text: [Themes: 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, standing open. A small ladder to the south leads up to a door.
  The hanging locker seems to contain a safe.
  Ashleigh is briskly walking through here.
  
  Ashleigh leaves to the east.
  
  > go east
  The forward head sports a small toilet, a sink, and a miniscule shower. In the floor is a small drain; above the sink, a mirror and medicine cabinet. An open door leads west.
  Ashleigh is here, standing casually.
  
  Ashleigh says, "I really need to use the bathroom, if you don't mind..." Bemused, you leave the head.
  
  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, standing open. A small ladder to the south leads up to a door.
  The hanging locker seems to contain a safe.
  
  The east door swings close and you hear it lock.
  
  > examine safe
  Squat, grey, metal. It obviously requires a key to unlock it. Part of the top of the safe is scarred with deep gouges.
  
  > examine the gouges
  On closer inspection, you can see that the gouges outline a panel.
  
  You hear the door to the head unlock, then see it swing open.
  
  Ashleigh arrives from the east.
  
  > ask Ashleigh about the gun
  Ashleigh says, "I don't know much about that."
  
  Ashleigh climbs up the ladder and is gone.
  
  > Go upward
  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.
  Ashleigh is here, standing pensively.
  Bill is slumped in the dinette bench.
  
  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 Bill
  "I, uh, don't really know anything about it," Bill says.
  
  Ashleigh climbs down the ladder and is gone.
  
  > wait for a while
  Time passes...
  
  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.
  
  > Inventory
  You have a pill bottle, a portable radio, and a pair of wires. The pill bottle seems to contain five little pills.
  
  > check your inventory
  You have a pill bottle, a portable radio, and a pair of wires. The pill bottle seems to contain five little pills.
  
  Ashleigh climbs down the ladder and is gone.
  
  > hit Bill
  Before you can do anything, Carl has glanced up at you, then at Bill. "Yeah?" he asks, but your face tells him something's wrong.
  
  Bill is faster than both of you. "Get in front of me. Both of you. Let's go find Ashleigh."
  
  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.
  Ashleigh is here, standing pensively.
  Carl is standing here, eyeing Bill and his gun.
  Bill, more tense than you've ever seen him, is waving around a gun.
  
  > show the pictures to Bill
  Bill points the gun at you. "Don't move! Don't move!" You freeze, hoping you've distracted him enough, but knowing that you haven't.
  
  Carl decided that now's his best chance, and he jumps towards Bill. Bill jerks back, swinging the revolver around and firing in the same motion.
  
  The smell of cordite fills the air as Ashleigh screams. Carl's eyes widen almost comically, and he staggers back, blood spurting from a newly-formed hole approximately in the middle of his chest. Bill fires again, then again, more of a reflex action than anything else. You try to grab the gun from Bill, but he backhands you with it.
  "Shut up, Ashleigh!" he yells at Ash. Surprisingly, she stops.
  
  Bill looks around wildly, then makes a decision. "Drag him into the stateroom, both of you."
  
  "Let me at least get one of the drinks for their wounds," Ash begs of Bill. He nods slightly, glancing nervously around the forecastle. Ashleigh grabs the whiskey bottle.
  
  You take hold of one of Carl's arms; Ashleigh grabs the other, looking distinctly queasy. The two of you drag Carl into the stateroom, leaving Bill behind to mutter to himself about his nerves and how they need calming.
  
  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, standing open. A small ladder to the south leads up to a door.
  The hanging locker seems to contain a safe.
  Carl lies limply on the floor where you and Ashleigh dropped him. Asheligh is sitting in some sort of catatonic state.
  
  > Shout
  You yell for all you're worth. Bill jerks, swinging the gun at you.
  
  Carl is as surprised as Bill and Ashleigh, but he recovers more quickly and leaps at Bill. Bill turns and fires in the same motion.
  
  The smell of cordite fills the air, and Carl's leap turns into a stumble as the revolver bullet furrows into his left leg. He lets out a long, drawn-out scream. Bill and Ashleigh are shocked into immobility. You make a grab for Bill's gun, but he still possesses the presence of mind to backhand you viciously with it.
  
  Bill looks around wildly, then makes a decision. "Drag him into the stateroom, both of you."
  
  "Let me at least get one of the drinks for their wounds," Ash begs of Bill. He nods slightly, glancing nervously around the forecastle. Ashleigh grabs the whiskey bottle.
  
  You take hold of one of Carl's arms; Ashleigh grabs the other, looking distinctly queasy. The two of you drag Carl into the stateroom, leaving Bill behind to mutter to himself about his nerves and how they need calming.
  
  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, standing open. A small ladder to the south leads up to a door.
  The hanging locker seems to contain a safe.
  Carl lies here, in shock from the wound to his leg.
  Ashleigh is sitting beside Carl, tending to his wound.
  
  > Up
  You'll have to open the south door first.
  
  Ashleigh dribbles some of the whiskey onto Carl's leg. He screams, then mercifully passes out. "It'll be ok, it'll be ok," she whispers to him, dropping the bottle.
  
