text: [Themes: Historical Fantasy, magic, male protagonist, fantasy]
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You were carrying a telescope.
  
  > About yourself
  You couldn't see much of yourself in the dark.
  
  You were carrying a telescope.
  
  > look at the binnacle
  The binnacle was basically a small box containing a shaded light to enable you to see the compass.
  
  > examine compass
  The compass indicated that you were still sailing a steady sou'-sou'-west.
  
  You were almost deafened by the howling gale screaming in the rigging and lashing up the waves all round the ship.
  
  > look at the telescope
  It wasn't the most elegant instrument – you couldn't afford
  better on
  your pay – but it did the job.
  
  The captain came striding out onto the quarterdeck just as the lookout repeated his hail from the mast: "Land ho! Fine on the starboard
  bow!"
  
  The captain peered up the mast in evident irritation, then strode over to the binnacle to check the compass. Turning back to you he snapped, "What's that idiot on about? There should be no land between here
  and
  Spain!"
  
  "No sir," you agreed dutifully.
  
  "Well then, Mr Corby, you'd better get up to the mizzen-top with
  your
  bring'em near and see what this is all about!" the captain
  commanded,
  throwing a significant glance up the mast.
  
  "Aye aye, sir," you replied, trying to disguise your reluctance.
  
  > look through the telescope
  You raised the telescope to your right eye and scanned the horizon ahead. You could just make out the distant white sail of the ship you were pursuing, but there seemed to be no sign of land.
  
  "I gave you an order, Mr Corby," the captain snapped. "So up the
  mast
  with you!"
  
  > Up
  Even after more than ten years at sea, you had never developed much of a head for heights, especially when it meant fighting your way up the ratlines of a swaying mast in a howling gale; but it seemed like there was nothing for it but to grit your teeth and ascend.
  
  Grasping the ropes and forcing yourself not to look down, you began to climb. A few yards up you paused for breath, and longed just to close your eyes and cling on for dear life until the storm had passed; but you felt the eyes of the captain and half the crew were upon you: it behoved you to play the part of a fearless officer, so on you went.
  
  A little over half-way up, you caught sight of something ahead; but it looked more like a band of fog than a stretch of land. It at once struck you as absurd, not only that a bank of sea-mist should collect here, but even more that it would not be at once shredded by the gale. Overcome by curiosity you took out your telescope, trying to do your best to keep your balance on the rigging while examining the strange sight. It did look like a band of mist. But at the next
  moment a sudden gust made the Niobe heel over to starboard,
  and in a heart-stopping moment you felt your feet slip free of the lines. For a moment you hung there by a single hand, and then that
  too was wrenched free and you fell.
  
  You hit the surface of the sea and carried straight on down. To begin with, you thought that was it, and almost resigned yourself to drown; but then, as your lungs felt ready to burst, your survival instinct took over and you struggled to regain the surface.
  
  The waves all around you look as black as the sky above, and stretch just as far in all directions.
  
  And now, here you are, swimming in the freezing water, with neither ship nor land in sight, and probably only a few minutes left before
  you finally do give up and drown.
  
  > remove the clothes
  You struggle to remove your clothes before they drag you down, but, being waterlogged, they cling to you peversely and you lack the strength to wrestle with them.
  
  > Then remove the clothes
  The word "reacquire" is not necessary in this story.
  
  (If this was an accidental misspelling, you can correct it by typing OOPS followed by the corrected word now. Any time the story points
  out an unknown word, you can correct a misspelling using OOPS as your next command.)
  
  > Pray
  You recall some verses of Psalm 106 that seem appropriate to your current situation, so you try praying those. Although this may well
  be the only recourse left open to you, it unfortunately fails to have any immediate effect.
  
  > Drown
  (down)
  (You can use the TYPO command to disable the typo-correction feature.)
  
  You'll probably drown soon enough, but you're not quite ready to
  give
  up just yet.
  
  > remove the clothes
  You struggle to remove your clothes before they drag you down, but, being waterlogged, they cling to you peversely and you lack the strength to wrestle with them.
  
  You can struggle no more. You start to feel body and mind shutting down. As the waves close over your head you fancy you hear voices and see a distant light – the final fleeting fancies of a dying mind.
  
  And then everything goes blank.
  
  [more]
  
  > sleep with the the fishes
  Shingly Cove (lying on the shingly beach)
  Some time later you wake up to find yourself lying on a hard shingle beach. From the position of the sun in the sky it must be either
  early morning or late evening – almost certainly the former. You
  feel
  as stiff as a ship's biscuit and weaker than a limp lettuce leaf, but miraculously, you seem to be alive.
  
  As you regain consciousness, you become aware of the crash of the surf at your feet. It seems you must have been washed ashore – but where? There should have been no land within a dozen leagues or more of where you fell into the sea. Then you remember the lookout's hail; he must have seen land after all, and this must be it.
  
  Before you can do more than start to wonder whether this land is inhabited, you become aware that you are not alone.
  
  A young woman is standing just by your head, peering down at you with
  a look of evident concern.
  
  > About yourself
  You look a bit bedraggled from your watery misadventure, but otherwise unscathed. But then you're young and healthy, with a complexion
  tanned by years at sea.
  
  You are empty-handed.
  
  "I saw you lying here when I came out of the house just now," she explains, gesturing vaguely behind her, "so I came straight down to
  see if – well, you seem to be alive at any rate, but are you all right?"
  
  (You could say yes or no, or ask her who she is.)
  
  > Newsavename
  Failed; your computer might be running low on disk space, or you might not have the necessary permissions to write this file.
  
  > Y.
  Thanks for playing Blighted Isle – hope you've enjoyed it!
  cheaptads quit with exit status: 0
  
  Great, just great. First you oversleep, end up being late for school. Then the whole day sucks so bad you can barely wait until seventh period's over and you're free. Now you've wasted so much time
  watching TV that you've gotta rush through your makeup or you won't be ready for tonight before April gets here with her wheels. Mississippi may say you're old enough to drive, but Frank sure doesn't agree.
  
  Man, you can't wait for all this to be over.
  
  You've spent a lot of time in this room, enough that it's really beginning to get on your nerves. You're tired of the stupid posters, you're tired of your stupid bed, you're tired of everything. You just wish it weren't such a hassle to try to change any of it. Besides, if you were going to change anything, you'd start with the clothes in
  your closet. To the west, across from your window, is a closed door going out.
  You see a flowerdy bag here. Sitting on the vanity is a geode, mascara, eye shadow, pink blush, and foundation.
  
