text: ...""I know what I said," you tell him. "I think... I think I spoke to a dead man. It felt too real to be a vision -- it wasn't like any hallucination I've ever experienced."
  
  hallucination I've ever experienced."Justinian falls silent. He opens and closes his mouth, unable to muster a reply.
  
  and closes his mouth, unable to muster a reply.As the two of you exit the surgery room, Doctor Cavala's eyes are on you. She reaches for your hand as you walk past.
  
  your hand as you walk past."Marid," she murmurs. "If... If you're --"
  
  your hand as you walk past."Marid," she murmurs. "If... If you're --"She's interrupted by footsteps approaching the doorway. You barely have time to look before the door swings open and a man in a gray coat barges in.
  
  barges in."Justinian!" he rasps. "There you are. Just what have you been doing all morning? Do you know how much time you've cost the Court?"
  
  Court?"Doctor Justinian stiffens. "Yes, of course, Doctor Serpens," he replies. "I wasn't aware that meetings took precedence over saving the life of a friend."
  
  life of a friend."The man called Serpens narrows his eyes. "Don't get lippy with me, Justinian. This is not a 'meeting.' It's an emergency inquest from the Philosophers themselves. And mark my words, you'll have your hide strung up if you don't move your damn fool behind."
  
  have your hide strung up if you don't move your damn fool behind."Doctor Justinian sighs and looks to you. "I'm sorry, Marid. We'll see each other again."
  
  We'll see each other again."They depart. A small group of Vigiles salutes the doctors as they exit, and escorts them down the street and out of sight.
  
  out of sight.Beside you, Doctor Cavala shakes her head. "Doctor Serpens," she mumbles. "Twenty years on and still a curmudgeon."
  
  1) "Who is Doctor Serpens?"
  2) "You knew him, Doctor?"
  3) "What was that he said about an emergency inquest?"
  
  > 1
  "Who is Doctor Serpens?" you ask.
  
  "I'm surprised you haven't heard of him," she says. "He was... is... one of the foremost experts on physiology. A close rival of Doctor Arturus, back when they were both still practicing."
  
  1) "You knew him, Doctor?"
  2) "What was that he said about an emergency inquest?"
  
  > 1
  "You knew him, Doctor?"
  
  "Before your time," she says. "I apprenticed under him at the Valetudinarium. That was... twenty years ago? Before I
  enlisted..."
  
  1) "What was that he said about an emergency inquest?"
  
  > 1
  "What was that he said about an emergency inquest?"
  
  Doctor Cavala stiffens. "Right. We... we haven't told you. Much has changed in the district while you were out. Take a look outside."
  changed in the district while you were out. Take a look outside."She tilts her head at the door. You follow her gaze, and the shadows of soldiers can be seen through the glass.
  soldiers can be seen through the glass."The death toll of the affliction has climbed into the hundreds," she says. "The entire district is in a -- a panic. Word has reached the higher-ups and martial law has been declared. There are Vigiles patrols, checkpoints in the streets... and the quarantine.
  in the streets... and the quarantine."No one can leave the district until a cure has been produced by the inquest, or until everyone up and down the canal is dead."
  1) "Oh, Primes."
  2) "What did you mean by checkpoints?"
  3) "What about food and water? Or correspondence?"
  4) "So this inquest is to find a cure for the affliction?"
  5) "Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result
  of infection?"
  6) "So what do we do now?"
  
  > 1
  "Oh, Primes."
  
  Doctor Cavala nods grimly.
  
  1) "What did you mean by checkpoints?"
  2) "What about food and water? Or correspondence?"
  3) "So this inquest is to find a cure for the affliction?"
  4) "Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result
  of infection?"
  5) "So what do we do now?"
  
  > 1
  "What did you mean by checkpoints?"
  
  "The -- The Vigiles have divided the district into cells," she replies. "Do you remember the Golden Reckoning?"
  
  You rack your memory. "Now that you mention it, I remember something like that. Lots of walls and calomel curtains?"
  
