text: > look around
  You are at the edge of a large field of pink granite boulders. Lichens in various colors pattern the rocks. A narrow gravel road, overgrown with weeds, leads off into the distance to the north. You could also scramble down into the canyon where a fast-moving stream rumbles and flows.
  
  The bull moose, sensing your indecision, moves quickly, lifts you with an antler, and tosses you easily onto the sharpest boulder in sight.
  
  > look up the moose in Guide
  Latin name: Alces alces
  
  The moose is the largest member of the deer family, and is common in subalpine meadows and marshes of the northern United States and Canada. So ugly it is almost cute, it has a large muzzle and long legs that aid it in reaching the tender vegetation which grows at the bottom of lakes and ponds or higher on trees than other animals can browse. One of its favorite foods is the branches and twigs of the willow.
  
  Its pelage is dark brown, slightly lighter underneath. When wet, it usually appears black. Males stand six feet high at the shoulder, and weigh up to 1600 pounds. Females are 10 percent smaller. The large palmate antlers grow only on the males and are shed in the early months of each year. They begin growing again immediately, and each year grow larger, so that their size indicates approximate age and maturity. An unusual feature of the male is the bell, a flap of furred skin that hangs from the neck. Its purpose is unknown.
  
  > enter the trolley
  You climb into the trolley which swings and bounces unnervingly.
  
  You pull on the cable and the car slowly moves away from the tower and over the edge of the gulch. As the ground drops away, your stomach nearly goes with it, the bouncing and swaying of the trolley exaggerating the feeling of height. Hand over hand you pull, and eventually find yourself at the other side.
  
  You get out of the trolley.
  
  This beautiful spot is a staging area for many ventures into the mountains, as evidenced by the national forest sign before you. A dense thicket of willow surrounds the landing. A wooded trail heads southeast.
  
  Behind you, a trolley sits suspended from a steel cable.
  
  You can see a national forest trail sign here.
  
  > get the branches
  You already have those.
  
  > Examine willow
  Dense shrubs as tall as you are, blocking your vision and making passage difficult. You're not sure, but the branches seem a little worn to the north.
  
  Overhead, you can see the soft cool light of the rising full moon, illuminated by the last rays of the sun.
  
  > Go north
  Someone wanted to hide this trail, you think as you push the willows out of the way. You would never have seen it from the trailhead if you hadn't expected it to be here.
  
  Flip flop. Flip flop. Flip flop.
  
  Rugged and narrow, the ledge you walk follows the rim of the canyon north and south. Below, you see and hear the roaring stream as it makes its way south and turns a corner. As you move north, the canyon narrows to a fissure, its walls rising to funnel you in.
  
  You can see a faded wooden sign here, half hidden among the willows.
  
  > Go south
  Flip flop. Flip flop. Flip flop.
  
  This beautiful spot is a staging area for many ventures into the mountains, as evidenced by the national forest sign before you. A dense thicket of willow surrounds the landing. A wooded trail heads southeast.
  
  Beside you, a trolley sits suspended from a steel cable.
  
  You can see a national forest trail sign here.
  
  > cut the willow
  Cutting that up would achieve little.
  
  > Shake willow
  You give the willow a good shake.
  
  > eat the willow
  (first taking the willow)
  That's hardly portable.
  
  > look up willow in Guide
  (genus Salix)
  
  Willow is a generic name given to an entire family of shrubs that grow in dense clumps near water. They produce catkins, or pussy-willows, in the spring, and cottony seeds later in the year. They have elongated blue-green leaves, many species have hairy twigs. They are a favorite food for the browsing moose.
  
  > Go north
  Someone wanted to hide this trail, you think as you push the willows out of the way. You would never have seen it from the trailhead if you hadn't expected it to be here.
  
  Flip flop. Flip flop. Flip flop.
  
  Rugged and narrow, the ledge you walk follows the rim of the canyon north and south. Below, you see and hear the roaring stream as it makes its way south and turns a corner. As you move north, the canyon narrows to a fissure, its walls rising to funnel you in.
  
  You can see a faded wooden sign here, half hidden among the willows.
  
