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/* Increments player score and max score possible To call: <<scoreTracker args[0] args[1]>> arg0: player score increment arg1: max finesse increment */ <<widget 'scoreTracker'>> <<silently>> <<set $finesse += $args[0]>> <<set $maxFinesse += $args[1]>> <</silently>> <</widget>> /*Reset variables To call: <<reset>> No arguments needed*/ <<widget 'reset'>> <<set $finesse = 0>> <<set $maxFinesse = 0>> <<set $slow = 0>> <<set $messy = 0>> <<set $time = 0>> <<set $tries = 0>> <</widget>> /*do end of night finesse calculations */ <<widget 'finesseCalc'>> <<if $slow >= 3 or $messy >= 3>> <<set $finesse -= 1>> <</if>> <<set $delta = $slow - $messy>> <<if Math.abs($delta) <= 1>> <<set $finesse += 2>> <<set $gwenComplaint = "">> <<elseif $slow > $messy>> <<set $gwenComplaint = "slow">> <<elseif $messy > $slow>> <<set $gwenComplaint = "messy">> <</if>> <<if $finesse > $maxFinesse>> <<set $finesse = $maxFinesse>> <</if>> <<set $totalFinesse += $finesse>> <<set $maxTotalFinesse += $maxFinesse>> <</widget>> /*Processes text for fill-in puzzles to call: <<answerTrim>> */ <<widget 'answerTrim'>> <<set $answer to $answer.toUpperCase()>> <<set $answer to $answer.replace(/ /g, "")>> <<set $answer to $answer.replace(/-/g, "")>> <</widget>> /*shorthand for conversation branching to call: <<conv args[0]>>*/ <<widget 'conv'>> <<set $convVar = $args[0]>> <</widget>> /*shorthand for adding strikes to call: <<strikes>>*/ <<widget 'strikes'>> <<set $strikes += 1>> <</widget>> /*shorthand for incrementing time to call: <<time n>>, where n is the time increment*/ <<widget 'time'>> <<set $time += $args[0]>> <</widget>> /*shorthand for adding slow points*/ <<widget 'slow'>> <<set $slow += $args[0]>> <</widget>> /*shorthand for adding messy points */ <<widget 'messy'>> <<set $messy += $args[0]>> <</widget>> /*widget for totalling up relationship points */ <<widget "interludeEnd">> <<if $MelPoints > $maxMelPoints>> <<set $MelPoints = $maxMelPoints>> <</if>> <<if $OscarPoints > $maxOscarPoints>> <<set $OscarPoints = $maxOscarPoints>> <</if>> <<if $YorkiePoints > $maxYorkiePoints>> <<set $YorkiePoints = $maxYorkiePoints>> <</if>> <<if $GwenPoints > $maxGwenPoints>> <<set $GwenPoints = $maxGwenPoints>> <</if>> <<set $totalMelPoints += $MelPoints>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints += $maxMelPoints>> <<set $totalOscarPoints += $OscarPoints>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints += $maxOscarPoints>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints += $YorkiePoints>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints += $maxYorkiePoints>> <<set $totalGwenPoints += $GwenPoints>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints += $maxGwenPoints>> <</widget>> <<widget "interludeReset">> <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <</widget>> /*to run all necessary resets at the end of an act */ <<widget "actEnd">> <<reset>> <<interludeReset>> <<interludeEnd>> <</widget>> /* relationship points widget - call with <<relation "CharPoints" x y>> where args[0] is the name of the character's basic points variable (as a string, sans $), args[1] is the number of points added to the current score, and args[2] is the number of points added to the max. */ <<widget "relation">> <<set State.variables[$args[0]] += $args[1]>> <<print "<<set $max" + $args[0] + "+= $args[2]>>">> <</widget>> /*used for stowing gear in Night 2 to call: <<gearDrop args[0], where args[0] is the item to stow */ <<widget "gearDrop">> <<run $toolLocs.push($args[0])>> <<run $toolLocs.push(previous())>> <<run $toolList.delete($args[0])>> <<set $currentItem = $args[0]>> <</widget>> /*used to check time to trigger timed events, in this case Mel's calls in Night 3. Could adapt to be parameterized for any time triggered event? */ <<widget "melCall">> /*could change <<include>> for <<goto>> instead if it gets funky */ <<set $melCall += 1>> <<set $timeInc = 4>> <<if $time === $timeInc>> <<goto [[melRadio1]]>> <<elseif $time === 2*$timeInc>> <<goto [[melRadio2]]>> <<elseif $time === 3*$timeInc>> <<goto [[melRadio3]]>> <</if>> <</widget>><<run Config.passages.nobr = true;>> <<run Config.ui.stowBarInitially = true;>> <<set $debugMode = false>> <<set $finesse = 0>> /*current finesse per night*/ <<set $totalFinesse = 0>> /*player's total finesse score at any given time*/ <<set $deduction = 0>> /*current deduction score per day */ <<set $totalDeduction = 0>> /*total available deduction points per day */ <<set $convVar = 0>> /*0-3, controls conversation choices*/ <<set $strikes = 0>> /*conversation failure tracker */ <<set $time = 0>> /*turn tracker for timed tasks */ <<set $tries = 0>> <<set $timeout = 7>> /*turn limit for timed tasks */ <<set $maxTotalFinesse = 0>> /*max finesse available cumulatively*/ <<set $maxFinesse = 0>> /*max finesse currently available per night*/ <<set $slow = 0>> <<set $messy = 0>> <<set $delta = 0>> <<set $gwenComplaint = "">> /*relationship values with Mel*/ <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <<set $totalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $nice = 0>> <<set $mean = 0>> <<set $melDelta = 0>> /*relationship values with Oscar*/ <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $totalOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Yorkie*/ <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Gwen*/ <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $totalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints = 0>> /*day 0 specific variables */ <<set $dogInfo = false>> <<set $deskInfo = false>> <<set $yorkieConv = false>> <<set $astleyConv = false>> <<set $herbertConv = false>> <<set $giveUp = false>> /*night 0 variables */ <<set $deskHint = false>> <<set $seenBooks = false>> <<set $readBook = false>> <<set $deskCipher = "1805">> <<set $escapeRoute = "">> <<set $timeInc = 3>><<if $debugMode == false>> <<addclass "body" "hidehistory">> <</if>><p style="text-align:center;font-family: 'Passions Conflict', cursive;line-height:200%">@@font-size:400%;Lady Thalia and the Masterpiece of Moldavia@@</p> <center> @@font-size:x-large;A Play in Four Acts@@<br><br> [[Start|Intro]]<br> [[About|About]]<br> <<if $debugMode === true>> [[Debug tools|Debug]]<br><</if>> </center>This game is the latest entry in the //Lady Thalia// series, which includes [[Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires|https://ejoyce.itch.io/lady-thalia-and-the-seraskier-sapphires]] and [[Lady Thalia and the Rose of Rocroi.