a large swig. "Thanks, mate; that's just the ticket!" he declares.

Still singing, he staggers away, probably to be picked up by the police before long.
You go to her office
(going to Her Office)
(going northeast)

This three-way road junction is well lit. Devon Road leads off to the north, Tilbury Road to the east, and Church Street to the southwest. Immediately to the south of the junction stands the High School you attended as a teenager.
You unlock the door with the silver key
You unlock the letting office door.
You open the door
You open the letting office door.
You go to the east
Her Office (in darkness)
Too little light filters in from the outside for you to be able to see much in here apart from vague dark shapes, but you think the light switch is by the door. The way out is to the west.

You've been here once or twice before; she's occasionally used your firm for legal advice. She set up in business here shortly after graduating, specializing in student lets. The business seems to have been moderately successful - at least, it's still going and she's not obviously poverty-stricken - but it's never grown, since she still works by herself after seven years at it.
You turn on the light
You switch the light switch on.

Her office is almost painfully tidy. The modern pine desk standing in the middle of the floor is quite uncluttered. Behind it on the back wall is a small safe, right next to an impressive collection of certificates. The sole door is out to the west.

On the modern pine desk are a blotter and a green telephone.
You examine the desk
It's of a clean, plain, modern design, large enough both to afford plenty of working space and to impart a certain status to its owner. A set of three drawers forms a pedestal down the right-hand side.

On the modern pine desk are a blotter and a green telephone.
You open the drawers
You hesitate to start rifling through her desk; apart from a guilty feeling of sleazy dishonesty at behaving like a common burglar, you sense that searching her office drawers might be to cross the line from interest to infatuation; you are almost as much relieved as disappointed to find all the drawers locked.
You examine the telephone
It's a standard handset.
You look at safe
It's a standard-looking wall-safe, of the sort one might keep papers in, equipped with a combination dial.
You examine the dial
It's a large numbered dial, which can be turned to any of the digits 0 to 99.
You turn the dial to 88
Okay, you turn the dial to 88.
You turn the dial to 46
Okay, you turn the dial to 46.
You turn the dial to 26
Okay, you turn the dial to 26.
You open safe
(first trying to unlock the small safe)
It looks like you'll need to use the dial to unlock the safe.
You use the dial
From the look of it, the way to use the dial is to turn it to any number between 0 and 99.
You turn the dial to 18
Okay, you turn the dial to 18.
You turn the dial to 12
As you turn the dial to 12 you hear a faint click.
You open safe
The safe door swings open easily. She did mean you to open it, you tell yourself, otherwise she wouldn't have sent you the key to her office and left that clue on the blotter.

Inside the safe you see a small brass key and some miscellaneous papers.

The green phone suddenly starts ringing.
You answer the phone
You pick up the green telephone.

"Hello, I am just checking that the delivery of the merchandise was satisfactory. Central car park, as we agreed - you know what to do now?" asks a slightly accented voice.

"Hello," you reply, trying to place the accent, "Who is this? I'm afraid..."

"I am sorry, I must have a wrong number." the phone abruptly goes dead again.

You replace the receiver, still trying to place the accent. It sounded vaguely Russian.

As a clock chimes the quarter-hour you hear a dreadful scream from not far away. Your heart races momentarily until you realize it's just the yowling from a cat-fight.
You take all from safe
small brass key: You pick up the small brass key and examine it.

It's the kind of small brass house key that might unlock any of a billion homes. On it is stamped "18G".

miscellaneous papers: You pick up the miscellaneous papers and examine them.

They appear to relate to her letting business; you look through them quickly, but without knowing what you're looking for it's hard to find anything of interest.

Among these otherwise uninteresting papers you discover a printed email.
You read the email
It's a printed copy of an email, addressed to her from one edward.dawlish@freegov.org. The main body of the email reads:

> So I hope you will give very serious consideration to my
> application to represent the party at the next general
> election.

We have given your CV and letter the most serious consideration but regret to inform you that we felt unable to add your name to our short-list of candidates. As I'm sure you will appreciate this has long been a safe seat, and we thus have an unusually strong field of potential candidates, many of whom already have considerable parliamentary experience.

> I have been active in many aspects of local life,
> and I believe this makes me uniquely well suited
> to represent this community.

Your participation and achievements in the life of this city have indeed been remarkable, and we recognize that. We accordingly feel you would make an *excellent* candidate for the city council, and very much hope you will consider offering yourself as a candidate for the forthcoming local elections (we could virtually guarantee to find you a winnable ward). Any experience gained as a local councillor would also stand you in very good stead should you wish to pursue parliamentary ambitions at some later date.

The email is dated about two years ago. At the bottom of it is written in large red letters: "NO!".
You turn off the lights
You switch the light switch off.

It is now pitch dark in here!
You leave
Devon Road (mid)
Devon Road continues north and south between leafy gardens and the occasional small office. In the latter category is the student letting office where she works, which stands just to the east.

Out of the corner of your eye you catch a fleeting glimpse of someone walking off into the distance to the north. You're not sure if it was her or not. You're not even sure it wasn't just a trick of the light.
You lock the door with the silver key
You close the letting office door.

You lock the letting office door.
You go to Gladstone Terrace
(Gladstone Terrace)
(going south)

This three-way road junction is well lit. Devon Road leads off to the north, Tilbury Road to the east, and Church Street to the southwest. Immediately to the south of the junction stands the High School you attended as a teenager.
You unlock the door with brass key
You unlock the street door.

A distant clock chimes the half hour.
You open the door
You open the street door.
Go inside
This communal hallway serves all the flats in the building. To east, west and south are the doors to flats 18A, 18B and 18C respectively, while a staircase leads up to the floor above. The street door is to the north.
You close the door
(the street door)
You close the street door.
You lock it with brass key
You lock the street door.
Go upward
This small landing provide access to all the flats on this floor. To north, east, west and south are respectively the doors to flats 18D, 18E, 18F and 18G. The staircase leads back down to the floor below and up to the floor above.
You unlock 18the G with the brass key
You unlock the door to flat 18G.
You open 18g
You open the door to flat 18G.
You go to the south
The hall is tiny, little more than an entrance lobby. There are rooms off to east, southeast, south and west, while her front door is to the north.

You hardly notice any details at first; you are too struck by the potent mixture of excitement and guilt at having penetrated her private domain. For a moment or two you hold your breath, half-expecting her to burst out of one of the rooms to protest at your invasion, but the flat remains silent, and curiosity begins to overcome guilt.
You close the door
You close the front door.
You lock it
You lock the front door.
Look around
The hall is tiny, little more than an entrance lobby. There are rooms off to east, southeast, south and west, while her front door is to the north.
You go east
You find yourself almost tip-toeing into the room, as if afraid to disturb her, or rather, as if afraid of being caught invading somewhere so private. The bedroom looks almost obsessively neat, with virtually nothing on view apart from the double bed that occupies about a third of the floor space, the bedside cabinet right next to it, and the doors to what is presumably a large built-in wardrobe in the north wall. You're not sure what you expected: probably something more exotic and more sensual, but this, while by no means utilitarian, is nonetheless somehow disappointing. Perhaps what's lacking is simply her.

On the bedside cabinet is a black telephone.
You examine the bed
It's very neatly made, as if its owner had been trained as a nurse in an old-fashioned hospital. But what's most interesting is that it's a double, given that she lives alone. You wonder whether anyone else has slept there, and if so who.
You look under the bed
As you suspected, the owner of this bed is far too tidy to leave any clutter underneath it.
You look at the cabinet
(the bedside cabinet)
It's a smart wooden cabinet with a single shallow drawer.

On the bedside cabinet is a black telephone.
You open the drawer
You open the cabinet drawer, revealing a business card and a crumpled piece of paper.
You take all from the drawer
business card: You pick up the business card and examine it.

It's one of her business cards. On the front is printed:

"The TAS Agency
Timely Accommodation for Students
12 Devon Road
01921 833758
tas@tas.co.uk"

On the reverse side of the card another phone number has been written by hand: 01921 743589

crumpled piece of paper: You pick up the crumpled piece of paper and examine it.

It's her degree certificate, showing that she graduated with an excellent first class degree. Despite your best efforts to straighten it out, the certificate remains a bit scrumpled.

The phone starts ringing.
You answer the phone
You pick up the black telephone.

"Hello," you say.

"Hello," answers a brisk voice, which you immediately recognize as hers, "I assumed you'd find your way into my flat. Look, we have to talk - the Enemy - well, I'll explain when I see you. I'll meet you at the hospital, but if I'm not there when you ..."

At that moment the phone goes dead, and she's cut off.
Go west
The hall is tiny, little more than an entrance lobby. There are rooms off to east, southeast, south and west, while her front door is to the north.
Go south
The kitchen could hardly be neater and cleaner if it had just been prepared for a health and safety inspection. It is also compact and modern, with some smart kitchen units along two walls, and a small pine table off to one side. The way out back to the hall is to the north.
You examine table
Presumably this is where she eats, but from the modest size of the table you reckon she must mostly eat alone.
You examine the units
Just the usual blend of cupboards and drawers to hold cooking and eating utensils. You're not really interested in pots and plates and pans right now, but of course you never know what you might find.
Open units
The first few drawers you come to contain a collection of cooking utensils of no immediate use to you, but then you come to the cutlery drawer.

You open the cutlery drawer, revealing a sharp kitchen knife.
You take the knife
You pick up the sharp kitchen knife and examine it.

It's a large, sturdy knife with a black handle and a long blade.
You go to the south-east
The bathroom has all the usual fittings you'd expect. The way out is to the northwest.

A gold ribbon adorns one wall of the bathroom, opposite the bath.
You examine the ribbon
One side of the ribbon is printed in large purple letters "Beauty Queen 1999"; the other is marked "Apollo Theatre".
Go west
So this is where she relaxes. The living room is a good size, and is smartly furnished, as you would expect. A comfortable modern settee has been strategically placed to face the large flat screen television sitting in the corner, while a large black and white poster adorns one wall. The way out is to the east.

On the mantelpiece are a menu, a familiar birthday card, a small gold trophy and a concert programme.
You examine the birthday card
(first taking the familiar birthday card)
You recognize it at once. It is the card you sent her for her birthday a few weeks ago, a safe, arty kind of card that showed you were thinking of her without suggesting anything soppy. You're surprised, but highly gratified, that she should have kept it this long.
Examine poster
It's a monochrome photograph of a painting depicting sunset over the city. You recognize it as the winning entry in a recent art competition; the original hangs in the Art Gallery Market Street. The black and white photo is not nearly so striking as the oil-colour original, but perhaps the original would be too overpowering for a living room - at least you always find it a bit disturbing to look at. The photograph differs from the original in another odd way: the signature in the bottom right-hand corner should be her name, but instead it looks like MASTEMA.
You look at the menu
(first taking the menu)
It's a menu from Lafayette's (in York Street). The selection of food looks as appetizing as ever, but it's of purely academic interest since they obviously won't be serving anything there tonight. In any case, a closer look at the menu reveals that it's several weeks old; the date at the top was her birthday.
You read the menu
It's a menu from Lafayette's (in York Street). The selection of food looks as appetizing as ever, but it's of purely academic interest since they obviously won't be serving anything there tonight. In any case, a closer look at the menu reveals that it's several weeks old; the date at the top was her birthday.
You look at the trophy
From the look of it, it's obviously a tennis trophy. This is in any case confirmed by the inscription on its base: "City Sports Ground Tennis Competition".
You look at the concert
(first taking the concert programme)
It's a programme for a performance of The Marriage of Figaro at the Fairfax Hall. On the inside cover someone has pencilled "Voi che sapete? You know what that means! Well done indeed!"
You open the door
(first unlocking the front door)
You open the front door.
Go north
This small landing provide access to all the flats on this floor. To north, east, west and south are respectively the doors to flats 18D, 18E, 18F and 18G. The staircase leads back down to the floor below and up to the floor above.

It suddenly occurs to you that MASTEMA is an anagram of her name.
You lock the door
(with the small brass key)
(first closing the door to flat 18G)
You lock the door to flat 18G.
Go north
(first unlocking the street door with the small brass key, then opening the street door)

This short cul-de-sac is noticeably less well lit than the main road just to the east; although the bright moonlight compensates for this somewhat, parts of the street lie in mysterious shadow. At its western end, the street terminates at the railway line, along the side of which lie a large number of loose stones. Just short of the tracks the block of flats where she lives stands on the south side of the street.

You begin to feel you are being followed. You keep hearing footsteps behind you and seeing fleeting movements out of the corner of your eye when you look round. But every time you stop the footsteps stop, and you are left uncertain whether you're perceiving anything more than echoes and shadows.
You lock the door
(with the small brass key)
(first closing the street door)
You lock the street door.
You go to Hospital
(going to the Hospital Reception)
(going east)

Junction of Sussex Street and Gladstone Terrace.
This junction would be well-lit even without the moonlight. Sussex Street continues to north and south while Gladstone Terrace leads off to the west. Further north the street runs along the west bank of the river, but just here the river bends towards the southeast and parts company with the road.
You take the cassette
You pick up the blue cassette and examine it.

It's just a standard tape cassette.

You think you hear a helicopter over a distant quarter of the city, but before you can pinpoint the sound, it fades away.
You look at the phone
It's a rather large model, with lots of extra buttons.
You look at the desk
The reception desk is a long, flat surface behind which there would normally be situated a receptionist busily engaged in keeping visitors from patients, patients from doctors, and useful information from absolutely everyone (with the possible exception of the police and security services). Right now, however, it is as deserted as everywhere else.

On the reception desk is a brown telephone.
You read the cassette
It's just a standard tape cassette.
You think
That Russian-sounding voice you heard when you picked up the green phone in her office said something about delivering some merchandise to the central car park; perhaps that would be worth checking out.

The signature MASTEMA on the poster in her flat makes you curious; if you happen to be passing the local art gallery in Market Street you'd like to check what's on the original.

It would be interesting to know the significance of the phone number scribbled on the back of her business card.
You read the card
Which do you mean, the familiar birthday card or the business card?
Business
It's one of her business cards. On the front is printed:

"The TAS Agency
Timely Accommodation for Students
12 Devon Road
01921 833758
tas@tas.co.uk"

On the reverse side of the card another phone number has been written by hand: 01921 743589
You call 01921 743589
You pick up the phone but there's nothing: no dialling tone, no static, just silence. You try to recover a dialling tone, but the phone remains obstinately dead, so you replace the handset.
You go to the west
Sussex Street (south)
Although so far as you know this part of the city never suffered any bomb damage, some group of town planners rapidly made up for the negligence of the Luftwaffe by tearing down whatever was here before and replacing it with a mass of soulless fifties architecture seemingly inspired by Soviet brutalism. The most striking eyesore is the City Hospital, which lies immediately to the east. Sussex Street continues to north and south.

As you pause in your stride, you fancy you hear some distant footsteps receding to the north. Looking around, you notice a golden object lying on the ground under one of the streetlights.
You examine the golden object
(first taking the gold brooch)
It's a gold brooch, in the form of a scorpion. The design is quite distinctive, and you're sure she has a brooch like that. You've often wondered what kind of statement it's meant to make: not that she's poisonous, to be sure, but you suspect she'd not be averse to suggesting she's not to be messed with.

A small piece of paper is attached to the brooch by its pin.
You read paper
Which do you mean, the small piece of paper, the crumpled piece of paper or the old newspaper?
Small
It's tightly folded and pinned to the brooch.
You open the brooch
You release the clasp of the brooch and pull the small piece of paper from the pin, unfolding it impatiently.
You read the small paper
The handwriting is as small as the piece of paper it's written on, but you still recognise it as hers. It reads, "Sorry, couldn't wait - just discovered I've lost something I must recover: a small, grey, flat metal key. I may have dropped it when I went for a run (in the usual place) or when I went to the knowledge factory. We must make sure they don't get it. It would be a big help if you could search those two places while I look elsewhere. See you later."

