text: > look around
  A plain wooden table runs under the window of this small, narrow room, with an old-fashioned safe set into the opposite wall. The only way out is via the door to the south.
  
  You can see a large blue diary here.
  
  > look at the window
  The window looks out over part of the churchyard.
  
  > examine the door
  Which do you mean, the small wooden door or the safe?
  
  > examine the wooden door
  It may be small, but it looks pretty solid, with large iron hinges and an arched shape at the top. It's currently open
  
  > close the door
  You close the small wooden door.
  
  > lock the door with the iron key
  You lock the small wooden door.
  
  > go to the west
  St Michael's has a large nave, built at a time when Victorian congregations were booming. The original wooden pews are still here, facing the chancel to the east, as is the original Victorian stained glass, all but invisible in the poor light. The way out is to the south, next to the large stone font at the rear of the church.
  
  Somewhere in the distance a dog barks. You're not sure whether it's a local stray or the advance guard of the enemy, perhaps using dogs to flush out anyone remaining in the city. After a short while the barking stops.
  
  > put the iron key in the font
  The font is closed.
  
  > open the font
  You pick up the round wooden lid and examine it.
  
  It's made of some dark wood, and looks both well-worn and solid.
  
  > put the iron key in the font
  You put the large iron key into the font.
  
  > go south
  (first putting the lid back on the font)
  
  A churchyard by moonlight is always a little spooky, but it is doubly so tonight, with the city so deserted. The gravestones are little more than looming shadows in the dark; the great bulk of St Michael's Church is just to the north, while the lych-gate to the south leads back out to Church Street.
  
  > Go south
  Church Street runs up the hill to the northeast and down to the southwest past rows of prickly bushes, while directly to the north a lych-gate leads through to St Michael's church yard.
  
  You hear the sound of a car, and see headlights approach, so you instinctively dive into the shadows. A police patrol car drives past again, hopefully not looking for you, but you don't want them to see you.
  
  > go to Supermarket
  (going to the Supermarket)
  [To continue an existing journey you can use the command CONTINUE or just C]
  (going southwest)
  
  Mandlebury Road (East)
  A large car park lies immediately to the south, while Church Street forks off to the northeast. Mandlebury Road continues to both east (past the Police Station) and west (back to the City Centre).
  
  > examine Supermarket
  The supermarket occupies the entire corner on which it stands, and was seemingly designed by an architect desperate to win the International Bland Building of the Millennium contest. Through its plate glass window you can see the front part of the shop is partially lit, perhaps as a security measure. An unmistakeable security measure is the burglar mounted just above the entrance.
  
  > look at the alarm
  It's a square, red box with "Metro Alarms" printed on it.
  
  > look through the window
  Through the window you can see the partly-lit interior of the shop, with a rack of budget CDs prominently displayed near the front.
  
  > go to Kings Arms
  (going to the Lounge Bar)
  (going south)
  
  High Street (South)
  The High Street runs north to the City Centre and continues to the south. A narrow alley runs off to the east, opposite a newsagent to the west.
  
  > take all from the counter
  matchbook: You pick up the matchbook and examine it.
  
  It's the sort of matchbook you see all over the place used to advertise the establishment that handed it out; from the front cover it's apparent that it must have come from the Grand Hotel (in Market Street). This one has no matches left in it, but inside someone has doodled:
  
  H   C
  E   K
  D   E
  TEMPTRESS
  V     C
  MILLIONAIRE
  L     M
  
  bar mat: You pick up the bar mat and examine it.
  
  The front of it bears a crude depiction of the Kings Arms, and a slogan advertising "Mottles Real Ale". On the back someone has scribbled:
  "2M -> Uzbekistan
  
  arm's deal?
  
  whats the plan?"
  
  > Search bar
  The interior of the Kings Arms matches its exterior, going for an olde worlde feel. On balance, you consider that a good thing, since even if the old-fashioned rustic look is largely a bogus marketing creation, the Lounge Bar of the Kings Arms at least feels as if it has some kind of character beyond the plastic blandness imposed by all too many soulless breweries. Besides, you really rather like the cosy feel the exposed wooden beams give to the place, and the way it divides the space into irregular nooks and crannies.
  
