text: [Themes: Mystery, suspense, horror, blood]
  
  > go downwards
  You descend the steps into shadow...
  
  The odor of camphor is overwhelming in this gloomy subterranean chamber. Shelves along the walls house organs in jars of formaldehyde. Deeper in, cadavers are organized in labeled niches, embalmed and awaiting cremation.
  
  A flight of stairs leads back up to the clinic.
  
  Doctor Cavala is here studying Reden's body with a loupe. His heart, lungs, and trachea are neatly laid out beside him on the slab.
  
  > look at Reden
  His chest cavity has been dissected, revealing a spiderweb pattern of blackened blood vessels and tissues.
  
  > look at the heart
  Reden's organs are black and withered. You might have suspected poor embalming technique if it hadn't been Doctor Cavala performing the dissection.
  
  > talk to the Doctor
  You cough politely. "Good morning, Doctor."
  
  "Hmm? Oh." Doctor Cavala pushes up her loupe and acknowledges you with a nod. "Good morning, Marid. I trust you had a good night's sleep?"
  
  1) "Um. Yes."
  2) "I had a terrible nightmare..."
  3) "I'd rather not talk about it."
  
  > 1
  "Um. Yes."
  
  She sighs. "You're a terrible liar, Marid."
  
  You redden.
  
  You redden.Doctor Cavala gets to her feet, wipes off her gloves, and places her hand on your shoulder.
  
  "Don't worry," she says, more gently. "It's not an easy thing to go through. I remember the first time I lost a patient. But I promise it will get better."
  
  will get better."You shake your head. "I'll... I'll be fine, Doctor. Don't worry about me."
  
  Don't worry about me."After a pause, she nods and squeezes your shoulder. "Good girl."
  
  shoulder. "Good girl."Then Doctor Cavala steps back, and her businesslike demeanor returns.
  
  businesslike demeanor returns."The order of business today is twofold," she begins. "We aren't expecting many patients today, so I don't need you to be at the counter. Instead, I need you to run an errand for me."
  
  errand for me.""What sort of errand?" you ask.
  
  errand for me.""What sort of errand?" you ask.She purses her lips. "First, I need you to deliver the documentation of Reden's death to the basilica. Second, I need you to inform Reden's next of kin that he has passed away."
  
  1) "How should I go about delivering the documentation?"
  2) "Where does Reden's next of kin live?"
  3) "What will you be doing?"
  4) "I'm on it, Doctor."
  
  > 1
  "How should I go about delivering the documentation?"
  
  "It's quite straightforward." Doctor Cavala shows you a sheaf of papers. "I've already bundled the documents and sent word to the basilica by correspondence. All you have to do is pass the bundle to the censor's office."
  
  You rack your memory. "The basilica is next to the forum, right? Across the Via Terminalis bridge?"
  
  "That's right."
  
  1) "Where does Reden's next of kin live?"
  2) "What will you be doing?"
  3) "I'm on it, Doctor."
  
  > 1
  "Where does Reden's next of kin live?" you ask.
  
  Doctor Cavala frowns. "According to my file, he has a brother in Riggertown by the name of Zoiro, but I don't have an address for you. Your best bet is to look up his name in the census records. Or you could ask around in Riggertown -- I understand the goblin community is quite tightly knit."
  
  "Is Riggertown that shanty town down the canal?"
  
  "It is. Turn right at the bridge and you'll see it." She pauses. "And another thing -- check whether anyone in Riggertown is exhibiting similar symptoms. It could help in narrowing down the cause of the affliction."
  
  1) "What will you be doing?"
  2) "I'm on it, Doctor."
  
  > 1
  "What will you be doing?" you ask.
  
  Doctor Cavala inclines her head at the slab. "When not receiving patients, you mean? I intend to spend the day studying Reden's affliction. I've already left correspondence for Doctor Arturus, who I expect shall join me in the afternoon. In the meantime, I am compiling observations and studying the mechanism by which Reden has died. If all goes well, we should be able to present our findings to the medical community by the end of the week."
  
  1) "I'm on it, Doctor."
  
