text: [Themes: Fantasy, witch, magic]
  
  > Go downwards
  Looking around at the disaster, you throw your hands up in defeat. There's no way you'll be able to fix the room. With a sigh, you turn to leave and face the consequences. Maybe you can join the circus...
  
  "What are you doing?!" Arthur asks.
  
  "You know I'm the worst witch in the class. Magic just... doesn't work out for me. I'm going to go tell Enchantress Igmenta what happened."
  
  "Don't be ridiculous. I know you have it in you to fix this!" Maybe Arthur is right. You close the door.
  
  > look at the hazel
  Small, dried yellow flowers.
  
  > examine the mugwort
  Dried purple stalks.
  
  > examine wolfsbane
  Dried bell-shaped purple flowers.
  
  > look at books
  You see Charming, Double, Double, A Witch's
  Guide to the Heavens, and A Treatise on Alchemy.
  
  > examine pages
  You see a spellbook page, a potions book page, an astrology book page, and an alchemy book page.
  
  > put the astrology page in the guide
  Heavens and are relieved to see that the jagged edges match
  exactly. In a moment, however, your relief fades as you realize that you still can't read the book! In addition to that, the astrology book page threatens to fall out of A Witch's Guide to the Heavens
  every time you move it. There must be a way to make them stick together...
  
  > look at the potions
  You see a sticky mess, a potions book page, and a potions cabinet.
  
  > examine the mess
  The spilled potions have mixed to form a stinking, sickening, sticky mess punctuated with shards of glass. You need to find a way to separate the potions and fix the bottles.
  
  > put the astrology page in the mess
  (first taking the astrology book page)
  
  You dip the page into the sticky mess. Goop now clings to one edge.
  
  > put the astrology page in the guide
  As you place the astrology book page into A Witch's Guide to the Heavens, being careful to line up the jagged edges, the words in
  the page seem to morph and shift until the book is perfectly readable again.
  
  > read the guide
  Looking up its index in A Witch's Guide to the Heavens, you
  see:
  
  You can CONSULT it ABOUT the following topics of interest: its introduction, its index, moon phases, star signs, crystal balls, werewolves.
  
  > consult the guide about the crystal balls
  Looking up crystal balls in A Witch's Guide to the Heavens,
  you see:
  
  At one time, the only way to access the mysteries of the aether
  that are now revealed by the crystal ball was by distilling starlight and drinking the glowing liquid that resulted. A witch who was careless of the dosage could find herself staring into the void for days or even weeks. In 1248, the practice was forbidden to novices after one unfortunate young witch went into a trance that lasted almost fifteen years! Luckily, the 1557 discovery of aether made the practice of looking into the starry void safe for all with even a shred of magical ability, though it lasted only as long as it could be levitated, as aether passes through containers even wind cannot escape. During the 1601 Paris Conference of Sorcery, a mass of aether was held before a group of diviners for almost a week before the enchantress keeping it afloat collapsed of exhaustion. It wasn't until the World Alchemical Exhibition of 1690 that Xylli Zzyllious (best known for the invention of the Xyzzy charm) proudly displayed a new kind of magically reinforced glass--soon to be known as dragonglass--that was capable of holding aether. It wasn't long after that that the crystal ball became a standard feature of the witch's arsenal.
  
  > Xyzzy
  You take a deep breath and prepare to cast Xyzzy.
  
  "What are you doing?!" Arthur demands, interrupting your incantation, "Casting spells all willy-nilly is how you got into this mess!"
  (Try CASTing the spell AT something instead.)
  
  > Spells
  You have learned 1 out of 12 possible spells:
  
  Ventus: A spell which produces wind.
  
  (Cast a spell with CAST spell AT something.)
  
  Arthur sniffs at a patch of floor.
  
  > look at the pages
  You see a spellbook page, a potions book page, and an alchemy book page.
  
  > put the spellbook page in the mess
  You dip the page into the sticky mess. Goop now clings to one edge.
  
  > put it in charming
  As you place the spellbook page into Charming, being careful
  to line up the jagged edges, the words in the page seem to morph and shift until the book is perfectly readable again.
  
