text: [Themes: Pirates, Romance, maritime, pirates, pirate, island]
  
  > Go downward
  This is a tiny beach, at the base of vine-covered cliffs. To the
  east, the Helena Louise floats serenely on the lagoon. Halfway out to the ship is a skiff crowded with men; another skiff sits on the sand. Immediately north of you, a rocky staircase is hewn into the cliff. Cookie, Lucy and your father are moving towards the skiff.
  Nicholas stands alone at one edge of the beach. He has a rapier.
  You splash into the rising surf and pain needles up your leg. Blood swirls out from your shoe in the shallow water, flowing over a small pointed stone.
  
  > wait for a while
  Time passes...
  A shot rings out over the roar of the surf. Turning, you see that Lafond stands at the top of the cliff, a pistol in each hand. "Trying to sneak out the back, cowards? You will die like your brother, Falcon. Snivelling for mercy." He hands one gun to Crulley, standing nearby, and levels the other at Jamison.
  
  > kill Crulley
  Your dainty fists could not hurt Crulley.
  As the gun fires, Cookie throws himself before his captain. He cries out, blood blossoming on his shoulder, and falls face first into the sand. Lucy runs to him.
  Jamison yells up the cliff, brandishing his sword. "Fight like a
  man, Lafond. You have drawn my blood once tonight -- let me draw yours."
  Lafond sneers. "On one condition. If I win, your lady comes to me.
  You will have no need of her when you are dead."
  Nicholas stiffens, glances at the dragoons on the cliff above, and turns slowly to you. He says nothing, his face hard, but his eyes tell you what you want to know. "Answer, my darling. Yes or no?"
  
  > Yes
  You have no breath to speak. You nod once, never taking your eyes off Nicholas Jamison.
  Nicholas looks determined. "I accept. So long as my people go free
  if I win. Order your dragoons to obey us, then." In answer, Lafond jumps off the cliff like a huge brocaded bat to land in front of Captain Jamison. "Die then, fool!"
  The pistol, spinning from Lafond's grip, drops to the sand nearby.
  
  > get the pistol
  Taken.
  Lafond immediately takes the advantage, forcing Nicholas in a
  retreat towards the foaming surf. But Nicholas fights hard, jaw set, ignoring his wounds. Lafond finally loses his smile.
  Behind the duellists, far away atop the cliff, you notice Crulley
  madly reloading the pistol.
  
  > put the powder in the pistol
  You pour a lumpy stream of gunpowder mixture into the barrel of the pistol tamping it as best you can.
  Suddenly the force of the duel turns, Nicholas advancing against Lafond's retreat. Their blades silently flash in the moonlight. Lafond is pressed back into the shadow of the cliff, sweat beading on his forehead. Abruptly, Jamison leaps forward, metal scrapes, and his rapier licks neatly into Lafond's ribs, like a snake slipping into its burrow. The body of the governor of St. Sinistra convulses, as in amazement, then sags dead on the sword.
  Nicholas removes a gold ring from the dead man's finger, throwing
  his own cheap copy into the surf.
  Far above him, Crulley moves down the stairs.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You have a powder horn, a pistol, a silver tray, a large key, a cotton frock, a shirt, breeches and your reticule (hanging from your wrist). It seems that your reticule contains a bit of mirror, a missive, a jewelled brooch, smelling salts and a banknote. You are wearing a beautiful ball gown, a garter, your kid slippers and a linen chemise. Crulley is levelling the pistol, feet apart, braced by the cliff
  wall.
  
  > get the ring
  Captain Jamison curls his fist around it. "This is the family ring lost with my brother."
  Crulley carefully aims the pistol, a triumphal grin benighting his face. Nicholas turns and walks smiling towards you, oblivious to his danger.
  
  > shoot Crulley
  Trembling, you fire the heavy pistol. You hear its loud report over roaring surf. Crulley staggers, hit, and falls from the cliff. The gun falls from your nerveless hands.
  Time stops as you and Nicholas gaze at one another, adoring and
  amazed. Slowly he bows and offers his hand.
  Chestnut hair, tousled by the wind, frames the tanned oval of his
  face. His eyes, twin seas of blue, devour you with a love deep and true-hearted, and you are pulled into his embrace, your mouth on his, lips parted, thirsting, arching into his kiss...
  
  As dawn breaks over the eastern seas, you stand with Nicholas on his ship, looking north. "I have nothing left in England," he says. "There I am but a destitute gentleman, wanted for piracy. Here -- this isle holds too many memories; your father may have it. Mayhap my brother's wife yet lives. I must try to find her, either way." He takes you into his arms. "Come with me, my love? To America -- they tell of endless fertile fields and strange beasts in that wild land. It won't be easy, but we will have each other. Together, shall we carve a kingdom blessed with fair children and freedom?"
  You wrap your arms about his waist and lean into him, and smile at
  the rising sun.
  
