text: [Themes: Mystery, rabbit, miniature protagonist, fairy, crime, female protagonist, hints, rat]
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  Doohickey
  Big Tommy
  a pouch of wish powder
  a shovel
  an Edgerton flash
  a handwritten note
  a chewed gum ball
  your badge
  a mugshot
  
  The statue ate my fly (fly), the statue ate my fly (fly),
  
  > talk to Sabado
  "What now?" he asks.
  
  1) "I'll leave you alone now."
  
  With a condiment of mustard it chewed my pet alive.
  
  > 1
  "I'll leave you alone now."
  
  "Come back when we're open."
  
  The corner tavern resembles an old forest more than a bar. Even the ground is covered in a thick layer of soil. The western exit leads back to the street, while a closed door to the north behind the bar reads "Employees Only". A lit-up jukebox looks rather out of place in the corner.
  
  Sabado mutters to himself as he wipes down the bar.
  
  The statue made me cry (cry), the statue made me cry (cry),
  
  > wait for a while
  Time passes.
  
  It said my pet would kill me, but that was all a lie.
  
  > look at the jukebox
  Not in great condition. Looks like it only carries songs by cult rock group They Might Be Humans. There's a single coin slot in front.
  
  My phone, it rang at me (and now I know the lies it told would never be).
  
  > Sing
  You hate singing.
  
  A lesson that I learned (a statue's love won't last, it can and should be spurned).
  
  > Dance
  You hate dancing.
  
  I thought I once preferred a granite figure's company.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  The fact that there are humans will no longer bother me.
  
  > listen
  An upbeat rock jam plays from the jukebox.
  
  The statue ate my fly (fly), the statue ate my fly (fly),
  
  > wait a while
  Time passes.
  
  If I ever meet the sculptor I will punch them in the eye.
  
  > listen to the jukebox
  An upbeat rock jam plays from the jukebox.
  
  The statue gave me hives (hives), the statue gave me hives (hives),
  
  > wait for a while
  Time passes.
  
  My poor pet it cooked to death within a spinach pie.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  My phone, it rang at me (and now I know the lies it told would never be).
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  A lesson that I learned (a statue's love won't last, it can and should be spurned).
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  And as I swung the sledgehammer up through the air,
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  I knew to hide the evidence beneath my basement stairs.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  And what they found was just some rubble left where the statue ate my fly.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  And now you know to hide (to hide when a statue asks if you need a ride).
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  A lesson you should learn (you must refuse to share its love or you'll get burned).
  
  > wait awhile
  Time passes.
  
  The song comes to an abrupt end.
  
  > go west
  The road from the west ends at The Forest to the east. An alley disappears behind the rowhouses to the north.
  
  > go to the west
  A prehistoric window display stands beside the shop's entrance to the north. Lumpen Lane continues east and west.
  
  > talk to Fern
  "What is it?" she chirps.
  
  1) "I'm going to look around."
  
  > 1
  "I'm going to look around."
  
  "You know where to find me," she says before returning to her cleaning.
  
  You'd say the store was trying to convey church basement-chic, except it looks like a tornado went through it. There's broken glass and camera parts and debris everywhere. Someone, or something, wasn't happy.
  
  To the east is a closed door. The way out is south.
  
  Fern is busy sweeping up broken glass. Finch is sitting quietly on the counter nearby.
  
  > go north
  The dusty shop is chock full of useless junk, or valuable antiques, depending on your point of view. Yours is the former, though you never know. There could be something of use around here.
  
  The entrance to the south leads back to the street.
  
  Domingo eyes you from his desk beneath a portrait of a pirate rat. Doohickey barks sharply as you approach. Could the rat be the one you're looking for? Only one way to find out.
  
  > talk to Domingo
  "What do you want now?" he asks.
  
  1) "Tell me again about Foo Foo, but this time, tell me the truth."
  2) "I'm going to take a look around."
  
  > 1
  "Tell me again about Foo Foo, but this time, tell me the truth."
  
  "I don't know what you're talking about."
  
  "I have a witness." You lean on the desk and stare him down, giving the words time to sink in. You need him to take the bait.
  
  "You're lying," he squeaks. His eyes are all pupil. They twitch back and forth. So he is involved.
  
  You lean even closer. "Last night. In front of Dinosaur Island. The witness was in the store and heard everything you said." You prod him in the chest. "You going to come clean? Or are we doing this the hard way?"
  
  Domingo slowly rises to his feet. "Looks like I've got no other choice. Fortunately, my lawyer's arrived just in time."
  
  You turn to look where Domingo's pointing, and are surprised to see no one. While you're distracted, he ducks around you and scrambles out the door. For an older rat, he sure can move. You try to give chase, but it's difficult to maneuver around the piles of junk in the store, especially with your large wings getting in the way. Before you know it, he's gone.
  
  You scold yourself for being so careless. The worst part of it is, you've been had by the oldest trick in the book. Maybe Murphy had better luck.
  
  You stand outside your least favorite pawn shop. The entrance to the store is north. The road in front curves west and southeast.
  
  > Go west
  You arrive at the barricade to find Murphy slumped against the wall. With a little help, he staggers to his feet.
  
  "Sorry, Good," he says, brushing himself off. "Domingo came out of nowhere. Like a surprise kiss from someone you've only ever considered a friend and never sent any signals that indicated otherwise. I mean, not that I'd know anything about that. Anyway, what'd you do to piss him off?"
  
  "Faked a witness. Nothing out of the ordinary."
  
  He unwraps a stick of gum and tosses it into his mouth. "Okay, now what? You have enough for a case?"
  
  "Hindering an investigation and assaulting a police officer. That's a month in the slammer, tops."
  
  "Yeah. Fieldtown." Murphy chuckles.
  
