text: > look around
  This is a room in an attic, one of hundreds of other rooftops and balconies. There's a skylight, nominally to let in natural light, but seeing as it's so caked up with pigeon doings and dirt, it's not much use. There's a bed, a desk and a chair.
  
  You might leave the room to the south, when it's quieter. You can get to the washroom from the hallway.
  
  You hear a sudden gurgle from the plumbing.
  
  > Go south
  Here, the sounds of the eatery below are louder. Be careful you don't get spotted by anyone. The stairs leading down have been barricaded with a metal gate, so best to respect the measures that Subra put up for your safety.
  
  There's a cardboard box here, containing a bunch of reading materials. Your room is to the north, and the washroom is to the east.
  
  You hear the clanking of dishes.
  
  > Examine box
  A box once used to hold apples, now seconded as a box for books. The reading material in this box is varied, sourced as it is from what was found abandoned in the eatery.
  
  In the cardboard box are an adventure novel and a Nature journal.
  
  You hear frying pans sizzling.
  
  > get all from the box
  adventure novel: Taken.
  Nature journal: Taken.
  
  You hear the clanking of dishes.
  
  > Examine journal
  It's an issue from 2013. The cover has been ripped off and some pages are missing, but most of it is still there.
  
  You hear frying pans sizzling.
  
  > examine novel
  Drew. It's titled Sue Sharp and the Three Relics.
  
  You hear people shouting downstairs.
  
  > read novel
  You scan through the adventure novel, and you pick out: "As Sue walked slowly along the path, wondering what the housekeeper might have
  meant, there was a long high whistle from over the meadow. From the bordering swamp came a white, filmy figure! The ghost!"
  
  You hear a sudden gurgle from the plumbing.
  
  > read the journal
  You scan through the Nature journal, and you pick out: "Two scientists have independently proposed an explanation for what causes the
  rotation of the axis every twelve years..."
  
  You hear people shouting downstairs.
  
  > go east
  The most important room in a house. This washroom is almost
  exclusively for your own use, which is an amazing luxury, to be
  honest. There are the usual amenities here: a toilet, a sink, some toilet paper. Also, some graffiti on the walls. The washroom doesn't have any proper windows, but by the sound of it, it overlooks the
  road.
  
  You can leave to the west.
  
  You hear the clanking of dishes.
  
  > look at graffiti
  There's only a modest amount of graffiti in this place, written in permanent marker. "LOVE is the greatest force", one reads. Another
  less high-minded one reads, "CHEESE".
  
  You hear a sudden gurgle from the plumbing.
  
  > examine toilet
  It's a minor miracle there was even a working toilet here, so despite the cracked seat you really can't complain.
  
  You hear the clanking of dishes.
  
  > examine the sink
  The taps here are mottled with rust. A thin dribble of water is all that comes out when you experimentally turn the tap on. Under the sink are some bottles of drain cleaner and bleach.
  
  You hear people shouting downstairs.
  
  > examine the drain cleaner
  The bottle reads, "DISSOLVES RAGS, GREASE, PAPER AND OTHER MATERIALS FAST!". Sure, a standard promise, but terrifying all the same.
  
  You hear a sudden gurgle from the plumbing.
  
  > look at the bleach
  No-brand bleach, which you identify as such by its smell.
  
  You hear people shouting downstairs.
  
  > drink the bleach
  You stare at the opening of the container contemplatively, but your sense of self-preservation is strong enough to stop you from raising the bottle to your lips. You did your rotation in A&E, and you'd seen people who had actually drank bleach. It's a bad way to go.
  
  > examine paper
  A straggly roll of toilet paper.
  
  You hear frying pans sizzling.
  
  > get the bleach
  No, don't do that! Anyway, whoever cleans the toilet will need it
  here.
  
  You hear the clanking of dishes.
  
  > sit on the toilet
  You get onto the toilet.
  