  In 437 turns, you have achieved a score of 25 out of 25 points.
  Thus you have finished the story of PLUNDERED HEARTS, earning the title, "Happily Ever After."
  You may start over, restore a saved position, or end this session of the game. (Type RESTART, RESTORE, or QUIT):
  
  > enter the boat
  The skiff is out of reach. Wade into the shallows.
  As the gun fires, Cookie throws himself before his captain. He cries out, blood blossoming on his shoulder, and falls face first into the sand. Lucy runs to him.
  Jamison yells up the cliff, brandishing his sword. "Fight like a
  man, Lafond. You have drawn my blood once tonight -- let me draw yours."
  Lafond sneers. "On one condition. If I win, your lady comes to me.
  You will have no need of her when you are dead."
  Nicholas stiffens, glances at the dragoons on the cliff above, and turns slowly to you. He says nothing, his face hard, but his eyes tell you what you want to know. "Answer, my darling. Yes or no?"
  
  > enter lagoon
  You are holding your skirts high over the warm, lapping waves of the shallows. A white sand beach is west of you.
  As the gun fires, Cookie throws himself before his captain. He cries out, blood blossoming on his shoulder, and falls face first into the sand. Lucy runs to him.
  Jamison yells up the cliff, brandishing his sword. "Fight like a
  man, Lafond. You have drawn my blood once tonight -- let me draw yours."
  Lafond sneers. "On one condition. If I win, your lady comes to me.
  You will have no need of her when you are dead."
  Nicholas stiffens, glances at the dragoons on the cliff above, and turns slowly to you. He says nothing, his face hard, but his eyes tell you what you want to know. "Answer, my darling. Yes or no?"
  
  > enter the boat
  You are now in the skiff.
  Lafond calls down to you, "My pretty doxy, do make up your mind. Yes
  or no?"
  
  > Row to ship
  You dip the oars and pull them towards you. The skiff plows through the lagoon.
  You hear distant shots and screams, and gaze back across the
  restless waves to the massacre on the beach. The sight blurs with your tears of shame, tears for the father and the lover you left behind.
  
  The tale you tell Jamison's crew, of rapine and blood, of your
  heroic attempt to save their captain, and of your own escape after his death in your arms, is not so far from the truth that you cannot appear sincere. Cannily, you take advantage of their temporary grief, select a private guard, and teach the rest the discipline of the whip. You have started on the ruthless road to revenge. You intend to meet Lafond again, and that time, you intend to win.
  
  In 433 turns, you have achieved a score of 25 out of 25 points.
  Thus you have finished the story of PLUNDERED HEARTS, earning the title, "Pirate Queen." There are other, perhaps more satisfying, conclusions.
  You may start over, restore a saved position, or end this session of the game. (Type RESTART, RESTORE, or QUIT):
  
  > get all
  I don't see what you're referring to.
  Sounds of scraping hook against stone and curses echo out of the
  well, muffled by the trapdoor.
  
  > get the stone
  Taken.
  A shot rings out over the roar of the surf. Turning, you see that Lafond stands at the top of the cliff, a pistol in each hand. "Trying to sneak out the back, cowards? You will die like your brother, Falcon. Snivelling for mercy." He hands one gun to Crulley, standing nearby, and levels the other at Jamison.
  
  > throw the stone at Lafond
  You hurl the stone, but it falls far short of Lafond.
  As the gun fires, Cookie throws himself before his captain. He cries out, blood blossoming on his shoulder, and falls face first into the sand. Lucy runs to him.
  Jamison yells up the cliff, brandishing his sword. "Fight like a
  man, Lafond. You have drawn my blood once tonight -- let me draw yours."
  Lafond sneers. "On one condition. If I win, your lady comes to me.
  You will have no need of her when you are dead."
  Nicholas stiffens, glances at the dragoons on the cliff above, and turns slowly to you. He says nothing, his face hard, but his eyes tell you what you want to know. "Answer, my darling. Yes or no?"
  
  > Sling stone at Lafond
  You'll have to put the stone into the garter.
  As the gun fires, Cookie throws himself before his captain. He cries out, blood blossoming on his shoulder, and falls face first into the sand. Lucy runs to him.
  Jamison yells up the cliff, brandishing his sword. "Fight like a
  man, Lafond. You have drawn my blood once tonight -- let me draw yours."
  Lafond sneers. "On one condition. If I win, your lady comes to me.
  You will have no need of her when you are dead."
  Nicholas stiffens, glances at the dragoons on the cliff above, and turns slowly to you. He says nothing, his face hard, but his eyes tell you what you want to know. "Answer, my darling. Yes or no?"
  
