text: [Themes: Religious, Historical, Middle Ages, monastery, horror, moral choice, Christianity]
  
  > look at your surroundings
  A small patch of snow surrounded by briars. This used to be part of the garden; now nature has reclaimed it. The belltower rises out of the briars: a small hint of civilization in the wild.
  
  The hole through the briars leads back south.
  
  > look at the briars
  The hole leads back to the south.
  
  > go to the south
  These gardens used to provide most of the food for the entire monastery. Now, none. A few black stalks poke through the snow, their appearance always perfectly predicted by the rows they were planted in. The wilderness is stronger here: twisted briars overrun the garden. The stables lie back to the southwest.
  
  A hole has been cut through the briars to the north.
  
  > go to the southwest
  Half-a-dozen empty stalls show the plague's influence. As die the shepard, so does the flock. The smell winds its way through your nostrils, numb though they are. It can be escaped to the path in the west or the garden in the northeast. A small ladder leads up to the roof of the stables.
  
  > Up
  Grunting more than a little, you pull yourself up the ladder.
  
  Stables (on the roof)
  The smell is even worse up here. Snow weighs on the roof, causing it to sink in the middle. Sometimes hay is stored up here in the summer: now, the roof barely supports the snow.
  
  Four chimes drone from the tower: Sext.
  
  > Down
  You descend the ladder, the roof giving a sigh of relief as you do.
  
  Half-a-dozen empty stalls show the plague's influence. As die the shepard, so does the flock. The smell winds its way through your nostrils, numb though they are. It can be escaped to the path in the west or the garden in the northeast. A small ladder leads up to the roof of the stables.
  
  > go west
  Darkness begins to creep across the sky from atop the infirmary in the west. The last rays of light expose the stables to the east and the gate to the south. The monastery lies to the north, its walls offering promises of shelter.
  
  > talk to Cecilia
  "Thank Heavens you are here," Cecilia says, embracing you: what is that on her back? "You must hurry, God told me that Constantin has been locking the plague victims in the cellar until they die, that is why he put the lock there, not to protect the food, but to protect himself. He killed Lucca to keep his secret. Go, get the cellar's key from him. If you hurry, there may be some survivors."
  
  > Go north
  Clouds close off the sky, blocking the light but not the snow.
  
  The colonnade is broken to the south by the exit to the hall and to the west by the entrance to the refectory. The brothers' dormitory lies to the east, between the calefactory in the southeast and the belltower in the northeast.
  
  The church rolls and laughs to the north, pointing Her sharp fingers in a perpetual mock at God.
  
  A dark blackish red spill marks the ground.
  
  > examine spill
  The liquid is a thick soup of black and red with small chunks of food mixed in. Blood and bile: plague vomit.
  
  > go southeast
  Perhaps this is the only place at Saint Cuthbert's that is a comfortable temperature. Heat blasts at you from the calefactory to the southeast, but it is countered by the chill from the cloister to the northwest. No, that isn't right. They do not cancel: their furies are incited by one another.
  
  A large pool of vomit has melted a hole in the snow.
  
  A fresh blanket of snow lies upon the ground.
  
  > go southeast
  Positioned directly between the dormitory and your own room, the calefactory warms both, although lately it is less than adequate. While the calefactory itself is stiflingly hot, its heat stays confined. Your brow grows damp: your body, feverish. Slightly melted snow creeps in from the cloister to the northwest.
  
  A red scrawl winds its way around the room.
  
  > examine the scrawl
  It says:
  
  I'm sorry, God. Please forgive me. The evil of my brothers and the father has been an affront to you. Forgive them. Please.
  
  Someone's here.
  
  That is all.
  
  Wet footsteps sound from behind. "Curious, isn't it?" It is Ignatius.
  
  He sidles up beside you and traces the blood with his hand. "He must have been sicker than we thought," --he pauses-- "The plague makes monsters of us all."
  
  > tell Ignatius about Lucca
  "Don't worry, father. He will kill no more."
  
  Ignatius circles the room, but he never strays far from the door.
  
  > tell Ignatius about the cellar
  "I think it's empty."
  
  Ignatius looks you up and down, unblinking.
  
  > tell Ignatius about Cecilia
  "Listen to her, she will save us all."
  
  > go northwest
  "Yes, I should be going too," Ignatius says, slowly. "I will see you later, father."
  
  Perhaps this is the only place at Saint Cuthbert's that is a comfortable temperature. Heat blasts at you from the calefactory to the southeast, but it is countered by the chill from the cloister to the northwest. No, that isn't right. They do not cancel: their furies are incited by one another.
  
  A large pool of vomit has melted a hole in the snow.
  
  A fresh blanket of snow lies upon the ground.
  
  > Go northwest
  Clouds close off the sky, blocking the light but not the snow.
  
  The colonnade is broken to the south by the exit to the hall and to the west by the entrance to the refectory. The brothers' dormitory lies to the east, between the calefactory in the southeast and the belltower in the northeast.
  
  The church rolls and laughs to the north, pointing Her sharp fingers in a perpetual mock at God.
  
  The vomit leads from the calefactory to the dormitory.
  
  > Go east
  Dozens of openings line the hall, each leading to a separate cell, except for the west, which leads to the cloister. Although there are no doors, the entrances are positioned as such to afford as much privacy as possible. Brother Matteo's chamber is to the south, Ignatius's to the north, Drogo's newly appointed cell is to the northeast, Constantin's is to the southeast, and Lucca's to the southwest.
  
  The vomit marks a trail into Constantin's cell.
  
  > Go southeast
  These walls are Constantin's tomb. Slime coats the floor and slides from the walls. The stench is trapped, harsh. It can be escaped to the northwest.
  
  The floor is soaked with vomit, making it almost slippery to walk on.
  
  Constantin lies on his side, vomit oozing from the side of his mouth. A set of keys dangles from the belt of his frock, jingling ever so slightly.
  
  > take the keys
  You gently try to untangle the keys from his belt, but the moment you touch them, they jingle as if to sound an alarm. Constantin's swollen eyelids snap open, revealing two bloodshot orbs.
  
  "Thief!" he cries, bolting up. Despite his illness, he is still a strong man. He flings you against the wall, knocking you unconscious. Despite your illness, you are still a weak man.
  
  You don't wake up.
  
  > look at Constantin
  A massive lump of sickness, Constantin lies with his eyes swollen shut. He breathes irregularily, the air forcing out bits of blood and vomit from his mouth.
  
  > kill Constantin
  Moving swiftly, you rip the pillow from beneath Constantin's head and slam it onto his face. He is so weak. A few kicks are all he gives before he shudders and goes still.
  
  > examine the keys
  They shine brightly and jingle when they move.
  
  > touch Constantin
  Keep your hands to yourself!
  
  Cold knives of pain cut through your skull. They ease off, leaving a dull throbbing behind your eyes.
  
  > wake constantin
  That seems unnecessary.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are carrying:
  Lucca's paper
  a Cecilia's eyes
  Drogo's eyes
  a hare
  Matteo's note
  Ignatius's eye
  Matteo's eyes
  Lucca's eyes
  Constantin's eyes
  a coin
  your tinderbox
  your candle (lit)
  your frock (being worn)