  It wasn't yet clear that the strange sail was a French
  warship, but your captain was taking no chances, and so the
  Niobe, 38, had set off in hot pursuit. She was carrying all
  the sail a frigate safely could in such a storm, but still the strange vessel was maintaining its lead, and it was all the Niobe
  could do to keep pace with her. But the weather had been steadily worsening; the storm was becoming a gale, and there was a real danger that the Niobe would lose a spar – or worse – unless she
  shortened sail. So you dispatched the midshipman of the watch to seek the captain's permission to do just that.
  
  And then came the totally unexpected hail from the masthead:
  
  "Land ho! Fine on the starboard bow!"
  
  That was absurd; there shouldn't have been any land within a dozen leagues.
  
  The deck around you was little more than a mass of shadow and outline in the dark, with the only point of light coming from the binnacle
  just in front of you. You were aware of the mizzen mast towering
  above you nearby, but as much from the howl of the wind in the rigging as from anything you could see.
  
  The helmsman was standing nearby at the wheel.
  
  You were almost deafened by the howling gale screaming in the rigging and lashing up the waves all round the ship.
  
  > Up
  You could hardly leave the quarterdeck while you were on watch.
  
  > Wait
  Time passed...
  
  > examine the helmsman
  He was just a faint outline in the dark.
  
  > examine the telescope
  It wasn't the most elegant instrument – you couldn't afford
  better on
  your pay – but it did the job.
  
  > look through the telescope
  You raised the telescope to your right eye and scanned the horizon ahead. You could just make out the distant white sail of the ship you were pursuing, but there seemed to be no sign of land.
  
  > talk to the helmsman
  You knew better than to distract the helmsman with idle chatter in the middle of a gale.
  
  The captain came striding out onto the quarterdeck just as the lookout repeated his hail from the mast: "Land ho! Fine on the starboard
  bow!"
  
  The captain peered up the mast in evident irritation, then strode over to the binnacle to check the compass. Turning back to you he snapped, "What's that idiot on about? There should be no land between here
  and
  Spain!"
  
  "No sir," you agreed dutifully.
  
  "Well then, Mr Corby, you'd better get up to the mizzen-top with
  your
  bring'em near and see what this is all about!" the captain
  commanded,
  throwing a significant glance up the mast.
  
  "Aye aye, sir," you replied, trying to disguise your reluctance.
  
  > Up
  Even after more than ten years at sea, you had never developed much of a head for heights, especially when it meant fighting your way up the ratlines of a swaying mast in a howling gale; but it seemed like there was nothing for it but to grit your teeth and ascend.
  
  Grasping the ropes and forcing yourself not to look down, you began to climb. A few yards up you paused for breath, and longed just to close your eyes and cling on for dear life until the storm had passed; but you felt the eyes of the captain and half the crew were upon you: it behoved you to play the part of a fearless officer, so on you went.
  
  A little over half-way up, you caught sight of something ahead; but it looked more like a band of fog than a stretch of land. It at once struck you as absurd, not only that a bank of sea-mist should collect here, but even more that it would not be at once shredded by the gale. Overcome by curiosity you took out your telescope, trying to do your best to keep your balance on the rigging while examining the strange sight. It did look like a band of mist. But at the next
  moment a sudden gust made the Niobe heel over to starboard,
  and in a heart-stopping moment you felt your feet slip free of the lines. For a moment you hung there by a single hand, and then that
  too was wrenched free and you fell.
  
  You hit the surface of the sea and carried straight on down. To begin with, you thought that was it, and almost resigned yourself to drown; but then, as your lungs felt ready to burst, your survival instinct took over and you struggled to regain the surface.
  
  The waves all around you look as black as the sky above, and stretch just as far in all directions.
  
  And now, here you are, swimming in the freezing water, with neither ship nor land in sight, and probably only a few minutes left before
  you finally do give up and drown.
  
  > Drink
  What do you want to drink?
  
  > Sea
  You're doing your best not to – it's far too salty and you'd
  choke on
  it.
  
  > Up
  If only you could sprout wings and fly! But alas, it seems you'll
  all
  too soon be dragged in the opposite direction.
  
  > Dance
  The word "dance" is not necessary in this story.
  
  > jump
  > SING
  
  The word "sing" is not necessary in this story.
  
  You can't; your feet are nowhere near touching bottom.
  
  > Sleep
  You'll probably sleep soon enough – forever; but you're not quite
  ready to give up yet.
  
  You can struggle no more. You start to feel body and mind shutting down. As the waves close over your head you fancy you hear voices and see a distant light – the final fleeting fancies of a dying mind.
  
  And then everything goes blank.
  
  Shingly Cove (lying on the shingly beach)
  Some time later you wake up to find yourself lying on a hard shingle beach. From the position of the sun in the sky it must be either
  early morning or late evening – almost certainly the former. You
  feel
  as stiff as a ship's biscuit and weaker than a limp lettuce leaf, but miraculously, you seem to be alive.
  
  As you regain consciousness, you become aware of the crash of the surf at your feet. It seems you must have been washed ashore – but where? There should have been no land within a dozen leagues or more of where you fell into the sea. Then you remember the lookout's hail; he must have seen land after all, and this must be it.
  
  Before you can do more than start to wonder whether this land is inhabited, you become aware that you are not alone.
  
  A young woman is standing just by your head, peering down at you with
  a look of evident concern.
  
  > examine woman
  She's a pretty woman of about twenty, neatly dressed and of slender build, with straight dark brown hair falling about her shoulders.
  
  The young woman is wearing a single ear-ring.
  
  "I saw you lying here when I came out of the house just now," she explains, gesturing vaguely behind her, "so I came straight down to
  see if – well, you seem to be alive at any rate, but are you all right?"
  
  (You could say yes or no, or ask her who she is.)
  
  > No
  "No, not really. I feel half-drowned," you grunt.
  
  "You look it," she agrees. "But who are you? You're not from
  around
  here and I – well I don't mean to seem inquisitive, but it's not
  every
  day I find a strange man washed up almost on my doorstep, and what
  with – anyway, who are you?"
  
  (You could tell her about yourself, ask where you are, or ask her who she is.)
  
  > ask her who she is
  "Who are you?" you want to know.
  
  "I'm Julia Trelawney," she tells you, "But I asked you a
  question: who
  are you?"
  
  > No
  "No – I'm not sure I can," you groan.
  
  "Here – I'll help you up," she offers, grabbing you by the arms
  a
  little roughly. Between her tugging and your groaning and pushing you somehow manage to rise to your feet.
  
  "Good, right," she nods, "Let's go up to the house, then;
  it's not
  far." So saying she walks across the shingly beach to the foot of the stone steps, where she turns and waits for you to follow.
  
