text: [Themes: Mystery, mystery, boat]
  
  > Go down
  Compact yet liveable, the fore stateroom has two v-berths that meet near the nose of the ship. On the port wall is an open hanging locker, and across from it is the door to the forward head, shut tightly. A small ladder to the south leads up to a door.
  The hanging locker seems to contain a safe.
  
  > Go east
  You'll have to open the east door first.
  
  You hear the door to the head unlock, then see it swing open.
  
  Ashleigh arrives from the east.
  
  > go up
  The forecastle of the boat is surprisingly comfortable despite its small size. The helm controls, including the wheel, are mounted on the fore wall, next to a chest-of-drawers which sports a lamp. Across from the chest and beside the west entrance is the galley; between the galley and the helm is a companionway to the fore stateroom. Also on the port wall, aft of the entrance, is a small bar. Across from it is a dinette bench. Windows are at each of the cardinal directions. The west entranceway is open, as is the companionway to the north.
  Sitting on the small bar is a drink tray.
  Bill is slumped in the dinette bench.
  
  Ashleigh arrives, climbing up the ladder.
  
  > examine Bill
  Bill Leveritt has been Thom's partner in their architectural firm for as long as you've known Thom. Bill's thatch of thinning gray hair and round glasses make him look older than his forty-two years. He tries to dress flamboyantly but often fails, as demonstrated today by his long-sleeved blue oxford shirt. He's extremely good at what he does, but he is very unassuming; Thom is the talker of the firm. In one hand he is holding one of his ubiquitous glasses of whiskey.
  
  Carl arrives from the west.
  
  Bill hands Ash's purse to her. "Here," he says, "you dropped this."
  
  Ashleigh turns an odd shade of red: you can't tell if she's embarassed, mad, or worried. "Thanks," she finally says.
  
  > ask Bill about the purse
  "I, uh, don't really know anything about it," Bill says.
  
  Ashleigh looks up at Carl, sensing that something's wrong. "What's up?" she asks Carl.
  
  He runs his hands distractedly through his curly hair. "Ok," he finally says. "Here's what we've got going on. Someone's sabotaged the engines, and I don't think I can fix them. I'll get on the radio and get someone here to help us. Until that happens, though, we're stuck."
  
  "Great!" Bill says. "Just great! We're stuck on Thom's rotten boat with Thom's rotten body and one of us killed him!" He downs his whiskey in one gulp as he jumps to his feet.
  
  > ask Bill about the belts
  Which bill do you mean, Bill, or Bill?
  
  > ask Ash about the belts
  Ashleigh says, "I don't know much about that."
  
  With a disgusted shake of his head, Carl moves to the radio and begins calling for help.
  
  Ashleigh, on the other hand, watches Bill for a few seconds before moving to him and slapping him for all she's worth. Bill stops completely: he has no idea how to react.
  
  "Listen here, you pompous ass," Ash hisses at him, "none of us are particularly happy right now. But you're not helping. Stop it."
  
  After a long few seconds of staring, Bill turns and pours himself another whiskey.
  
  > put the pill in whiskey
  You can't put anything into the whiskey.
  
  With a disgusted shake of his head, Carl moves to the radio and begins calling for help.
  
  Ashleigh, on the other hand, watches Bill for a few seconds before moving to him and slapping him for all she's worth. Bill stops completely: he has no idea how to react.
  
  "Listen here, you pompous ass," Ash hisses at him, "none of us are particularly happy right now. But you're not helping. Stop it."
  
  After a long few seconds of staring, Bill turns and pours himself another whiskey.
  
  > put the pill in the whiskey bottle
  You drop one of the pills into the whiskey bottle. It quickly dissolves, leaving behind virtually no trace.
  
  With a disgusted shake of his head, Carl moves to the radio and begins calling for help.
  
  Ashleigh, on the other hand, watches Bill for a few seconds before moving to him and slapping him for all she's worth. Bill stops completely: he has no idea how to react.
  
  "Listen here, you pompous ass," Ash hisses at him, "none of us are particularly happy right now. But you're not helping. Stop it."
  
  After a long few seconds of staring, Bill turns and pours himself another whiskey.
  
  > put the pill in the whiskey bottle
  You drop one of the pills into the whiskey bottle. It quickly dissolves, leaving behind virtually no trace.
  
  Bill leaves to the west.
  
  Carl turns from the radio. "Way to tell him," he says softly to Ashleigh, glancing at you as if to see if you agree. Ashleigh, however, grimaces.
  
  "I didn't mean to yell at him like that. It's just...I mean..." Her sentence trails off.
  
  Carl looks at her for almost half a minute, doubt showing on his face. Finally, "I think I'll go check the engines. Gives me something to do, anyway."
  
  > look through the south window
  You see no one through the window.
  
  Carl leaves to the west.
  
  > look through the south window
  Through the window, you see Bill.
  
  > look through the south window
  Through the window, you see Bill and Carl.
  
  > Keep going
  Through the window, you see Carl and Bill.
  
  > Continue
  Through the window, you see Carl.
  
  > take the purse
  Didn't your mother ever teach you about stealing? That's Asheligh's, not yours.
  
  Ashleigh climbs down the ladder and is gone.
  
  > examine the purse
  The closed purse is made of soft leather. Tasteful, but then, what other kind would Ashleigh carry?
  
  Bill suddenly notices Ash's purse. "Oh," he says, "Ashleigh's purse." He picks it up, sits back down, changes his mind, starts down the ladder to the fore stateroom, changes his mind again, and collapses on the dinette bench once more.
  
  > look at the purse
  The closed purse is made of soft leather. Tasteful, but then, what other kind would Ashleigh carry?
  
  Ashleigh climbs down the ladder and is gone.
  
  > take the purse
  Didn't your mother ever teach you about stealing? That's Asheligh's, not yours.
  
  Bill suddenly notices Ash's purse. "Oh," he says, "Ashleigh's purse." He picks it up, sits back down, changes his mind, starts down the ladder to the fore stateroom, changes his mind again, and collapses on the dinette bench once more.
  
  > sit on the purse
  I don't know how to sit on the purse.
  
  Bill suddenly notices Ash's purse. "Oh," he says, "Ashleigh's purse." He picks it up, sits back down, changes his mind, starts down the ladder to the fore stateroom, changes his mind again, and collapses on the dinette bench once more.
  
  > ask Ash about the purse
  Ashleigh says, "I don't know much about that."
  
  Ashleigh climbs down the ladder and is gone.