text: > Describe the surroundings
  Cigarette smoke winds through every part of the bar. Various people are sitting at the tables or standing by the bar. Behind the bar, the bartender is cleaning a whiskey glass with an old rag. The door to the south leads outside.
  
  A brown-haired man with a scar is sitting at one of the tables by himself.
  
  > 1
  "Here you are, Mister," says the bouncer, and returns your weapons.
  
  You decide to visit the Baron again.
  
  The stately mansion of the Baron von Bülow looms in front of you. Light blares from two windows on the second floor, like the eyes of an angry giant. Two large mahogany doors guard the entrance to the north. The path to the south leads to the gate, away from the mansion.
  
  > Go north
  It almost seems like a waste for such a massive entrance hall to be used to welcome a single person. The floor is a conflagration of red marble. Two sets of stairs lead up to a balcony above. French doors in the north side of the room lead to the back garden. To the south, the mahogany doors lead back out.
  
  > Go up
  From here you can see the hall beneath you. An iron railing prevents you from falling to the floor far below. Massive oak wood doors block the paths to the east and the west.
  
  Light seeps from the crack beneath the door to the west, like fluid from a leaky container.
  
  You see Allan Jameson here.
  
  > take the fluid
  Taken.
  
  You put the luminescent fluid into the white cocoon.
  
  > show the letter to Baron
  He reads the letter, and his face grows red. "I swear if that damn Scotsman has done anything to hurt my daughter, I will make him pay." His face grows pale once more. "Please find her as soon as possible, Mr. Reilly. Make sure that she is okay."
  
  > examine Baron
  Thin, as though his skin had been draped over his skeleton with nothing in between. Dark blue eyes, like deep lakes carved into his face. His hair is grey. His friendly smile lights up his face with a golden glow.
  
  > 1
  You head back to your office.
  
  Shadows huddle in the corners; the sickly yellow light from the desk lamp does little to dispel the darkness. An old cigarette butt lies in the ashtray. Your desk is covered with old case files - reminders of past glories. Apart from the desk, the only other furniture is an old office chair.
  
  The office door to the north leads to the corridor outside.
  
  > 1
  You decide to visit the Baron again.
  
  The stately mansion of the Baron von Bülow looms in front of you. Light blares from two windows on the second floor, like the eyes of an angry giant. Two large mahogany doors guard the entrance to the north. The path to the south leads to the gate, away from the mansion.
  
  > look at the red marble
  The floor is a conflagration of red marble. You can feel the warmth from the fire through your shoes.
  
  > take the fire
  The fire is way too hot. Carrying fire around with you would probably not be a good idea, anyway.
  
  > Go north
  The grass here has been meticulously groomed. Not a single strand stands above the others, like citizens in a socialist utopia. Stone paths wind through the grass like scaly snakes, going nowhere and everywhere. From a fountain in the middle of the garden, from a trumpet held by an angel, water shoots into the air. The mansion lies behind you, to the south.
  
  > examine the citizens
  Equal in every way. Are they happy, you wonder, without the weight of individuality on their shoulders?
  
  > talk to the citizens
  "Beware the snakes," they tell you. Sounds like good advice.
  
  > examine the snakes
  They slither around in the grass, back and forth, unpredictably.
  
  > take the snakes
  With your bare hands? You have no idea how poisonous they might be. A single bite might be enough to kill you.
  
  > look at grass
  The grass has been meticulously groomed.
  
  > examine the paths
  Like snakes, slithering through the grass.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  some figurative white marble
  a revolver
  a literal knife
  a figurative dirty rag
  a figurative brown toupee
  a figurative sharp knife
  a coin
  a figurative brown brick
  a letter
  some figurative putty
  a figurative white cocoon
  some figurative luminescent fluid (providing light)
  a figurative vinyl record
  
  > cut the snakes with the knife
  Which do you mean, the literal knife or the sharp knife?
  
  > Sharp
  You stab the nearest snake with the knife. It writhes in pain and flees from the garden. The other snakes follow its example.
  
  > look at the paths
  The stones are like the scales of a giant snake.
  
  > examine the fountain
  The water pours from the trumpet into the air. The droplets rain down from above, glistening in the moonlight, like manna from heaven.
  
  > examine the manna
  A piece of white manna.
  
  > look at the angel
  Its eyes are closed; its wings spread behind it, as if it is preparing to take off once the trumpet has been emptied. Too bad it never will be.
  
  > look at Water
  The water is clear.
  
  > Drink water
  It might look clean, but you doubt it is safe to drink.
  
  > give the manna to the beggar
  The beggar takes the manna and eyes it suspiciously. He tries a bite and his face lights up. "Thank you, good sir. This will help me get through the day. Please allow me to give you this in return." He hands you a tiny needle before disappearing down one of the streets.
  
  > 4
  You head towards the seedy bar.
  
  The bouncer pats you down in front of the entrance.
  The bouncer locates the revolver and confiscates it. "Sorry, Mister. No guns in the bar." Mr. Wesson manages to sneak in with you anyway. "Your belongings will be returned to you when you leave, Mister."
  
  Cigarette smoke winds through every part of the bar. Various people are sitting at the tables or standing by the bar. Behind the bar, the bartender is cleaning a whiskey glass with an old rag. The door to the south leads outside.
  