  1) "Domingo is involved with Foo Foo somehow. What we need is hard evidence."
  2) "Before he left, Domingo wanted me to catch a new cheesemonger called the Verde. Now I'm wondering why."
  3) "Domingo won't stay gone for long. May take a few days, but we'll wrangle a confession out of him."
  
  > 1
  "Domingo is involved with Foo Foo somehow. What we need is hard evidence."
  
  "Maybe there's something in his store," Murphy says. "I can get you a warrant in a few hours."
  
  "I don't have a few hours." Now that you think about it, you don't need a few hours. "You know Murphy, it's a shame Domingo left in such a hurry. He forgot to close up shop."
  
  Murphy gives you a knowing smile.
  
  1) Send him away briefly to check on Foo Foo.
  2) Ask for a hint.
  3) "I'll check in with you later."
  
  > 2
  "Before he left, Domingo wanted me to catch a new cheesemonger called the Verde. Now I'm wondering why."
  
  "You think there's a connection to Foo Foo?"
  
  "Not sure. But there's only one way to find out."
  
  "If you say so." He digs his toe into the sidewalk. "Anything else?"
  
  1) Send him away briefly to check on Foo Foo.
  2) Ask for a hint.
  3) "I'll check in with you later."
  
  > 3
  "Domingo won't stay gone for long. May take a few days, but we'll wrangle a confession out of him."
  
  Murphy frowns. "Which brings us back to Foo Foo."
  
  You look over at the postbox. "I know, I know. He needs to be a goon by sundown." If only there were another way.
  
  1) Send him away briefly to check on Foo Foo.
  2) Ask for a hint.
  3) "I'll check in with you later."
  
  > Time
  You should pick something to say.
  
  > 1
  You send Murphy off again and peer into the postbox. "Still doing okay?"
  
  Foo Foo responds with a miserable frown. Yep, he's doing fine. You close the postbox back up and wait for Murphy.
  
  "No sign of the rabbit," he says, clearly bothered by this routine. "Need anything else?"
  
  1) Ask for a hint.
  2) "I'll check in with you later."
  
  > 2
  "I'll check in with you later."
  
  "Good luck catching the perp."
  
  Aging rowhouses, broken sidewalk, flickering street lamp. It's Lumpen Lane all right.
  
  A police barricade keeps onlookers out, and more importantly, everyone else in. The road heads east from here.
  
  Murphy leans against a public postbox, keeping watch.
  
  > get the dagger
  As much as you pull, the dagger won't budge.
  
  Nope, still not working. You don't think you'll pull it out like this.
  
  > look
  The dusty shop is chock full of useless junk, or valuable antiques, depending on your point of view. Yours is the former, though you never know. There could be something of use around here.
  
  An empty desk sits in the rear of the shop beneath a portrait of a pirate rat. The entrance to the south leads back to the street.
  
  > examine the desk
  It's bare and has a single drawer. Of course there's only one drawer.
  
  > open the drawer
  You open the drawer, revealing a book and some papers.
  
  > read it
  There's a note written on the inside cover: "DomingoPage 95. One
  debt clean per mouse. You have my word."
  
  You flip to page 95. It describes the process for hypnotizing someone into bopping someone else on the head. Geez. They put this kind of stuff in books?
  
  So Domingo was hypnotizing Foo Foo all along. Seems he owed someone money. But who?
  
  You flip back to the handwriting on the inside cover. Handwriting you've seen before. You pull out Sabado's note to Finch and hold it up against the writing. Well what do you know. It's Sabado's all right.
  
  > examine papers
  A bunch of gambling debts. Blackjack, craps, roulette. Someone should tell Domingo to stick to the penny slots.
  
  > get the book and the papers
  book: You already have that.
  papers: Taken.
  
  > Go south
  You stand outside your least favorite pawn shop. The entrance to the store is north. The road in front curves west and southeast.
  
  > go to the southeast
  The sidewalk wraps around an old rowhouse and continues east. High above the boarded-up door, a second-story window is obscured by a pair of wooden shutters. The rat's pawn shop is back to the northwest.
  
  > Go east
  A small camera shop is open to the north. The road in front runs east and west.
  
  > talk to Sabado
  "What now?" he asks.
  
  1) "I got your number, Sabado. You're behind the boppings."
  2) "I'll leave you alone now."
  
  > 1
  "I got your number, Sabado. You're behind the boppings."
  
  "Oh yeah? Where's your evidence?"
  
  You wave the hypnotism book around. His smile doesn't budge. "That could mean all kinds of things," he says. "Besides, you're still missing a motive." He picks some dirt out from beneath his nails. "You can't be saying I had my own customers bopped. That'd be bad for business."
  
  "You know what's bad for business? Having all those field mice around when you're trying to buy up the street. Bar sales are peanuts compared to the money you've got behind you. Enough to pay off all of Domingo's debts and then some. So where's it coming from?"
  
  "You're right," Sabado admits after a brief pause. He hovers close to your face, breath like stale beer. "I got a lot of money behind me. Probably more than you'll ever see on an FPD salary. Let me guess. You have a cozy little studio somewhere. Maybe half your meals are ramen noodles. Maybe more. You could have a nicer place, you know. A much nicer place."
  
  1) Reject the bribe.
  2) Consider the offer.
  
  > 1
  "I'm heading out."
  
  "Come back when you've got something for me."
  
  The corner tavern resembles an old forest more than a bar. Even the ground is covered in a thick layer of soil. The western exit leads back to the street, while a closed door to the north behind the bar reads "Employees Only". A lit-up jukebox looks rather out of place in the corner.
  
  Sabado mutters to himself as he wipes down the bar.
  
  > 2
  "I'm listening."
  
  Sabado smiles broadly. "You may or may not have heard about the Verde, but he's the latest in a string of wannabe kingpins. Foo Foo's one of his best dealers. The buyers call him Little Bunny."
  
