PUTTING ON THE JOURNEY BELT LABORATORY An intensely bright beam of light is shining westward out of the microwave box. The room looks like it used to be sort of laboratory, but now it is covered in dust and soot. Your eye is immediately drawn to a bizarre machine standing in the center of the lab. It looks like it was made out of parts taken from household appliances. On the east wall is a lab bench, with a metal stool nearby. There is a large lever mounted in the center of the lab bench. The lever is currently pushed down. There's a wedge-shaped opening in the black dome above. Shelving with model railroad track runs along the north and east walls. The shelving widens into a platform above the lab bench, quite close to the large lever. To the west you see a pair of metal doors, which are currently open. There is a window on the north wall. The window is closed. Your nose itches. The train is stopped at the platform above the lab bench. You see a tray containing a glass of lemonade on the platform above the lab bench. You see a green candle (lit) here. >w EAST COURTYARD An intensely bright beam of light is coming out of the lens of the microwave box. It shines west through the open metal doors, cutting across the courtyard to strike the center of the west wall. The light beam seems to be interacting somehow with the red rock of the wall, causing the center of the wall to appear shimmery and insubstantial. You see a rusty chain here. Agador-Spartacus stands before you, wagging his tail affably. >w WEST COURTYARD An intensely bright beam of light is coming out of the lens of the microwave box. It shines west through the open metal doors, cutting across the courtyard to strike the center of the west wall. The light beam seems to be interacting somehow with the red rock of the wall, causing the center of the wall to appear shimmery and insubstantial. You see Agador-Spartacus in the east part of the courtyard. He's wagging his tail. >s LIVING ROOM (back half) On the music stand you see some sheet music. You see three empty boxes, two ordinary cans of spam, and a magic carpet (rolled) here. >w DANCE STUDIO You see a coat rack and a macrame strap here. >d TUNNEL (south end) >n TUNNEL (north end) >open door The trapdoor is now open. >u GAZEBO There is something very unusual about the east wall of the garden. The center of the wall appears to be missing. You see a swirling mist there. You see a desk chair and a pot of gardenias here. The fan snaps open. The trapdoor slams shut. >e You follow the yellow brick road around until you are near the east wall. SECRET GARDEN (near the east wall) There is something very unusual about the east wall of the garden. The center of the wall appears to be missing. You see a swirling mist there. You are near the east wall of the secret garden. There is something very unusual about the east wall of the garden. The center of the wall appears to be missing. You see a swirling mist there. Spiraling outward from the gazebo is a yellow brick road. The road exits the garden through a round red door in the north wall, which is currently closed. The ground surrounding the yellow brick road is completely filled with flowers and lush greenery growing in rich dark soil. You can go to the gazebo or go to the north, south, or west wall. >e As you begin to enter the swirling mist, you feel a strong resistance to your motion. The resistance seems to grow exponentially stronger as more of your body enters, but at the same time you sense that the mist does not go on forever and that something is waiting for you on the other side. You find yourself intrigued by a growing taste sensation in your mouth, oddly bitter, that fires your appetite to explore whatever lies beyond the mist. By sheer force of will you manage to push your way completely through the mist. But in doing so, you feel most of your essence being ripped away from you, leaving you weak and insubstantial. You emerge on the other side and stumble unsteadily on your feet, feeling as if you are about to fade away into non-existence. Instinctively you reach outwards in an attempt to draw in the essence of the surrounding reality. Your body begins to tingle and you feel yourself growing somewhat stronger as you draw in essence from your surroundings. But the tingling stops too soon, leaving you only partially replenished. And part of the essense that you have taken seems to be slipping back outwards away from you... ------------- Press space bar to continue ----------------- NEXT TO THE ROCK PILE To the west is a large pile of reddish-colored rocks. The center of the rock pile appears to be missing. You see a swirling mist there. The ground is hard and rocky here. Thorny bushes block travel in all directions except to the east, where you see a patch of dirt, and to the west through the swirling mist. >e NEXT TO THE PATCH OF DIRT There is a patch of dirt here. The ground is hard and rocky here. Thorny bushes block travel in all directions except