  "It's the same system. Each section of the district has been partitioned off and quarantined. It's a way to forestall the spread of the disease until a cure is found."
  the disease until a cure is found.""And no one is allowed to move between these cells?"
  between these cells?""Very few can." Doctor Cavala sighs. "Doctor Justinian wasn't even supposed to be here. He's needed for the inquest, which is why Doctor Serpens made an exception for him. Magisterial fiat aside, not even I can pass through the checkpoints... and neither can you."
  
  1) "What about food and water? Or correspondence?"
  2) "So this inquest is to find a cure for the affliction?"
  3) "Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result
  of infection?"
  4) "So what do we do now?"
  
  > 1
  "What about food and water? Or correspondence?"
  
  "We can still receive packages from the rest of the city," Doctor Cavala says. "There's a crew of physickers at the tram station -- they're teleporting rations to each section of the district, to be distributed by the Vigiles. We can also pass along messages through the Vigiles network, though obviously nothing material can be sent out."
  out."She pauses.
  out."She pauses."I... I've already asked Horatio to pass along my messages. If there's anyone outside the Channelwork District you want to contact, you should do so."
  
  1) "So this inquest is to find a cure for the affliction?"
  2) "Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result
  of infection?"
  3) "So what do we do now?"
  
  > 1
  "So this inquest is to find a cure for the affliction?"
  
  "It is," Doctor Cavala replies. "A research station has been set up in Doctor Arturus's clinic. Doctor Serpens is the head of operations. I'd have recommended you, but after what happened..."
  
  1) "Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result
  of infection?"
  2) "So what do we do now?"
  
  > 1
  "Didn't we establish that the deaths were murders, not a result of infection?"
  
  She fixes you with a hard look. "Hypotheses can change, Marid. Hundreds have turned up dead. Whether this is an epidemic or a slaughter, measures have to be taken."
  
  1) "So what do we do now?"
  
  > 1
  "So what do we do now?"
  
  Doctor Cavala leans her head back. She closes her eyes, and for a terrible moment she looks like a corpse bereft of life.
  terrible moment she looks like a corpse bereft of life."I don't know," she says. "I don't know."
  she says. "I don't know."Her fingers twitch. Her voice cracks.
  she says. "I don't know."Her fingers twitch. Her voice cracks."Honestly, Marid, there's nothing we can do. There's nothing either of us can do. All we can do is wait."
  either of us can do. All we can do is wait."You feel a cold pit in your stomach.
  
  1) "Doctor? Are you all right?"
  2) "You don't have any ideas?"
  3) "I could go out there on your behalf, like last time."
  
  > 1
  "Doctor? Are you --"
  
  "Marid," she says quietly. "I know what you're thinking. You want to go out there. Make a difference. Marid, you just recovered from a case of severe hypoxia. You shouldn't even be standing right now."
  of severe hypoxia. You shouldn't even be standing right now."She chuckles bitterly, and sinks into her makeshift cot like a wretched leaden thing.
  leaden thing."You were dead, Marid," she says, very quietly. "Just moments ago, you were clinically dead on the tarp."
  
  1) "What?"
  2) "This isn't the time for jokes, Doctor."
  3) <Say nothing.>
  
  > 1
  You feel a chill down the back of your neck. "What?"
  
  "I told Justinian you were still in there." she says. "I was so scared -- I was so scared I'd watch your animus leave your body -- and I'd lose you again --"
  lose you again --"Doctor Cavala chokes up, and begins to sob.
  lose you again --"Doctor Cavala chokes up, and begins to sob."Is it worth it?" she asks. "Is it worth it to risk your life like this? To gaze into death?"
  
  1) "I'm not afraid of death..."
  2) <Hesitate.>
  
  > 1
  A fire rises up in you, a bile white and furious. The words come to mind like armaments of Truth.
  
  mind like armaments of Truth."I'm not afraid of death," you tell her. "I've seen beyond the curtain."
  
