text: [Themes: Noir, Humor, musical, noir, dance, humor]
  
  > look around
  A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.
  
  The oddly-thin man in white stands at a weird angle. He points a finger up into the sky while looking away from it in the opposite direction for seemingly no reason.
  
  A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.
  
  You hear whooping, and a floozy dancer is launched into the air, does a high flip, and is caught and carried along by the crowd.
  
  > HEADPOP
  You can't go that way.
  
  A man and woman jive relentlessly near you before disappearing into the crowd.
  
  > Dance
  You step-touch to no particular beat whatsoever, feeling suddenly very caucasian.
  
  surprisingly long time, almost as if gravity has no effect.
  
  > go to the northeast
  That corner of the dance floor is jam-packed. You'll need to find a a more clever way in there.
  
  A woman is thrown around her partner's back jitterbug style.
  
  > Go north
  Spotlights operated by mysterious figures overhead pick out the most risque dancers on this parquet square of premium dance space that continues to the east. The band is south, and the warehouse exit is southeast. The even better dancers pack the floor to the east, and you're unsure if you could get through there to where that staircase leading up is.
  
  You notice a dim passage also to the west.
  
  A gray-suited thug comes up behind the Thin Man taps him, and swings a roundhouse punch when he turns. The Thin Man easily deflects it, then shouts aaow. The thug is hurled back by unseen hands...like
  the Thin Man punched him with his mind!...
  
  > Go west
  This dim, slickly light green-painted corridor leads south and east back to the dancefloor. There is some lettering stencilled on the wall.
  
  A large man wearing thick glasses and sitting on what must be the worlds most tiny, uncomfortable stool glares dimly at you with his arms folded.
  
  > look at the wall
  It says "Employees Only".
  
  > talk to Man
  You say hello to the dim bouncer.
  
  > examine man
  He looks very likely like he could squeeze your neck until you pop like a grape that is having its neck squeezed by a very large, person.
  
  > go south
  The bouncer says "Wisten bub. I'm watching that office, and I see you headed in that diwection. Beat it."
  
  > Go east
  "Enjoy your evening in the cwub!" exclaims the dim bouncer, waving.
  
  Spotlights operated by mysterious figures overhead pick out the most risque dancers on this parquet square of premium dance space that continues to the east. The band is south, and the warehouse exit is southeast. The even better dancers pack the floor to the east, and you're unsure if you could get through there to where that staircase leading up is.
  
  You notice a dim passage also to the west.
  
  > Go east
  That corner of the dance floor is jam-packed. You'll need to find a a more clever way in there.
  
  > Go south
  A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.
  
  The oddly-thin man in white stands aloofly. He adjusts his trousers near his crotch seemingly oblivious to the fact that he is in public whilst pointing the thumb, index finger and pinky of his free hand off to the side.
  
  A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.
  
  The Thin Man does this crazy thing with his feet - it appears he walks in one direction, but his direction of travel is usually opposite. Like he's walking somewhere with no gravity. Like the moon for example.
  
  > examine the jukebox
  You can see records trundling inside, but all the selector keys have been broken off, so it looks like you get pot-luck for putting your coin in the slot. The plastic dome has a few dents, almost as if it has sustained several good hard thumps in its lifetime.
  
  > hit the jukebox
  You thump hard on the jukebox dome. Heyyyyy.... Surprisingly, this works, and the contraption lights up and selects a record.
  
  The music from the jukebox is otherworldly and incredibly pulse-pounding.
  
  The intro counts off, and a group of suited men run to the southwest corner of the warehouse near the jukebox and line up, ready to dance. The Thin Man is in the lead of the formation, singing lyrics that go by so fast you can barely understand them.
  
  > Pirouette
  Here goes nothing. You whirl around with the dancers and land right in the middle of the dance formation. Without even thinking, you pull your
  
  Wow, you're really doing this?
  
  > Knees in
  
  > Nod nod
  You all hold the pose for an instant, and then immediately
  
  > Heelpivot
  
  > Point point
  You get both directional points in, and instantly remember to
  
  > HEADPOP
  The headpops are ridiculously sharp and you apologize to your chiropractor silently as you and the other dancers line yourself up in a diagonal with the right dancefloor. While starting the traveling cross you have to
  
  > Jumpshrug
  You all jumpshrug in tight formation. The direction changes are ridiculous, but you continue to
  
  > Shoulderroll
  You roll your shoulders best you can while traveling in one direction without tripping and remembering to look in the opposite correct direciton with everyone else. The dance phrase ends with
  
  > HEADPOP
  Everyone pops their head and freezes for a moment, before sharply turning their bodies southwest.
  
