text: to move to the first floor. The lift jolts and moves down.
  
  The lift stops, the doors open and you step out on to the first floor.
  
  First Floor Corridor (Paris)
  
  You are standing outside room 147 in a well-lit corridor on the first floor of a high-class Parisian hotel. Light fittings line the ceiling. Splendid looking doors are scattered along both sides of the wall to the north and to the south. The fluffy beige carpet tickles your feet. There is a button on the east wall, next to which is a opening where the lift arrives. Imposing, closed metallic doors inform you that the lift is at a different floor.
  
  Exits: West
  
  > go west
  You try the handle but the door is locked. You need a keycard to get in. People are so suspicious these days.
  
  > examine the receptionist
  A young man with short black hair, small glasses, a thin moustache and a severe look gazes out over the hotel lobby looking for trouble like an old-time sheriff. His almost-militaristic features are in total contrast to his hideous fluorescent uniform, making him look like the grim veteran from several campaigns of leading a circus clown militia.
  
  > examine the plaques
  The plaques tell you that this hotel has won awards for being generally excellent and has provided a bed for many different famous people and members of various royal families. People all end up the same way to you.
  
  > go to the south
  You move south.
  
  Dining Room (Paris)
  
  An elegant room is spread before you. A large mirror fills one entire wall, creating the impression of a room twice as big as it actually is. Soft, plush scarlet carpet softens the floor, and the high ceiling is painted black with white specks to resemble a night sky. Dining tables laid for use fill the room. A few kitchen staff are milling around, but other than that the room is very quiet compared to the relative busyness of the lobby.
  
  Exits: North
  
  > get the cutlery
  You never cease to be surprised by how many of your Clients, when faced with the news of their own demise, find nothing more pressing than their concern about which relative is going to steal their silverware. Since having heard such vitriol directed at family members you've taken a personal vow never to steal cutlery.
  
  > Examine menu
  You risk flicking through the menu (and attached wine list). As the living embodyment of entropy you don't have a need for food, but this menu looks so good that even you feel a little hungry.
  
  > sit
  You're not going to sit on the ground. It's hard enough keeping these robes clean as it is.
  
  > order the food
  I don't understand what you want me to do with the dining tables.
  
  That didn't make any sense to me.
  
  > read the menu
  You risk flicking through the menu (and attached wine list). As the living embodyment of entropy you don't have a need for food, but this menu looks so good that even you feel a little hungry.
  
  > get menu
  You take one of the table menus.
  
  > Go north
  (Standing up first)
  You move north.
  
  Hotel Lobby (Paris)
  
  You are standing in a busy, very expensive looking hotel lobby. It's a large room, with pillars propping up the high ceiling every few metres. One wall is lined with decorative plaques detailing awards and commendations, and right in the middle of the lobby is a selection of comfy-looking chairs. Everything is made out of marble or some other very shiny rock. In the distance you see large revolving doors leading out onto the streets of Paris and by the doors is a reception desk, manned by a person wearing a garish uniform seemingly pieced together from individual items salvaged from a fight between a cinema usher and an ice cream salesman. A lot of people seem to be milling about aimlessly. There is an archway to the south. The only other way out of here is to press the button that summons the lift.
  
  Exits: South
  
  You can see the hotel receptionist, his hawk-like gaze asserting his authority over everything that he can see.
  
  > say the blue sparrow
  No-one pays any attention to you.
  
  > ask the receptionist about Room 147
  The receptionist looks at you with disgust.
  
  "As much as we'd love to have you as a guest at this hotel, sir, we only have one room available - room 147 - and I am not sure that you have the resources to meet our exclusive prices. In fact...yes...yes, while I have been talking to you the price of one night in room 147 has just tripled. Have a nice day."
  
  The man's gaze moves beyond you to the lobby behind you.
  
  > examine the revolving doors
  You have only ever used revolving doors once before. It had pretty much the same effect as trying to use a whisk on a chopstick. They had to call the fire brigade to get you out. These are certainly very fine revolving doors but you have no intention of using them.
  
  > examine the people
  Young and old, male and female. Much like everywhere that you go, these people seem to be willing to do anything to ignore you. More so than usual, because these people are clearly from the higher echelons of society and have much more to lose.
  
  > press the button
  You press the silver button, which yields gently under your finger.
  