  > put alchemy page in the mess
  (first taking the alchemy book page)
  
  You dip the page into the sticky mess. Goop now clings to one edge.
  
  > put it in Treatise
  Alchemy, being careful to line up the jagged edges, the words in
  the page seem to morph and shift until the book is perfectly readable again.
  
  > Examine page
  You won't understand it until you've put it back in the book.
  
  Arthur grooms himself.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  a pair of opal eyes
  an old wooden spoon
  a potions book page
  
  > put it in double
  As you place the potions book page into Double, Double, being
  careful to line up the jagged edges, the words in the page seem to morph and shift until the book is perfectly readable again.
  
  > look at the Charming
  A small but heavy tome, it's rumoured that the Library's
  teaching copy of Charming once had a distinct bright red
  cover. After 5 successive generations of witches learning with it, though, it's hard to tell which of the many colours it's splotched with is endemic to the book--if any.
  
  Arthur bats at a shadow on the wall.
  
  > look up Ventus in Charming
  Looking up Ventus in Charming, you see:
  
  A spell for conjuring wind.
  
  In your experience, it produces either a tempest or a sigh, with nothing in between. Tonight's disaster is the production of the first.
  
  > look up xyzzy in the charming
  You don't have time to look up every topic that comes to mind.
  
  Arthur stretches luxuriously.
  
  > examine double
  An enormous three-ringed binder crammed with recipes. Both the binder and the borders of the recipes are coloured in lurid checkers.
  
  > read double
  Looking up its index in Double, Double, you see:
  
  You can CONSULT it ABOUT the following topics of interest: its introduction, its index, animated clay, evening glories, sage, lavender, mugwort, witch hazel, nightshade, elixir-of-life, recipe substitutions, mortal draught, philtre d'amour, flu tonic, dream powder, hair detangling potion, tokens, magical purification, cauldrons, wolfsbane.
  
  Arthur grooms himself.
  
  > consult double about the cauldrons
  Looking up cauldrons in Double, Double, you see:
  
  The standard copper cauldron is the first piece of potion-making equipment a witch should buy when setting up her workbench. Almost every recipe in this book calls for this versatile piece of equipment, although a few use cauldrons of different materials or sizes. The importance of a good cauldron cannot be overstated, as anyone who has tried to use a cooking pot in its stead can attest.
  
  Below, in spiky red handwriting:
  
  Poppycock! I find that a sturdy saucepan is just as good
  as a cauldron in a pinch.
  
  > consult double about the clay
  Looking up animated clay in Double, Double, you see:
  
  controversy because the witch who first made it was the infamous Morgana le Fey, who used it to make bloody idols. The recipe below was adapted by Phoebe Merlin two centuries after le Fey's defeat by Merlin's grandfather. The substitution of nightshade with evening glories, removal of the summoning candle in favour of Firelight and sage, and discarding of the mortal draught make it perfectly
  benign.
  
  Ingredients: evening glories (originally nightshade), earth, sage, elixir-of-life (originally mortal draught), breath-of-life (originally corpse's sigh)
  
  Instructions: Crush evening glories and combine with earth in a
  smooth paste. Combine paste with elixir in a copper cauldron. While burning sage with Firelight (originally simply burning a summoning candle), stir mixture first counter-clockwise 4 times, then clockwise 2 times. Repeat this sequence until it begins to rise. Then you can SHAPE the clay INTO the form you desire. Suffuse it with a breath-of-life to complete the process. At this stage the clay may be fired without danger of losing its magic.
  
  > read Treatise
  Looking up its index in A Treatise on Alchemy, you see:
  
  You can CONSULT it ABOUT the following topics of interest: its introduction, its index, the elements, dragonglass, the sacred equation, common glass.
  
  > consult Treatise about the introduction
  Looking up its introduction in A Treatise on Alchemy, you
  see:
  
  An ancient science, many without Talent attempted to divine its secrets but were unsuccessful. Within these pages are tales of the successes of enterprising witches and wizards who could do what would be impossible without magic.
  
