text: [Themes: Horror, teenage protagonist]
  
  > Go down
  Winding walks of crushed gravel snake between glossy-leaved, well-pruned trees and flowering shrubs. The air is warm and so freighted with the scent of blossoms as to be almost foetid. In the center of the garden stands a handsome but rather spindly fruit tree.
  
  The garden is walled on all sides, with a tall, heavy building to the east and south, and ordinary exterior walls on the north and west. A stairway leads up to a little balcony.
  
  > look at the tree
  The tree in the center of the garden has a slim trunk and a profusion of foliage. Possibly the fruit has recently been harvested, but if so, the gardeners didn't quite finish the job. Hanging from one upper bough, half-hidden among the leaves, is a single large, ripe golden fruit.
  
  > look at the fruit
  The fruit is of a rosy golden hue, like a peach, and as globular as an orange. Whatever it is, it looks delectable.
  
  > take fruit
  The fruit is well out of reach among the upper branches of the tree.
  
  > climb the tree
  You try to haul yourself up the trunk of the fruit tree in the center of the garden, but it sways dangerously. Evidently the tree is just too spindly to support your weight.
  
  > Shake tree
  You grab the trunk of the tree and give it an experimental shake. The leaves rustle and the golden fruit sways on its stem, so you push a little harder. The leaves rustle more loudly - and after bobbing and waggling back and forth a few times, the golden fruit drops free and lands on the ground at your feet with a soft thump.
  
  > smell it
  It smells delicious.
  
  > eat the fruit
  As you're about to bite into the tempting piece of fruit, it occurs to you that you haven't really been feeling much of an appetite all afternoon. Maybe you could find some other use for it. Throwing it at Beauregard Phelps? No, maybe not. But it ought to be good for something.
  
  > Go east
  You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads up to the narrow balcony.
  
  > go to the east
  Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the west, and a square-cut doorway to the south.
  
  A little brown spider monkey is wandering across the courtyard. When he sees you, he scuttles away into the shadows, but a moment later he creeps cautiously back and stares at you from a safe distance.
  
  > look at the monkey
  The monkey is light brown, with large eyes and a long slim tail. He's not much more than a foot tall. Your presence seems to make him a bit nervous. He's curious about you, but keeping his distance.
  
  > examine the pool
  The surface of the square pool is rippling faintly in a breath of breeze, and the ripples catch bright glints of sunlight and toss them out across the walls.
  
  > look at the benches
  The benches provide a border around the square pool.
  
  > enter the pool
  You glance at the shallow pool and instantly dismiss it as unimportant.
  
  > Pet monkey
  The monkey edges away from you, looking doubtful.
  
  > give the fruit to the monkey
  The monkey accepts the golden fruit from you gravely, taking it in both hands, sniffing it, and touching the tip of his tongue to the skin. Apparently it meets with his approval - he bites into it, chews quickly, and eats more. As you watch, he devours the whole thing.
  
  Your magnanimous gesture seems to have convinced the little monkey that you're his friend. He tugs at your pants leg and gazes up at you trustingly.
  
  > show the bracelet to the monkey
  The monkey makes a tiny chittering sound that might be laughter.
  
  > go to the north
  (first standing up)
  The monkey scampers beside you.
  
  The vaulted ceiling of this huge room is at least fifty feet above you. A double row of fat pillars lines the east and west walls. The pillars can't very well be real gold (can they?), but they look like gold. You tread lightly, yet your footsteps echo.
  
  At the north end of the room stands a huge and hideous black statue. It's at least twenty feet tall, and looks almost exactly like the little statuettes you've seen at Eternal Springs - so much like them that looking at it makes your mouth dry and your hands cold. Before the statue is a polished cube of black stone six feet high.
  
  The high arched doorway that leads back to the courtyard is to the south. There's also a passage to the north, but to reach it you'll have to pass quite close to the hideous statue.
  
  The monkey is crouching at your feet.
  
  > examine the statue
  The statue has wide, glaring eyes that glitter a deep red, outstretched hands with fearsome claws, and a grimacing mouth lined with pointed teeth. Looking at it sets your heart tapping in your chest. As you move across the floor of the temple, the statue's smoldering eyes seem to follow you.
  
