text: > Look around
  There's a clear view up and down the river from here, and it seems you could walk some way along the bank to north and south, while an overgrown path disappears off through the trees to the west.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, West
  
  > Go south
  You walk downstream along the river bank for a couple of hundred metres or so until you reach a point where a stream joins the river from the west. Since this makes progress further south impossible, you are forced to turn round and come back.
  
  > go north
  You walk upstream by the river for a couple of hundred metres, but the ground becomes increasingly steep, until it reaches the point where you'd be climbing as much as walking. At that point you decide it probably isn't worth the effort, so you turn back.
  
  > Go west
  You battle your way along the overgrown path for a dozen metres or so, then suddenly emerge into a field.
  
  The path from the east emerges in an overgrown field bounded by forest to east and south, a stream to the west, and a slope rising to the north. The most striking feature, however, is the strange green structure half-hidden next to the trees to the south.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, In
  
  > examine the structure
  It's hard to make out exactly what it is, since it's covered by a dark green tarpaulin. Whatever it is it's about three metres long and stands about two metres high at its highest point. If this was your homeworld you'd guess it was a piece of farm machinery covered up to protect it from the elements, but you don't expect to find such things on Elysium. On the other hand it looks the wrong shape for a hayrick and a distinctly odd shape for a farm building.
  
  > Go south
  You wander a short distance into the forest, but it quickly becomes apparent that you can't get very far in any direction. The stream that runs down the west side of the field bend round to the east through the forest to join the river a little south of where you crossed it, and thus bars progress further south, or in any other direction except back north into the field. After satisfying yourself that there is nothing of interest hidden among the trees, you accordingly retrace your steps.
  
  > move the tarp
  It's too firmly tied down.
  
  > untie the tarp
  You unfasten three of the ties from their spikes; that should be enough.
  
  > move the tarp
  It's rather unwieldy to manhandle by yourself; besides, if all you want to do is to see what's inside, you could just crawl through the gap underneath it.
  
  > enter
  You crawl under the tarpaulin.
  
  Under the Tarpaulin (in the dark)
  You can't see much, but you're aware that a large object is taking up most of the space here.
  
  Obvious exits: Out
  
  > examine the object
  Although it's a large object, nearly three metres long, it's quite small for what it is - a single-person shuttle (i.e. a craft for conveying someone between an orbiting spaceship and the planetary surface). Apart from a cryptic sequence of tiny letters under the door, it is unmarked and painted black all over, suggesting a desire for stealth. You can't immediately identify the model, but you don't think it's an imperial one.
  
  > look at the letters
  (the tiny letters)
  The letters stencilled under the shuttle door are almost too tiny to make out. By shining your drik directly at them you just manage to decipher them as AHAYWEH.
  
  > unlock the ship with the silver key
  The ship that brought you to Elysium is in orbit round the planet; you can't see it from here.
  
  > examine the door
  Like the rest of the shuttle, it's black, with a cryptic sequence of tiny letters stencilled just underneath.
  
  > tell Soolin about the shuttle
  "I'd say that black shuttle and that datatab together provide pretty conclusive evidence of Federation interference on this world," you remark.
  
  "It certainly looks that way, sir," she agrees.
  
  > tell Soolin about AHAYWEH
  "I'll bear that in mind, sir," she promises.
  
  > Go outside
  The path from the east emerges in an overgrown field bounded by forest to east and south, a stream to the west, and a slope rising to the north. The most striking feature, however, is the strange green structure half-hidden next to the trees to the south.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, In
  
  > examine the stream
  It's just over a couple of metres wide at this point and flowing quite fast. Upstream you can see it tumbling down a slope to the north, whereas a little way downstream it starts to bend round to the southeast.
  
  > Tie tarp
  You refasten the tarpaulin to the spikes.
  
  > Go north
  You walk up the slope, and pause to take in the view. Looking south you can see over part of the forest to what may be farmland beyond.
  So far as you can tell there's more farmland lying in the distance to north and west, while just a little way over to the east the river cuts through the forest. You see no need to risk confrontation with the settlers by walking over their fields, so after spending a few more moments taking in the view, you walk back down the slope.
  