|https://ejoyce.itch.io/lady-thalia-and-the-rose-of-rocroi]] It is not required to play these games, but may be necessary if one finds oneself confused. <br><br> This series draws inspiration from a number of works, including but not limited to the Arséne Lupin stories by Maurice Leblanc, the A.J. Raffles stories by E.W. Hornung, and the stage play //Miss Holmes// by Christopher M. Walsh. The games have been thoroughly researched, although we have discarded at will anything we deem to be too boring, inconvenient, unpleasant, or generally unfun.<br><br> Note: This game contains descriptions of art preservation techniques which, while common in this historical era, are potentially damaging and no longer considered best practice. Don't try this at home!<br><br> This game was written in [[Twine 2|https://twinery.org/]] using the Sugarcube format, with the aid of [[Tweego 2.1.1|https://www.motoslave.net/tweego/]]. Cover images are from publicdomainvectors.org and are used under the Creative Commons 1.0 license.<br><br> Thank you very much to our playtesters Rovarsson, Josh Grams, Zed Lopez, and Jess X. Without you all Thalia would still be stuck outside the central guard office. <br><br> <<return>>Jump to a part of the game:<br><br> [[day 1, where the action starts|day0Hub]]<br> [[Night 1|night0Debug]]<br> [[Interlude 1|interlude0Debug]]<br> [[Day 2|day1Debug]]<br> [[Night 2|night1Debug]]<br> [[Interlude 2|interlude1Debug]]<br> [[Day 3|day2Debug]]<br> [[Night 3|night2Debug]]<br> [[Interlude 3|interlude2Debug]]<br> [[Day 4|day3Debug]]<br> [[Night 4|night3Debug]]<br> <<return>>You are Theodora Knight, a.k.a. Lady Thalia, an actress turned society lady by day and thief by night. Your two main interests in life are stealing art and romancing women, neither of which you can admit to in polite company.<br><br> Your husband, Oscar, has returned from his extended trip to America, meaning that you must play the dutiful wife in public for a few months, or however long it is before he leaves again. This is not your favourite role, but it is the price you pay for the veneer of normalcy that allows both of you to do what you want in private without //too// much scrutiny.<br><br> Of course, this doesn't mean you're not going to find some time to have fun, and by "fun" you mostly mean thievery. You'll just have to wait and see [[what opportunities present themselves|day0Part1]].<center><b>@@font-size:x-large;ACT I@@</b></center><br><br> This afternoon, Oscar is hosting a poetry reading, which is to say that you are doing all the work, but he was the one to set the guest list. He has invited a number of his old school friends, who all go by names like Binksy and Boffer (at least, amongst themselves) and are mostly insufferable. The way Oscar talks about them, you are not sure he likes most of them, either. You don't really understand why he keeps inviting them to things, but he must have his reasons.<br><br> The actual poetry-reading part of the afternoon seems to be over, or at least on hiatus, so the guests are currently milling about and eating the hors d'oeuvres you have painstakingly prepared.<br><br> [[Oscar comes up to you.|oscarConv1]]"Well, I think this is going rather swimmingly," he says.<br><br> You make a noncommittal noise.<br><br> "I do appreciate all your help with this, you know," he says. "I know you're not fond of parties."<br><br> <<link '"I\'m not fond of //your// parties."' 'oscarConv2'>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link '"Oh, it\'s no trouble at all!"' 'oscarConv2'>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link '"We all do what we must."' 'oscarConv2'>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> It's not that you have anything against parties, on the whole; it's just that he insists on inviting such irritating people.<br><br> When you say as much, though, Oscar looks crestfallen, and you apologise. You've been so long apart that you'd forgotten how he gets when you're sharp with him. It's like kicking a puppy.<br><br> <<case 2>> "If you say so," he says. He sounds doubtful, but unlike //some// people, he never presses you on things like this.<br><br> <<case 3>> "How true!" he exclaims, as if this chestnut were a new and profound statement. He is perpetually surprised by things that aren't surprising, which is a quality that is either charming or annoying, depending on your mood at the moment.<br><br> <</switch>> <<link '"Why //do// you invite all these bores, anyway?"' 'oscarConv3'>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link '"What do you think of the hors d\'oeuvres?"' 'oscarConv3'>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link '"How was the poetry?"' 'oscarConv3'>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Oscar looks a bit wounded. "Well, I have to maintain connections, don't I?" he says. "I'd be wasting the money my parents scraped together for my schooling if I tossed away the advantages it gave me."<br><br> You have to admit that this is fair.<br><br> "It's not as though //you// limit your social circles to people you actually like," he adds.<br><br> This, you feel, is rather less fair, but you can't think of a good counterargument at the moment, so you let it go.<br><br> <<case 2>> As the two of you don't have servants (you have many reasons to want to keep the number of people poking around your house to a minimum, after all), the burden of the hors d'oeuvres fell on your shoulders alone, and you're not at all sure they came out well.<br><br> But before you've even finished asking the question, Oscar's gaze has gone distant. "Hmm? Oh! Yes, they're fine," he says.<br><br> Interesting--you wonder what has him so preoccupied.