  "I've seen beyond the curtain."You look Doctor Cavala in the eye, and she returns your gaze with bated breath, with fearful wonder.
  
  she returns your gaze with bated breath, with fearful wonder."I've gone to the other side," you say. "I clawed my way back. And I fought every bit of the way -- I fought my way back to the land of
  the living, Doctor -- because I realized something.
  
  the living, Doctor -- because I realized something."I can't run any more. There's no running from this... this madness. That's why we have to face it. That's why we have to heal it. It's what we do.
  
  to face it. That's why we have to heal it. It's what we
  do."Maybe you've forgotten what the point of everything is. Maybe the stress of it all has broken you. But I haven't broken. Not yet. And I'm going to get out there, and save lives, and find the truth.
  
  I'm going to get out there, and save lives, and find the truth."It's what Father would have wanted."
  
  what Father would have wanted."You take a deep breath. You feel blood seething and pounding in your temples.
  
  seething and pounding in your temples.Doctor Cavala has fallen silent, and there are tears at the corners of her eyes.
  
  1) <Hesitate.>
  2) "I'm sorry..." <Leave her.>
  
  > 2
  In all your life, you have never come across a more terrible decision to make. Yet the more you have thought on it, the more the choice has become clear. It is the same choice you made when you applied to Doctor Cavala's clinic a lifetime ago.
  
  Doctor Cavala's clinic a lifetime ago."I'm sorry," you tell her. "This is what I have to do."
  
  is what I have to do.""Marid --"
  
  is what I have to do.""Marid --""I'll take care of myself. It'll all be fine. I promise."
  
  be fine. I promise.""Marid --"
  
  be fine. I promise.""Marid --"Doctor Cavala reaches madly for
  you as you pull away. She tries to stand and almost falls out of her cot.
  
  cot.Like a nurse subduing a patient, you push her back into her cot and draw a white blanket over her body. She stares at you with eyes like a terrified deer. You blink back tears.
  
  like a terrified deer. You blink back tears."I'll be fine," you say, "I promise. And I promise you this: no one else has to die."
  
  "I promise. And I promise you this: no one else has to die."Doctor Cavala has no words for you. She is quiet, whimpering, sobbing to herself like a child. It is almost too much for you to see her in this state.
  
  state.So you do the only thing you can do.
  
  state.So you do the only thing you can do.You turn around and place your hand on the door handle. With a final forlorn step, you leave everything behind.
  
  Via Terminalis, West End
  You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a dead end of steel spires and buildings grasping fruitlessly at the sky. In the ceaseless rain, smears of animus-light weakly glow, winking in and out of existence like so many wandering souls.
  
  The dormitory block where you live lies to the north, and a gap between buildings hides an alley entrance to the south.
  
  The way east to the Via Terminalis has been barricaded by a Vigiles checkpoint.
  
  > go to the north
  Here is the faded arch, with its years of verdigris; here are the too-small atrium and the fountain at its center. All around above are innumerable domiciles, linked by crumbling stairs and divided by flimsy plaster walls.
  
  The public house is closed tonight, and your room appears to have been cordoned off with warning tape. You can only exit the building to the south.
  
  > go to the south
  Via Terminalis, West End
  You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a dead end of steel spires and buildings grasping fruitlessly at the sky. In the ceaseless rain, smears of animus-light weakly glow, winking in and out of existence like so many wandering souls.
  
  The dormitory block where you live lies to the north, and a gap between buildings hides an alley entrance to the south.
  
  The way east to the Via Terminalis has been barricaded by a Vigiles checkpoint.
  
  Some schoolgirls walk past, not meeting your eye.
  
  > go south
  You shuffle through the gap...
  
  A thin, twisting thread that winds between buildings. Rubbish accumulates around pipes and corners, not quite blocking the smoking vents of underground distilleries.
  
  You can escape by a gap between buildings to the north or a hanging banner to the northeast.
  
  > examine the vents
  The south wall of the alley is lined with fume-spewing vents.
  
  > look at the banner
  The banner is an advertisement for a night market, now three weeks out of date. You can't see much behind it.
  