to the west, where you see a pile of reddish rocks, and to the northeast, where you see a large flat rock. >ne BY THE FLAT ROCK There is a large flat rock here. You think you see something lurking under the rock. Narrow pathways lead northeast and northwest through thorny bushes. You could also go southeast towards the raspberry bush. >ne STRAIGHT PATHWAY This straight pathway leads northeast towards the sound of rushing water, and southwest towards a large flat rock. >ne RAVINE (across from the sycamore grove) You are on the edge of a deep ravine with a swiftly flowing creek at the bottom. The ravine and the creek run from the northwest to the southeast. The drop down into the ravine is breathtakingly steep and you find the view magnificent. Looking across the ravine you see a grove of sycamore trees. The other side of the ravine is closer here than it is elsewhere, but the gap is still much too wide to leap across. A rocky path leads northwest and upwards along the edge of the ravine. Thorny bushes block travel in all other directions except for a narrow pathway leading southwest. A squirrel is waiting at the edge of the ravine, looking across to the other side. The sight of the squirrel makes you feel dizzy, so you turn your eyes away. After a while you begin to wonder whether or not you really saw the squirrel, but it occurs to you that it might be better for you not to examine him too closely. A sycamore seed is heading this way, being carried by the wind from the other side of the ravine. You try to catch it, but a sudden gust of wind blows it out of your reach. The seed falls to the ground some distance away from you. The squirrel takes the sycamore seed and disappears into the thorny bushes to the west. Maybe. You're not quite sure. At any rate, the seed is gone now. >nw RAVINE PATH This rocky path runs along the edge of a deep ravine with a swiftly flowing creek at the bottom. The ravine is quite wide here and you can't see much on the other side. The path climbs upwards to the northwest and downwards to the southeast. Difficult terrain blocks travel in all other directions. >nw MESA (by the waterfall) You are on a flat mesa plateau, partway up the side of a mountain. Here you see a magnificent waterfall that pours down from the mountain into a deep ravine. A rocky path leads southeast and downwards along the edge of the ravine. The mesa continues to the southwest. Difficult terrain blocks travel in all other directions. >sw MESA (by the downward slope) You are on a flat mesa plateau, partway up the side of a mountain. To the south is a downward slope leading to a clearing. It looks like you could scramble down to the clearing but you wouldn't be able to to get back up. In the distance to the west (and below) you can see a grove of aspen trees. However, you can't get down to the grove from here because the mesa ends in a sheer cliff in that direction. The mesa continues to the northeast. You hear rushing water coming from that direction. An old woman and a little girl are sitting cross-legged on a blanket here. Cords of rope are stretched across the little girl's lap, and the old woman appears to be teaching the girl how to weave and knot the cords together. The old woman suddenly leans forward and looks around as if she has sensed your approach. "Who is it?" she calls out. It appears that neither she nor the little girl can see you. "No one is here, Grandmother," the little girl assures her. "Perhaps you heard a deer or a fox." "No," the old woman replies, settling herself back more comfortably. "I heard no sound." Examining her granddaughter's work, the woman nods with satisfaction. "You have made a good beginning," she says. "To make a good beginning you must start your work in a high place, in the light of the rising sun. Remember this." "Yes, I remember, Grandmother," the girl says, smiling fondly at the older woman. "And I also remember that you promised to tell me a secret today, the secret about what it is that you are teaching me to make. Will you tell me now?" >wait Time passes... "For secrets we must use the old tongue," the grandmother tells her. "I will speak slowly for you." The old woman and the little girl speak for a while in a native American language that you don't understand. But your headphones translate their words for you. The grandmother explains, "You are making a journey belt. This is a very important thing, for without such a belt a shaman may lose himself. The belt can bring him home if it is made strong enough." The girl is full of questions. "Who is the shaman? Is he coming soon? Am I making the knots strong enough?" "The shaman is who he needs to be, and he will come when he is called. You are the one who must make the belt and keep it in a secret place for him. But the knots that you make are only a beginning, a weaving of rope upon rope. To make the belt strong, the one who wears the belt must seek the weaving of spirits. Five times he must seek, one for each cord of