text: [Themes: Espionage]
  
  > Look around
  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.
  
  I can also see the tall diplomat, the short diplomat, and the medium diplomat here.
  
  > Go north
  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 makes some notes.
  
  The burglar stands off to one side of the room, looking around carefully.
  
  The brute lounges against one wall.
  
  > go east
  This spacious gallery is empty, though murmurs of conversation from
  the room to the west echo throughout the chamber. High, narrow windows around the circumference of the room cast orange light on the marble floor. An ornately carved archway leads east, next to which is a conspicuous black keypad. Plainer exits lead north and south.
  
  An ornate chandelier hangs from the ceiling.
  
  > examine the chandelier
  An elaborate creation of brass and crystal.
  
  > examine the 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.
  
  > look at the archway
  The archway leads east deeper into the complex. Bands of spiritual energy roil across the opening, perfectly harmless to humans but
  lethal to those in my line of business. I'm immortal, but even immortality has limits.
  
  > Go north
  Judging from the pigeon-hole boxes filling the walls, I'm in the conference's mail room. The cubbyholes are mostly empty; I doubt anything important would be left out in the open anyway. For that, a metal storage locker stands in the corner, gleaming in the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. The only exit from the room is to the south.
  
  A hacker looks toward the doorway with suspension.
  
  > examine the locker
  A secure metal locker with some sort of electronic lock.
  
  In the storage locker is a leather briefcase.
  
  The hacker looks toward the doorway with suspension.
  
  > look at the briefcase
  As a diplomat and a demon, I've worked with quite a few lawyers. Most of them carried briefcases like this one: smart and ludicrously expensive. Like the lawyers themselves, really. Unlike the lawyers,
  the briefcase is shining brightly with spiritual energy.
  
  The leather briefcase is mystically sealed, presumably to protect its contents from the opposition. The barrier is also keeping me from accessing its contents, some launch codes and a top secret codebook,
  as long as it's closed.
  
  The hacker looks toward the doorway with suspension.
  
  > look at the hacker
  person.
  
  The hacker looks toward the doorway with suspension.
  
  > examine the devices
  interact with other bits of human technology in some way advantageous to the hacker. Their exact details are uninteresting to me.
  
  The hacker looks toward the doorway with suspension.
  
  > go south
  This spacious gallery is empty, though murmurs of conversation from
  the room to the west echo throughout the chamber. High, narrow windows around the circumference of the room cast orange light on the marble floor. An ornately carved archway leads east, next to which is a conspicuous black keypad. Plainer exits lead north and south.
  
  An ornate chandelier hangs from the ceiling.
  
  > 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.
  
  > examine the cage
  I suppose it's here for safety, what with the "danger, high voltage" signs, but it'd also do a bang-up job as a dungeon cell.
  
  > examine the equipment
  The equipment keeps the electricity in, or something. Look, I'm a lawyer and diplomat. My expertise is in the spiritual realm. The
  grubby business of electrons and photons and second quantization (footnote 8) is better left to humans.
  
  > Footnote 8
  (8) ...and second quantization: Well, maybe I know a
  bit about it.
  
  > examine wiring
  From what I can gather, the wiring connects and powers the building's lighting system. Human eyes require light to see. Instead of fixing that obvious problem, humans have decided to install artificial lights in every corner of their world. There's probably some sort of metaphor for humanity there; I just think it's wasted effort.
  
  > Go north
  Judging from the pigeon-hole boxes filling the walls, I'm in the conference's mail room. The cubbyholes are mostly empty; I doubt anything important would be left out in the open anyway. For that, a metal storage locker stands in the corner, gleaming in the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. The only exit from the room is to the south.
  
  The hacker looks toward the doorway with suspension.
  
  > put the explore on hacker
  I give the explore intent to the hacker, who now intends to explore
  the possibilities of the mail room.
  
  The hacker looks toward the doorway with suspension.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  The hacker looks toward the doorway with suspension.
  
  > put aggressively on the hacker
  I give the aggressively manner to the hacker, who now intends to aggressively explore the possibilities of the mail room.
  
  The hacker looks toward the doorway with suspension.
  
  > put seriously on the hacker
  I give the seriously manner to the hacker, taking the aggressively manner in exchange. It now intends to seriously explore the possibilities of the mail room.
  
  The hacker looks toward the doorway with suspension.
  
  > put OPEN on hacker
  I give the open intent to the hacker, taking the explore intent in exchange. It now intends to seriously open the secure locker.
  
  Spotting an opportunity, the hacker connects some sort of device to
  the secure locker and begins fiddling with it, paying close attention both to the task and to the doorway. After some painstaking work, the locker slides open.
  
  > examine the locker
  A secure metal locker with some sort of electronic lock.
  
  In the storage locker is a leather briefcase.
  
  The hacker gingerly reaches into the locker and takes the glowing briefcase.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  The hacker, clutching the glowing briefcase, slowly makes its way south.
  