  After a few seconds the doors slide open and you are standing in front of an empty lift. You step inside.
  
  Lift (Paris)
  
  You are standing in a claustrophobic metal box, each and every surface is shining unmarked silver. The doors have shut in front of you and, adjacent to them, is a panel at waist height on which you can see four buttons. Three of the buttons are marked for the second, first and ground floor. The fourth button displays two arrows heading away from each other, suggesting that pressing this might either split the lift in half or open the doors. You'd wager it's the second.
  
  The lift is currently on the ground floor.
  
  > 2
  You press the button to move to the second floor. The lift jolts and moves up.
  
  The lift stops, the doors open and you step out on to the second floor.
  
  Second Floor Corridor (Paris)
  
  You are standing outside room 247 in a well-lit corridor on the second floor of a high-class Parisian hotel. Light fittings line the ceiling. Splendid looking doors are scattered along both sides of the wall to the north and to the south. The fluffy beige carpet tickles your feet. There is a button on the east wall, next to which is a opening where the lift arrives. Imposing, closed metallic doors inform you that the lift is at a different floor.
  
  Exits: West
  
  Horse waits here, looking quite majestic.
  
  > 3
  You press the button to open to the door and step out in to the lobby.
  
  Hotel Lobby (Paris)
  
  You are standing in a busy, very expensive looking hotel lobby. It's a large room, with pillars propping up the high ceiling every few metres. One wall is lined with decorative plaques detailing awards and commendations, and right in the middle of the lobby is a selection of comfy-looking chairs. Everything is made out of marble or some other very shiny rock. In the distance you see large revolving doors leading out onto the streets of Paris and by the doors is a reception desk, manned by a person wearing a garish uniform seemingly pieced together from individual items salvaged from a fight between a cinema usher and an ice cream salesman. A lot of people seem to be milling about aimlessly. There is an archway to the south. The only other way out of here is to press the button that summons the lift.
  
  Exits: South
  
  You can see the hotel receptionist, his hawk-like gaze asserting his authority over everything that he can see.
  
  > say the Follina to Horse
  You climb on to Horse's back. He/She climbs into the air and you travel, at an incredible speed, to your destination.
  
  Outside a Cave (Follina, Italy)
  
  Around you, in every direction, stretches fields, hills and beautiful countryside. In the distance you can see picturesque red brick walls and a farmhouse. Right beside you, however, is a large pile of rocks rolled up against the side of a hill. It looks like the rocks are blocking the entrance to a cave.
  
  Exits: No Exits
  
  Horse waits here, looking quite majestic.
  
  Horse skids to a halt on a rocky field, his boney hooves churning up small stones and pebbles. One hits you on the side of the head, which makes you curse. Horse neighs in apology or so you guess.
  
  You climb down from Horse and check your surroundings. It doesn't take too long. You're standing in a barren Italian field, the nice view spoilt by the huge pile of rocks right in front of you.
  
  Outside a Cave (Follina, Italy)
  
  Around you, in every direction, stretches fields, hills and beautiful countryside. In the distance you can see picturesque red brick walls and a farmhouse. Right beside you, however, is a large pile of rocks rolled up against the side of a hill. It looks like the rocks are blocking the entrance to a cave.
  
  Exits: No Exits
  
  Horse waits here, looking quite majestic.
  
  > examine the rocks
  Hundreds of mishapen rocks form a pile by the hill. They were clearly formed by some kind of rockfall and it's going to take more than a rock..err...rise to clear them.
  
  > move the rocks
  Maybe, just maybe, if you had an unlimited army of trained monkeys you could clear this cave before the end of the day. But you don't. So there. You'll have to think of something else.
  
  > give the menu
  Give the hotel menu to who?
  
  > ask Abuya about the wedding
  Abuya looks at you, perhaps wondering why such a strange-looking man would show an interest in her wedding.
  
  "I would marry this very hour if only I could arrange two things. I would want a beautiful wedding dress like the ones that I have seen in the magazines. And I would want a gift for my future husband. He doesn't like my cooking so perhaps I could give him something so that he wouldn't have to eat it..."
  
  She has a twinkle in her eye, suggesting that perhaps she knows that you have a vested interest in this wedding...
  
  > play the Chess
  "I'm ready. Let'th play," you take your seat behind the black pieces.
  