  > examine the sheaf
  Please choose a response from the list by typing the corresponding number.
  
  1) "I'm on it, Doctor."
  
  > 1
  "I'm on it, Doctor."
  
  She nods and presses the bundle of documentation into your hands. "Remember: first, deliver the documents to the basilica; second, look for Zoiro in Riggertown. Report back to me when you're done."
  
  > examine the documentation
  for Zoiro in Riggertown. Report back to me when you're done.""Okay."
  
  "I'll be here if you need anything." She pauses. "Take your time. Consider today a break after yesterday night."
  Consider today a break after yesterday night.""Yes, Doctor."
  Consider today a break after yesterday night.""Yes, Doctor.""Run along."
  along."With that, she sits down at the slab.
  along."With that, she sits down at the slab.(Type >inventory or
  >i to see what items you're carrying. Type >journal or
  >j to review your current objectives.)
  
  > check your inventory
  You are wearing your natron jacket, your clothes, and an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father). On your person are a bundle of documents, your practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, and an antiseptic cloth.
  
  > examine the documents
  Comprehensive documentation of Reden's death. It's filled out in neat longhand and bound with Doctor Cavala's signature.
  
  > J.
  Fourth of Aquaria, Auritum IV
  
  I've been given an opportunity to get out of the clinic and see the sights of the Channelworks District... but I still feel a hollowness inside.
  
  Current objectives:
  
  - Find Zoiro, Reden's brother, in Riggertown
  ...by asking the censor for his address
  ...by asking around Riggertown
  
  Marid's notes:
  
  - I remember that the basilica is across the Via Terminalis bridge, next to the grand forum.
  - I remember that Riggertown is down the canal from the Via Terminalis.
  
  The odor of camphor is overwhelming in this gloomy subterranean chamber. Shelves along the walls house organs in jars of formaldehyde. Deeper in, cadavers are organized in labeled niches, embalmed and awaiting cremation.
  
  A flight of stairs leads back up to the clinic.
  
  Doctor Cavala is here studying Reden's body with a loupe. His heart, lungs, and trachea are neatly laid out beside him on the slab.
  
  > Go upward
  You emerge from the darkness of the mortuary...
  
  Doctor Cavala's clinic is a small, unostentatious affair, neatly organized with little in the way of decoration. A row of chairs faces the prescription counter, where the medication and patient records are sorted in gridlike pigeonholes; further on is the consulting study, home to a desk strewn with notes and diagrams.
  
  A calomel curtain leads north to the surgery room, stairs lead down to the mortuary, and the front door lies east.
  
  > Go east
  (first opening the front door of the clinic)
  (closing the door behind you)
  
  Via Terminalis, West End
  You stand in the terminus of the Via Terminalis, a cul-de-sac of steel spires and buildings aspiring to the heavens. From here the street-lamps and shop windows line the great spine of the Channelworks District until, shrouded in the mists of the canal, it curves out of sight.
  
  The white cross of Doctor Cavala's clinic is to the west, the dormitory block where you live lies to the north, and a gap between buildings hides an alley entrance to the south. The great Via Terminalis continues to the east.
  
  (Type >map to view a map of the Channelworks District.)
  
  > go east
  Via Terminalis, West Street
  You are adrift in the bustle of crowds and carriages, a raucous river that runs through the blood-vessel streets. Signage advertises a profusion of shops and services amid the sounds of leather rollers and stitching machines. In the distant mist, the Bilious Canal spills from the Channelworks into the heart of the city.
  
  You can follow the Via to the west, or to the southeast where it bridges the canal. A condemned block is visible to the north. A hanging banner obscures an alley to the southwest, while a footpath follows the canal to the south.
  
  Some civil guards are keeping vigil on the thoroughfare. Among them you see your friend, Horatio.
  
  > examine Horatio
  Vigile Horatio is a childhood friend of yours. He's always been a bit dense, but you're glad to have him around.
  
  > look at the banner
  The banner is an advertisement for a night market, now three weeks out of date. You can't see much behind it.
  