  You pride yourself on your poker face, but this time, you're caught off guard. If Foo Foo's a dealer, he has you played.
  
  Sabado smirks. "Cat got your tongue? I thought you'd have known that already, Detective," he says. "My lawyers are holding onto evidence to prove Foo Foo's a dirty dealer, should it be necessary. All you need to do is find Foo Foo, put him in prison, and throw away the key. Alternatively, you could bring him to me. No harm would come to him. I'm just looking for some information. Then we can talk about making your living arrangements a little more comfortable." He picks up a glass and rubs off a smudge, as if to say this conversation is over.
  
  Fine. Foo Foo's the one you need to speak with anyway.
  
  1) "I'm heading out."
  
  > 1
  Once Murphy is out of sight, you open the postbox and yank Foo Foo out by his ears. "Why didn't you tell me you were dealing cheese?" you spit. You want answers and you want them now.
  
  "You know?"
  
  "I'm a detective. You think I wouldn't find out?"
  
  Foo Foo twiddles his paws together. "They were going to evict... mother and I. We needed the money. Then I sort of stuck with it."
  
  "For crying out loud, Foo Foo, this is Fieldtown. We always need the money. You're making me look like a half-wit with all those extra chances." You close your eyes and count to ten. Long enough to let the anger drain from your blood. "Sabado wants me to bring you to him."
  
  "What are you going to do?"
  
  1) Keep him hidden. Get answers yourself.
  2) Deliver him to Sabado.
  
  > 2
  "I'm taking you to him."
  
  Foo Foo insists it's a ploy to wring more information from him all the way up to the bar's doorstep. That's when he starts to beg, but by then it's too late.
  
  Sabado joins you by the entrance in better spirits than usual. "Good! You brought Foo Foo. How... unexpected, but I'm no less delighted. I might even let you stick around if you stopped acting like a man all the time. Roughness doesn't suit a lovely creature like yourself."
  
  You refuse to let him get to you. "Funny, I was about to tell you the same thing."
  
  He snatches the now-frightened rabbit by the ears and drags him toward the door marked for employees. "Just keep an eye on the bar for me while I'm gone. This shouldn't take long."
  
  "I don't work for you," you say, but the retort falls flat.
  
  Sabado stops. He turns his head round, looks you up and down, then lifts the rabbit slightly off the ground as if to show you his prize. "Don't you?"
  
  Several hours pass before Sabado returns, tossing the rabbit at your feet. "He's all yours, Detective." Foo Foo seems shaken but unharmed. He says nothing.
  
  "What about my" you start, but the rat cuts you off.
  
  "He had nothing for me, so I have nothing for you."
  
  That's it then. You put all your chips on black, and got green. Serves you right, you suppose. Not much left to do now but bring Foo Foo to Murphy.
  
  *   *   *   *   *
  
  The next few months are brutal. You become the subject of a full internal review after Foo Foo filed a complaint. The committee assigned to your case keeps calling you in for more questions. They can't make heads or tails of what you were thinking. You were instructed to bring him in, only to hide him in a postbox? Then you identified a new suspect, but turned the rabbit over to him instead? Sabado never does give you any compensation, but it's not like you could have ever held him to it.
  
  You don't dare step foot onto Lumpen Lane again.
  
  You finish one of your potboilers and turn out the light. The rain is heavy against the window.
  
  Thoughts creep into your skull and refuse to let you sleep. Thoughts about Holly, Foo Foo, Sabado, and the field mice.
  
  You shake them off. Nothing to worry over at all. You've managed to keep your job, and there's always tomorrow to look forward to.
  
  It's not like you could have made much more of a difference. It's fine. Everything ended up fine.
  
  > Er
  Restore failed.
  
  Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, or UNDO the last command?
  
  > 1
  "I'll handle Sabado. I need to figure out why he wants you. In the meantime, if you're dealing, then you know who the Verde is."
  
  "I don't know."
  
  "Don't lie to me, Foo Foo."
  
  He holds up a paw. "I swear to Gaia, I get the cheese from a dead drop in an alley behind a rowhouse."
  
  "What about the money from the sale? You leave it there too?"
  
  He looks around nervously. "I give the proceeds to the green fairy who runs a nearby food place. Honest."
  
  No. It can't be.
  
  Murphy's footsteps approach from around the corner. Without another word, you push Foo Foo back into the postbox.
  
  "No sign of the rabbit," Murphy says once he's returned to your side. "Everything okay? You don't look so good."
  
  "I'm fine. Thinking of an old friend."
  
  You can't confront her. Not yet. Not until you have something more concrete. You need to keep searching for clues.
  
  1) Ask for a hint.
  2) "I'll check in with you later."
  
  > 2
  "I'll check in with you later."
  
  "Good luck catching the perp."
  
  Aging rowhouses, broken sidewalk, flickering street lamp. It's Lumpen Lane all right.
  
  A police barricade keeps onlookers out, and more importantly, everyone else in. The road heads east from here.
  
  Murphy leans against a public postbox, keeping watch.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  some papers
  a book
  Doohickey
  Big Tommy
  a pouch of wish powder
  a shovel
  an Edgerton flash
  a handwritten note
  a chewed gum ball
  your badge
  a mugshot
  
  > fly
  You beat your wings and lift up into the sky. Thankfully, the weather is good for it. Nor are there any owls. You hate owls.
  
  Aside from Murphy at the barricade, the length of Lumpen Lane is empty. You descend back down to the ground.
  
  > go to the southeast
  The sidewalk wraps around an old rowhouse and continues east. High above the boarded-up door, a second-story window is obscured by a pair of wooden shutters. The rat's pawn shop is back to the northwest.
  
  > go to the north
  The back room could use some tidying. Scraps of felt are everywhere. A crooked cabinet leans against a wall in the corner.
  
