Your sister's birthday is tomorrow, and she made you promise that
you wouldn't buy her anything expensive. As if she had to worry;
on your salary you can't even take her to a nice restaurant. You
know that she has refined taste and admires anything that comes
from Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver; you also know that she would
like a bud vase. You called Lumet, but they wouldn't quote prices
over the phone. So you've come downtown to see if they carry anything
you can afford.
Outside Store
You are on a busy east-west street outside Lumet Fine Crystal and
Silver, whose entrance is to the north. It is raining lightly.
>GO NORTH
Lobby
You are in the elegant lobby of Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver. An
ornate chandelier hangs from the ceiling. The salmon-colored marble
floor is highly polished, and several signed prints hang from the
jade-white plush-fabric walls. Classical music plays softly in the
background. The exit to the street is to the south. Open doors lead
to the nortwest and the northeast. A solid-brass coatrack holding
one raincoat stands in a corner. A security guard in a dark blue
uniform is standing by the exit. "I'm sorry," he says
to you. "No loitering."
>SECURITY GUARD, WHERE ARE THE BUD VASES?
"Oh, you're a customer." He seems surprised. You wish
you hadn't worn blue jeans. "There are bud vases in the Crystal
Room, through this door here." He points to the door leading
to the northwest. "You may be more interested in our less expensive
vases, in the Glass Room next to the Crystal Room." He takes
your raincoat and hangs it up.
>THANK YOU
(said to the security guard)
"You're very welcome."
>WALK NORTHWEST
Crystal Room
You are in the Crystal Room of Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver. Displayed
on tables are magnificent plates, vases, decanters, bowls, ring
holders and objets d'art, from Waterford, Lenox, Steuben and other
crystal manufacturers. Even the ashtray in the corner - you think
it's an ashtray - looks ridiculously expensive and too nice to dirty
with ashes. There are open doors leading east to the Silver Room,
north to the Glass Room, and southeast to the Lobby. A woman in
bright blue satin dress enters the room from east. She seems officious,
like a saleswoman, and looks at you with a mixture of politeness
and arrogance.
>SALESWOMAN, WHERE ARE THE BUD VASES?
"Saleswoman! Hmmf! I don't work here, you pipsqueak!"
She hits you on the head with her handbag and leaves the room to
the southeast.
>SEARCH THE ROOM FOR A BUD VASE
There are two bud vases here on a table, one with Waterford label
and one with Rotschild label.
>LOOK AT THE BUD VASE
(Which bud vase do you mean, the Waterford bud vase or the Rotschild
bud vase?)
>WATERFORD
Ah, it's a beautiful, ornate bud vase, sparkling like a diamond.
It looks perfect. The price tag on it says "$400."
>LOOK AT THE ROTSCHILD BUD VASE
It is a very fragile, very sophisticated bud vase, perfectly clear
and resonating distinctively when you rap it with your fingernail.
The price tag on it says "$300."
>NORTH
Glass Room
This is the Glass Room of Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver. Tables
and shelves display a fine assortment of plates, glasses, vases,
bowls, decanters, and objets d'art, from Corning, Oxford, Courac,
and other glass manufacturers. The only exit is to the south. There
is a step stool in the corner.
>FIND A BUD VASE
You can see a bud vase on a top shelf, but it's out of your reach.
>GET ON THE STEP STOOL
You're now standing on the step stool.
>TAKE THE BUD VASE THEN LOOK AT IT
Taken.
It is a simple yet elegant piece with the Chilton label. The price
tag on it says "$30."
From the next room, you can hear a loud and expensive CRASH!
>GO SOUTH
You'll have to get off the step stool first.
>GET OFF THE STEP STOOL THEN GO SOUTH
You're now off the step stool.
Crystal Room
There is a lot of broken crystal lying on the floor next to one
of the tables.
>EXAMINE THE BROKEN CRYSTAL
The shards are in all shapes and sizes. You can't figure what the
piece was before it broke. Amidst the shards is a blue button. The
security guard enters the room from the southeast. He looks at the
broken crystal and asks, "Did you break that?"
>LOOK AT THE SECURITY GUARD
The security guard is a large, strong man, wearing a dark blue uniform.
"Did you break that?" the guard asks you impatiently.
>LOOK AT THE UNIFORM
The uniform consists of dark blue trousers, a dark blue shirt with
black buttons, a black tie and black shoes. A holster holds a gun.
"Did you break that?" the guard asks you impatiently.
>NO
The guard frowns in disbelief. "I'd better get the manager."
He heads off to the east.
>FOLLOW THE GUARD
Silver Room
You are in the Silver Room of Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver. Many
locked cases display sterling tableware, teapots, trays and bowls;
several are stamped with the lion passant, guaranteeing a silver
content not less than 92.5% pure. A few items sit on top of the
cases, allowing customers close inspection. Open doors lead west
to the Crystal Room and southwest to the Lobby. A large wooden door,
stenciled "Manager" in gold lettering, leads east.
>GUARD, WHERE IS THE OTHER CUSTOMER?
"She left a few minutes ago, before I heard the crash. Don't
try to pin the blame on her." The security guard knocks on
the large wooden door. After a moment, the manager opens the door.