  > Go northeast
  A huge round of applause greets the crossing formation. Somehow everyone in your dance formation meshes with the people on the dancefloor to form a much larger and complicated arrangement.
  The thin man is singing the lead vocal to the song. You don't know what the words blazing by actually are, but you try to sing along anyway-"...betty crocker took a car-load...to the drive-in...where they ate spumoni..."
  The dancefloor clears a space as you and the group of suited dancers
  
  > Lean
  You hold your breath and close your eyes and lean forward. Unbelieveably when you open your eyes, you are staring straight down at the floor! Your feet haven't moved, and you're leaning at the same impossible angle as everyone else is!
  The Thin Man:"...timmy grable did a favor...for the flavor...of
  rice a roni..."
  Everyone on the dancefloor joins in and dances in ridiculous speedy precision. Once again you
  
  > Jumpshrug
  The entire dancefloor jumpshrugs in unison ...greta garbo was unstable, threw a table, at her friend mabel...as you bring your
  knees in automatically and then nod-nod, and
  
  > Knees in
  Whoops, that's not right...OW OUCH!
  
  You are bludgeoned by flying arms and legs as you fall out of sync with the rest of the dancers and end up having to crawl out of the formation...
  
  The entire warehouse is cleared of its normal furnishings except for some support beams, and indigo light arcs in from high semicircular barred windows. The entire place is packed with StepEasy denizens, all spastically writhing to the bits of discordant music played by the band, dancing and yet pretending not to dance by writhing, remaining away from the legal limits of the choreography laws. It looks like you could move through the crowd west and northwest. The north part of the dancefloor from here is really packed and it would probably take a molotov cocktail to get in amongst the throng.
  
  A narrow window in the corner seems to be where clubgoers can check their coats.
  
  The coat check girl looks at you disdainfully. "This your first time honey? We all been there" she remarks.
  
  Everybody grooves down low to the floor as the music gets a little softer now.
  
  > Heelpivot
  Everyone tightly heelpivots penny ante poker...ante poker...poker penny ante!...point points, headpops and jumpshrugs, which chains
  into
  
  > Shoulderroll
  ...knees in sharp...yuban coffee! ...and
  
  > Heelpivot
  ...shoulder roll...knees in...butter toffee! ...then
  
  > Heelpivot
  ...point point...and finally "...some groove billygoat!"
  ...there's only one move left!
  
  > Stepslide
  You lean against a pillar, panting, unbelievably proud of yourself that you made it through the entire dance number. The surge of adrenaline is intoxicating. You understand how easy it could be to fall into the lowlife scene of back-alley dancehalls and bathtub sarsaparilla. You can barely think in the hot, sweaty crush of writhing dancers. You are forced into some gymnastic positions and movements just to keep your feet on the floor. You could climb up a metal fire escape staircase that leads to the second floor walkway. The warehouse exit is south, the band platform is southwest, and the less-crowded section of dancefloor is east.
  
  > Up
  You leap onto the fire escape stairs and climb up to the walkway, where there is a door that leads out of the sweltering humidity of the nightclub into the cool blue-gray night. As you are making your way through, you hear a guttural shout from below--the lights change, and all the dancers move in slow motion. They writhe in a tight knot around the Thin Man, exclaiming random words and syllables and sounds in either wracking pain, desperation, or delirious ecstacy as the downside of Muse Terpsichore takes them out of their heads.
  
  Such are the results of a continuous life of dance-crime, you reckon sadly to yourself.
  
  You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.
  
  > go west
  A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
  The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.
  
  With a commotion, the trio of orphans attempt to invade the crime scene, jibberjabbering about candy and jump ropes and other orphan things.
  
  "Kids, stay, back, there's nothing to see here! Nothing at all!" you insist, pushing them towards the door.
  
  "Hey, wait," Lenny says, peering around you. "Are those bloodstains? On the carpet?"
  
  "We need to check on Miss Annie," Rufus proclaims. "She's our friend who was trying to help us get out of the orphanage!"
  
  "ANNIE? ARE YOU OKAY?" bellows Betsy as you push them finally out the door again.
  
  An oddly narrow aquarium sits on a side table.
  
  You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
  
  > examine the aquarium
  Wait, it's not an aquarium, rather it's an ant farm. But you find it to be surprisingly out of place in the apartment of a young woman.
  
  > Dance
  Yeah, as if it were that easy.
  
  > look at the blood
  Apparently the victim was struck down, as aforementioned, likely to her doom. The stains lead west into the bedroom where the victim likely attempted to evade her attacker.
  
  > Go west
  A tiny bedroom, filled with one tiny twin bed and a rack with some ladies clothing hung up to dry.
  
  A small, barred window prevents people from breaking in, too bad there weren't bars on the other living room window.
  