  > lie down
  (on the shingly beach)
  Okay, you're now lying on the shingly beach.
  
  > whine like a the big baby
  The word "whine" is not necessary in this story.
  
  > get us
  The word "us" is not necessary in this story.
  
  > get up
  Okay, you're now standing.
  
  > follow her
  You follow Julia up the steps.
  
  Most of this sizeable garden is given over to vegetable plots. To the east it comes to an abrupt end overlooking the cove, accessible via a rough flight of stone steps. At its northern end stands a large stone house, from the front of which a gravel path heads off to the west, while along the garden's southern boundary runs a long wooden fence.
  
  of the house, where she opens the door, then turns back to motion you to follow her inside.
  
  > ask her where we are
  "We can talk inside," she replies.
  
  > examine house
  The house has a solid, four-square appearance. It is not particularly attractive, the grim grey stone of which it is constructed doing nothing to enhance its appearance, but it does look reasonably commodious.
  
  "Come inside, Mr Corby," Julia invites you.
  
  > look at the vegetable
  The vegetable plots are a series of neatly laid out rectangles, some covered with protective netting. Together they take up most of the space in the garden.
  
  > examine the stone
  Which stone do you mean, the stone steps, the shingly beach, or the house?
  
  > look at the stone steps
  The steps lead down to the cove below.
  
  "Are you coming then?" Julia asks.
  
  > go inside
  You follow Julia inside.
  
  The parlour is of a good size, but not so big as to forfeit a certain rustic cosiness. The large open fireplace looks as if it could
  sustain quite a blaze in winter, though it's currently unlit. The furniture is plain but functional. The front door is to the south, with other doorways to north and east.
  
  "Come through into the kitchen while I brew you up some hot soup," Julia offers, waving towards the north.
  
  Julia closes the front door.
  
  > examine the furniture
  The main items are some chairs and a table. They all seem to have
  been made by a joiner who put solidity a long way ahead of elegance.
  
  > go to the north
  You follow Julia into the kitchen.
  
  The kitchen is quite large, and conveys something of the same rustic flavour as the parlour, which lies just to the south. A plain wooden door, painted black, is set in the north wall next to a large wood-burning stove. An even larger wooden table occupies most of the space in the middle of the kitchen, together with a conveniently
  placed wooden chair.
  
  Julia walks over to the stove, checks that it's still burning, and
  puts a pan on it. "Take a seat while I heat up this soup for you,"
  she tells you.
  
  You sink gratefully into the large wooden chair.
  
  > About yourself
  You look a bit bedraggled from your watery misadventure, but otherwise unscathed. But then you're young and healthy, with a complexion
  tanned by years at sea.
  
  You are empty-handed.
  
  Julia turns to you and hands you a gold coin, "Here," she says,
  "you'll need somewhere to stay. I'm afraid we can't put you up
  here,
  but the Red Dragon's a pretty decent inn. Well, it's the only inn, actually. Anyway, that'll buy you a few days' board and lodging
  there
  till you find your feet."
  
  When you start to protest, she interrupts firmly, "No, I insist.
  It's
  the least I can do for a shipwrecked sailor. Besides, if you feel
  that strongly about it, I'm sure the day will come when you'll be
  able
  to repay me."
  
  (You could thank her, or refuse politely.)
  
  > Thank her
  "Thank you," you say. "You're very kind."
  
  "Yes," she agrees with a ready smile, "you'll find it's the
  least of
  my failings!"
  
  Julia fiddles with some pans.
  
  > ask her where we are
  "Where am I?" you want to know.
  
  "This island is called Valon, if that's what you mean," she
  replies.
  
  Julia busies herself stirring something in a pan on the stove.
  
  > ask her about the valon
  "Just where is this island?" you ask. "It doesn't show up on
  any
  charts!"
  
  "It wouldn't," she replies mysteriously. "It isn't that sort
  of
  place."
  
  Julia crosses the kitchen to collect a bowl.
  
  > ask her what sort of the place
  She looks puzzled by your question.
  
  Julia returns to the stove and pours something into a bowl.
  
  > ask her about the valon
  "So what sort of place is Valon?" you inquire.
  
  "It's not so bad," she tells you. "At least, it wasn't till
  the
  blight came."
  
  "There you are," Julia declares, setting a bowl of steaming soup
  down
  on the table. "That should warm you up!"
  
  > look at coin
  The coin is of unfamiliar design, with a dragon on one side and a chalice on the other.
  
  > ask her about Dragon
  "That coin you gave me – it's quite a strange design," you
  remark.
  "Where did it come from? There can't be a mint on the island,
  surely?"
  
  "No, there's no mint on the island," she agrees.
  
  > ask about the blight
  "What is this blight you mentioned?" you want to know.
  
  "We wish we knew," she sighs. "It started three or four years
  back.
  We didn't realize what was happening at first, we thought perhaps it was just a particularly bad winter. Well – whatever it is, it saps
  all the vitality out of the soil. We've lost nearly half our
  farmland
  to it, and since we didn't have all that much land to start with – well, times have become a bit hard."
  
  > ask Julia about Julia
  "Do you live alone?" you ask.
  
  "No, I share this house with my brother. We inherited it from our parents," she tells you.
  
  > ask Julia about the brother
  "Tell me about your brother," you request.
  
  "His name's Richard – but everyone calls him Dick," she
  replies.
  "He's a few years older than me, and, well, I suppose you could say
  he
  looks after me."
  
  > drink the soup
  You slowly and gratefully drink the hot soup, which tastes strongly of the fish it contains. As you finish it, you feel heat course through your body and strength returning to your limbs.
  
  "Thank you very much, that's just what I needed," you declare.
  
  "Good," she replies, removing the empty bowl to add to the pile of washing up.
  
  (If you'd prefer not to be notified about score changes in the
  future,
  type NOTIFY OFF.)
  
  > ask her about the ship
  "Do many ships call here?" you ask.
  
  "None call here," she tells you. "The occasional one may turn up
  by
  accident, but then it can never leave."
  
  > Why
  "Where is the castle?" you ask.
  
  "Just to the north of town, up the hill to the west," she replies.
  
  > ask her about the ship
  She's already told you that no ships call here, and that the few that turn up by accident can never leave.
  
  > ask about the soup
  "That soup you gave me was just what I needed," you tell her. "I
  feel
  much better now."
  
  "Good!" she says. "You looked in need of reviving!"
  
  > ask her about the island
  "How many people live here?" you ask.
  
  "Only a couple of hundred," she replies. "Every now and again
  someone
  turns up the way you did, washed ashore from some nautical mishap. Otherwise, we're a pretty small, closed community."
  