<br><br> <<case 3>> Oscar's literary tastes and yours generally diverge, so you are not all that interested in the poetry, but it seems polite to ask, in any case.<br><br> However, instead of proceeding to expound in great detail on the finer nuances of whatever poetry was being read, he only says, "The poetry? It was, er, good. Yes. Good." Which is very unlike him.<br><br> <</switch>> You notice that he seems to be glancing at his wristwatch rather a lot. That's odd.<br><br> <<link '"Do you have somewhere else to be?"' 'oscarConv4'>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link '"You don\'t seem to be enjoying yourself either."' 'oscarConv4'>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link '"You\'re up to something, aren\'t you?"' 'oscarConv4'>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "What? Oh! No, no, I just like to know what time it is. I'm never sure, you know, without checking."<br><br> This seems suspect to you. That is to say, it's true that he never knows what time it is, but he doesn't typically care.<br><br> <<case 2>> He looks genuinely confused. "What makes you say that?"<br><br> You point out that he keeps checking his watch, as if eager for the party to reach its appointed end.<br><br> "Oh, that!" He gives a rather forced laugh. "No, no, I was just... wondering what time it was."<br><br> This, you are well aware, is not usually a concern of his.<br><br> <<case 3>> "What? No! Whatever would give you that impression?" he says, slightly too loudly. (Apparently, despite all his dalliances with actors, he has picked up nothing of the art himself.) A few heads turn in your direction, but after a moment the gawkers return to their own conversations.<br><br> <</switch>> You try to probe further, but Oscar looks around nervously and says, "I really must go. I have, ah, matters to attend to. Important matters." Then he darts off before you can stop him. You'll have to try to find out what he's up to by asking [[other partygoers|day0Hub]].<<if $yorkieConv>> Yorkie is making a great effort to avoid you. Perhaps you can squeeze some information out of the other partygoers. <br><br> <<else>> You scour the room for leads and notice Yorkie, Oscar's secretary and current lover. You have no idea what the man's real name is, but he seems nice enough. More importantly, he's been with Oscar for nearly a year now, so if anyone knows what your dear husband is up to, it's him. (This is the first time since your marriage that either of you has had a romantic entanglement that wasn't simply a fling, and in some indefinable way this bothers you, but you can sort that out later.)<br><br> You push your silly feelings aside and catch Yorkie's eye. He nods and approaches you.<br><br> [[Mentally review your conversational strategies before talking to him.|conversationIntro]]<br> [[No need for that; this is second nature to you by now.|yorkieConv1]] <</if>> <<if $astleyConv>> Lord Astley is deep in conversation, presumably about dogs.<br><br> <<elseif $yorkieConv>> Lord Astley is standing around nibbling at a sandwich, apparently unoccupied at the moment. You're fairly sure he plays cards with Oscar, and like his wife, he's rather a talkative sort. You could [[try approaching him|astleyConv1]].<br><br> <</if>> <<if $herbertConv>> Baron Herbert is getting another drink. He's starting to look quite sloppy.<br><br> <<elseif $yorkieConv>> Baron Herbert, one of Oscar's frequent card-playing companions, is sipping his drink, looking a bit tipsy. That might make him useful to [[talk to|herbertConv1]].<br><br> <</if>> <<if $yorkieConv && $giveUp == false>>You could [[try to get Oscar's attention again|oscarFakeOption]].<br><br><</if>> <<if $astleyConv && $herbertConv && $yorkieConv>> [[The party seems to be winding down.|endOfDay0]] <</if>>For the purposes of gathering information, you have developed a certain set of conversational approaches that, between them, cover all eventualities (well, //most// eventualities).<br><br> The first is being ''Friendly (F)''. Many people will lower their guard if you establish a rapport first. Showing a bit of sympathy or interest can be particularly effective with people who are used to being overlooked or yelled at. Sometimes they may even agree to help you, if you're authentic enough.<br><br> Then there's the ''Direct (D)'' approach. Sometimes the easiest way to get what you want is simply to ask for it. If you act like you have the right to know or do something, it's incredible how often people will believe you without any further evidence. There are also people who prefer not to beat around the bush and will think more highly of you if you dispense with the social niceties and get to the point.<br><br> Finally, you can be ''Leading (L)''. Some people need very little provocation to talk at length about their particular interests, or are simply enamoured of the sound of their own voice. These people will reveal all kinds of useful information if you merely give them a nudge in the right direction--you just have to keep them on track.<br><br> You can sometimes make guesses about what's likely to work based on what you know about a person, but assumptions can also be misleading, so mostly what you do is watch people's reactions and adjust your approach accordingly.<br><br> [[Simple, really.|yorkieConv1]]<<if visited() is 1>> Oscar seems deeply absorbed in rearranging a platter of sandwiches. You try to catch his eye, but to no avail.<br><br> <<elseif visited() is 2>> You try to get Oscar's attention, but it seems he himself is trying to catch the attention of a man in an entirely tasteless black-and-white-checked jacket, and he doesn't notice.<br><br> <<elseif visited() is 3>> You try to approach Oscar, but just at that moment he disappears into another room, calling something over his shoulder about finding another bottle of brandy.<br><br> <<else>> You don't think you're likely to get anything useful out of Oscar at this point.