  > Go north
  Splish splash. Splish splash. Splish splash.
  
  The canyon rim trail descends, clinging tightly to the stone wall, then disappears entirely as the rocks converge. You have no choice but to wade, the current swift and powerful. Overhead, a small slice of the sky is visible between the two cliff faces, covered with ferns that thrive in the dark moist environment here. The crevice runs northwest to south.
  
  As you step into the icy water, your flipflops come loose and disappear downstream.
  
  > remove flipflops
  You step out of your flipflops and pick them up.
  
  You are now wearing some shorts, a shirt and a pair of leather work gloves.
  
  > Go north
  Splish splash. Splish splash. Splish splash.
  
  The canyon rim trail descends, clinging tightly to the stone wall, then disappears entirely as the rocks converge. You have no choice but to wade, the current swift and powerful. Overhead, a small slice of the sky is visible between the two cliff faces, covered with ferns that thrive in the dark moist environment here. The crevice runs northwest to south.
  
  > go to the north-west
  Splish splash. Splish splash. Splish splash.
  
  Ferns and mosses of luscious green hang from the walls of this cozy grotto into which a misty waterfall plunges some 60 feet. Spray fills the air to mix with the wall of rising steam from the west, almost hiding the thermal waters of the hot spring. A narrow fissure leads through a crack in the rocks to the southeast.
  
  > go west
  You look longingly at the hot spring, but you wish for the soothing fragrance of eucalyptus, your favorite scent.
  
  > consult Guide about eucalyptus
  Latin name: Eucalyptus globulus
  
  There is no official entry in the guidebook for eucalyptus, as it is endemic only to Australia and Tasmania. You don't need a listing for this herb, however, because its pleasant medicinal odor is one of your favorite smells.
  
  The dipper jumps into the fastest part of the stream, and returns a moment later with a small insect in its bill.
  
  > go south
  You can't go that way.
  
  The dipper flies low to a nearby rock, and curtsies. Then, so fast you almost don't notice, he ducks behind the waterfall and disappears.
  
  > look at the branches
  Tender branches of mountain avens, a leafy herb. If you were vegetarian, they would probably be great to eat.
  
  > go to the north
  Someone wanted to hide this trail, you think as you push the willows out of the way. You would never have seen it from the trailhead if you hadn't expected it to be here.
  
  Rugged and narrow, the ledge you walk follows the rim of the canyon north and south. Below, you see and hear the roaring stream as it makes its way south and turns a corner. As you move north, the canyon narrows to a fissure, its walls rising to funnel you in.
  
  You can see a faded wooden sign here, half hidden among the willows.
  
  > Go north
  Splish splash. Splish splash. Splish splash.
  
  The canyon rim trail descends, clinging tightly to the stone wall, then disappears entirely as the rocks converge. You have no choice but to wade, the current swift and powerful. Overhead, a small slice of the sky is visible between the two cliff faces, covered with ferns that thrive in the dark moist environment here. The crevice runs northwest to south.
  
  > Go northwest
  Splish splash. Splish splash. Splish splash.
  
  Ferns and mosses of luscious green hang from the walls of this cozy grotto into which a misty waterfall plunges some 60 feet. Spray fills the air to mix with the wall of rising steam from the west, almost hiding the thermal waters of the hot spring. A narrow fissure leads through a crack in the rocks to the southeast.
  
  The dipper jumps into the water with hardly a splash and walks along the bottom.
  
  > Go northwest
  You can't go that way.
  
  The dipper, so fast you almost don't notice, ducks behind the waterfall and disappears.
  
  > enter the waterfall
  Bracing yourself against the sting and the cold, you step through the falls. The cold water fills the rubber bag and the bucket. It also soaks you and your clothes from head to toe.
  
  Behind the waterfall is a narrow space protected from the splashing by a rock shelf overhead. You've barely enough room to stand, half hunched and awkward. Blocking your view southwest is the waterfall, whose icy needles sting when they strike. To the northwest is a watery tunnel leading into the mountain itself.
  
