text: [Themes: pirates, strong NPCs, treasure hunt, ship wreck, rat]
  
  > Go down
  A lot of the things kept in the hold are just ballast, but there are a few items of interest. Fore from here is the rest of the hold, and stairs lead up to the lower deck.
  
  Despite the height of the water, you can still just barely reach the iron strongbox.
  
  The water is in your mouth now.
  
  The captain darts ahead to take stock of the situation.
  
  > Unlock box
  (with the iron key)
  You unlock the iron strongbox.
  
  You're struggling to keep your head above water.
  
  > open the box
  You open the strongbox, revealing a green glass bottle. The captain's eyes brighten. "Now I remember! Grab hold of that bottle before it sinks!"
  
  You can barely see where you're going, squeezing your eyes to keep out the salt water. You need to get to higher ground.
  
  > get the bottle
  You stuff the green glass bottle into the sack.
  
  The water closes over your head. You might have time to do one last thing before you drown...
  
  > Up
  The lower deck is quite a bit homier than the hold, and in fact actually smells somewhat pleasant. The galley is fore, and the map room is aft. Stairs lead down to the hold and up to the main deck.
  
  A portrait of your captain hangs on one wall.
  
  Lying on the floor is a wooden doll.
  
  There's a large wooden crate here, because there was no room for it anywhere else.
  
  The rising water has reached your ankles.
  
  The captain darts ahead to take stock of the situation.
  
  > 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.
  
  Now the water is lapping at your shins.
  
  > get the ambergris
  Captain Verdeterre wrinkles his nose. "What on earth is that thing? I don't like the looks of it."
  
  You hold onto it anyway.
  
  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.
  
  > 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.
  
  You wince as the waters climb up around your hips.
  
  > open the flagbox
  You open the flag box, revealing a red and yellow flag.
  
  The water is up to your waist.
  
  The waves lift the barrel off the floor, and it rolls away.
  
  > get the flag
  You pull the flag out of the box and unfold it: the design is a yellow cross on a red field. "Whose flag is this?" you ask your captain.
  
  "I dunno. I think Denmark? Anyway, it's useless. Toss it."
  
  You nod, and throw the flag somewhere where it won't get in the way.
  
  The flag that was underneath is striped.
  
  Now the water is up to your chest.
  
  The flag box is covered by water.
  
  > 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 lapping at your shins.
  
  The captain darts ahead to take stock of the situation.
  
  > open the flagbox
  You open the flag box, revealing a red and yellow flag.
  
  Your knees are covered by the rising waves.
  
  > get the flag
  You pull the flag out of the box and unfold it: the design is a yellow cross on a red field. "Whose flag is this?" you ask your captain.
  
  "I dunno. I think Denmark? Anyway, it's useless. Toss it."
  
  You nod, and throw the flag somewhere where it won't get in the way.
  
  The flag that was underneath is striped.
  
  Now the water is up to your thighs.
  
  > get the flag
  You unfold the striped flag to see the entire design. It's a blue stripe, a white stripe, a red stripe, a white stripe, and a blue stripe.
  
  "That's the Russian flag," Verdeterre explains. "You're holding it upside down."
  
  It's just a Russian flag anyway, so you toss it. The next flag in the box has a red X on it.
  
  You wince as the waters climb up around your hips.
  
  > get the flag
  This flag has a red X on a white field. "That's the Swiss flag," Verdeterre says, but then he stops himself: "No, wait. The Swiss flag is a white cross on red. So this one, I guess, is for... the Swiss navy."
  
  The captain seems put off a bit at himself, so you throw away the offending flag.
  
  At the bottom of the flag box is an old tapestry.
  
  The water is up to your waist.
  
  The waves lift the barrel off the floor, and it rolls away.
  
  > get the tapestry
  You pull out the tapestry and unfold it. It depicts a rat in clerical garb lying on his back, his stomach pierced by the spear of a human paladin. The rat's fingers are either raised in pious benediction or twisted in pain.
  
  "Hey, that's the Martyrdom of Saint Incertus!" says Verdeterre. "He's the patron saint of the pursued, I think. Too bad he's not the patron saint of shipwrecks. Better take it along."
  
  You fold it up carefully. "Why did they martyr him?" you ask.
  
  "Well, between the Human Catholic Church and the Rat Catholic Church there are some differences in the rules—such as, according to the human church, you're not allowed to declare yourself a saint. It's considered presumptuous. But we did get a tapestry out of it."
  
  You stuff the tapestry of Saint Incertus into the sack.
  
  Now the water is up to your chest.
  
  The flag box is covered by water.
  
  > 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.
  
  You stretch out your neck as the waters close over your shoulders.
  
  > F.
  The lower deck is quite a bit homier than the hold, and in fact actually smells somewhat pleasant. The galley is fore, and the map room is aft. Stairs lead down to the hold and up to the main deck.
  
  A portrait of your captain hangs on one wall.
  
  The waters have reached your chin. You're having trouble keeping your footing.
  
  The water carries away the portrait of your noble captain, who whimpers pathetically as it disappears.
  
  The captain scurries along after you.
  
  > F.
  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 water is in your mouth now.
  
  The rising waves push the violin off of its hook, and it floats away.
  
  The captain darts ahead to take stock of the situation.
  
  > get the locket
  "Ooh, jewelry! Good eye, Tibert!" says the captain.
  
  You stuff the silver locket into the sack.
  
  > 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 is a gold medallion.
  
  The captain scurries along after you.
  
  > get the pin
  You pull the pin out from the handkerchief, and it falls between the boards. Now you should be able to retrieve the hanky from the other side of the wall.
  
  > 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 glides over the decks and soon it is up to your ankles.
  
  > 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.
  
  A silk handkerchief hangs from the aft bulkhead.
  
  Now the water is up to your shins.
  
  The captain rushes ahead of you, since coming here was his idea.
  
  > get the hanky
  The captain smiles as you lift up the handkerchief. "Well, boy, I did make a promise, and I keep my promises. The hanky's yours."
  
  You rub the silk between your fingers, and remark by way of expressing your gratitude that it's a very fine prize.
  
  The captain nods. "You're right about that. Actually, it's probably too fine. Yes, you'd better put it in with the other loot so we can sell it later. Good idea."
  
  You stuff the silk handkerchief into the sack.
  
  Your knees are underwater now.
  
  > F.
  The mainmast is lodged in the deck here, near the middle of the ship. It's somewhat like the ship's belly button. Fore is the capstan, aft are the stairs to the lower deck, and up at the top of the mainmast is the top.
  
  The point of an exotic-looking dagger is lodged in the mast.
  
  The water rises up around your thighs.
  
  The captain scurries along after you.