text: [Themes: Science Fiction, science fiction]
  
  > look at your surroundings
  Alien foliage clogs the ground between the trees that crowd around you on every side. The main trail heads straight off to the north and snakes through the trees to the south. You can't see any side trails as such, but apart from the main path, the only gap through the trees that looks passable here is the one directly to the west. It's pretty narrow, but you could just squeeze through it.
  
  Leela is standing naked in front of you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, West
  
  "You haven't told me anything about yourself," Leela complains. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
  
  (You could tell her about yourself, or ask why she wants to know.)
  
  > Go south
  Leela follows close behind you. The path twists and turns through the trees, but broadly continues south.
  
  The main north-south track runs wide and straight here. The trees are more widely spaced, so that you could easily wander among them on either side of the main track. To the south they become sparser still, indicating that the edge of the forest lies that way.
  
  Leela reaches the edge of the forest with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  "Tell me honestly," Leela says suddenly, "Do you find me attractive?"
  
  (You could say yes or no, or equivocate.)
  
  > Yes
  "Yes, I do, Leela," you tell her frankly, "In fact I think you're absolutely gorgeous!"
  
  "Why, thank you, kind sir!" she beams, "That's good, because you're not so bad yourself!"
  
  > Kiss leela
  She gives you a little kiss in return.
  
  > examine Leela
  She's a young woman of about twenty standard Earth years of age.
  She's stark naked and dripping wet, but at least she looks a lot cleaner than before. She looks far from unattractive, but you're more struck by how lean and athletic her body looks.
  
  Leela is carrying a tomato, a carrot, a lettuce, an apple, and a small wedge of cheese.
  
  > No
  "Good God, no!" you cry disdainfully, "To me you're just a common farm-girl!"
  
  "Oh, I suppose that means I'm not good enough for you!" she retorts bitterly.
  
  > equivocate
  Please select the saved position file to restore >
  Restored.
  
  The main north-south track runs wide and straight here. The trees are more widely spaced, so that you could easily wander among them on either side of the main track. To the south they become sparser still, indicating that the edge of the forest lies that way.
  
  Leela is standing naked in front of you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  "Well, I hardly know what to say," you mutter.
  
  "How about a straight yes or no?" she suggests.
  
  > go south
  "I can't follow you into the town," says Leela, "I daren't be spotted there. I'll have to wait for you here." She stands still and gives you a little wave as you walk away. Leela blocks you path, "Hey! Don't try to walk away!" she protests, "I just asked you a question - do you find me attractive?"
  
  "Hello, you're back!" Leela greets you.
  
  > Yes
  "Yes, I do, Leela," you tell her frankly, "In fact I think you're absolutely gorgeous!"
  
  "Why, thank you, kind sir!" she beams, "That's good, because you're not so bad yourself!"
  
  > Go south
  "I can't follow you into the town," says Leela, "I daren't be spotted there. I'll have to wait for you here." She stands still and gives you a little wave as you walk away.
  
  The grassy hillside slopes gently down towards the small town below, which is surrounded by farmland and bordered by a river to the west. The centre of the town lies straight down the slope to the south. Just up the slope to the north is the edge of the forest, which can also be entered to the northwest.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, West, Northwest
  
  > go to the north
  The main north-south track runs wide and straight here. The trees are more widely spaced, so that you could easily wander among them on either side of the main track. To the south they become sparser still, indicating that the edge of the forest lies that way.
  
  Leela is walking towards you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  "Hello, you're back!" Leela greets you.
  
  > give the sheet to Leela
  "I couldn't find any clothes, but I thought you might be able to make something out of this," you say, handing her the sheet.
  
  She takes the sheet and tries folding it and wrapping it round her, but each time she walks a few places, the sheet slips off again.
  
  "It's no good!" she laughs, "I can't make it stay on! But I'll keep it anyway - perhaps I can tear a hole it in and slip it over my head, or perhaps we can come up with a way to fasten it."
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > give the sheet to Leela
  Leela already has that.
  
  "Now I'm dry I could really do with something to wear," Leela remarks.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying a pair of safety pins, a white pillowcase (which contains an old brown sack (which contains a fishing rod and a small black cube)), a small iron key, a purple datatab, a drik, a tiny black bug, an ID card, a duvet, a piece of cloth, a mallet, some smelly rags, and a small silver key. You're wearing a purple belt and a white uniform. Your right pocket contains a crumpled piece of paper.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > give the pins to Leela
  "Here, I thought you could use these to pin the sheet round you somehow," you suggest, handing her the safety pins.
  
