GETTING TWO FISH IN THE HEADPHONES LAUNDRY ROOM A washing machine is on the north wall and a dryer is on the west wall. On the south wall is a glass shelf that appears to have something etched into the glass. The kitchen is to the east. In the dryer you see a large towel. >take towel You take the large towel out of the dryer. >e KITCHEN You see an envelope, a large stack of catalogs, a phone bill, a gold key, "The Bedtime Story Book", "The Boy Who Had No Words", a yellow feather, a small phone book, a short blue sock, a long black sock, a handwritten note, a bath robe, a pair of brown shoes, a short brown sock, a short black sock, some ballet slippers, a fake can of spam, a white pawn, a mug of black coffee, a plucked daisy, and a plucked tulip here. >put stopper in left drain The sink stopper is now in the left drain. >push faucet left The faucet is now pushed left. >turn on faucet The faucet is now turned on. Water starts flowing into the left basin. You notice some activity in the kitchen sink. Water from the faucet is pouring into the left basin. A sink stopper is in the left drain. The level of the standing water in the left basin is almost one-third full and rising. >turn off faucet The faucet is now turned off. The water stops flowing. >take plug You take the sink stopper out of the left drain. Agador-Spartacus crawls out from under the kitchen sink. The sink cabinet doors swing shut. Agador-Spartacus stands before you, wagging his tail affably. You notice some activity in the kitchen sink. The water in the left basin is draining away. The left basin is almost empty. You find the clockwise swirling of water down the drain to be almost hypnotic. The left drain gurgles as the last of the standing water there swirls down the drain. At the instant that you hear the gurgling of the drain the pantry door slides open, disappearing into the wall. At the same moment the laundry room door slides shut. >w PHONE BOOTH, in the pantry You see Agador-Spartacus in the kitchen. He's wagging his tail. You hear the computerized voice tell you (somewhat faintly since the receiver is hanging down on its cord) ... Press "1" to be enlightened. Press "3" to be cleansed. Press "4" to be uplifted. Press "6" to be inspired. Press "7" to be moved. Press "9" to be transmogrified. If you do not have access to a touch tone phone, please remain on the line and an operator will assist you. >press "7" You pick up the receiver. You press "7". You see Agador-Spartacus in the kitchen. He's wagging his tail. The computerized voice goes on to tell you Please specify the destination to which you would like to be moved... Press "1" to go to the zoo. Press "2" to go to the beach. Press "3" to go to work. Press "4" to go to the store. Press "5" to go to the veterinarian's office. Press "6" to visit Mom. All other options will return you to the main menu. Please be advised that the previously mentioned destinations can be reached only through the Phantom Phone Booth object-oriented navigational system. >press "2" You press "2". You hear the sound of a motor grinding, the door slams closed, and the phone booth suddenly rises upwards very quickly. It passes the second floor landing and goes through the roof, flying high into the air. The telephone voice tells you, "Estimated travel time for this 950 mile trip is nineteen minutes, using accelerated travel speed." The phone booth flies west. After about nineteen minutes of flying it sets itself down. The phone booth door pops open. PHONE BOOTH, at the beach You see the beach to the west. >w You drop the receiver. BEACH The ocean is to the west, a seemingly endless expanse of dark green stetching across the horizon. Roaring waves lap against the shore. You find yourself wishing that you could fly. You long to soar over the ocean and travel as swiftly as the wind, exploring the exotic locations that lie beyond. The phone booth is to the east. You notice that you're wearing a Superman costume. >fly You stretch your arms in front of you and push off the ground. You're flying, just like Superman! You fly over the ocean, exhilarated by the cold rush of air against your face and the salty spray from the waves below. You seem to be travelling at an incredibly high speed, so fast that that the sky grows darker as the sun recedes in back of you towards the eastern horizon. You're not sure at which point you cross over the International Date Line, but before long the sun falls below the horizon and the stars begin to appear. Dawn has not yet reached this part of the world. When the third star appears you can't help thinking of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. Was that a pirate ship you saw below? Too late, it's gone from view. Flying at Super Speed has disadvantages for those not used to being Superman. ------------- Press space bar to continue ----------------- As you continue flying into the darkening sky, the air gets much colder. The red cape is not much help for warmth. So you try to fly southwards as well as westwards. Eventually you notice that the constellations are no longer familiar to you. You conclude that you must now be somewhere in the southern hemisphere. This makes you think of Bora Bora. Wait a minute, that seems to be Bora Bora below you! The tourists on Bora Bora seem to be having a great time watching a performer juggle firesticks. You head downwards to join the party, and but by the time you are able to land you discover that you have ended up overshooting Bora Bora by two or three smaller islands. There doesn't seem to be any party going on here on this island. TROPICAL ISLAND BEACH Palm trees are swaying in the light of the moon and the twinkling stars. You see Clark Kent here. He's sitting on a coconut, looking forlorn. He looks at your Superman costume with longing. The ocean lies to the east, and a shadowy path leads west through lush