text: > look around
  Against my better judgment, I'm in Kingfisher's inner sanctum. It's more mundane than I would have expected; it could have easily passed for the office of a mid-level human bureaucrat, except for the glowing telex on his desk (and, of course, for the state secrets of the universe that are undoubtedly kept securely locked away in its drawers). I would have expected the walls to be filled with propaganda posters and his bookshelves with plundered artifacts, but the room is neat and spartan and grey. The sole color comes from a stained-glass window that throws blotchy, irregular patterns onto the floor. A stairway leads back down into the main chapel.
  
  I can see Kingfisher here.
  
  > open the telex
  "Hands off, demon!"
  
  > examine the desk
  There's nothing useful in the desk. That bit about "state secrets" was just a joke. If Kingfisher's desk is anything like mine, it's full of centuries-old memoranda, spare pencils and decoy white papers to
  entrap the gullible. We don't keep actual state secrets out in the open; we keep them some place safe, like in a safe.
  
  > examine the telex
  Obviously it's not literally a telex; that's just the closest human equivalent. It's a device for handling classified communication
  between the Other Place and the human realm. Describing the exact mechanisms involved would make your head hurt, both from their complexity and the fact that the penalty for receiving unauthorized classified information involves sticking your head in a vise. Let's just say that it's a fax machine made of magic.
  
  The telex is closed.
  
  > Inventory
  Intentions:
  the open intent
  the take intent
  the explore intent
  the drink intent
  the select intent
  the read intent
  the block intent
  the defend intent
  the serve intent
  the wait intent
  the sell intent
  the buy intent
  the warm intent
  the clean up intent
  
  Manners:
  the aggressively manner
  the seriously manner
  the recklessly manner
  the slowly manner
  the greedily manner
  the generously manner
  the lazily manner
  
  Codebooks:
  three confidential codebooks
  three secret codebooks
  one top secret codebook
  
  Other possessions:
  a detector
  an intercepted communiqu??
  the almanach
  a candle
  a wiretap
  
  > drop candle
  Dropped.
  
  > put almanach on the desk
  As a spiritual being, I'm unable to manipulate physical objects.
  
  > go northeast
  This small lawn runs between the hotel toward the southwest and the squat building to the east. It is trim and spartan, with no ornamentation aside from the tall hedges forming its boundary. They also block the breeze coming in off the sea, so the air here is warm and still.
  
  There's a set of open double doors here leading east.
  
  The drunk sprawls nearby.
  
  The agent stands next to the doors.
  
  > put the explore on drunk
  I give the explore intent to the drunk, who now intends to explore,
  for lack of something better to do.
  
  The drunk scratches itself absently.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  The drunk stumbles off to the southwest.
  
  > Go southwest
  The gardens on the eastern edge of the hotel lie in uniform, geometric precision. Straight gravel paths bound squares of brightly colored flowers, each with a placard bearing the scientific names of its contents. The breeze from the nearby sea mixes the faint aromas in the various plants into an unidentifiable but not unpleasant smell. A ponderous chapel made of rough stone looms at the eastern edge of the gardens, and a well-worn path leading northeast skirts around it. To the west, there is a wide portico that leads into the hotel.
  
  The drunk scratches itself absently.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  The drunk scratches itself absently.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  The drunk stumbles off to the west.
  
  > go to the west
  At the center of the hotel is this wide atrium, a plaza of orange
  brick dotted with flowerboxes and ornamental bushes. The ceiling of
  the lobby is made of glass, and so the sunset outside gives an unnatural hue to the hibiscus vines adorning the open doors to the south. Despite the location, it's mostly quiet here. Even the rattan chairs overlooking the garden to the east are empty.
  
  The hotel reception is to the west, and a corridor to the north leads deeper into the hotel.
  
  A thermostat is located unobtrusively in a corner.
  
  The drunk stumbles off to the north.
  
  The bellhop stands near the entrance, looking nervous.
  
  The guest is loitering off to one side.
  
  I can also see a large puddle here.
  
  > go north
  The hotel's lounge is a maze of overstuffed leather chairs. Next to each one is a narrow table with an ashtray and an occasional discarded newspaper or magazine on it. A trolley with drinks sits at the ready against the far wall. Passages lie in all four cardinal directions. In addition, an ornate, sweeping staircase leads upward into the part of the hotel for guests. While the human guests are of little interest,
  my predecessor also kept a room here on one of the upper floors.
  
