text: [Themes: Science Fiction, ecology, non-human npcs, animals, crashed spaceship, violence, transformation]
  
  > look around
  The river pours out of an aperture in the northern wall of the canyon and tumbles down through a snarl of fallen rock before flowing into the lake, to the south. The noise of rushing water is everywhere. The eastern shore is a sheer rockface, but the western shore is a rocky slope that rises to meet the canyon wall in the distance. Some trees hug the edge of the water.
  
  Water pours around, through, and over the massive pile of boulders. There are nooks and crannies and vortices everywhere.
  
  The water swirling in one large rock pool in particular catches your eye.
  
  The deer gallop up from the south with a thunder of hooves. They spend several moments looking around with suspicion before returning to their grazing.
  
  > Bite deer
  The moment the thought crosses your mind, the biggest deer turns to stare at you balefully, and you find yourself thinking about how that curved horn could so easily skewer your body to the ground.
  
  The buck deer sniffs the air.
  
  You sense a new feeling of hunger from the south.
  
  > examine the deer
  There are five of the creatures. One male, two females, and a couple of juveniles? It's very hard to tell, as they're all very similar apart from the size. They're smaller than you were expecting from the survey, barely the size of a large dog, but the blue-green fur is just as startling as you remember. They each have a single forward-curving horn that looks extremely sharp.
  
  The deer suddenly look up, and then bound off west.
  
  The fox approaches from the south. It reflexively begins to chase you.
  
  You sense hunger fading from the south.
  
  > go north
  You nervously crawl along the ledge.
  
  You are balanced on a rock overhanging the north edge of the rock pool. The boulder is slippery from spray, and shifts under your feet when you move your weight giving you the feeling like it might give way at any moment. The narrow ledge to the south leads back to safety.
  
  The rock pool churns unnervingly below you.
  
  The fox chases you from the south onto the ledge --- which abruptly gives way underneath you. You, the fox, and what seems like several tonnes of rock drop into the water in a shocking plunge that stuns you for a few moments.
  
  From down here the sides of the pool are steeper and even less climbable than they were from above --- this is less of a pool and more of a well, and you are at the bottom of it. One of the many waterfalls crashes into the dark water near where you are and vortices in the water buffet you.
  
  > Swim
  You're already swimming.
  
  The fox is mindlessly flailing at the water in panic, trying to stay afloat.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  The fox is clawing at the sides of the pit, trying to climb out. A few rocks come down but it can't get any purchase.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  The fox is exhausted and can't keep its head above the water any more. Some bubbles come up.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  There is a final convulsion, and the fox is still, floating with its head just under the water.
  
  > take the fox
  You swim up to the fox's body and take a firm hold with your teeth.
  
  > Go south
  The sides of the pool and sheer. There's no way out that way.
  
  > Swim
  You're already swimming.
  
  > Down
  You swim down into the depths of the pool. A current grabs you and whisks you through a concealed underwater tunnel before spitting you out again.
  
  You tow the fox's body along behind you.
  
  The water is crystal clear, and rays of orange light shine down from above. The bottom is covered in grass-like weed, dotted with fallen boulders of all sizes from the cliff face above.
  
  Crayfish run around on the lake bottom, snapping their pincers threateningly at each other.
  
  You can see a dead fish floating nearby.
  
  > Go west
  You haul the fox's body out of the water.
  
  The lake nestles under the cliffs at the edge of the canyon, so that the east side is a sheer wall rising out of the water; but here on the west side the ground slopes gradually so there is a wide shore of pebbles and rough sand. Mats of grassy plants form little green islands here and there, some under the water. Beyond the beach, unkempt woodland rises up the west side of the canyon, while far to the north, at the head of the canyon, there is a distant skein of falling water as the river tumbles down the cliff into the lake.
  
  Scattered along the waterfront are some splintered fish bones.
  
  You can feel concentration from the south.
  
  > go south
  You laboriously drag the fox's body with you.
  
  A haphazard but substantial dam has been built across the river out of logs and fallen trees. Water pours through the many little gaps to form a delta of pools and runnels, before joining back together into the main flow of the river, which disappears into the woods to the south. Upstream of the dam to the north there is a substantial lake, but everywhere else, all you can see are trees. The river looks crossable, to reach the east side of the canyon.
  
  Some fish flap about in the pools.
  