No doubt she was deliberately trying to be cryptic in case the Enemy saw her note. She often used to go for a run in Mandlebury Park, so she might mean that - or she might mean the City Sports Ground. "Knowledge Factory" was her disparaging nickname for the University, so she could be referring to somewhere on campus, but she could equally well be talking about the Public Library.
You go to Gladstone Terrace
(Gladstone Terrace)
(going north)

Junction of Sussex Street and Gladstone Terrace.
This junction would be well-lit even without the moonlight. Sussex Street continues to north and south while Gladstone Terrace leads off to the west. Further north the street runs along the west bank of the river, but just here the river bends towards the southeast and parts company with the road.

Once again you feel sure you are being watched, but each time you turn round to check, the shadows mock you.

Whatever it was you thought you heard a few moments ago, there's no sign of anyone here now.
Go south
(first unlocking the street door with the small brass key, then opening the street door)

This communal hallway serves all the flats in the building. To east, west and south are the doors to flats 18A, 18B and 18C respectively, while a staircase leads up to the floor above. The street door is to the north.
You lock the door
(with the small brass key)
(first closing the street door)
You lock the street door.
Go upward
This small landing provide access to all the flats on this floor. To north, east, west and south are respectively the doors to flats 18D, 18E, 18F and 18G. The staircase leads back down to the floor below and up to the floor above.
You go to the south
(first unlocking the door to flat 18G with the small brass key, then opening the door to flat 18G)

The hall is tiny, little more than an entrance lobby. There are rooms off to east, southeast, south and west, while her front door is to the north.
You lock the door
(first closing the front door)
You lock the front door.
Go west
The living room is a good size, and is smartly furnished. A comfortable modern settee has been strategically placed to face the large flat screen television sitting in the corner, while a large black and white poster adorns one wall. The way out is to the east.

On the mantelpiece is a small gold trophy.
Examine tv
The TV is a modern, flat screen model. The screen is blank, presumably because the TV is not switched on.
Go east
The hall is tiny, little more than an entrance lobby. There are rooms off to east, southeast, south and west, while her front door is to the north.

Somewhere a clock strikes ten. As the final stroke dies away you listen for any other sound, such as might be made by an arriving Enemy, but all falls quiet.
Go east
The bedroom looks almost obsessively neat, with virtually nothing on view apart from the double bed that occupies about a third of the floor space, the bedside cabinet right next to it, and the doors to what is presumably a large built-in wardrobe in the north wall.

On the bedside cabinet is a black telephone.
You read the business card
It's one of her business cards. On the front is printed:

"The TAS Agency
Timely Accommodation for Students
12 Devon Road
01921 833758
tas@tas.co.uk"

On the reverse side of the card another phone number has been written by hand: 01921 743589
You call 01921 743589
You pick up the phone but there's still absolutely nothing, making you wonder if the Enemy have cut communications; in any case you can't get a dialling tone so you replace the handset.
You go to the mandlebury park
(going west)

The hall is tiny, little more than an entrance lobby. There are rooms off to east, southeast, south and west, while her front door is to the north.
You lock the door
(with the small brass key)
(first closing the door to flat 18G)
You lock the door to flat 18G.
You go north
(first unlocking the street door with the small brass key, then opening the street door)

This short cul-de-sac is noticeably less well lit than the main road just to the east; although the bright moonlight compensates for this somewhat, parts of the street lie in mysterious shadow. At its western end, the street terminates at the railway line, along the side of which lie a large number of loose stones. Just short of the tracks the block of flats where she lives stands on the south side of the street.
You lock the door
(with the small brass key)
(first closing the street door)
You lock the street door.
You go to your office
(going to Your Office)
(going east)

High Street (by Post Office)
This part of the High Street contains some of the oldest buildings in the city, and the old shop fronts have been mercifully preserved from the depredations of three generations of philistine post-war planners. The main post office on the west side of the street is a particularly fine example of Victorian architecture, but all the shops retain a measure of charm here, even when they're only selling mortgages or computer games. The High Street continues to north and south, while a narrow lane runs off to the west just by the post office.
You read the letter
(first taking the letter)
It's a handwritten letter from Jeremy, dated about two years ago, breaking off his relationship with her. You re-read it, your eye stopping on phrases like, "I'm sorry, but it's over. I still find you as charming and attractive as I always did, and you can be great company, but I'm worn out by your need to always be the best at everything, and I've had enough of playing second fiddle to your ambition" and "We've had good times together, but I realize now that you're just not the woman for me" and "Even now I don't really feel I know you. I'm sure you do have a heart, but I've never felt you've ever really opened it to me; for such a successful woman you seem strangely repressed." The letter must obviously have been returned to him, since across the bottom is written in another hand: "You should have thought twice before rejecting me!"
You look at the desk
(your desk)
It's unusually clear, but then no one was doing much work here today. Your desk has a single drawer.

On your desk is a white telephone.
You open the drawer
You open the desk drawer, revealing a load of junk, amongst which you spot a photograph and a torch.
You examine photo
It shows the climax of the graduation ceremony, with Kate shaking hands with the Vice-Chancellor as she receives the award for the best degree result of the year. A little way over to the left a group of graduands in academic robes stand looking on and applauding; among them are Jeremy, Nick, yourself - and her. It's her you look at, every bit as beautiful at twenty-one as she is today. She's applauding and smiling with the rest, but the smile looks a little forced - but perhaps that's just the photograph.

A few weeks ago, Jeremy handed you this photograph saying, "I came across this the other day, and I thought you might like a copy."

"Thanks!" you replied. You assume he gave it to you because it showed your graduation, but you were particularly pleased to have it because she was in it, and you didn't have any other pictures of her.
You think
That Russian-sounding voice you heard when you picked up the green phone in her office said something about delivering some merchandise to the central car park; perhaps that would be worth checking out.

The signature MASTEMA on the poster in her flat makes you curious; if you happen to be passing the local art gallery in Market Street you'd like to check what's on the original.

It would be interesting to know the significance of the phone number scribbled on the back of her business card.

She wants you to help her find a small flat metal key she says she's lost - it seems to be important. She thinks she may have dropped it out running, which could either be in Mandlebury Park (if she meant her lunch-time jog) or at the Sports Ground (if she was doing serious training). It's also possible she left the key either in the Public Library or somewhere on the University Campus.
To have any chance of finding anything in the dark you'll need a torch - you're pretty sure you left one in your office.
You take all from the drawer
photograph: Taken.
torch: You pick up the torch and examine it.

It's a small plastic flashlight.

The torch is currently switched off.

load of junk: You're pretty sure there's nothing else among that junk that's of any use to you right now.
You go to the Park
(going to Mandlebury Park)
(going east)
Although there's no one around, you turn out the lights and lock up the office as you leave from sheer force of habit.

High Street (by your office)
The High Street continues to north and south past rows of shops and small offices. One of the latter, directly to the west, is the office where you work.
You turn on the torch
You switch the torch on.
You remember
When time permits you often come here to eat your lunch on the park bench. On one such occasion about four years ago you saw her jogging past on a circuit of the park. The second time round, she stopped to catch her breath and chat. You can't remember a great deal of the conversation , but you do remember she was enthusing about some book she'd just read.

"Have you read any Stanilev?" she asked.

"I've never heard of him," you admitted.

"He's a great thinker, you should read him, you really should," she urged you, "Until I read him I never realized anyone else could feel that way. It was so liberating!"

But though you promised her you'd look out for a copy of Stanilev's book, somehow you never got round to it.
You turn off the torch
You switch the torch off.
You go to Gallery
(going to the Art Gallery)
(going east)

High Street (by Post Office)
This part of the High Street contains some of the oldest buildings in the city, and the old shop fronts have been mercifully preserved from the depredations of three generations of philistine post-war planners. The main post office on the west side of the street is a particularly fine example of Victorian architecture, but all the shops retain a measure of charm here, even when they're only selling mortgages or computer games. The High Street continues to north and south, while a narrow lane runs off to the west just by the post office.
You look at the painting
Her painting, the winning entry, is still prominently on display. It portrays the city at sunset, with the buildings silhouetted in front of a blazing red glow. The painting is certainly striking, but you find it a little disturbing; it almost makes it look as if the whole city is on fire. The painting is called "Nightfall". You check the signature at the bottom right-hand corner, but it looks like her name, not the mysterious MASTEMA of the poster in her flat - curiouser and curiouser.
You read the signature
Yes, it's her name all right: an anagram of MASTEMA, but not the MASTEMA on the poster in her flat, which presumably must be some kind of obscure joke.
You examine the paintings
Many of them are nice enough, but they're a bit of a mixture, and even you can tell that there are few really great paintings here, just some portraits of local worthies, some pleasant but conventional landscapes, a few abstract pieces, and some second-rate kitsch. By far the most striking painting on show is hers.
Rub signature
That won't help you find her.

Somewhere a clock chimes the half hour.
You go to Grand Hotel
(going to the Hotel Lobby)
(going north)
You follow the exit signs and emerge back out in Market Street.

Market Street (east)
Market Street continues eastwards towards Cornwallis Avenue and west towards the High Street. The Hyperion Art Gallery lies open to the south.

Somewhere a clock chimes the half hour.
You look at the rod
It looks a little like a baton, or perhaps a makeshift pointer.
You look at the cap
It's an army officer's cap, with a Royal Engineers cap badge.
You examine table
It's made of wood, of course. A large map has been pinned to the top.

On the trestle table are a long rod and a khaki peaked cap.
You examine the map
It's a large-scale map of the city. Thick black lines drawn on the map divide the city into regions with names like C12 and T18, while a number of red circles have been drawn round certain places on the periphery. A yellow post-it note has been fixed to one corner of the map.
You examine the note
On it someone has written, in small neat writing, "Informant suggests device delivered up to 7 days ago and perhaps concealed in suburbs."
You take all from the table
long rod: Taken.
khaki peaked cap: Taken.
Wave rod
You look ridiculous waving the long rod.
You take the map
The map is firmly pinned to the table.
You look at the badge
It's an army officer's cap, with a Royal Engineers cap badge.
Describe the surroundings
Even in the dim light, the plushness of the lobby is unmistakeable, accentuated by the ubiquitous plush red furnishings. Indeed, this is a lobby in name only; in reality it's a lounge given the modest name "lobby" in order to impart a corresponding grandeur to the rest of the hotel. But the rest of the hotel seems to be in darkness right now, and the only viable exit is to the south, back out onto the street.

Incongruously, a large trestle table has been set up in the middle of the Lobby.
You examine the furnishings
The furnishings lend a general air of sumptuousness to the place.
You think
That Russian-sounding voice you heard when you picked up the green phone in her office said something about delivering some merchandise to the central car park; perhaps that would be worth checking out.

It would be interesting to know the significance of the phone number scribbled on the back of her business card.

She wants you to help her find a small flat metal key she says she's lost - it seems to be important. She thinks she may have dropped it out running, which could either be in Mandlebury Park (if she meant her lunch-time jog) or at the Sports Ground (if she was doing serious training). It's also possible she left the key either in the Public Library or somewhere on the University Campus.
You go to the car park
(going south)
You walk back out into Market Street.

Market Street (west)
Market Street runs east towards Cornwallis Avenue and west toward the High Street. It's the sort of intimate little street where crowds gather to go the pubs and wine bars and late-night boutiques, with the Grand Hotel attracting a fair amount of the custom. Tonight, though, the street is empty, and the Grand Hotel stands open but seemingly deserted to the north.

You hear a loud clattering, as if someone had just accidentally knocked off a dustbin lid somewhere nearby to the east, but try as you might, you cannot see where the sound came from.
You look at the lorry
It's a very large lorry, of the kind that permanently risks doing serious damage to narrow streets. It may be painted a dark maroon colour, but it's rather hard to tell by moonlight. What you can make out is the lettering on the side proclaiming "Myles Biggar Haulage - tel: 01921 743589 - Main Depot: 54 Hythe Bridge Street". At the rear of the lorry is a single tambour door which is currently securely shut. At the other end the driver's cab looms well off the ground.

You hear some footsteps behind you and turn to see a man walking briskly towards you. As soon as he catches sight of you, however, he turns and hurries away down the narrow alley.
You look at the business card
It's one of her business cards. On the front is printed:

"The TAS Agency
Timely Accommodation for Students
12 Devon Road
01921 833758
tas@tas.co.uk"

On the reverse side of the card another phone number has been written by hand: 01921 743589
You open the tambour door
The tambour door is locked.
You examine the cab
(the driver's cab)
It's nothing special, just a large cab at the front of the lorry.
You open the cab
(the driver's cab)
The cab doors are locked.
You turn on the torch
You switch the torch on.
You examine the lorry
It's a very large lorry, of the kind that permanently risks doing serious damage to narrow streets. It may be painted a dark maroon colour, but it's rather hard to tell by moonlight. What you can make out is the lettering on the side proclaiming "Myles Biggar Haulage - tel: 01921 743589 - Main Depot: 54 Hythe Bridge Street". At the rear of the lorry is a single tambour door which is currently securely shut. At the other end the driver's cab looms well off the ground.
Search lorry
(first trying to open the tambour door)
The tambour door is locked.
You look at the door
It seems to be made of metal slats, and is current quite firmly closed.
You think
You've seen the phone number on the back of her business card elsewhere; there's probably a connection worth investigating there.

She wants you to help her find a small flat metal key she says she's lost - it seems to be important. She thinks she may have dropped it out running, which could either be in Mandlebury Park (if she meant her lunch-time jog) or at the Sports Ground (if she was doing serious training). It's also possible she left the key either in the Public Library or somewhere on the University Campus.
You go to Haulage Depot
(going to the Haulage Depot)
(going west)

High Street (South)
The High Street runs north to the City Centre and continues to the south. A narrow alley runs off to the east, opposite a newsagent to the west.
You examine Depot
It's a large, ugly building with a large steel door, over which is a faded sign reading: "Myles Biggar Haulage Co. Tel: 01921 743589"

A distant clock strikes eleven.
You go to the southwest
This short alley comes to the end a few yards away from the street, which lies just to the northeast. A high wall runs along the east side of the alley, with a small window about seven feet off the ground at the end furthest from the street.
You examine the window
It's about seven feet off the ground, and about two foot square. It's currently closed.
Inventory
You are carrying a khaki peaked cap, a long rod, a torch, a gold brooch, a blue cassette, a sharp kitchen knife, a bar mat, a matchbook, a small brown envelope (open but empty), eleven documents (a photograph, a letter, a small piece of paper, a concert programme, a menu, a birthday card, a crumpled piece of paper, a business card, a printed email, some miscellaneous papers and an old newspaper) and two keys (a small brass key and an office key).
You go to Sports Ground
(going to the Sports Ground)
(going northeast)

Hythe Bridge Street (south)
Hythe Bridge Street is quite narrow, being one of the oldest parts of the city. It narrows even further as it approaches an old stone bridge to the northwest; to the southeast it runs towards a junction with the High Street. On the south side of the street stands a large haulage depot, round the side of which a narrow alley runs to the southwest.
You think about the Park
(going northwest)

Hythe Bridge Street (north)
Hythe Bridge street runs over an old stone bridge to the southeast and on to a junction with York Road to the northwest. A mixture of old buildings lines the street, representing every period from the Civil War to the Victorian; prominent among the latter is the Old Library, which stands just to the north.

Just use the command THINK, or for more specific hints THINK HARDER.
You remember Park
(Mandlebury Park)
In Mandlebury Park you remembered:
When time permits you often come here to eat your lunch on the park bench. On one such occasion about four years ago you saw her jogging past on a circuit of the park. The second time round, she stopped to catch her breath and chat. You can't remember a great deal of the conversation , but you do remember she was enthusing about some book she'd just read.

"Have you read any Stanilev?" she asked.

"I've never heard of him," you admitted.

"He's a great thinker, you should read him, you really should," she urged you, "Until I read him I never realized anyone else could feel that way. It was so liberating!"

But though you promised her you'd look out for a copy of Stanilev's book, somehow you never got round to it.
You turn on torch
You switch the torch on.

You see lights just outside the entrance to the Ground and hear a car draw up. A few moments later you hear footsteps and voices just at the entrance to the ground. Nervously, you hide in the shadows by the entrance, carefully concealing the light of your torch, as you listen to the conversation between the two officers:

"Can't see anyone here, sarge."