  A carriage with drawn blinds trundles past.
  
  > talk to Horatio
  You smile at him. "Good morning, Horatio."
  
  He grins. "Hey, Marid. Out and about early?"
  
  1) "I should be asking you the same thing..."
  2) "I'm on an errand for Doctor Cavala..."
  
  > 2
  "I'm on an errand for Doctor Cavala," you explain. "I'm on my way to deliver some documents to the basilica."
  
  "No wonder you looked like you were in a hurry," Horatio muses. "Well, I shan't hold you up. You do know the way, don't you?"
  
  "Even if I didn't, I'd know better than to ask you."
  
  He hangs his head. "Fair enough."
  
  1) "How is life in the Vigiles?"
  2) "See you soon, Horatio."
  
  > 1
  "How is life in the Vigiles?"
  
  Horatio folds his arms. "I've hardly done anything. It's been nothing but closet-scrubbing and guard duty. I thought I'd had enough of that after boot camp."
  after boot camp.""I know the feeling."
  after boot camp.""I know the feeling.""I'm getting antsy, you know?" He drums his fingers on the hilt of his saber. "I want to be out there catching criminals and stopping burglaries, not standing around. I want to see some action once in a while."
  
  1) "See you soon, Horatio."
  
  > 1
  "See you soon, Horatio."
  
  "You too, Marid."
  
  You hug each other goodbye, and he returns to his post.
  
  > go to the south-east
  Here the voices and bustle wash over the arches and cobblestones. Mist rises from the Bilious Canal below, tarnishing the wayside statues green and gray, and fading into the fog and the overcast sky.
  
  The Via Terminalis stretches away to the northwest and southeast, while a clandestine stairway descends to the south.
  
  > examine Canal
  The Bilious Canal is furious and vitriolic, as befits its name. Mist curls from the surface of the water.
  
  > examine the bridge
  The stones have been smoothed by decades of traffic.
  
  > go to the southeast
  Traffic revolves every which way around this old-fashioned rotunda, tracing the ancient alchemical lines inscribed on the stonework. An armillary sphere rotates in the center of the junction and guides carriages according to its lights.
  
  The Via Terminalis runs northwest to the bridge and southeast to Miller's Gate. A colonnade to the north marks the entrance of the Channelworks. To the east lies the Turris Infinita, and to the south can be seen the grand forum.
  
  > J.
  Fourth of Aquaria, Auritum IV
  
  It feels good to be out and about making myself useful. Has it really been a week since the last time I went out on the town? Not that I should be going shopping at a time like this... but walking through the streets, seeing everyone going about their daily lives, it's almost enough to make me feel as though everything is going to be well.
  
  Current objectives:
  
  - Find Zoiro, Reden's brother, in Riggertown
  ...by asking the censor for his address
  ...by asking around Riggertown
  
  Marid's notes:
  
  - I remember that the basilica is across the Via Terminalis bridge, next to the grand forum.
  - I remember that Riggertown is down the canal from the Via Terminalis.
  - Perhaps I could go to the Turris Infinita and pay Justinian a surprise visit...
  - Doctor Cavala told me to think about what I saw last night...
  - This district is so much larger than the Lake District...
  
  Traffic revolves every which way around this old-fashioned rotunda, tracing the ancient alchemical lines inscribed on the stonework. An armillary sphere rotates in the center of the junction and guides carriages according to its lights.
  
  The Via Terminalis runs northwest to the bridge and southeast to Miller's Gate. A colonnade to the north marks the entrance of the Channelworks. To the east lies the Turris Infinita, and to the south can be seen the grand forum.
  
  > go south
  This immense paved square is alive with people of all kinds: couples, merchants, buskers. There are children flying their paper kites and old men watching the clouds drift by. A brilliant mural of Furopolis and Solphos hovers at the heart of it all.
  
  The arch of Miller's Gate rules the east, and the curving canal cradles the basilica to the west. From the northern Via Terminalis junction, the Via Mercurii splits off and travels south.
  
  passers-by.
  
  > take libri
  "Good morning," you say.
  