  The beavers bustle about, working on the dam.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the east.
  
  > Go south
  You laboriously drag the fox's body with you.
  
  The river is narrow and rocky here, and the river churns noisily between the boulders. Trees come down to the water's edge on both sides, and twigs and dead leaves spiral dizzyingly in the vortices. The woods are fairly dense here and seem to go on in all directions.
  
  You can feel concentration from the north.
  
  > go to the south
  You laboriously drag the fox's body with you.
  
  The flat river valley here isn't as wet as the marsh further south, and has bloomed into an astonishing wildflower meadow. The flowers are all strange and alien, of course, but the air is fragrant and peaceful. The only sound is the gentle noise of the river to the east. Off to the west the ground begins to rise up to meet the canyon wall, while forests dominate the north.
  
  > Go south
  You laboriously drag the fox's body with you.
  
  Here in the shadow of the Mother Tree the ground is flat and wet; reed-like plants with white flowers grow everywhere and the air is musky. The river winds slowly along the east side of the marsh with woodlands beyond it. To the west the ground rises to what look like a series of sandy bluffs. The ground looks drier to the north where the canyon ramparts start to close in.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the west.
  
  > Go south
  It takes a few moments for your eyes to adjust to the dim light.
  
  You laboriously drag the fox's body with you.
  
  The trees here are huge: massive columnar towers rising out of the soft green turf to support the dense leaf canopy above. Golden rays angle down between the trees, filling the vast space with dim light, and reflecting off the river that runs down the east side. Everything seems very quiet, as if you are being watched with caution.
  
  Large green cocoons are attached to the bases of some of the trees.
  
  One of the cocoons unfolds, revealing a mass of soft, white padding. It seems to be waiting for you.
  
  > enter the cocoon
  (the open cocoon)
  You climb onto the open cocoon and burrow your way into the cottony stuff.
  
  You laboriously drag the fox's body with you.
  
  You are immersed in a warm, comforting heap of something soft. It envelops you like an old blanket.
  
  The cocoon folds up around you, wrapping you in comforting, secure darkness.
  
  You've barely sipped your vodka and orange when you hear someone call your name. You look up. "Oh, there you are," you say.
  
  Francis Terrier, head of the survey department, and one of the few people who can tell the Concerto what to do, sits down
  heavily beside you, takes his drink --- now warm --- and stares tiredly at the view for a while. The Concerto's vast garden
  slowly tumbles around the pair of you. The Centrifugal Bar makes the planet-bred exploitation team nauseous. However, you're both in the exploration team, and after sixteen hours of continuous briefings you find it pleasantly relaxing.
  
  "I need to tell you something," he says eventually. You raise your eyebrows at him. "Things are tense here. Really tense," he says.
  
  "Did smalltalk go out of fashion while I was in cryo?" you mutter, and sigh. "Is this about the telepathy thing?"
  
  "Keep your voice down!" he hisses, glancing around. "God, and you're supposed to be our hotshot intuitionist... no. That's not what it's about. It's about delaying colonisation."
  
  "Are we?" you say. "I thought that hadn't been decided yet."
  
  He says nothing for a moment, and then says, "What if I were to tell you that not all the exploitation team is frozen?"
  
  You raise your eyebrows. "How is that possible?"
  
  "The cryo facilities are run by humans," he says. "Part of the frankenstein safeguards, remember? And there's a fringe element of the explorer team that sympathises with the exploiters."
  
  "There always is," you say. "It's called the human condition..." You frown. "Waking the exploitation team before the planet's been cleared for colonisation violates the protocols."
  
  "Sure, but they think the Concerto is already
  violating the protocols," Francis says quietly.
  
  "But that's impossible," you says. "The safeguards..."
  
  He waves your protests away. "I know that, you know that, and they would know that if they were thinking rationally, but they're not. They're terrified that this is a bid for power by the
  Concerto, and they're taking action to prevent that."
  
  "That's mad," you say flatly.
  
  "It gets worse," he says. "In this scenario, you are an accomplice to the Concerto."
  
  As you stare at him blankly, something moves in the back of your mind. "You think that they might strike at me, as a proxy for the
  Concerto. You're trying ot tell me I'm in danger."
  
  "Right now, you're popular," Francis says. "That work you did on Brimstone."
  