  > ask her about the currents
  In reply, she makes a noise that sounds like "Pshaw!".
  
  > ask her about the leave
  She gives a wry smile, then says, "I think I'd need to think about that."
  
  > ask her about the ocean
  In reply, she mutters something you don't quite catch.
  
  > ask her about the france
  "Do you have any news from France?" you inquire.
  
  "France?" she echoes. "No."
  
  > ask her about the england
  "What do you know of England?" you ask.
  
  "Nothing; it's just a name to me," she replies.
  
  > ask her about england
  She's already said that England's just a name to her.
  
  > ask her about bonaparte
  She's already told you she has no news from France.
  
  > ask about the soil
  "Let's talk about that some other time," she suggests.
  
  > ask her how one gets away from here
  "How does one get away from here?" you ask.
  
  "You don't," she replies bluntly.
  
  > ask her how one gets away
  "There must be some way to get away from this island!" you insist.
  "I
  have to rejoin my ship!"
  
  "You can't," she tells you. "Did you see that mist, just a
  little way
  out to sea? Don't ask to explain why or how, but there's no way to
  get through it."
  
  > ask her about the mist
  "What is that mist I saw out to sea?" you ask. "It
  doesn't
  look like it's shifting at all!"
  
  "That's right," she agrees. "It never does, and it surrounds
  the
  whole island. It's the barrier that keeps us all in."
  
  > ask her about the blight
  "So what exactly does this blight do?" you ask.
  
  "It turns perfectly good farmland into dusty wasteland," she
  replies.
  "Fortunately it seems to have stopped spreading now, but not before
  it
  shut down one of the island's only two farms."
  
  > ask her about the farms
  "Is there much farming on the island?" you enquire.
  
  "There used to be two farms, the Pascoes' and the Fantons', until
  the
  blight came," she tells you. "Now only the Fantons' is left."
  
  > ask her about the farms
  She's already told you that there used to be two farms on the island till the blight came, but now there's only one.
  
  > ask her about Pascoes
  "What happened to the Pascoes?" you ask.
  
  "They lost their farm to the blight," she replies.
  
  > ask about Inn
  "Where do I find the Red Dragon Inn?" you ask.
  
  "Just carry straight on west into town till you come to the crossroads," she tells you. "Then turn left into South Street, and
  you can't miss it."
  
  > Topics
  You could ask her about herself, or the blight, or ask her how one
  gets away from here.
  
  > ask her about her
  "Have you lived here all your life?" you ask.
  
  "Yes, I was born in this very house," she tells you.
  
  > ask her about her
  "So, tell me all about yourself," you invite.
  
  "Oh, there really isn't much to tell," she shrugs. "I'm
  really not
  that interesting – I'm sure there are far more interesting things
  to
  talk about."
  
  (You could ask her about the blight, or ask her how one gets away from here.)
  
  > ask her about yourself
  She gives a wry smile, then says, "I think I'd need to think about that."
  
  > ask her about yourself
  In reply, she mutters something you don't quite catch.
  
  > ask her about the home
  "You seem to have quite a large old house," you remark. "Is it
  hard
  to maintain?"
  
  "It does take a bit of maintenance," she replies, "but the labour
  and
  materials are not too hard to come by."
  
  > ask her about the blight
  "Does no one know the cause of this blight?" you inquire.
  
  "No," she shakes her head. "It spread from the north, we know
  that
  much – from the part of the island no one can reach. Some folk blame mad Meg, but I reckon she's harmless enough."
  
  > ask her about Meg
  "Who is mad Meg?" you ask.
  
  "Some say she's a witch," she tells you, "but I wouldn't go
  that far;
  she's a bit odd, that's all. She lives all by herself out to the
  north of town."
  
  > ask her about witch
  "What's so odd about mad Meg?" you inquire.
  
  "Well – for one thing, living all by herself like that, away from
  the
  town – I don't know, she's just not normal," Julia
  replies,
  "and then she doesn't seem to see things the way the rest of us do.
  I
  suppose she's harmless enough, but I couldn't trust someone like
  that."
  
  > Keep going
  "Why do some people think mad Meg's a witch?" you want to know.
  
  "Because she's so odd. Because she doesn't mix much. Because
  she
  does things with plants and herbs," Julia shrugs. "Some even say
  she
  has the gift of second sight – not that I know anything about such things. Anyway, she's really not worth bothering about."
  
  > ask her about the second sight
  "Let's talk about that some other time," she suggests.
  
  > ask her about blight
  "Has anyone tried to do anything about the blight?" you want to
  know.
  
  Julia gives a bitter laugh, "The old Duke tried all
  right,"
  she tells you. "The silly old fool thought he could go and lead an expedition against it – apparently he'd found some way to get past
  the
  Ridge. Anyway, off he went with his brother and a band of castle guards, and none of them was ever seen or heard of again. And still the blight didn't go away. Must be a couple of years back, now."
  
  > Keep going
  "So is there any prospect of curing this blight?" you ask.
  
  "None that I know of," she tells you, adding, "That's one
  reason so
  many of the islanders are fishermen!"
  
  > Continue
  It seems like she's already told you all she knows: the blight
  started
  three or four years ago, spreading from the north. It converts farmland into dusty wasteland, and no one seems to know either the cause or the cure. From what Julia says, it's causing serious difficulties for the island's food supply.
  
  > ask her about Ridge
  "What's this about a ridge?" you ask.
  
  "It's a range of hills that divides the island in half," she
  explains.
  "There doesn't seem to be any way through it, over it, or round it,
  so
  no one knows what lies to the north."
  
  > Continue
  "This ridge," you frown. "Surely it can't be that
  impassable, and even if it were, couldn't you just sail round it in a boat and land on the other side?"
  
  "You'd think so, wouldn't you?" she replies quickly. "But
  there are
  strange currents round this island, so it turns out you can't."
  
  Your frown deepens. You've been a naval officer long enough to know
  a
  thing or two about strange currents, but you've never heard of
  currents that are that strange.
  
  > Keep going
  You can't think of anything else to ask about it at this point:
  you've
  already established that it's some kind of barrier preventing access
  to the northern part of the island, and that Julia apparently thinks there's no way over, round, or through it.
  
  > ask her how one gets away from here
  "If I had a boat, I'm sure I could get away from here easily
  enough!"
  you declare.
  
  "Others have said the same; others have tried; they all failed,"
  she
  sighs. "Maybe that's what happened to my parents."
  
  > continue
  She's already made it clear she thinks it's impossible to get away
  from the island; apparently it's impossible to pass through the mist that surrounds it.
  
  > ask about Duke
  "Who exactly was the old Duke?" you want to know.
  