  > Go south
  You wander a short distance into the forest, but it quickly becomes apparent that you can't get very far in any direction. The stream that runs down the west side of the field bend round to the east through the forest to join the river a little south of where you crossed it, and thus bars progress further south, or in any other direction except back north into the field. After satisfying yourself that there is nothing of interest hidden among the trees, you accordingly retrace your steps.
  
  > pull the green handle
  There's a hiss of rushing air as the raft inflates.
  
  > put the raft in the stream
  As you lower the raft into the stream, the current snatches it from your grasp and begans to carry it downstream. You race after it and just manage to retrieve it from the water before it disappears out of sight.
  
  > pull the red handle
  There's a hiss of rushing air as the raft deflates.
  
  > tell Soolin about Jeb
  "Presumably that black shuttle I just found was what the Elder told me the old farmer saw coming down out of the sky a couple of weeks back," you say.
  
  "Presumably, sir," she agrees.
  
  > tell Soolin about the mallet
  "I found this mallet in a ruined building in the forest," you tell her, "the handle is stamped 'Made in Paran'!"
  
  "That's very suspicious, sir," Sublieutenant Soolin replies, "especially with that Reldan-manufactured raft as well. That's two items of Federation manufacture you've found in the forest."
  
  "Quite, sublieutenant," you agree.
  
  > ask Soolin about the crisis
  "Is the navy ready for war with the Federation, do you think?" you ask.
  
  "Ready enough, sir," she replies, trying to sound brave, "We'll give a good account of ourselves, I'm sure of that."
  
  > Keep going
  You both know the implications of what you found on the orange datatab: the Federation really is thinking of going to war with the Empire. But there's no point dwelling on it right now; it would be more constructive to finish what you came for.
  
  > Topics
  You could tell her about yourself, or the mallet.
  
  > Enter
  What do you want to enter?
  
  > Raft
  You clamber aboard the raft. Okay, you're now sitting in the inflated rubber raft.
  
  > Go east
  You paddle the raft with the broken piece of wood over to the east bank of the river.
  
  On the River (sitting in the inflated rubber raft)
  You are sitting in an inflatable raft that's floating near the east bank of the river.
  
  Obvious exits: East, West, Out
  
  > Go east
  You walk a short way down to the path and arrive back in the clearing.
  
  The trees that surround this large clearing seem to be gradually encroaching upon it, though it will be a century or two yet before they finally overwhelm it. For now, the overgrown remains of several buildings are still visible, with one solitary white stone building to the south still just about standing. The clearing continues to the north, while paths lead out to east and west.
  
  Leela is walking towards you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  "Ah, there you are!" says Leela, "I wondered where you had got to!"
  
  > kiss her
  (Leela)
  You kiss her fully on the lips, and she responds by wrapping her arms round your neck to give you a long passionate kiss in return.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > enter AHAYWEH
  (on the console)
  The screen displays: "Correct!"
  
  The console plays back a clear recording of you talking with Sublieutenant Soolin, and with Petroc.
  
  > tell Soolin about the black tab
  "That clinches it, sublieutenant," you tell her, "The black tab I found has got a recording of me talking on it. Someone's definitely trying to listen in on us. And one more thing, the password for accessing the data on the black tab was on the black shuttle I found across the river."
  
  "The plot thickens," Sublieutenant Soolin remarks.
  
  > talk to Leela
  "I'm still here, offworlder," Leela assures you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  (You could tell her about yourself, the town, Petroc, the strange green structure, the black shuttle, the orange datatab, the plastic bottle, the small silver key, or the raft, or ask her about herself, the elders, Elysium, her questions, the stories, the town, markets or meetings, old Jeb, the mallet, or the small silver key.)
  
  > Go south
  Leela follows you inside.
  
  The single room inside the building is open to the sky and mostly full of rubble. In the one corner that remains reasonably accessible, the southwest corner, a triangular light fitting remains near what would once have been the ceiling. The doorless exit lies to the north.
  
  An old metal crate sits by the wall, next to the trapdoor in the corner.
  
  A battered cabinet lies half-buried under the rubble in the northeast corner of the room.
  
  Leela enters the building with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, Down
  
  > Examine crate
  The large metal crate was once painted dark green, and some of the paint remains between the patches of rust. The dust on the floor round the crate looks as if it may have been recently disturbed. It's closed.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > Open crate
  Opened.
  