"I thought I saw someone come this way. Could be here, or they could have gone to Lafayette's."

"Why would anyone still be here?"

"Probably some lowlife looking for easy pickings now the city's deserted -- they've already done Morgans. Let's check the Sports Ground first."
You turn off the torch
You switch the torch off.
You listen
The city sounds unnaturally quiet.
You look at Building
The changing rooms are housed in a long, low concrete building.
You enter Building
You can't get in; the changing rooms are all locked up.
You think
You've seen the phone number on the back of her business card elsewhere; there's probably a connection worth investigating there.

She wants you to help her find a small flat metal key she says she's lost - it seems to be important. She thinks she may have dropped it out running, which could either be in Mandlebury Park (if she meant her lunch-time jog) or at the Sports Ground (if she was doing serious training). It's also possible she left the key either in the Public Library or somewhere on the University Campus.
You go to Library
Which do you mean, the New Library or the Old Library?
You go to college street
Which do you mean, Junction of High Street and College Street, College Street (south), College Street (mid), Junction of College Street and Devon Road or College Street (North)?
Junction high
(going east)

York Street (mid)
This section of street feels eerily still, with no signs of life anywhere. The river runs silently by to the east, while the City Sports Ground stands mutely to the west. York Street continues to north and south.
Go north
You walk briskly through the tiny entrance hall and straight onto the dance floor.

Although this place is called the Old Library, no one's read a book here in living memory. Since before you were born this hall has been hired out for social events, possibly including whist drives and WI jam-making classes (not that you've ever been near either), but to the best of your knowledge mainly various types of dance. A stage for a small band or DJ plus sound equipment occupies one end of the hall; the main exit, to the south, lies at the other.

For some reason, the hall has been largely stripped of furniture, but a solitary plain wooden chair remains on the stage.

The last time you were here was a couple of years or so ago. You mainly recall music too loud for conversation and a floor too crowded to dance on without bumping into people at every turn; it really wasn't your scene at all. You only bought a ticket because you knew she'd be here. And so she was, effortlessly elegant in plain black, standing out from all the others in their colourful finery like a princess among apes. You kept stealing hopeful glances at her all evening. Surprisingly, for much of the time she seemed to be dancing with some nerdish-looking teenager (at the time you supposed either that she must have felt sorry for him and was just being nice, or else that he must be some cousin she'd been lumbered with for the evening). At last, when you'd given up all hope and had gone in search of a refill for your glass, she came up to you and asked you for a dance. You'd been secretly hoping for a slow romantic sway, of course, but your luck being what it was all you got was an energetic jive. At least, she was commendably energetic about it (but graceful with it, of course), which left you feeling a bit like a lumbering elephant with four left feet in comparison. But at the time you felt that one dance made the whole evening worthwhile.
You look at the chair
Plain, but sturdy.
You go to the narrow alley
Which do you mean, the narrow alley or the narrow alley?
You go south
You retrace your steps through the entrance hall and back out into the street.

Hythe Bridge Street (north)
Hythe Bridge street runs over an old stone bridge to the southeast and on to a junction with York Road to the northwest. A mixture of old buildings lines the street, representing every period from the Civil War to the Victorian; prominent among the latter is the Old Library, which stands just to the north.
Go southeast
Hythe Bridge Street (south)
Hythe Bridge Street is quite narrow, being one of the oldest parts of the city. It narrows even further as it approaches an old stone bridge to the northwest; to the southeast it runs towards a junction with the High Street. On the south side of the street stands a large haulage depot, round the side of which a narrow alley runs to the southwest.
You put the chair under the window
You put the plain wooden chair by the small window.
You stand on the chair
You get onto the plain wooden chair.

Once again you hear a clock strike the quarter-hour. Only forty-five minutes left till midnight.
You look through the window
You can't see much through the window; it's too dark on the other side.
You open the window
You open the small window.
You enter the window
This is embarrassing, the sort of petty burglary you sometimes find yourself defending legal aid clients for, people you've always privately looked down on as sad losers. Still, it seems there's nothing for it: you clamber through the window, landing on a desk on the other side, from which you jump onto the floor.

This seems to be a large space, but you can see virtually nothing here apart from the faint outline of the window up to the west and of the desk just beneath it.
You turn on the torch
You switch the torch on.

Presumably this cavernous space would normally be full of lorries, but there's not a single one in sight now; they must all have been pressed into service to assist with the evacuation. About the only thing that remains here now is the battered old desk in the corner, just under the window. The way out is through a large steel door to the north.

On the battered old desk is a grey telephone.

A metal toolbox rests in another corner of the depot.
You look at the toolbox
The green metal toolbox looks quite big and heavy.
You open it
You open the green metal toolbox, revealing some tools.
You examine the tools
There's a hammer, some screwdrivers, and a selection of spanners.

Among the tools you find a small screwdriver, which you take.
You look at the desk
It's about as plain and inelegant as a desk can be, a wooden top on a metal frame of brutally functional design. The desk also has a single wooden drawer.

On the battered old desk is a grey telephone.
You open the drawer
The wooden drawer is locked.
You examine the telephone
It looks rather grubby and is cracked on one side.
You move phone
Nothing obvious happens.
You search toolbox
In the green metal toolbox are some tools.
Describe the surroundings
Presumably this cavernous space would normally be full of lorries, but there's not a single one in sight now; they must all have been pressed into service to assist with the evacuation. About the only thing that remains here now is the battered old desk in the corner, just under the window. The way out is through a large steel door to the north.

On the battered old desk is a grey telephone.

A metal toolbox rests in another corner of the depot.
You look at the door
It's firmly closed. From the inside it looks as if its locked and unlocked with a sturdy metal bolt.
You unlock door
You pull back the bolt, unlocking the steel door.
You open the door
You open the large steel door.
You turn off the torch
You switch the torch off.

It is now pitch dark in here!
You go north
Hythe Bridge Street (south)
Hythe Bridge Street is quite narrow, being one of the oldest parts of the city. It narrows even further as it approaches an old stone bridge to the northwest; to the southeast it runs towards a junction with the High Street. On the south side of the street stands a large haulage depot, round the side of which a narrow alley runs to the southwest.
You pick lock with the screwdriver
You slide the blade of the screwdriver into the lock, feeling even more like some common burglar.

By wiggling the screwdriver in the lock, you manage to force it open.
You open the drawer
You open the wooden drawer, revealing a large car key.
You take the car key
Which do you mean, the large car key, the small brass key or the office key?

You pick up the large car key and examine it.

It's the right kind of shape for a car key, but a bit chunkier than you would expect.
You go to the car park
(going north)
(first opening the large steel door)
You turn off the torch to save its battery.

Hythe Bridge Street (south)
Hythe Bridge Street is quite narrow, being one of the oldest parts of the city. It narrows even further as it approaches an old stone bridge to the northwest; to the southeast it runs towards a junction with the High Street. On the south side of the street stands a large haulage depot, round the side of which a narrow alley runs to the southwest.
You close the door
You close the large steel door.
Time
(going south)

High Street (by Post Office)
This part of the High Street contains some of the oldest buildings in the city, and the old shop fronts have been mercifully preserved from the depredations of three generations of philistine post-war planners. The main post office on the west side of the street is a particularly fine example of Victorian architecture, but all the shops retain a measure of charm here, even when they're only selling mortgages or computer games. The High Street continues to north and south, while a narrow lane runs off to the west just by the post office.

For a brief moment you think you see her standing before you, just a few yards down the street, but then a cloud passes over the moon and she's shrouded in shadow. When the moon comes out again, she is gone.

I didn't understand that sentence.
What time is it
(going south)

The junction where the High Street crosses Mandlebury Road is generally reckoned to be the central point of the city. From here the High Street runs north up past your office and south towards Preston Bridge and the ring road, while Mandlebury Road runs east towards the police station and west towards the river. Most of the buildings on the junction are closed up, but the supermarket on the northeast corner is partly lit, and lights are blazing from Morgans Bank to the southwest.

I didn't understand that sentence.
You look at the watch
(going east)

Mandlebury Road (East)
A large car park lies immediately to the south, while Church Street forks off to the northeast. Mandlebury Road continues to both east (past the Police Station) and west (back to the City Centre).

You can't see any such thing.
You unlock the door with the car key
You unlock the tambour door.
You open the door
You open the tambour door.
You look in the lorry
You clamber inside the back of the lorry.

It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing.
You turn on the torch
You switch the torch on.

It's a large lorry, and there'd be a fair amount of space in here if it weren't nearly all taken up by a large metal cylinder.
You examine cylinder
The large metal cylinder is mostly silver in colour, and has various coloured wires attached to it. There's quite a bit of writing on it, but it's all in the Cyrillic alphabet.
You look at the wires
A red wire, an orange wire, a yellow wire, a green wire, a blue wire, a purple wire and a black wire are all attached to various parts of the cylinder.
You go outside
You turn off the torch to save its battery.

It's normally near impossible to find a parking space in this town centre car park at any time between 8 am and midnight, but now there's scarcely a vehicle in sight. The main car park exit into Mandlebury Street is to the north, but there's also a narrow alley leading west to the High Street.

The only vehicle parked here is a large lorry.
You unlock the cab with the car key
(the driver's cab with the large car key)
That doesn't seem to be something you can unlock.
You open the cab
(the driver's cab)
The cab doors are locked.
You think
You're concerned about that big cylinder you found in the back of the lorry. You suspect it requires further investigation.

She wants you to help her find a small flat metal key she says she's lost - it seems to be important. She thinks she may have dropped it out running, which could either be in Mandlebury Park (if she meant her lunch-time jog) or at the Sports Ground (if she was doing serious training). It's also possible she left the key either in the Public Library or somewhere on the University Campus.
You go to New Library
(going to the Public Library)
(going west)

High Street (South)
The High Street runs north to the City Centre and continues to the south. A narrow alley runs off to the east, opposite a newsagent to the west.
You remember Park
(Mandlebury Park)
In Mandlebury Park you remembered:
When time permits you often come here to eat your lunch on the park bench. On one such occasion about four years ago you saw her jogging past on a circuit of the park. The second time round, she stopped to catch her breath and chat. You can't remember a great deal of the conversation , but you do remember she was enthusing about some book she'd just read.

"Have you read any Stanilev?" she asked.

"I've never heard of him," you admitted.

"He's a great thinker, you should read him, you really should," she urged you, "Until I read him I never realized anyone else could feel that way. It was so liberating!"

But though you promised her you'd look out for a copy of Stanilev's book, somehow you never got round to it.
You look up Stanilev
(on the computer)
The computer comes up with one entry:

A.D. Stanilev Nightfall - D.143

Looking round, you notice that aisle D is to the northeast.
You go to the north-east
Like every other aisle in the library, this one is lined on both sides by bookshelves. The only way out is to the southwest.
143
Like every other aisle in the library, this one is lined on both sides by bookshelves. The only way out is to the southwest.

I didn't understand that sentence.
You look at the shelves
The shelves are full of books.

By following the indexing you easily find D.143, where Stanilev's book is in place. You duly take it.
You read the book
The introduction states that the book will explain the one true philosophy: love is best expressed in destruction, since Entropy rules all and Decay is the natural order of things. The sole end of life is death and to love death is to be in tune with the universe. The one goal of existence is the heat death of the Universe, the ultimate Nightfall.

Turning to the last page you find that the book ends with a bitter parody of St Paul: "Death, destruction and decay, these three things abide, but the greatest of these is death."

This is about as much as you can bear to read.
You go to the southwest
You hurry through the entrance lobby once more and go straight to the main reading room.

From the central hub aisles of books run off in every direction except north, which is the way out. The library desk is, of course, unstaffed, but there's a computer terminal on it which appears to be working.
You look up bomb
(on the computer)
You quickly discover that access to any potentially useful sites on this topic have been blocked; presumably whoever set up the library computer thought this type of information might be useful to terrorists.
You think
You're concerned about that big cylinder you found in the back of the lorry. You suspect it requires further investigation.

She wants you to help her find a small flat metal key she says she's lost - it seems to be important. She thinks she may have dropped it out running, which could either be in Mandlebury Park (if she meant her lunch-time jog) or at the Sports Ground (if she was doing serious training). It's also possible she left the key somewhere on the University Campus.
You look up cyrillic
(on the computer)
The computer tells you that Russian dictionaries are to be found in the reference section in Aisle R.

Looking round, you notice that Aisle R is to the south.
Go south
There are a large number of reference works on the shelves here. The way out is to the north.

On the reference shelves is a large Russian dictionary.
You get the dictionary
You pick up the large Russian dictionary and examine it.

It's a large, well-presented dictionary that explains the Cyrillic alphabet and is helpful as it can be for the absolute beginner. It won't help you read War and Peace in the original with ease, but it should help you translate a few simple phrases.
You go to Campus
(going north)
You hurry through the entrance lobby once more and go straight to the main reading room.

From the central hub aisles of books run off in every direction except north, which is the way out. The library desk is, of course, unstaffed, but there's a computer terminal on it which appears to be working.
You get the dictionary
You already have that.
You go north
You hurry through the entrance lobby once more and go straight to the main reading room.

From the central hub aisles of books run off in every direction except north, which is the way out. The library desk is, of course, unstaffed, but there's a computer terminal on it which appears to be working.
You go to Campus
(going north)
You walk briskly back through the deserted entrance lobby and out onto the street.

College Street (south)
You're not old enough to remember, but this area was apparently farmland back in the sixties. In the seventies it was decreed that the city was to receive a new university, and so College Street was created. The main university campus lies further up the street to the northeast, but in order to create something of an academic atmosphere at its gateway, so to speak, a new Public Library was erected, which now stands to the south, along with a new theatre, the Apollo, which is just off to the northwest. To the southwest College Street runs back towards the High Street.

You have arrived at your destination.

You see a movement in the distance off to the southwest, but you can't make out who or what it is, and it's gone before you can focus on it.
Go northwest
You walk up to the front of the Apollo and find it unlocked, so you go inside.

The ticket office is closed, and there's no one about, but there seems to be nothing to stop you wandering into the auditorium, which lies just to the north. The main exit is to the southeast.

A poster advertising the next show is fixed to the wall, but it looks like someone has defaced it.
Examine poster
The poster advertises a new play called "Martian Mores" by an author so obscure that it would be surprising if even his own mother has heard of him. Across the poster someone has written, apparently in red lipstick, the words "Beware the Enemy within!", although you can't be sure it's not meant to be part of the poster.
Go north
In the dim half-light you can just make out the outlines of the seating and the distant stage. An illuminated sign indicates that the exit is to the south.

The sole item of scenery on the stage is a canvas chair.

Not all the events held here were as representative of high culture as the builders of this theatre might have hoped. Three or four years ago the city held a contest here to choose a beauty queen for some local pageant. Of course she was one of the contestants, and of course she won; most of the other contestants were pretty enough but next to her beauty they struck you as fireflies competing with the sun. It wasn't just a matter of her looks, though she certainly looked drop-dead gorgeous that night; she also clearly had far more poise, far more intelligence, and far more personality than the rest of them put together.
You look at the chair
It's a canvas chair with a steel frame. It looks like there may be something on the chair, but from this distance you can't be sure.
You go north
You can't go that way. The only obvious exit is south (to Theatre Lobby).
You stand on the stage
You get onto the stage.

On the stage you can see a canvas chair (on which is a portable cassette player (closed)).
You examine the player
It's a small, basic tape cassette player, black and silver in colour, with buttons marked PLAY, STOP, REWIND and EJECT.
You get the player
Taken.
Go downwards
You get off the stage.

In the dim half-light you can just make out the outlines of the seating and the distant stage. An illuminated sign indicates that the exit is to the south.

The sole item of scenery on the stage is a canvas chair.
Examine cassette
(the blue cassette)
It's just a standard tape cassette.
You open player
You press the EJECT button and the cassette player pops open.
You put the cassette in player
Which do you mean, the grey tape cassette, the portable cassette player or the blue cassette?
You put blue in the player
You put the blue cassette into the portable cassette player.
You go south
The ticket office is closed, and there's no one about, but there seems to be nothing to stop you wandering into the auditorium, which lies just to the north. The main exit is to the southeast.