  The secret tunnel to the south leads to the retail area.
  
  Trex sits at his workbench, working diligently on his next creation.
  
  > put the gum on the shovel
  You take the gum ball from your pocket and squish it onto the end of the handle. Gross.
  
  > put the shovel in the hole
  You carefully guide the shovel through the hole in the cabinet, and pressing the sticky end onto the bottle, you pull it back out. It's a bottle of Presto Remove-O.
  
  "Can I borrow this?" you ask as you unstick the bottle.
  
  "Sure," Trex says. "I'm careful with my felt, so don't often need it."
  
  > examine bottle
  The label says "Got something stuck? Get it unstuck! Removes stains and adhesives from carpets, clothes, furniture, and walls! Removes other things too! Warning: Do not ingest. May cause dizziness, fatigue, dry mouth, or death."
  
  > Go northwest
  A small camera shop is open to the north. The road in front runs east and west.
  
  The sidewalk wraps around an old rowhouse and continues east. High above the boarded-up door, a second-story window is obscured by a pair of wooden shutters. The rat's pawn shop is back to the northwest.
  
  You stand outside your least favorite pawn shop. The entrance to the store is north. The road in front curves west and southeast.
  
  > Go north
  The dusty shop is chock full of useless junk, or valuable antiques, depending on your point of view. Yours is the former, though you never know. There could be something of use around here.
  
  An empty desk sits in the rear of the shop beneath a portrait of a pirate rat. The entrance to the south leads back to the street.
  
  > put the bottle on the dagger
  You squeeze some of the Presto Remove-O onto the dagger. The orange gloop runs down the blade to where it meets the wall, and you swear you see the dagger give a little.
  
  > pull the dagger
  With a mighty tug, you wrench the dagger from the wall. Bingo was his name-O. You slide the dagger into your coat.
  
  > open the shutter
  You slide the dagger in between the shutters and lift the latch. Piece of cake. The shutters swing open, and you leap inside.
  
  It's clear this place hasn't been occupied in awhile. Mold creeps along the dirty walls and the sunken floorboards. The northeastern wall is partially missing, exposing a rotting staircase to the lower level. The open window leads back out to the street.
  
  A paper bag sits conspicuously in the center of the room.
  
  > examine the bag
  The bag is printed with the words "Feckless Pawn" and a picture of a smiling pirate rat. You notice some dirt stuck to the side of the bag.
  
  In the paper bag is some cheese.
  
  > get it
  Taken.
  
  > look at the cheese
  Looks like gouda, of the illegal variety.
  
  > taste the cheese
  That's evidence. Wouldn't want to tamper with it.
  
  > examine the dirt
  There's not much. Still, headquarters could probably determine where it came from. Maybe even get a fingerprint.
  
  > go to the northeast
  You make your way into a derelict kitchen long since stripped of its appliances. The floor is lost beneath a fairy-inch of standing water, either from a burst pipe or a leaky roof.
  
  A staircase leads up to the bedroom. Daylight leaks through cracks in the door to the north.
  
  > examine the water
  You'd prefer to interact with the dirty water as little as possible.
  
  > go north
  You open the door and step through the threshold.
  
  A door to the south leads into an abandoned rowhouse. Leaning against the house is a dented trashcan. The alley curves northwest and east.
  
  > Go up
  It's clear this place hasn't been occupied in awhile. Mold creeps along the dirty walls and the sunken floorboards. The northeastern wall is partially missing, exposing a rotting staircase to the lower level. The open window leads back out to the street.
  
  > Go south
  You unfurl your wings and leap from the window, landing gently on the street below.
  
  The sidewalk wraps around an old rowhouse and continues east. High above the boarded-up door is an open window. The rat's pawn shop is back to the northwest.
  
  > talk to Murphy
  He stands at attention. "Yes?"
  
  1) "Can you get the dirt on this bag analyzed?"
  2) "I'll check in with you later."
  
  > 1
  "Can you get the dirt on this bag analyzed?"
  
  "Sure thing, Good." Murphy takes the bag and utters an incantation. The bag disappears in a flash of light. "I'll let you know when the results are in from the lab."
  
  1) "I'll check in with you later."
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are carrying:
  a curved dagger
  a bottle of Presto Remove-O
  a shovel
  some papers
  a book
  Doohickey
  Big Tommy
  a pouch of wish powder
  an Edgerton flash
  a handwritten note
  your badge
  a mugshot
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  > put the powder on the rabbit
  Not while Holly's looking.
  
  > talk to Holly
  "Hey there," she says.
  
  1) "I've got work to do."
  
  > 1
  "I've got work to do."
  
  "Sure, okay."
  
  If it weren't for the display case of muddy nibblet things, you'd have mistaken this place for a toy store. The walls are painted a cheery yellow and lined with shelves full of cuddly toys. The stuffed rabbits look curiously like Foo Foo.
  
  The exit is to the south, and a closed door to the north connects to what must be the kitchen.
  
  Holly smiles at you from behind the counter.
  
  > talk to Sabado
  "What now?" he asks.
  
  1) "I'm heading out."
  
  > 1
  "I'm heading out."
  
  "Come back when you've got something for me."
  
  The corner tavern resembles an old forest more than a bar. Even the ground is covered in a thick layer of soil. The western exit leads back to the street, while a closed door to the north behind the bar reads "Employees Only". A lit-up jukebox looks rather out of place in the corner.
  
  Sabado mutters to himself as he wipes down the bar.
  
  > use the flash
  A high-pitched whir sounds. The flash goes off, and the area briefly illuminates in a harsh light.
  
  > go west
  The sidewalk wraps around an old rowhouse and continues east. High above the boarded-up door is an open window. The rat's pawn shop is back to the northwest.
  