  Jimiyu makes his first move. You mentally cycle through the pages of the chess guide in your head and the respond. Jimiyu nods and makes his second move. Once again you recall what you have read and make a move. A frown crosses Jimiyu's face as he makes a third move. You respond appropriately. This is going well...
  
  Half an hour later the game moves to its completion. As Jimiyu knocks his king over he looks up at you. Then in a split second his frown transforms into a huge grin.
  
  "I really thought that would work," he laughs.
  
  "If it'th any contholation, you're the betht opponent that I've ever had," you say graciously, hoping that he doesn't ask you how many opponents you've ever had.
  
  "I've been ready for you for a while," he sighs, "It was just a shame that I couldn't see my granddaughter finally wed."
  
  You nod in sympathy but say nothing. You've never really understood human affection for these rites of passage, but you like to make people feel like you care.
  
  "I'm ready then. Let us do this." Jimiyu smiles again.
  
  > Examine magnet
  It's a small metal magnet.
  
  You are carrying the Golden Hourglass, The Grim Reaper's Scythe, The List, a small magnet, the time machine plans, the hotel menu, the military uniform, the shovel and the saw.
  
  > Go south
  You move south.
  
  Village (Near Wajir, Kenya)
  
  You are standing in the middle of a cluster of buildings denoting this to be a settlement of some kind. The ground under your feet is dry and dusty. Children run through the streets, shouting and laughing. Men go about their business. Women stand and gossip, occasionally breaking into laughter. No-one pays you much attention. They're all having too much fun to pay any mind to death at the moment. A path winds east out of the village. You can see Jimiyu's hut to the north, and to the west the open doorway of another hut invites you in.
  
  Exits: North, East and West
  
  Horse waits here, looking quite majestic.
  
  > say nevada to Horse
  You climb on to Horse's back. He/She climbs into the air and you travel, at an incredible speed, to your destination.
  
  Storage Cupboard (Area 51, Nevada)
  
  You are crammed, almost bent double, into a small storage cupboard. With your prefect night vision you can make out several shelves, crammed full of pots and bottles of various fluids. There seems to be a definite cleaning theme to this cupboard. Your foot clatters againt more tins and boxes. Horse shuffles and kicks you in the knee. You think you might have found a new frontrunner in the "Most Uncomfortable I Have Ever Been" stakes.
  
  Exits: East
  
  Horse waits here, looking quite majestic.
  
  > go to the east
  You move east.
  
  Corridor (Area 51, Nevada)
  
  A very plain military corridor, lacking any redeeming features. It seems that after having spent the budget on laser guns and mind control devices there's only enough money left for "Hospital White" paint. There is a door to the west labelled Storage, and the corridor continues to the north. At the south end is a set of unmarked double doors.
  
  Exits: North, South and West
  
  Private Kline stands in front of the double doors, blocking your way. He looks determined to keep you out.
  
  > Go west
  You move west.
  
  Corridor (Area 51, Nevada)
  
  Another featureless military corridor. This time you really do see nothing special. The corridor stretches back south, the way that you came from. There are doors in the other walls. The north door has a sign that reads Security, the east door reads Barracks and the west door says Laboratory. Nice of them to label the doors for you.
  
  Exits: North, South, East and West
  
  > go to the west
  Laboratory (Area 51, Nevada)
  
  You are standing in a large spotless room. The first thing you notice is a huge, strange, complex machine in the middle of the room. You've never seen anything like it before. It's surrounded by a work surface, on which are scattered various papers and notes. One wall is lined with computer terminals. There are also shelves, loaded with bottles and tools and around the room seem to be one or two unfinished experiments.
  
  Exits: East
  
  > examine papers
  You sift through the various papers. It appears that they all relate to the curious machine in the middle of the room. It seems that it's some kind of time travel device salvaged from alien technology. There are pencil notes in the margins and everything. The hand-writing seems to be that of someone who is intensely frustrated, and you can see why. The notes tell you that no-one can seem to get the machine working.
  
  > enter the Machine
  You awkwardly clamber inside the time machine.
  