A poster advertising the next show is fixed to the wall, but it looks like someone has defaced it.
Go southeast
You walk back out into College Street.

College Street (south)
You're not old enough to remember, but this area was apparently farmland back in the sixties. In the seventies it was decreed that the city was to receive a new university, and so College Street was created. The main university campus lies further up the street to the northeast, but in order to create something of an academic atmosphere at its gateway, so to speak, a new Public Library was erected, which now stands to the south, along with a new theatre, the Apollo, which is just off to the northwest. To the southwest College Street runs back towards the High Street.

From somewhere across the city a bell solemnly tolls midnight. As the last stroke dies away you realize you were holding your breath.
You go to Police Station
(going to the Police Station Reception Area)
(going southwest)

The High Street (from the south) comes to an end at a fork where College Street runs off to the northeast and Hythe Bridge Street to the northwest.
You examine the document
(first taking the evacuation order)
It's printed on bright yellow paper and headed "EVACUATION ORDER". A quick perusal of the document reveals that the police first received a warning about the Enemy only last night. It was originally dismissed as a hoax, until a message came through from the security services saying that the Enemy were to be regarded as a Level 1 threat, and  the city was to be evacuated immediately.

The next few paragraphs detail the procedures for publishing a warning and getting everyone out of the city as quickly as possible. You skip over the dry officialese that already feels like ancient history.

Right at the end, however, you find a striking conclusion: "To avoid unnecessary panic, on no account are the public to be informed about the true nature of the "Enemy". In reality what we're dealing with is..."

Frustratingly, the bottom of the page has been torn off at just this point.
You get the detector
You pick up the metal detector and examine it.

It's basically a long pole with a flat disk at one end.

The metal detector is currently switched off.
You look at the grille
It's roughly square, and set high in the wall. Below it on the same wall are a black switch and a thermostat.

You notice a small scrap of yellow paper stuck in the grille.
You take the yellow paper
(the small scrap of yellow paper)
You can't reach the scrap of paper; it's stuck up in the ventilation grille.
You stand on the desk
You get onto the front desk.
You read the paper
Which do you mean, the small scrap of yellow paper, the evacuation order, the small piece of paper, the crumpled piece of paper or the old newspaper?
Small scrap
(first trying to take the small scrap of yellow paper)
You can't reach the scrap of paper; it's stuck up in the ventilation grille.
You look at the black switch
It's a small black switch, currently off.
You look at the thermostat
It looks like it can be turned to any number between 0 and 30. It's currently set to 18.
You turn the thermostat to 0
You turn the thermostat to 0.
You wait
Time passes.
You examine the grille
It's roughly square, and set high in the wall. Below it on the same wall are a black switch and a thermostat.

In the ventilation grille is a small scrap of yellow paper.
You go downward
The rest of the police station is in darkness; you can't imagine she'd be anywhere in there. The way out is to the north.
You get the scrap
You pick up the small scrap of yellow paper and examine it.

It's clearly a fragment torn from a larger page, perhaps only a fragment of a fragment, for all you can make out is:

...mation came from the vicar of St Mich...
...ormant apparently found God and...
...fessed everything to the priest who...
...tiality of the confessional, thought...
...police. Despite the seeming abs...
...checks out with MI5.
You think
You're concerned about that big cylinder you found in the back of the lorry. You suspect it requires further investigation.

She wants you to help her find a small flat metal key she says she's lost - it seems to be important. She thinks she may have dropped it out running, which could either be in Mandlebury Park (if she meant her lunch-time jog) or at the Sports Ground (if she was doing serious training). It's also possible she left the key somewhere on the University Campus.
Look around
Police Station Reception Area (on the front desk)
The reception area is deserted. Access deeper inside the police station is firmly blocked by the front desk, but it all looks pretty dark beyond there in any case. Otherwise the area is largely bare apart from the exit to the north and the ventilation grille high up in one wall.
You go to Mandlebury Park
(going north)
(first leaving the front desk)

Mandlebury Road (outside Police Station)
Mandlebury Road continues to east and west, while the main city police station stands just to the south, and Church Road runs off to the north.
You turn on the metal detector
You switch the metal detector on.
You turn on the torch
You switch the torch on.
You use the metal detector
You begin walking slowly walking round the park, sweeping the ground with the metal detector, but you fail to find anything interesting.
You turn off the metal
You switch the metal detector off.
You turn off the torch
You switch the torch off.
You go to Sports Ground
(going to the Sports Ground)
(going south)

Mandlebury Road (West)
At this point Mandlebury Road is a broad, well-lit street, bordering the shadowy entrance to Mandlebury Park just to the north, and a traditional fish and chip shop to the south. The street continues east towards the city centre and west over Mandlebury Bridge.
Go north
York Street (mid)
This section of street feels eerily still, with no signs of life anywhere. The river runs silently by to the east, while the City Sports Ground stands mutely to the west. York Street continues to north and south.
You go north
York Street (north)
York Street continues to north and south. On the west side of the street stands Lafayette's, an intimate little restaurant you used to frequent when you went out more.
Go west
York Street (mid)
This section of street feels eerily still, with no signs of life anywhere. The river runs silently by to the east, while the City Sports Ground stands mutely to the west. York Street continues to north and south.

You can't see anything clearly here in this light, but you know there's a running track, a couple of football and rugby pitches, and some tennis courts, as well as a building containing changing rooms and the like. The street lamps in York Street indicate that the way out is to the east.
You use the detector
You walk over to the running track and start sweeping it with the metal detector, but you fail to find anything interesting.
You turn off the light
You switch the torch off.

Somewhere in the distance a clock chimes the half-hour.
Go west
You can't see anything clearly here in this light, but you know there's a running track, a couple of football and rugby pitches, and some tennis courts, as well as a building containing changing rooms and the like. The street lamps in York Street indicate that the way out is to the east.
You use the detector
You've already looked for the flat metal key here.
Go north
Beyond the point where York Street meets Hythe Bridge Street, it runs on into a residential suburb. Hythe Bridge Street runs off to the southeast, while York Street runs south towards the railway station.
Go southeast
Hythe Bridge Street (north)
Hythe Bridge street runs over an old stone bridge to the southeast and on to a junction with York Road to the northwest. A mixture of old buildings lines the street, representing every period from the Civil War to the Victorian; prominent among the latter is the Old Library, which stands just to the north.
Go southeast
Hythe Bridge Street (south)
Hythe Bridge Street is quite narrow, being one of the oldest parts of the city. It narrows even further as it approaches an old stone bridge to the northwest; to the southeast it runs towards a junction with the High Street. On the south side of the street stands a large haulage depot, round the side of which a narrow alley runs to the southwest.
You think
You're concerned about that big cylinder you found in the back of the lorry. You suspect it requires further investigation.

She wants you to help her find a small flat metal key she says she's lost - it seems to be important. It's possible she left the key somewhere on the University Campus.
You go to the northeast
College Street (south)
You're not old enough to remember, but this area was apparently farmland back in the sixties. In the seventies it was decreed that the city was to receive a new university, and so College Street was created. The main university campus lies further up the street to the northeast, but in order to create something of an academic atmosphere at its gateway, so to speak, a new Public Library was erected, which now stands to the south, along with a new theatre, the Apollo, which is just off to the northwest. To the southwest College Street runs back towards the High Street.
You go northeast
You turn off the torch to save its battery.

College Street (mid)
This is the point at which College Street enters the campus, marked by the Great University Hall standing just to the east. The street runs to northeast and southwest.
You go to the north-west
You walk up to the front of the Apollo and go back inside.

The ticket office is closed, and there's no one about, but there seems to be nothing to stop you wandering into the auditorium, which lies just to the north. The main exit is to the southeast.

A poster advertising the next show is fixed to the wall, but it looks like someone has defaced it.
Go north
In the dim half-light you can just make out the outlines of the seating and the distant stage. An illuminated sign indicates that the exit is to the south.

The sole item of scenery on the stage is a canvas chair.
You go to the northeast
Mere outlines in the moonlight, various university buildings stand round and about, the most prominent being the large hall of residence just to the east. This rather ugly building, Mitchel Hall, stands on the corner of Devon Road, which runs off to the southeast, and College Street, which continues northeast and southwest across the campus.
Go east
You've never known this building to be locked, and it isn't now; you walk straight inside.

This large entrance lobby has a depressingly institutional appearance at the best of times. Dimly lit, with the rest of the building in sullen darkness, it feels oppressively gloomy. There are two main exits, to Devon Road to the south or College Street to the west.

A prominent notice is affixed to the centre of the main notice board.

You ran into her here in your first week as a student. You hesitated to approach her because, in all conscience, you hardly knew her, but while you were debating with yourself whether it was worth trying to renew your acquaintance, she flashed you a lovely smile and walked up to you.

"Hello," she said, tossing her long dark hair over back her shoulder, "don't I know you? We were at primary school together, weren't we?"

"That's right," you agreed, "though it seems a long time ago now. I'm flattered you remember!"

"It's nice to see a familiar face!" she told you, "so what are you reading here?"

"Law," you told her,  "and you?"

"English," she replied, adding with a laugh "much less practical! Talking of which, I'm in danger late of being late for my first Dickens lecture, and I'd hate to upset my prof on my first day, so I'd better dash before Great Expectations turn into Bleak House! We'll catch up later."

And after a fashion, over the next three years you did, but nowhere near as much as you'd have liked.
You use the detector
You start carefully sweeping the ground with the metal detector, but you fail to find anything interesting.
You look at the notice
It's headed ALL YOU'RE IT PROBLEM'S SOLVED, following which it proclaims "Hard disk crash? Essay wont print? Email wont work? Need a fancy website or help with your on-line searches'? Fed up with Micro$oft? Wan't to give your PC a boost? I can help with all you're IT problem's at very reasonable rate's. Just drop me an email me on daniel.saunders@itguru.dannynet."

Underneath is a large picture of an archetypal geek with a nerdish grin. You hope he's more skilled with computers than he is with apostrophes. For some reason the name Daniel Saunders seems vaguely familiar; you can't place him, but you think you've seen his name somewhere else very recently.
You take the notice
You carefully remove it from the notice board.

A clock tolls a single hour.
Go west
You walk back out onto the street.

Mere outlines in the moonlight, various university buildings stand round and about, the most prominent being the large hall of residence just to the east. This rather ugly building, Mitchel Hall, stands on the corner of Devon Road, which runs off to the southeast, and College Street, which continues northeast and southwest across the campus.
Go southwest
College Street (mid)
This is the point at which College Street enters the campus, marked by the Great University Hall standing just to the east. The street runs to northeast and southwest.
Go east
University Hall (in darkness)
It's dark in here, so you can't see much. Indeed, you can scarcely see your hand in front of your face. The only way out you know of is to the west.

You attended three or four quite unmemorable lectures here when you were a student, but you mainly remember this hall for the two University rites of passage: matriculation and graduation. You can't even recall seeing her at the former, but she was definitely at the latter, and quite out of sorts that day -- you could scarcely get a cold nod out of her, let alone a word.
You turn on the torch
You switch the torch on.

The hall is too large to make out very satisfactorily by torchlight; you can't even locate the light-switches. You can see that there's a lot of seating here, and sweeping the torch round in the other direction reveals a raised dais, but you can't get much sense of the whole. But you remember that when you attended the university the hall was a piece of rather bland sixties architecture done out in acres of pale pine, and this memory helps fill out the patchy picture revealed by torchlight. The way out is to the west.
You turn on the detector
That's already on.
You use the detector
You start walking round the hall, sweeping the beam of your torch over the seats. You search comes to an abrupt halt when you spot something lying between two rows of seats. A closer inspection reveals it to be a body.
You look at the body
You're no doctor, but you can detect no signs of life, and from the awkward angle of the head you'd guess that the young man's neck has been broken. His face looks vaguely familiar: it looks as if it could be the geek you saw grinning out of the picture on the Residence Hall poster.
You search daniel
(the prominent notice)
You find nothing of interest.
You search the body
Overcoming your queasy revulsion, you force yourself to search the body. You finally find a tiny cassette-recorder in one of its pockets.
You continue
You've already searched him once; you've no intention of putting yourself through that again.
You take the recorder
You already have that.
You examine the recorder
You can't see any such thing.

It's scarcely bigger than a cassette. It also looks broken, as if smashed when its owner fell.
You hit it
Trying to force it open with your bare hands proves futile.
You examine screwdriver
You are carrying a tiny cassette-recorder, a prominent notice, a metal detector, a grey tape cassette, a portable cassette player (closed), inside which is a blue cassette, a khaki peaked cap, a long rod, a torch (providing light), a gold brooch, a sharp kitchen knife, a bar mat, a matchbook, a small brown envelope (open but empty), fifteen documents (a small scrap of yellow paper, an evacuation order, a large Russian dictionary, a black book, a photograph, a letter, a small piece of paper, a concert programme, a menu, a birthday card, a crumpled piece of paper, a business card, a printed email, some miscellaneous papers and an old newspaper) and three keys (a large car key, a small brass key and an office key).

You can't see any such thing.
You examine the dais
It's a platform used for university dignitaries during degree ceremonies and as a podium for prestigious public lectures.
You look at the recorder
It's scarcely bigger than a cassette. It also looks broken, as if smashed when its owner fell.
You look up the great Expectations
(on the computer)
You google for "great expectations", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
You look up the porn
(on the computer)
You google for "porn", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
You look up xyzzy
(on the computer)
You google for "xyzzy", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
Google mastema
You don't have time to start wandering around the library at random.

(on the computer)
You google for Mastema on the library computer and discover that Mastema is the Hebrew word for "enmity" or "hostility". In the book of Jubilees it appears to be used as a name for the prince of demons, or Satan.
Google shedevil
(on the computer)
You google for "shedevil", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
Google daniel saunders
(on the computer)
The most relevant response is a web-page describing the services of one Daniel Saunders (daniel.saunders@itguru.dannynet), a student at the University offering help "with all your computer problem's". The whole site is afflicted with wayward apostrophes, as if its author possessed an unerring instinct for omitting them when they're required and inserting them when they're not.
Google borotino overture
(on the computer)
You google for "borotino overture", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
You look up cyrillic
(on the computer)
The computer tells you that Russian dictionaries are to be found in the reference section in Aisle R.

Looking round, you notice that Aisle R is to the south.
Go south
There are a large number of reference works on the shelves here. The way out is to the north.
You go north
You hurry through the entrance lobby once more and go straight to the main reading room.

From the central hub aisles of books run off in every direction except north, which is the way out. The library desk is, of course, unstaffed, but there's a computer terminal on it which appears to be working.
Google metro alarms
(on the computer)
You google for "Metro Alarms", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
Google voi che sapete
(on the computer)
You google for "voi che sapete", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
Google royal engineers
(on the computer)
You google for "royal engineers", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
You google yourself
(on the computer)
You don't seem to have much of a web presence. The only thing googling for yourself turns up is the staff page of your law firm's website, on which your name appears among a list of others.
You google her
(on the computer)
This brings up the website of the TAS letting agency (Timely Accommodation for Students), located at 12 Devon Road (telephone: 01921 833758; email tas@tas.co.uk). The site explains that the agency specializes in students lets at reasonable rates, but welcomes enquiries about other forms of letting. At the bottom of the page is a brief resum? of the many local achievements of the proprietor
Google uzbekistan
(on the computer)
You google for "uzbekistan", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
You google kate
(on the computer)
You find the site for the local newspaper via the terminal and search it for articles about Kate. From what they tell you, it appears that no fully satisfactory explanation of Kate's death was ever really found. It was hard to see how she could have fallen off the bridge by accident, but nothing anyone who knew her said suggested any motive for suicide. The local press ended up attributing Kate's death to a "tragic accident" and hinting darkly about young people who drank too much - but you'd never known Kate to get drunk.
You examine photo
It shows the climax of the graduation ceremony, with Kate shaking hands with the Vice-Chancellor as she receives the award for the best degree result of the year. A little way over to the left a group of graduands in academic robes stand looking on and applauding; among them are Jeremy, Nick, yourself - and her. It's her you look at, every bit as beautiful at twenty-one as she is today. She's applauding and smiling with the rest, but the smile looks a little forced.
You google jeremy
(on the computer)
Your googling turns up the information that Jeremy is an aficionado of something called "Interactive Fiction". Apparently his game Blighted Hope of Elysium's Circle placed forty-fifth in last year's IF competition.
You go north
You walk briskly back through the deserted entrance lobby and out onto the street.