  > examine trapdoor
  It's about 0.8 metres square, and currently open. Although the trapdoor is as old and scuffed as the surrounding floor, the maglock fitted to it looks new.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > open the cabinet
  The rubble prevents you getting at the cabinet to open it.
  
  "I couldn't get it open, either," Leela tells you.
  
  > open trapdoor
  The trapdoor is already open.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > examine the key
  Which key do you mean, the small iron key, or the small silver key?
  
  > Silver
  It looks like the key to a maglock; there are no teeth or grooves and the key data is presumably encoded in its plain metal strip. The key is obviously quite new.
  
  > tell Leela about orange
  You could tell her about yourself, the maglock, the town, Petroc, the strange green structure, the black shuttle, the orange datatab, the plastic bottle, the small silver key, or the raft, or ask her about herself, the elders, Elysium, her questions, the stories, the town, markets or meetings, old Jeb, the mallet, or the small silver key.
  
  "I've managed to read the orange datatab I found in the basement of the white building," you tell her.
  
  "Really?" she asks, suddenly wary, "What did it tell you?"
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > tell Leela  about Anita
  "Is that right?" she asks.
  
  > tell Leela about Federation
  Leela listens attentively to your account of the Federation.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > tell Leela about the black datacube
  She gives a puzzled frown.
  
  > tell Leela about the shuttle
  "I found a black shuttle across the river," you tell her, "I don't think it should be there - do you happen to know anything about it?"
  
  Leela frowns, looks away for a moment, and repeatedly clenches and unclenches her fists, as if trying to resolve a quandry. Then at length she lets out a heavy sigh and turns back to you, her manner suddenly different, as if she has just grown older and taller.
  
  "Okay," she admits, "There's no point in keeping up this pretence, is there? That's my shuttle you found, and I'm not an Elysian farm-girl, as I'm sure you realize by now. But it's not as bad as you think, really it's not. I'm not a - well, I'm an anthropologist from Earth." Before you can protest, she cuts you off with a gesture, saying, "Yes - I know - I have no business being here. But this is about the only place in the known galaxy where I can study such a primitive culture in the field. so - what happens now?"
  
  (You could ask why she lied before, ask which university she's from, ask how long she's been here, say you don't believe her, or show her the orange datatab.)
  
  > ask Leela why she lied before
  "Why did you lie to me before?" you ask.
  
  "Because I shouldn't be here, obviously," she shrugs, "I've been trying to learn about the natives by living like one of them, and I hoped I could get away with passing myself off as one, but obviously it didn't work. So, as I said: what happens now?"
  
  (You could ask why she lied before, ask which university she's from, ask how long she's been here, say you don't believe her, or show her the orange datatab.)
  
  > ask Leela which the university she's from
  "So, you're an Earthish anthropologist," you say, "Which university are you from?"
  
  "Cambridge," she replies, "Why, does it make a difference? So, what now? If I promise to be a good girl and go straight back there, will you let me go?"
  
  (You could ask why she lied before, ask which university she's from, ask how long she's been here, say you don't believe her, show her the orange datatab, let her go, or arrest her.)
  
  > show datatab to Leela
  Which datatab do you mean, the purple datatab, the black datatab, or the orange datatab?
  
  > Orange
  "So what's this, then?" you ask, showing the orange datatab, "I found it in the pocket of what is no doubt your jumpsuit."
  
  Leela stares down at the tab for a moment, then nods, "Right," she agrees, "Obviously that is my jumpsuit, and obviously that is my datatab. Like I said, I'm an anthropologist; it contains my field notes. May I have it back please?"
  
  > tell Leela about the spy
  "I asked you if you'd let me have my datatab back," she reminds you, holding her hand out, "Will you give it to me, please?"
  
  > No
  "Certainly not!" you reply, "I'm confiscating this as material evidence of your illegal activity on this planet."
  
  She lays a gentle hand on your arm, and sets her face in an equally gentle pleading look, "Please," she begs, "I haven't made a copy, and if you don't give it back to me, all my work here will have been wasted. If I'm going to get into terrible trouble, at least don't let it be for nothing. You can give it back to me, can't you?"
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > tell Leela about the bug
  "I take it from your attempt to change the subject that that's a 'no' then," she sighs, "So what happens now?"
  