  "The present Duke's father," she informs you. "Not a bad man,
  and
  more intelligent than his son, who really is a fool – no, the old
  Duke
  was a decent enough ruler for this little island. At least he cared enough to try to do something about the blight, but he obviously
  didn't go about it the right way. As for the present Duke – well,
  Duke William has more arrogance than sense, I'd say – but for
  goodness' sake don't tell him I said that!"
  
  > Keep going
  "Tell me more about the present Duke; he rules this island?" you
  ask.
  
  "That's right," she affirms. "No one's quite sure where the
  title
  comes from; the family's Norman, but we all know the real
  Duke William ended up ruling rather more than this tiny isle. Between you and me I suspect William's ancestors awarded themselves the title of Duke when they arrived and took over. But it's never been worth quibbling about."
  
  > ask Julia abouthe ear-ring
  "Forgive my asking, but is there any particular reason why you're wearing only one ear-ring?" you ask.
  
  Frowning, she touches one ear and then the other. "Bother!" she declares. "I must have dropped the other one somewhere!"
  
  > ask her about the cats
  In reply, she makes a noise that sounds like "Pshaw!".
  
  > ask her about the parents
  "What happened to your parents?" you wonder.
  
  She sighs, wipes her brow, and throws you a soulful look, "They
  died,"
  she tells you. "Drowned. At least, we suppose so. They went out in their boat together a couple of years back and never returned."
  
  > Go south
  (first standing up)
  Julia comes with you.
  
  The parlour is of a good size, but not so big as to forfeit a certain rustic cosiness. The large open fireplace looks as if it could
  sustain quite a blaze in winter, though it's currently unlit. The furniture is plain but functional. The front door is to the south, with other doorways to north and east.
  
  Julia is standing here.
  
  > examine the furniture
  The main items are some chairs and a table. They all seem to have
  been made by a joiner who put solidity a long way ahead of elegance.
  
  > examine the fireplace
  It's currently unlit, but it looks like one could get quite a blaze burning in it.
  
  > Bye
  "Perhaps I should go now," you suggest.
  
  "If you must, but there's no hurry; you're welcome to stay a bit
  longer if you like," she assures you.
  
  > look in the fireplace
  The fireplace doesn't look worth meddling with.
  
  > Go east
  You hardly feel you can go wandering round the house uninvited.
  
  > ask her about her hidden chamber of the horrors to the the east
  She looks puzzled by your question.
  
  > Go south
  (first opening the front door)
  "Well, bye for now then; no doubt I shall see you again soon,"
  Julia
  bids you farewell.
  
  Most of this sizeable garden is given over to vegetable plots. To the east it comes to an abrupt end overlooking the cove, accessible via a rough flight of stone steps. At its northern end stands a large stone house, from the front of which a gravel path heads off to the west, while along the garden's southern boundary runs a long wooden fence.
  
  Julia closes the front door from the other side.
  
  > examine the fence
  It's about five feet high, and made of wood that has long since weathered to a dull grey. Despite the weathering, the fence still looks sturdy enough.
  
  > examine the plots
  The vegetable plots are a series of neatly laid out rectangles, some covered with protective netting. Together they take up most of the space in the garden.
  
  > go west
  The main path continues to east and west as far as you can see, rising slightly to the latter as it heads inland. A long hedge blocks the
  way south, but just at this point of the path a rutted track runs off to the north.
  
  > examine the hedge
  The bramble hedge is rather uneven, varying in height between about four feet and six along its length. If it was ever cultivated it has long since turned wild.
  
  > examine the track
  The rutted track leads off to the north; it looks a little uneven but seems generally to descend as it goes.
  
  > Go west
  You set off to the west, and after a brisk walk up the slope you find yourself on the eastern outskirts of the town.
  
  Pressed in between a rough stone wall to the north and a small shop to the south this short, narrow street runs east back towards the coast and west towards the centre of town.
  
  A slender young woman is standing with her back to the shop door, desperately trying to beat off a ruffian who seems bent on robbing
  her.
  
  "Hand over yer purse, you silly bitch, and I might just decide not to bruise that pretty face of yours," the ruffian declares.
  
  > Attack ruffian
  You may still be a bit weakened from your watery ordeal, but the ruffian looks half-starved, while you've been toughened by ten years
  at sea fighting the French. He hardly manages to land a single blow
  on you, while you soon give him a thrashing. After no more than a minute of it he runs away muttering curses under his breath.
  
  "Thank you!" the young woman declares as you turn back to check how
  she is. "He was proving – quite troublesome. I never thought even Cadan Pascoe would stoop to attacking me! But I don't believe I know you; perhaps you should introduce yourself?"
  
  (You could tell her about yourself, or ask her how she is.)
  
  > Topics
  You could ask her about Sally Penhaligon, the castle, or the ruffian, or say that she's beautiful.
  
  > tell her she's beautiful
  "You're very beautiful," you remark.
  
  "So people say," she replies drily.
  
  > continue
  "You are very beautiful, my lady," you insist.
  
  "So you have already said," she points out unenthusiastically.
  
  > continue
  Your compliments don't seem to be making much of an impression, so perhaps you should give them a rest for now.
  
  > ask her about the ruffian
  "Who was that fellow who attacked you? Do you know him?" you ask.
  
  "Yes, I know him," she replies. "He's Samuel Pascoe's son,
  Cadan.
  They lost their farm to the blight, so I suppose I should feel sorry for him in a way."
  
  > ask her about Pascoe
  "Why should young Pascoe blame you for the blight?" you inquire.
  
  "I don't think it's a matter of blame, lieutenant," she
  answers.
  "It's more desperation and envy."
  
  > ask her about herself
  "So, is there anything else you can tell me about yourself, my
  lady,"
  you ask.
  
  "What is there to tell?" she sighs. "I am Lady Inalda de Valon,
  first
  cousin to the Duke of Valon. I was born in the castle and live there still. I have never been off this island – in truth my life has been very limited."
  
  > ask her about the island
  "What's this island like?" you ask.
  
  "I know of no other place to compare it with," she points out.
  
  > tell her about the england
  "Do you know anything of England?" you ask.
  
  "Only that it's where most of this island's inhabitants
  originally
  came from," she replies.
  
  > tell her about the england
  She's already told you that the only thing she knows about England is that it's where most of the island's inhabitants originally came
  from.
  
  > ask her about the france
  "Have you heard what's happening in France, my lady?" you ask.
  
  "Very little," she replies. "Is there another war there? There
  always seems to be wars! But though my ancestors originally came from France, we have been cut off from it for generations."
  
  > ask her about the castle
  "Where is the castle?" you ask.
  