  "Morning, miss." He thrusts a newspaper into your hands. "Compliments of the press."
  
  "Um, thanks."
  
  > examine it
  The Bilious Canal is furious and vitriolic, as befits its name. Mist curls from the surface of the water.
  
  A prison carriage rolls past. You glimpse what looks like a squid through the bars before it turns a corner and is gone.
  
  > examine the libri
  FEATURE: IS ANIMUS POWER ETHICAL? Cathode-bound animii produce the energy that sustains our civilization, yet these souls are acquired through the coercion of society's most deprived...
  MUTANT CULTISTS AMONG US? Witnesses have reported individuals in
  the Lower City performing rituals in contravention of the Declaration of Religion Act...
  SIX AUTUMN FASHION TIPS. Look your best in the coming season with these products and recommendations from our featured experts...
  
  > look at the mural
  The mural is a three-dimensional work of art magically inscribed upon the aether. Walking through it you see the world exquisitely captured, so finely detailed that you can make out the pinprick-lights of the constellations. There are the continents Terra Munda and Terra Nova, the great black sea of the Pelagus, and the four domed periochs -- Kardiapolis, Kreopolis, Furopolis, and Neopolis.
  
  > examine the Neopolis
  Neopolis is still sparse in comparison to the other periochs, but there is a haunting wonder to its symmetry.
  
  A couple walks past, arm in arm.
  
  > look at Pelagus
  A vast dark expanse that seems to undulate as you move around the mural.
  
  > examine the Furopolis
  The artist has magnified the image of the city so that the forty-nine districts are reproduced. There is the Upper Perioch with its breathtaking spires, and the gold-stained rows of the Lower Perioch; and on the boundary, caught between worlds, you see the tiny Channelworks District and the even tinier forum nestled within.
  
  > look at the kreopolis
  Massive with its multiple domes, and ensconced amid the mountains.
  
  > examine the kardiapolis
  At this scale, the capital city looks like a fairy-tale palace on the ocean.
  
  Some young men walk past, pointing and laughing at something out of sight.
  
  > examine the basilica
  An imposing gothic hall. Petitioners trickle in and out.
  
  > go west
  Footsteps and whispers echo through these high-vaulted halls. The aisles on either side are lined with the doorways of countless clerical offices, and surrounding the raised chancel are the seats of the Magistrates' Court. The exit is to the east.
  
  Nearby is the censor -- but he appears to have fallen asleep at his desk.
  
  > look at the censor
  A middle-aged man with a receding hairline. He's slumped over his desk, fast asleep.
  
  > touch censor
  You tickle the censor's forehead and nose. He shifts and groans a little, and furrows his brow in his sleep.
  
  > talk to the censor
  "Excuse me?"
  
  The censor snores by way of response.
  
  > Shake censor
  You grab the censor's shoulders and give him a firm couple of shakes.
  
  He sniffs. He sighs. And then he keels over and resumes snoring.
  
  > Yell
  You take a deep breath and yell, "Censor, in the name of Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Natron, Mercury, and Sulfur, would you kindly. Wake.
  Up!"
  
  There is a very long silence.
  
  The censor is wide awake now. He scrambles to a seated position, staring at you all the while.
  
  "Er," he says. "Um."
  
  1) <Clear your throat.>
  2) "Sorry..."
  
  > 2
  "Sorry," you say, a little sheepishly. "It's just that you were asleep at your desk, and..."
  
  The censor turns red. "Of course, of course. Let's not speak of that. Entirely understandable. On to business." He adjusts his collar and puffs out his chest. "Censor Provis at your service, miss. What can I do for you today?"
  
  1) "I have documents from Doctor Cavala's clinic..."
  2) "I need the address of a Channelworks District citizen..."
  
  > 1
  "I have documents from Doctor Cavala's clinic regarding the death of a Channelworks District citizen," you say. "A middle-aged goblin man by the name of Reden."
  
  You hand the bundle of documents to the censor, who regards it with an appraising eye.
  