  > Go northeast
  You duck under the banner...
  
  Via Terminalis, West Street
  You drift through empty blood-vessel streets, a speck of white mingling with cobblestones ashen and black. In place of carriages and people, there are quarantine signs and body bags. The air rings with silence, and in it there is the foul creeping odor of something terrible afoot.
  
  You are trying to make out the end of the bridge in the rain, when --
  You are trying to make out the end of the bridge in the rain, when --"Marid?"
  --"Marid?"-- you freeze. A voice echoes through the mist, anxious, painfully familiar in its concern.
  painfully familiar in its concern.You look away. A young Vigile in a gas mask is pushing through the billowing rain. He's wiping raindrops from his lenses, struggling to make you out.
  from his lenses, struggling to make you out."Marid, is that you?"
  
  1) "Horatio."
  2) <Say nothing.>
  
  > 1
  "Horatio."
  
  "Marid? Oh, Primes, what's happened to you?"
  "Marid? Oh, Primes, what's happened to you?"Horatio's uniform is faded and a little ragged, and his natron-inlaid overcoat is ill-fitting. Rain pools in the crevices of his leather gloves as he takes your hand.
  hand."I thought you were with Doctor Cavala," he says. "I... She didn't..."
  
  1) "Where were you?"
  2) "I'm not with Doctor Cavala any more..."
  3) "She's just sent me on an errand..."
  
  > 2
  "I'm not with Doctor Cavala any more," you tell Horatio. "Things have changed."
  
  His eyes widen. "What?"
  
  His eyes widen. "What?""I'm investigating the epidemic, Horatio." You push his hand away. "People are dying. I can't just sit and wait in the clinic. I can't just give up on everything we've done."
  
  the clinic. I can't just give up on everything we've done.""Marid..."
  
  the clinic. I can't just give up on everything we've done.""Marid..."Horatio moves as though to embrace you, but you stop him with your hand. He dares not come closer. His dark eyes beseech you from behind gas-mask glass, as if to say: why?
  
  you from behind gas-mask glass, as if to say: why?"Marid,
  don't do this," he whispers. "You don't..."
  
  don't do this," he whispers. "You don't...""I don't what?"
  
  don't do this," he whispers. "You don't...""I don't
  what?"Horatio shakes his head. "...Marid, I was there when
  they brought you in. You were dying." Do you know --" His
  voice cracks. "Do you know how I felt, seeing you like that?
  
  voice cracks. "Do you know how I felt, seeing you like that?You think of your father's face wreathed in flame.
  
  of your father's face wreathed in flame."I know," you tell Horatio. "I know. I'm sorry. Take care of Doctor Cavala for me."
  
  know. I'm sorry. Take care of Doctor Cavala for me."You turn away from your old friend and start walking. You don't look back, for fear that you won't have the willpower to break his heart again.
  
  you won't have the willpower to break his heart again.## Via Terminalis, West Street
  You drift through empty blood-vessel streets, a speck of white mingling with cobblestones ashen and black. In place of carriages and people, there are quarantine signs and body bags. The air rings with silence, and in it there is the foul creeping odor of something terrible afoot.
  
  To the southeast, the Via Terminalis bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north, and a footpath follows the canal to the south.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are wearing an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father), your natron jacket, and your clothes. On your person are your practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, an antiseptic cloth, an endoscope, Doctor Cavala's signum, an animus lantern (providing light), yesterday's copy of the Libri Liberi, a Fourth of
  Aquaria copy of the Libri Liberi, a note with Zoiro's
  address, some drink coupons, and a ticker-tape reel.
  
  > J.
  Sixth of Aquaria, Auritum IV
  
  There's nothing left to say. I've burned my bridges. I'm sorry.
  
  Now it's time to do what I set out to do. Reden, Doctor Arturus, all of them -- I'm going to make sure they didn't die in vain.
  
  Current objectives:
  
  - Find the place from Reden's vision
  
  Marid's notes:
  
  - Reden's vision showed me a canal or sewer somewhere in the Channelworks, where he was drinking.
  
