Bronze — 27 of 46

Chapter 8 - Upstairs

Section 1 - Apartments and Upstairs Galleries

East of the Upper Bulb is the Gallery of Still Life. The description of the Gallery of Still Life is "Natural light from the south -- coming in from the courtyard[if the player is on the stool], though you cannot see all the way down to ground level from here, even on the stool[otherwise], you suppose, though you are too short to see out[end if] -- illuminates a series of still life paintings on the north wall: one showing the [Wedding Treasure] when Lucrezia arrived from Medici-Credenza, the other rather fancifully entitled [Supper]."

Wedding Treasure is a display in the Gallery of Still Life. Understand "painting" or "still life" or "table" or "girdle" or "inkpot" or "helmet" or "green" or "cloven shoes" or "paintings" as wedding treasure. The description is "A table tastefully laid with possessions of power or personal worth, brought by Lucrezia as gifts from her father: an inkpot, a helmet, a green girdle stitched with vines, a curious pair of cloven shoes."

Supper is a display in the Gallery of Still Life. The printed name of Supper is "Supper with M". Understand "supper with m" or "painting" or "paintings" or "still life" or "linen" or "napkins" or "bread" or "fruit" as Supper. The description is "A table nicely laid out with white linen and napkins, bread and fruit; and a spoon with a very, very long handle."

East of the Gallery of Still Life is the thick door. East of the thick door is the White Gallery. The description of the White Gallery is "Of more recent construction than many another portion of the castle, and therefore light and airy, and a pleasant place to spend a few hours." The thick door is a lockable door. The small key unlocks the thick door. The description of the thick door is "It looks thick enough to block sound." Understand "heavy" as the thick door. The printed name of the thick door is "heavy door".

The mechanical chessplayer is a switched off device in the White Gallery. It is fixed in place. "Placed where it will have the most light on the board for the longest time is [a chessplayer]." The description of the mechanical chessplayer is "The chessplayer wears a turban, and in its wooden fingers grasps the head of the black bishop. Whatever move it contemplates has yet to occur.

The Beast brought it out for you to play against, when other entertainment palled. You lost consistently until he came and roared at it; and afterwards began to win. The suspicion that it was throwing games made you a bit reluctant to make use of it, in the end." Understand "chessboard" or "turban" or "fingers" or "bishop" or "chess" or "player" or "board" or "pieces" or "switch" as the chessplayer.

Instead of switching on the chessplayer for the first time:

say "You throw the switch hopefully, but nothing happens -- in fact, the switch flops loosely back into its old position, plainly connected to nothing."

Instead of switching on the chessplayer: say "The switch is just for show: it must not really work by gears, but by summoning the spirit of some dead gamesman."

East of the Upstairs is the Private Parlor. The description of the Parlor is "A sitting room of the family, in old times, and familiar territory to you now as well. Your bedroom is just south; other bedrooms, mostly smaller, in other directions."

A bentwood table is in the Private Parlor. A jigsaw puzzle is on the table. Understand "picture" as the jigsaw puzzle. Understand "piece" or "pieces" as the puzzle when the jagged piece is not visible. Understand "jigsaw" as the jagged piece when the jigsaw puzzle is not visible. It is fixed in place. The description of the puzzle is "His latest offering: he brings you all the most innocent toys he can find, to occupy your time and make you less miserable. This one is nearly finished, missing only one piece that neither of you could ever find." Instead of looking under the table when the jagged piece is not handled, say "[if the jigsaw puzzle is examined]You have looked, many times. The trouble is, the floorboards aren't very well-fitted, and the piece could easily have fallen through to the room below[otherwise]Nothing much appears under the table[end if]." Instead of looking under the table: say "You glance down there but find nothing of interest."

Instead of reading the jigsaw puzzle: try examining the jigsaw puzzle. Instead of taking the jigsaw puzzle: say "If you took it, the pieces would fall apart."

Understand "solve [something]" or "complete [something]" or "finish [something]" as solving. Understand "finish [someone]" as attacking.