  (You could ask why she lied before, ask which university she's from, ask how long she's been here, say you don't believe her, tell her about the orange datatab, let her go, or arrest her.)
  
  > tell Leela i don'T believe you
  The story doesn't understand that command. Please use ASK ACTOR ABOUT TOPIC (or just A TOPIC).
  
  "The suspense is killing me," Leela complains, "Now that you know who I really am, what are you going to do about it?"
  
  > tell Leela i don'T believe her
  The story doesn't understand that command. Please use ASK ACTOR ABOUT TOPIC (or just A TOPIC).
  
  "Look, I do know I'm the one in the wrong here, but it would be polite to answer my question," Leela insists, "What happens now?"
  
  > say i don'T believe her
  "I don't believe you," you say, "if you're an anthropologist on an illegal field trip, why in the galaxy did you accost me earlier on asking me to bring you food and clothing? Showing yourself to a Legion officer like that is the last thing anyone here illegally would do!"
  
  "I didn't realize you were a Legion officer until it was too late," she replies, "I just saw a figure moving through the trees - once I realized my mistake I just had to improvise as best I could. Silly, really, I just dug myself into a deeper hole, didn't I? So, what are you going to do about it?"
  
  (You could ask why she lied before, ask which university she's from, ask how long she's been here, say you don't believe her, tell her about the orange datatab, let her go, or arrest her.)
  
  > Arrest leela
  "I'm sorry, Leela, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to place you under arrest," you tell her, "We both know you shouldn't be here, and my duty is plain: I have to take you in for questioning."
  
  "Okay, I'll come quietly..." she assures you, spreading her hands in a gesture of surrender, and approaching as if to follow you back to your shuttle. Then, suddenly, she leaps at you, her hands clutching at your throat. "...after hell freezes over," she rasps, as her grip tightens on your windpipe.
  
  Leela makes a grab for your throat but you manage to throw her off.
  
  "Is that the best you can do? You're a dead man!" she sneers.
  
  > Stun leela
  (with the drik)
  (first taking the drik from the purple belt)
  Leela stiffens, an expression of momentary astonishment on her face, then with a little moan she tumbles to the ground.
  
  > tell Soolin about Leela
  "Remember that young woman I told you about? I think she must be a Federation spy; she attacked me just now - I think she was trying to kill me - I suppose because she thinks I've found out too much. I shot her with my drik and she's out cold."
  
  "Good heavens, sir!" cries Sublieutenant Soolin, "But why do you think she's a Federation spy?"
  
  "Well, sublieutenant," you say, "First, finding the bug in the pillow-case, second finding the receiver in the barn, third the fact that her old clothes were in the crate when she said she had thrown them away, fourth finding the maglock key so close to the trapdoor, fifth the Reldan-made raft, sixth the mallet made on Paran, seventh what the report on the orange datatab said, eighth the bottle of shampoo/cleansing lotion I found hidden by the river, near where she was bathing, ninth the black shuttle parked in the field across the river, tenth the recording of my bugged conversations, and finally the new maglock on the trapdoor."
  
  "A Federation spy on Elysium!" she declares, "Any chance you could get her aboard the shuttle? We should take her back for questioning."
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > get Leela
  You manage to lift the unconscious Leela up and hoist her over your shoulder.
  
  > drop Leela
  You lower Leela gently on to the floor.
  
  > eat cheese
  You eat the small wedge of cheese. It tastes quite strong - possibly a little overripe.
  
  > look
  The single room inside the building is open to the sky and mostly full of rubble. In the one corner that remains reasonably accessible, the southwest corner, a triangular light fitting remains near what would once have been the ceiling. The doorless exit lies to the north.
  
  An old metal crate sits by the wall, next to the trapdoor in the corner.
  
  A battered cabinet lies half-buried under the rubble in the northeast corner of the room.
  
  You see a tomato, a carrot, a lettuce, an apple, and a fluffy pink towel here.
  
  Obvious exits: North, Down
  
  > go to the north
  The trees that surround this large clearing seem to be gradually encroaching upon it, though it will be a century or two yet before they finally overwhelm it. For now, the overgrown remains of several buildings are still visible, with one solitary white stone building to the south still just about standing. The clearing continues to the north, while paths lead out to east and west.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  > tell the pilot about Leela
  "The young woman I shot is still unconscious," you say.
  