  > look
  Washroom (on the toilet)
  The most important room in a house. This washroom is almost
  exclusively for your own use, which is an amazing luxury, to be
  honest. There are the usual amenities here: a toilet, a sink, some toilet paper. Also, some graffiti on the walls. The washroom doesn't have any proper windows, but by the sound of it, it overlooks the
  road.
  
  You can leave to the west.
  
  > Flush
  What do you want to flush?
  
  > Flush toilet
  A gushing torrent of water comes washing down the toilet bowl.
  
  You hear a flock of birds flap past: the sun must be going down.
  
  > go to the west
  (first getting off the toilet)
  
  Here, the sounds of the eatery below are louder. Be careful you don't get spotted by anyone. The stairs leading down have been barricaded with a metal gate, so best to respect the measures that Subra put up for your safety.
  
  There's a cardboard box here, containing a bunch of reading materials. Your room is to the north, and the washroom is to the east.
  
  > go north
  This is a room in an attic, one of hundreds of other rooftops and balconies. There's a skylight, nominally to let in natural light, but seeing as it's so caked up with pigeon doings and dirt, it's not much use. There's a bed, a desk and a chair.
  
  You might leave the room to the south, when it's quieter. You can get to the washroom from the hallway.
  
  You suddenly hear the sounds of a violinist tuning their instrument, the tentative tinkle of a pianist. They're having house music tonight. It must be Tuesday.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  a Nature journal
  an adventure novel
  a memory of the place you used to stay
  a memory of the rumours surrounding the mansion
  a memory of the notes you found
  a memory about industry secrets
  a memory of the threats you were receiving
  a chocolate
  a bottle of juice
  a muffin
  a carryall
  a phone
  a jacket
  a book
  
  More plates clank.
  
  > eat the muffin
  That's plainly inedible.
  
  Music drifts from the dining rooms below.
  
  > examine the chair
  The chair is wobbly. The seat is an abominable combination of red, purple and yellow felt, like something you'd find on a bus.
  
  More plates clank.
  
  > Drink juice
  Mmm, healthy. You stow the bottle away in your carryall.
  
  Frenzied shouting issues from the kitchen.
  
  > eat chocolate
  That was delicious!
  
  You hear the flap of a pigeon suddenly taking off.
  
  > examine the skylight
  The light shining through the skylight is a brilliant orange.
  
  Music drifts from the dining rooms below.
  
  > open it
  The skylight is rusted shut, or perhaps it's been painted over too
  many times. No matter how you shove, you can't get it open.
  
  Pigeons roosting on the roofs coo in their liquid burble.
  
  A sudden cheer goes up from the dining area below you, and you hear
  the beginnings of a toast: "Yaaa-aaaammmmmm... seng!"
  
  That reminds you of a banquet you had with the medical council, just three months ago.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  A memory of a banquet
  a Nature journal
  an adventure novel
  a memory of the place you used to stay
  a memory of the rumours surrounding the mansion
  a memory of the notes you found
  a memory about industry secrets
  a memory of the threats you were receiving
  a muffin
  a carryall
  an empty bottle
  a phone
  a jacket
  a book
  
  Frenzied shouting issues from the kitchen.
  
  > examine the banquet
  It was an annual dinner organised by the medical council in Perigosan for GPs, one of those "networking" things that you always abhorred. (But hey, the food was good. It more than made up for the karaoke section.)
  
  At the time, you'd just gotten the post at the Grémillet household. People were intensely curious how this locally educated nobody got the job. Was it connections? (Impossible. Your father was a teacher; your mother, a programmer.) Was it money? (What money?) Was it... No, it wasn't. But even you had trouble explaining it to them.
  
  Well, at least Peter didn't bother asking.
  
  Pigeons roosting on the roofs coo in their liquid burble.
  
  > Drink muffin
  There's nothing suitable to drink here.
  
  Frenzied shouting issues from the kitchen.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  A memory of Peter
  a Nature journal
  an adventure novel
  a memory of the place you used to stay
  a memory of the rumours surrounding the mansion
  a memory of the notes you found
  a memory about industry secrets
  a memory of the threats you were receiving
  a muffin
  a carryall
  an empty bottle
  a phone
  
  > look at the pigeons
  You hear the flap of a pigeon suddenly taking off.
  