  At waist-level is a bird's nest on the cliff face among the mosses and ferns, hidden from all eyes but yours. From what you remember, this looks like a dipper's nest.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  a paperback
  a rubber bag (which is open and full of water)
  a glass canning jar (which is closed)
  a handful of washers
  a mason's brick
  a spruce walking stick
  eight ripe blackberries
  some picked avens
  a matchbook (which is open)
  a match
  a scrap of paper
  a bucket (which is full of water)
  a note
  a guidebook
  a pair of flipflops
  
  In addition, you are wearing:
  some shorts
  a shirt
  a pair of leather work gloves
  
  > Examine paperback
  It's a collection of short stories of various genres. There's a tale of a bored diplomat who uses underground means to accomplish his political goals, a haunting story of a man who relives painful moments from his past, a sci-fi thriller about a virtual reality simulation gone bad, a miniature world in need of a good turn, and 23 others. It should make excellent reading.
  
  > read it
  You open the collection of short stories, flipping quickly past the contents and the editor's notes. The first story begins:
  
  The Meteor, the Stone and a Long Glass of Sherbet
  
  Another day wasted as guest of the Empress, a wretchedly long tour of the breath-taking Boreal Falls, conducted as ever by the Lady Amilia. As if she weren't bad enough, an honour guard of soldiers, their breast-plates red in the setting sun, march ahead of the procession and protect you from seeing anything unrehearsed. It's a dog's life being an Ambassador.
  
  The story continues, but you close the book until later. A good story is so much better when you can read it straight through. Maybe at the hot spring...
  
  > Up
  You make it part way up the canyon wall, but lose your grip and slide back down.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  a paperback
  a rubber bag (which is open but empty)
  a glass canning jar (which is closed)
  a handful of washers
  a mason's brick
  a spruce walking stick
  eight ripe blackberries
  some picked avens
  a matchbook (which is open)
  a match
  a scrap of paper
  a bucket (which is full of water)
  a note
  a guidebook
  a pair of flipflops
  
  In addition, you are wearing:
  some shorts
  a shirt
  a pair of leather work gloves
  
  > look at the bag
  It's a blue rubber bag, stiff at the mouth, the kind kayakers and water enthusiasts use to keep meals and small equipment dry. At the open end is a plastic buckle.
  
  > Go southwest
  Flip flop. Flip flop. Flip flop.
  
  The east end of the meadow is rocky, and you make your way carefully when you move. Further east, a granite cliff blocks your way. The remnants of an old mountain trail lead northeast.
  
  Flickering green lights illuminate the north end of the meadow.
  
  > Go west
  Flip flop. Flip flop. Flip flop.
  
  You are in the middle of a large grassy meadow, bordered by aspens and a few white spruce in all directions. The chill of the coming winter hangs in the moonlit air like a cat waiting to pounce.
  
  Flickering green lights illuminate the north end of the meadow.
  
  > Go south
  Flip flop. Flip flop. Flip flop.
  
  You stand in the middle of a grove of aspen, which extends in all directions. Slender trunks reach for the sky, silhouetted in the moonlight against the scattered clouds that blow in the evening breeze. Leaves rattle as the winds shift, and here and there one floats to the ground to join others that crackle underfoot when you move. A narrow path disappears east into the trees, and a camping area is visible through a small opening to the west. North is a wide meadow.
  
  > Time
  It's a little hard to guess the time, as the sun has set. It's getting quite late.
  
  > go north
  Flip flop. Flip flop. Flip flop.
  
  You are at the north edge of the large and grassy meadow, bordered by aspen. Fireweed grows at the base of the trees, pink blooms withered and gone to seed.
  
  Hundreds of fireflies fill the air, each a momentary pinpoint of light that moves and flashes in its own rhythm. They surround you, silently sending signals to others of their kind, a cold green glow that lights up the corners of the meadow. To the east, the full moon sits above the trees.
  
  > look at fireflies
  Hundreds of fireflies fill the air, each a momentary pinpoint of light that moves and flashes in its own rhythm. They surround you, silently sending signals to others of their kind, a cold green glow that lights up the corners of the meadow.
  
  > open the jar
  You start to give the lid a simple twist when you realize it is rusted on tight. Using all your strength, you try again with no better result.
  