  "But nobody falls faster than a failed saint," you say. The pieces fit together inexorably in your head: hatred, vilification, polarisation, extremism. Accusations of treason. An 'execution'. And, of course, if they truly believe that your decision is a foregone conclusion, there's no need to wait until you actually make it before
  taking action. "Crap. How many of these people are there?"
  
  Francis has been watching your face move as you work through all this. "Enough," he says. "I take it martyrdom's not your thing?"
  
  "Hardly," you say. "What do you suggest I do?"
  
  Francis gives you a hard stare. "Be very, very careful."
  
  You wake.
  
  Something's different.
  
  You are immersed in a warm, comforting heap of something soft. It envelops you like an old blanket.
  
  > Exit
  You fight your way free of the cottony stuff. Dim light blinds you for a moment.
  
  The trees here are huge: massive columnar towers rising out of the soft green turf to support the dense leaf canopy above. Golden rays angle down between the trees, filling the vast space with dim light, and reflecting off the river that runs down the east side. Everything seems very quiet, as if you are being watched with caution.
  
  Large green cocoons are attached to the bases of some of the trees.
  
  As you climb out of the cocoon it silently folds closed behind you.
  
  > About yourself
  You walk over to the water and study your reflection. The river is wide and dark, and in the dim light makes an almost perfect mirror.
  
  As expected, the face looking back at you is the fox's. Yes. It's definitely the same one that you dragged out of the lake.
  
  If this is the fox's body, what happened to the fox's mind?
  
  > go north
  You emerge, blinking, into the sunlight.
  
  Here in the shadow of the Mother Tree the ground is flat and wet; reed-like plants with white flowers grow everywhere and the air is musky. The river winds slowly along the east side of the marsh with woodlands beyond it. To the west the ground rises to what look like a series of sandy bluffs. The ground looks drier to the north where the canyon ramparts start to close in.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the west.
  
  > Go north
  The flat river valley here isn't as wet as the marsh further south, and has bloomed into an astonishing wildflower meadow. The flowers are all strange and alien, of course, but the air is fragrant and peaceful. The only sound is the gentle noise of the river to the east. Off to the west the ground begins to rise up to meet the canyon wall, while forests dominate the north.
  
  > Go north
  The river is narrow and rocky here, and the river churns noisily between the boulders. Trees come down to the water's edge on both sides, and twigs and dead leaves spiral dizzyingly in the vortices. The woods are fairly dense here and seem to go on in all directions.
  
  You can feel concentration from the north.
  
  > go to the north
  A haphazard but substantial dam has been built across the river out of logs and fallen trees. Water pours through the many little gaps to form a delta of pools and runnels, before joining back together into the main flow of the river, which disappears into the woods to the south. Upstream of the dam to the north there is a substantial lake, but everywhere else, all you can see are trees. The river looks crossable, to reach the east side of the canyon.
  
  Some fish flap about in the pools.
  
  The beavers suddenly notice you and start hissing threateningly.
  
  > Bite beavers
  You brace yourself to leap --- the beavers are big and actually look quite dangerous. But then a wave of frustration and anger descends on you, and the world vanishes into a red blur and a flood of rage so intense that it's an unbearable pressure in your head. The riots on the Concerto, your helplessness on Elysia, the pointless
  deaths above and below, all meld into one.
  
  You come to your senses in the middle of a massacre. Torn beaver bodies lie everywhere. You've killed them all. You start shaking with shock and horror.
  
  Oh, you think. That's where the fox's mind went.
  
  > examine the beavers
  Bloody and torn, almost mutilated. You shudder.
  
  > eat the beavers
  (first taking the dead beavers)
  You don't even want to look at them, let alone touch them.
  
  > go east
  The woodland here is quite unlike the west side of the canyon. The trees are short and gnarled and look quite unhealthy: they are also very close together and visibilty through the tangled branches is poor. Despite the gloom, the undergrowth is thick, with ferns, tall grasses, and less identifiable plants filling the space between the tree trunks. The forest sweeps east up to the rock face above and south as far as you can see through the trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the south.
  
  Pain suddenly hits you, and you realise that you're covered in scrapes and gouges and one nasty cut on the side of the head that narrowly misses your eye. The beavers fought back. You find yourself licking your wounds, numbly seeking comfort.
  
  > take Plant
  You gingerly take a mouthful of leaves, avoiding the thorns.
  