  "Let me see." He breaks the seal and quickly scans the contents. "Yes. Hmm. Unfortunate, this. Not to worry. All shall be in order..."
  Hmm. Unfortunate, this. Not to worry. All shall be in order..."The censor's gaze pauses on one section of the report. He reads it -- rereads it.
  rereads it."Hmm!" he says. "Well excuse me! An unknown
  disease? Hmm! Now this is highly irregular. Highly irregular. I will have to contact my superiors."
  have to contact my superiors."He puts a big red stamp on the bundle and files it away in a clattering of drawers, muttering to himself all the while. At last he pats the desk and nods with an air of self-importance.
  self-importance."Very good, miss," he says. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Now was there anything else you needed?"
  
  1) "I need the address of a Channelworks District citizen..."
  2) "Nothing, thank you."
  
  > 1
  "I need the address of a Channelworks District citizen. His name is Zoiro."
  
  The censor furrows his brow. "Right then," he says. "Just a moment. Wait here, if you please."
  
  He gets up and vanishes into one of the side doorways of the basilica, muttering a stream of incomprehensible jargon involving coordinates and street names. You hear the sounds of wooden scroll cases being rifled through, and furtive frantic consultations among the clerks.
  rifled through, and furtive frantic consultations among the clerks.After an appreciable wait, he emerges from the doorway flush-faced and triumphant.
  flush-faced and triumphant."Seventh on Layabout Row," he proclaims, "Upper Riggertown. Property under the name of Zoiro and Koriph. And his place of employment, which I've taken the liberty to look up, is the Riggertown Mechanistry. Here, let me write it down for you --"
  the Riggertown Mechanistry. Here, let me write it down for you --"He scribbles on a scrap of paper, hands it to you, and sits back down at his desk looking eminently satisfied.
  
  "There we go," he says. "Now was there anything else you needed?"
  
  1) "Nothing, thank you."
  
  > 1
  "Nothing, thank you."
  
  The censor beams. "Have a good day, miss. Per radium sophia."
  
  You step away from the censor's desk.
  
  > Inventory
  You are wearing your natron jacket, your clothes, and an animus pendant (containing the spirit of your father). On your person are a note with Zoiro's address, today's copy of the Libri Liberi,
  your practitioner's badge, your scalpel, your purse, and an antiseptic cloth.
  
  > examine the note
  It's the scrap of paper the censor gave you. It reads:
  
  Home address: VII Layabout Row, Upper Riggertown
  Employment address: Riggertown Mechanistry, Upper Riggertown
  
  > Go east
  This immense paved square is alive with people of all kinds: couples, merchants, buskers. There are children flying their paper kites and old men watching the clouds drift by. A brilliant mural of Furopolis and Solphos hovers at the heart of it all.
  
  The arch of Miller's Gate rules the east, and the curving canal cradles the basilica to the west. From the northern Via Terminalis junction, the Via Mercurii splits off and travels south.
  
  passers-by.
  
  > Go south
  The Road of Change is a snaking, secretive thing. It curls in the side streets and in the dark places. Here along the canal, the opulence of the Upper Perioch peels away to reveal midnight hues and scarlet lamps, cabarets and pawnbrokers and establishments of ill repute -- but for now, at least, they slumber in the daylight.
  
  To the north is the grand forum, vibrant and lively, while to the south the Shanty Quarter begins.
  
  A fortune-teller is plying his trade by the road. As you pass him, he meets your gaze and beckons you with a smile.
  
  > talk to the teller
  You approach the fortune-teller's table.
  
  "Hello," you offer.
  
  "Good afternoon, young one." His accent is disarming. "Have you come in search of answers?"
  
  1) "I have."
  2) "I came because you beckoned me."
  3) "I was curious."
  
  > 3
  "I was curious."
  
  "Ah, curiosity. I can hardly fault you. It's only natural to be curious about a tradition such as mine."
  
  The fortune-teller spreads his hands, and the deck of cards seems to fly apart and flow into itself.
  
  "I am a reader of messages, of portents. We often ask -- What should I do? Where will I go? The cards can show us all these things and more."
  