  "Just to the north of town, up the hill to the west," she replies.
  
  > ask her about Duke
  "So, what sort of man is the Duke?" you inquire.
  
  "He's my cousin; we grew up together. And now he rules Valon,"
  she
  replies with a little shrug, adding, "I would hardly say more to a stranger, however gallant!"
  
  > ask her about the coin
  "Could we talk about..." you start to suggest.
  
  "I'm sure we could – but let's talk about it some other time, lieutenant," she replies.
  
  > ask her about Meg
  "What do you think of the woman they call mad Meg?" you ask.
  
  "I scarcely know her;" she replies, "our paths seldom cross. She
  has
  the reputation of being quite strange, and some people say worse
  things about her than that, but I know nothing against her at first hand, beyond the fact that she lives by herself and never comes into town."
  
  > ask her about Julia
  "What do you think of Julia Trelawney?" you ask.
  
  "I think that if relations between our families were better I might come to like her," she replies. "Of all the people on the island,
  she
  is the best placed to be a friend; and yet as things stand I hardly know her."
  
  > ask her about Dick
  "What can you tell me about Dick Trelawney, my lady?" you ask.
  
  "He is one of the most important people on the island, next to my cousin," she tells you. "That is to say that the Trelawneys are
  the
  wealthiest and most influential family here apart from the de Valons. But I cannot say relations between my cousin and Mr Trelawney are particularly cordial."
  
  > ask her about the relations
  "What do think about time?" you ask.
  
  "It would take too long to answer that now, lieutenant," she
  replies.
  "Some other time, when we have more leisure, perhaps."
  
  > Topics
  You could ask her about Sally Penhaligon, or the ruffian.
  
  > ask her about Dick
  "Why did you say that relations between the Duke and Dick Trelawney aren't all that good?" you ask.
  
  She hesitates a moment or two before replying, "I think perhaps it because they see themselves as rival sources of authority on the island, with very different ideas on how authority should be
  exercised. At least I know my cousin feels that Mr Trelawney does not respect his authority, and that is something my cousin resents."
  
  > ask her about the authority
  "Now, what about..." you begin.
  
  "Later, lieutenant," she interrupts you. "I'm a bit
  preoccupied right
  now."
  
  > ask her about the ruffian
  "Will young Pascoe attack you again, do you think?" you ask.
  
  "I think you succeeded in frightening him off for now, lieutenant,"
  she replies with a faint smile.
  
  > continue
  "What will happen to that fellow who attacked you?" you want to
  know.
  
  "I shall report the matter to my cousin, who will send one of his men to deal with him," she replies, a little wearily. After a brief
  pause
  she adds, "I shall try to persuade the Duke to be lenient – after
  all,
  no great harm was done."
  
  > ask her about reward
  "Can you tell me about..." you begin.
  
  "Wait! What was that?" She asks, cocking her head to one side.
  Then,
  after a moment, she continues, "Sorry, I thought I heard
  something."
  
  > ask her about Sally
  "Who is Sally Penhaligon?" you ask.
  
  "She's the woman who runs this shop," she replies. "It's the
  only
  store on the island. Her husband's a fisherman."
  
  > Keep going
  She's already told you: Sally Penhaligon runs the shop and her
  husband
  is a fisherman.
  
  > ask her about the husband
  "I was meaning to ask you about..." you begin, but you tail off
  when
  you notice that her attention is momentarily elsewhere.
  
  > Topics
  You could ask her about Cadan Pascoe.
  
  > ask about the blight
  "What is the blight, exactly?" you enquire.
  
  "Exactly what it is we do not know." she replies. "If
  we did
  we might have a better chance of finding some way to counter it."
  
  > ask her about Pascoe
  "If you're worried that the Duke may be too hard on young Pascoe,
  why
  report the matter to him?" you wonder.
  
  "Law and order must be maintained," she tells you, "or we shall
  all
  descend into chaos."
  
  > tell her about the fascism
  Lady Inalda listens politely to your account.
  
  > ask her about Inn
  "What can you tell me about the Red Dragon, my Lady?" you ask.
  
  "It's a decently-run establishment from what I gather," she
  replies.
  "As to the quality of the meals and lodgings I couldn't say, as
  I've
  never been a patron."
  
  > Go south
  (first trying to open the shop door)
  The shop door seems to be locked.
  
  Lady Inalda glances at the shop in some annoyance, then turns back to you, "Sally Penhaligon really should have opened up her shop by
  now,"
  she sighs. "Perhaps she's idling away in the Red Dragon again! Lieutenant, I hate to impose on you further, but if you were to go to the Red Dragon and see Mrs Penhaligon there, perhaps you would be so good as to tell her she has a customer waiting. Could you do that for me, do you think?"
  
  (You could say you'll go, or ask her about Sally Penhaligon.)
  
  > ask her about Sally
  "How will I know Sally Penhaligon when I see her?" you ask.
  
  "About thirty, blonde hair chopped off at the chin," she replies.
  "So, will you go and find her for me?"
  
  > say we'LL go
  "As fascinating as it would be to chat with you all day, lieutenant,
  I
  really would like to complete my errand," she replies. "To which
  end,
  it would be most helpful if you could try to find Mrs Penhaligon for me. Will you do that, please?"
  
  > say yes
  "Yes, I'm sure I can do that for you." you offer. "I was just
  going
  there anyway."
  
  "Thank you, lieutenant," she replies. "That would be most
  helpful. I
  should also be most grateful if you could make it sooner rather than later."
  
  > Bye
  "Well, goodbye then, my lady," you say.
  
  "Au revoir, lieutenant," she replies. "You must come up to the
  castle
  soon; I am sure the Duke would be interested to meet you."
  
  > go west
  This crossroads, at what may be the centre of the town, is formed by meeting of roads to north, south, east and west. All four roads lead between grim, grey buildings; the road to the east looks quite short, while that to the west leads up a distant hill. The roads to north
  and south look as if they run on quite a way, but just a short way to the south you can see a hanging inn-sign.
  
  > shouthe anti-french insults at Inalda
  The word "anti-french" is not necessary in this story.
  
  > look at sign
  It's a little difficult to make out from here, being faded red on
  faded black, but it could easily be depicting a red dragon.
  
  > examine the buildings
  On the northeast corner stands an ancient chapel, while one the opposite corner is the inn. Many of the other buildings look like cottages.
  
  A pair of children run past and disappear into one of the cottages.
  
  > examine the chapel
  From here you see one corner of the rather ugly, though undoubtedly ancient, little chapel, built from undressed rough stone.
  