  > eat Plant
  You're not cut out to be a browser.
  
  You sense peacefulness fading from the south.
  
  > go west
  A haphazard but substantial dam has been built across the river out of logs and fallen trees. Water pours through the many little gaps to form a delta of pools and runnels, before joining back together into the main flow of the river, which disappears into the woods to the south. Upstream of the dam to the north there is a substantial lake, but everywhere else, all you can see are trees. The river looks crossable, to reach the east side of the canyon.
  
  The grisly remains of the dead beavers are scattered among the rocks.
  
  Some fish flap about in the pools.
  
  > Go north
  You can't go that way.
  
  Belatedly, you realise that whatever strange telepathic experience you shared with the other animals in the canyon did not happen with the beavers. You could sense their emotions, but beyond that they were as closed to you as they would have been had you been human.
  
  Does this mean anything? Does that mean that the Mother Tree's mysterious miracle does not work on them and that they are now
  truly dead, with no chance of living again?
  
  It is horribly tempting to find out. Their bodies are right there, after all. But you need to be a fox too badly, and besides, you'd rather not know...
  
  > Go south
  The ground here is steep and rocky, but still covered with scrawny trees. The canyon wall rises precipitously to the east; there's a band of wet rock, and water oozes out and forms in a little pool before trickling down the slope to the river which you can just make out to the west. All you can see to the north and south are more trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the south.
  
  > Go south
  Nestled in the south-east corner of the canyon, the terrain here sweeps up from the river to a low pass through the canyon wall to the east. Through the dense trees you can just make out the green dome of the Mother Tree far below to the south-west.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  The lemur is sitting in one of the thorny bushes.
  
  The lemur bounces out of the bush, shoots up a tree and leaps through the branches to the north.
  
  > go south
  You can't go that way.
  
  You sense a new feeling of peacefulness from the north.
  
  > Go north
  The ground here is steep and rocky, but still covered with scrawny trees. The canyon wall rises precipitously to the east; there's a band of wet rock, and water oozes out and forms in a little pool before trickling down the slope to the river which you can just make out to the west. All you can see to the north and south are more trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  The lemur is sitting in one of the thorny bushes.
  
  The lemur seems to find something very interesting under one armpit.
  
  > Bite lemur
  You keep thinking about the beavers. Maybe actually killing
  the lemur isn't strictly necessary.
  
  The lemur languidly picks up a some small insect of some kind, stares at it for a while, and then pulls the legs off before throwing it away.
  
  > go west
  The river's in the way, and foxes can't swim.
  
  The lemur just stares into space for a while.
  
  > Go north
  The woodland here is quite unlike the west side of the canyon. The trees are short and gnarled and look quite unhealthy: they are also very close together and visibilty through the tangled branches is poor. Despite the gloom, the undergrowth is thick, with ferns, tall grasses, and less identifiable plants filling the space between the tree trunks. The forest sweeps east up to the rock face above and south as far as you can see through the trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the south.
  
  > Go south
  The ground here is steep and rocky, but still covered with scrawny trees. The canyon wall rises precipitously to the east; there's a band of wet rock, and water oozes out and forms in a little pool before trickling down the slope to the river which you can just make out to the west. All you can see to the north and south are more trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the south.
  
  > go to the west
  The river's in the way, and foxes can't swim.
  
  There's a loud rustling of leaves as the lemur swings up from the south, runs down a tree and dives into the spiky bush.
  
  You sense peacefulness fading from the south.
  
  > go to the south
  Nestled in the south-east corner of the canyon, the terrain here sweeps up from the river to a low pass through the canyon wall to the east. Through the dense trees you can just make out the green dome of the Mother Tree far below to the south-west.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the north.
  
  > Go east
  The pass in the canyon wall, now behind you to the west, leads out into open desert. Barren sand stretches off in all directions to the flat horizon.
  
  A track seems to have been scraped in the sand, heading south. There's something large and metallic in the distance that way.
  
  > go north
  There's nowhere to go out there.
  
  You sense a new feeling of peacefulness from the west.
  
  > take the lemur
  (first dropping the bundle of aromatic leaves)
  There's no way you, or anyone else, can reach the lemur while it's inside those thorny bushes.
  
  The lemur bounces out of the bush, shoots up a tree and leaps through the branches to the south.
  