  The drunk looks blearily around.
  
  The tourist sits off to one side.
  
  > get all
  explore intent: I extract the explore intent from the drunk.
  
  > get all
  explore intent: I extract the explore intent from the tourist.
  
  > go to the north
  Bookshelves line the walls of this small, wood-paneled room, mixing
  the smell of paper with that of cigarette smoke. There are some high-backed chairs arranged in front of the shelves, clustered around tables topped with small but bright wrought-iron lamps. A passageway, above which sits an oil painting of a tropical seascape, leads south.
  
  > go south
  The hotel's lounge is a maze of overstuffed leather chairs. Next to each one is a narrow table with an ashtray and an occasional discarded newspaper or magazine on it. A trolley with drinks sits at the ready against the far wall. Passages lie in all four cardinal directions. In addition, an ornate, sweeping staircase leads upward into the part of the hotel for guests. While the human guests are of little interest,
  my predecessor also kept a room here on one of the upper floors.
  
  The drunk sprawls nearby.
  
  The tourist sits off to one side.
  
  > Go west
  Humans crowd this room, sitting nervously on folding chairs and clutching lorgnettes. They face a dais piled with paintings,
  furniture, and small sculptures, continually fed by humans in black uniforms carrying in works of art from a smaller room to the north.
  The rest of the room is starkly utilitarian, with bare walls and
  overly bright lights. A passage to the east leads back into the rest
  of the hotel.
  
  I can see the auctioneer here.
  
  > Go north
  An almost endless mass of crates, chests, and pallets fills this small room. They reach the ceiling, yet an array of humans in black uniforms manages to glide through narrow openings in the debris, shuttling
  items into the larger room to the south. There's no apparent organization to the clutter, or even visible labels on the various boxes, but the humans have no difficulty in finding whatever objects they're looking for.
  
  I can see the picker here.
  
  > get all
  explore intent: I extract the explore intent from the picker.
  
  > put the explore on the bellhop
  I give the explore intent to the bellhop, who now vaguely intends to explore.
  
  The bellhop stands near the entrance, looking nervous.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  The bellhop stands near the entrance, looking nervous.
  
  > put the explore on the guest
  (first taking the explore intent from the bellhop)
  I give the explore intent to the guest, who now vaguely intends to explore.
  
  The bellhop stands near the entrance, looking nervous.
  
  > get all
  explore intent: I extract the explore intent from the guest.
  
  The bellhop stands near the entrance, looking nervous.
  
  > Go west
  I'm at the hotel's reception, a small entryway with a gleaming marble floor and lamps made of dark green glass. The reception desk itself is a massive thing of oak, with a plush red carpet in front of it and a few potted chrysanthemums on top of it making it more inviting. A safe has been set into the wall behind it. A ceiling fan slowly spins above a passage farther into the hotel to the east. The exit from the hotel, flanked by ferns in massive clay pots, lies to the west.
  
  The hotel clerk stands behind the desk.
  
  The wealthy dowager is sitting in a plush leather chair.
  
  > put the explore on clerk
  (first taking the explore intent from the wealthy dowager)
  I give the explore intent to the hotel clerk, who now vaguely intends to explore.
  
  > get all
  seriously manner: I extract the seriously manner from the hotel clerk. explore intent: I extract the explore intent from the hotel clerk.
  
  > go to the west
  The detector blinks briefly, indicating that I've moved into a new region of the compound.
  
  This cobblestone trail runs from the casino to the hotel on the complex. Box trees flank the path, interspersed with a variety of colorful ornamental plants I don't recognize. The hotel it leads from is a sprawling villa of orange bricks with towers sprouting around its perimeter. A stone archway leads east into the hotel, and the trail winds to the west.
  
  A shiny silver mirror hangs over the archway leading east.
  
  The waiter loafs in the corner.
  
  > put the explore on waiter
  I give the explore intent to the waiter, who now intends to explore
  the casino in search of work to do.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  The waiter walks purposefully off to the west.
  
  > go to the west
  This small area at the edge of the casino empties out onto a large, well-kept lawn. Decorative urns and uninspired statuary flank the casino entrance to the west, but the lawn is empty except for a few stands of bay trees. After the incessant commotion of the casino, it's remarkable in its unremarkableness. There's probably some sort of metaphor for humanity there; I just think it looks pretty.
  
  east. To the north, at the far end of the lawn, is a cluster of
  hedges.
  