  Alchemy is the science--some say, art--of altering the elemental makeup of substances to transform them into other substances. Most of these transformations are impossible without Talent, though modern physicists have had some successes with basic alchemy on the molecular level. This book is meant to serve as a theoretical introduction to the practice of alchemy, beginning with the sacred equation. For more detailed information on alchemical formulae, the author invites you to consult one of her other books on the subject:
  
  (in a childish scrawl) Alchemy for Nitwits
  
  > consult Treatise about the elements
  Looking up the elements in A Treatise on Alchemy, you see:
  
  Most theorists agree that--magically speaking--it is impossible to break anything down further than into the elements fire, water, earth, wind, static, and aether. Aether is unique in that at this time, no incantation has been written that can summon it. Instead it must be produced through high alchemy. Some philosophers argue that aether has no place as one of the elements, as it can be produced by combining some of the other five. Other philosophers, citing the fact that it has thus far proved impossible to break aether into other elements, posit that aether is the only true element, on which all other elements are based. Their position is based on the argument that fire, earth, water, static, and wind are all composed of aether and an impurity, so that once elements are introduced to each other that naturally destroy each others' impurities, only aether remains. No attempt to separate one of the golden five elements into aether and another substance has yet succeeded, however.
  
  > consult Treatise about the dragonglass
  Looking up dragonglass in A Treatise on Alchemy, you see:
  
  A truly impermeable glass that is also as strong as steel,
  dragonglass is produced through infusing common glass with animated lightning. Dragonglass was first created as a means of holding aether for scrying. Early experiments involved creating a sphere of dragonglass through traditional glassblowing techniques with the addition of animated lightning before levitating aether into the sphere; it was difficult, however, to create a sphere of the correct size to hold the aether. The modern method is to bind aether to liquid dragonglass in a cauldron; the aether and dragonglass naturally form a sphere when magically bound.
  
  > consult Treatise about the sacred equation
  Looking up the sacred equation in A Treatise on Alchemy, you
  see:
  
  of the middle ages called the sacred equation. They battled for hundreds of years to discover it, not knowing that they didn't have a chance without Talent.
  
  > consult Treatise about the common glass
  Looking up common glass in A Treatise on Alchemy, you see:
  
  Common glass can be produced by heating sand until melted.
  
  > consult double about the index
  Looking up its index in Double, Double, you see:
  
  You can CONSULT it ABOUT the following topics of interest: its introduction, its index, animated clay, evening glories, sage, lavender, mugwort, witch hazel, nightshade, elixir-of-life, recipe substitutions, mortal draught, philtre d'amour, flu tonic, dream powder, hair detangling potion, tokens, magical purification, cauldrons, wolfsbane.
  
  > consult double about the introduction
  Looking up its introduction in Double, Double, you see:
  
  Tinctures, tonics, powders, potions, creams and ointments, poisons
  and remedies: Recipes for all manner of arcane mixtures can be found within these pages.
  
  Do your love potions cause nausea? Could your poisons be used as condiments without causing nausea? Are you tired of your
  tinctures being mocked for their ineffectiveness, or do you just want to improve yourself?
  
  Most witches rely on recipes passed to them by their friends and relatives. Sometimes a gem is found that way, but all too often has one of the many people along the chain introduced a variation that makes the recipe less effective or even adds a "quirky" side-effect. Double, Double intends to fix that. Using recipes gathered
  from witches around the globe, variations of each potion were tested rigorously by our in-house sorcerers and sorceresses until the most effective and most efficient production was found. No more side effects! No more ineffectiveness! No more unnecessary steps or ingredients! In addition, we have provided a handy guide to common potion ingredients that will be invaluable for altering these recipes or even designing new potions entirely. This really is the only potions book you'll ever need. Go to Double, Double, and all
  your worst potions mishaps are no more.
  
  Despite the promises of the introduction, a quick glance through the book shows many, many annotations, corrections, insertions, and deletions suggesting that the witches of your coven, at least, are less than convinced of the recipes' perfection.
  
  > consult double about the tokens
  Looking up tokens in Double, Double, you see:
  
  A token is a piece of something or someone which is very closely associated with that object. A token of a person could be a part of their body like their hair or it could be a treasured item of theirs like a special piece of jewelry. Tokens are used to bind spells and potions to their subjects.
  