  > Go south
  The desert abruptly drops away on two sides here: to the west you can see the green dome of the Mother Tree a few hundred metres below, and to the south the incomparably vaster drop down to the sea of clouds below. The cliff continues east as far as the eye can see.
  
  Of considerably more interest, however, is the wreckage of the Semiquaver.
  
  The shuttle's main hatch is tightly closed.
  
  > examine Semiquaver
  Looking at the smashed shuttle, you find yourself utterly astonished that it made it down in one piece. Most of the engine module is simply missing, the hull truncated half-way along in a jumble of twisted wreckage. The shuttle hit the ground to the north of here, and skidded south, stopping just in time --- you can see the burnt out shield projectors where the Semiquaver tried to dig into the sand in
  a desperate attempt to stop itself. It worked, too: only a few metres more and the Semiquaver would have gone over the edge of the
  cliff and fallen down to the lowlands. The nose actually overhangs the edge.
  
  It looks completely dead. You hope the Semiquaver's simple
  mind survived. You want to buy it a drink and tell it what a good job it did.
  
  > open hatch
  The access panel for the hatch is about a metre and a half above the ground. It obviously wasn't designed for foxes.
  
  remedy this design fault.
  
  > look at the hatch
  The Semiquaver's main hatch is on the starboard side, now
  facing west. It's not locked, per se, but in order to prevent accidents it will only open if you enter an access code on a little panel. (The code is written underneath.)
  
  > look at the code
  A little nine-digit keypad is next to the door. The access code is written underneath. (It's 314159, of course.)
  
  > Type 314159
  The buttons are designed to be pushed by fingers, which foxes lack. Plus, it's too high to reach.
  
  > Smell
  The air is good, nearly as good as the Concerto's, but
  uninteresting.
  
  > NF-changes
  Ok.
  
  %% Enter a save filename to read:
  
  > NF-changes
  Ok.
  
  > go to the west
  That would be suicide.
  
  > go north
  The pass in the canyon wall, now behind you to the west, leads out into open desert. Barren sand stretches off in all directions to the flat horizon.
  
  A track seems to have been scraped in the sand, heading south. There's something large and metallic in the distance that way.
  
  > Go west
  Nestled in the south-east corner of the canyon, the terrain here sweeps up from the river to a low pass through the canyon wall to the east. Through the dense trees you can just make out the green dome of the Mother Tree far below to the south-west.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the north.
  
  > take Plant
  You gingerly take a mouthful of leaves, avoiding the thorns.
  
  > Go north
  The ground here is steep and rocky, but still covered with scrawny trees. The canyon wall rises precipitously to the east; there's a band of wet rock, and water oozes out and forms in a little pool before trickling down the slope to the river which you can just make out to the west. All you can see to the north and south are more trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  The lemur is sitting in one of the thorny bushes.
  
  You can also see a bundle of aromatic leaves here.
  
  The lemur bounces out of the bush, shoots up a tree and leaps through the branches to the south.
  
  > go west
  The river's in the way, and foxes can't swim.
  
  You sense a new feeling of peacefulness from the south.
  
  > Go north
  The woodland here is quite unlike the west side of the canyon. The trees are short and gnarled and look quite unhealthy: they are also very close together and visibilty through the tangled branches is poor. Despite the gloom, the undergrowth is thick, with ferns, tall grasses, and less identifiable plants filling the space between the tree trunks. The forest sweeps east up to the rock face above and south as far as you can see through the trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  > go to the north
  The lake nestles under the cliffs at the edge of the canyon, so that the east side is a sheer wall rising out of the water; but here on the west side the ground slopes gradually so there is a wide shore of pebbles and rough sand. Mats of grassy plants form little green islands here and there, some under the water. Beyond the beach, unkempt woodland rises up the west side of the canyon, while far to the north, at the head of the canyon, there is a distant skein of falling water as the river tumbles down the cliff into the lake.
  
  Scattered along the waterfront are some splintered fish bones.
  
  > go to the north
  The river pours out of an aperture in the northern wall of the canyon and tumbles down through a snarl of fallen rock before flowing into the lake, to the south. The noise of rushing water is everywhere. The eastern shore is a sheer rockface, but the western shore is a rocky slope that rises to meet the canyon wall in the distance. Some trees hug the edge of the water.
  
  Water pours around, through, and over the massive pile of boulders. There are nooks and crannies and vortices everywhere.
  