  The body of a woman lies on the floor at the end of a few blood spatters on the carpet. It appears she was attempting to crawl under the bed to protect herself when she was struck down.
  
  You hear some climbing noises and the orphans climb monkey-like at the bars of the window, staring in. "Listen, kids, this is a crime scene, you need to get away from there this instant!" Of course they don't pay attention.
  
  "That's Miss Annie, is she all right?" Rufus asks.
  
  "She doesn't look good," Lenny observes.
  
  "ARE YOU OKAY MISS ANNIE?" Betsy hollers loud enough to be audible in heaven.
  
  "Annie, are you okay?" Rufus says.
  
  > examine annie
  Annie is petite, and well put together, wearing a prim blue dress. It's obvious if she is into the StepEasy scene, she hasn't been there long. You'd almost bet she's fresh off the bus from Idaho or Nebraska or Kentucky. One of those kinds of places..You're not sure there's much you can do for her. You don't feel a pulse and her pupils are unresponsive.
  
  "Are you okay?" Lenny says.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  your marker
  a ham sandwich
  a dark gray suit (being worn)
  your fedora (being worn)
  a chest holster (being worn)
  your gun
  a working knowledge of CPR
  
  "ARE YOU OKAY, ANNIE???" hollers Betsy.
  
  > perform the cpr
  What do you want to perform cpr on?
  
  > perform the cpr on Annie
  Feeling rather foolish you move your mouth to the lifeless woman's. mouth-to-mouth resuscitation...
  you think as you press your lips to her cold flesh.
  
  Then you feel the very breath from your body illuminate and exhale into her. From below there are roiling violins and hopeful trumpets as wind...now magic and golden...surrounds you both in a violent vortex or a full orchestral score that stands Annie up on her feet. And she is alive again, blinking curiously.
  
  "YAAAAAAAY!" shout the orphans, seeing Annie conscious again.
  
  "Miss Annie," you say, not knowing what else to ask, "are you...okay?"
  
  "Yes, I'm fine!" she says, wobbling a bit stiffly. "And the children are here, so everything is perfect! Now if I can just make us a cup of tea-"
  
  She doesn't get to make that cup of tea because she is interrupted by the thin screams of the orphans as black-gloved hands pull them away from the bars of the window and make off with them.
  
  "Oh no!" Annie exclaims. "They've taken the orphans! Mister! You've got to help them!"
  
  Outside the apartment you hear shoes on cement and the definite clatter of steel weaponry. Annie grabs your arm, "Don't go out there!"
  
  "Don't worry," you say calmly reaching for your .38. "I can handle this." You glance out the window as your fingers close around air. Your gun is gone. Oh, nuts.
  
  Annie races to the front room of the apartment and you hear her shriek. A thug in an indigo suit has grabbed both her wrists. You run out and grapple with the thug for two seconds before Annie brings him down with a solid smash to the head with a ceramic emu from her collection.
  
  "That was my grandmother's you creep!" she hisses. You hear
  more commotion outside.
  
  A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
  The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.
  
  You can see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) and an alien ant farm here.
  
  "Get out of my sight you exceedingly mean people!" Annie growls, grabbing a china saucer and hurling out the door at the thugs outside.
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > Go east
  You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.
  
  You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.
  
  The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  > look at what you're carrying with you
  You are carrying:
  your marker
  a ham sandwich
  a dark gray suit (being worn)
  your fedora (being worn)
  a chest holster (being worn)
  a working knowledge of CPR
  
  The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  > hit red Thug
  Hand to hand combat is never a good idea.
  
  The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  You can hear the orphans screaming from the rooftop just to the north, adjacent to the one  you are on. Their voices echo from behind a red and gray door set in a rooftop building with a smokestack that pours dark coal dust.
  
  > Go north
  Suicide isn't a really valid strategy to defeat the thugs!
  
  The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  > Dance
  Seriously, you haven't heard any drones overhead, but it's best not to risk it.
  
  The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  "Help us, Mister!" you hear Rufus yell from the north.
  
  > go to the west
  A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
  The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.
  
  Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.
  
  You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) and an alien ant farm here.
  
  "Scram you two bit thugs!" Annie yells, grabbing a silver saucer and chucking out the window at the thugs outside.
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > take the farm
  You could look at the ant farm all day, but you've got work to do.
  
  You take the alien ant farm into evidence even though you don't have any little baggies.
  
  "Get out of here you mean people!" Annie shouts at the thugs.
  "What are we going to do?" Annie asks, crouching low.
  Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > Go east
  You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.
  
  You can see some flying bullets, a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.
  
  You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.
  
  A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
  The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.
  
  Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.
  
  You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
  
  > ask Annie about the ants
  "I'm sorry, Sir," she says modestly. "I'm afraid I don't completely understand your big-city fast talk. Shouldn't you go help the children?"
  