  Inside Time Machine (Area 51, Nevada)
  
  The time machine is clearly meant for someone a lot shorter than you. You feel like a pen in a matchbox. From the outside the machine looked complicated, but from the inside the task of understanding what's going on is positively herculean. You can see a large number of lights and dials, none of which you can understand. It doesn't help that any instructions written in the machine are in some kind of alien dialect. The things that you think might be significant are a digital readout which says '2007', the buttons next to this readout, an open panel revealing a mix of wires and a pile of paper which is chained to the inside of the machine, clearly to avoid theft.
  
  Exits: Exit
  
  > read the papers
  You begin reading the translation...
  
  CONGRATULATIONS ON PURCHASING THE CHRONOMATIC 3500!
  
  We are confident that you will not regret your purchase. Please take the time to read this instruction manual and familiarise yourself with all of the features offered by this new model of an old favourite.
  
  NEW FEATURES INCLUDE...
  
  - FREE 'and space' upgrade. That's right! Your Chronomatic 3500 is able to move not just through time, but through time AND space!
  
  - Failsafe Homing Feature. Your Chronomatic will automatically return you to your starting destination when you have finished your business in other time zones
  
  - New Leather Interior. Time Travel in comfort!
  
  - 3 Year Warranty.
  
  (Please note - warranty immediately becomes invalid in the following cases.
  
  - If the owner tries to use an expired warranty machine to travel back in time to a year when the warranty is valid.
  
  - If the owner allows this technology to fall into the hands of humanity.)
  
  QUICKSTART:
  
  For those of you who just want to get on with the fun business of time travel you can simply begin your experience with the following simple combination of instructions...
  
  Step 1)  If appropriate select the time era you wish to visit using the RED BUTTON.
  
  Step 2) Simply enter the year that you wish to visit (no need to use any combination of commands such as 'type year' or 'enter year  into machine' - simply type the year that you wish to visit!)
  
  ...and that's it! The machine will do the rest!
  
  We hope that you have a GREAT time and many happy years with the Chronomatic 3500. Remember - Have the time of your life!
  
  (and we really mean it about not letting the humans get their hands on this technology. Seriously.)
  
  You also notice that someone has scrawled '5500 AD' at the bottom of the translation. You put the manual down. The original has many, many more pages but clearly the translators haven't got around to working on that yet. Still, it seems that you have enough to actually use the machine - if you can get it working.
  
  > examine the panel
  You look behind the panel. You then pull out the wad of papers you borrowed from the house in Manchester. A quick comparison between the papers and the workings behind the panel tells you that there's something missing from the time machine - which is probably why it isn't working. You think there's a gap in here where a small coil of wire should be inserted.
  
  > examine the readout
  Either the aliens lack imagination or the local scientists here have rewired this readout to display numeric characters. Either way, you feel confident about guessing that this tells you what year you are in or are planning to visit.
  
  > examine the surface
  It's a plain, metallic surface for carrying out experiments on. Easy to wipe clean. At the moment it's covered in papers, notes and diagrams.
  
  > look at the terminals
  The machines are all switched off, except one  - which seems to be running a game of Adventure.
  
  > play Game
  Oh wouldn't that be very post-modern and ironic. One game at a time please.
  
  > Go north
  You move north.
  
  You are standing on a garden path. You don't have a garden so technically it should just be called 'a path'. The path leads through the void of emptiness from your house to the stable where Horse lives.
  
  Exits: North and South
  
  > go to the north
  You move north.
  
  The hallway has thick, plush red carpet which always tickles your toes a little bit. It goes quite well with the black, pannelled walls. At the south end is your imposing front door. There are a series of hooks by the door on which you could hang your coat, if you wore a coat that is. A small bin sits by the door. There is also a full-length mirror on one wall. As you're the last sight some people see, it's quite right that you check that you look presentable.
  
  Exits: East, South and West
  
  > get the letter
  You bend down and scoop the letter from Blackbury Banking Services out of the bin. This might come in useful.
  
  > Go west
  You move west.
  
  You are standing in your living room. It's quite small and cosy, with panel flooring and painted walls (black, of course). A bookcase stands against one wall. On another is a shelf, on which rests your CD player and collection of CDs. A comfy, well-worn leather armchair lies right bang in the centre of the room facing the only window. You often like to sit on the chair staring out into the empty, black void of time and space that your home backs on to. It's not a great view, but it's something to look at.
  
  Exits: East
  
  > sit in the armchair
  You sit down on your leather armchair.
  