  A marble bench sits near the edge of the lawn.
  
  I can also see the waiter here.
  
  > get all
  explore intent: I extract the explore intent from the waiter.
  
  The waiter loafs in the corner.
  
  > go to the east
  This cobblestone trail runs from the casino to the hotel on the complex. Box trees flank the path, interspersed with a variety of colorful ornamental plants I don't recognize. The hotel it leads to is a sprawling villa of orange bricks with towers sprouting around its perimeter. A stone archway leads east into the hotel, and the trail winds to the west.
  
  A shiny silver mirror hangs over the archway leading east.
  
  > show the communique to Kingfisher
  I'm not letting Kingfisher anywhere near the intercepted communiqu??.
  
  > go to the northeast
  This small lawn runs between the hotel toward the southwest and the squat building to the east. It is trim and spartan, with no ornamentation aside from the tall hedges forming its boundary. They also block the breeze coming in off the sea, so the air here is warm and still.
  
  There's a set of open double doors here leading east.
  
  The agent stands next to the doors.
  
  > go east
  The detector blinks briefly, indicating that I've moved into a new region of the compound.
  
  Humans flitter across this wide hallway, clumping into and breaking
  out of knots of intense, whispered intrigue. A table next to the
  double doors to the west is laden with delicate champagne flutes,
  which some of the humans stalking around the room are also
  brandishing. Nondescript oil paintings hang at regular intervals
  around the room. A small hallway leads south, and a wider passage
  leads east.
  
  There's a set of open double doors here leading west.
  
  The reporter asks one of the dignitaries some pointed questions.
  
  > Go south
  This stuffy closet is filled with a variety of stark metal equipment, undoubtedly very important and very dangerous to humans. A maze of wiring creeps over the walls, sinking into the further recess of the complex. There's an electrical hum throughout the room and a faint metallic smell in the dusty air. The single exit from the room leads north.
  
  A large steel cage blocks access to high-voltage equipment.
  
  The brute mutters something into its earpiece.
  
  > look at the brute
  Muscles the size of excessively large muscles.
  
  The brute is holding a leather briefcase, inside which are some launch codes.
  
  The brute mutters something into its earpiece.
  
  > listen to the brute
  I hear nothing unexpected.
  
  The brute mutters something into its earpiece.
  
  > look at launch codes
  Yes, these are nuclear launch codes, one of the most prized secrets in the human world. That's about I'm allowed to say here; after all, a nuclear strike is in the interests of neither my organization nor the Other Place's. My editor said I can tell you one of the digits, which is 0. Hope that helps.
  
  The brute mutters something into its earpiece.
  
  > examine keypad
  This gadget is part of the mechanism of the archway, allowing my cohorts on the Other Side to control access to whatever they're planning in the deeper recesses of the complex. It's a sophisticated device; they must have been planning things for a while. It has a
  clear spiritual aura, so I could interact with it if I knew the code
  to type in.
  
  The burglar looks around with an appraising eye.
  
  > Type 199
  (on the keypad)
  Nothing happens.
  
  The burglar looks around with an appraising eye.
  
  > go to the west
  Humans flitter across this wide hallway, clumping into and breaking
  out of knots of intense, whispered intrigue. A table next to the
  double doors to the west is laden with delicate champagne flutes,
  which some of the humans stalking around the room are also
  brandishing. Nondescript oil paintings hang at regular intervals
  around the room. A small hallway leads south, and a wider passage
  leads east.
  
  There's a set of open double doors here leading west.
  
  The reporter eavesdrops on a nearby conversation.
  
  > Go south
  Diplomats fill this crowded room, sitting impatiently at a gigantic ring-shaped table. In front of each human is a miniature flag and a white placard bearing its name and title. A map of the world, elaborately drawn but completely devoid of any cities or borders or other political features, covers the far wall. The only exit from the room is to the north.
  
  The diplomats are considering a trade deal.
  
  A bottle of champagne, shining brightly with spiritual energy, sits to one side in a bucket of ice.
  
  The short diplomat looks at the proposed trade deal, but seems to be having trouble understanding the details.
  
  I can also see the tall diplomat and the medium diplomat here.
  