  > go north
  The dusty shop is chock full of useless junk, or valuable antiques, depending on your point of view. Yours is the former.
  
  An empty desk sits in the rear of the shop beneath a portrait of a pirate rat. The entrance to the south leads back to the street.
  
  > look at the portrait
  The oil painting depicts a rat pirate. Or a pirate rat. Whichever is the appropriate term.
  
  > move it
  It's too far away.
  
  > examine the desk
  It's bare and has a single drawer.
  
  > fly
  You try not to make a habit of flying indoors. Not good for the head.
  
  > give Doohickey to Trex
  Trex's eyes light up as you hand over the dinosaur. "Thank you again," he says, hugging his new pet tightly.
  
  "Take my advice, kid, and don't get too attached," you say. "He won't last too long. Nothing ever does."
  
  1) "I'll show myself out."
  
  > 1
  "I'll show myself out."
  
  "Have a good day."
  
  The back room could use some tidying. Scraps of felt are everywhere. A crooked cabinet leans against a wall in the corner.
  
  The secret tunnel to the south leads to the retail area.
  
  Trex plays with Doohickey on the floor.
  
  > go west
  Murphy flags you down as you approach. "Hey, Good. I got the results from the bag and dirt for you."
  
  "I could use some good news," you say.
  
  "Well, there's no fingerprints, unfortunately. Was probably wearing gloves. The interesting part is that it's not dirt at all, but a mixture of water, wheat, barley, soy, pine nuts, corn starch, and a trace amount of mint. Some kind of food product. Not one that I've ever seen."
  
  "Leaves a bad taste in your mouth, actually." He cocks an eyebrow but says nothing. Holly has some explaining to do.
  
  "Anything else?" Murphy asks.
  
  1) Ask for a hint.
  2) "I'll check in with you later."
  
  > go north
  Nearly noon by now. The air isn't circulating so well through the store. You loosen your coat.
  
  Holly is there waiting for you. The ambient light shimmers off her greenness. Green. The Verde. "Hey. You doing okay?"
  
  1) "You know Foo Foo."
  
  > 1
  "You know Foo Foo."
  
  "What?" She stiffens.
  
  You move closer. "I said, you know Foo Foo. You knew him all along."
  
  "I don't know what"
  
  You point at the toys on the walls. "The mouse down the street makes his dinosaurs from his imagination. But you"you point back at her"prefer them lifelike. That's why your stuffed rabbits look like Foo Foo. He was a regular visitor here. You didn't even realize you were modeling your toys after him."
  
  Silence, prolonged. Holly tiptoes around the counter, adjusts the collar of your shirt, gently smooths a wrinkle in your coat. Her bottom lip is quivering. She tries to calm it with her teeth, even smiles a little. "Please, Good. You've got it all wrong."
  
  1) "You were worried I'd find out about you, so you sent me after Domingo."
  
  > 1
  "You were worried I'd find out about you, so you sent me after Domingo."
  
  "Why are you saying these cruel"
  
  You slam a palm down on the counter. She flinches. "You flew into an abandoned rowhouse while I was investigating the other stores, dropped a coin you knew I'd pick up, and shot at me to lead me to the bag of cheese. Where'd you stash the revolver? Should I search the kitchen?"
  
  Holly collapses to her knees, hands pressed to her ears, shaking. "No... you mustn't..."
  
  "There was one flaw, Holl. You left a bit of the nibblet on the bag you planted. The same nibblet you broke apart to give me a sample. The mint-flavored one, remember? You hadn't made a single sale all morning."
  
  She buries herself in her hands.
  
  "Domingo was a former cheesemonger," you continue. "An easy target. Sure, it was a shaky setup at best. But once a criminal, always a criminal, am I right? I busted him before, and there was bad blood between us. I was bound to pursue him until I stumbled onto something new."
  
  "Please..."
  
  1) "You're the Verde."
  
  > 1
  "You're the Verde."
  
  At this, she reaches up and grabs the bottom of your coat. "No. No I'm not." She's still shaking, but more resolute. Her face is wet.
  
  "The field mice are disappearing," you say. "The cheese business is suffering. And your best dealer is scooping up your customers and bopping them on the head. Everything's falling apart. Then who shows up but me, your old fling. Maybe I can solve your problems. Find the mice, throw Foo Foo in prison where he can't do any more harm. Get things back to the way they were, get the money flowing again. Sabado wants his rent after all."
  
  She grips your coat more tightly now, her green knuckles white. "Yes," she says, barely above a whisper. "Yes, Sabado wanted his money. I sank everything I had into the toy store, and lost it all. His loan gave me a new start, but the interest was too high. The Verde offered me a way out. She" She stops herself.
  
  You sink down to the floor beside her. Tension wanes. It hurts that you made her cry, hurts real bad. You had to get the truth out of her, but you still hate that you did it.
  
  Her hands are warm under yours. You release them from your coat, one finger at a time.
  
  1) "She?"
  
  > 1
  "She?"
  
  "I can't. I'm sorry." She lifts the corner of her apron and wipes the tears from her cheeks, leaving a smudge of brown food product behind.
  
  You reach out to wipe it away, reaching out like you used to, but that was a decade ago, before you knew yourself and what you wanted, what you didn't realize you'd miss so much. "You got some mud stuff here," you say.
  
  She laughs a little. "Mud stuff. Is that what you think of my food?" You can only smile. She grabs your hand. "Why did you leave me, Good? Where did I do wrong?"
  
  1) "That time at the holiday party. You and her." An obvious lie.
  2) "I realized I wasn't in love with you." A severing lie.
  3) "There were little things. The little schemes of yours. I left the wish squad because of them. I needed space." The truth.
  
  > 3
  "There were little things. The little schemes of yours. I left the wish squad because of them. I needed space."
  