  Via Terminalis, West Street
  You drift through empty blood-vessel streets, a speck of white mingling with cobblestones ashen and black. In place of carriages and people, there are quarantine signs and body bags. The air rings with silence, and in it there is the foul creeping odor of something terrible afoot.
  
  To the southeast, the Via Terminalis bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north, and a footpath follows the canal to the south.
  
  > Go southeast
  Here your footsteps echo like a crowd among the arches and cobblestones. Endlessly does the rain dash itself against the bridge, making the Bilious Canal churn with forbidding mist and the eyes of the wayside statues run with tears.
  
  A Vigiles checkpoint blocks the path to the southeast. You can only retrace your steps northwest, or failing that, descend a clandestine stairway to the south.
  stairway to the south.As you take a moment to catch your bearings, a mysterious hooded woman climbs up the steps from the south. She takes a fleeting glance at you --
  a fleeting glance at you --She withdraws as if stung, and walks away quickly across the bridge to the northwest.
  
  > Go northwest
  Via Terminalis, West Street
  You drift through empty blood-vessel streets, a speck of white mingling with cobblestones ashen and black. In place of carriages and people, there are quarantine signs and body bags. The air rings with silence, and in it there is the foul creeping odor of something terrible afoot.
  
  To the southeast, the Via Terminalis bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north, and a footpath follows the canal to the south.
  south.You spy the hooded woman on the side of the street. As you catch up with her, she notices you and flees south along the canal.
  
  > go south
  Glittering waters roar alongside the footpath, running from north to south in an ever-restless torrent. North lies the Via Terminalis, and beyond it the mouth of the Channelworks; to the south, the path descends by steps and turns, ending in the algae and grime of Upper Riggertown.
  
  The entrance to Riggertown appears to be blocked by a Vigiles checkpoint. There will be no going south from here.
  checkpoint. There will be no going south from here.The hooded woman is climbing down through the manhole, having opened it by unknown means. As you approach, she lifts her head. Only darkness is visible beneath her hood.
  her hood.She regards you like that -- the rain and the wind tugging at the hem of her cloak -- before she disappears into the manhole and slams it firmly shut behind her.
  slams it firmly shut behind her.You rush over and pull at the manhole cover, but it's useless. However she did it, the manhole seems to be locked from the inside.
  locked from the inside.But the chase may not have been in vain after all. In her haste, the woman seems to have left an odd-looking stone behind.
  
  > examine the stone
  (the stonework key)
  An artificially carved stone fragment that reminds you of a puzzle piece or key. One of its faces is crescent-shaped and covered in moss and graffiti paint.
  
  > Go north
  Via Terminalis, West Street
  You drift through empty blood-vessel streets, a speck of white mingling with cobblestones ashen and black. In place of carriages and people, there are quarantine signs and body bags. The air rings with silence, and in it there is the foul creeping odor of something terrible afoot.
  
  To the southeast, the Via Terminalis bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north, and a footpath follows the canal to the south.
  
  > go southeast
  Here your footsteps echo like a crowd among the arches and cobblestones. Endlessly does the rain dash itself against the bridge, making the Bilious Canal churn with forbidding mist and the eyes of the wayside statues run with tears.
  
  A Vigiles checkpoint blocks the path to the southeast. You can only retrace your steps northwest, or failing that, descend a clandestine stairway to the south.
  
  Some guards lead a prisoner down the street in chains.
  
  > look at the moss
  (the moss on the east embankment)
  Grim tufts of pelagic moss; a Dark Lands weed notoriously difficult to eradicate.
  
  > examine the graffiti
  (the graffiti on the east embankment)
  Various vandalisms in aspirated paint. There are the usual signatures and faux-alchemical designs, as well as more esoteric images of the celestial and fantastical. Here, a three-headed sphinx; there, a crescent inscribed among stars.
  
  > look at the crescent
  (the crescent in the graffiti)
  Running your fingers over the graffiti, you are st