<br><br> <<set $giveUp = true>> <</if>> <<return>>/*friendly */ <<set $strikes = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $yorkieConv = true>> Yorkie is a slight, bespectacled young man who is trying not to have a northern accent. (He mostly succeeds, to be fair, but you have a good ear for such things, if not good enough to determine where exactly he is from.) He and Oscar knew each other at school (which you gather is where the nickname comes from); they became friends because Yorkie, being a scholarship boy, was equally baffled by the ways of their mostly wealthy classmates, leading to a sort of immediate sympathy between them. You don't really know much else about him.<br><br> "Good afternoon, Mrs Knight," he says, clearly still in his secretarial persona. "Can I help you with something?"<br><br> <<link [["I just wanted to see how you're enjoying the party." (F)|yorkieConv2]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["Oscar is up to something. Do you know what?" (D)|yorkieConv2]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["How has Oscar been lately?" (L)|yorkieConv2]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><br><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Realising that you are here for friendly conversation and not anything related to his official duties, he drops the formal façade at once.<br><br> "I'm not," he says. "But at least Lord Satterthwaite isn't here." He spits the name out with great distaste.<br><br> You remark that you didn't know he knew Lord Satterthwaite.<br><br> "Oh, er... not particularly well, it's just we've... we've met."<br><br> One certainly doesn't need to be deeply acquainted with Lord Satterthwaite to develop a dislike of him, but Yorkie is clearly hiding something.<br><br> <<case 2>> Yorkie nervously adjusts his tie. "I've no idea what you're talking about," he says.<br><br> This confirms your suspicions, but it seems you'll have to be more subtle if you actually want to get the details out of him.<br><br> <<case 3>> Yorkie looks at you quizzically. "Can't you just ask him yourself?"<br><br> You claim you've been unable to get his attention. Which is true, now, although you did talk to him earlier.<br><br> Yorkie shrugs. "Well, he was in a bit of a sour mood earlier, but he seems to have cheered up considerably."<br><br> <</switch>> Yorkie glances around the party. "Where has Oscar gone off to?" he says, mostly to himself.<br><br> <<link [["He's rather hard to pin down, isn't he?" (F)|yorkieConv3]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["I can't help but notice that both of you are acting rather oddly today." (D)|yorkieConv3]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Is he quite all right?" (L)|yorkieConv3]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "You don't know the half of it," Yorkie sighs.<br><br> You feel a stab of protective annoyance before remembering that Yorkie and Oscar were at school together and thus Yorkie probably //has// dealt with more of Oscar's nonsense than most others, you included.<br><br> "And after that business last night--" Yorkie begins, then cuts himself off.<br><br> Right then, that's quite enough beating about the bush (from him, that is). You're going to get to the bottom of this.<br><br> <<link [["Oh dear, what is he in a snit about this time?" (F)|yorkieConv4]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<case 2>> "Are we? I'm terribly sorry," he says. "Oscar was just a bit put out about--" he catches himself and swallows whatever it was he was going to say-- "something."<br><br> He's a poor liar, even by omission, but doing a reasonably good job of not leaking any actual useful details. But you're sure you can find a way to get him to let his guard down.<br><br> <<link [["I'm sorry to pry, I was just wondering what he's in a snit about this time." (F)|yorkieConv4]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<case 3>> "Oscar? Of course he is. Why wouldn't he be?" Yorkie says.<br><br> You explain that he has seemed a bit preoccupied today.<br><br> "That's--it's nothing. Nothing important."<br><br> Right then, that's quite enough beating about the bush (from him, that is). You're going to get to the bottom of this.<br><br> <<link [["I'm sorry to pry, I was just wondering what he's in a snit about this time." (F)|yorkieConv4]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <</switch>> <<link [["Will you please just tell me what is happening here?" (D)|yorkieConv4]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Well, if you're sure there's really nothing..." (L)|yorkieConv4]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "I didn't mean to be rude, it's just that it's rather silly," he says, ducking his head apologetically. "You see, Oscar was playing cards at the Satterthwaites' last night and when he ran out of money, he decided to bet the deck itself--it was an antique, you know. Satterthwaite won it off him, but Oscar is convinced he cheated. That's all."<br><br> <<case 2>> "Nothing!" he says. "I really don't know what you're talking about!"<br><br> You gaze steadily at him and raise an eyebrow, in the universally-understood expression of "do you really expect me to believe that?"<br><br> "Oh, all right. Oscar was playing cards at the Satterthwaites' last night and when he ran out of money, he decided to bet the deck itself--it was an antique, you know. Satterthwaite won it off him, but Oscar is convinced he cheated. That's all."<br><br> <<case 3>> "I am," he says. "Quite sure. Quite."<br><br> You look at him, doing your best to radiate scepticism.<br><br> Yorkie sighs deeply. "Oh, all right. Oscar was playing cards at the Satterthwaites' last night and when he ran out of money, he decided to bet the deck itself--it was an antique, you know. Satterthwaite won it off him, but Oscar is convinced he cheated. That's all."<br><br> <</switch>> You are certain that that is //not// all, but it is enough to be going on with. No doubt Oscar has come up with some sort of hare-brained scheme to retrieve his cards, and given his anxious glances at his watch, it's obvious he means to do it tonight. You just need to fill in a few more details, and you're sure that some of the other guests can help you do so (whether they know that's what they're doing or not).