text: [Themes: Historical, Fantasy, Mystery, London, stage magic, magicians, Lovecraft]
  
  > Look around
  It is the next evening and you've followed The Amazing Karl here. You waited at The Chancellor Theatre for him to finish his act and then you shadowed him through the dim streets of London to this large, Victorian house in a posh neighborhood. You stand outside the garden. A gate leads into the garden to the east. The sidewalk continues both north and south. You can see the garden, and indeed the entire house, is surrounded by a large hedge. The smell of flowers fills your nose in the still night air.
  
  > Smell
  It smells like flowers.
  
  > examine the hedge
  It is a tall, dense hedge.
  
  > go to the north
  You don't need to head down that way. You followed your quarry to this house. He went through the garden to the front door.
  
  > go east
  (first opening the garden gate)
  
  Fastidious Garden (near the gate)
  This is a perfectly trim and tidy English garden before a large Victorian style house. The shrubs are geometrically sculpted and a white pebble path leads from the garden gate to the west, through the garden, and to the front door to the east. Because of the shape of the house, the main house is to the north while the front door is on a wing of the house to the east. One of the windows of the house is to the north.
  
  > look at the shrubs
  They are immaculately cared for and trimmed into cones, spheres, and other geometric shapes.
  
  > examine the path
  It is a crunchy path of small white pebbles.
  
  > examine the window
  It is a wide enough window but, for safety reasons perhaps, it doesn't have any lock or visible means of opening. A warm light comes from behind a gauzy curtain. It may be worth trying to look through.
  
  > look through the window
  You think you can see one figure in the room. The figure
  seems to be fussing with something at a small table. Because of the gauzy curtain, you cannot make out any details. Perhaps you can listen to the window to learn more.
  
  > listen to the window
  You hear a muffled voice say "Damn rabbit!"
  
  > keep going
  You hear a muffled voice say "Get in the damn hat!"
  
  > Keep going
  You hear a muffled voice say "Fuck!"
  
  > Keep going
  You hear a muffled voice say "Shit!"
  
  > Go east
  Fastidious Garden (near the front door)
  You are deeper in a trim and tidy English garden before a large Victorian style house. The shrubs are geometrically sculpted and a white pebble path leads from the garden gate to the west, through the garden, and to the front door to the east. Because of the shape of the house, the main house is to the north while the front door is on a wing of the house to the east. One of the windows of the house is to the north. Next to the front door is a plaque.
  
  > look at the plaque
  
  > look at the door
  It appears very sturdy.
  
  > unlock the door with the pick
  There are many locks that your old lock pick does not open. This is one of them. Oh well.
  
  > Door
  You rap on the door and it is almost immediately answered by an Asian servant in Oriental attire. He looks at you with polite eyes.
  The servant examines you and seems to take notice of your stage clothes. "Please, come in, sir." He steps in, opening the door for you to follow suit.
  
  > Go east
  This is a carpeted foyer. The walls bear portraits of famous stage magicians of the past and present. A small desk holds a visitors' book and doors lead in each of the cardinal directions. The front door of the home is to the west.
  
  Standing sentry by the visitors' book and watching over the four doors in this room is the servant, Zhang Wei.
  
  Zhang straightens one of the portraits.
  
  > examine Zhang
  Wei has a kind face and friendly eyes, but you still don't want to trust him as it could all be an act. He wears the Oriental attire of a servant, but a servant to a wealthy family or individual.
  
  > look at book
  (the instruction manual)
  101 Magic Tricks
  
  The rest of the tricks in the book seem to require too much study and prep time to learn quick enough for this adventure.
  
  > examine the visitors book
  It is a ledger full of signatures of people who have visited the establishment. It's much like you'd find in a funeral home. You'd have to search it to see if it holds any useful clues.
  
  Zhang examines the visitors book.
  
  > examine the portraits
  You randomly look at the portraits on the walls. One that you take notice of is the recently deceased Harry Houdini, of course.
  
  > continue
  You randomly look at the portraits on the walls. One that you take notice of is Percy Selbit, the first man to saw a woman in half.
  Well, as an illusion on a stage, that is.
  
  Zhang straightens one of the portraits.
  
  > Hi
  You say hello to Zhang Wei.
  
  Zhang eyes you curiously.
  
  (You could ask him about himself, Philip Leclair, Karl Weiss or Cheng Ling Shu.)
  
  > ask Wei about himself
  "Tell me about yourself." you ask the servant.
  
  "I am just a servant of Master Cheng Ling Shu, sir." is his reply.
  
  Zhang looks at one of the portraits while he waits.
  
  > look up Philip Leclair in visitors book
  You discover nothing of interest in the visitors book.
  
  Zhang eyes you curiously.
  
  > search the visitors book
  You peer at the pages; your eyes scanning the names. Zhang Wei makes a motion to take the book from your prying eyes but you slap his hand away long enough to make out the last signature: Karl Weiss.
  
  > ask Zhang about Philip
  "What can you tell me about the missing member of the Brotherhood; this Leclair fellow?" you ask.
  
  "Unfortunately," he says, "I did not know the young man."
  
  > ask Wei about Cheng
  "Tell me about your boss." you ask.
  
  "Cheng Ling Shu is a great and wise man." Zhang Wei says.
  
  > ask Zhang about Weiss
  "What do you know about the man who just came in?" you demand of the servant.
  
  "I'm sorry, sir." he says, "I do not know the members of the Brotherhood personally."
  
  Zhang looks at one of the portraits while he waits.