  You can't see any such thing.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  A memory of Peter
  a Nature journal
  an adventure novel
  a memory of the place you used to stay
  a memory of the rumours surrounding the mansion
  a memory of the notes you found
  a memory about industry secrets
  a memory of the threats you were receiving
  a muffin
  a carryall
  an empty bottle
  a phone
  a jacket
  a book
  
  Music drifts from the dining rooms below.
  
  > get on bed
  You get onto the bed.
  
  You hear the flap of a pigeon suddenly taking off.
  
  > Sleep
  You aren't feeling especially drowsy.
  
  Frenzied shouting issues from the kitchen.
  
  > Sing
  You can't afford to make so much noise, not now!
  
  More plates clank.
  
  > About yourself
  You're Cassiopeia Marsh, erstwhile house doctor of the fabulously wealthy Grémillet household, now jobless. Your licence hangs in the balance, as does your entire career.
  
  You hear the flap of a pigeon suddenly taking off.
  
  > jump
  You jump on the spot.
  
  Frenzied shouting issues from the kitchen.
  
  > look
  Attic Room (on the bed)
  This is a room in an attic, one of hundreds of other rooftops and balconies. Reddish light filters through the skylight; long shadows cluster in the room. There's a bed, a desk and a chair.
  
  You might leave the room to the south. You can get to the washroom
  from the hallway.
  
  > look at the chair
  The chair is wobbly. The seat is an abominable combination of red, purple and yellow felt, like something you'd find on a bus.
  
  > examine the skylight
  The light shining through the skylight is a brilliant orange.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  > look at the desk
  This desk is an imposing secondhand thing. It predates your arrival, and, indeed, the construction of this building. If you were of that kind of mindset, you'd have thought it might have been haunted, it's that kind of furniture.
  
  Underneath, a bar fridge hums away merrily.
  
  > examine the fridge
  A tiny thing which whirs constantly. It'll keep your sandwiches and drinks cold, at least.
  
  > look at the bed
  A marginally comfortable thing, with a cast-iron frame. It holds your weight, but creaks alarmingly when you turn in your sleep.
  
  On the bed is a blanket.
  
  > take the blanket
  Taken.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are carrying:
  a blanket
  A memory of Peter
  a Nature journal
  an adventure novel
  a memory of the place you used to stay
  a memory of the rumours surrounding the mansion
  a memory of the notes you found
  a memory about industry secrets
  a memory of the threats you were receiving
  a muffin
  a carryall
  an empty bottle
  a phone
  a jacket
  a book
  
  > read the novel
  You scan through the adventure novel, and you pick out: ""Oh, but Sue! How did you figure that out?" "It was simple. Once I'd looked at the clock in the dining room, I knew that it must have been a dummy!""
  
  > look at the jacket
  A brown leather jacket with zip details. It makes you look much cooler than you are.
  
  > examine the zip
  A silver thing criss-crossing the jacket. It doesn't lead to any pockets, it just... is. It looks cool, okay.
  
  > read the journal
  You scan through the Nature journal, and you pick out: "The interested reader may refer to the New Encyclopaedia of Thaumaturgical Diseases (2nd ed.) for further detail..."
  
  > go to the south
  (first getting off the bed)
  
  The sounds of the eatery at dinnertime are louder here, and there is a risk from now that someone might stumble up here after having had a
  few too many. Be careful you don't get spotted by anyone. The stairs leading down have been barricaded with a metal gate. Best to respect the measures that Subra put up for your safety.
  
  There's a cardboard box here, containing a bunch of reading materials. Your room is to the north, and the washroom is to the east.
  
  > examine the gate
  What separates you from the general public, theoretically, is a locked door, a flight of stairs and this expanding metal gate. Where the gate meets the stairs, it is chained with a lot of chains. A bit overkill, but there you have it. No one will come and bother you. You overheard the owners of this property saying that they'd tell everyone that it was storage.
  