  "If you zapped her with your drik she'll be out for hours, sir," Sublieutenant Soolin opines. "Perhaps you can carry her back aboard."
  
  > go east
  You set off down the path to the east, and continue straight on until the point where it starts to bend.
  
  A narrow path, rather faint to the southeast but becoming clearer to the west, bends through the trees at this point. It may also be possible to squeeze through the gap to the east.
  
  Obvious exits: East, West, Southeast
  
  > go to the east
  Alien foliage clogs the ground between the trees that crowd around you on every side. The main trail heads straight off to the north and snakes through the trees to the south. You can't see any side trails as such, but apart from the main path, the only gap through the trees that looks passable here is the one directly to the west. It's pretty narrow, but you could just squeeze through it.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, West
  
  > go inside
  The inside of the shuttle is not exactly spacious; there's room for the pilot and three passengers, one beside the pilot and two behind. The seats are comfortable enough, but otherwise it's all pretty basic. There's not much in front of you except the forward window; the pilot has a bank of instruments.
  
  Sublieutenant Soolin is sitting in the pilot seat.
  
  Obvious exits: Out Opening the passenger door, you first set Leela down on the rear seat.
  
  As you clamber into the flyer you sit yourself down on the front passenger seat, next to the pilot.
  
  "Hello, sir!" Sublieutenant Soolin greets you, "I see you've got that Federation spy aboard. Does this mean you're all done and ready to leave?"
  
  > Yes
  "Yes, I'm all done here, let's go," you nod.
  
  Sublieutenant Soolin turns to the controls and starts up the shuttle. Within seconds the argoms cut in and the shuttle lifts effortlessly up into the air. You glance down at the forest and the tiny town below for one last time, but they shrink rapidly out of sight as the shuttle speeds skywards towards the orbiting frigate.
  
  Once she has put the shuttle on autopilot, Sublieutenant Soolin turns to you and says, glancing at the figure lying on the back seat, "I wonder if she'll talk, sir? I can't imagine it'll be too easy to persuade her to confess to being a spy!"
  
  "No, I suppose you're right, sublieutenant," you agree, "she's a cunning little vixen and she'll use every trick in the galaxy to protest her innocence!"
  
  For a moment, you wonder whether you'll ever see Elysium again, but then Sublieutenant Soolin starts chatting with you, and your thoughts turn to the more immediate future.
  
  > 1
  Some things you might try to improve your score next time:
  
  1. Give Petroc an important warning.
  
  2. Get Leela to incriminate herself even more thoroughly.
  
  3. Make a more determined effort to find out what's in the cabinet in the ruined white building.
  
  4. Find out what went so horribly wrong on Elysium all those centuries ago.
  
  [The End]
  
  > 2
  The Elysium Enigma is set in the same universe as a series of novels I've been writing and re-writing for the last thirty years or so, and may well be for the next thirty, as my ideas change faster than my ability to produce something I'm satisfied with. This game does not directly intersect with the story-line of the novels, though it takes place at roughly the same time, and alludes to some of the same characters in passing. And like the protagonist of the Elysium Enigma, the protagonist of my permanently-in-progress novels has a career in the Imperial Sovereign Legion.
  
  In this story universe the Moltinoran Empire came into being in the 25th century as a result of a Centauran initiative to gain Moltinoran support against an aggressive neighbour. By the thirtieth century the Empire has become the most powerful political grouping so far known to humankind. Although far from perfect, it is basically a benign institution, with huge constitutional safeguards limiting the power of the Emperor and guaranteeing a great degree of autonomy to member worlds; even a cranky failing settlement like Elysium is largely allowed to go its own way. By the late thirtieth century, however, the Empire has gained a rival almost equal in power, the (so-called) Free Trade Federation of Paran. Although originally benign in intent, the Federation has been growing steadily more sinister, sliding slowly but steadily into tyranny.
  
