text: [Themes: Fiction]
  
  > look around
  You've never been an especially tidy person, and being self-employed has done nothing to improve your habits. Still, you keep your place clean, for the most part. It's just cluttered. The clutter is worse than usual at the moment, thanks to a portion of the contents of the strongbox scattered over the surface of your table.
  
  On the wooden table are a memo book labeled "The End of the World", a composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden", a sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi", a stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again", and an envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter".
  
  You can also see a wooden toy, a large orange disk, a huge red disk, a small blue disk, a medium-small green disk, a medium-large yellow disk, an old dented strongbox (empty), a pile of letters, and a wrinkled sheet of paper here.
  
  > take Letter
  This is a standard envelope stuffed with fifteen sheets of triple-folded lined paper. The pages are loose, and are covered in neat writing in blue pen. In a few places, the ink has bled where drops of moisture fell on the pages. The envelope is unaddressed and unstamped, and the words "UNDELIVERED LOVE LETTER" are writted across the front. Where the return address would be is the date "1975."
  
  (Do you want to enter this story?)
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  X emerges from the restroom and heads this way. She sits down beside you. "Hi. How are you doing?" she asks with a pensive look on her face. Her voice has the faintest of Russian accents.
  
  > ask X about the name
  You can't summon up the effort to ask about that.
  
  X looks at you searchingly. She opens her mouth as if to say something, then closes it again.
  
  > look at the clock
  According to the clock, it's 5:46 pm.
  
  > take the clock
  That's fixed in place.
  
  > Kiss agent
  Keep your mind on the game.
  
  X clears her throat awkwardly and scratches her nose.
  
  > go north
  Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  > How to Play
  Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  These works do not use compass commands (NORTH, N, etc.) for movement.
  
  A list of common commands (abbreviations are in parentheses):
  
  LOOK (L): Get another look at your surroundings.
  INVENTORY (I, INV): See what you are currently holding.
  EXAMINE <OBJECT> (X): Get a description of an object.
  LOOK UNDER <OBJECT>: Look under an object.
  GO <PLACE>: Travel to an adjacent location.
  TAKE <OBJECT>: Pick up an object.
  DROP <OBJECT>: Drop an object.
  PUT <OBJECT> IN/ON <OBJECT>: Put an object into or onto another
  object.
  
  ASK <PERSON> ABOUT <TOPIC>: Ask for information on a topic.
  TELL <PERSON> ABOUT <TOPIC>: Inform someone about something.
  NO/YES: Indicate an affirmative or negative answer.
  
  SAVE: Save the game.
  RESTORE: Restore a saved game.
  RESTART: Restart the game and return to this menu.
  QUIT: Quit the game.
  
  > How to Play
  Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  > How to Play
  Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  > press the yellow
  > Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  > Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  > How to Play
  Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  > How to Play
  Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  These works do not use compass commands (NORTH, N, etc.) for movement.
  
  A list of common commands (abbreviations are in parentheses):
  
  LOOK (L): Get another look at your surroundings.
  INVENTORY (I, INV): See what you are currently holding.
  EXAMINE <OBJECT> (X): Get a description of an object.
  LOOK UNDER <OBJECT>: Look under an object.
  GO <PLACE>: Travel to an adjacent location.
  TAKE <OBJECT>: Pick up an object.
  DROP <OBJECT>: Drop an object.
  PUT <OBJECT> IN/ON <OBJECT>: Put an object into or onto another
  object.
  
  ASK <PERSON> ABOUT <TOPIC>: Ask for information on a topic.
  TELL <PERSON> ABOUT <TOPIC>: Inform someone about something.
  NO/YES: Indicate an affirmative or negative answer.
  
  SAVE: Save the game.
  RESTORE: Restore a saved game.
  RESTART: Restart the game and return to this menu.
  QUIT: Quit the game.
  