  Holly releases your hand. "I was a different fairy then, did things I'm not proud of. But I'd have given you what you needed, if you only asked. I'd have done anything for you."
  
  "I know. We didn't talk. Not like we're talking now."
  
  She looks into your eyes.
  
  1) Kiss her.
  2) Let it go.
  
  > 2
  You turn and lean back against the counter, wrapping your arms around your knees. "We had a good time, you and me."
  
  "Yeah, we did." A break in the conversation. Holly straightens her legs and leans against the counter next to you. She's the first to speak again. "Listen, Good, you have to believe me. I wasn't ever going to shoot you. I couldn't shoot you."
  
  "I know," you say.
  
  "I didn't want to do any of it. I had to. She told me to."
  
  1) "Who told you to?"
  
  > 1
  "Who told you to?"
  
  Holly doesn't answer your question. She takes your hand, presses something into it. A key. "This'll get you in. You swiped it from me when I wasn't looking."
  
  "Holl"
  
  She puts a finger on your lips. "Take my revolver. It's under the loose tile in the kitchen. You're going to need it."
  
  Before you can protest, she stands and opens the door to the kitchen. You rise to your feet.
  
  If it weren't for the display case of muddy nibblet things, you'd have mistaken this place for a toy store. The walls are painted a cheery yellow and lined with shelves full of cuddly toys. The stuffed rabbits look curiously like Foo Foo.
  
  The exit is to the south, the kitchen to the north.
  
  Holly smiles at you from behind the counter.
  
  > Go north
  You're surprised to see only a small portion of the space is set aside for food preparation. The rest is dedicated to the construction of stuffed animals, mid-production, as if operations had never stopped. It's likely they didn't.
  
  A large bucket of wish powder stands in the corner. The tiled floor is stained purple where hastily scooped quantities were spilled.
  
  The retail area is directly south, and the back door to the place is north.
  
  > get the powder
  (the pouch of wish powder)
  You already have that.
  
  > Search tiles
  You step on the tiles one by one until you find the one that shifts under your weight. Lifting it slightly, you reach underneath and pull out a small revolver.
  
  Five bullets, one missing. You grin, thinking of Holly, your hat in her sights. You're glad her aim wasn't low.
  
  > examine the bucket
  You haven't seen that much wish powder in a long time. Maybe not ever. How did Holly get all this? It's probably worth a fortune.
  
  Your pouch has enough wish powder for another spell, so you won't need any more.
  
  > go north
  You unlock the door and step into the alley.
  
  The alley arrives from the southeast and ends at a wall. There's a rear entrance to Get Your Nibbles to the south.
  
  > unlock the door with the key
  The key turns in the lock, the door opens.
  
  About a dozen surprised cuddly toys halt their activities to look at you. Several of them were pushing a large wheel of cheddar through a band saw. Several more were weighing and sorting smaller chunks of various cheeses into plastic bags. A zebra in a visor with thick spectacles was counting a pile of banknotes.
  
  You recognize them as the same makes from the shelves in Holly's shop. Lions, tigers, and bears, all beautifully crafted, lifelike. Malice flashes in their beady plastic eyes.
  
  They reach into their own stuffing and withdraw a handgun each. They start shooting. Bullets fly. You duck behind a nearby dumpster, just in time. Their shots impact the wall next to you in scattered puffs of cement dust.
  
  You cock your revolver. This could get ugly.
  
  > look at the toys
  Lions and tigers and bears, bearing pistols.
  
  > shoot the zebra
  You peek around the dumpster and fire at the closest toy. A bear, making his way toward the door. The shot catches him square in the head. He goes tumbling into a pile of his own stuffing.
  
  One down, only 4 bullets left. The math isn't in your favor. You'll need to think of something else.
  
  > look
  You're taking shelter behind a dumpster in the narrow alley.
  
  Through the open door to the south, a gang of pistol-wielding cuddly toys attempts to pump you full of lead. Not the kind of day you were expecting to have.
  
  You look around for anything that can help. Cheese wheels, stacks of cash, a chandelier. You're going to have to improvise.
  
  > look at the chandelier
  It hangs from the ceiling, flickering.
  
  > shoot the chandelier
  You take aim at the chandelier and fire. Your shot finds the cord perfectly, and the entire thing crashes onto the table below. You got one, maybe two toys trapped underneath, but the rest keep firing. Fortunately, they're terrible shots.
  
  Think, Good. There's got to be something.
  
  You take another look. With the chandelier out of the way, you can now see the nozzle of an overhead sprinkler jutting out from the ceiling.
  
  > examine the sprinkler
  It's just barely visible through the doorway, jutting out from the ceiling.
  
  > shoot the sprinkler
  The target is small, so you're careful. You pull the trigger, the nozzle is torn off. Water sprays out over the room, running down the walls, covering the cheese. The animals scramble to protect themselves, but it's too late. Their wish powder washes off, collecting into purple puddles on the floor.
  
  One by one the animals drop, lifeless. The water decreases to a steady stream, and then a slow trickle. Finally, silence, punctuated by the occasional drip.
  
  The room is smaller than it looked through the doorway. You cross it swiftly, careful not to touch anything. CSI can handle this mess.
  
  The inside door is abruptly kicked in. You raise your revolver and find a shotgun pointed at your head.
  
  Fern. She's still wearing her apron. Her eyes shine a brilliant green.
  
  "Drop your gun," she says.
  
  "You first, Verde," you reply. "There could still be a ghost around."
  
  She laughs. "I hope you didn't actually believe that. The last thing I wanted was the police sniffing around." She motions for you to put your weapon on the table.
  
  Neither of you move. When she speaks again, her words are marinated in irritation. "You should have left it alone."
  
  1) "Not my fault you're breaking the law."
  2) "Someone needs to keep the cheese off the streets."
  3) "Putting cheesemongers away is my idea of fun."
  