The manager sports a pencil-thin moustache, a gold tie clip, a Cartier
watch, blue pin-striped trousers, and Italian designer-shoes. You
doubt that he even owns a pair of jeans. "Sir," the guard
says to the manager, "I believe this... customer broke the
Steuben tulip. Accidentally, I'm sure." The manager looks at
you sadly. "Accident or not, I'm afraid you'll have to pay
for it. At cost, of course."
"Sir, look!" exclaims the security guard to the manager.
"A set of sterling baby spoons is missing!" The manager
and the guard look at you suspiciously.
>MANAGER, TELL ME ABOUT THE BABY SPOONS
"I think you probably know that they're very expensive. Give
me that, you thief!" He grabs the Chilton bud vase away from
you. "I'd call my lawyers if I were you!" He heads off
to the west.
>GUARD, SEARCH ME
"I was just about to do that." He searches you. "Odd,
no baby spoons. I'd better tell the manager." The security
guard heads off to the west.
>EAST
Manager's Office
This is the manager's office of Lumet Fine Crystal and Silver. The
office is very comfortably and expensively appointed; plush white
carpeting, large mahogany desk, a leather swivel chair behind the
desk and overstuffed lounger chairs in front of it, a rose-colored
Chippendale sofa against one wall, and velvet burgundy drapes in
front of the windows. The only exit is to the west.
A telephone sits on the desk.
A blue pin-striped jacket is draped over the leather swivel chair.
>PICK UP THE TELEPHONE
You hear a dial tone.
>CALL MY LAWYER
You left your little black address book in your raincoat.
>GO TO THE LOBBY
Silver Room
(on your way to the Lobby)
>CONTINUE
(on your way to the Lobby)
Lobby
A solid-brass coatrack holding one raincoat stands in a corner.
>LOOK IN RAINCOAT
You find your little black address book.
>TAKE THE BOOK
Taken.
>GO TO THE OFFICE
(on your way to the Manager's Office)
Silver Room
>CONTINUE
(on your way to the Manager's Office)
Manager's Office
>PICK UP THE TELEPHONE
You hear a dial tone.
>CALL MY LAWYER
Your lawyer's out to lunch. His secretary refuses to take a message.
>EXAMINE THE PIN-STRIPED JACKET
The jacket is in perfect condition. The label in it says "YSL."
The pockets are empty.
>LOOK IN THE DESK
Inside the desk are pens, pencils, files, a white box, a blue box,
tissues, aspirin, rubber bands, paper clips, and note paper.
>TAKE THE WHITE BOX AND THE BLUE BOX
White box: taken.
Blue box: you're carrying too many items already!
>LOOK INSIDE THE WHITE BOX
The white box contains the manager's business cards.
>DROP THE WHITE BOX
White box: dropped.
>TAKE THE BLUE BOX THEN LOOK IN IT
Taken.
The blue box contains eight sterling baby spoons.
>PUT THE BLUE BOX IN THE JACKET
The blue box containing sterling baby spoons is now in the blue
pin-striped jacket.
You hear footsteps to the north.
>HIDE
Where do you want to hide?
>BEHIND THE DRAPES
You are now hiding behind the drapes.
The manager comes into the room.
Do you wish to keep hiding (YES or NO)? >YES
The manager closes the door, takes off the blue shirt he was wearing,
and puts on a white shirt.
Do you wish to keep hiding (YES or NO)? >NO
You step out from behind the drapes.
"You!" the manager says furiously.
>TAKE THE BLUE SHIRT. EXAMINE IT
Taken.
The shirt is light blue and monogrammed with the manager's initials.
The left sleeve has 2 blue buttons. The right sleeve has 1.
>ACCUSE THE MANAGER OF STEALING
"Don't be ridiculous. You have no evidence."
>TELL ME ABOUT THE BLUE BOX
(said to the manager)
The manager turns pale. He starts searching through his desk frantically.
"Give them to me!" he demands. There is a knock on the
door.
>OPEN THE DOOR
The security guard enters the room carrying a paper bag. "Here's
the broken crystal," he says to the manager.
>SECURITY GUARD, GIVE ME THE BROKEN CRYSTAL
The manager says to the security guard, "Don't give the broken
crystal to anyone but me. Quickly, you gorilla!" The security
guard looks at the manager, then at you, shrugs his shoulders, and
steps toward the manager.
>GUARD, WAIT
"Again he looks at the manager, then at you. "Well?"
he asks.
>SHOW THE BLUE SHIRT TO THE GUARD
"So? It's missing a button. Who cares?"
>GUARD, EXAMINE THE BROKEN CRYSTAL
The security guard, not knowing why, sifts through the broken shards
and finds the blue button.
>ACCUSE THE MANAGER OF STEALING
"Okay, I admit it, I broke the Steuben tulip!" says the
manager, shaking. "What happened to the baby spoons?"
asks the security guard.
>GUARD, LOOK IN THE JACKET
The guard looks in the blue pin-striped jacket and finds the eight
sterling baby spoons. "Sir," he says to the manager, "you're
under arrest." After the security guard phones the police and
the Lumet headquarters in London, he says to you, "We can offer
you a reward of up to $400 in merchandise. Is there anything you'd
like?"
>GIVE ME THE WATERFORD BUD VASE
(said to the security guard)
"Of course. It would be a pleasure. I'll have it gift-wrapped
for you."
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