  > Break jar
  The glass jar shatters into hundreds of tiny fragments.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  a paperback
  a rubber bag (which is open but empty)
  a glass canning jar (which is closed)
  a handful of washers
  a mason's brick
  a spruce walking stick
  eight ripe blackberries
  some picked avens
  a matchbook (which is open)
  a match
  a scrap of paper
  a bucket (which is full of water)
  a note
  a guidebook
  
  In addition, you are wearing:
  some shorts
  a shirt
  a pair of leather work gloves
  a pair of flipflops
  
  > look at the jar
  It's a canning jar, the kind your grandmother used for homemade rhubarb jam and peach preserves. It has a screw-on lid, and the word "Ball" is molded in script on the side.
  
  The glass canning jar contains a handful of washers.
  
  > look at the bag
  It's a blue rubber bag, stiff at the mouth, the kind kayakers and water enthusiasts use to keep meals and small equipment dry. At the open end is a plastic buckle.
  
  > put the bag on the jar
  That's too big to fit in the glass canning jar.
  
  > examine the buckle
  This buckle is at the open end of the rubber bag, and is made of black plastic.
  
  > Wear bag
  You can't wear that!
  
  Overhead, you can see the soft cool light of the full moon.
  
  The fireflies blink, their green light illuminating the air around you.
  
  > wear the gloves
  You wander a bit into the forest, but directions are confusing, and you stop for fear of losing your way.
  
  You're already wearing those!
  
  > Go inside
  Flip flop. Flip flop. Flip flop.
  
  The inside of Bob's cabin is spartan but comfortable, lit by a single kerosene lamp and a fire that burns in the stone fireplace that forms the north wall of the cabin. The open door and one window look out onto the moonlit property of the homestead.
  
  You can see Bob here, engrossed in a hardback book.
  
  You can also see a pile of ashes here.
  
  You watch him reading, the kerosene lamp burning brightly above his head.
  
  > get the lamp
  (the kerosene lamp)
  The kerosene lamp belongs to Bob, and you decide to leave it alone.
  
  Bob sits quietly engrossed in a hardcover novel.
  
  > give you the the lamp
  (the kerosene lamp)
  Bob just looks at you and shrugs. "If you see that around, just help yourself," he mutters.
  
  > get the lamp
  (the kerosene lamp)
  The kerosene lamp belongs to Bob, and you decide to leave it alone.
  
  Bob shifts in his chair, finding a more comfortable position, but doesn't even look up.
  
  > give the jar to Bob
  He gives the lid a twist with such force that you're sure the jar will break. Suddenly, it comes off. "That's a tough one. Must have rusted shut," he remarks. Then he puts more than a dozen holes in the lid of the jar and hands them back to you. "There you go. That should do it."
  
  > ask Bob about the eucalyptus
  "My wife used to love the smell of eucalyptus more than anything else on the planet. She'd put those leaves everywhere, and the whole house would smell like medicine."
  
  > ask Bob about leaves
  "Leaves on all of the trees and all over the ground."
  
  > get the fireflies
  You wait for just the right moment, when one of the insects is illuminated and near enough to reach. It's a matter of waiting for the blink, then taking a few steps closer, then waiting again. One at a time, you capture about a dozen of the luminous creatures.
  
  > close jar
  You screw the lid onto the jar.
  
  > eat the fireflies
  They might be better dipped in chocolate.
  
  > put the fireflies in the jar
  The glass canning jar is closed.
  
  > put the fireflies in the jar
  You open the glass canning jar.
  You put the fireflies into the glass canning jar.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  Fireflies fill your glass jar, their eerie green light blinking and illuminating everything around you.
  
  In addition to the fireflies, the jar contains a handful of washers.
  
  You are carrying:
  a paperback
  a rubber bag (which is open but empty)
  a glass canning jar (which is closed)
  a mason's brick
  a spruce walking stick
  eight ripe blackberries
  some picked avens
  a matchbook (which is open)
  a match
  a scrap of paper
  a bucket (which is full of water)
  a note
  a guidebook
  
  In addition, you are wearing:
  some shorts
  a shirt
  a pair of leather work gloves
  a pair of flipflops