  After a couple of tries, Leela apparently works out how to operate the safety pins, then she folds the sheet and, with your help, manages to drape it round her and over one shoulder, pinning it together in a couple of places so that it stays in place. Finally she does a little twirl to demonstrate her success - and the sheet still remains in place.
  
  "There, that's better!" she beams.
  
  > look at Leela
  She's a young woman of about twenty standard Earth years of age. Now that she's cleaned up and clothed in something better than filthy rags, she looks a lot better than when you first saw her. Indeed, she's a remarkably attractive young woman, with a beautifully formed oval face framed by a cascade of long dark hair.
  
  Leela is carrying a tomato, a carrot, a lettuce, an apple, a small wedge of cheese, and a fluffy pink towel, and she's wearing a sheet.
  
  "You have really been very good to me," Leela remarks, "You hardly know me, and you're obviously someone very important, and yet you've found the time to feed me and clothe me. I'm very grateful, of course, but it's such a long time since anyone's been kind to me, and I feel - I feel more than gratitude. But what can I possibly do for a great man like you in return?"
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  (You could offer to take her offworld, or ask her for a relationship.)
  
  > Offer to take her offworld
  "I could do more for you," you point out, "I could take you with me, offworld, and find you a new home in the Empire. There doesn't seem to be much future for you here!"
  
  "Could you?" she asks, her eyes lighting up, "How?"
  
  "I have a shuttle waiting nearby - that's a kind of flying machine that can take us off this planet. Come with me and I'll show you."
  
  "All right, then; whenever you're ready to leave, I'll come with you," she declares.
  
  > ask Leela about Jeb
  "Do you know anything about a fellow called old Jeb?" you ask.
  
  "Isn't he the old fellow who lives over...?" she suggests.
  
  "Over there, just across the river," you say.
  
  "That's right," she affirms.
  
  > ask her for a the relationship
  "Leela, can you give me a relationship, please?" you ask.
  
  "I'm not sure I care to!" she replies.
  
  > ask her for a the relationship
  "Well, I find you a very attractive woman," you admit, "and it's been some time since I... and I wondered if... well, perhaps we could..."
  
  "Get better acquainted?" she suggests, "Yes, I should like that - I fancy you a lot too. Perhaps tonight we could - but in the meantime, is there anything else you want of me?'
  
  > Offer to take her offworld
  "I could do more for you," you point out, "I could take you with me, offworld, and find you a new home in the Empire. There doesn't seem to be much future for you here!"
  
  "Could you?" she asks, her eyes lighting up, "How?"
  
  "I have a shuttle waiting nearby - that's a kind of flying machine that can take us off this planet. Come with me and I'll show you."
  
  "All right, then; whenever you're ready to leave, I'll come with you," she declares.
  
  > ask her about the river
  "What can you tell me about the river"? you ask.
  
  "Not much," she replies.
  
  > go to the north
  Leela follows close behind you.
  
  Alien foliage clogs the ground between the trees that crowd around you on every side. The main trail heads straight off to the north and snakes through the trees to the south. You can't see any side trails as such, but apart from the main path, the only gap through the trees that looks passable here is the one directly to the west. It's pretty narrow, but you could just squeeze through it.
  
  Leela enters the heart of the forest with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, West
  
  > Go west
  Leela follows close behind you. You squeeze through the gap, and then blunder around in the undergrowth for a while before hitting on another path.
  
  A narrow path, rather faint to the southeast but becoming clearer to the west, bends through the trees at this point. It may also be possible to squeeze through the gap to the east.
  
  Leela walks along the narrow path with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: East, West, Southeast
  
  > Smell leela
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > Go west
  Leela follows close behind you.
  
  The trees that surround this large clearing seem to be gradually encroaching upon it, though it will be a century or two yet before they finally overwhelm it. For now, the overgrown remains of several buildings are still visible, with one solitary white stone building to the south still just about standing. The clearing continues to the north, while paths lead out to east and west.
  
  Leela enters the clearing with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  > Go east
  Leela follows close behind you. You walk a short way down to the path and arrive back in the clearing.
  
  The trees that surround this large clearing seem to be gradually encroaching upon it, though it will be a century or two yet before they finally overwhelm it. For now, the overgrown remains of several buildings are still visible, with one solitary white stone building to the south still just about standing. The clearing continues to the north, while paths lead out to east and west.
  
  Leela enters the clearing with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  > go to the east
  Leela follows close behind you. You set off down the path to the east, and continue straight on until the point where it starts to bend.
  
  A narrow path, rather faint to the southeast but becoming clearer to the west, bends through the trees at this point. It may also be possible to squeeze through the gap to the east.
  