  > look at armchair
  You've had this for about forty years. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the comfiest chair that you have ever owned. And you should know. You had to sit on the floor until someone got around to inventing the chair.
  
  > examine void
  You see nothing special. In fact you don't see anything at all.
  
  > get the cds
  If you wanted to listen to music on the go you would have bought yourself an iPod.
  
  > examine the bookcase
  The bookcase is full of diaries. Your diaries. Early on you decided that you would keep a record of your duties. There are hundreds of volumes here.
  
  > get the diary
  You pick up a diary at random and flick to a page.
  
  Materialised at a fancy dress party today. It hardly ever happens but it's really nice when it does. I'd only been there three seconds before someone pushed a drink into my hand and a girl tried to kiss me. It was a shame that I was only there because the host was due to fall out of a window.
  
  You put the book back on the shelf. You can see no need to take any of them with you.
  
  > get the diary
  You pick up a diary at random and flick to a page.
  
  Thursday 18th July 956 (BC)
  Horse's birthday. I had two jobs to do. On the way home I accidently dropped my scythe into the sea. Have to get a new one now, which means filling out the relevant forms. I was so annoyed about it that I forgot to wish Horse a happy birthday until the evening, and now I feel really guilty. Will apologise tomorrow.
  
  You put the book back on the shelf. You can see no need to take any of them with you.
  
  > examine Hourglass
  The grains of sand tell you that you have four and a half hours left to complete your contract.
  
  > examine the player
  Your CD player. It's fully working despite not being plugged in. The flashing LED display blinks '----' at you. You've lost the instruction manual and have no idea how to set the time.
  
  > Play cd
  You are not in the mood for music right now. You tend to listen to it at the end of the day, when you want to unwind a bit.
  
  > Go east
  (Getting off your leather armchair first)
  You move east.
  
  The hallway has thick, plush red carpet which always tickles your toes a little bit. It goes quite well with the black, pannelled walls. At the south end is your imposing front door. There are a series of hooks by the door on which you could hang your coat, if you wore a coat that is. A small bin sits by the door. There is also a full-length mirror on one wall. As you're the last sight some people see, it's quite right that you check that you look presentable.
  
  Exits: East, South and West
  
  > Go south
  You move south.
  
  You are standing on a garden path. You don't have a garden so technically it should just be called 'a path'. The path leads through the void of emptiness from your house to the stable where Horse lives.
  
  Exits: North and South
  
  > go to the south
  You move south.
  
  You are in your stable. Despite your best efforts, the small, rough wooden structure seems more homely than your own house. Horse doesn't eat (or go to the toilet) but in accordance with universal laws the floor is covered in hay and the place smells of horse poo. In one corner is a large whetstone. Fixed to the north wall are the brackets where you rest your scythe when you're not using it.
  
  Exits: North
  
  Horse waits here, looking quite majestic.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are carrying the Golden Hourglass, The Grim Reaper's Scythe, The List, the credit card letter, a small magnet, the time machine plans, the hotel menu, the military uniform, the shovel and the saw.
  
  > take the hay
  No.
  
  > read the letter
  Dear Mr GRaper.
  Have we got an offer for you!!?? You, and others in your specially selected postcode region, have been chosen to take part in our amazing, introductory offer! We're offering you a free - that's right FREE - credit card with GBP10,000 limit*! ARE WE CRAZY?? To claim your FREE Credit Card simply turn up at our NEW Swindon branch and present this letter! That's it! That's all you have to do! No strings attached!**
  
  We look forward to meeting you!
  
  Mr. B. Jones (Manager)
  
  * 67.5% APR may apply
  
  ** Strings attached
  
  > say the Swindon to Horse
  You climb on to Horse's back. He/She climbs into the air and you travel, at an incredible speed, to your destination.
  
  Outside Blackbury Bank (Swindon)
  
  You are standing in a brand new but mostly empty carpark outside Blackbury Bank (Swindon Branch). Horse has settled in to a carparking space beside a black BMW and a red Mazda. As Horse shifts slightly you can see the word 'MANAGER' written in white paint beneath his/her feet. Over to your left, sitting on a brick wall, you can see two employees who are busy smoking cigarettes and trying to pretend that you are not there. To your north you can see a few steps, which lead right up to and inside Blackbury Bank.
  