Solving is an action applying to one thing, requiring light. Instead of solving the jigsaw: if the jigsaw is solved, say "It's finished already." instead; say "You haven't got the final piece." Carry out solving something: say "That's not a meaningful action in this case." Before putting the jagged piece on the jigsaw: try solving the jigsaw instead. Before inserting the jagged piece into the jigsaw: try solving the jigsaw instead.

Definition: the jigsaw is solved if the jagged piece is part of the jigsaw. Definition: the jigsaw is unsolved if the jagged piece is not part of the jigsaw.

Instead of solving the jigsaw when the player carries the jagged piece and the jigsaw is not solved:

now the jagged piece is part of the jigsaw;

say "You snap the final piece into place.

Nothing tremendous happens, but the picture is complete.";

now the description of the jigsaw is "The table is set for two: a robed king, and the devil. Between the two of them is a quill pen, jet black, and a huge book. The dialogue of these two characters is written on tiny gilt scrolls that spool out of their mouths, and this is what you could not read before the jagged piece was found: the devil is saying, 'TIME IS ON MY SIDE,' to which the king replies, 'BUT NOT FOR LONG.'";

try examining the jigsaw.

The Green Bedroom is southwest of the Private Parlor. "Having more personality than most of the bedrooms, it was decorated for someone specific and has been left that way: green and white, with a simple rustic cast unusual for the palace." The Green Bedroom contains a bed called green bed.

The royal portrait is a reminder in the Green Bedroom. It is fixed in place. "The chief exception is the [royal portrait] on the wall[if the miniature is seen], hung at a height and in a position that reminds you of the miniature in the Zoo[end if]." The description is "A portrait of a young, arrogant king: not a prince, but one who inherited early and used his power from the beginning. He stares out with bitterness, perhaps even resentment." Instead of looking under the royal portrait: say "It is attached to the wall in the ordinary way, and there is nothing of interest behind." The memory of the royal portrait is "'That was me,' he told you. 'Before I was changed. Do you think I was handsome?'

You shrugged. Handsome, yes, but proud, selfish, resentful, perhaps cruel. 'The painter did not do justice to your personality,' you replied.

'You're wrong,' he said. 'And I put the painting here to punish the woman who slept here. She treated me with justice, and I could not forgive her.'

He refused to tell you the rest. 'You like me more than you should, and trust me less,' he said. 'If I told you the rest of this particular story, you would neither trust nor like. There, that's a warning for you.'"

The Guest Bedroom is east of the Private Parlor. "Made up for the reception of a guest who will never arrive again. A [tapestry] recalls the story." The Guest Bedroom contains a bed called guest bed.

The stool is a portable enterable supporter in the Guest Bedroom. It is pushable between rooms. "Still here at the center of the room is [the stool] you and the Beast used, the time he tried to teach you to dance -- not a great success, but more effective than the experiment with stilts." The description is "An ordinary three-legged stool, like the one your cat at home liked to sleep on." After entering the stool: say "You stand, a little precariously, on the stool, and are now more or less the same height as an ordinary person." After dropping the stool, say "You set the stool down next to one wall."

Understand "dance [text]" as a mistake ("Despite all his lessons, you never did get the knack of it.").

The tapestry is scenery in the Guest Bedroom. The description of the tapestry is "It is hard to make out the story from the faded threads, but it appears to show a very small man, almost a dwarf, who holds on a leading string a very large demon, almost a god." Understand "demon" or "dwarf" or "god" or "man" as tapestry.

The Empty Bedroom is southeast of the Private Parlor. "Like a monk's chamber compared to every other part of the palace, just bare walls now. Here your father stayed, when he made his ill-fated journey to the castle. The Beast told you this, on your first visit."