  > 2
  "Someone needs to keep the cheese off the streets."
  
  "Ha!" Fern chirps mockingly. "Do you really think the Mayor and his cronies don't enjoy a plate of cheese with their wine at the end of a long day's work? The Prohibition only punishes the lowest among us, by design. I'm here to level the field."
  
  You look over at the piles of cash on the table. "You're a regular bleeding heart. Then all this cash must be... what? Appropriate compensation? Tell me again who's taking advantage of the lowest among us."
  
  She shakes her head. "I'm going to buy back this street. Make it a home for the field mice again. Sabado won't sell, but his backers willcapitalists can always be bought if the price is right." She tightens her grip on her gun. "I'm going to ask you this once. Are you with me, or against me?"
  
  1) "You made your point, and I hear it." With her.
  2) "I don't make the law. I enforce it." Against her.
  
  > 2
  "I don't make the law. I enforce it."
  
  She clicks her tongue disapprovingly. "Then I'm afraid this is where we must part. Goodbye, Detective. It's been"
  
  BONG!
  
  Holly bops Fern over the head with a frying pan, and the bird crumples to the floor in an undignified heap. She must have snuck in through the front.
  
  You look into each other's eyes, seconds stretched to little eternities. You want to thank her for saving your life, but the right words won't come.
  
  "I had to know," she says. "When you write your report, are you going to turn me in? For my part in all this, I mean."
  
  1) "I... have to be honest. I'm sorry." Turn her in.
  2) "My report might be missing a few details." Let her off.
  
  > 1
  "I... have to be honest. I'm sorry."
  
  Holly nods, bites her lip, forces a smile. "It's okay. I always admired your personal code of honor. I'm... glad I could see you one last time." She turns to leave.
  
  "Holly, wait!" you shout after her, but she's already through the door and out onto the street, spreading her wings and taking off. You slow once you reach the sidewalk, watching as she disappears into the great blue distance.
  
  You already know you won't see her again. You hope she'll go far away from Fieldtown. Maybe she'll find the field mice, find the right woman who can make her happy, make a nice life for herself. Maybe you ought to do the same thing.
  
  Not much left to do now except open the postbox and end this.
  
  A small camera shop is open to the north. The road in front runs east and west.
  
  > open the postbox
  You open the postbox and pull out a frightened Foo Foo.
  
  "He was in there the whole time?" Murphy exclaims, slapping his forehead. "How did you know?"
  
  "Doesn't matter, he's innocent." You toss Murphy the book. "Check the note on the inside cover. Foo Foo was hypnotized."
  
  Murphy takes a minute to look through the pages. "So it was Domingo all along?"
  
  You shrug. "Sabado, but we'll leave it to the DA to put a case together. Even if we catch Domingo, he'd never squeal. At least we can spare the innocent party." You both look at the rabbit.
  
  "Does this mean I'm free to go?" Foo Foo asks.
  
  You chuckle. "Yes, you're free to go. But if I see you again, it's Goontown for you."
  
  The rabbit thanks you profusely, and waving goodbye, he hops down the lane.
  
  Murphy munches on another stick of gum. "I guess everything turned out all right."
  
  You shake your head. "Have headquarters send the boys over to the camera shop. They'll find the latest cheesemonger out cold, along with enough cheese and cash to buy the city."
  
  You've stunned Murphy once again. A notable feat, considering he can see shades of the future. "What's happened, Good?"
  
  "I've had all I can take of Lumpen Lane. You take it from here." Hands in pocket, you head home. You want to savor your last memories with Holly over a nice glass of mint schnapps.
  
  They might be all you'll ever have.
  
  > 2
  "My report might be missing a few details."
  
  "Oh, Good. You don't know how much this means to me." She bends down to check on Fern, make sure she's breathing. "I can't ask you to do anything else for me. It wouldn't be right."
  
  You tighten your jaw. This is the Holly you were trying to forget. "What is it Holl?"
  
  "Well, Fern made my loan payments to Sabado for me, provided I kept up a steady supply of cheap labor. But she also had to buy all that wish powder, which meant no money for principal until business ramped up. If you can find the contract I signed at Sabado's, we can rip it up, and I can be free of him forever."
  
  "To do that, I'd have to find a way inside. He's only interested in Foo Foo."
  
  She smiles prettily. "Maybe you can fool him into thinking you found Foo Foo. I don't know, you'll think of something. I can wait for you here, and keep on eye on the bird."
  
  "And if I don't?"
  
  "Then I'll just have to manage." She picks up the shotgun and finds a comfortable spot to sit. "Also, I saw the rat bury a spare key in the dirt by the bar. He didn't realize I was spying. You may need to keep digging for it."
  
  The room was a distribution center for the Verde's illegal cheese ring. Large wheels of cheddar and swiss are stacked in the corner near a band saw for slicing. Scale weights, plastic bags, and inventory logs are scattered about the large table in the center of the room, along with cubes of various cheeses. In one corner is a small table, where stacks of cash are arranged into neat piles next to a counting machine. Everything is soaking wet.
  
  The bodies of a dozen or so stuffed animals lie strewn across chairs or on the floor.
  
  Holly keeps watch over the unconscious Fern near the door to the west.
  
  > get cubes
  Better to leave everything in here alone. Let CSI handle it.
  
  > get the money
  Let CSI handle it.
  
  > Go north
  The alley runs east and west behind the rowhouses and shops. An empty dumpster is not quite pushed up against the wall opposite the store.
  
  The cheese room is through the doorway south.
  
  > go to the north-west
  The alley arrives from the southeast and ends at a wall. There's a rear entrance to Get Your Nibbles to the south, the door left open.
  
  > Go south
  Only a small portion of the space is set aside for food preparation. The rest is dedicated to the construction of stuffed animals, mid-production, as if operations had never stopped.
  