<br><br> [[Return to the party.|day0Hub]]/*leading, Lady Astley's husband */ <<set $strikes = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $astleyConv = true>> You are not much fonder of Lord Astley than you are of his wife, whose company you endured on your holiday last summer. He is the sort of man who dresses as if he were going hunting even when he is in fact attending a poetry reading. (To his credit, unlike many such men he does actually go hunting sometimes.) His great passion is dog breeding, and he is only too happy to tell you about it.<br><br> "Mrs Knight," he says as you approach. "Lovely to see you."<br><br> <<link [["Lovely to see you too, Lord Astley. How is your wife?" (F)|astleyConv2]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Do you know if my husband is planning anything?" (D)|astleyConv2]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["I hear there was some excitement at the Satterthwaites' yesterday. Were you there?" (L)|astleyConv2]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Oh, she's quite well, thank you," he says, and then goes on to tell you how his daughters are, and then somehow segues into a description of a horse he's thinking of buying.<br><br> Once he pauses for breath, you jump on the opportunity to interject and ask him whether he was present for the excitement at the Satterthwaites' last night.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Planning something? Another reading, you mean? He hasn't said, but then sometimes he decides on these things at the last minute. A bit inconvenient--the old social calendar fills up, what?" Then he starts in about a foxhunt he's planning. (You fear he might bore the poor fox to death first.)<br><br> Once he pauses for breath, you jump on the opportunity to interject to ask him whether he was present for the excitement at the Satterthwaites' last night.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Of course, of course! Wouldn't miss it for the world. The game, I mean, not the argument afterward."<br><br> You ask whether he is referring to Oscar's loss of his precious cards.<br><br> <</switch>> "Ah, yes, your husband did cause a stir. I must say I think it was a bit rum of him to accuse the host of cheating. But we've all taken a loss badly now and then, what?" Astley says, magnanimously.<br><br> <<link [["I'm glad to hear you don't hold it against him." (F)|astleyConv3]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["What exactly did he say?" (D)|astleyConv3]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Does this sort of thing happen often?" (L)|astleyConv3]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Not at all, not at all. I've certainly seen worse in my time! There was the time my cousin Reggie--he's an awfully graceless loser--told my brother that if he didn't give his money back..." Astley launches into a rambling account of his cousin's antics, which seem to have involved an escalating series of pranks against him and his brother. You hope the three of them were all children at the time.<br><br> Once you are able to get a word in edgewise, you ask whether such dramatic happenings are common at Lord Satterthwaite's card parties.<br><br> "No, I would say that that was rather the most excitement we've had in a while. Though it's nothing to the excitement the Satterthwaites had last spring, eh? That one's still eating old Satterthwaite, I daresay," he adds pensively. <br><br> <<case 2>> "Oh, I've quite forgotten the specifics. It doesn't matter, anyway. Let bygones be bygones, eh? Water under the bridge and all that. Which reminds me--my cousin Reggie once lost a game of bridge, and..." Astley launches into a rambling account of his apparently temperamental cousin's antics.<br><br> Once you are able to get a word in edgewise, you ask whether such dramatic happenings are common at Lord Satterthwaite's card parties.<br><br> "No, I would say that that was rather the most excitement we've had in a while. Though it's nothing to the excitement the Satterthwaites had last spring, eh? That one's still eating old Satterthwaite, I daresay," he adds pensively.<br><br> <<case 3>> "No, usually it's quite a friendly group of fellows. Last night's little squabble was more excitement than we'd had in a while. Though it's nothing to the excitement the Satterthwaites had last spring, eh? That one's still eating old Satterthwaite, I daresay," he adds pensively.<br><br> <</switch>> <<link [["I'm sorry to hear that." (F)|astleyConv4]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["What has he told you about it?" (D)|astleyConv4]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Is it?" (L)|astleyConv4]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><<if $strikes === 3>> "Well, I'd better go make the rounds. Can't let you monopolise me, eh?" He winks, as if you two are sharing some sort of private joke.<br><br> Before you can say anything, he's off to monologue at someone else, and you've nothing to show for the time you wasted talking to him. Ah, well; even you can't succeed all the time.<br><br> <<else>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "So am I, so am I! Of course, an experience like that //would// rattle a chap, it's hardly surprising. I feel fortunate nothing like it has ever happened to me! That is, my brother once thought his silver spoons had been stolen, but in the end it transpired that the new housekeeper had simply put them in the wrong drawer."<br><br> Before he can start in on some further (no doubt stultifying) anecdote about his brother, you ask what makes him think Satterthwaite is still worrying about the incident.<br><br> "Every month or so he finds some new method to protect his property. Just recently I gave him one of my mastiffs for the purpose. Fantastic dogs, mastiffs. Good, solid English breed. At first he was a bit nervous about it--Satterthwaite was nervous about the dog, I mean, not the other way round--but I said, don't worry, old chap, all you need to do is give him a bit of sausage, perhaps a nice steak now and then, and he'll be your best friend in no time." Astley gesticulates for emphasis, and you have to step back to avoid his wayward arm.