  > How to Play
  Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  > How to Play
  Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  > Go north
  > Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  > Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  Gregory Weir is a writer, game developer, and software programmer. He is best known for his Flash game, "(I Fell in Love With) The Majesty of Colors." His previous Interactive Fiction works include the perpetually-in-progress Jabberwocky, winner of the 2004 IntroComp, and the horror work Snatches. He currently writes for GameSetWatch and maintains a blog and podcast called Ludus Novus, found at http://ludusnovus.net .
  
  Thanks to my testers: Melissa Avery, Matt Weiner, Johan O, Michelle Hellemons, and DJ Hastings.
  
  Thanks to my parents, without whom I could never come home again, and to Xenia Kramida, without whom I would never have had a love letter to deliver.
  
  Most of all, thanks go to Laura Bryant. Somehow, I feel as if I know her, even though I know that is impossible.
  
  How to Play
  > Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  > Credits
  Hints for the Tower of Hanoi
  
  > tell X about the food
  "I'm still not hungry," you say. X just shrugs reluctantly.
  
  > tell X about X
  "You're so... pretty, and wonderful," you say. You're not sure why; there's no way flattery will change her mind.
  
  "Thank you," she says softly.
  
  > tell X about plane
  "The flight will be leaving soon," you say. "We might not see each other again."
  
  X adjusts her scarf. "I hope we do, someday," she replies.
  
  > tell X about scarf
  "Your outfit looks great," you say.
  
  X smiles. "Thank you," she says.
  
  > Smell X
  X smells like soap and tea with honey.
  
  > ask X about the tea
  You can't summon up the effort to ask about that.
  
  X lifts her hand to her face and smooths her right eyebrow. It's a cute habit of hers. "Baby..." she begins, then sighs. "It won't hurt forever. There are lots of women out there who'll fall into your arms." But none of them will be her.
  
  > tell X about the habit
  You can't summon up the effort to make conversation about that.
  
  The gate agent speaks over the intercom. "Attention, all passengers of Flight 160 to Indianapolis," she says in a bored tone. "We will now begin boarding for all seats. Please have your boarding pass ready."
  A line of passengers forms in front of the gate.
  
  > Kiss X
  You lean toward X for a last kiss. She leans toward you, but turns her head slightly so that you kiss the corner of her mouth. She looks into your eyes sadly, then looks down.
  
  > hug X
  You lean over and hug X tightly. She awkwardly rubs your back with a hand until you release her.
  
  X nervously picks under her thumbnail with a nail of the opposite hand. "You really should eat something," she says in a worried tone. "It's been almost a day since you've had any food."
  
  > tell X about the goodbye
  "Good... goodbye," you say with a knot in your throat.
  
  "Goodbye, sweetheart," she replies.
  
  > go to the gate
  (the loading bridge)
  You get into line at the gate. X moves to stand beside you, on the outside of the rope barrier.
  
  > examine the bridge
  The loading bridge leads from the gate inside the terminal to the plane. It's designed to extend outward to accomodate whatever position the plane ends up in.
  
  Your turn to board the plane arrives. You hand your boarding pass to the gate agent, and step into the loading bridge. With one last glance over your shoulder, you see X watching you with a sad expression on her face. You turn and head for the plane.
  
  You've never been an especially tidy person, and being self-employed has done nothing to improve your habits. Still, you keep your place clean, for the most part. It's just cluttered. The clutter is worse than usual at the moment, thanks to a portion of the contents of the strongbox scattered over the surface of your table.
  
  On the wooden table are a tiny purple disk, a memo book labeled "The End of the World", a composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden", a sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi", a stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again", and an envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter".
  
  You can also see a wooden toy, a large orange disk, a huge red disk, a small blue disk, a medium-small green disk, a medium-large yellow disk, an old dented strongbox (empty), a pile of letters, and a wrinkled sheet of paper here.
  
  X looks at you with concern. "Are you all right?" she asks. "Say something."
  
  > About yourself
  I suppose you're me. Gregory Weir, I mean. Mid-twenties, brown hair, thin. Probably a bit scruffy.
  
  > Close box
  You close the old dented strongbox.