text: > Go downwards
  This is the nexus of the house with passages in many directions. The same homemade artwork lines the walls and a staircase leads up to the second floor. To the north, you can see the kitchen and to the east, the foyer. A white door is to the south and you can see a sun room through a doorway to the west.
  
  > go north
  This kitchen is truly the heart of the home. The smells of decades of home-cooking permeate from the walls. A stove, icebox, and pantry are the fixtures but there are also a cabinet and a counter. From here, you can head east to the dining room and south to the downstairs hall.
  
  You can see Arthur Peabody here.
  
  > talk to Arthur
  You say hello to Arthur Peabody.
  
  (You could ask him about himself, the first incident, the second incident, the third incident, the fourth incident, the fifth incident or the Carnival.)
  
  > ask about third
  "So, you live in the same boarding house as Andy Reynolds, the disgraced cop." you say.
  
  "That's a little harsh, don't you think?" he asks, "But as I say, unless I have a dead body to examine, I have no professional opinion
  of the matter."
  
  > ask about the self
  There is no reply.
  
  Arthur looks to the south, into the downstairs hall.
  
  > ask about Arthur
  "What's your story, mister?" you ask.
  
  "Nice to meet you. I'm Arthur Peabody. I'm one of the proprietors of the undertaking firm Jackson, Goldberg, & Peabody.
  
  > ask about fourth
  "Any thoughts on the town drunk's story of people in the cemetery?"
  you ask.
  
  "Nope."
  
  Arthur stares out the window for a moment.
  
  > ask about fifth
  "What about this recent incident? Jordan McIntyre's death?" you ask.
  
  "Well, as one of the undertakers here in town, I can tell you there
  was a murder, but there wasn't hardly any body left to undertake. Something tore that man in pieces." he says with a shudder.
  
  > ask about Carnival
  "You ever visit Swan Point Carnival?" you ask Arthur Peabody.
  
  "Hardly." is the gentleman's answer, "I am too busy to indulge in such trivialities. Plus, that place hardly looks safe."
  
  > look at the counter
  It's just a hard, wooden counter.
  
  Arthur Peabody goes south.
  
  > look at the pantry
  It matches the cabinet.
  
  > look at the cabinet
  It matches the pantry.
  
  > open the cabinet
  Don't mess with the food. You're not that hungry and you don't want
  to take other people's stuff.
  
  > Go east
  This is a homey dining room with mismatched chairs and a wide table. You can see the kitchen through a doorway to the west and the foyer is to the south. The same arts-and-crafts artwork decorate the walls. Outside the windows, you can see the dogwoods on Mother Matheson's lawn.
  
  > go south
  This is a small foyer marking the entrance to the boarding house. You can see a dining room to the north, a living room to the south, and a hall stretches to the west where it seems to terminate in a room with
  a lot of windows. In the downstairs hall is a set of stairs up to the second floor. The place seems to be decorated with original artwork and craftwork.
  
  > go east
  This is the front walk to Mother Matheson's boarding house, where you'll be staying. Her porch is to the west and the main road is to the east. Her lawn is dotted with dogwoods and covered in leaves.
  
  > look at the dogwood
  There are a good number of these trees. Their branches gives a
  shadowy canopy over the house and yard.
  
  > go east
  You make your way down the road to the carnival.
  
  Having made your way down the dusty road, you find the carnival.
  Being very late in the season, there aren't many carnival-goers from what you can tell so far. The ticket booth stands sentinel before the fairgrounds entrance to the east. A large, sweat-soaked man stands inside the ticket booth, eyeing you expectingly.
  
  > talk to the man
  You say hello to the sweaty man.
  
  The sweaty man wipes his brow with a dirty rag.
  
  (You could ask him about himself, the incidents or the carnival ticket.)
  
  > ask about him
  "You don't look too comfortable in there." you say to the man, trying to break the ice.
  
  The man just stares at you.
  
  > ask about the incidents
  "As the ticket guy here, have you seen any suspicious people lately?" you ask.
  
  "Everyone is suspicious in my eyes." he says.
  
  > ask about the ticket
  (the ticket booth)
  There is no reply.
  
  > ask about the carnival ticket
  "How does one get in the carnival?" you ask the sweaty man in the booth.
  
  "You just buy the carnival ticket." he replies.
  
  > buy the the carnival ticket
  You speak to the sweating man in the booth. He does not speak back
  but the ticket transaction still happens.
  
  The sweaty man coughs without covering his mouth.
  
  > go east
  You are at the southern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare. The entrance to the park and its accompanying ticket booth is to the west. The security shack sits to the south. To the east is a small building with a sign saying Gift Shop on its door. The thoroughfare
  continues to the north where more booths, buildings, and tents are lined up on the east side with the road to town flanking its west border.
  
  A black cat runs by, crossing your path.
  
  > go south
  (first opening the security door)
  It seems to be locked.
  
  > unlock the security door with the pick
  You clandestinely pick the lock while looking out for anyone who might see you. You feel you did it without being noticed.
  
