Bronze — 12 of 46

Section 1 - Rotunda

The State Rotunda is northeast of the Law Library. It is north of the Courtyard. "Built for the bureaucratic offices of the palace. Inlaid in the floor is the [map] of all the lands that once this palace commanded[if the candle is in location]: you have set up a candle in its accustomed place to shed light over the map[otherwise]; and from the stains and driblets of wax, it is clear to you that someone at some time thought it useful to set a candle at the map's center, and observe the result[end if]."

The map is a floor in the State Rotunda. Understand "emirate" and "malta" and "essex" and "argos" and "writing" as the map. The description is "Since the lands of the Kingdom were once quite dispersed the cartographer has, from indolence, fancy, or an urge to flatter, omitted all the territories that intervened, so that here floating in a cherry-wood sea are the State of Medici-Credenza; the Emirate of Elzibad; the Equine Protectorate of Argos; a goodly portion of Essex; and Malta, the only true island of the lot[if the candle is in the location]. Of these, the candle's light glows with particular strength only in Italy and Malta; it seems that the power of the Kingdom has waned a good deal[end if]." The printing of the map is "Here there be Daemons." [1]

Before putting something on the map: try dropping the noun instead.

Instead of reading the map when the candle is not in the Rotunda:

say "There is writing around the map's edge, not legible in this light."

The Lower Bulb is west of the State Rotunda. It is north of the Law Library. "[if the Upper Bulb is not visited]In this very tall room, like a silo, is a glass of running sand: not an hourglass, or even a dayglass, but a timer whose duration you do not know. A whole Sahara has poured into its lower chamber, but the trickle from above continues, very fine[otherwise]In the lower chamber, you find, there is almost as much sand as there is above; it must have been flowing a very long time[end if].

Around the outside of this contraption ascends a wooden staircase."

The wooden staircase is a staircase. It is above the Lower Bulb and below the Upper Bulb. It is scenery. The description is "Grown somewhat rickety with age."

The description of the Upper Bulb is "[if the Lower Bulb is not visited]In this very tall room, like a silo, is a glass of running sand: not an hourglass, or even a dayglass, but a timer whose duration you do not know. A whole Sahara remains in its upper chamber, but it is running steadily down into the room below you[otherwise]In the upper chamber, you find, there is almost as much sand as there is below; indeed for all you can tell the flow might be eternal[end if]." The sand is a view. It is in the Lower Bulb and the Upper Bulb . The sound of the sand is "dry trickling". Understand "hourglass" or "dayglass" or "bulb" or "glass" or "timer" as the sand. The description is "[if the location is regionally in the Hourglass]No human glassblower could have made this thing, that much is certain[otherwise]No more than a sporadic sprinkle from above[end if]."

Instead of wearing the helmet in the Hourglass:

say "The roar is so loud that you cannot bear it: this cannot be the flow of sand magnified. It is more as though you are hearing the rumbling destruction caused by the passage of time; in any case, you take the helmet off again, to save your hearing."

The ivory door is southwest of the Upper Bulb. The Smoke-Damaged Chamber is southwest of the ivory door. The description is "Though not actually burnt, the walls are stained with smoke, especially at the south end. This mess has partly obliterated what was once a detailed [mural] on the west wall."

The mural is scenery in Smoke-Damaged Chamber. The description is "Though some of the detail is gone, the mural shows the path through the forest to the castle. At the castle gate, a smiling king with horns has just finished laying down a trail of silver coins leading into his domain; at the other end of the path, a crowd of astonished and eager peasants is collecting them.

It is clear enough that in a few minutes they will get to the drawbridge and all be enslaved." Understand "king" and "horns" and "path" and "forest" and "Castle" and "gate" and "silver" and "coins" and "domain" and "crowd" and "peasants" as the mural.

The Burnt Frame is south of the Smoke-Damaged Chamber. "A corner tower severely damaged by fire, so that there is only [framework] between you and the sky." The framework is scenery in Burnt Frame. The scent of the framework is "old smoke". The description of the framework is "A conical roof, stripped down to the skeleton." Understand "conical" and "roof" and "skeleton" as the framework.