rope." >wait Time passes... The little girl sits silently for a while, thinking. Then she speaks again, this time in English. "Five cords of rope, like five fingers on my hand," she ponders. "The fingers of a hand must work together for the hand to be strong," the grandmother nods approvingly. "Four fingers bring strength from afar, like the four winds from the north, south, east, and west. But the thumb, like the center of the world, must wait. When the rest of the hand is ready, the thumb can complete the grip. Morning Rain, child of my child, you have learned the ways of our people well." "At school they call me Raina," the little girl says. "Always you are who you need to be. Your true name waits for you here," the old woman tells her, touching her hand to the little girl's chest above her heart. "At school you work hard, your father says, you are clever and you make good grades. Every one is an 'A'. Your father says that tonight we go to the movies to celebrate." "Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers!" Raina exclaims. She leaps to her feet and begins to dance about. >wait Time passes... The old woman watches her granddaughter dance, her eyes becoming moist with pride. The girl's movements are full of life, an intense blend of emotion, style, and power. Raina ends her dance with a dramatic flourish and several bows all around to the imaginary audience surrounding her. Her grandmother stands and applauds enthusiastically. "A regular Ginger Rogers," her grandmother says, reaching her arms out to Raina. Raina runs to her and hugs her grandmother tightly. Suddenly, you hear a rumble of thunder and the ground begins to shake. The wind begins to circle around Raina and her grandmother, moving faster and faster, almost as if the wind is drawing its strength from the bond between them. Then the air grows still. You reach out to touch the power of the wind but it is gone. You feel a sense of loss, as if you have missed an opportunity to make contact with something important. >wait Time passes... Raina and her grandmother sit back down on the blanket. Rachel goes back to working on her rope cords. >s CLEARING The clearing is a flat, rocky area. To the north is a steep slope leading upwards to a mesa plateau. To the west you see a grove of aspen trees. A narrow pathway leads south through thorny bushes. The bushes and difficult terrain block travel in all other directions. >s CURVED PATHWAY This curved pathway leads north towards a clearing, and southeast towards a large flat rock. >se BY THE FLAT ROCK >sw NEXT TO THE PATCH OF DIRT >w NEXT TO THE ROCK PILE >w As you enter the swirling mist, your mouth fills with a taste sensation, oddly bitter. You feel yourself being sucked into the essence that had previously been ripped from you. You feel whole again! Then you find yourself being pushed through to the other side, where you stumble unsteadily on your feet until you regain your balance... ------------- Press space bar to continue ----------------- SECRET GARDEN (near the east wall) There is something very unusual about the east wall of the garden. The center of the wall appears to be missing. You see a swirling mist there. >w You follow the yellow brick road around until you are in the center. GAZEBO There is something very unusual about the east wall of the garden. The center of the wall appears to be missing. You see a swirling mist there. You see a desk chair and a pot of gardenias here. >open door The trapdoor is now open. >d TUNNEL (north end) The trapdoor slams shut. >s TUNNEL (south end) >u DANCE STUDIO You see a coat rack and a macrame strap here. You see Agador-Spartacus in the back half of the living room. He's wagging his tail. >take strap You take the macrame strap. >wear strap Wrapping the macrame strap around your waist, you are somewhat surprised at how natural the belt feels encircling you this way. Without pausing to think, you find yourself pulling the long ends across your chest and back, and then tying them at your waist in what might be called a double bowline hitch. This is exactly how a shaman should wear a journey belt, you think to yourself, somewhat puzzled about how you could possibly know this to be true. You touch the journey belt with a certain amount of awe, wondering if contact with the belt has somehow supplied you with the information about how to wear it. But suddenly you realize that this is not the case. The instinctive knowledge of the shaman preparing for his journey has risen from the depths of your own being, coded into your identity as surely as the genetic patterns for your red hair and the dimple in your chin. Of course there is no such thing as a double bowline hitch (according to the Boy Scout handbook) but you console yourself with the possibilty that it might have been invented by a drunken sailor early one moring before being put in the brig until he's good and sober. You see Agador-Spartacus in the back half of the living room. He's sitting down.