College Street (south)
You're not old enough to remember, but this area was apparently farmland back in the sixties. In the seventies it was decreed that the city was to receive a new university, and so College Street was created. The main university campus lies further up the street to the northeast, but in order to create something of an academic atmosphere at its gateway, so to speak, a new Public Library was erected, which now stands to the south, along with a new theatre, the Apollo, which is just off to the northwest. To the southwest College Street runs back towards the High Street.
Google nick
(in the large Russian dictionary)
You discover nothing of interest in the large Russian dictionary.
Google nick
(on the computer)
Googling for Nick suggests that, at least so far as his on-line presence is concerned, he's more interested in Doctor Who than in tennis.
You go to the north-east
College Street (North)
Here College Street reaches the northeastern end of the campus, most of which lies back down the street to the southwest. To the northeast College Street runs on into a residential suburb that sprang up in the eighties and nineties to meet the growing need for housing. A little way off to the northwest is the Student Club, intended as a social centre for the university's students.
You use the detector
You start carefully sweeping the ground with the metal detector; it suddenly starts to buzz and you spot a small flat metal key lying on the ground, so you pick it up.
You examine the small flat metal key
It's made of some dull grey metal.
You think
You're concerned about that big cylinder you found in the back of the lorry. You suspect it requires further investigation.
You look at the river
The river runs sluggishly by, softly reflecting the moonlight.

The brooch - for some reason you think of her brooch - or rather the small piece of paper that was attached to it. Did you examine it carefully enough? You're not sure - you were in so much of a hurry before.
You look at the brooch
It's a gold brooch, in the form of a scorpion. The design is quite distinctive, and you're sure she has a brooch like that. You've often wondered what kind of statement it's meant to make: not that she's poisonous, to be sure, but you suspect she'd not be averse to suggesting she's not to be messed with.
You look at the small paper
Which do you mean, the small scrap of yellow paper or the small piece of paper?
Piece
The handwriting is as small as the piece of paper it's written on, but you still recognise it as hers. It reads, "Sorry, couldn't wait - just discovered I've lost something I must recover: a small, grey, flat metal key. I may have dropped it when I went for a run (in the usual place) or when I went to the knowledge factory. We must make sure they don't get it. It would be a big help if you could search those two places while I look elsewhere. See you later."

Just below that you see a crease that you missed before - you must have been in too much of a hurry, or maybe the light was too bad. Anyway, you unfold the crease and see that she has written:

"I'll meet you where I left the tape for you at five past two. Don't be late!"

I beg your pardon?
You examine the key
Which do you mean, the small flat metal key, the large car key, the small brass key or the office key?
I beg your pardon?
You go to the south-east
You turn off the torch to save its battery.

College Street (North)
Here College Street reaches the northeastern end of the campus, most of which lies back down the street to the southwest. To the northeast College Street runs on into a residential suburb that sprang up in the eighties and nineties to meet the growing need for housing. A little way off to the northwest is the Student Club, intended as a social centre for the university's students.
You go to the southwest
Mere outlines in the moonlight, various university buildings stand round and about, the most prominent being the large hall of residence just to the east. This rather ugly building, Mitchel Hall, stands on the corner of Devon Road, which runs off to the southeast, and College Street, which continues northeast and southwest across the campus.
You go southeast
Devon Road (north)
At its northern end, Devon Road runs northwest into College Street and then bends towards the south. It is a broad, pleasant street which feels particularly peaceful by moonlight. At this end the buildings are not too closely crowded together, the largest of them being the hall of residence to the north.
You go to the south
Devon Road (mid)
Devon Road continues north and south between leafy gardens and the occasional small office. In the latter category is the student letting office where she works, which stands just to the east.
Go south
This three-way road junction is well lit. Devon Road leads off to the north, Tilbury Road to the east, and Church Street to the southwest. Immediately to the south of the junction stands the High School you attended as a teenager.
You go north
A churchyard by moonlight is always a little spooky, but it is doubly so tonight, with the city so deserted. The gravestones are little more than looming shadows in the dark; the great bulk of St Michael's Church is just to the north, while the lych-gate to the south leads back out to Church Street.
You examine the kate's grave
It's too dark to make any of them out except by shining your torch on them individually, but you know Kate's is among them somewhere, and you'd have no difficulty finding it in the light. But scanning each gravestone one by one with your torch would take far too long, especially as it would do nothing to help you find her.
Go south
You turn off the torch to save its battery.

A churchyard by moonlight is always a little spooky, but it is doubly so tonight, with the city so deserted. The gravestones are little more than looming shadows in the dark; the great bulk of St Michael's Church is just to the north, while the lych-gate to the south leads back out to Church Street.
You turn off the detector
You switch the metal detector off.
You take the iron key
You pick up the large iron key and examine it.

It's a big, chunky, old-fashioned thing, dark brown in colour.
Go east
(first putting the lid back on the font)

Raised slightly above the Nave, which lies just to the west, much of the space in the Chancel is taken up by the choir stalls on either side and the altar at the east end. A small wooden door is set in the wall on the north side of the altar.
You unlock the door with iron key
You unlock the small wooden door.
You go north
(first opening the small wooden door)

A plain wooden table runs under the window of this small, narrow room, with an old-fashioned safe set into the opposite wall. The only way out is via the door to the south.

You can see a large blue diary here.
You examine safe
Which do you mean, the small flat metal key, the small brass key or the office key?

All you can see of it is the green-painted metal door set into the wall. It's unlikely to contain anything of interest, just crosses, candlesticks and communion wafers.
You hit recorder
Trying to force it open with your bare hands proves futile.
You open the recorder with the knife
You slip, cut yourself horribly, and bleed out. THE END.
You look at diary
(first taking the large blue diary)
You flick through the diary. It's mainly a record of services and parish meetings, but you find an entry from two days ago that catches your eye: "Meet DS at KA 2 pm". "KA" is likely to be the Kings Arms, the pub in the High Street.
You look at the recorder
It's scarcely bigger than a cassette. It also looks broken, as if smashed when its owner fell.
You fix the recorder
What do you want to fix the tiny cassette-recorder to?
You examine the mat
The front of it bears a crude depiction of the Kings Arms, and a slogan advertising "Mottles Real Ale". On the back someone has scribbled:
"2M -> Uzbekistan

arm's deal?

whats the plan?"
Go southwest
Mandlebury Road (East)
A large car park lies immediately to the south, while Church Street forks off to the northeast. Mandlebury Road continues to both east (past the Police Station) and west (back to the City Centre).
Go south
It's normally near impossible to find a parking space in this town centre car park at any time between 8 am and midnight, but now there's scarcely a vehicle in sight. The main car park exit into Mandlebury Street is to the north, but there's also a narrow alley leading west to the High Street.

The only vehicle parked here is a large lorry.
Unlock cab
(the driver's cab)
That is not something you can unlock.
Enter
You clamber inside the back of the lorry.

It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing.
You translate the cyrillic
It's a struggle, but with the aid of the dictionary you manage to figure out that the cylinder is some kind of nuclear device. Working out what most of the coloured wires do is beyond you, except that you're now fairly confident that the blue wire is connected to "radio-controlled detonator".
You go outside
You turn off the torch to save its battery.

It's normally near impossible to find a parking space in this town centre car park at any time between 8 am and midnight, but now there's scarcely a vehicle in sight. The main car park exit into Mandlebury Street is to the north, but there's also a narrow alley leading west to the High Street.

The only vehicle parked here is a large lorry.
You cut the wires
(with the sharp kitchen knife)
Cutting them all might be a might excessive; you have no idea what effect that might have.
You look at the wires
A red wire, an orange wire, a yellow wire, a green wire, a blue wire, a purple wire and a black wire are all attached to various parts of the cylinder.
You cut the blue wire
(with the sharp kitchen knife)
With considerable trepidation, you cut the blue wire. You hold your breath for a few moments, but nothing explodes.
You think
You're beginning to run out of ideas. You're fairly sure she's been moving round the city even while you've been trying to find her, almost as if she's deliberately been trying to avoid you. But it does occur to you that you haven't yet tried the Concert Hall.

You're beginning to run out of ideas. You're fairly sure she's been moving round the city even while you've been trying to find her, almost as if she's deliberately been trying to avoid you. But it does occur to you that you haven't yet tried Carlton Terrace.
Go north
You can't go that way. The only obvious exit is outside (to Car Park).
Go east
Mandlebury Road (outside Police Station)
Mandlebury Road continues to east and west, while the main city police station stands just to the south, and Church Road runs off to the north.
Go north
School Lane is a relatively short street running north up to the junction with Church Street and south to Cornwallis Avenue. It's mainly residential, but the primary school you attended is on this street; its playground is just to the east.
Go east
Little more than a large concreted square partly walled off from the road, this area serves as playground (and occasionally overflow car park) to the primary school you attended twenty years ago. The school building is just to the east, set a little further back from the road, but it looks dark and all locked up. With no light from the building and little from the street, the playground feels a strange, dark place, bathed in eerie moonlight. The street is just off to the west.

This was a co-ed school, and this playground was where you first saw her, all those years ago. Perhaps your recollection of that first encounter has been coloured by events of the last two decades, but as you recall it, when your eyes met across the playground it was as if everything else around receded into two-dimensional monochrome, and she was the only three-dimensional technicolour object left in your field of view. Again, as you recall, she smiled shyly at you, and you went and introduced yourself in your earnest six-year-old fashion, but so much fantasy and wishful thinking has surrounded the frequent rehearsal of that memory that you can't really remember what either of you actually said.
You use the detector
You switch the torch on.

You switch the metal detector on.

Your search turns up nothing of interest.
You turn off the torch
You switch the metal detector off.

You switch the torch off.
You think
You're beginning to run out of ideas. You're fairly sure she's been moving round the city even while you've been trying to find her, almost as if she's deliberately been trying to avoid you. But it does occur to you that you haven't yet tried the Supermarket.
Go south
Cornwallis Avenue runs straight down from the crossroads to the north and continues to the south. Amongst the buildings lining this part of the street is the Coroner's Court just to the east.

You remember you had to attend the Coroner's Court after Kate drowned. It was a miserable business; the police doctor had confirmed that Kate's death was by drowning, but as you'd arrived on the scene so soon after she had fished Kate out of the river that you were an important witness. Although she (your friend, that is) said she'd seen Kate jump off the bridge, there was no suicide note and no evidence that Kate was feeling suicidal, so in the end the coroner's jury reached a verdict of death by misadventure. With the wisdom of hindsight you wish they'd been a bit more thorough and a lot more suspicious.
You go to the south
Cornwallis Avenue (south)
Cornwallis Avenue continues to north and south. The Odeon Cinema stands just to the east.
Go east
You walk into the foyer, take a quick look round, and then proceed into the main auditorium.

It's almost totally dark in here, so you can hardly see anything apart from the bare outlines of the seats and the screen, and, of course, the exit to the west.

You came here once with her to see a film when you were both students, it was one of the few occasions you actually went out with her. If you remember rightly the film was Titanic, but at the time you were much more interested in her than the film. Typically, she seemed so much more interested in the film than you that she didn't even notice where your interest lay.
You turn on the torch
You switch the torch on.

The beam of your torch picks out a box lying under one of the seats.
You take the box
You pick up the chocolate box and examine it.

It's a small box of chocolates.
You open the box
You open the chocolate box.
You look at the box
It's a small box of chocolates.
You read the box
On it is written "The car-park delivery is fine. The contents will settle the final installment. Spasiba".
You go west
You walk back through the foyer and out into the street.

You turn off the torch to save its battery.

Cornwallis Avenue (south)
Cornwallis Avenue continues to north and south. The Odeon Cinema stands just to the east.
Go south
Junction of Market Street and Cornwallis Avenue.
Market Street (to the west) comes to an end at this junction with Cornwallis Avenue (running to north and south). Opposite Market street stands a small electronics store called The Radio Shop.
You go south
South of the junction with Market Street, Cornwallis Avenue becomes the London Road, and its character changes to match. The area looks grubbier and slightly more run-down. For the most part the road is lined with parades of uninviting-looking shops with blocks of flats built above them. Incongruously, the Fairfax Hall occupies one block on the east side of the road. The road itself runs north and south.
Go east
The Concert Hall (in darkness)
The auditorium is shrouded in semi-darkness, but you're quite familiar with it. It was designed to be multi-purpose, so, for example, that opera could be staged here as well as concerts.

You've attended many concerts here over the years, many of them good, but the one you remember best is the amateur performance of The Marriage of Figaro in which she sang the part of Cherubino. You thought she sang like an angel, and in your mind's ear you can still hear her beautiful rendition of the aria "Voi che sapete" - "You who know what love is". You came back to hear her again several nights in succession; it's fortunate that you're so fond of Mozart.
You turn on the torch
You switch the torch on.

The auditorium is shrouded in semi-darkness, but you're quite familiar with it. It was designed to be multi-purpose, so, for example, that opera could be staged here as well as concerts. A quick sweep of the area with the beam of your torch indicates nothing untoward, and in particular reveals no sign of her or anyone else. But you do spot a lectern on the stage, suggesting that the hall may recently have been used for something other than music, as does some of the litter left on the seats. The way out is to the west.
You examine the lectern
(first climbing onto the stage)
It's just an old wooden lectern, of plain utilitarian design. On closer inspection, it could almost be a conductor's music stand.

You find a civil defence manual on the lectern.
You take the manual
You pick up the civil defence manual and examine it.

It seems to be all about what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. It doesn't quite say "Dig a two-metre trench and lie in it", but at a quick glance the advice offered doesn't seem much more useful than that.
You take the beret
None of the stuff left on the seats looks worth bothering with.
You read the manual
It seems to be all about what to do in the event of a nuclear attack. It doesn't quite say "Dig a two-metre trench and lie in it", but at a quick glance the advice offered doesn't seem much more useful than that.
You move lectern
It is fixed in place.
You go west
(first leaving the concert platform)
You turn off the torch to save its battery.

South of the junction with Market Street, Cornwallis Avenue becomes the London Road, and its character changes to match. The area looks grubbier and slightly more run-down. For the most part the road is lined with parades of uninviting-looking shops with blocks of flats built above them. Incongruously, the Fairfax Hall occupies one block on the east side of the road. The road itself runs north and south.

As you emerge from the Fairfax Hall you hear the distant clack of footsteps on the pavement, and turn to see a distant figure disappearing off to the south.
Go south
Elmbridge Roundabout is one of those huge roundabouts built on the edge of cities with the apparent intention of smoothing the traffic flow and the normal effect of snarling it up. Tonight, however, there is not a single vehicle in sight. The east and west exits lead to the ring road, the southern exit to the motorway, and the north exit back into the city.

Whoever's footsteps it was that you heard just now, there's no one in sight here.
Go west
You must have driven down this section of road a dozen times without being more than minimally aware that it crosses the river at this point, but on foot it's all too obvious; you can stop and stare at the moonlight reflecting off the water without a single car headlight to disturb you. The ring road continues to both east and west.

You vividly recall one occasion when you were driving this way. It was shortly after graduation and you were driving a group of friends back from a celebratory party. The traffic suddenly slowed to a crawl and you became aware of flashing blue lights a short way up ahead.

"Quick; change places with me," she said.

"But..." you began to protest.

"Don't argue, there isn't much time." she insisted.

There was something about her tone of voice that silenced any further argument, so you surreptitiously changed places before the traffic started moving again. A few dozen yards further on the police stopped the car and asked her to blow into a breathalyzer (there weren't meant to be random breath tests in those days, but they found some pretext). She, of course, was clean. To this day you don't know whether you would have been, but you're profoundly grateful that it wasn't put to the test.
You go west
Walking along the ring road feels positively eerie; after all, it was built for cars, not pedestrians, and normally it wouldn't even be possible to walk here. But now it's totally deserted, apart from a large advertising hoarding by the side of the road. The ring road continues westwards to Oak Tree Roundabout and eastwards over Elm Bridge.