  "How do we stop them?" Annie asks, crouching low.
  Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > go to the east
  You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.
  
  You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.
  
  The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Chartreuse Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  
  "Mister! They're cooking brussels sprouts and they're going
  to make us eat them!!!" Lenny cries from the north.
  
  You could go for some brussels sprouts right now.
  
  > throw the ant farm at the bullets
  Futile.
  
  You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.
  
  A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
  The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.
  
  Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.
  
  You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
  
  > examine the farm
  You could look at the ant farm all day, but you've got work to do.
  
  "Get lost you mama's boy!" Annie shouts, grabbing a crystal serving tray and throwing out the door at the thugs outside.
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > Open farm
  That's not something you can open.
  
  "Get out of here you strong-arm mutants!" Annie bellows, grabbing a china cherub statue and hurling out the window at the thugs outside.
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > Go east
  You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.
  
  You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.
  
  The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  > Dance
  Yeah, as if it were that easy.
  
  You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.
  
  A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
  The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.
  
  Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.
  
  You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
  
  > Break farm
  Hand to hand combat is never a good idea.
  
  "Do you have any ideas?" Annie asks, crouching low.
  Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  an alien ant farm
  your marker
  a ham sandwich
  a dark gray suit (being worn)
  your fedora (being worn)
  a chest holster (being worn)
  a working knowledge of CPR
  
  "Are they still out there?" Annie asks, crouching low.
  Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > look outside
  Yeah, there are four of them on the roof.
  
  "What are we going to do?" Annie asks, crouching low.
  Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > examine the marker
  An ebony tag with a hole in it from the coat check. Number 116.
  
  "Get out of here you freaks of nature!" Annie calls, grabbing a antique cherub statue and chucking out the door at the thugs outside.
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > look at the holster
  It holds your piece at the ready just inside your jacket, and isn't visible under normal outerwear.
  
  "Get out of here you mama's boy!" Annie screams, grabbing a crystal napkin ring and hurling out the window at the thugs outside.
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > Go west
  A tiny bedroom, filled with one tiny twin bed and a rack with some ladies clothing hung up to dry.
  
  A small, barred window prevents people from breaking in.
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > look at the window
  In the barred window are Betsy, Lenny and Rufus.
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > look at Lenny
  Lenny's blond hair is either greased back or perhaps rain-stuck to his head, with one long tuft hanging in his face. Otherwise, he's dressed in denim overalls and a checked shirt.
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > go east
  A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
  The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.
  
  Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.
  
  You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
  
  "How do we stop them?" Annie asks, crouching low.
  Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > Go east
  You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.
  
  You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.
  
  The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Chartreuse Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  
  "MISTER YOU NEED TO FIGHT OFF THE THUGS AND GET OVER HERE TO THE NORTH AS SOON AS YOU CAN! THEY'RE HOLDING US PRISONER TO THE NORTH OF WHERE YOU ARE NOW. AND OH, THIS IS BETSY BY THE WAY IN CASE YOU CAN'T TELL" she belts clearly from the other rooftop.
  
  > take the bullets
  You confiscate the flying bullets.
  
  The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  > take the bullets
  You take the flying bullets into evidence even though you don't have any little baggies.
  
  The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  "Mister help! They're strapping us into some big machine and I can't tell what it does...only it's got a lot of hooks and chains and it lights up green! HEEEEELP!" Rufus hollers.
  
  > take the bullets
  You confiscate the flying bullets.
  
  The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  > take the bullets
  You take the flying bullets into evidence even though you don't have any little baggies.
  
  The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  > take the bullets
  You confiscate the flying bullets.
  
  The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  "I don't know any information you want," shouts Lenny from the north.
  
  > take gun
  That seems to belong to the Chartreuse Thug.
  
  You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.
  
  A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
  The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.
  
  Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.
  
  You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  an alien ant farm
  your marker
  a ham sandwich
  a dark gray suit (being worn)
  your fedora (being worn)
  a chest holster (being worn)
  a working knowledge of CPR
  
  The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
  
  > climb the bullets
  Climbing is not one of your best skills.
  
  You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.
  
  A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
  The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.
  
  Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.
  
  You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
  
  > take the carpet
  That's fixed in place.
  
  "Do you have any ideas?" Annie asks, crouching low.
  Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > look at the window
  The pane is smashed, likely creating quite a crescendo as the criminal entered her apartment. Yes, there are shards of glass on the inside. You disregard this, knowing that touching any of this will ruit it for the lab guys once they get here.
  
  "Are they still out there?" Annie asks, crouching low.
  Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"
  
  You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
  
  > Pirouette
  You probably don't have a chance unless you start at the beginning of a song.
  
  The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
  The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
  The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.