CAUSING THE PHOENIX TO RISE FROM THE ASHES

THIRD LEVEL

Shelving covers the north wall.  On the shelves you see a large 
array of incense supplies, much of which appears to have been 
imported from Japan.  Since you don't know much about incense, 
you find the variety of utensils, bowls, fragrant wood chips, and 
incense base to be rather confusing. 

Losing interest in the incense you turn your attention to the small 
selection of candles at one end of the shelving. You notice a green 
candle, a ivory-colored candle, and a dark red candle.   

In an alcove on the east wall is a statue of a warrior king, smaller 
than the one you saw on the First Level of the store.   

A large box of white rice ash is sitting on the floor next to the west 
wall.   

To the south you see a round hole in the floor with a carving of a 
sea turtle.   

>x green candle
The green candle is short and squat.  It's the sort of candle that's 
able to stand on its own without a candle holder. 

The candle smells faintly like pine trees.  You suspect that the 
scent would be stronger if it were lit.   

It costs $5.   

>x ivory candle
The ivory-colored candle is short and squat.  It's the sort of candle 
that's able to stand on its own without a candle holder. 

The candle smells faintly like vanilla.  You suspect that the scent 
would be stronger if it were lit.   

It costs $5.   

>x red candle
The dark red candle is short and squat.  It's the sort of candle that's 
able to stand on its own without a candle holder. 

The candle smells faintly like cinnamon.  You suspect that the 
scent would be stronger if it were lit.   

It costs $5.   

>x warrior king
The statue is molded from copper.  The warrior king stands on a 
background of flames, wearing a breastplate that bears the emblem 
of a soaring bird.  In his hand the king holds a mighty bow that is 
carved to resemble a sharp beak. 

On his back the archer king wears a quiver.  The quiver is quite 
realistic and could serve as an actual container.  But at the current 
time the quiver is empty.   

>x box of rice ash
The box has been torn open, and you see an extremely large 
supply of white rice ash inside. 

You read the label on the box and discover that the ash is intended 
to be used as a base for preparing wood chip incense.  The label 
tells you that this is "Discount White Rice Ash" from Phoenix, 
Arizona. 

You try to remember the last time you were in the Phoenix area, 
but you don't think you saw any place around there suitable for 
growing rice.  Perhaps the rice was grown somewhere else and 
then brought to Phoenix to be burned?  You can't imagine why 
anyone would do that.  But when you think about that odd bunch 
of former ASU students that you ran into in Tempe, you realize 
that not everything in Arizona has a rational explanation.   

>look in rice ash
You start to look through the ash, but this makes you break into a 
fit of uncontrollable sneezing before you can complete a thorough 
search.  After you finish sneezing you notice that something else 
besides ash is now visible inside the box.  It's a small arrow with a 
copper shaft!   

>take arrow
You take the small arrow out of the box of rice ash.   

>put arrow in quiver
You put the arrow in the quiver.  Then you hear the sound of a 
grinding motor coming from inside the statue.  The statue begins to 
move! 

The warrior king takes the arrow from his quiver and shoots it.  As 
the arrow leaves the bow, its tip bursts into flame.  The arrow rises 
upwards and westward, and embeds itself in one of the triangular 
ceiling panels near the west wall.  The flame burning on the tip of 
the arrow is soon extinguished, but its heat has already melted 
some of the red waxy substance on the ceiling panel.  One drop of 
red wax falls from the panel and lands in the large box of Discount 
White Rice Ash. 

Now you hear a hiss and some clicking sounds coming from inside 
the ashes.  Suddenly a mechanical red bird flies up out of the box, 
trailing a long red tail behind it as it rises straight upwards.  You 
hear a metallic clunk as a mechanism in the ceiling is lowered to 
catch the bird.  The waxed ceiling panel pops open. 

As you look more closely at the long red tail of the bird, you 
realize that it is actually a rope ladder leading upwards from the 
box of rice ash to the opening in the ceiling.