  A boy of about ten enters the crossroads, takes one look at you, then runs back up West Street in apparent fright at seeing a stranger.
  
  > go to the south
  The west side of this long, grubby street is dominated by the Red Dragon Inn, while on the opposite side squats a row of bleak stone cottages. The street continues to north and south over well-worn cobbles.
  
  > examine the cottages
  They're not exactly hovels, but they're all quite small, and at
  least
  from the outside the grey stone of which they're constructed gives
  them a uniformly bleak appearance.
  
  > examine the cobbles
  The cobbles are worn smooth in some places, cracked in others, and dirty everywhere.
  
  A pair of plain middle-aged women dressed in shawls walk briskly down the street.
  
  > get the cobble
  The cobbles don't look worth meddling with.
  
  An old woman emerges from one of the cottages and shuffles off to the north.
  
  > examine Inn
  The tavern is a large two-story building, rather better constructed than the cottages opposite. The sign hanging over its entrance
  clearly marks the inn as the Red Dragon.
  
  > Go west
  The main room of the tavern seems cosy enough, and cleaner than quite
  a few you've seen. There are several tables and chairs scattered about, while the bar counter runs close to the west wall, in front of
  a door marked "Private". The way out is to the east and a flight
  of
  stairs leads up to the floor above.
  
  On the bar counter is a jug of red wine.
  
  A blonde woman is deep in conversation with a buxom redhead who is standing behind the bar.
  
  A group of fishermen are sitting eating and drinking in the corner.
  
  The two women at the bar appear to be exchanging gossip. The buxom redhead says something about a hidden sword, but you wonder if it's some kind of double entendre.
  
  > look at blond
  (x blonde)
  (You can use the TYPO command to disable the typo-correction feature.)
  
  She's perhaps about thirty years old, with a round face that's
  starting to lose its youthful prettiness, and curly blonde hair worn quite short – only down to her chin.
  
  The buxom redhead whispers something that makes a blonde woman laugh.
  
  > examine blonde
  She's perhaps about thirty years old, with a round face that's
  starting to lose its youthful prettiness, and curly blonde hair worn quite short – only down to her chin.
  
  The conversation in the corner becomes momentarily louder as the fishermen get into an argument.
  
  The two women carry on gossiping together.
  
  > talk to Sally
  "Excuse me, would you be Sally Penhaligon by any chance?" you ask.
  
  "That's right," she replies. "Why?"
  
  (You could tell her about Inalda, or yourself, or ask her about her shop, or the castle.)
  
  > tell her about Inalda
  "You have a customer waiting outside your shop – Lady Inalda. She asked me to let you know," you tell her.
  
  "Lady Inalda! Goodness!" she declares. "Well, I'd better not
  keep
  her ladyship waiting, had I?"
  
  Turning to the buxom redhead she says, "'Bye then, I'll see you
  later." Sally Penhaligon leaves to the east.
  
  > ask redhead about the sword
  "Hello, there," you say.
  
  "Hello, stranger!" she replies with a grin.
  
  "What was that you were saying to Sally Penhaligon about a hidden sword?" you ask.
  
  "Oh nothing, just an old legend," she replies dismissively. You
  sense
  she is none too pleased that you were eavesdropping on her conversation.
  
  > Continue
  You've already gathered that she's not that anxious to talk about
  it.
  
  > ask her about Sally
  "Do you know Sally Penhaligon well?" you ask.
  
  "Oh yes, we grew up together, and we're firm friends," she
  replies.
  
  > keep going
  She's already told you that Sally Penhaligon and she grew up together and are firm friends.
  
  > ask her about her
  "I'm afraid I don't know your name," you say.
  
  "It's Betty, love – just plain Betty." she tells you.
  "Although maybe
  you don't find me too plain," she adds hopefully.
  
  Two of the fishermen stand up and leave.
  
  > examine Betty
  She strikes you as being the sort of woman for whom the adjective "buxom" was invented. Her rosy face is framed with a mass of long
  red
  curls.
  
  > ask her about yourself
  In reply, Betty merely shrugs.
  
  > ask Betty about snogging
  "Betty, can you tell me about..." you begin.
  
  "Hang on a minute, love," she interrupts you, "I think one of
  those
  fishermen wants something."
  
  > ask her about Meg
  "What do you know about Meg – the one they call mad Meg?" you
  ask.
  
  "I haven't come across her much," she replies. "She never
  comes into
  town and I spend most of my time in here. I've heard what people say about her – but that's just gossip."
  
  > ask Betty about Julia
  "What do you think of the Trelawneys?" you ask.
  
  "I've always got on with them very well," she replies.
  
  > ask Betty about Inalda
  "What do you make of Lady Inalda?" you ask.
  
  "She's all right," she replies. "Some people think she's a
  bit snooty
  because she's the Duke's cousin and lives up in the castle, but
  it's
  her cousin that's the snooty one, not her. Why, do you fancy her?"
  
  > No
  "No, I was just curious, that's all," you reply, trying not to
  blush.
  
  "When a handsome young man expresses 'curiosity' about an
  exceptionally beautiful young lady –" she remarks. "Well,
  'faint
  heart never won fair lady' is what I say."
  
  > ask her for the wine
  "What's in that jug?" you ask.
  
  "Just some elderberry wine," she tells you. "We have to do with
  what
  we can make here."
  
  > ask her about Pascoe
  "What do you know about the Pascoes?" you ask her.
  
  "They lost their farm to the blight." she tells you. "It was a terrible blow to them, and to the whole island; but the Trelawneys
  have been very good to them."
  
  One of the fishermen proposes a toast and the rest join in.
  
  > ask her about the room
  "Do you have any rooms?" you ask.
  
  "Certainly, love," she replies. "Just let me see your money, and
  I'll
  give you the key."
  
  > Topics
  You could ask her about herself, the castle, Duke William, or Meg.
  
  > ask her about her
  "Have you lived on this island all your life, Betty?" you ask her.
  
  "That's right, I was born here," she tells you, "as were my
  parents,
  and their parents, and... well, however far back it goes."
  
  There's a momentary lull in the fishermen's conversation. Then
  they
  all start talking at once.
  
  > ask her about her
  "Do you own the Red Dragon?" you inquire.
  
  "Me? Own the Red Dragon?" she laughs. "Goodness no, I ain't
  grand
  enough for that, love; I just work here. It's the Trelawneys that
  own
  the place."
  
  The fishermen burst into laughter at some arcane fishermen's joke.
  
  > show the coin to Betty
  "I'd like a room, please; will this do?" you ask, handing her the
  coin.
  