  My series of novels follows the career of Simon Quiller, a young Legion officer (who later becomes something rather more than that) roughly speaking through the 2970s and on into the early 2980s, from the time that the truly sinister nature of the Federation starts to become clear (Simon Quiller is on Relda to witness the events Andrew Holt tells Petroc about), through a period of growing tension, until the situation erupts into open conflict, and the Empire is faced with the seemingly ghastly choice between fighting a war that could cost billions of lives or giving way to one of the nastiest tyrannies in human history.
  
  In this universe, Earth (along with a few other worlds) lies between the Empire and the Federation and tries, futilely, to play the role of benevolent neutral, refusing to recognize the real threat of the Federation threat until it is too late. Unlike Andrew Holt, who was born of aristocratic stock in the heartlands of the Empire, Simon Quiller, the hero of my novels, was born on Earth of an Earthish mother and Moltinoran father, and starts out as something of an outsider in the Empire.
  
  Of course, after the novels get re-written a few more times, some of that may change, not least the role of Senator Charles Harcourt, whom I invented as a villain a long while back, but the nature of whose villainy I have yet to master...
  
  [The End]
  Amusing
  
  1. Improve your Score
  2. Some Background to the Story
  
  Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to quit:
  
  > Go north
  This seems to be a meeting hall of some sort, with rows of plain wooden benches facing a crude stage at the northern end. It's unclear whether this place is intended for religious or secular purposes; quite possibly it does duty for both. The overall effect is decidedly gloomy, even though a fair amount of sunlight steals in through the unglazed windows and the open doorway to the south.
  
  Petroc is pacing up and down on the stage.
  
  Obvious exits: South Since you don't want one of the natives to see you talking over the drik you surreptitiously cut the connection.
  
  > tell Petroc about Leela
  You've exhausted that topic for now. Petroc is clearly sceptical of what Leela told you, and even of her existence.
  
  > tell Petroc about Federation
  "Pardon my bothering you, but I just wondered whether I might have another word," you say.
  
  "If you must," he sighs.
  
  "If the Federation were to come here, you'd soon realize how well the Empire has treated you," you point out.
  
  "How well?" he cries, "Have you see what's in the forest? Look there and learn how well your Empire has treated us!"
  
  > move the rubble
  You manage to move the shattered pieces of rubble off the cabinet.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > open the cabinet
  Opening the battered cabinet reveals a small book.
  
  "Hey, well done, offworlder!" Leela declares, "What's in there?"
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > get the book
  "What have you got there?" Leela wants to know, as you pick up the diary "Do show me!"
  
  > read the book
  It appears to be the diary of one Subcenturion Mark Villiers, who served as the representative of the Imperial Police Corps on this planet in the early twenty-eighth century, about a quarter of a millenium ago, when Elysium was newly colonized. It seems that Villiers was posted here to enforce a modicum of imperial law and order on the new settlement, but that the settlers proved as difficult back then as they have done ever since.
  
  As you flick over the pages you find a series of accounts of ongoing friction between the uncooperative Elders and the increasingly frustrated Villiers. Some of the other natives seemed to have been reasonable enough, and as Villiers's account progresses it becomes clear that he was becoming increasingly friendly with one young woman in particular, but the Elders were consistently obstructive, insisting that the maintenance of law on Elysium was their job and theirs alone, and no business of the Empire. Even when news of some petty crime did come Villiers's way, the Elders would frustrate every attempt the subcenturion made to investigate it.
  
  On the last few pages the tone becomes even darker. Villiers apparently believed that someone - one of the settlers called Natasha with whom he had become quite friendly - had been murdered, and he was determined to bring the killer to justice. The Elders proved particularly intransigent, denying that any crime had taken place that they weren't perfectly capable of taking care of. It's clear from the diary that this made Villiers increasingly angry: if a murder had been committed it was clearly a matter for the imperial authorities, and all the settlers, Elders included, were duty-bound to co-operate.
  
  On the final page, the entry for July 14 2722, the diary concludes with the words, "I am now morally certain that Natasha was murdered, and I now have a pretty good idea where to find her body and the proof I need to bring her killers to justice. Poor Natasha! Always too much of a free spirit for this narrow little planet, and now she's paid the ultimate price for her broad-mindedness and her enquiring mind. But I am determined to bring matters to a head, despite veiled threats from the Elders.
  
  And now, I'm just off to follow up my latest lead; I'll fill in the details on my return."
  