  > go to the north
  This is a room in an attic, one of hundreds of other rooftops and balconies. Reddish light filters through the skylight; long shadows cluster in the room. There's a bed, a desk and a chair.
  
  You might leave the room to the south. You can get to the washroom
  from the hallway.
  
  > get on the bed
  You get onto the bed.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  > read the journal
  You scan through the Nature journal, and you pick out: "Two scientists have independently proposed an explanation for what causes the
  rotation of the axis every twelve years..."
  
  > Go south
  (first getting off the bed)
  
  The sounds of the eatery at dinnertime are louder here, and there is a risk from now that someone might stumble up here after having had a
  few too many. Be careful you don't get spotted by anyone. The stairs leading down have been barricaded with a metal gate. Best to respect the measures that Subra put up for your safety.
  
  There's a cardboard box here, containing a bunch of reading materials. Your room is to the north, and the washroom is to the east.
  
  Downstairs, someone has started up music with a pounding bass beat. People cheer.
  
  > look at the box
  A box once used to hold apples, now seconded as a box for books. The reading material in this box is varied, sourced as it is from what was found abandoned in the eatery.
  
  > Wear box
  (first taking the cardboard box)
  You can't wear that!
  
  There's no point making yourself overly miserable. Better for you to lay down, now, and try to go to sleep. Or at least rest.
  
  > smell yourself
  The room smells slightly musty, even though you spent the whole of yesterday airing out the room. Still, it's better than nothing.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  a memory of Subramaniam
  a carryall
  a phone
  a jacket
  a book
  
  > open the fridge then get all from the fridge then smell the muffin
  You open the bar fridge, revealing a bottle of juice, a chocolate and
  a muffin.
  
  bottle of juice: Taken.
  chocolate: Taken.
  muffin: Taken.
  
  The room smells slightly musty, even though you spent the whole of yesterday airing out the room. Still, it's better than nothing.
  
  > go south
  Here, the sounds of the eatery below are louder. Be careful you don't get spotted by anyone. The stairs leading down have been barricaded with a metal gate, so best to respect the measures that Subra put up for your safety.
  
  There's a cardboard box here, containing a bunch of reading materials. Your room is to the north, and the washroom is to the east.
  
  > Smell the muffin
  It smells of sharp cheese.
  
  > look at the box
  A box once used to hold apples, now seconded as a box for books. The reading material in this box is varied, sourced as it is from what was found abandoned in the eatery.
  
  In the cardboard box are a Nature journal and a textbook.
  
  > look at what you're carrying with you
  You are carrying:
  a muffin
  a chocolate
  a bottle of juice
  a memory of Subramaniam
  a carryall
  a phone
  a jacket
  a book
  
  > Smell phone
  The phone smells of ketchup and fried chicken. This is an unusual
  thing for a phone to smell like, but it's probably because you were eating
  The noise from the dining area downstairs slowly starts to intensify: it must be lunchtime.
  
  > Smell the chocolate
  The bar of chocolate doesn't smell of much; it's too cold.
  
  You hear a sudden gurgle from the plumbing.
  
  > look
  Here, the sounds of the eatery below are louder. Be careful you don't get spotted by anyone. The stairs leading down have been barricaded with a metal gate, so best to respect the measures that Subra put up for your safety.
  
  There's a cardboard box here, containing a bunch of reading materials. Your room is to the north, and the washroom is to the east.
  
  You hear the clanking of dishes.
  
  > look at the box
  A box once used to hold apples, now seconded as a box for books. The reading material in this box is varied, sourced as it is from what was found abandoned in the eatery.
  
  In the cardboard box are a Nature journal and a textbook.
  
  You hear a sudden gurgle from the plumbing.
  
  > Examine textbook
  It's an A level chemistry textbook with the front cover torn off. The text is heavily underlined and highlighted: whoever had owned this had been studious.
  
  You hear people shouting downstairs.
  
  > look at journal
  It's an issue from 2013. The cover has been ripped off and some pages are missing, but most of it is still there.
  
  You hear the clanking of dishes.