<br><br> <<case 2>> Astley begins to recount the full story of the series of thefts from the Satterthwaite residence, which of course you are already intimately familiar with (given that it was you who committed them). You stop him before he can get too far down that track and ask what makes him think that Satterthwaite is still worrying about it.<br><br> "Every month or so he finds some new method to protect his property. Just recently I gave him one of my mastiffs for the purpose. Fantastic dogs, mastiffs. Good, solid English breed. At first he was a bit nervous about it--Satterthwaite was nervous about the dog, I mean, not the other way round--but I said, don't worry, old chap, all you need to do is give him a bit of sausage, perhaps a nice steak now and then, and he'll be your best friend in no time." Astley gesticulates for emphasis, and you have to step back to avoid his wayward arm. <br><br> <<case 3>> "Oh, yes. He's been working on increasing his security ever since. Just recently I gave him a mastiff--to guard the property, you know. Fantastic dogs, mastiffs. Good, solid English breed. At first he was a bit nervous about it--Satterthwaite was nervous about the dog, I mean, not the other way round--but I said, don't worry, old chap, all you need to do is give him a bit of sausage, perhaps a nice steak now and then, and he'll be your best friend in no time." Astley gesticulates for emphasis, and you have to step back to avoid his wayward arm. <br><br> <</switch>> This is interesting information indeed. You make a mental note of it, then let Astley know that you must check in on your other guests. He attempts to catch you with another anecdote -- something about some puppies he just acquired -- but you turn on your heel and glide off before he can truly get going. <br><br> <<set $dogInfo = true>> <</if>> [[Return to the party.|day0Hub]]/*direct: Baron Hubert Herbert*/ <<set $strikes = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $herbertConv = true>> Baron Herbert's given name is Hubert, but that isn't his fault. In other respects he's a mostly inoffensive person, although he has an occasional tendency to overindulge at parties, and Oscar says he's terrible at cards.<br><br> "Mrs Knight!" he says, cheerily, giving a small and unnecessary wave.<br><br> <<link [["You're enjoying the party, I hope?" (F)|herbertConv2]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["I heard Oscar and Lord Satterthwaite got into a fight yesterday." (D)|herbertConv2]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["How was Lord Satterthwaite's card party?" (L)|herbertConv2]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Oh yes, it's very nice," he says. "Excellent brandy."<br><br> You allow a brief pause, but he doesn't seem inclined to say anything more, so you ask him about the disagreement between Oscar and Lord Satterthwaite last night.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Not a //fight//, exactly," he says. "More of a gentlemanly disagreement. Well, mostly gentlemanly. Somewhat gentlemanly." He looks uncomfortable at this, and fidgets with his drink glass instead of continuing further.<br><br> You take this as an interesting sign and ask what the disagreement was about.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Oh, it was miserable," he says, not actually sounding very put out about it. "Lost every penny I put in."<br><br> Deciding you'll have to be more specific about what you want to know, you inquire about the disagreement between Oscar and Lord Satterthwaite.<br><br> <</switch>> "Oh, that bloody--er, excuse me, Mrs Knight--that blasted deck of cards!" he says. "If you ask me, Oscar shouldn't have bet them if he couldn't stand to lose them." His face turns a shade redder, and he takes a swig from his glass.<br><br> <<link [["It must have rather put a damper on the evening." (F)|herbertConv3]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Do you think Satterthwaite cheated to get them?" (D)|herbertConv3]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["It all seems a nasty business." (L)|herbertConv3]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Herbert shrugs morosely. "It did put an end to the party, but I suppose that for me, it was really just as well."<br><br> You ask whether he thinks Oscar was right about Satterthwaite playing dirty in order to take possession of the cards.<br><br> "Oh, I doubt he would. He's a decent enough fellow. But then, what do I know about telling whether anyone is cheating at cards? Maybe they all are but me, and that's why I always lose." He says this amiably enough, but you are not entirely sure whether it's a joke.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Well, I'm no expert on card games, so I couldn't tell you if the winning hand was improbably good or what have you," he says. "But I prefer to believe the best of a friend."<br><br> It's a reasonable stance, although considering Satterthwaite a friend is a questionable decision to begin with.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Well, I wouldn't say //nasty//," he says. "Though it was rather awkward."<br><br> Since he seems content to leave it at that, you ask whether he thinks Oscar's accusations of cheating have any merit.<br><br> "I've no idea," he says. "But I don't like to believe it of old Satterthwaite. He doesn't seem the sort, anyway."<br><br> You disagree entirely--Satterthwaite has very few scruples and hates to lose--but you let it go.<br><br> <</switch>> "I do think Satterthwaite was quite pleased to have the cards," Herbert adds. "He went to lock them away immediately."<br><br> <<link [["Quite understandable, I'd say." (F)|herbertConv4]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Lock them away where?" (D)|herbertConv4]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["Did he?" (L)|herbertConv4]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<if $strikes === 3>> Herbert drains the last of his drink. "Ah," he says, looking somewhat blearily at his empty glass, "I'd better get another. Lovely talking to you, Mrs Knight."