  > put the stone in the garter
  You're not holding the stone.
  A shot rings out over the roar of the surf. Turning, you see that Lafond stands at the top of the cliff, a pistol in each hand. "Trying to sneak out the back, cowards? You will die like your brother, Falcon. Snivelling for mercy." He hands one gun to Crulley, standing nearby, and levels the other at Jamison.
  
  > get the stone
  Taken.
  As the gun fires, Cookie throws himself before his captain. He cries out, blood blossoming on his shoulder, and falls face first into the sand. Lucy runs to him.
  Jamison yells up the cliff, brandishing his sword. "Fight like a
  man, Lafond. You have drawn my blood once tonight -- let me draw yours."
  Lafond sneers. "On one condition. If I win, your lady comes to me.
  You will have no need of her when you are dead."
  Nicholas stiffens, glances at the dragoons on the cliff above, and turns slowly to you. He says nothing, his face hard, but his eyes tell you what you want to know. "Answer, my darling. Yes or no?"
  
  > get the stone
  You already have the stone.
  Lafond calls down to you, "My pretty doxy, do make up your mind. Yes
  or no?"
  
  > put the stone in the garter
  Not while you're wearing the garter.
  Lafond cries, "No deal then. Take them, men!" The dragoons pour down the cliff.
  
  > put the stone in the garter
  Not while you're wearing the garter.
  As the gun fires, Cookie throws himself before his captain. He cries out, blood blossoming on his shoulder, and falls face first into the sand. Lucy runs to him.
  Jamison yells up the cliff, brandishing his sword. "Fight like a
  man, Lafond. You have drawn my blood once tonight -- let me draw yours."
  Lafond sneers. "On one condition. If I win, your lady comes to me.
  You will have no need of her when you are dead."
  Nicholas stiffens, glances at the dragoons on the cliff above, and turns slowly to you. He says nothing, his face hard, but his eyes tell you what you want to know. "Answer, my darling. Yes or no?"
  
  > remove the garter
  [in front of Crulley]
  That's not done in polite society.
  Lafond calls down to you, "My pretty doxy, do make up your mind. Yes
  or no?"
  
  > Wait
  Time passes...
  As the gun fires, Cookie throws himself before his captain. He cries out, blood blossoming on his shoulder, and falls face first into the sand. Lucy runs to him.
  Jamison yells up the cliff, brandishing his sword. "Fight like a
  man, Lafond. You have drawn my blood once tonight -- let me draw yours."
  Lafond sneers. "On one condition. If I win, your lady comes to me.
  You will have no need of her when you are dead."
  Nicholas stiffens, glances at the dragoons on the cliff above, and turns slowly to you. He says nothing, his face hard, but his eyes tell you what you want to know. "Answer, my darling. Yes or no?"
  
  > No
  You shake your head firmly, "No."
  Lafond cries, "No deal then. Take them, men!" The dragoons pour down the cliff.
  
  > Yes
  You have no breath to speak. You nod once, never taking your eyes off Nicholas Jamison.
  Nicholas looks determined. "I accept. So long as my people go free
  if I win. Order your dragoons to obey us, then." In answer, Lafond jumps off the cliff like a huge brocaded bat to land in front of Captain Jamison. "Die then, fool!"
  The pistol, spinning from Lafond's grip, drops to the sand nearby.
  
  > get the pistol
  Taken.
  Lafond immediately takes the advantage, forcing Nicholas in a
  retreat towards the foaming surf. But Nicholas fights hard, jaw set, ignoring his wounds. Lafond finally loses his smile.
  Behind the duellists, far away atop the cliff, you notice Crulley
  madly reloading the pistol.
  
  > Fire pistol in air
  You fire the pistol into the air. Startled by the loud report, Crulley jerks his pistol and fires, aiming not at Nicholas, but at you. You hear a distant scream, your own, and watch, as through from afar, your father wrestle Crulley to the ground. You feel only numbness as loving arms take you up, and Nicholas kisses you into death, his tears damp on your cheek.
  
  ***   You have died   ***
  
  In 435 turns, you have achieved a score of 25 out of 25 points.
  Thus you have finished the story of PLUNDERED HEARTS, earning the title, "Love Transcending Death." There are other, perhaps more satisfying, conclusions.
  You may start over, restore a saved position, or end this session of the game. (Type RESTART, RESTORE, or QUIT):