vegetation. >w The path leads you deep into the interior of the island... EAST END OF ROPE BRIDGE The ground drops in a sheer cliff. Below is a dark rippling lake, shimmering in the moonlight. Trees with lush green fronds surround the lake. Some of the trees have purple flower buds waiting to bloom. In the center of the lake is a volcano. To the west you see a rope bridge, which leads across the lake to the top of the volcano. A shadowy path back leads eastward through the thick vegetation. >w As soon as you step foot on the rope bridge, you find yourself surrounded by native islanders who glare at you in disapproval. You try to explain that you were just trying to get to the volcano, but one of the islanders sharply motions you into silence. In broken English he informs you that strangers are forbidden to approach the volcano. Since you have violated a sacred taboo, you must be brought to the Great Tiki so that judgement may be passed upon you and so that your fate may be determined. The islanders take you by the arms, bringing you with them as they force their way through the thick vegetation. You can't really see where you're going with all of the green leaves slapping you in the face, but you have the general impression that you're being taken around the lake to the other side, west of the volcano. Suddenly there is a break in the vegetation and you see a wooden structure with a thatched door. The door opens and the islanders toss you inside. ------------- Press space bar to continue ----------------- You are completely alone inside the Tiki Room. Music begins to play. Colorful birds sitting in a basket are lowered from the ceiling. The birds recite ritual incantations, potted flowers sing, fountain waters dance. Then there is a roar of thunder. Parts of the walls start moving. Totem masks snap open and closed, while drums pound in frightening rhythmic intensity. You begin to realize that you're in big trouble. Desperately you search your brain, trying to think about movies that you've seen. You remember "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "The Haunted Mansion", but did they ever get around to making one about the Tiki Room? How did it end? Wasn't there a guy named Joe who got thrown into the volcano? No, no, that was a different movie, you tell yourself nervously. ------------- Press space bar to continue ----------------- With a loud crash, all of the noise and movement comes to a sudden halt. A bright light shines down on you as a high priest in a red and orange fire-mask enters the Tiki Room through a secret side panel. The high priest examines you and what you are carrying. When he sees what is inside your headphones, he breaks into a big smile and steps back, clapping his hands twice. The islanders open the west wall of the Tiki Room, revealing the shimmering lake with the volcano in the distance. You see the stars twinkling above and the reflection of the moon upon the lake. The high priest takes the headphones away from you and places the headphones reverently in the water. They sink below the surface. After a while the volcano rumbles, but then grows silent. The islanders look worried. ------------- Press space bar to continue ----------------- The islander who speaks English explains. Apparently the white fish has returned from her travels to take a mate. A mate has been chosen and the white fish is no longer alone, but the fruitfulness of the union has not been blessed by the fire of the volcano. Without the ash of the volcano the buds on the trees do not open their blossoms. Without the flowers to eat, the fish cannot produce offspring. The islander drops his voice to a whisper and tells you that if a way cannot be found to bring back strength to the volcano, the sacred lake may die. "No fish," he explains sadly. ------------- Press space bar to continue ----------------- The headphones float back to the surface, and the high priest takes them from the water. You had expected the headphones to be empty, but inside the headphones you now see two fish! The islanders gasp with excitement as the high priest places the headphones on your head. The islander who speaks English explains to you that the fish have chosen to travel with you, to seek adventure and bring back stories. Then the high priest says something to you using the ancient language of the volcano. You look at the islander who speaks English, but he says nothing. Suddenly you hear voices coming from inside your headphones. The fish are translating for you! "The high priest says that you are a friend of the lake, a brother to the volcano. He says that you will help us to awaken the volcano, and that we tiny fish will then help you to complete your own quest. We must travel very far and we must bring a message to the Senders. He says we must bring them the Fourth Book. We nust bring the Fourth Book of the great master who writes no more, the one who knows the answer." "What is the answer?" you ask the fish, but the fish remain silent. Apparently they are well equipped to do translating work, but it is not in their nature to carry on conversations of their own. "What is the answer?" you cry to the high priest, but he does not understand any English. The islanders escort you back to the beach where you first landed. They leave you on the beach and go back into the vegetation, disappearing from your sight. But the islander who speaks English whispers something in your ear before departing. ------------- Press space bar to continue ----------------- "42," the islander says. "The answer is 42." And then he is gone. TROPICAL ISLAND BEACH Palm trees are swaying in the light of the moon and the twinkling stars. You see Clark Kent here. He's sitting on a coconut, looking forlorn. He looks at your Superman costume with longing. The ocean lies to the east, and a shadowy path leads west through lush vegetation.