Suddenly, the silence is rent by the roar of engines. You leap out of the way just in time as a sports car races past, hotly pursued by a police car with lights flashing and sirens blazing. Both cars vanish off to the west, and the road falls silent once more.
You examine the hoarding
The best-illuminated poster is one that declares:

Myles Biggar Haulage, for all your transport needs. Miles better by far!

email: sales@mylesbiggar.co.uk
phone 01921 743589.
Go west
This large roundabout is normally busy and frequently congested; seeing it without a car in sight seems distinctly strange. There are four exits from the roundabout: to east and west is the ring road; to the north the road over Preston Bridge into the city centre, and to the south the dual carriageway heading out into the country.
Go south
That's one of the main routes out of the city. She can't have gone that way.
You go to the north
This bridge is normally something of a bottleneck at rush hour, but now it's just as deserted as everywhere else in the city. It's a bit too narrow for the volume of traffic it normally has to take, but its old stone parapets overlooking the river make it too historic to widen.
Go north
The lighting is a bit better here, since it's a junction of two normally busy roads: the High Street continues to north and south, while Market Street heads off to the east.
Go north
High Street (Outside Hairdressers and Pub)
Amongst the various buildings lining the street here you particularly notice two: the glass-fronted Ladies' Hairdresser to the east and the mock-Tudor olde worlde pub - the Kings Arms - which stands directly opposite it to the west. The High Street continues to both north and south.
Go north
High Street (South)
The High Street runs north to the City Centre and continues to the south. A narrow alley runs off to the east, opposite a newsagent to the west.
Go north
The junction where the High Street crosses Mandlebury Road is generally reckoned to be the central point of the city. From here the High Street runs north up past your office and south towards Preston Bridge and the ring road, while Mandlebury Road runs east towards the police station and west towards the river. Most of the buildings on the junction are closed up, but the supermarket on the northeast corner is partly lit, and lights are blazing from Morgans Bank to the southwest.
You go southwest
You walk cautiously towards the bank, wondering if there's anyone inside. You pause outside, just by the imposing classical pillars that surround the entrance, and listen for signs of life. Hearing nothing, you carry on inside.

The bank is deserted now, but it looks like someone was here not too long ago: the service counter is surrounded by broken glass. That presumably explains why the bank is unlocked and the lights left on; whoever has just robbed the bank didn't hang around to lock up and turn out the lights. The street exit is to the northeast.

A heavy mallet left lying among the shards of glass indicates pretty clearly how the barrier was broken.

You ran into her here about eighteen months ago; she was just ahead of you in the queue.

"Oh, hello!" she said, with one of her brighter smiles, "Are you here to take all your money out too? These people obviously can't be trusted with it!"

"Why not?" you asked.

"Didn't you hear about it on the news?" she replied, "Someone hacked into Morgans' mainframe and siphoned off a couple of million. Doesn't say much for their security, does it?"
You take the mallet
You pick up the heavy mallet.
You examine the mallet
It has a long wooden handle and a massive metal head.
You examine the counter
The service counter is deserted, of course, but it is also surrounded by broken glass, a hole having been smashed through the barrier that would normally protect it. It looks as if some crooks have taken advantage of the evacuation to commit a tempting felony.
You go to the north-east
The supermarket is all locked up; you can't get in.
You examine Supermarket
The supermarket occupies the entire corner on which it stands, and was seemingly designed by an architect desperate to win the International Bland Building of the Millennium contest. Through its plate glass window you can see the front part of the shop is partially lit, perhaps as a security measure. An unmistakeable security measure is the burglar alarm mounted just above the entrance.
You look at the alarm
It's a square, red box with "Metro Alarms" printed on it.
You hit alarm with mallet
The burglar alarm is too high up.

The sound of a clock striking three mingles with the roar of a jet aircraft flying overhead.
You hit glass with the mallet
You smash through the glass with the mallet, and then keep smashing until you've made a hole large enough to step through. Meanwhile the alarm starts to ring.
You go northeast
Very carefully, so as not to cut yourself or tear your clothes, you step through the large jagged hole in the window and find yourself just inside the Supermarket.

There's no one here, and most of the aisles are in shadow; the only light is in the checkout area by the exit to the southwest.

It was here that you last saw her, about ten days ago, when she came up behind you in the checkout queue. She seemed pleased to see you, and appeared to have made a deliberate choice to join your queue, but the conversation remained inconsequential until you were ready to leave. Just as you'd packed up your shopping and paid your bill, she became suddenly solemn.

"If I ever needed you - I mean really needed you - you would be there for me, wouldn't you?" she asked.

"Of course," you replied, without hesitation.

"Good," she smiled, and then changed the subject to something inconsequential like the weather.
You think
You're beginning to run out of ideas. You're fairly sure she's been moving round the city even while you've been trying to find her, almost as if she's deliberately been trying to avoid you. But it does occur to you that you haven't yet tried Lafayette's.
You look around
There's no one here, and most of the aisles are in shadow; the only light is in the checkout area by the exit to the southwest.
You look at the checkout area
The checkout area is still lit, but you can't see why; there's no one there.
You go to the southwest
With great care, you step back out through the jagged hole and into the street.

You turn off the torch to save its battery.

The junction where the High Street crosses Mandlebury Road is generally reckoned to be the central point of the city. From here the High Street runs north up past your office and south towards Preston Bridge and the ring road, while Mandlebury Road runs east towards the police station and west towards the river. Most of the buildings on the junction are closed up, but the supermarket on the northeast corner is partly lit, and lights are blazing from Morgans Bank to the southwest.

The burglar alarm is ringing.
You go north
High Street (by Post Office)
This part of the High Street contains some of the oldest buildings in the city, and the old shop fronts have been mercifully preserved from the depredations of three generations of philistine post-war planners. The main post office on the west side of the street is a particularly fine example of Victorian architecture, but all the shops retain a measure of charm here, even when they're only selling mortgages or computer games. The High Street continues to north and south, while a narrow lane runs off to the west just by the post office.
You go north
High Street (by your office)
The High Street continues to north and south past rows of shops and small offices. One of the latter, directly to the west, is the office where you work.
You look up the Metro Alarms
(on the computer)
You google for "metro alarms", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
You look up the spasiba
(on the computer)
You google for "spasiba", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
You read the chocolates
On it is written "The car-park delivery is fine. The contents will settle the final installment. Spasiba".
You look in it
The box is empty, but there's something written on the inside lid.
Google abisaps
(on the computer)
You google for "abisaps", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
Google puzhalsta
(on the computer)
You google for "puzhalsta", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
Google hacker
(on the computer)
You google for "hacker", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
Google spasibo
(on the computer)
You google for "spasibo", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
Google lafayette'S
(on the computer)
You google for "lafayette's", but it turns up nothing of immediate interest.
Go west
(first opening the restaurant door)
It turns out to be unlocked, so you have no trouble letting yourself in and strolling inside.

Lafayette's (in the dark)
It's too dark to see much in here, apart from the exit to the east. There's probably a light switch near the door.

You once brought Kate here for a meal a few weeks after her twenty-first birthday. You weren't sure you wanted a relationship with Kate, but you weren't sure you didn't want one either. She was frighteningly clever, but she was also kind, warm-hearted and extraordinarily perceptive. Above all, she was someone you could really talk to, more than anyone else you knew at the time.

You can't remember much of what you talked about that evening, but you vividly recall one snippet of the conversation.

"Do you wish it was her with you here tonight?" she asked quietly.

It was obvious to both of you whom she meant, so you didn't bother to query it. Instead you replied, "She's an interesting enough woman, I suppose, but I'm very happy with the company I've got."

"So am I," Kate smiled wistfully, "But I can see you fancy her all the same. You shouldn't go so much on externals."
You turn on the light
You fumble around by the door and manage to find the light switch, which you turn on.

The rather small tables and slightly gaudy red mock-leather chairs hardly make this the grandest restaurant in town, but in your opinion it offers the best value for money, as well as a relaxed friendly atmosphere. It's rather sad to see it so deserted tonight.

On the serving counter are a steak knife and an old radio.
You take the knife
(the steak knife)
You pick up the steak knife and examine it.

It looks pretty sharp.
You examine Radio
It certainly looks like an old model, unless it's just a particularly convincing retro imitation. It has a large dial, and the cable running from it suggests that it's meant to run off mains power.

The old radio is currently switched off.
You turn on Radio
Nothing happens; perhaps the radio is broken, or perhaps there's no power.
You plug in Radio
You plug the cord into the socket.
The radio comes to life, with the broadcast of an overture by Elgar.
You listen
From the radio comes the sound of a symphony by Beethoven.
You examine dial
It's a large circular dial that can be turned to tune the radio.
Tune Radio
Try turning the dial.
You turn the dial
You turn the dial, tuning into some kind of game show. One of the contestants has just been challenged to sing an impromptu song about Icelandic cod fishing to the tune of Land of Hope and Glory.
Continue
You turn the dial, tuning into a piece of rock.
Continue
You turn the dial, tuning into the news. Apparently, England has lost yet another test match.
Continue
You turn the dial, tuning into the evening play. It appears to be a dramatization of War and Peace, but you can't quite place the actor playing General Kutuzov, even though his voice sounds vaguely familiar.
You listen to Radio
From the radio comes the sound of the evening play. It appears to be a dramatization of War and Peace, but you can't quite place the actor playing Andrei, even though his voice sounds vaguely familiar.
You listen to Radio
From the radio comes the sound of the evening play. It appears to be a dramatization of War and Peace, but you can't quite place the actor playing Napoleon, even though his voice sounds vaguely familiar.
You turn the dial
You turn the dial, tuning into some long Russian opera.

A clock chimes half past the hour. It can't be much more than an hour to dawn; surely the Enemy will have arrived by then. Time really is running out.
You open the recorder with knife
Which do you mean, the steak knife or the sharp kitchen knife?
You go east
You leave the restaurant and walk back out into York Street.

York Street (north)
York Street continues to north and south. On the west side of the street stands Lafayette's, an intimate little restaurant you used to frequent when you went out more.
Go north
Beyond the point where York Street meets Hythe Bridge Street, it runs on into a residential suburb. Hythe Bridge Street runs off to the southeast, while York Street runs south towards the railway station.
Go south
(first opening the large steel door)

This seems to be a large space, but you can see virtually nothing here apart from the faint outline of the window up to the west and of the desk just beneath it.
You examine toolbox
The green metal toolbox looks quite big and heavy.

In the green metal toolbox are some tools.
Search tools
There's a hammer, some screwdrivers, and a selection of spanners.
You take the screwdriver
You pick up the small screwdriver and examine it.

It's a small screwdriver with a narrow blade and a yellow plastic handle.
You pry the recorder with the screwdriver
You pry the tiny cassette-recorder open with the small screwdriver, revealing a black cassette within. You then throw away the now useless pieces of the broken cassette recorder.
You look at the cassette player
It's a small, basic tape cassette player, black and silver in colour, with buttons marked PLAY, STOP, REWIND and EJECT.
You open the cassette player
You press the EJECT button and the cassette player pops open.
You put the black cassette tape in cassette player
(first taking the blue cassette)
You put the black cassette into the portable cassette player.
Close cassette player
You close the portable cassette player.
You press play
Nothing happens, beyond the faintest of whirring sounds.
You press rewind
There's a brief whirring while the tape rewinds, and then a click when it comes to a stop.
You press play
The recording is tinny and a bit muffled. There are two voices, one male, one female.

"Hello" says the male voice, "You came. But why here?"

"This is where it all started to go wrong, all those years ago, so it seemed fitting -- but you wouldn't understand. You betrayed me," says the woman, "why?"

"Just doing my public duty," says the man.

"You mean I woudn't pay your price for silence," the other replies.

"It was hardly an unreasonable price, all things considered," says the man.

"I didn't need to pay it. I already had an insurance policy," says the woman.

"I can't imagine what," the man replies, with a slight chuckle.

"I knew I couldn't trust you, so I lied," the woman answers, "Fortunately you've passed my disinformation on to the authorities. They're looking for it in the wrong place."

"Why tell me that now?" he asks.

"I wanted to you to know how badly you'd failed," the woman replies, "before you die."

"Oh no, I'm out of here." says the man.

"On no you're not." The recording is too poor to be able to identify either voice with certainty. You don't want the female voice to be hers, and you fervently hope that it isn't. It may not be; but you're forced to admit that it could be.

The conversation breaks off. There's a series of bangs and crashes, which could be the sounds of a scuffle, then silence. The tape comes to an end and the cassette player stops with a click.
You remember University Hall
In the University Hall you remembered:
You attended three or four quite unmemorable lectures here when you were a student, but you mainly remember this hall for the two University rites of passage: matriculation and graduation. You can't even recall seeing her at the former, but she was definitely at the latter, and quite out of sorts that day -- you could scarcely get a cold nod out of her, let alone a word.
You think
You're beginning to run out of ideas. You're fairly sure she's been moving round the city even while you've been trying to find her, almost as if she's deliberately been trying to avoid you. But it does occur to you that you haven't yet tried Carlton Terrace.
You examine the crumpled piece of the paper
It's her degree certificate, showing that she graduated with an excellent first class degree. Despite your best efforts to straighten it out, the certificate remains a bit scrumpled.
You examine the photograph
It shows the climax of the graduation ceremony, with Kate shaking hands with the Vice-Chancellor as she receives the award for the best degree result of the year. A little way over to the left a group of graduands in academic robes stand looking on and applauding; among them are Jeremy, Nick, yourself - and her. It's her you look at, every bit as beautiful at twenty-one as she is today. She's applauding and smiling with the rest, but the smile looks a little forced.
You examine the key
Which do you mean, the large iron key, the small flat metal key, the large car key, the small brass key or the office key?
Piece
The handwriting is as small as the piece of paper it's written on, but you still recognise it as hers. It reads, "Sorry, couldn't wait - just discovered I've lost something I must recover: a small, grey, flat metal key. I may have dropped it when I went for a run (in the usual place) or when I went to the knowledge factory. We must make sure they don't get it. It would be a big help if you could search those two places while I look elsewhere. See you later."

Just below that you see a crease that you missed before - you must have been in too much of a hurry, or maybe the light was too bad. Anyway, you unfold the crease and see that she has written:

"I'll meet you where we first met at twenty to four. Don't be late!"

I beg your pardon?
You go to Hospital
(going to the Hospital Reception)
(going north)
You turn off the torch to save its battery.

Hythe Bridge Street (south)
Hythe Bridge Street is quite narrow, being one of the oldest parts of the city. It narrows even further as it approaches an old stone bridge to the northwest; to the southeast it runs towards a junction with the High Street. On the south side of the street stands a large haulage depot, round the side of which a narrow alley runs to the southwest.
Go south
The junction where the High Street crosses Mandlebury Road is generally reckoned to be the central point of the city. From here the High Street runs north up past your office and south towards Preston Bridge and the ring road, while Mandlebury Road runs east towards the police station and west towards the river. Most of the buildings on the junction are closed up, but the supermarket on the northeast corner is partly lit, and lights are blazing from Morgans Bank to the southwest.