  The bar must have been evacuated in a hurry, since half the lights have been left on, the street exit to the east has been left wide open, and the counter left unattended.
  
  > examine the drink
  The usual selection of brandy, martini, gin, whisky, sherry and the like are on display behind the bar counter.
  
  From somewhere across the city a clock chimes the hour. Time may be starting to run out.
  
  > go to the tramp
  (going to Church Street Bus Stop)
  (going east)
  You walk back out into the street.
  
  High Street (Outside Hairdressers and Pub)
  Amongst the various buildings lining the street here you particularly notice two: the glass-fronted Ladies' Hairdresser to the east and the mock-Tudor olde worlde pub - the Kings Arms - which stands directly opposite it to the west. The High Street continues to both north and south.
  
  > give the scotch to the tramp
  You hand the bottle to the tramp saying, "Here, mate; have this!"
  
  The tramp takes the bottle from your grasp and stares at it blearily for a few moments. Then he removes the top with his teeth and takes a large swig. "Thanks, mate; that's just the ticket!" he declares.
  
  Still singing, he staggers away, probably to be picked up by the police before long.
  
  > go to her office
  (going to Her Office)
  (going northeast)
  
  This three-way road junction is well lit. Devon Road leads off to the north, Tilbury Road to the east, and Church Street to the southwest. Immediately to the south of the junction stands the High School you attended as a teenager.
  
  > unlock the door with the silver key
  You unlock the letting office door.
  
  > open the door
  You open the letting office door.
  
  > go to the east
  Her Office (in darkness)
  Too little light filters in from the outside for you to be able to see much in here apart from vague dark shapes, but you think the light switch is by the door. The way out is to the west.
  
  You've been here once or twice before; she's occasionally used your firm for legal advice. She set up in business here shortly after graduating, specializing in student lets. The business seems to have been moderately successful - at least, it's still going and she's not obviously poverty-stricken - but it's never grown, since she still works by herself after seven years at it.
  
  > turn on the light
  You switch the light switch on.
  
  Her office is almost painfully tidy. The modern pine desk standing in the middle of the floor is quite uncluttered. Behind it on the back wall is a small safe, right next to an impressive collection of certificates. The sole door is out to the west.
  
  On the modern pine desk are a blotter and a green telephone.
  
  > examine the desk
  It's of a clean, plain, modern design, large enough both to afford plenty of working space and to impart a certain status to its owner. A set of three drawers forms a pedestal down the right-hand side.
  
  On the modern pine desk are a blotter and a green telephone.
  
  > open the drawers
  You hesitate to start rifling through her desk; apart from a guilty feeling of sleazy dishonesty at behaving like a common burglar, you sense that searching her office drawers might be to cross the line from interest to infatuation; you are almost as much relieved as disappointed to find all the drawers locked.
  
  > examine the telephone
  It's a standard handset.
  
  > look at safe
  It's a standard-looking wall-safe, of the sort one might keep papers in, equipped with a combination dial.
  
  > examine the dial
  It's a large numbered dial, which can be turned to any of the digits 0 to 99.
  
  > turn the dial to 88
  Okay, you turn the dial to 88.
  
  > turn the dial to 46
  Okay, you turn the dial to 46.
  
  > turn the dial to 26
  Okay, you turn the dial to 26.
  
  > open safe
  (first trying to unlock the small safe)
  It looks like you'll need to use the dial to unlock the safe.
  
  > use the dial
  From the look of it, the way to use the dial is to turn it to any number between 0 and 99.
  
  > turn the dial to 18
  Okay, you turn the dial to 18.
  
  > turn the dial to 12
  As you turn the dial to 12 you hear a faint click.
  
  > open safe
  The safe door swings open easily. She did mean you to open it, you tell yourself, otherwise she wouldn't have sent you the key to her office and left that clue on the blotter.
  
  Inside the safe you see a small brass key and some miscellaneous papers.
  
  The green phone suddenly starts ringing.
  
  > answer the phone
  You pick up the green telephone.
  