  The water swirling in one large rock pool in particular catches your eye.
  
  You can feel contentment from the west.
  
  > Go west
  You are perched at the very north-west tip of the canyon, where the slopes disintegrate into a tangle of smashed rock. Wiry, heather-like grass grows between the gaps between the boulders, and there are even a few trees. Below to the east is a maelstrom of white water at the head of the river; to the south, the slope begins to flatten.
  
  Tiny multicoloured birds dart back and forth on the cliff face above you.
  
  As you approach the deer gallop off to the south.
  
  > go to the south
  The trees here are stunted and wiry, and the steeply sloping ground is showing its rocky bones through the thin grass. The canyon is spread out below you: the lake to your east, the woodland covering the lower slopes, and the green dome of the Mother Tree far to the south, now shrunken by distance. The canyon ends not far to the north in a tumble of fallen rock.
  
  As you approach the deer gallop off to the south.
  
  > Go south
  A massive slab of rock has fallen into the woods from the canyon walls to the west. It is halfway sunk into the turf and looks almost sculpted. The canyon wall looms over you from the west. The woodlands parallel it, running north-south, although the canyon steepens to the north. Water glints between the trees to the east.
  
  The huge boulder towers over the surrounding trees.
  
  As you approach the deer gallop off to the south.
  
  > Go south
  The ground rises to meet the canyon wall to the west here, and small trees are scattered across the slope. There is very little undergrowth, lending the woods an airy, garden-like feel. The trees get denser to the north and east, but space opens out to the south.
  
  As you approach the deer gallop off to the south.
  
  > go south
  Part of the canyon wall has fallen here, forming a huge bank of sandy rubble. This looks like it used to be part of the rabbit warren you can see to the south, but this section has been abandoned. Part of the mound has begun to be colonised by the woods that extend to the north. You can see the river in the distance down to the east.
  
  The bank doesn't look very stable and is full of partially collapsed burrows.
  
  As you approach the deer gallop off to the south.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the south.
  
  > go to the south
  This little grassy hollow half-way up the side of the canyon looks like it's been colonised by rabbits. The tough grass-like ground covering has been dug away and the sandy soil underneath is full of burrows. Down to the east the view over the Mother Tree is spectacular, much better than it was from the top; you can probably climb up to the west. The slope steepens and becomes impassably steep to the south, but the warren continues to the north.
  
  There are burrows everywhere.
  
  Eyes seem to be staring at you from out of the burrows.
  
  As you approach the deer gallop off to the east.
  
  > go east
  Here in the shadow of the Mother Tree the ground is flat and wet; reed-like plants with white flowers grow everywhere and the air is musky. The river winds slowly along the east side of the marsh with woodlands beyond it. To the west the ground rises to what look like a series of sandy bluffs. The ground looks drier to the north where the canyon ramparts start to close in.
  
  As you approach the deer gallop off to the north.
  
  You can feel caution from the west.
  
  > go to the north
  The flat river valley here isn't as wet as the marsh further south, and has bloomed into an astonishing wildflower meadow. The flowers are all strange and alien, of course, but the air is fragrant and peaceful. The only sound is the gentle noise of the river to the east. Off to the west the ground begins to rise up to meet the canyon wall, while forests dominate the north.
  
  As you approach the deer gallop off to the north.
  
  > Go north
  The river is narrow and rocky here, and the river churns noisily between the boulders. Trees come down to the water's edge on both sides, and twigs and dead leaves spiral dizzyingly in the vortices. The woods are fairly dense here and seem to go on in all directions.
  
  As you approach the deer gallop off to the north.
  
  > Go north
  A haphazard but substantial dam has been built across the river out of logs and fallen trees. Water pours through the many little gaps to form a delta of pools and runnels, before joining back together into the main flow of the river, which disappears into the woods to the south. Upstream of the dam to the north there is a substantial lake, but everywhere else, all you can see are trees. The river looks crossable, to reach the east side of the canyon.
  
  The grisly remains of the dead beavers are scattered among the rocks.
  
  Some fish flap about in the pools.
  
  As you approach the deer gallop off to the north.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the east.
  
  > eat the beavers
  Not when you're carrying the bundle of aromatic leaves in your mouth!
  
  You sense a new feeling of annoyance from the north.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are carrying a bundle of aromatic leaves in your mouth.
  