  > examine cube
  The cube looks to be made of polished black stone - obsidian, or something like it. It's positioned directly before the hideous statue. Steps lead up to the top of the cube from the left and right.
  
  > examine the pillars
  The pillars are monumental. They seem to glow faintly in the cavernous room.
  
  > get on the cube
  No power on Earth could entice you to ascend the steps to the top of the cube.
  
  > go to the north
  As you try to sidle past the hideous statue, it leans sideways, reaches out with its claws, and slashes at you! You scramble backward to get out of its reach. Your first impulse is to run as fast as you can back down the temple and out into the courtyard, but after a moment you see that the statue is not coming after you. It's as motionless as it was before you approached.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are carrying a poker, a straw mat, and a piece of golden fruit, and you're wearing your clothes and a stone bracelet.
  
  > go south
  This little balcony overlooks a small but well-maintained formal garden dotted with fruit trees. Looming over the garden to the east is an imposing, windowless building whose heavy, close-set stone pillars suggest Egypt or Ancient Rome. An open archway to the south leads back into the chamber, and a steep flight of stairs leads down into the garden.
  
  > go to the east
  You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead south to the sumptuously decorated chamber, and down to the tropical garden.
  
  > show the fruit to the monkey
  As you hold out the golden fruit, the monkey edges toward you, opening and closing his little mouth.
  
  > Go north
  The vaulted ceiling of this huge room is at least fifty feet above you. A double row of fat pillars lines the east and west walls. The pillars can't very well be real gold (can they?), but they look like gold. You tread lightly, yet your footsteps echo.
  
  At the north end of the room stands a huge and hideous black statue. It's at least twenty feet tall, and looks almost exactly like the little statuettes you've seen at Eternal Springs - so much like them that looking at it makes your mouth dry and your hands cold. Before the statue is a polished cube of black stone six feet high.
  
  The high arched doorway that leads back to the courtyard is to the south. There's also a passage to the north, but to reach it you'll have to pass quite close to the hideous statue.
  
  > Go south
  Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the west, and a square-cut doorway to the south.
  
  The monkey sits by the edge of the pool and stares into it, possibly at his own reflection.
  
  > give the fruit to the monkey
  The monkey accepts the golden fruit from you gravely, taking it in both hands, sniffing it, and touching the tip of his tongue to the skin. Apparently it meets with his approval - he bites into it, chews quickly, and eats more. As you watch, he devours the whole thing.
  
  Your magnanimous gesture seems to have convinced the little monkey that you're his friend. He tugs at your pants leg and gazes up at you trustingly.
  
  > Go north
  Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you pause, he looks up at you expectantly.
  
  The vaulted ceiling of this huge room is at least fifty feet above you. A double row of fat pillars lines the east and west walls. The pillars can't very well be real gold (can they?), but they look like gold. You tread lightly, yet your footsteps echo.
  
  At the north end of the room stands a huge and hideous black statue. It's at least twenty feet tall, and looks almost exactly like the little statuettes you've seen at Eternal Springs - so much like them that looking at it makes your mouth dry and your hands cold. Before the statue is a polished cube of black stone six feet high.
  
  The high arched doorway that leads back to the courtyard is to the south. There's also a passage to the north, but to reach it you'll have to pass quite close to the hideous statue.
  
  The monkey is still with you.
  
  > Kiss monkey
  The monkey allows you to pet him gently.
  
  > take the monkey
  The monkey allows himself to be picked up, but quickly grows restless in your arms. Taking pity on him, you set him back down.
  
  > Go south
  The monkey trails faithfully along behind.
  
  Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the west, and a square-cut doorway to the south.
  
  The monkey is standing close by.
  
  > go to the east
  The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you.
  
  Behind you, to the west, is the imposing edifice of the building, which is broken here by a row of arches. To the east a shallow flight of stairs at least fifty feet wide glides down to the near edge of what appears to be a slum. Mud-brick hovels, some thatch-roofed and some topped with red ceramic tile, are crammed together in a cityscape that stretches to the horizon. Brown-skinned, black-haired people are moving in and out among the nearer structures; they don't seem to have noticed you yet, but you're very visible. Clearly, this is not a safe place to linger.
  
  The monkey is crouching at your feet.