  Exits: North
  
  Horse waits here, looking quite majestic.
  
  Horse descends from the clouds and makes a perfect landing in the carpark of the new Blackbury Bank in Swindon, attracting brief attention from two employees who are on a smoking break. The human survival instinct kicks in and they soon turn their focus back to happier things, such as filling their lungs with tar. You clamber down from Horse, accidently kicking the door of a black BMW in the process. It hurts a lot, but if people don't pay much attention to the sight of a skeletal horse descending from the heavens then they're not likely to care at all if they happen to see the Grim Reaper hopping on one foot and cursing like a trooper.
  
  After taking a few deep breaths you compose yourself and turn your attention to the task at hand.
  
  Outside Blackbury Bank (Swindon)
  
  You are standing in a brand new but mostly empty carpark outside Blackbury Bank (Swindon Branch). Horse has settled in to a carparking space beside a black BMW and a red Mazda. As Horse shifts slightly you can see the word 'MANAGER' written in white paint beneath his/her feet. Over to your left, sitting on a brick wall, you can see two employees who are busy smoking cigarettes and trying to pretend that you are not there. To your north you can see a few steps, which lead right up to and inside Blackbury Bank.
  
  Exits: North
  
  Horse waits here, looking quite majestic.
  
  > Go north
  You move north.
  
  Inside Blackbury Bank (Swindon)
  
  You are standing inside the brand new Blackbury Bank branch. The plush red carpet tickles your feet and the air conditioning makes you feel cold even under your robe. You don't often get to visit the bank, so there's not much here that interests you.
  
  Exits: South
  
  A female bank clerk stares at you from behind a counter, shielded by protective glass.
  
  > give the letter to the clerk
  The bank clerk's face lights up as she sees the letter. You slide it under the glass and she reads it.
  
  "That's fine, Mr...Raper." she says.
  
  "Reaper." you correct her, "Grim Reaper."
  
  She looks at you for a second and then grabs a pen, with which she makes a note on the letter that you received. She then slides you a form and the pen.
  
  "Please fill this in, Mr. Reaper." she smiles at you.
  
  You stare at the form for a minute. It simply asks you to sign if you are happy with the terms and conditions. The terms and conditions include graphic threats about what Blackbury Bank will do to you if you don't keep up with the card repayments, but seeing as pretty much all of the threats don't affect you (except possibly the one about the branding iron and the glue) you feel no reason to be concerned. You sign the form and slide it back under the glass.
  
  "Thank you Mr..." the bank clerk studies your signature for a second, "Mr. Groper?"
  
  "Reaper!" you state again, more firmly this time
  
  "But you've signed it..." the woman shows you the form through the glass.
  
  "No! That thayth Mr. G. Reaper, not Mr. Groper!"
  
  The bank clerk looks at you as though you're the crazy one and then taps away on her computer for a second. A few minutes later she presents you with a credit card in your name. She passes you the pen and the sign the back of the card, feeling a wave of pride in your new possession and statue as bank customer.
  
  "Thank you." you say, turning to leave.
  
  "Ah, Mr. Reaper?" the bank clerk waves her hand at you, "My pen?"
  
  "Ah, thorry." you respond meekly, returning her pen to her.
  
  > examine clerk
  The young, spectacled woman looks a little nervous. I imagine that you're not the usual type of customer that she deals with.
  
  > look at Card
  The credit card is marked BLACKBURY TITANIUM CUSTOMER CARD. There is a hologram on the bottom which informs you that you have a ten thousand pound credit limit. You have signed the rear of the card with your name.
  
  > go south
  You move south.
  
  Outside Blackbury Bank (Swindon)
  
  You are standing in a brand new but mostly empty carpark outside Blackbury Bank (Swindon Branch). Horse has settled in to a carparking space beside a black BMW and a red Mazda. As Horse shifts slightly you can see the word 'MANAGER' written in white paint beneath his/her feet. Over to your left, sitting on a brick wall, you can see two employees who are busy smoking cigarettes and trying to pretend that you are not there. To your north you can see a few steps, which lead right up to and inside Blackbury Bank.
  
  Exits: North
  
  Horse waits here, looking quite majestic.
  
