ACTIVATING THE SALTY MIST PORTAL 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. In the patch of dirt you see a sycamore seed. >w NEXT TO THE ROCK PILE Your second other self enters from the east. >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. >d TUNNEL (north end) >s TUNNEL (south end) >u DANCE STUDIO You see a coat rack here. >e LIVING ROOM (back half) In the piano bench seat you see "Theme from Scheherazade". On the music stand you see "Water Music". The kitten is curled up and sleeping on the floor. You see three empty boxes, two ordinary cans of spam, and a magic carpet (rolled) here. >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. Agador-Spartacus enters the west part of the courtyard from the east part of the courtyard. Agador-Spartacus stands before you, wagging his tail affably. >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. Agador-Spartacus enters the east part of the courtyard from the west part of the courtyard. Agador-Spartacus stands before you, wagging his tail affably. >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 napkin on the platform above the lab bench. You see a green candle (lit), a tray containing a glass of lemonade, a mug, a plate, and a large piece of broccoli here. >take off gloves You take off the gloves. They slip from your grasp and float in the air, halfway between floor and ceiling. >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. You see Agador-Spartacus in the east part of the courtyard. He's sitting down. >say "1:40" (to the train conductor) You say "1:40" 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 1:40. You see Agador-Spartacus in the east part of the courtyard. He's sitting down. >put watch in pocket (first closing the watch) The pocket watch is now in one of the trouser pockets. You see Agador-Spartacus in the east part of the courtyard. He's sitting down. >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. You see Agador-Spartacus in the east part of the courtyard. He's sitting down. >push stop 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. The microwave box is empty. >wait Time passes... The train, carrying a tray containing a bowl of pretzels 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 bowl of pretzels and a napkin off of the train and puts it on the platform. This causes the tray containing a napkin to fall off of the platform and onto the floor. >take pretzels You take the bowl of pretzels off of the tray. >put pretzels in microwave The bowl of pretzels is now in the microwave box. You see Agador-Spartacus in the east part of the courtyard. He's lying down. >close microwave door The microwave box door is now closed. You see Agador-Spartacus in the east part of the courtyard. He's lying down. >push start 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. You see Agador-Spartacus in the east part of the courtyard. He's lying down.