  You sense annoyance changing to irritation from the north.
  
  > drop the leaves
  (the bundle of aromatic leaves)
  Dropped.
  
  > Go east
  The woodland here is quite unlike the west side of the canyon. The trees are short and gnarled and look quite unhealthy: they are also very close together and visibilty through the tangled branches is poor. Despite the gloom, the undergrowth is thick, with ferns, tall grasses, and less identifiable plants filling the space between the tree trunks. The forest sweeps east up to the rock face above and south as far as you can see through the trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  The lemur is sitting in one of the thorny bushes.
  
  The lemur just stares into space for a while.
  
  > eat Plant
  You're not cut out to be a browser.
  
  The lemur gives you a suspicious look.
  
  You sense a new feeling of contentment from the west.
  
  > go to the west
  A haphazard but substantial dam has been built across the river out of logs and fallen trees. Water pours through the many little gaps to form a delta of pools and runnels, before joining back together into the main flow of the river, which disappears into the woods to the south. Upstream of the dam to the north there is a substantial lake, but everywhere else, all you can see are trees. The river looks crossable, to reach the east side of the canyon.
  
  The grisly remains of the dead beavers are scattered among the rocks.
  
  Some fish flap about in the pools.
  
  As you approach the deer gallop off to the west.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the east.
  
  > go to the east
  The woodland here is quite unlike the west side of the canyon. The trees are short and gnarled and look quite unhealthy: they are also very close together and visibilty through the tangled branches is poor. Despite the gloom, the undergrowth is thick, with ferns, tall grasses, and less identifiable plants filling the space between the tree trunks. The forest sweeps east up to the rock face above and south as far as you can see through the trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  The lemur is sitting in one of the thorny bushes.
  
  The lemur bounces out of the bush, shoots up a tree and leaps through the branches to the south.
  
  > go to the south
  The ground here is steep and rocky, but still covered with scrawny trees. The canyon wall rises precipitously to the east; there's a band of wet rock, and water oozes out and forms in a little pool before trickling down the slope to the river which you can just make out to the west. All you can see to the north and south are more trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  The lemur is sitting in one of the thorny bushes.
  
  You can also see a bundle of aromatic leaves here.
  
  The lemur just stares into space for a while.
  
  > Attack lemur
  You keep thinking about the beavers. Maybe actually killing
  the lemur isn't strictly necessary.
  
  The lemur licks itself contemplatively.
  
  > examine the lemur
  There must be something about Earth-like planets. In shape the Elysian lemur is a startlingly similar creature to the ones in the
  Concerto's garden, with long spindly arms and legs and
  delicate fingers. The green and brown mottled fur is different, though.
  
  You suddenly notice that the lemur only has four fingers. So do your paws, for that matter; but the lemur's are long, dextrous... button pushing...
  
  The lemur gives you a suspicious look.
  
  > talk to the lemur
  There's no way you, or anyone else, can reach the lemur while it's inside those thorny bushes.
  
  The lemur licks itself contemplatively.
  
  > take the thorns
  You gingerly take a mouthful of leaves, avoiding the thorns.
  
  The lemur seems to find something very interesting under one armpit.
  
  > drop the leaves
  (the bundle of aromatic leaves)
  Dropped.
  
  The lemur starts carefully pulling leaves off a twig and popping them into its mouth, one by one.
  
  > go west
  The river's in the way, and foxes can't swim.
  
  The lemur scratches itself.
  
  > Go west
  A haphazard but substantial dam has been built across the river out of logs and fallen trees. Water pours through the many little gaps to form a delta of pools and runnels, before joining back together into the main flow of the river, which disappears into the woods to the south. Upstream of the dam to the north there is a substantial lake, but everywhere else, all you can see are trees. The river looks crossable, to reach the east side of the canyon.
  
  The grisly remains of the dead beavers are scattered among the rocks.
  
  Some fish flap about in the pools.
  
  You can feel contentment from the west.
  
  > take the beaver
  You don't even want to look at them, let alone touch them.
  
  You sense contentment changing to irritation from the west.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying a dead fish in your mouth.
  