  > go south
  (first opening the security door)
  
  This is a one-room affair of clapboard with a pot-belly stove in one corner. By the opposite wall is a desk with accompanying chair. The exit is to the north.
  
  You can see Jonathan Boom here.
  
  Seeing you in the security shack, the security guard whips out his pistol and trains it on you.
  
  "What the hell do you think you're doing in here?" he demands, but without waiting for an answer, he pistol whips you into unconsciousness.
  Darkness
  It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are carrying:
  a carnival ticket
  a jar of moonshine
  room key
  a lock pick
  a fedora (being worn)
  a set of ordinary clothes (being worn)
  a trenchcoat (being worn and open)
  a cigar lighter
  a dossier (open)
  the first incident
  the second incident
  the third incident
  the fourth incident
  the fifth incident
  a holster (being worn)
  a revolver
  
  > get lighter
  You take the cigar lighter from the trenchcoat.
  
  > Light lighter
  A small flame pops from the ligher.
  
  You switch the cigar lighter on.
  
  This is a featureless portion of the fun house, designed only to be as dark as possible. The sides are covered in thick black curtains. You can make out passages to the south and west.
  
  > Go south
  Something is wrong with this ridiculous room. It is small and cylindrical shaped and the floor is spinning counter-clockwise extremely fast. You're hard pressed to imagine any children or
  elderly people traversing this terrifying fun house. You
  might be able to cross safely; or the floor will spin you
  wherever it chooses. Passages are north and south.
  
  > go south
  The floor of this room is severely slanted. You're not sure how this is supposed to be fun. Passages lead north and south.
  
  > go to the south
  This is a featureless portion of the fun house, designed only to be as dark as possible. The sides are covered in thick black curtains. You can make out passages to the north, west, and south.
  
  > Go south
  Strangely, this entrance is unattended. The building itself is made
  of numerous trailers attached to one another. A facade dresses this
  up to be some sort of wondrous spectacle, but the management has not gone out of its way to hide any of the smoke-and-mirrors that support their flimsy illusion. Still, the entrance, to the north, is so dark as to be menacing in its own way. The carnival's main thoroughfare
  can be reached to the south and southeast.
  
  > go to the south-west
  That leads out of the park, to the road.
  
  > Go southeast
  You are on the east-west path of the carnival's main thoroughfare. To your north is the House of Mirrors. You can cut across to the north-south part of the thoroughfare by heading southwest. To the southeast is a dunk-a-clown booth.
  
  > go southeast
  You stand before a dunk-a-clown booth off the main thoroughfare.
  Before you is the edge of the booth where you can talk to the carny to buy a chance to throw a ball at a target that would dunk a poor clown sitting in a dunk tank. The clown in question is a crass looking character who stares at you with crabby eyes as he chews a wet cigar
  in his mouth. The carny ignores him, choosing to watch you instead.
  He stands by a large box of stuffed animals. The main thoroughfare is to the north, but you can cut to it by going northeast and northwest
  as well.
  
  Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Throw the ball!"
  
  > talk to the carny
  You say hello to Terrance Valdosky.
  
  Newspapers blow by like so much forgotten trash.
  
  Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Just throw the ball, piss-ass!"
  
  (You could ask him about himself, the incidents or Jonathan Boom.)
  
  > ask about himself
  The carny looks at you but shouts to the clown, "Hey, look, Randy,
  it's some retarded chump!"
  
  From his platform above the dunk tank, Randy the Clown shouts back, "Give 'em a try for free!"
  
  The carny throws a red ball at you which you catch.
  
  Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Bend over and I'll show ya a pizza party!"
  
  > look at the ball
  It's like a skinned baseball.
  
  You hear the sound of laughter from somewhere, but it is a mirthless, chilling sound.
  
  Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Do it, lady!"
  
  > About yourself
  You are a private eye; a gumshoe, as they say, and you appear as such.
  
  Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Do it, lady! Throw the ball!"
  
  > ask about the incidents
  "What do you think about the recent incidents involving the murders
  and disappearances?" you ask.
  
  "Shit's bad all over, man." is all you can get out of the carny.
  
  You see a balloon float off in the distance.
  
  Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Throw the ball!"
  
  > ask about Boom
  "Isn't Boom squirrely enough to be a suspect?" you mention.
  
  "Aren't you?" you asks in return.
  
  "Actually, no." you say.
  
  "Oh. Well, I'm not one to say. I barely know the guy."
  
  Randy the Clown shouts at you, "This guy ain't no pitcher! He's more like. . .diarrhea! Yeah!"
  
  > throw the ball
  Dropped.
  
  Randy the Clown shouts at you, "You couldn't even throw a fit!"
  
  > throw ball at Clown
  (first taking the red ball)
  You lack the nerve when it comes to the crucial moment.
  
  A black cat runs by, crossing your path.
  
  Randy the Clown shouts at you, "This shit sucks!"
  
  > look at Clown
  A true monster, you can tell as you can smell the whisky from all the way over here. His rheumy eyes stare you down. He must've terrified children and so has been relegated here, to the dunking booth.
  
  Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Let me outta this cage and I'll show you how to throw a ball!"