<br><br> He's off to the refreshments table before you can say anything further.<br><br> <<else>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Ah, yes, that business last spring certainly would make a man cautious of his worldly possessions," Herbert says.<br><br> You suppress a snort and inquire as to where he's locking away said possessions.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Oh, he's quite careful with his prized possessions. Takes loads of precautions," Herbert says distractedly. He doesn't seem to be focusing much on your conversation. <br><br> Trying not to show your annoyance at his non-answer, you ask what these precautions are.<br><br> <<case 3>> Herbert blinks at you. "I just said he did."<br><br> Most people would recognise your comment as a prompt for further elaboration, but not Herbert, apparently. At least not when he's in his cups. You inquire as to where Satterthwaite locked the cards away.<br><br> <</switch>> "He has a locked safe in a locked room whose keys he keeps in his locked desk," Herbert says. "Rather a lock of locks. Er, lot of lots." He waves a hand. "You know what I mean." (He's getting drunker by the minute, evidently.)<br><br> You decide you've gotten everything you can out of him and offer to fetch another drink. Once you've made your escape you abandon the glass (which you have no intention of filling) on a side table and wade back into the fray, as it were. <br><br> <<set $deskInfo = true>> <</if>> [[Return to the party.|day0Hub]]You're still not exactly sure what Oscar is planning, but since it certainly involves the Satterthwaites and certainly is taking place tonight, you should be able to intercept him<<if $dogInfo === true or $deskInfo === true>>, and the information you've gathered should help you to get in undetected<</if>>. Hopefully you can ensure that he doesn't do anything //too// foolish. Maybe you'll even do him a favour and steal the cards back while you're at it.<br><br> [[You wait for nightfall.|night0Start]]/*relationship values with Mel*/ <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <<set $totalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $nice = 0>> <<set $mean = 0>> <<set $melDelta = 0>> /*relationship values with Oscar*/ <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $totalOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Yorkie*/ <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Gwen*/ <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $totalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints = 0>> Dog info from Lord Astley:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$dogInfo" true autocheck>> true * <<radiobutton "$dogInfo" false autocheck>> false<br><br> Desk info from Baron Herbert:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$deskInfo" true autocheck>> true * <<radiobutton "$deskInfo" false autocheck>> false<br><br> [[Night 1|night0Start]]/*relevant variables from day 0: $dogInfo $deskInfo */ <<set $tries = 0>> <<set $time = 0>> <<set $slow = 0>> <<set $messy = 0>> <<set $deskHint = false>> <<set $deskCipher = '1805'>> <<set $seenBooks = false>> <<set $readBook = false>> It's been a while since you set foot near the Satterthwaite mansion, but it looks the same as ever. Well, besides the extra guards and the spikes installed atop the walls. No matter--there's always another way in for someone as talented as yourself. You just wish that Oscar's taste in rivals didn't match your own so closely. (The problem with entering a lavender marriage with someone you actually like.) <br><br> You notice that the Satterthwaites, in the way of rich people everywhere, have installed new security measures without bothering to shore up any of the existing well-aged structure. It's child's play to scramble up a crumbling wall, vault past the intimidating but impractically widely-spaced spikes, and land on your feet in the garden beyond.<br><br> As you dust yourself off, [[something growls behind you|dogPuzzle0]].You find yourself face-to-face with a large and sturdy mastiff. <<if $dogInfo>> This must be the guard dog Lord Astley mentioned.<br><br> <<else>> Of course the Satterthwaites have a guard dog now! You curse to yourself while turning around slowly. If you don't make any sudden movements or eye contact with the dog you should have enough time to get out of this situation unscathed. And you do mean that literally--if it does start a fight, you're unlikely to win.<br><br> <</if>> [[Try to befriend the dog. |dogPuzzleSlow]] <br> [[Take decisive action. |dogPuzzleMessy]]<br> <<if $dogInfo>> [[Luckily, you brought a little something... |dogPuzzlePerfect]] <</if>>You hold out your hand in the direction of the dog, not looking at it, and wait. Moments later, you feel it snuffling warily at your hand. You let it complete a thorough investigation; then you start slowly sidling away (you've decided it's better to try to go around the dog than past it). After a bit, the dog seems to decide you're not an immediate threat and walks off to patrol some other part of the grounds. Not the best guard dog, is it?<br><br> That took more time than you would have liked, but at least it was painless.<br><br> <<set $slow += 1>> <<scoreTracker 1 2>> [[You head inside.|inside0]]You rummage in your bag for something to throw to distract the dog, but almost all of the contents are tools that you might need to use--you can hardly toss your lockpick set or your crowbar. At the bottom, however, you find a small statuette that you must have forgotten to stash after a previous job. The thought of it being chewed on by a dog practically causes you physical pain, but, well, needs must. At least it's made of stone hard enough that it is unlikely to be permanently damaged by the misadventure. If it had been a wood carving or some such, you don't think you would have been able to bring yourself to do this to it. You silently promise the statuette that you will return for it later.<br><br> You throw the statue; it lands on the grass with a dull thud, and the dog goes running in the direction of the noise.