  > look at the employees
  There is a smartly-dressed man sitting on the wall with a cigarette in his hand, trying to look casual. A business woman stands next to him, standing and sitting as though she cannot decide what to do. She is smoking too. Neither of them pay you any notice.
  
  > Examine bmw
  The red Mazda looks pretty new and shiny. The license plate says "BANK 1". The black BMW also looks impressive, but one of the doors has a dent from where something struck it hard. Coincidentally, your foot also has a dent in it from where it struck something hard.
  
  > say paris to Horse
  You climb on to Horse's back. He/She climbs into the air and you travel, at an incredible speed, to your destination.
  
  Second Floor Corridor (Paris)
  
  You are standing outside room 247 in a well-lit corridor on the second floor of a high-class Parisian hotel. Light fittings line the ceiling. Splendid looking doors are scattered along both sides of the wall to the north and to the south. The fluffy beige carpet tickles your feet. There is a button on the east wall, next to which is a opening where the lift arrives. Imposing, closed metallic doors inform you that the lift is at a different floor.
  
  Exits: West
  
  Horse waits here, looking quite majestic.
  
  > Go west
  You move west.
  
  Room 247 (Paris)
  
  You are in a hotel room in a luxurious Parisian hotel. The decor is of the usual standard expected by those who have plenty of money but no class. Gold trim and regal, red wallpaper with extravagant, crystal light fittings and a white smoke alarm that looks out of place. The floor is polished oak, or some other kind of luxury wood. There is a four-poster double bed against the far wall. Everything is very wet from the sprinkler, and the chalk-line has been erased.
  
  Exits: East
  
  Agathe Laurent's corpse lies on the bed.
  
  > examine corpse
  Now that life has left her she looks like she died a long time ago and was only holding on to this life through sheer willpower.
  
  > Go east
  You move east.
  
  Second Floor Corridor (Paris)
  
  You are standing outside room 247 in a well-lit corridor on the second floor of a high-class Parisian hotel. Light fittings line the ceiling. Splendid looking doors are scattered along both sides of the wall to the north and to the south. The fluffy beige carpet tickles your feet. There is a button on the east wall, next to which is a opening where the lift arrives. Imposing, closed metallic doors inform you that the lift is at a different floor.
  
  Exits: West
  
  Horse waits here, looking quite majestic.
  
  > press the button
  You press the silver button, which yields gently under your finger.
  
  After a few seconds the doors slide open and you are standing in front of a bald man wearing a long, black jacket and sunglasses. He conveys the air of one who is desperately trying to avoid looking suspicious and failing miserably. He nods at you in greeting as you step inside the lift.
  
  Lift (Paris)
  
  You are standing in a claustrophobic metal box, each and every surface is shining unmarked silver. The doors have shut in front of you and, adjacent to them, is a panel at waist height on which you can see four buttons. Three of the buttons are marked for the second, first and ground floor. The fourth button displays two arrows heading away from each other, suggesting that pressing this might either split the lift in half or open the doors. You'd wager it's the second.
  
  The lift is currently on the ground floor.
  
  There is a bald man in a black coat and sunglasses in the lift with you. He hops from foot to foot nervously.
  
  > 1
  You press the button to move to the first floor. The lift jolts and moves up.
  
  The lift stops, the doors open and you step out on to the first floor.
  
  The man nods at you as you leave the lift.
  
  First Floor Corridor (Paris)
  
  You are standing outside room 147 in a well-lit corridor on the first floor of a high-class Parisian hotel. Light fittings line the ceiling. Splendid looking doors are scattered along both sides of the wall to the north and to the south. The fluffy beige carpet tickles your feet. There is a button on the east wall, next to which is a opening where the lift arrives. Imposing, closed metallic doors inform you that the lift is at a different floor.
  
  Exits: West
  
  > press the button
  You press the silver button, which yields gently under your finger.
  
  After a few seconds the doors slide open and you are standing in front of an empty lift. You step inside.
  
  Lift (Paris)
  
  You are standing in a claustrophobic metal box, each and every surface is shining unmarked silver. The doors have shut in front of you and, adjacent to them, is a panel at waist height on which you can see four buttons. Three of the buttons are marked for the second, first and ground floor. The fourth button displays two arrows heading away from each other, suggesting that pressing this might either split the lift in half or open the doors. You'd wager it's the second.
  
  The lift is currently on the first floor.