  > Go east
  The woodland here is quite unlike the west side of the canyon. The trees are short and gnarled and look quite unhealthy: they are also very close together and visibilty through the tangled branches is poor. Despite the gloom, the undergrowth is thick, with ferns, tall grasses, and less identifiable plants filling the space between the tree trunks. The forest sweeps east up to the rock face above and south as far as you can see through the trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  > go to the south
  The ground here is steep and rocky, but still covered with scrawny trees. The canyon wall rises precipitously to the east; there's a band of wet rock, and water oozes out and forms in a little pool before trickling down the slope to the river which you can just make out to the west. All you can see to the north and south are more trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  You can also see two bundles of aromatic leaves here.
  
  You can feel peacefulness from the south.
  
  > Go south
  Nestled in the south-east corner of the canyon, the terrain here sweeps up from the river to a low pass through the canyon wall to the east. Through the dense trees you can just make out the green dome of the Mother Tree far below to the south-west.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  The lemur is sitting in one of the thorny bushes.
  
  The lemur seems to find something very interesting under one armpit.
  
  > give the fish to the lemur
  The lemur doesn't seem interested.
  
  The lemur just stares into space for a while.
  
  > drop the fish
  Dropped.
  
  The lemur scratches itself.
  
  > Smell lemur
  There's no way you, or anyone else, can reach the lemur while it's inside those thorny bushes.
  
  The lemur just stares into space for a while.
  
  > take the thorns
  You gingerly take a mouthful of leaves, avoiding the thorns.
  
  The lemur bounces out of the bush, shoots up a tree and leaps through the branches to the north.
  
  > Go north
  The ground here is steep and rocky, but still covered with scrawny trees. The canyon wall rises precipitously to the east; there's a band of wet rock, and water oozes out and forms in a little pool before trickling down the slope to the river which you can just make out to the west. All you can see to the north and south are more trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  The lemur is sitting in one of the thorny bushes.
  
  You can also see two bundles of aromatic leaves here.
  
  The lemur languidly picks up a some small insect of some kind, stares at it for a while, and then pulls the legs off before throwing it away.
  
  > give the leaves to the lemur
  (the bundle of aromatic leaves to the lemur)
  The lemur doesn't seem interested.
  
  The lemur seems to find something very interesting under one armpit.
  
  > drop the leaves
  (the bundle of aromatic leaves)
  Dropped.
  
  The lemur just stares into space for a while.
  
  > take the thorns
  You gingerly take a mouthful of leaves, avoiding the thorns.
  
  The lemur gives you a suspicious look.
  
  > drop the leaves
  (the bundle of aromatic leaves)
  Dropped.
  
  The lemur scratches itself.
  
  > take the thorns
  You gingerly take a mouthful of leaves, avoiding the thorns.
  
  The lemur stares solemnly at you from out of the spiky bush.
  
  > Smell leaves
  (the bundle of aromatic leaves)
  All you can smell is that plant.
  
  The lemur licks itself contemplatively.
  
  > Smell plant
  All you can smell is that plant.
  
  The lemur stares solemnly at you from out of the spiky bush.
  
  > break the thorns
  That wouldn't achieve much.
  
  The lemur bounces out of the bush, shoots up a tree and leaps through the branches to the north.
  
  > go north
  The woodland here is quite unlike the west side of the canyon. The trees are short and gnarled and look quite unhealthy: they are also very close together and visibilty through the tangled branches is poor. Despite the gloom, the undergrowth is thick, with ferns, tall grasses, and less identifiable plants filling the space between the tree trunks. The forest sweeps east up to the rock face above and south as far as you can see through the trees.
  
  Bushes of the thorny aromatic plant grow profusely.
  
  The lemur is sitting in one of the thorny bushes.
  
  The lemur languidly picks up a some small insect of some kind, stares at it for a while, and then pulls the legs off before throwing it away.
  
  > Break bushes
  That wouldn't achieve much.
  
  The lemur scratches itself.
  
  > eat the bushes
  You're not cut out to be a browser.
  
  The lemur languidly picks up a some small insect of some kind, stares at it for a while, and then pulls the legs off before throwing it away.
  
  > About you
  The fox is sharp, focused. You feel like a razor, slicing through the world. Everything around you looks dingy and grey --- but anything that moves appears in vivid colour. Knowing that you are a weapon, that you live to kill, makes you tense and on edge. You find yourself wishing you were the otter again.
  
  The lemur bounces out of the bush, shoots up a tree and leaps through the branches to the south.