The burglar alarm is ringing.
Go west
Mandlebury Road (West)
At this point Mandlebury Road is a broad, well-lit street, bordering the shadowy entrance to Mandlebury Park just to the north, and a traditional fish and chip shop to the south. The street continues east towards the city centre and west over Mandlebury Bridge.
Go west
It's strange - almost unnatural - to see this bridge so deserted. You're more used to seeing it jammed with slow-moving rush-hour traffic, or at least a steady flow. But now there's nothing here apart from the bare tarmac, the street lights (one of which now has a large placard attached to it), the stone parapet, and the river sliding silently past below.
You go to the west
The Embankment is the name given to this short stretch of road by Mandlebury Bridge, which spans the river to the east. To the west the Embankment is lined by a row of shops; to the north it becomes York Street, while to the south it runs into Sussex Street.
You go to the south
Sussex Street (north)
A row of large Edwardian town houses lines the west side of the street, overlooking the river to the east. The houses are all in darkness, and the street deserted, making it all seem not quite real. Sussex Street continues north to the Embankment and south towards the junction with Gladstone Terrace.
You go south
Junction of Sussex Street and Gladstone Terrace.
This junction would be well-lit even without the moonlight. Sussex Street continues to north and south while Gladstone Terrace leads off to the west. Further north the street runs along the west bank of the river, but just here the river bends towards the southeast and parts company with the road.
Go south
Sussex Street (south)
Although so far as you know this part of the city never suffered any bomb damage, some group of town planners rapidly made up for the negligence of the Luftwaffe by tearing down whatever was here before and replacing it with a mass of soulless fifties architecture seemingly inspired by Soviet brutalism. The most striking eyesore is the City Hospital, which lies immediately to the east. Sussex Street continues to north and south.
Go east
Hospitals can be depressing places at the best of times, and considerable effort has been put into ensuring that this one is no exception. The flickering light from a couple of fluorescent tubes does nothing to help, but the drab seating in the waiting area is the clincher. Opposite this seating stands the reception desk, currently unstaffed. Corridors lead off in all directions to operating theatres, offices, and wards, but the only one that looks at all tempting is the one that leads back out to the west.

On the reception desk is a brown telephone.
You look at the desk
The reception desk is a long, flat surface behind which there would normally be situated a receptionist busily engaged in keeping visitors from patients, patients from doctors, and useful information from absolutely everyone (with the possible exception of the police and security services). Right now, however, it is as deserted as everywhere else.

On the reception desk is a brown telephone.
Sing
I didn't understand that sentence.

You sing a few bars of "What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?", but your performance impresses no one but yourself.
You continue
You sing a few bars of "Rule, Britannia!", but your performance impresses no one but yourself.
You think
"Where we first met?" Does she mean when you were both very young?
You remember Playground
In the Playground you remembered:
This was a co-ed school, and this playground was where you first saw her, all those years ago. Perhaps your recollection of that first encounter has been coloured by events of the last two decades, but as you recall it, when your eyes met across the playground it was as if everything else around receded into two-dimensional monochrome, and she was the only three-dimensional technicolour object left in your field of view. Again, as you recall, she smiled shyly at you, and you went and introduced yourself in your earnest six-year-old fashion, but so much fantasy and wishful thinking has surrounded the frequent rehearsal of that memory that you can't really remember what either of you actually said.
You read the piece
Which do you mean, the small piece of paper or the crumpled piece of paper?
Small
The handwriting is as small as the piece of paper it's written on, but you still recognise it as hers. It reads, "Sorry, couldn't wait - just discovered I've lost something I must recover: a small, grey, flat metal key. I may have dropped it when I went for a run (in the usual place) or when I went to the knowledge factory. We must make sure they don't get it. It would be a big help if you could search those two places while I look elsewhere. See you later."

Just below that you see a crease that you missed before - you must have been in too much of a hurry, or maybe the light was too bad. Anyway, you unfold the crease and see that she has written:

"I'll meet you where we first met at twenty to four. Don't be late!"
You go north
You turn off the torch to save its battery.

Hythe Bridge Street (south)
Hythe Bridge Street is quite narrow, being one of the oldest parts of the city. It narrows even further as it approaches an old stone bridge to the northwest; to the southeast it runs towards a junction with the High Street. On the south side of the street stands a large haulage depot, round the side of which a narrow alley runs to the southwest.
You go south
High Street (by your office)
The High Street continues to north and south past rows of shops and small offices. One of the latter, directly to the west, is the office where you work.
You go south
High Street (by Post Office)
This part of the High Street contains some of the oldest buildings in the city, and the old shop fronts have been mercifully preserved from the depredations of three generations of philistine post-war planners. The main post office on the west side of the street is a particularly fine example of Victorian architecture, but all the shops retain a measure of charm here, even when they're only selling mortgages or computer games. The High Street continues to north and south, while a narrow lane runs off to the west just by the post office.
Go south
The junction where the High Street crosses Mandlebury Road is generally reckoned to be the central point of the city. From here the High Street runs north up past your office and south towards Preston Bridge and the ring road, while Mandlebury Road runs east towards the police station and west towards the river. Most of the buildings on the junction are closed up, but the supermarket on the northeast corner is partly lit, and lights are blazing from Morgans Bank to the southwest.

The burglar alarm is ringing.
Go east
Mandlebury Road (East)
A large car park lies immediately to the south, while Church Street forks off to the northeast. Mandlebury Road continues to both east (past the Police Station) and west (back to the City Centre).
Go east
Mandlebury Road (outside Police Station)
Mandlebury Road continues to east and west, while the main city police station stands just to the south, and Church Road runs off to the north.
You go east
Mandlebury Road (east of the Crossroads)
From the crossroads, Mandlebury Road runs on straight to east for half a mile or more between rows of neat suburban houses.
You go east
Mandlebury Road continues out of town into a residential suburb; you're pretty sure she won't be there.
Go north
You can't go that way. The obvious exits are east and west (to Crossroads).
You go north
School Lane is a relatively short street running north up to the junction with Church Street and south to Cornwallis Avenue. It's mainly residential, but the primary school you attended is on this street; its playground is just to the east.

You hear a footfall slowly approaching down the street, and turn to see a figure walking towards you. As the figure passes under a street light, you see it's a slender young woman with long dark hair. You feel sure it must be her even before you can see her properly. You start walking towards her, eager yet apprehensive at finally meeting her. She walks on a few paces, then stops in a dark place between lamp posts, waiting for you to reach her.

It is her; of course it is her. Even from a few yards away in the moonlight you're quite sure, and once you stop a couple of feet away no possible doubt remains: it's Emma.

"Good - you made it!" she declares, "I don't suppose you managed to find the key, did you?"
You say yes
"Yes, miraculously enough, I did!" you reply triumphantly, handing her the key.

"Thank heavens for that!" she replies, taking the key. She holds it up in the bright moonlight, then nods, "Yes, this looks like the one," she tells you. With a rapid motion she inserts the key into the small metal box she's holding and gives it a quick twist, "Oh yes," she declares, "That's definitely the one. Thank you!" Smiling her most alluring smile she adds, "Tell me David, do you trust me?"
You say no
"To be honest, I'm not sure I do," you reply.

Amazingly, she doesn't seem in the least offended. "Really?" she asks, "You're learning at last! But you should trust me now, David, you really should. I'm your only hope of defeating the Enemy. Here ... " she holds out the small grey box to you, "Just push the button on that. Show that you trust me now. Will you do that?"
You look at Emma
She is tall, slender, and to your eyes, utterly beautiful, but the moonlight makes her look a little ghostlike, exaggerating both the palor of her skin and the darkness of her hair. She's carrying a small flat metal key and a small grey box.

"What are you waiting for?" she demands, "Are you going to press that button for me or aren't you?"
You say no
"No, I won't do it," you reply.

"No matter," she shrugs, "It's a missed opportunity, but I can just as easily do it myself."

She pushes the button, but nothing obvious happens.

Well, something obvious happens. She laughs out loud and punches the air in triumph, shouting, "Yes!" Beaming at you fondly she continues, "Dear David, I always knew you were my truest friend, the one person I could always rely on. That's why I had to share this with you. Would you like to kiss me? Yes, I can see in your eyes you would. Go on - kiss me - I know you've always been dying to, and now you're about to die with me!"

She smiles at your mild bemusement, then goes on, "I'm afraid someone tipped them all off -- I suppose it must have been Danny, he was the only one who knew enough -- so they all got away, and I really wanted to take them all with me. Still, David, you stayed behind for me, and that's good because you're the only one who never rejected me, so you mustn't reject me now -- me or my nightfall."

"Emma, what are you talking about?" you ask sadly.

"We're about to reach Nightfall: final, ultimate, wonderful nightfall! This whole city is about to become a pile of radioactive ash!" she declares brightly, as if this were the best possible thing imaginable, "I have just detonated my bomb! At last I've achieved something that no one can ignore! This place never did value me properly, I've suffered far too many rejections! You do understand, don't you? I tried - I really tried - I always did my best, but other people kept stealing the prizes. That's why I had to kill Kate, of course - and why I have to destroy this city! Don't look so upset, David -- death is the most loving gift I have to give, and you of all people deserve my best! Just think what I'm sharing with you! I know you've always fancied me, and now I know I love you madly, so go on, take me: hug me, kiss me, make mad passionate love to me; I'm yours till death us do part!"
You ask Emma about Kate
"What really happened to Kate?" you ask.

"Kate?" she replies, a little too shortly, "Oh - Kate. She stole too many things that should have been mine, so - she drowned. She had to. Now, how about answering my question: Will you kiss me while you can?"

"Death, destruction, decay, these three things abide," she says, "but the greatest of these... Hang on. It's late!" She frowns momentarily, then relaxes into a smile, "I should not be so impatient - any moment now! Just give me one last kiss while you still can!"
You kiss emma
You kiss her on the lips and find yourself taken slightly aback at the enthusiasm of her response.

"Something has definitely gone wrong," Emma frowns, "We should both be dead by now, and this city should be a radioactive crater. David, have you done something?"
You go north
> Other things to try
Various places in the city trigger important memories. You didn't visit them all this time. Next time try visiting Carlton Terrace as well.
You might want to take a closer look at the small grey box and the television. There are also several important objects you haven't found yet.
How many tape cassettes did you find? There are five in all.

> Other things to try

> Other things to try
You look around
The bank is deserted now, but it looks like someone was here not too long ago: the service counter is surrounded by broken glass. That presumably explains why the bank is unlocked and the lights left on; whoever has just robbed the bank didn't hang around to lock up and turn out the lights. The street exit is to the northeast.
You go west
Mandlebury Road (West)
At this point Mandlebury Road is a broad, well-lit street, bordering the shadowy entrance to Mandlebury Park just to the north, and a traditional fish and chip shop to the south. The street continues east towards the city centre and west over Mandlebury Bridge.

The sound of a clock striking three mingles with the roar of a jet aircraft flying overhead.
Go west
It's strange - almost unnatural - to see this bridge so deserted. You're more used to seeing it jammed with slow-moving rush-hour traffic, or at least a steady flow. But now there's nothing here apart from the bare tarmac, the street lights (one of which now has a large placard attached to it), the stone parapet, and the river sliding silently past below.
You go to the west
The Embankment is the name given to this short stretch of road by Mandlebury Bridge, which spans the river to the east. To the west the Embankment is lined by a row of shops; to the north it becomes York Street, while to the south it runs into Sussex Street.
You go west
Carlton Terrace runs east into Sussex Street and continues westwards under a railway bridge.

You once considered renting your first flat in this street, but eventually decided against it. The flat would have been relatively cheap, but it there were good reasons for that, among them being (a) that Carlton Terrace is not in a nice area and (b) that the trains rattling over the bridge would probably have kept you awake all night. In the end you settled for a flat out in the northern suburbs.
You examine the Bridge
The bridge is but a vague outline in the moonlight, but the dark tunnel running under it looks profoundly uninviting.
You go west
That way leads to Fordbury, a run-down quarter with a high crime rate. It has presumably been evacuated along with the rest of the city, so the risk of getting mugged is no doubt lower than usual, but it's most unlikely she went that way, and you feel sure you'd do better to concentrate your search nearer the city centre.
You go south
This is yet another of the large roundabouts on the ring road, all of which look more or less alike, especially by moonlight. This one has four exits: north into the city, south to the industrial estate, and east and west to the ring road.
You go to the west
You're hardly likely to find her by walking on round the ring road.
You go to the south
That way leads to the main industrial estate. You very much doubt she'd have gone there.
You go east
Normally there'd be a lot of cars racing or queuing along this expanse of tarmac, depending on the time of day. Right now, however, there is not a single one in sight; just about every vehicle in the city has been used for the evacuation, and no one in their right mind would come here with the Enemy about to arrive. Walking along the tarmac by moonlight feels distinctly strange.
You go to the east
This large roundabout is normally busy and frequently congested; seeing it without a car in sight seems distinctly strange. There are four exits from the roundabout: to east and west is the ring road; to the north the road over Preston Bridge into the city centre, and to the south the dual carriageway heading out into the country.
You go east
Tilbury Road runs eastwards out of the city through the Tilbury Park Council Estate. It's obvious that it's leaving the city centre from the way the street lighting becomes less frequent. The junction with Church Street and Devon Road lies back to the west.
You look at Estate
It's too far out to be worth looking for her; it would take you weeks to search all the suburbs and housing estates and you haven't even got all night.
You look at her
She is tall, slender, and to your eyes, utterly beautiful, but the moonlight makes her look a little ghostlike, exaggerating both the palor of her skin and the darkness of her hair. She's carrying a small grey box.

"I asked you a question," she reminds you. "Have you found the key?"
You tell her no
"No, I'm afraid not," you lie, "There really wasn't much hope of finding it in any of those places in the dark, was there?"

"No, I suppose not," she sighs. "Damn! You may as well have this then," she says, handing you the small grey box, "It's our only hope of defeating the Enemy, but it's no good without the key. So what are we going to do now? Do you have a plan for dealing with the Enemy?"
You ask her about Enemy
"What do you know about the Enemy? Who are they?" you ask.

"I wonder if you'd understand if I told you," she replies, "but you haven't answered my question. What are we to do now? Do you have a plan for dealing with the Enemy?"
You tell her no
"No -- let's get out of here before the Enemy arrive," you suggest.

"It's much too late for that," she tells you, "The Enemy has been here all along. Wait a minute though..." she feels in her pockets and then gives a triumphant smile, "Ah, thank goodness for that! I think I've found the spare!" She grabs your palm as if pressing something into it, but when you look you just see the one flat metal key there. Meanwhile she watches you with a twisted smile, as if challenging you to acknoweldge that she saw through your lie.

"We can defeat the Enemy after all," she tells you, "all you need to do is to put the key in the hole, give it a turn, and push the red button. Will you do that for me, David?"
You tell her no
"No, I won't do it," you reply.

"No matter," she shrugs, "It's a missed opportunity, but I can just as easily do it myself."
She takes the flat metal key, inserts it in the small grey box, and gives it a twist.
She pushes the button, but nothing obvious happens.

Well, something obvious happens. She laughs out loud and punches the air in triumph, shouting, "Yes!" Beaming at you fondly she continues, "Dear David, I always knew you were my truest friend, the one person I could always rely on. That's why I had to share this with you. Would you like to kiss me? Yes, I can see in your eyes you would. Go on - kiss me - I know you've always been dying to, and now you're about to die with me!"

She smiles at your mild bemusement, then goes on, "I'm afraid someone tipped them all off -- I suppose it must have been Danny, he was the only one who knew enough -- so they all got away, and I really wanted to take them all with me. Still, David, you stayed behind for me, and that's good because you're the only one who never rejected me, so you mustn't reject me now -- me or my nightfall."

"Emma, what are you talking about?" you ask sadly.

"We're about to reach Nightfall: final, ultimate, wonderful nightfall! This whole city is about to become a pile of radioactive ash!" she declares brightly, as if this were the best possible thing imaginable, "I have just detonated my bomb! At last I've achieved something that no one can ignore! This place never did value me properly, I've suffered far too many rejections! You do understand, don't you? I tried - I really tried - I always did my best, but other people kept stealing the prizes. That's why I had to kill Kate, of course - and why I have to destroy this city! Don't look so upset, David -- death is the most loving gift I have to give, and you of all people deserve my best! Just think what I'm sharing with you! I know you've always fancied me, and now I know I love you madly, so go on, take me: hug me, kiss me, make mad passionate love to me; I'm yours till death us do part!"
You ask her about Nightfall
"What's the connection between your painting and Stanilev's book?" you ask.

"Beyond the name, you mean?" she replies, "I should have thought that was obvious: I was trying to express in paint what Stanilev said in words. Now, how about answering my question: Will you kiss me while you can?"