  1) "I've never seen cards like these before."
  2) "How does it work?"
  3) "Do you get many patrons?"
  4) "I'd like a reading."
  5) "Perhaps another time."
  
  > 1
  "I've never seen cards like this before."
  
  The fortune-teller nods enigmatically, and slowly riffles the deck for you to see. The card backs are baroque, inlaid with gold, brilliant with light as they collapse inward.
  
  "The Aubedore," he murmurs. "The lost art. Here, you may not have heard of it. But the tradition exists, and I assure you that it is real."
  
  1) "What did you mean by 'the lost art?'"
  2) "How does it work?"
  3) "Do you get many patrons?"
  4) "I'd like a reading."
  5) "Perhaps another time."
  
  > 1
  "What did you mean by 'the lost art?'" you ask.
  
  He only smiles. "Perhaps I've said too much. A magician can only reveal so many secrets."
  
  1) "How does it work?"
  2) "Do you get many patrons?"
  3) "I'd like a reading."
  4) "Perhaps another time."
  
  > 1
  "How does it work?"
  
  The fortune-teller holds the cards close to his chest. "The strings of fate -- but perhaps you know them better as the chains of causality. They are intimately connected to all things in ways you can't imagine. By shuffling the cards, I am attuning them to your past, present, and future, to the parallels and possibilities."
  
  1) "I don't believe in fate."
  2) "Do you get many patrons?"
  3) "I'd like a reading."
  4) "Perhaps another time."
  
  > 2
  "Do you get many patrons?" you ask.
  
  "Many," the fortune-teller replies. "I've told the fortunes of the rich and poor, young and old. They all sought answers in their lifetime, and the cards helped them discover the way."
  
  1) "I don't believe in fate."
  2) "I'd like a reading."
  3) "Perhaps another time."
  
  > 2
  "I'd like a reading," you say cautiously.
  
  "Very well," he replies. "Please, sit down. What question do you wish to ask the Fates?"
  
  You take your seat at the table, facing the fortune-teller. After a long moment, you give your answer.
  
  1) "There's a boy I like..."
  2) "A man died in the clinic where I work..."
  3) "I've been having nightmares..."
  
  > 2
  "A man died in the clinic where I work. I want to know what happened to him."
  
  The fortune-teller's smile fades, and he nods more seriously.
  
  "You pose me a sober question, my friend," he says. "I will endeavor to ask the cards on your behalf. Let's see what the River pattern has to tell us about your patient."
  
  He upturns his hand. Cards slide off the deck and onto the table in a flowing line. With his other hand, he turns the path of the cascade until a curving tangent has been formed.
  
  until a curving tangent has been formed."The River flows from the source," he says, "through the upper course and the bend, into the lower course and the delta. Here, the tributary is fed by the lake."
  
  lower course and the delta. Here, the tributary is fed by the lake."He gestures to each of the face-down cards in sequence.
  
  gestures to each of the face-down cards in sequence."Now we will reveal the cards, one by one, and see what they reveal about the flow of causality."
  
  of causality."His gold-gloved hand hovers over the source.
  
  of causality."His gold-gloved hand hovers over the source."Shall we begin?"
  
  1) <Watch him reveal the upper river.>
  
  Please choose a response from the list by typing the corresponding number.
  
  1) <Watch him reveal the upper river.>
  
  > 1
  You nod. The fortune-teller touches the source, and brings it to light.
  
  light.The illustration is of an ancient forge, immaculately detailed and filled with artifacts of esoteric design. You see swords and cups, cloaks and crowns. But in front and center, set above the rest, is a band of purest, most exalted gold.
  
  band of purest, most exalted gold."The Ring," says the fortune-teller. "The most brilliant of the Fixtures. The source was a device, or perhaps a discovery, that possessed vast potential."
  
  perhaps a discovery, that possessed vast potential."The next card is upside down, and all you can make out is a crowded and colorful vignette. But in the center, almost unnoticeable, is one stooped figure devoid of color.
  
  figure devoid of color."The Servant. The lowliest in the realm of the court, so humble as to go unnoticed. But it is inverted; I dare say your patient drew unexpected attention, for good or for ill."
  
  your patient drew unexpected attention, for good or for ill."The third card bears a young woman's face in stark definition, with blue eyes eerily like your own, but with only pale skin where her mouth should have been. You involuntarily touch your lips.
  
  have been. You involuntarily touch your lips.The fortune-teller shakes his head. "The bend is the Mute. The event, then, the death, had to do with silence. But did your patient die because he did not speak out... or was he killed to ensure he never did?"
  
  or was he killed to ensure he never did?"He purses his lips.
  