  But it seems Subcenturion Villiers never did return, for there his account ends.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > show book to Leela
  Leela takes the diary off you, and reads through it with a deepening frown. "How sad!" she declares as she reaches the last page, "that poor Natasha - she sounds a bit like me, really - I wonder what the Elders did to her. And Mark Villiers, the person who wrote this, that's the man whose grave we just found, isn't it? So we know how he ended up. I wonder if he found justice for Natasha first."
  
  She closes the diary and hands it back to you.
  
  > Go north
  Leela follows you outside.
  
  The trees that surround this large clearing seem to be gradually encroaching upon it, though it will be a century or two yet before they finally overwhelm it. For now, the overgrown remains of several buildings are still visible, with one solitary white stone building to the south still just about standing. The clearing continues to the north, while paths lead out to east and west.
  
  Leela emerges from the stone building with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  > go to the east
  Leela follows close behind you. You set off down the path to the east, and continue straight on until the point where it starts to bend.
  
  A narrow path, rather faint to the southeast but becoming clearer to the west, bends through the trees at this point. It may also be possible to squeeze through the gap to the east.
  
  Leela walks along the narrow path with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: East, West, Southeast
  
  > Go east
  Leela follows close behind you.
  
  The main north-south track runs wide and straight here. The trees are more widely spaced, so that you could easily wander among them on either side of the main track. To the south they become sparser still, indicating that the edge of the forest lies that way.
  
  Leela reaches the edge of the forest with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  > Go east
  You wander off among the trees to the east of the path, but find little of interest beyond more trees. Rather than wasting time in this part of the forest you return to the main path.
  
  > tell the pilot about the diary
  "I've found a diary belonging to one Subcenturion Mark Villiers, who apparently served here a couple of centuries ago," you tell her, "It makes quite interesting reading."
  
  "Then perhaps you could show it to me when you get back to the shuttle, sir," she suggests.
  
  > Go north
  The main north-south track runs wide and straight here. The trees are more widely spaced, so that you could easily wander among them on either side of the main track. To the south they become sparser still, indicating that the edge of the forest lies that way.
  
  Leela is walking towards you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West Since you don't want one of the natives to see you talking over the drik you surreptitiously cut the connection.
  
  "Hello, you're back!" Leela greets you.
  
  > go to the north
  Leela follows close behind you.
  
  Alien foliage clogs the ground between the trees that crowd around you on every side. The main trail heads straight off to the north and snakes through the trees to the south. You can't see any side trails as such, but apart from the main path, the only gap through the trees that looks passable here is the one directly to the west. It's pretty narrow, but you could just squeeze through it.
  
  Leela enters the heart of the forest with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, West
  
  > go north
  Leela follows close behind you.
  
  The dirt track runs a short way north up to a ridge, just beyond which lies the hollow where your shuttle landed; to the south the track disappears into a sizeable forest. There are fields either side of the track, but they look overgrown and untended.
  
  Leela walks along the dirt track with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South
  
  > Go north
  Leela follows close behind you. You walk back up over the ridge, and descend into the hollow on the far side.
  
  This grassy hollow, about thirty metres across, looks like it might once have been an impact crater. A steep slope rises just to the west, while a trail of sorts leads north and south.
  
  Your shuttle rests in the middle of the hollow.
  
  Leela enters the hollow with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, In
  
  Leela clutches at you in alarm at the sight of the white shuttle.
  
  > Enter
  Leela clasps your hand, looking at you anxiously, "I don't think I can do this," she says, "That big machine scares me - and so does leaving this world - it's the only world I know!"
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > Bye
  "Oh, you're going off in that flying-machine thing?" Leela asks dubiously, "Don't be long, offworlder! I'll wait for you here."
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  > Bye
  "You're not going anywhere without me, offworlder!" Leela tells you.
  
  > Go south
  Leela follows close behind you. You set off down the track and after a few minutes' walk you find yourself deep in the heart of the forest.
  
  Alien foliage clogs the ground between the trees that crowd around you on every side. The main trail heads straight off to the north and snakes through the trees to the south. You can't see any side trails as such, but apart from the main path, the only gap through the trees that looks passable here is the one directly to the west. It's pretty narrow, but you could just squeeze through it.
  