  "It'll do nicely, love," she replies, taking the coin and turning
  it
  over carefully in her palm. "That'll buy you full board and
  lodging
  for a week – anything you want by way of food and drink, just ask.
  If
  you want your bed warming for you, that'll cost extra," she adds
  with
  a wink. Reaching behind the bar she takes out a key and hands it to you, "Here you are, love; Room 2 – you'll find it just
  upstairs."
  
  There's a sudden crescendo in the conversation from the corner.
  
  > Wink
  The word "wink" is not necessary in this story.
  
  > tell her she's beautiful
  Betty does not respond.
  
  A pretty young woman pops her head in through the door to glance over at the group of men in the corner. Apparently not finding whoever she was looking for she goes away again.
  
  > ask her about William
  "What do you think of the Duke, Betty – or shouldn't I ask?"
  you
  enquire.
  
  "Ask if you like," she shrugs. "At least he leaves me alone. To
  tell
  the truth, I don't really know what he's for. I know
  I'm
  only a simple barmaid who's not meant to understand these things, but there's what – a couple of hundred of us on the island – and
  there's
  this bloke up in his great big castle calling himself a duke and telling us all what we can and can't do."
  
  > ask her about the revolution
  "Betty, perhaps you can help me," you start to ask, "I was just wondering about..."
  
  "Sorry, I just remembered something I had to do," she interrupts.
  She
  darts into the back room and comes back a few moments later. "Sorry, you were saying..."
  
  > ask her about Duke
  "Doesn't someone have to keep order?" you ask. "Isn't that
  what the
  Duke's for?"
  
  "I'm sure that's just what he'd say," she concurs, "but
  there ain't
  that much happening here that needs ordering, and I daresay what there is we could manage to order ourselves without the help of some high-and-mighty duke. Still, I'm only a barmaid, so don't pay any attention to what I say."
  
  > ask her about Meg
  "What do people say about Meg?" you want to know.
  
  "Well," she hesitates, "there are some who say she's a witch,
  but I've
  never heard anyone say she's ever actually harmed anyone, except old Jenny Pascoe and her son Cad, that is."
  
  (You could ask her what Jenny Pascoe says Meg did.)
  
  > ask her why she is so self-deprecating
  "Can you tell me anything about...?" you begin.
  
  "Whoops! I nearly dropped that glass!" she interrupts.
  
  One of men in the corner tries to catch Betty's eye.
  
  > ask her what Jenny Pascoe says meg did
  You ask your question. In reply she says, "It would take too long to answer that now, love – maybe some other time."
  
  > ask her about Meg
  She's already told you that she's hardly ever come across Meg since their paths virtually never cross, so all she can do is to repeat hearsay. That hearsay includes some accusations of witchcraft, but only Jenny Pascoe and her son Cad have ever said that Meg has actually ever harmed anyone.
  
  The fishermen listen intently as one of them tells a funny story.
  
  > ask her about Jenny
  She's already told you that the Pascoes lost their farm to the
  blight,
  but that the Trelawneys had been very good to them.
  
  > ask her about Cad
  "Do you know Cadan Pascoe?" you ask.
  
  "I know most people around here, love," she replies, "but young
  Cad,
  now – well there's a hard case: he drinks too much, and his temper
  gets even worse when he's drunk – it's bad enough when he's
  sober if
  you ask me."
  
  > Topics
  You could ask her about herself, the castle, or Duke William.
  
  > ask Betty about Betty
  "Do you enjoy your work?" you ask.
  
  "Yes, I do – I get to meet all sorts of interesting people," she replies, giving you a sly look, "and there's always the chance of earning a bit on the side – in such a comfy way, too!"
  
  > drink the wine
  (first taking the jug of red wine)
  "Here, let me pour you a glass," Betty offers. She takes a glass
  from
  behind the bar, fills it with the wine and offers it to you. It
  tastes even sweeter than it looks, but it's not unpleasant, so you
  soon drink it all. When you hand the glass back to Betty she puts it back behind the bar.
  
  > ask Betty about William
  "Do I take it that you're not all that impressed by Duke
  William?" you
  enquire.
  
  "The only thing that impresses me about him is his conviction of self-importance," she shrugs. "According to my grandpa our noble Duke's ancestors were just a bunch of plundering mercenaries who came here from France by mistake. My grandpa says they were meant to be following the real Duke William to somewhere called 'Hastings', but
  got lost and fetched up here instead. They then built themselves that castle and bossed everyone around because they had the soldiers. So, it seems to me that 'duke' is just another name for 'plunderer'
  – but
  then I'm only a simple barmaid."
  
  > ask Betty about William
  You decide to pursue this topic no further in case her sentiments become any more Jacobin; after all Britain has been at war for years now with a country that takes that kind of attitude to its
  aristocracy. In any case she's made her views pretty plain: she regards the Duke as barely legitimate and even less useful.
  
  > ask Betty about the castle
  "Where is the castle?" you ask.
  
  "Just to the north of town, up the hill to the west," she replies.
  
  > ask Betty about the castle
  She's already told you that the castle is just to the north of town,
  up the hill to the west.
  
  > ask Betty about Betty
  "What did you do before working here, Betty?" you ask.
  
  "Nursed my mother when she was ill," she tells you. "That must
  have
  been – oh, more than ten years ago, anyway. She died, you see; I was only sixteen then. My father had already drowned in a fishing accident, so we were as poor as dungeon rats. This was a really good opening for me – a roof over my head, regular meals, and the work really ain't that bad."
  
  > ask Betty about Betty
  You can't think of anything else to ask her about herself right now. She's already told you that she was born on the island, as were her ancestors as far back as she knows. She lost her father to a fishing accident and her mother to illness at least ten years ago, and was probably left destitute, but working in the Red Dragon gives her a
  roof over her head and regular meals, and she seems happy enough with that.
  
  > ask Betty about Inn
  "Why is this inn called the Red Dragon?" you ask.
  
  "I've no idea," she tells you. "It's always been called
  that."
  
  > ask Betty about the snuggles
  "Betty, can you tell me about..." you begin.
  
  "Hang on a minute, love," she interrupts you, "I think one of
  those
  fishermen wants something."
  
  > ask about the blight
  "What can you tell me about the blight?" you ask.
  
  "No more than anyone else can – probably less," she shrugs.
  "It's
  killed the Pascoes' farm and turned it into a barren waste, and now we're all short of food."
  
  > ask her about the farm
  "What are your views on farming, Betty?" you ask her.
  
  "Maybe I'll tell you when it's quieter in here," she replies,
  glancing
  across at the fishermen in the corner.
  
  > ask her about the Room
  She's already given you a room key.
  
  > examine the key
  It's just a plain brass key with the number 2 stamped on it.