  > examine spellbook
  Which do you mean, Charming, Double, Double, A
  Witch's Guide to the Heavens, or A Treatise on Alchemy?
  
  > look at the Charming
  A small but heavy tome, it's rumoured that the Library's
  teaching copy of Charming once had a distinct bright red
  cover. After 5 successive generations of witches learning with it, though, it's hard to tell which of the many colours it's splotched with is endemic to the book--if any.
  
  Arthur sniffs at a patch of floor.
  
  > consult charming about the index
  Looking up its index in Charming, you see:
  
  You can CONSULT it ABOUT the following topics of interest: its introduction, its index, a spell for conjuring water, a spell for conjuring fire, a spell for conjuring earth, Ventus, a spell for conjuring static, a spell for enlarging, a spell for diminishing, a spell for binding, a spell for unbinding, a spell for levitating, breath-of-life, living flame, animated lightning, witchwater, terre vivant, witches' candles, celestial lights, magical education, protecting spellbooks, blood magic, love spells, spell balance, spell diagrams, gibberish spells.
  
  > consult charming about the magical education
  Looking up magical education in Charming, you see:
  
  Magical education has a widely varied history. Before 1700, little
  is known of it, as very few texts survive from that day, due in part, no doubt, to various rashes of witch hunts. After 1700, it's more clear what methods were used. Between 1700 and 1800, most education was done by parents or, if there was a sufficiently diverse community, by groups of unrelated witches. The latter method was preferred where possible, as it allowed novices to learn disciplines besides their parents'. Regardless of which method was employed, however, students often suffered from large gaps in knowledge, and standards between communities varied widely. In 1800, Alina Crabtree changed all that. She saw the issues with the educational methods of her day and thought that they could be ameliorated by one, golden standard. In her quest to determine what needed to be taught and when, she traveled around Europe interviewing families and communities on their practices. After 10 long years of accumulating data and writing her spellbook (at the time titled Spells for Students of Magick), Alina distributed
  the curriculum she had devised, along with copies of the book, amongst a number of communities. This curriculum also included the original version of the coming-of-age test--the first standardized test of magic--that most young witches today must pass before they can enter secondary training. She then proceeded to conduct interviews over the course of the next 20 years, honing and rehoning her suggested teaching method. Over those 20 years 12 editions of the book now known as Charming were born. Alina's work and relentless dedication
  laid the foundation for curricula in almost every magical school in Europe.
  
  > consult charming about the binding
  Looking up a spell for binding in Charming, you see:
  
  A spell for binding things, the counter spell to Renodo.
  
  Once you accidentally stuck all of the pages of a book together and had to spend three hours getting them unstuck when the counter spell didn't work properly either.
  
  Arthur sniffs at a patch of floor.
  
  > Cast the ligo at the rubble
  The rubble comes together in the shape of the Goddess statue for a moment, then falls to pieces again. Evidently, you won't be able to bind it back together.
  
  > Spells
  You have learned 3 out of 12 possible spells:
  
  Ventus: A spell which produces wind.
  
  Ligo: A spell which binds.
  
  Renodo: A spell which unbinds.
  
  (Cast a spell with CAST spell AT something.)
  
  Arthur sniffs at a patch of floor.
  
  > consult charming about the water
  Looking up a spell for conjuring water in Charming, you see:
  
  A spell for conjuring water.
  
  "You're not going to try that spell again, are you?" asks Arthur in concern.
  
  > ask Arthur about the aqua
  "Do you even care about finishing before Enchantress Igmenta sees the room like this?" Arthur asks, sounding annoyed.
  
  "Of course I do!" you protest.
  
  "Then start fixing things instead of blathering on about random topics!"
  
  > consult charming about the fire
  Looking up a spell for conjuring fire in Charming, you see:
  
  A spell for conjuring fire.
  
  Usually people flee from you in terror when you attempt this spell.
  
  > consult charming about air
  Looking up Ventus in Charming, you see:
  
  A spell for conjuring wind.
  
  > consult charming about the earth
  Looking up a spell for conjuring earth in Charming, you see:
  
  A spell for conjuring earth.
  
  You distinctly remember having to claw your way out of a mountain of dirt the last time you attempted it, trying to plant a daisy.
  