  Leela walks along the narrow path with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: East, West, Southeast
  
  > go to the south-east
  Leela follows close behind you. You walk down the path some way until it finally peters out among more sparsely-spaced trees.
  
  Dappled light plays through the sparsely spaced trees that thin out even more towards the southeast, where the forest ends. In principle you could walk in any direction amongst these autumnal trees, but one direction looks much the same as any other, so you could all too easily get lost, except that you know that the way back to the main path is to the east, and that there's another path to the northwest.
  
  Leela walks into the thinning forest with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: East, Northwest, Southeast
  
  > go to the southeast
  "I can't follow you into the town," says Leela, "I daren't be spotted there. I'll have to wait for you here." She stands still and gives you a little wave as you walk away.
  
  The grassy hillside slopes gently down towards the small town below, which is surrounded by farmland and bordered by a river to the west. The centre of the town lies straight down the slope to the south. Just up the slope to the north is the edge of the forest, which can also be entered to the northwest.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, West, Northwest
  
  > go north
  This seems to be a meeting hall of some sort, with rows of plain wooden benches facing a crude stage at the northern end. It's unclear whether this place is intended for religious or secular purposes; quite possibly it does duty for both. The overall effect is decidedly gloomy, even though a fair amount of sunlight steals in through the unglazed windows and the open doorway to the south.
  
  Petroc is pacing up and down on the stage.
  
  Obvious exits: South
  
  > ask Petroc about the silver key
  "Excuse me," you say.
  
  "Now what?" he snaps.
  
  "I fail to see the relevance of that question," he complains.
  
  > tell Petroc about Leela
  You've exhausted that topic for now. Petroc is clearly sceptical of what Leela told you, and even of her existence.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying a white pillowcase (which contains an old brown sack (which contains a fishing rod and a small black cube)), a small iron key, a purple datatab, a drik, a tiny black bug, an ID card, a duvet, a piece of cloth, a mallet, some smelly rags, and a small silver key. You're wearing a purple belt and a white uniform. Your right pocket contains a crumpled piece of paper.
  
  > go to the south
  Petroc resumes pacing around the stage.
  
  The north side of the street is occupied by a large wooden hall. On the south side is a neat single-storey white building (directly south) next to a two-storey green house (to the southeast). The street continues eastwards but quickly peters out into a narrow farmtrack as it leaves the town, while to the west it runs back towards the town centre.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West, Southeast
  
  > Go northwest
  Dappled light plays through the sparsely spaced trees that thin out even more towards the southeast, where the forest ends. In principle you could walk in any direction amongst these autumnal trees, but one direction looks much the same as any other, so you could all too easily get lost, except that you know that the way back to the main path is to the east, and that there's another path to the northwest.
  
  Leela is walking towards you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: East, Northwest, Southeast
  
  "Hello, you're back!" Leela greets you.
  
  > show the silver key to Leela
  "This looks like it could be the key to the trapdoor!" you tell her, "Strange that it should have been left so close by!"
  
  "Try it, go on!" Leela urges you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > ask Leela about the trapdoor
  "Let's talk about something else," she suggests.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > Go northwest
  Leela follows close behind you. You wander through the trees a short way, and then manage to pick up the path.
  
  A narrow path, rather faint to the southeast but becoming clearer to the west, bends through the trees at this point. It may also be possible to squeeze through the gap to the east.
  
  Leela walks along the narrow path with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: East, West, Southeast
  
  > Go west
  Leela follows close behind you.
  
  The trees that surround this large clearing seem to be gradually encroaching upon it, though it will be a century or two yet before they finally overwhelm it. For now, the overgrown remains of several buildings are still visible, with one solitary white stone building to the south still just about standing. The clearing continues to the north, while paths lead out to east and west.
  
  Leela enters the clearing with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  > Go south
  Leela follows you inside.
  
  The single room inside the building is open to the sky and mostly full of rubble. In the one corner that remains reasonably accessible, the southwest corner, a triangular light fitting remains near what would once have been the ceiling. The doorless exit lies to the north.
  
  An old metal crate sits in the southwest corner.
  
  A battered cabinet lies half-buried under the rubble in the northeast corner of the room.
  
  Leela enters the building with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North
  
  > move the crate
  You move the metal crate aside, revealing a trapdoor beneath.
  
  Leela walks over to the trapdoor, "Oh look!" she says, "There was a hatch under that crate all the time!" She tries to open the trapdoor, but without success, "It's no good," she says, "I can't budge it! I wonder what's down there!"
  
  > unlock the trapdoor with the silver key
  Unlocked.
  
  You can smell the cheese.