  Leela enters the heart of the forest with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, West
  
  > go south
  Leela follows close behind you. The path twists and turns through the trees, but broadly continues south.
  
  The main north-south track runs wide and straight here. The trees are more widely spaced, so that you could easily wander among them on either side of the main track. To the south they become sparser still, indicating that the edge of the forest lies that way.
  
  Leela reaches the edge of the forest with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  > go to the west
  Leela follows close behind you.
  
  Dappled light plays through the sparsely spaced trees that thin out even more towards the southeast, where the forest ends. In principle you could walk in any direction amongst these autumnal trees, but one direction looks much the same as any other, so you could all too easily get lost, except that you know that the way back to the main path is to the east, and that there's another path to the northwest.
  
  Leela walks into the thinning forest with you.
  
  You can smell the cheese.
  
  Obvious exits: East, Northwest, Southeast
  
  > show the diary to Soolin
  "Here, take a look at this," you say, handing her the diary.
  
  She takes the diary and reads through it rapidly, slowing down as she reaches the end. Then she looks up at you with a worried frown as she hands it back. "I wonder what happened to Villiers after that?" she asks.
  
  > tell Soolin about the grave
  "None of the other graves seem to have been marked," you say.
  
  "Perhaps none of the other markers survived, sir," she suggests.
  
  > show the helmet to Soolin
  Sublieutenant Soolin glances at the helmet without much interest.
  
  > look at the helmet
  It's battered and rusty, and obviously old. It looks as if it was once green, and on the front you can just make out a very faded golden eagle. It looks like it might have been an Imperial Marines helmet, but it's certainly not the current pattern. If the helmet were in better condition, it would belong in a military museum.
  
  > Go outside
  (first standing up)
  "Goodbye, sir," Sublieutenant Soolin calls after you.
  
  You clamber out of the shuttle.
  
  This grassy hollow, about thirty metres across, looks like it might once have been an impact crater. A steep slope rises just to the west, while a trail of sorts leads north and south.
  
  Your shuttle rests in the middle of the hollow.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, In
  
  > Go south
  You set off down the track and after a few minutes' walk you find yourself deep in the heart of the forest.
  
  Alien foliage clogs the ground between the trees that crowd around you on every side. The main trail heads straight off to the north and snakes through the trees to the south. You can't see any side trails as such, but apart from the main path, the only gap through the trees that looks passable here is the one directly to the west. It's pretty narrow, but you could just squeeze through it.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, West
  
  > Go south
  The path twists and turns through the trees, but broadly continues south.
  
  The main north-south track runs wide and straight here. The trees are more widely spaced, so that you could easily wander among them on either side of the main track. To the south they become sparser still, indicating that the edge of the forest lies that way.
  
  Obvious exits: North, South, East, West
  
  > Go north
  This seems to be a meeting hall of some sort, with rows of plain wooden benches facing a crude stage at the northern end. It's unclear whether this place is intended for religious or secular purposes; quite possibly it does duty for both. The overall effect is decidedly gloomy, even though a fair amount of sunlight steals in through the unglazed windows and the open doorway to the south.
  
  Petroc is pacing up and down on the stage.
  
  Obvious exits: South
  
  Petroc reaches the end of the stage and turns round.
  
  > show diary to Petroc
  "Excuse me," you say.
  
  "Now what?" he snaps.
  
  "I found this diary in the forest; I thought you might find it interesting," you tell him.
  
  Petroc hesitates for a moment, then takes the diary from you and reads it slowly. At length, he looks up at you again, and remarks, "If you're as clever as you think you are, you should be able guess the rest. This man Villiers poked his nose in where it wasn't welcome.
  He came to a sticky end. Eventually your people sent someone else along to find out what had happened to him. My ancestors believed justice had been done, but yours didn't, so they sent a gang of warriors here. Things quickly got out of hand - some of our young men went along to the old town with sticks and stones to chase your warriors away, and your warriors retaliated with their weapons of terror. It was a massacre, a terrible bloody massacre, so terrible that even your ancestors were ashamed of it. Anyway, no one wanted the old town after that, it had too many bad memories for all of us, so we abandoned it, and rebuilt here - but still you wouldn't leave us alone." He pauses, and looks at you with something like pity as he hands the diary back to you, "So now you know - all your great empire has done for us."