  > check your inventory
  Intentions:
  the explore intent
  the open intent
  the take intent
  the drink intent
  the select intent
  the read intent
  the block intent
  the defend intent
  the serve intent
  the wait intent
  the sell intent
  the buy intent
  the warm intent
  the clean up intent
  
  Manners:
  the seriously manner
  the aggressively manner
  the recklessly manner
  the slowly manner
  the greedily manner
  the generously manner
  the lazily manner
  
  Codebooks:
  three confidential codebooks
  three secret codebooks
  one top secret codebook
  
  Other possessions:
  a detector
  an intercepted communiqu??
  the almanach
  a candle
  a wiretap
  
  > put explore and generously on short
  explore intent: I give the explore intent to the short diplomat, who now intends to explore the possibilities of the proposal.
  generously manner: I give the generously manner to the short diplomat, who now intends to generously explore the possibilities of the proposal.
  
  The medium diplomat looks at the proposed trade deal, and nods approvingly.
  
  > wait for a while
  Time passes.
  
  The tall diplomat looks at the proposed trade deal, and nods approvingly.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  The short diplomat makes some edits to the proposed deal, increasing the tariff on wheat to 12%.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  The medium diplomat looks at the proposed trade deal, and nods approvingly.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  The short diplomat makes some edits to the proposed deal, increasing the tariff on wheat to 15%.
  
  > Inventory
  Intentions:
  the open intent
  the take intent
  the drink intent
  the select intent
  the read intent
  the block intent
  the defend intent
  the serve intent
  the wait intent
  the sell intent
  the buy intent
  the warm intent
  the clean up intent
  
  Manners:
  the seriously manner
  the aggressively manner
  the recklessly manner
  the slowly manner
  the greedily manner
  the lazily manner
  
  Codebooks:
  three confidential codebooks
  three secret codebooks
  one top secret codebook
  
  Other possessions:
  a detector
  an intercepted communiqu??
  the almanach
  a candle
  a wiretap
  
  > put the take on short
  I give the take intent to the short diplomat, taking the explore
  intent in exchange. It now intends to generously take all possible circumstances into account.
  
  The medium diplomat looks at the proposed trade deal, but frowns at
  the tariff on wheat.
  
  > wait for a while
  Time passes.
  
  The short diplomat closes a few loopholes, resulting in a simplistic proposal.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  The medium diplomat looks at the proposed trade deal, but frowns at
  the tariff on wheat.
  
  > wait for a while
  Time passes.
  
  The short diplomat smiles at the wording of the simplistic proposal.
  
  > put the clean up and greedily on the medium
  clean up intent: I give the clean up intent to the medium diplomat,
  who now intends to clean up the language of the proposal.
  greedily manner: I give the greedily manner to the medium diplomat,
  who now intends to greedily clean up the language of the proposal.
  
  The tall diplomat looks at the proposed trade deal, and nods approvingly.
  
  > wait awhile
  Time passes.
  
  The medium diplomat smiles at the wording of the simplistic proposal but frowns at the tariff on wheat.
  
  > put take on the medium
  (first taking the take intent from the short diplomat, along with the generously manner)
  I give the take intent to the medium diplomat, taking the clean up intent in exchange. It now intends to greedily take all possible circumstances into account.
  
  The tall diplomat looks at the proposed trade deal, and nods approvingly.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  The short diplomat looks at the proposed trade deal, and nods approvingly.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  The medium diplomat smiles at their contributions to the simplistic proposal but frowns at the tariff on wheat.
  
  > put the drink on the medium
  I give the drink intent to the medium diplomat, taking the take intent in exchange. It now intends to greedily drink champagne when this is all resolved.
  
  The tall diplomat looks at the proposed trade deal, and nods approvingly.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  The medium diplomat sighs, makes a few concessions, and suggests signing this and calling it a day.
  
  The other diplomats give the proposal one final look, then sign it. There are cheers and excitement!
  
  The medium diplomat pops open the bottle of champagne, and they all drink enthusiastically.
  
  > get the codebook
  (the top secret codebook)
  I pick up the top secret codebook and page through it. I've deciphered the entirety of the communiqu??, but a codebook from the Other Side is certainly an impressive prize. If the opposition hasn't noticed that it's now in our possession, it's invaluable. Even if they have,
  though, we can use it to decrypt old communications, and our research department might be able to reverse engineer some of their cryptographic systems with the extra data.
  
  The tall diplomat proposes another clich?? toast.