  > Oops bottle
  Which bottle do you mean, the pill bottle, or the whiskey bottle?
  
  > Pill
  Opening the pill bottle reveals five little pills.
  
  > put the pills in the whiskey bottle
  little pill: You drop one of the pills into the whiskey bottle. It quickly dissolves, leaving behind virtually no trace.
  little pill: You drop one of the pills into the whiskey bottle. It quickly dissolves, leaving behind virtually no trace.
  little pill: You drop one of the pills into the whiskey bottle. It quickly dissolves, leaving behind virtually no trace.
  little pill: You drop one of the pills into the whiskey bottle. It quickly dissolves, leaving behind virtually no trace.
  little pill: You drop one of the pills into the whiskey bottle. It quickly dissolves, leaving behind virtually no trace.
  
  > look
  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, standing open. A small ladder to the south leads up to a door.
  The hanging locker seems to contain a safe.
  Carl lies here, in shock from the wound to his leg.
  Ashleigh is sitting beside Carl, tending to his wound.
  
  > Up
  You'll have to open the south door first.
  
  > open the door
  Which door do you mean, the south door, or the east door?
  
  > South
  No matter how hard you try, you can't open it. Bill must have wedged something against it.
  
  > South
  All that would do would be to reduce your frustration at the expense of something which isn't yours. Besides, you would probably hurt yourself.
  
  > go to the east
  The forward head sports a small toilet, a sink, and a miniscule shower. In the floor is a small drain; above the sink, a mirror and medicine cabinet. An open door leads west.
  
  > examine the cabinet
  It is bolted to the wall just above the sink. It is made of strong plastic, and is closed.
  
  > open it
  Opened.
  
  You hear the companionway between the stateroom and the forecastle being unblocked and opened. A few seconds later, you hear Bill's voice. "Where's the whiskey, Ashleigh?"
  
  Ashleigh stammers, "What--why do you--what--"
  
  "Where is it!?!" he screams, totally out of control now.
  
  > Go west
  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, standing open. A small ladder to the south leads up to a door.
  The hanging locker seems to contain a safe.
  Carl lies here, in shock from the wound to his leg.
  Ashleigh is sitting beside Carl, tending to his wound.
  Bill, more tense than you've ever seen him, is waving around a gun.
  
  As you enter, Bill swivels around. "You!" he screams at you. You hand over the whiskey bottle without a word. He upends the bottle and drains it in one draught. Bill's eyes suddenly close, much to his surprise. The muzzle of the gun traces an arc to the floor.
  "Sleepy," he mumbles, just before he drops the gun and crumples to the floor.
  
  You are left with Ashleigh and Carl's unconscious body to wait for someone to pick you up.
  
  In just under an hour, a Coast Guard ship pulls alongside the *Bellerophon*. All you can think is, why did they take so long? The three of you are taken in for questioning, and Bill is turned over to the police. You were fortunate enough to stop Bill before he could kill Carl, even though Carl will limp a bit for the rest of his life. You ferreted out the connection between Carl, Thom, and those pictures; but you never found out why Ashleigh was carrying that gun. All in all, a good showing.
  
  Thank you for playing Undertow.
  
  How did Thom ever talk you into this one...
  
  Your friend Thom Hall has always been a smooth talker, which is probably how he got you to attend his party on board the *Bellerophon*. The fourty-eight-foot yacht is named after the H.M.S. Bellerophon, the ship on which Napoleon formally surrendered in 1815 after Waterloo. Thom isn't usually too modest.
  
  Anyway, you're now stuck at a floating party with three other people you barely know, friends of Thom's. Bill Leveritt is one of Thom's partners in his architectural firm. Carl Weathers, another old friend of Thom's, brought his girlfriend Ashleigh Flannagin, which completes the floating fivesome.
  
  So far you've seen Bill and Thom yell at each other, Thom hit Carl for some unexplained reason, and Ashleigh ignore both Thom and you. Not the most pleasant party you've ever been to.
  
  And it's barely 10 a.m...
  
  Undertow v1.1 (9/5/1995) by Stephen Granade
  
  The forward head sports a small toilet, a sink, and a miniscule shower. In the floor is a small drain; above the sink, a mirror and medicine cabinet. A closed door leads west.
  
  > wait
  Before you can do anything, Carl has glanced up at you, then at Bill. "Yeah?" he asks, but your face tells him something's wrong.
  
  Bill is faster than both of you. "Get in front of me. Both of you. Let's go find Ashleigh."
  
  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.
  Ashleigh is here, standing pensively.
  Carl is standing here, eyeing Bill and his gun.
  Bill, more tense than you've ever seen him, is waving around a gun.
  
  > ask Carl about Ashleigh
  Bill points the gun at you. "Don't move! Don't move!" You freeze, hoping you've distracted him enough, but knowing that you haven't.
  
  Carl decided that now's his best chance, and he jumps towards Bill. Bill jerks back, swinging the revolver around and firing in the same motion.
  