  "Let us take a step back, and see if the tributary sheds light on the mystery."
  
  1) <Watch him reveal the tributary.>
  
  > 1
  He reveals the card, and it turns out to be an idyllic scene of the land before the Darkening, a picture of a forest with green trees and blue skies. In its center is a body of still and silvery water.
  blue skies. In its center is a body of still and silvery water."The Pond," says the fortune-teller. "It represents a place far from civilization where one can reflect and find reflection. It is the indirect cause -- could the discovery have been made in such a place? The place your patient drew attention? Or did he not speak out because civilization would not have heard him?"
  civilization would not have heard him?"You frown. "I came here for answers, not more questions."
  answers, not more questions.""I am sorry you feel that way, my friend," he replies. "I can only convey what I can see with my own eyes, and what the cards see fit to provide. The Fates can be temperamental even at the best of times.
  temperamental even at the best of times."But look! There are still three cards we have not revealed."
  
  1) <Watch him reveal the rest of the river.>
  
  > 1
  "We have seen what has come to pass," he says, reaching for the lake. "Now we see what could have been..."
  
  "Now we see what could have been..."The card bears the image of an old woman in a dungeon. She is strung up by iron manacles and horribly withered, with her emaciation illustrated in exacting detail.
  
  withered, with her emaciation illustrated in exacting detail."The Manacles." A grimace. "If not for your patient's death, someone would have been imprisoned. Yes, an unpleasant picture is beginning to emerge..."
  
  emerge..."The fortune-teller turns over the lower course, revealing it to be another dark and disturbing illustration; but upside-down, so that you can only see a bone-white figure.
  
  that you can only see a bone-white figure."Ah!" he declares. "The Ghost appears, but inverted. The dire message it brings is not heard, and the course of fate is not changed. And that brings us to our final card, the delta --"
  
  card, the delta --"The delta is a storm at sea, heaving with rain-lashed ships and alive with forked lightning. Above all in the pitch-black sky is a terrible sphere that can only be the
  Luna.
  
  Luna.The fortune-teller sets the card down.
  
  Luna.The fortune-teller sets the card down."The Tempest," he
  whispers. "The future will be filled with change and turmoil. It could be in many years, or it could be tomorrow. And all because of a humble man who drew the wrong attention -- and was silenced."
  
  A long pause.
  
  1) "...I see."
  2) "Are you sure?"
  3) "I hope you aren't expecting me to believe this drivel."
  
  > 2
  "Are you sure?" you ask.
  
  He nods. "It is what the Fates have shown me."
  
  1) "...I see."
  2) "I don't believe in fate."
  3) "I hope you aren't expecting me to believe this drivel."
  
  > 1
  "...I see," you say at last.
  
  He is still and pensive. The wind grasps his hood, making its edges billow.
  billow.At length, he places a hand on his deck. His eyes flicker to it; his lips twitch. Then he picks up his cards, one by one, and shuffles them away and out of sight.
  shuffles them away and out of sight."I should go," he murmurs. "I have other places to be."
  
  1) "Goodbye."
  2) "Wait..."
  
  > 2
  "Wait..."
  
  He gets to his feet. You rise, your mind buzzing with questions. "Wait!" you cry. "Wait..."
  "Wait!" you cry. "Wait...""Goodbye," he says. "Live on, my friend. Live well."
  Live well."And he vanishes with a whirl of his cloak, leaving only a whiff of incense on the wind.
  whiff of incense on the wind.It's a while before you notice the sounds of the city around you again.