  "Hello, I am just checking that the delivery of the merchandise was satisfactory. Central car park, as we agreed - you know what to do now?" asks a slightly accented voice.
  
  "Hello," you reply, trying to place the accent, "Who is this? I'm afraid..."
  
  "I am sorry, I must have a wrong number." the phone abruptly goes dead again.
  
  You replace the receiver, still trying to place the accent. It sounded vaguely Russian.
  
  As a clock chimes the quarter-hour you hear a dreadful scream from not far away. Your heart races momentarily until you realize it's just the yowling from a cat-fight.
  
  > take all from safe
  small brass key: You pick up the small brass key and examine it.
  
  It's the kind of small brass house key that might unlock any of a billion homes. On it is stamped "18G".
  
  miscellaneous papers: You pick up the miscellaneous papers and examine them.
  
  They appear to relate to her letting business; you look through them quickly, but without knowing what you're looking for it's hard to find anything of interest.
  
  Among these otherwise uninteresting papers you discover a printed email.
  
  > read the email
  It's a printed copy of an email, addressed to her from one edward.dawlish@freegov.org. The main body of the email reads:
  
  > So I hope you will give very serious consideration to my
  > application to represent the party at the next general
  > election.
  
  We have given your CV and letter the most serious consideration but regret to inform you that we felt unable to add your name to our short-list of candidates. As I'm sure you will appreciate this has long been a safe seat, and we thus have an unusually strong field of potential candidates, many of whom already have considerable parliamentary experience.
  
  > I have been active in many aspects of local life,
  > and I believe this makes me uniquely well suited
  > to represent this community.
  
  Your participation and achievements in the life of this city have indeed been remarkable, and we recognize that. We accordingly feel you would make an *excellent* candidate for the city council, and very much hope you will consider offering yourself as a candidate for the forthcoming local elections (we could virtually guarantee to find you a winnable ward). Any experience gained as a local councillor would also stand you in very good stead should you wish to pursue parliamentary ambitions at some later date.
  
  The email is dated about two years ago. At the bottom of it is written in large red letters: "NO!".
  
  > turn off the lights
  You switch the light switch off.
  
  It is now pitch dark in here!
  
  > leave
  Devon Road (mid)
  Devon Road continues north and south between leafy gardens and the occasional small office. In the latter category is the student letting office where she works, which stands just to the east.
  
  Out of the corner of your eye you catch a fleeting glimpse of someone walking off into the distance to the north. You're not sure if it was her or not. You're not even sure it wasn't just a trick of the light.
  
  > lock the door with the silver key
  You close the letting office door.
  
  You lock the letting office door.
  
  > go to Gladstone Terrace
  (Gladstone Terrace)
  (going south)
  
  This three-way road junction is well lit. Devon Road leads off to the north, Tilbury Road to the east, and Church Street to the southwest. Immediately to the south of the junction stands the High School you attended as a teenager.
  
  > unlock the door with brass key
  You unlock the street door.
  
  A distant clock chimes the half hour.
  
  > open the door
  You open the street door.
  
  > Go inside
  This communal hallway serves all the flats in the building. To east, west and south are the doors to flats 18A, 18B and 18C respectively, while a staircase leads up to the floor above. The street door is to the north.
  
  > close the door
  (the street door)
  You close the street door.
  
  > lock it with brass key
  You lock the street door.
  
  > Go upward
  This small landing provide access to all the flats on this floor. To north, east, west and south are respectively the doors to flats 18D, 18E, 18F and 18G. The staircase leads back down to the floor below and up to the floor above.
  
  > unlock 18the G with the brass key
  You unlock the door to flat 18G.
  
  > open 18g
  You open the door to flat 18G.
  
  > go to the south
  The hall is tiny, little more than an entrance lobby. There are rooms off to east, southeast, south and west, while her front door is to the north.
  
  You hardly notice any details at first; you are too struck by the potent mixture of excitement and guilt at having penetrated her private domain. For a moment or two you hold your breath, half-expecting her to burst out of one of the rooms to protest at your invasion, but the flat remains silent, and curiosity begins to overcome guilt.
  
  > close the door
  You close the front door.
  
  > lock it
  You lock the front door.