ACTIVATING THE SWEET MIST PORTAL 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. >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. Your other self slides down the slope. >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 here. You see Agador-Spartacus in the back half of the living room. He's wagging his tail. >e 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. Agador-Spartacus stands before you, wagging his tail affably. >n 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 back half of the living room. He's wagging his tail. >e 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. You see Agador-Spartacus in the west part of the courtyard. He's wagging his tail. >e LABORATORY An intensely bright beam of light is shining westward out of the microwave box. 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. You see Agador-Spartacus in the east part of the courtyard. He's wagging his tail. >swing watch (first taking the watch out of the pocket) The watch swings back and forth hypnotically. It's difficult to see the watch while it's swinging, but for a moment you think that you see the misty image of a train conductor on the cover of the watch. The conductor seems confused and looks as if he needs you to tell him what time it is. >say "1:43" to conductor You say "1:43" to the train conductor. The conductor smiles and nods his head briefly before his image fades and disappears. Then the watch stops swinging and pops open. Archimedes' arms now show the time as 1:43. >put watch in pocket (first closing the watch) The pocket watch is now in one of the trouser pockets. >snap (your fingers) SNAP! The watch beeps twice. The train, which is at the platform above the lab bench, blows its whistle. The train leaves the platform above the lab bench and continues south, exiting the lab through a tunnel-shaped opening in the southwest corner. Looking over at the west part of the courtyard you see that the train enters the east courtyard from the northeast corner and goes west along the wall, turning south as it approaches the cast-iron loveseat. It then passes the platform by the cast-iron loveseat. It drops to ground level and follows a curved path along the ground, rising somewhat to exit the west courtyard through a tunnel-shaped opening in the south wall. >push stop button You push the stop button and it pops back up. The intensely bright beam of light disappears. >open microwave door You open the microwave box door. Inside the microwave box you see a mug. >take mug You take the mug out of the microwave box. The train, carrying a tray containing a plate of cookies and a napkin, enters the lab from the southeast corner and goes north along the wall. It then comes to a stop at the platform above the lab bench. The small white hand takes the tray containing a plate of cookies and a napkin off of the train and puts it on the platform. This causes the tray containing a glass of lemonade to fall off of the platform and onto the floor. You see Agador-Spartacus in the west part of the courtyard. He's wagging his tail. >drop mug The mug is now on the floor. >take cookies You take the plate of cookies off of the tray. >taste cookies The cookies taste quite sweet. >put cookies in microwave box The plate of cookies is now in the microwave box. >close microwave door The microwave box door is now closed. >push start button You push the start button and it pops back up. The microwave box begins to give off a mechanical hum, and you see a glowing light behind the red-tinted lens on the box door. After a few seconds the box begins to shake violently. When the box approaches a level of shaking that seems ready to break it apart from the rest of the machine, you hear a loud boom and you find yourself momentarily blinded. You blink until you regain your vision, but it is still difficult to see because an intensely bright beam of light is eminating from the lens of the box. The beam of light 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. The microwave box is no longer humming or shaking, but the beam of light is still here.