  > go south
  This spacious gallery is empty, though murmurs of conversation from
  the room to the west echo throughout the chamber. High, narrow windows around the circumference of the room cast orange light on the marble floor. An ornately carved archway leads east, next to which is a conspicuous black keypad. Plainer exits lead north and south.
  
  An ornate chandelier hangs from the ceiling.
  
  The hacker gives the briefcase a thorough inspection, but apparently it's less adroit with physical locks than electronic ones.
  
  > examine the hacker
  person.
  
  The hacker is holding a leather briefcase, inside which are some
  launch codes and a top secret codebook.
  
  > OPEN
  something it shouldn't.
  
  The hacker gives the briefcase a thorough inspection, but apparently it's less adroit with physical locks than electronic ones.
  
  > 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 surveils the crowd.
  
  The burglar stands off to one side of the room, looking around carefully.
  
  The brute lounges against one wall.
  
  > put the explore on burglar
  I give the explore intent to the burglar, who now intends to explore the area.
  
  The reporter surveils the crowd.
  
  The burglar wanders off to the east.
  
  > Go east
  This spacious gallery is empty, though murmurs of conversation from
  the room to the west echo throughout the chamber. High, narrow windows around the circumference of the room cast orange light on the marble floor. An ornately carved archway leads east, next to which is a conspicuous black keypad. Plainer exits lead north and south.
  
  An ornate chandelier hangs from the ceiling. A leather briefcase, shining brightly with spiritual energy, has somehow managed to hook itself onto it in my absence.
  
  The burglar wanders off to the west.
  
  The hacker stares pensively at the briefcase above it, but it takes no action to retrieve it.
  
  > wait awhile
  Time passes.
  
  The burglar wanders in from the west.
  
  The hacker lounges nonchalantly.
  
  > get all
  explore intent: I extract the explore intent from the burglar.
  open intent: I extract the open intent from the hacker, along with the seriously manner.
  seriously manner: I already have that.
  
  The burglar looks around with an appraising eye.
  
  The hacker lounges nonchalantly.
  
  > put the take on the hacker
  I give the take intent to the hacker, who now vaguely intends to take something.
  
  The burglar looks around with an appraising eye.
  
  The hacker lounges nonchalantly.
  
  > put the take on the burglar
  (first taking the take intent from the hacker)
  I give the take intent to the burglar, who now intends to take something valuable.
  
  The burglar's eyes alight on the briefcase.
  
  The hacker lounges nonchalantly.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  The burglar looks up at the briefcase, but then looks over at the hacker and turns away, trying to look nonchalant.
  
  The hacker lounges nonchalantly.
  
  > put greedily on the burglar
  I give the greedily manner to the burglar, who now intends to greedily take something valuable.
  
  The burglar's eyes alight on the briefcase.
  
  The hacker lounges nonchalantly.
  
  > put the explore on hacker
  I give the explore intent to the hacker, who now intends to explore in search of another opportunity.
  
  The burglar's eyes alight on the briefcase.
  
  The hacker wanders morosely back to the north.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  The burglar takes out a grappling hook.
  
  The hacker walks in from the north.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  The burglar looks up at the briefcase, but then looks over at the hacker and turns away, trying to look nonchalant.
  
  The hacker wanders morosely back to the north.
  
  > go north
  Judging from the pigeon-hole boxes filling the walls, I'm in the conference's mail room. The cubbyholes are mostly empty; I doubt anything important would be left out in the open anyway. For that, a metal storage locker stands in the corner, gleaming in the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. The only exit from the room is to the south.
  
  The hacker walks off to the south.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  The hacker wanders morosely in from the south.
  
  > get all
  explore intent: I extract the explore intent from the hacker.
  
  The hacker mopes around dejectedly.
  
  > go south
  This spacious gallery is empty, though murmurs of conversation from
  the room to the west echo throughout the chamber. High, narrow windows around the circumference of the room cast orange light on the marble floor. An ornately carved archway leads east, next to which is a conspicuous black keypad. Plainer exits lead north and south.
  
  An ornate chandelier hangs from the ceiling. A leather briefcase, shining brightly with spiritual energy, has somehow managed to hook itself onto it in my absence.
  
  The burglar takes out a grappling hook.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes.
  
  The burglar throws the grappling hook up to catch on the chandelier.
  
  > Keep going
  Time passes.
  
  The burglar starts climbing up its rope with powerful yanks. Unfortunately, one yank is too many, and the hook slips off and it falls to the ground with a crash. Panicking, the burglar then scampers off to the west.
  
  > look at the briefcase
  As a diplomat and a demon, I've worked with quite a few lawyers. Most of them carried briefcases like this one: smart and ludicrously expensive. Like the lawyers themselves, really. Unlike the lawyers,
  the briefcase is shining brightly with spiritual energy.
  
  The leather briefcase is mystically sealed, presumably to protect its contents from the opposition. The barrier is also keeping me from accessing its contents, some launch codes and a top secret codebook,
  as long as it's closed.