text: [Themes: nautical, pirates, ship, pirate, rat, ship wreck]
  
  > look around
  A lot of the things kept in the hold are just ballast, but there are a few items of interest. {Nautical Vocabulary Note: "Ballast" is
  heavy material kept in the hold to help stabilize the ship.} Fore
  from here is the rest of the hold, and stairs lead up to the lower deck.
  
  The captain strokes his tail thoughtfully.
  
  Roughly in the center of the space is an iron strongbox.
  
  > examine captain
  Captain Verdeterre cuts an imposing figure, with his plumed hat and his snappy jacket. There are so many reasons to look up to him: his tactical brilliance, his dauntlessness, his self-certainty—and his ability to inspire the certainty of others in himself.
  
  You can't literally look up to him, as he's several feet shorter than you, but that's because he's a rat.
  
  > Examine book
  There's no title on the cover or the spine. It looks profoundly uninteresting.
  
  > open the book
  Taken.
  
  You open the book. Carved into the pages is a cavity containing a steel bracelet.
  
  "Well, how about that," says Verdeterre.
  
  You stretch out your neck as the waters close over your shoulders.
  
  > take the bracelet
  You stuff the steel bracelet into the sack.
  
  The waters have reached your chin. You're having trouble keeping your footing.
  
  > take the crate
  "Leave that be!" Verdeterre barks. "There's no room for any huge boxes on the lifeboat."
  
  > look in the crate
  In the smelly crate is a musky grey lump.
  
  > examine the lump
  It's grey and irregular, like a rock. It could almost be a rock, but it smells more strongly than any rock you've encountered.
  
  > look in the lump
  You find nothing of interest.
  
  The rising water has reached your ankles.
  
  > get the portrait
  Verdeterre sighs. "It'll be a shame to sell off an item of such gorgeousness and sentimentality," he says, "but I suppose these are desperate times."
  
  You stuff the captain's portrait into the sack.
  
  Now the water is lapping at your shins.
  
  > get the doll
  "You know," says Verdeterre, "that doll gives me an idea. Better take it along."
  
  You stuff the wooden doll into the sack.
  
  Your knees are covered by the rising waves.
  
  > Aft
  This was the map room originally, and then it became a kind of general storage space, and then it was picked almost clean by various deserters.
  
  The flag box stands nearby.
  
  In the center of the room is the map table; sitting on top is a sextant.
  
  There's a barrel over in the corner.
  
  Now the water is up to your thighs.
  
  The captain darts ahead to take stock of the situation.
  
  > look in the barrel
  Trying to turn over the barrel in water this deep is an unsuccessful endeavor, and it rolls away on the rising waves.
  
  You wince as the waters climb up around your hips.
  
  > get the sextant
  "I hate those things," says the captain. "Nobody will build one that's small enough for us to use."
  
  You stuff the sextant into the sack.
  
  The water is up to your waist.
  
  > get the flag box
  You are unable to pick up the flag box, as it has been securely attached to the cabin floor. In retrospect, that wasn't a great idea.
  
  Now the water is up to your chest.
  
  The flag box is covered by water.
  
  > Fore
  {Nautical Vocabulary Note: A "galley" is a room on a ship where
  food is prepared.}
  
  This room used to be the domain of Blaise, the ship's cook. Now the cabinets are empty, and the room is in a state of rapidly sinking disrepair.
  
  Hanging on the wall is an old violin.
  
  The waters have reached your chin. You're having trouble keeping your footing.
  
  The captain rushes ahead of you, since coming here was his idea.
  
  > get the violin
  "Sure was nice of Blaise to leave that behind for us," Verdeterre sniggers.
  
  You stuff the violin into the sack.
  
  The water is in your mouth now.
  
  > Up
  Ah, open air. The sea stretches out in all directions. There is no land in sight.
  
  You can worry about that later, though. Fore is the mainmast, aft is the captain's quarters, upstairs is the quarterdeck, and downstairs is the lower deck.
  
  A silk handkerchief hangs from the aft bulkhead. {Nautical
  Vocabulary Note: A "bulkhead" is a wall.}
  
  There's a silver locket lying on the deck.
  