  A brown-haired man with a scar is sitting at one of the tables by himself.
  
  > take the needle
  The knife is much more handy this way.
  
  > show the knife to man
  (the literal knife to the brown-haired man with the scar)
  You open your coat, showing him the discreet knife hidden inside. His eyes open wide and then he laughs out loud. "I gotta give it to you, Mister. You have got some guts. I respect that. I am Ronald Ericksson. Call me Ronald if you want to."
  
  > talk to Ronald
  "Do you know where I can find Mr. McAllister?"
  
  He shakes his head. "Nope, but I suspect he might be in trouble. I know he had been arguing lots with that broad of his lately. Then I start hearing rumors that he got into trouble with Camino, guy who owns the gambling joint down by the harbour, you know. That guy is trouble. I ain't afraid of him though. I've dealt with plenty worse in my time."
  
  > talk to Ronald
  "Sorry, Mister. That's all I know."
  
  > Examine bar
  The bar is covered with unidentifiable grime.
  
  > 3
  "Here you are, Mister," says the bouncer, and returns your weapons.
  
  You head towards the gambling joint.
  
  All sorts of gambling tables dot the floor. There are roulette, blackjack, poker and more games you have never even heard of. No one looks at you. Every ounce of their attention is directed toward the random events that decide their lives. A giant crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, like an intricate icicle formation. To the west, massive double doors lead outside. At the eastern wall is a small discreet door; the kind of door you are not supposed to notice, much less enter.
  
  > Go east
  Neat. Everything here is neat. The papers on the desk are neatly stacked. There is not a speck of dust on the mahogany desk. It makes you uncomfortable. You never trust people who always need to be in control. That desire hardly ever stops with themselves.
  
  Camino is sitting behind the desk, waiting for your next move.
  
  > talk to Camino
  "Mr. Camino, it has come to my attention that you had a beef with Mr. McAllister."
  
  His eyes flash. "Who told you that?"
  
  "I never reveal my sources. How about you tell me what you know? I can get on with my case, and we never have to see each other again."
  
  > talk to Camino
  "You have done a fine job digging up some pointless dirt, Mr. Reilly." His soft smooth voice surrounds you like a velvet blanket. "But I am afraid I see no hard evidence of any wrongdoing. If you discover any new information, do not hesitate to contact me."
  
  The blanket closes around you, and you find yourself standing outside the door to the office. You don't quite remember what he said to make you leave, but he was very convincing.
  
  All sorts of gambling tables dot the floor. There are roulette, blackjack, poker and more games you have never even heard of. No one looks at you. Every ounce of their attention is directed toward the random events that decide their lives. A giant crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, like an intricate icicle formation. To the west, massive double doors lead outside. At the eastern wall is a small discreet door; the kind of door you are not supposed to notice, much less enter.
  
  > put the record on Camino
  He clears his throat. The sound is like a record getting stuck.
  
  > talk to Camino
  "Just what do you think you are doing here, Mr. Reilly?" His voice is coarse and insecure, like a broken record. "Did you think this pointless slander would scare me?"
  
  "Mr. Camino, I have no interest in scaring you. I am simply trying to locate Miss von Bülow. If you could help me out, I assure you that I won't bother you again."
  
  His voice is almost a growl. "Oh, you won't bother me again. I am not worried about that at all. ALFONO!"
  
  The door opens and the man in the pinstriped suit enters the room. Without a word, he grabs your arm and escorts you out of the office.
  
  You feel like you are missing something. Perhaps you should explore more and make sure you have found everything?
  
  All sorts of gambling tables dot the floor. There are roulette, blackjack, poker and more games you have never even heard of. No one looks at you. Every ounce of their attention is directed toward the random events that decide their lives. A giant crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, like an intricate icicle formation. To the west, massive double doors lead outside. At the eastern wall is a small discreet door; the kind of door you are not supposed to notice, much less enter.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  a revolver
  some figurative white marble
  a literal knife
  a figurative dirty rag
  a figurative brown toupee
  a figurative sharp knife
  a coin
  a figurative brown brick
  a letter
  some figurative putty
  a figurative white cocoon
  some figurative luminescent fluid (providing light)
  
  > go east
  (first opening the discreet door)
  It seems to be locked.
  
  > examine Door
  Which do you mean, the discreet door or the massive double doors?
  
  > Discreet
  A small door that almost seems to blend in with the wall.
  
  > examine the massive doors
  Massive wooden doors that look like a battering ram would shatter against them.
  
  > examine the chandelier
  A giant crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, like a intricate icicle formation.
  
  > take the formation
  It is too far up. If you had someone to help you, you might be able to reach it together.
  
  > take the formation
  Mr. Wesson nods. "I think I might just be able to reach it if you help me, sir." You let him climb up on your shoulders and just barely manage to lift his weight. He reaches towards the icicle. You struggle to keep your balance, and for one precarious moment it seems like you are going to end up in a pile on the floor. Then Mr. Wesson deftly breaks off an icicle and jumps down. He hands you the icicle. "Here you are, sir."
  
  > look at the icicle
  A cool beautiful icicle.