The shackle is in the Empty Bedroom. "On the wall, as a curio, hangs an open [shackle] -- sign of the only person ever to have escaped the power of this place." The shackle is wearable. Instead of wearing the shackle: say "You already wear a shackle of a sort." The description is "A curious object, a broken shackle. Nowhere else in the castle are there any chains or ropes or devices of torture; there has never been a need for such physical coercion..." The shackle is a reminder. The memory of the shackle is "Your father claims to have been chained up, but the Beast never made the least effort to restrain you with chains or bars. On the contrary-- but that remains a puzzle."

The Crystal Bedroom is south of the Private Parlor. Understand "my bedroom" as the crystal bedroom. "A fantasia of gleaming and glittering, chandeliers and [mirrors]: all that shines or reflects has been moved here, into this room that you inhabit, which he never enters.

The south end of the room is most dazzling, because of the daylight from the balcony." Some mirrors are scenery in the Crystal Bedroom. Understand "gleaming" or "chandeliers" or "mirror" or "chandelier" or "glittering" as the mirrors. The description is "You learned, long ago, that the mirrors would keep him away; and then, when you had less need to keep him at bay, you kept them anyway, so as not to disturb him by returning them to the rest of the palace." The Crystal Bedroom contains a bed called large bed.

Understand "balcony" as the generic surroundings when the location is the balcony.

Before going to the Balcony:

say "You step out into the rain[if the player wears the helmet]; the fat droplets sound like hail on the surface of your helmet[end if].";

The Gilded Balcony is south of the Crystal Bedroom. "A ridiculous filigreed balcony that is like nothing so much as a birdcage: and from here you can see all the way across the moat, across [the forest], the plain, to the edge of [the sea], only by staring long enough in any direction[if Gilded Balcony is unvisited].

When you first came here, the balcony was full of plants in pots: poison oak, nettles, nightshade, datura. 'They grow best here,' he explained. 'Don't touch them.' And he took them away, and you have never seen them again since[end if]."

Instead of facing northwest in the Gilded Balcony: say "That way is just more castle wall, of course." Instead of facing northeast in the Gilded Balcony: say "That way is just more castle wall, of course." Instead of facing south in the Gilded Balcony, try examining the forest. Instead of facing down in the presence of the moat, try examining the moat. Instead of facing southwest in the Gilded Balcony, try examining the forest. Instead of facing southeast in the Gilded Balcony, try examining the forest. Instead of facing up in the presence of the rain, try examining the rain.

The forest is a view in the Gilded Balcony. Understand "branches" or "trees" or "leaves" or "leaf" or "tree" or "pasture" or "pastureland" or "plain" or "home" or "family home" as the forest. "A considerable expanse of evergreen forest -- the view sharpens under your gaze if you wish, showing you individual trees, branches, leaves; or widening out again to show you rolling miles and then the pastureland beyond.

If you look exactly the right direction and squint, you can see your family home, and that is what triggered the attack of homesickness in the first place."

Understand "squint" as a mistake ("You squinch your eyes, but do not substantively change what you're able to see.").

The sea is a view in the Gilded Balcony. Understand "ocean" or "wave" or "ship" or "ships" as the sea. Instead of facing the forest for the second time: try facing the sea. The description of the sea is "If you look long enough, your vision expands until you can see the ocean, grey and clouded with storms, that took your father's livelihood and brought your family to ruin."

Swimming is an action applying to nothing. Understand "swim" or "dive" as swimming.

The moat is a view. Understand "oily" and "splashing" and "brown" and "water" as the moat. It is in the drawbridge and the Gilded Balcony. The description is "The moat is full of slightly oily brown water. If you had been physically imprisoned, you might have tried to swim across; so it is just as well that you were not." The sound of the moat is "occasional splashing". The scent of the moat is "aquaceous plant-life with an undertone of slime". Instead of swimming in the presence of the moat: try swimming in the moat. Instead of swimming in the moat: say "Both unappealing and unnecessary."

Before inserting something into the moat: say "The surface of the moat is too low for you to reach -- not that you're greatly eager to come into contact with that water, anyway." instead.

Understand "swim in/across [something]" as swimming in. Swimming in is an action applying to one thing. Carry out swimming in: try swimming instead.