  A large bucket of wish powder stands in the corner. The tiled floor is stained purple where hastily scooped quantities were spilled.
  
  The retail area is directly south, and the alley is north.
  
  > go south
  If it weren't for the display case of muddy nibblet things, you'd have mistaken this place for a toy store. The walls are painted a cheery yellow and lined with shelves full of cuddly toys. The stuffed rabbits look curiously like Foo Foo.
  
  The exit is to the south, the kitchen to the north.
  
  > put the powder on the rabbit
  You sprinkle some powder on a stuffed rabbit.
  
  > Wave wand
  You wave Big Tommy.
  
  > point the wand at the rabbit
  Here goes nothing. You point your wand at the stuffed rabbit.
  
  "Flippity, floppity, foo," you chant. With a sharp intake of air, the stuffed rabbit comes to life. He's disoriented for only a moment before he falls in line behind you, wiggling his nose happily.
  
  > look at the rabbit
  His resemblance to Foo Foo is uncanny.
  
  > Kiss rabbit
  He's fine the way he is.
  
  > go east
  You enter the bar and its earthy smells. A hint of decay clings to the air. You wonder what people see in this place.
  
  Sabado joins you by the entrance in better spirits than usual. "Good! You brought Foo Foo. How... unexpected, but I'm no less delighted. I might even let you stick around if you stopped acting like a man all the time. Roughness doesn't suit a lovely creature like yourself."
  
  You refuse to let him under your skin. "Funny, I was about to tell you the same thing."
  
  He snatches the now-frightened rabbit by the ears and drags him to the area marked for employees. "Just keep an eye on the bar for me while I'm gone. This shouldn't take long."
  
  "I don't work for you," you say, but the retort falls flat.
  
  Sabado stops. He turns his head round, looks you up and down, then lifts the rabbit slightly off the ground as if to show you his prize. "Don't you?"
  
  He leaves through the door and is gone, closing it firmly behind him.
  
  > Dig
  You thrust the shovel into the dirt and unearth some kind of bone. A rib, you guess. Digging again, you uncover more ribs.
  
  A thought crosses your mind. You stumble backwards, away from the bones. Your stomach turns. These couldn't belong to the field mice, could they?
  
  > Dig
  You force yourself to dig somewhere else. Even more bones.
  
  > Dig
  Bones. Is this a bar or a graveyard? You're not sure you want to know.
  
  > Dig
  Huh. They're all ribs.
  
  > Dig
  This time, you discover a small metal object. You pick it up and clean off the dirt. It's a key, large and cast in iron.
  
  > Search bar
  A plain wooden bar. There's a letter tucked in with the barware.
  
  > get the letter
  Taken.
  
  > look
  The corner tavern resembles an old forest more than a bar. Even the ground is covered in a thick layer of soil. The western exit leads back to the street, while a closed door to the north behind the bar reads "Employees Only". A lit-up jukebox looks rather out of place in the corner.
  
  With Sabado gone, the bar counter stands alone.
  
  > examine the key
  An iron key.
  
  > open the door
  It's locked.
  
  > unlock door
  The key turns, and you open the door a crack. The light from torches mounted on the wall dances across a stone staircase, spiraling downwards. You're reminded of what Holly said earlier about an animal cult.
  
  No. It was a bunch of nonsense. Though you swear you can hear a rattling sound, coming from down below.
  
  > go north
  You descend the stairs slowly, making as little noise as possible. The rattling sound grows louder. Reaching the bottom, you keep crouched by the stairs and glance around the corner.
  
  The stone archway opens into a large vaulted chamber, barely lit by torches on the wall. Across the room, a great white beast twists and bucks about wildly, hissing and rattling.
  
  A rattlesnake. Here, in Fieldtown. You hold your breath.
  
  Sabado stands close to the snake, chanting in an unknown language. In the far corner lies the stuffed rabbit, lifeless once again.
  
  > examine the snake
  A great beast, thrashing about. The bone-white segments on the end of the tail rattle incessantly.
  
  > look at Sabado
  He's tall for a rat, graying in broad patches, joints that bend at sharp angles. You're not sure if he has an expression besides scowl.
  
  > look at the rabbit
  A lifeless stuffed rabbit.
  
  > listen
  You shift your weight for a better position and knock a piece of brick off the wall. It clatters noisily to the floor. Both snake and rat turn to look at you.
  
  Sabado ceases his chanting. "Get the rabbit out of here!" he shouts at you. "Get rid of anything with wish powder on it!"
  
  "Why?" you shout back.
  
  "Shut up and do it!"
  
  > get the rabbit
  You run for the rabbit, but the snake twists directly into your path. You duck as a coil strikes the wall above you, leaving a spider's web of cracks behind. The beast could crush you with ease.
  
  "I can't get to the rabbit!" you shout.
  
  "I'm doing what I can," Sabado replies. "You have to find a way!"
  
  How are you going to back the snake away from the rabbit? He's asking the impossible.
  
  > read the book
  The note on the inside cover reads: "DomingoPage 95. One debt clean per mouse. You have my word."
  
  > use the flash
  You activate the flash. The light is nearly blinding in the dimness of the chamber, but the effect is immediate. The snake recoils into the opposite corner.
  
  Now's your chance.
  
  > get the rabbit
  You grab the rabbit, turn, and get out of there, deciding that if you live through the day, you're finally going to trash these heels.
  
  The snake resumes thrashing about the chamber, the effects of the flash worn off.
  
  > Go upwards
  The corner tavern resembles an old forest more than a bar. Even the ground is covered in a thick layer of soil. The western exit leads back to the street, while the door to the north is open slightly. A lit-up jukebox looks rather out of place in the corner.
  
  With Sabado gone, the bar counter stands alone.
  
  > drop the rabbit
  Dropped.