  Arthur bats at a shadow on the wall.
  
  > consult charming about the index
  Looking up its index in Charming, you see:
  
  You can CONSULT it ABOUT the following topics of interest: its introduction, its index, Agua, Igni, Terra, Ventus, a spell for conjuring static, a spell for enlarging, a spell for diminishing, Ligo, Renodo, a spell for levitating, breath-of-life, living flame, animated lightning, witchwater, terre vivant, witches' candles, celestial lights, magical education, protecting spellbooks, blood magic, love spells, spell balance, spell diagrams, gibberish spells.
  
  Arthur bats at a shadow on the wall.
  
  > consult charming about the static
  Looking up a spell for conjuring static in Charming, you see:
  
  A spell for producing static.
  
  Once you accidentally cast this on yourself, and your mother had to use copious amounts of hair detangling potion just to get your hair to stop writhing like a mass of snakes--to say nothing of the
  frizzing. In addition to that embarrassment, for weeks
  afterward you couldn't touch a light switch without downing the power to the whole street.
  
  > consult charming about enlarging
  Looking up a spell for enlarging in Charming, you see:
  
  A spell for enlarging objects, the counter spell to Minui.
  
  Once you tried it on Arthur, but all it did was make his fur stand on end. At least he looked bigger.
  
  > Cast the Minui on the rubble
  The rubble turns to sand!
  In the sand, you notice something glinting.
  
  > examine glinting
  Two tiny silver hands joined together at the ends of their arms. The left hand is slightly longer than the right, and both hands point with their index fingers.
  
  > take the hands
  Taken.
  
  > enter the altar door
  Arthur slinks after you.
  
  A tiny circular room, almost a closet, that is used for astrology and meditation. The ceiling and walls are painted dark blue with gold stars mapped into intricate constellations, giving the sensation that you have been swallowed by the night sky. The door back to the Pentacle Chamber stands ajar in the western wall. In the center of the room is a bare wooden pedestal.
  
  A slender spiraling silver staircase winds up toward the domed ceiling.
  
  Encompassing the room is a faint chalk circle drawn on the floor.
  
  You can also see Arthur here.
  
  Arthur grooms himself.
  
  > look at the circle
  (the conjuring circle)
  The chalk circle is faded, but its power is not. With it, the entire Altar is essentially one big conjuring circle.
  
  > examine the ceiling
  (the domed ceiling)
  Past the small platform you can see the dark blue ceiling. You know there's a window onto the night sky, but you can't distinguish it from down here.
  
  > Go upwards
  Arthur slinks after you.
  
  No more than a tiny platform near the altar ceiling, the astrology tower is used for astronomical observations; many spells and potions require a certain alignment of stars or phase of the moon to work correctly.
  
  A slender spiraling silver staircase winds down toward the altar.
  
  In one corner is an astrological clock, miraculously unharmed.
  
  A telescope sits in one corner, facing the night sky.
  
  You can also see Arthur here.
  
  > look at the clock
  (the astrological clock)
  The astrological clock is dark blue with silver constellations. Its glass front displays two long chimes, and its face is adorned with astrological symbols in the place of numbers.
  
  Behind the clock face is a hidden alcove where the candles are kept. The trouble is, you seem to have forgotten how to open it.
  
  It doesn't seem to have any hands.
  
  Arthur stretches luxuriously.
  
  > look at the telescope
  An ancient brass telescope that nevertheless produces a much clearer vision than those of non-witches.
  
  Arthur bats at a shadow on the wall.
  
  > look in telescope
  You look through the telescope at the night sky and are faced with a dizzying array of stars. The moon is shaped into a perfect semicircle.
  
  > put the hands on the clock
  (the astrological clock)
  The silver hands click into the hole in the clock face, fitting perfectly.
  
  Arthur lazily licks a forepaw.
  
  > look at the clock
  (the astrological clock)
  The astrological clock is dark blue with silver constellations. Its glass front displays two long chimes, and its face is adorned with astrological symbols in the place of numbers.
  
  Behind the clock face is a hidden alcove where the candles are kept.
  
  > look at the chimes
  Long golden chimes trapped behind a layer of thick glass.