"Death, destruction, decay, these three things abide," she says, "but the greatest of these... Hang on. It's late!" She frowns momentarily, then relaxes into a smile, "I should not be so impatient - any moment now! Just give me one last kiss while you still can!"
You tell her no
She appears not to hear you, or else chooses to ignore your negation. "Something has definitely gone wrong," Emma frowns, "We should both be dead by now, and this city should be a radioactive crater. David, have you done something?"
You tell her no
"I don't know what you're talking about, Emma," you lie, knowing the lie to be justified now, "All this stuff about bombs and nightfall - whatever do you mean?"

She looks momentarily puzzled, "We should be dead," she replies.

"I don't see why!" you reply, "It's so much better to be alive! And somehow I don't think the Enemy will be troubling us any more."

"You don't?" she asks suspiciously.

"We've defeated them, Emma," you tell her.

"We have?" she asks.

"I see no Enemy here, Emma," you tell her, "Do you?"

In reply, she merely stares at you, finally at a loss for words, so you decide to press your advantage.

"I don't know what's been going on here tonight, Emma," you say, "but I do know that life is worth living, especially now I find myself alone in this city with the most beautiful and talented woman I shall ever set eyes on. And you know what? The Enemy that's been stalking me all my life is the fear of rejection, and that Enemy has just been routed. So - I'm going to walk you home now and I'm not taking no for an answer."

For a moment she continues to stare at you, then finally nods. "Very well," she agrees, "Let's try it your way."

She makes no protest at all as you take her hand and start walking back to her flat. That way you can keep her under your control while you plan the final reckoning.
You look at the small piece of the paper
The handwriting is as small as the piece of paper it's written on, but you still recognise it as hers. It reads, "Sorry, couldn't wait - just discovered I've lost something I must recover: a small, grey, flat metal key. I may have dropped it when I went for a run (in the usual place) or when I went to the knowledge factory. We must make sure they don't get it. It would be a big help if you could search those two places while I look elsewhere. See you later."

Just below that you see a crease that you missed before - you must have been in too much of a hurry, or maybe the light was too bad. Anyway, you unfold the crease and see that she has written:

"I'll meet you where we first met at twenty past two. Don't be late!"
Go east
You can't go that way. The only obvious exit is outside (to Car Park).
Outside
You turn off the torch to save its battery.

It's normally near impossible to find a parking space in this town centre car park at any time between 8 am and midnight, but now there's scarcely a vehicle in sight. The main car park exit into Mandlebury Street is to the north, but there's also a narrow alley leading west to the High Street.

The only vehicle parked here is a large lorry.
You go to the east
You can't go that way. The obvious exits are north (to Mandlebury Road (East)), west (to High Street (South)) and inside (to Lorry Interior).
You go north
School Lane is a relatively short street running north up to the junction with Church Street and south to Cornwallis Avenue. It's mainly residential, but the primary school you attended is on this street; its playground is just to the east.

You hear a footfall slowly approaching down the street, and turn to see a figure walking towards you. As the figure passes under a street light, you see it's a slender young woman with long dark hair. You feel sure it must be her even before you can see her properly. You start walking towards her, eager yet apprehensive at finally meeting her. She walks on a few paces, then stops in a dark place between lamp posts, waiting for you to reach her.

It is her; of course it is her. Even from a few yards away in the moonlight you're quite sure, and once you stop a couple of feet away no possible doubt remains: it's Emma.

"Hello David," she says, "I'm glad you made it. I hope you had better luck than I did; did you find the key?"
You tell her yes
"Yes, miraculously enough, I did!" you reply triumphantly, handing her the key.

"Thank heavens for that!" she replies, taking the key. She holds it up in the bright moonlight, then nods, "Yes, this looks like the one," she tells you. With a rapid motion she inserts the key into the small metal box she's holding and gives it a quick twist, "Oh yes," she declares, "That's definitely the one. Thank you!" Smiling her most alluring smile she adds, "Tell me David, do you trust me?"
You tell her yes
(Emma that)
"Yes, of course I trust you!" you declare.

"Then help me defeat the Enemy once and for all, just push this button," she requests, holding out the small box to you, "Will you do that for me?"
You make the love to Emma
You kiss her on the lips and find yourself taken slightly aback at the enthusiasm of her response.

"Death, destruction, decay, these three things abide," she says, "but the greatest of these..."

Then suddenly there's an ear-splitting roar that shatters your eardrums so you hear no more, a blinding flash that melts your eyeballs so you see no more, and a searing moment of intense pain as your skin blisters in intense heat and your body is buffeted by wind and debris. Then, at last, comes merciful oblivion.
You show the matchbook to Emma
"What do you make of that, Emma?" you ask, showing her the matchbook.

She looks at it for a couple of moments, then remarky dryly, "Very ingenious, I'm sure! But I asked you something: Have you found the key?"
You ask Emma about Mastema
"What's all this stuff about Mastema -- the signature on the poster in your living room?" you ask.

"Oh that," she laughs, "Once I realized that A.D. Stanilev was an anagram of SATAN DEVIL I thought I'd make a similar anagram out of my own name, as a kind of homage to the great man. But I asked you something: Did you manage to find the key?"
You ask Emma about the degree
"You got a very good degree, Emma," you remark, "Wasn't it good enough for you?"

"It wasn't good enough, was it?" she snaps back, "Kate's was better, as you know. Now, how about answering my question: Have you found the key?"
You show the cap to Emma
She barely glances at the khaki peaked cap.

"I asked you a question," she reminds you. "Have you found the key?"
You ask Emma about the map
She brushes your question aside: "No, David, I asked if you'd found the key - have you?" she asks.
You show the box to Emma
(the chocolate box to Emma)
Emma takes the box of chocolates off you and looks inside. "How kind," she remarks, "Of course it would have been even kinder if the box hadn't been empty. It would be kinder still if you'd just answer my question: Did you manage to find the key?"
You ask Emma about the brooch
"Here, you might want this back," you say, handing her the gold brooch.

"Thank you, how -- quaint," she replies with a lopsided smile, "I'll treasure it all my life!" So saying, she pins it to her dress. "Now, do me another favour; try answering my question: Have you found the key?"
Inventory
You are carrying a small screwdriver, a steak knife, a heavy mallet, a prominent notice, a metal detector, a portable cassette player (closed), inside which is a black cassette, a khaki peaked cap, a long rod, a torch, a sharp kitchen knife, a bar mat, a matchbook, a small brown envelope (open but empty), seventeen documents (a civil defence manual, a large blue diary, a small scrap of yellow paper, an evacuation order, a large Russian dictionary, a black book, a photograph, a letter, a small piece of paper, a concert programme, a menu, a birthday card, a crumpled piece of paper, a business card, a printed email, some miscellaneous papers and an old newspaper), five keys (a large iron key, a small flat metal key, a large car key, a small brass key and an office key) and two cassettes (a blue cassette and a grey tape cassette).

"I asked you a question," she reminds you. "Have you found the key?"
You show the manual to Emma
She barely glances at the civil defence manual.

"I asked you a question," she reminds you. "Have you found the key?"
You show the birthday card to Emma
"It's a bit late for my birthday," she remarks, after giving the card a quick glance, "Besides, I have something much more important to celebrate now. But first, please answer my question: Did you manage to find the key?"
You show yellow paper to Emma
Which do you mean, the small scrap of yellow paper or the evacuation order?
Small scrap
She barely glances at the small scrap of yellow paper.

"I asked you a question," she reminds you. "Have you found the key?"
You ask her about Danny
(Emma about that)
"Did you kill Daniel Saunders?" you ask.

"Yes," she replies, "He betrayed me -- he went to the authorities with what he knew, so nearly everyone got out in time. He deserved to die for that. Now tell me: Have you found the key?"
You ask Emma about Danny
(Emma about that)
"What exactly happened between you and Jeremy?" you inquire.

"We went out for a bit, then he called it off," she shrugs, "he turned out to be yet another one of the people round here who rejected me. But never mind that; I asked you something: Did you manage to find the key?"

Don't you have any compunction about killing Saunders?" you ask.

"Why should I?" she replies, "I planned far more deaths than that. Now tell me: Have you found the key?"
You ask Emma about Danny
"About Daniel Saunders," you begin.

"Never mind Danny," she interrupts you, "He really doesn't matter now. Now tell me: Did you manage to find the key?"
You ask her about Kate
(Emma about that)
"What really happened to Kate?" you ask.

"Kate?" she replies, a little too shortly, "Oh - Kate. She stole too many things that should have been mine, so - she drowned. She had to. Now, how about answering my question: Have you found the key?"
Continue
(Emma about that)
"What do you mean, Kate stole too many things that should have been yours?" you demand.

"Never mind Kate," she replies, "What I want to know is this: Did you manage to find the key?"
Keep going
(Emma about that)
"Did you kill Kate?" you ask.

"What do you think?" she shoots back, "But never mind that, just answer the question I asked you: Have you found the key?"
Continue
(Emma about that)
"Did you kill Kate?" you ask.

"What do you think?" she shoots back, "But never mind that, just answer the question I asked you: Did you manage to find the key?"
You look around
School Lane is a relatively short street running north up to the junction with Church Street and south to Cornwallis Avenue. It's mainly residential, but the primary school you attended is on this street; its playground is just to the east.

She stands staring at you.

"I asked you a question," she reminds you. "Have you found the key?"
Sing
You're embarrassed to; her singing voice is so much better than yours.
You throw the flat key
Dropped.

"I asked you a question," she reminds you. "Have you found the key?"
You say no
"No, I'm afraid not," you lie, "There really wasn't much hope of finding it in any of those places in the dark, was there?"

"No, I suppose not," she sighs. "Damn! You may as well have this then," she says, handing you the small grey box, "It's our only hope of defeating the Enemy, but it's no good without the key. So what are we going to do now? Do you have a plan for dealing with the Enemy?"
Yes
"Yes -- let's get out of here before the Enemy arrive," you suggest.

"It's much too late for that," she tells you, "The Enemy has been here all along. Wait a minute though..." she feels in her pockets and then gives a triumphant smile, "Ah, thank goodness for that! I think I've found the spare!" She grabs your palm and presses something into it. When you look you see a flat metal key there.

"We can defeat the Enemy after all," she tells you, "all you need to do is to put the key in the hole, give it a turn, and push the red button. Will you do that for me, David?"
You drop the flat key
Dropped.

"What are you waiting for?" she demands, "Are you going to press that button for me or aren't you?"
You look around
School Lane is a relatively short street running north up to the junction with Church Street and south to Cornwallis Avenue. It's mainly residential, but the primary school you attended is on this street; its playground is just to the east.

She stands staring at you.

You can also see a small flat metal key here.

"What are you waiting for?" she demands, "Are you going to press that button for me or aren't you?"
You look at the grey box
It's rectangular in shape, with a big red button and a small keyhole.

"What are you waiting for?" she demands, "Are you going to press that button for me or aren't you?"
You take grey box
You already have that.
You drop it
Emma looks mildly vexed, but picks up the box and hands it back to you. "Careful!" she admonishes you.
You throw it
Emma looks vaguely annoyed, but picks up the box and hands it back to you. "Clumsy!" she admonishes you.
You eat it
That's plainly inedible.
You break it
You smash the box against the ground, bursting open its case. She watches bemused as you rip out its wires, and then stamp the remains of the thing underfoot.

"No! No!" she cries, "What have you done? You've ruined everything! You - you of all people - you have betrayed me!"

With a demented shriek, she runs off into the night, leaving you momentarily dazed and alone, until you collect yourself and hurry off after her.

The junction where the High Street crosses Mandlebury Road is generally reckoned to be the central point of the city. From here the High Street runs north up past your office and south towards Preston Bridge and the ring road, while Mandlebury Road runs east towards the police station and west towards the river. Most of the buildings on the junction are closed up, but the supermarket on the northeast corner is partly lit, and lights are blazing from Morgans Bank to the southwest.

The night is just turning to dawn and you hear the sound of distant birdsong. Soon the city will be bustling with life once more; the bomb disposal people are already at work and it should be safe for people to start returning this afternoon. You have saved the city.

You couldn't save her. You caught up with her just in time to see her throw herself into the river. You tried looking for her; you jumped in where you thought you'd seen her go under, and swam around for as long as you could, but you never found her, so eventually you gave up.

Perhaps it's better that way, for now at last she is at peace.

And you? You feel quite strange, as if you'd suddenly woken up on an alien world that was both like and unlike home. Your idol has been shattered: she was not what you thought; for all her brilliance and beauty, she was not worthy of the pedestal you put her on. But then, perhaps no human being should be worshipped. In any case, now she's gone you can at last move on. It's time to start living your life without her. You look around you and decide that from now on your life is probably best lived elsewhere - this city holds too many memories for you. But before you go you know there is one last task you must perform.

You must put some fresh flowers on Kate's grave.
You look at her
(Emma)
She is tall, slender, and to your eyes, utterly beautiful, but the moonlight makes her look a little ghostlike, exaggerating both the palor of her skin and the darkness of her hair. She's carrying a chocolate box.

"What are you waiting for?" she demands, "Are you going to press that button for me or aren't you?"
You stab Emma with the knife
Which do you mean, the steak knife or the sharp kitchen knife?
You press the button
(the big red button)
You push the button, but nothing happens.

"It won't work without the key. Put the key in the keyhole and turn it," Emma tells you.
You put the key in the box
Which do you mean, the small flat metal key, the large iron key, the large car key, the small brass key or the office key?
Flat key
(the small grey box)
(first taking the small flat metal key)
"Good!" Emma declares, as you fit the key into its hole, "Now just turn it and push the button!"

"What are you waiting for?" she demands, "Are you going to press that button for me or aren't you?"
You turn the key
(the small flat metal key)
You turn the key through 180 degrees.

"Good!" she declares, "Now press the button. Will you do that?"
You press button
(the big red button)
You push the button, but nothing obvious happens.

Well, something obvious happens. She laughs out loud and punches the air in triumph, shouting, "Yes!" Beaming at you fondly she continues, "Dear David, I always knew you were my truest friend, the one person I could always rely on. That's why I had to share this with you. Would you like to kiss me? Yes, I can see in your eyes you would. Go on - kiss me - I know you've always been dying to, and now you're about to die with me!"

She smiles at your mild bemusement, then goes on, "I'm afraid someone tipped them all off -- I suppose it must have been Danny, he was the only one who knew enough -- so they all got away, and I really wanted to take them all with me. Still, David, you stayed behind for me, and that's good because you're the only one who never rejected me, so you mustn't reject me now -- me or my nightfall."

"Emma, what are you talking about?" you ask sadly.

"We're about to reach Nightfall: final, ultimate, wonderful nightfall! This whole city is about to become a pile of radioactive ash!" she declares brightly, as if this were the best possible thing imaginable, "You have just detonated my bomb, bless you! So, you deserve to share in my triumph! At last I've achieved something that no one can ignore! This place never did value me properly, I've suffered far too many rejections! You do understand, don't you? I tried - I really tried - I always did my best, but other people kept stealing the prizes. That's why I had to kill Kate, of course - and why I have to destroy this city! Don't look so upset, David -- death is the most loving gift I have to give, and you of all people deserve my best! Just think what I'm sharing with you! I know you've always fancied me, and now I know I love you madly, so go on, take me: hug me, kiss me, make mad passionate love to me; I'm yours till death us do part!"
You kill her
(Emma)
In sudden fury, you lash out at her with your fists. She's momentarily taken off guard, so you land one punch on her jaw, but then she dodges out of your range, saying, "Really, David, that's no way for a gentleman to behave!"

"Death, destruction, decay, these three things abide," she says, "but the greatest of these... Hang on. It's late!" She frowns momentarily, then relaxes into a smile, "I should not be so impatient - any moment now! Just give me one last kiss while you still can!"
You stab her with the kitchen knife
(Emma with the sharp kitchen knife)
In sudden fury, you stab Emma through the heart, crying "You murderous bitch!"

She stares at you in astonishment, then sinks slowly to the ground.
You turn and walk away, leaving her to die alone. Whether you'll confess to killing her is something you can leave to tomorrow -- you suspect no one will blame you if you tell the story in the right way. Right now you just want to walk and walk, and ponder the salvation of a city and the death of a dream.