  The smell of cordite fills the air as Ashleigh screams. Carl's eyes widen almost comically, and he staggers back, blood spurting from a newly-formed hole approximately in the middle of his chest. Bill fires again, then again, more of a reflex action than anything else. You try to grab the gun from Bill, but he backhands you with it.
  "Shut up, Ashleigh!" he yells at Ash. Surprisingly, she stops.
  
  Bill looks around wildly, then makes a decision. "Drag him into the stateroom, both of you."
  
  "Let me at least get one of the drinks for their wounds," Ash begs of Bill. He nods slightly, glancing nervously around the forecastle. Ashleigh grabs the whiskey bottle.
  
  You take hold of one of Carl's arms; Ashleigh grabs the other, looking distinctly queasy. The two of you drag Carl into the stateroom, leaving Bill behind to mutter to himself about his nerves and how they need calming.
  
  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, standing open. A small ladder to the south leads up to a door.
  The hanging locker seems to contain a safe.
  Carl lies limply on the floor where you and Ashleigh dropped him. Asheligh is sitting in some sort of catatonic state.
  
  > hit Bill
  You make a very sudden move towards Bill, not the brightest thing to do to a nervous man with a gun. Bill, however, is reluctant to shoot you. "Don't try anything!" he warns you in a high-pitched voice, the gun trembling in his grip.
  
  Carl is as surprised as Bill and Ashleigh, but he recovers more quickly and leaps at Bill. Bill turns and fires in the same motion.
  
  The smell of cordite fills the air, and Carl's leap turns into a stumble as the revolver bullet furrows into his left leg. He lets out a long, drawn-out scream. Bill and Ashleigh are shocked into immobility. You make a grab for Bill's gun, but he still possesses the presence of mind to backhand you viciously with it.
  
  Bill looks around wildly, then makes a decision. "Drag him into the stateroom, both of you."
  
  "Let me at least get one of the drinks for their wounds," Ash begs of Bill. He nods slightly, glancing nervously around the forecastle. Ashleigh grabs the whiskey bottle.
  
  You take hold of one of Carl's arms; Ashleigh grabs the other, looking distinctly queasy. The two of you drag Carl into the stateroom, leaving Bill behind to mutter to himself about his nerves and how they need calming.
  
  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, standing open. A small ladder to the south leads up to a door.
  The hanging locker seems to contain a safe.
  Carl lies here, in shock from the wound to his leg.
  Ashleigh is sitting beside Carl, tending to his wound.
  
  > ask Ashleigh about the gun
  Ashleigh is busy comforting Carl. You'd best leave her alone.
  
  Ashleigh dribbles some of the whiskey onto Carl's leg. He screams, then mercifully passes out. "It'll be ok, it'll be ok," she whispers to him, dropping the bottle.
  
  > ask Carl about the purse
  You wisely decide to leave Carl alone.
  
  > ask Ashleigh about the gun
  "What?!?" Ashleigh says. "Okay! So there's a gun in my purse! So what?" She pushes a lock of her copper hair out of her face. "Yes, I wanted to kill him." She laughs ruefully. "Who didn't? But you saw him. He wasn't shot!"
  
  Ash sighs. "He was ready to have me fired. I just couldn't let him...he was going to..." Her objections slowly wind down. Then she looks back at you. "But I didn't kill him!"
  
  Ash then grabs your shoulder, pleading. "Please, please, don't tell Carl."
  
  > ask Ashleigh about Thom
  Ashleigh runs her hand through her hair. "I just can't believe he's dead. Sure, I'd thought about it before, but..." She stops talking, perhaps realizing what she just said.
  
  > get the bottle
  You already have the pill bottle!
  
  Ashleigh dribbles some of the whiskey onto Carl's leg. He screams, then mercifully passes out. "It'll be ok, it'll be ok," she whispers to him, dropping the bottle.
  
  > drop the whiskey bottle
  Dropped.
  
  > Go west
  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, standing open. A small ladder to the south leads up to a door.
  You see a whiskey bottle here. The hanging locker seems to contain
  a safe.
  Carl lies here, in shock from the wound to his leg.
  Ashleigh is sitting beside Carl, tending to his wound.
  
  > wait a while
  Time passes...
  
  A sudden sound startles you. The companionway is being opened! Bill climbs down the ladder, revolver pointed at you the whole time.
  
  "Where's the whiskey?" he asks you and Ashleigh. He then sees the bottle. "Get it for me," he tells you, motioning with the gun. You comply, handing it to him. He upends the bottle, drinking all of it before tossing the empty bottle aside. Bill's eyes suddenly close, much to his surprise. The muzzle of the gun traces an arc to the floor. "Sleepy," he mumbles, just before he drops the gun and crumples to the floor.
  
  You are left with Ashleigh and Carl's unconscious body to wait for someone to pick you up.
  
  In just under an hour, a Coast Guard ship pulls alongside the *Bellerophon*. All you can think is, why did they take so long? The three of you are taken in for questioning, and Bill is turned over to the police. You were fortunate enough to stop Bill before he could kill Carl, even though Carl will limp a bit for the rest of his life. You ferreted out the connection between Carl, Thom, and those pictures; andyou discovered why Ashleigh was after Thom. All in all, an excellent showing.
  
  Thank you for playing Undertow.