  The captain darts ahead to take stock of the situation.
  
  > Aft
  This was the map room originally, and then it became a kind of general storage space, and then it was picked almost clean by various deserters.
  
  You can barely see where you're going, squeezing your eyes to keep out the salt water. You need to get to higher ground.
  
  The captain scurries along after you.
  
  > Fore
  {Nautical Vocabulary Note: A "galley" is a room on a ship where
  food is prepared.}
  
  This room used to be the domain of Blaise, the ship's cook. Now the cabinets are empty, and the room is in a state of rapidly sinking disrepair.
  
  You can't hold your breath any longer, and now water rushes into your mouth and nostrils. You're able to struggle for a little while, but it's no use.
  
  > Go upwards
  Ah, open air. The sea stretches out in all directions. There is no land in sight.
  
  You can worry about that later, though. Fore is the mainmast, aft is the captain's quarters, upstairs is the quarterdeck, and downstairs is the lower deck.
  
  A silk handkerchief hangs from the aft bulkhead. {Nautical
  Vocabulary Note: A "bulkhead" is a wall.}
  
  There's a silver locket lying on the deck.
  
  The water glides over the decks and soon it is up to your ankles.
  
  The captain rushes ahead of you, since coming here was his idea.
  
  > take the locket
  "Ooh, jewelry! Good eye, Tibert!" says the captain.
  
  You stuff the silver locket into the sack.
  
  Now the water is up to your shins.
  
  > Aft
  Here is where the captain sleeps, where he eats, where he does his deep thinking. Most of this happens in his bed. Hung on one wall is a shelf, set aside for the captain's favorite objects.
  
  A pin is sticking out of the forward bulkhead, holding up the handkerchief outside.
  
  On the captain's bed is a silk pillow.
  
  On the shelf are a gold medallion and an iron key.
  
  Your knees are underwater now.
  
  The rising waters swallow up the pin.
  
  The captain rushes ahead of you, since coming here was his idea.
  
  > get the medallion
  You give the medallion a quick once-over and ask Verdeterre, "What did you do to earn this?"
  
  "I stole it."
  
  You stuff the gold medallion into the sack.
  
  The water rises up around your thighs.
  
  > take the key
  Verdeterre's eyes light up as you lift the key. "I know what that is! That's the key to the strongbox in the hold! I knew it was somewhere."
  
  Now the water reaches your hips.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  an iron key
  a false book (open but empty)
  a commodious sack
  a gold medallion
  a silver locket
  a violin
  a sextant
  a wooden doll
  a captain's portrait
  a steel bracelet
  a pewter goblet
  a gorilla skull
  a flintlock pistol
  
  > take the pillow
  You pick up the pillow.
  
  "Oh, no. I'm gonna miss that little guy," says Verdeterre. "I've never been able to get to sleep without it. But it needs to must, when devils drive!"
  
  You stuff the silk pillow into the sack.
  
  The rising waves climb up to your waist.
  
  > F.
  The sea stretches out in all directions. There is no land in sight.
  
  You can worry about that later, though. Fore is the mainmast, aft is the captain's quarters, upstairs is the quarterdeck, and downstairs is the lower deck.
  
  The water is up to your chest.
  
  The captain darts ahead to take stock of the situation.
  
  > go up
  You have often stood here, at the stern of the vessel, with a steady hand on the ship's wheel, wondering where you were going. Right now you are not going anywhere.
  
  From here you can see the vast stretches of sea you crossed to reach this point—they look much like the stretches of sea you can see in every other direction. Downstairs is the main deck. {Nautical Vocabulary Note: A "quarterdeck" is a raised deck at the stern of a ship.}
  
  A bronze statuette is lying on the boards.
  
  Soon the main deck will be too deep underwater for you to walk around on it.
  
  The captain darts ahead to take stock of the situation.
  
  > take the statuette
  You stuff the bronze statuette into the sack.
  
  The main deck has to be under at least five feet of water now.
  
  For a second there, you could swear you heard music.