<br><br> <<set $messy += 1>> <<scoreTracker 1 2>> [[You head inside.|inside0]]You pull a paper-wrapped packet of sausage out of your bag, unwrap it, and set it in front of the dog. Then you turn away, so that the dog won't be wary of approaching the food. After a brief pause, you hear the dog scarfing down the sausage, which it does with admirable efficiency. You turn back around, and the dog trots up to you and licks your hand (it's unpleasantly damp, but you appreciate the sentiment). Some guard dog!<br><br> <<scoreTracker 2 2>> [[You wipe your hand on your trousers and head inside.|inside0]]<<if visited() === 1>> As you tiptoe down the hall, you catch movement out of the corner of your eye. With no time to hide, you flatten yourself against a wall and hope the darkness will do the rest of the job.<br><br> A woman emerges from a doorway and looks straight at you, and for a moment your blood freezes in your veins. Then she winks at you and holds a finger to her lips. Relief washes over you--it's Ellen, the maid you recruited the last time you were here. She moves off down the corridor as if she hadn't seen you.<br><br> After some stumbling around, you find Lord Satterthwaite's study. A desk sits in the middle of the room. Upon closer inspection, one drawer is locked with a four-digit number lock. <<if $deskInfo === true>>If what Herbert said was accurate, this must be where he keeps the keys to the room where the cards are.<<else>>He must keep something important in here--hopefully it's useful for your mission tonight, but you're going to break in either way. (Your inability to resist breaking a lock might be a character flaw, or at least Gwen would say so if she were here.)<</if>> <br><br> <<else>> Lord Satterthwaite's imposing desk stands in the middle of the room. The lock on the bottom drawer gleams tantalizingly in the moonlight.<br><br> <</if>> <<if $deskHint === false>> [[Inspect the desk.|inspectDesk]]<br> <</if>> [[Try to open the drawer.|deskPuzzle]]<br> <<if $seenBooks === false>> [[Inspect the bookshelf.|inspectBookshelf]]<br> <<else>> <<link "Look at //The British Navy in the Seven Years' War//." "book1">><</link>><br> <<link "Look at //Battles of the Third Coalition//." "book2">><</link>><br> <<link "Look at //The Iberian Theatre in the War of the Grand Alliance//." "book3">><</link>><br> <</if>>Many of the books look pristine, as if they're there just for show, but on one shelf there are three that look well-thumbed.<br><br> <<set $seenBooks = true>> <<link "Look at //The British Navy in the Seven Years' War//." "book1">><</link>><br> <<link "Look at //Battles of the Third Coalition//." "book2">><</link>><br> <<link "Look at //The Iberian Theatre in the War of the Grand Alliance//." "book3">><</link>><br><br> [[Return to the desk.|inside0]]The desk is an imposing vintage piece, with the tasteful mahogany construction offset by the excessive size of the thing. It would take a man of extraordinary stature to not look ridiculous sitting here, which tells you quite a lot about how Lord Satterthwaite sees himself. You've only seen him a time or two, given his job requires a lot of travel, but he is assuredly //not// that man. <br><br> The surface of the desk is messy, but there's a worn scrap of paper that stands out among the fine stationary. It reads "Cape Ortegal". How intriguing. <br><br> <<set $deskHint = true>> <<return>><<if $readBook === false>> You skim through a few pages, but you have absolutely no interest in the Navy, so you soon give up and check the index. <<set $readBook = true>> <<else>> Alas, more military history. You flip directly to the index. <</if>> Under "Battles," there are entries for //Bishops Court (1760)//, //Cap-Français (1757)//, //Cape Finisterre (1761)//, //Cartagena (1758)//, //Lagos (1759)//, //Minorca (1756)//, //Quiberon Bay (1759)//, //Restigouche (1760)//, and //Windward Passage (1760)//.<br><br> <<return>><<if $readBook === false>> You skim through a few pages, but military history bores you to death, so you lose patience quickly and flip to the index instead. <<set $readBook = true>> <<else>> Alas, more military history. You flip directly to the index. <</if>> Since the book is entirely about battles, the index is quite full of them: //Amstetten (Nov. 1805)//, //Austerlitz (Dec. 1805)//, //Campo Tenese (Mar. 1806)//, //Cape Ortegal (Nov. 1805)//, //Diamond Rock (May--Jun. 1805)//, //Dürenstein (Nov. 1805)//.... You decide you've probably read far enough.<br><br> <<return>><<if $readBook === false>> You skim through a few pages, but even if you liked military history (which you don't) the writing is as dry as unbuttered toast. You skip ahead to the index, which is likely just as riveting. <<set $readBook = true>> <<else>> Yet more military history. Let it not be said that Satterthwaite isn't consistent in his interests. You turn once again to the index. <</if>> Under "Battles," it lists //Almenar (1710)//, //Brihuega (1710)//, //Cádiz (1702)//, //El Albujón (1706)//, //La Gudiña (1709)//, and //Villaviciosa (1710)//.<br><br> <<return>><<if $deskHint>> "Cape Ortegal". Could this message you found be a hint?<br><br> <</if>> Enter a four-digit combination:<br><br> <<set $answer = " ">> <<textbox "$answer" "">> <<button "Check">> <<answerTrim>> <<if $answer === "">> <<script>>UI.alert("You did not supply a combination!");<</script>> <<else>> <<if $answer === $deskCipher>> <<if $tries === 0>> <<scoreTracker 3 3>> <<else>> <<scoreTracker 2 3>> <</if>> <<replace '#response'>>[[The drawer slides open.|deskPuzzleEnd]]<</replace>> <<else>> <<set $time += 1>> <<set $tries += 1>> <<replace '#response'>>The drawer remains shut. That must not have been the right combination.<</replace>> <</if>> <</if>> <</button>><br><br> <span id='response'></span><br><br> [[Try to guess the combination.|deskPuzzleEndSlow]]<br> <<if $seenBooks === true>>[[Check the books again.|bookReference]]<br><</if>> [[Skip this nonsense and pry the drawer open.|deskPuzzleEndMessy]]<br> <<if $seenBooks === false>>[[Back to the study. There must be a clue or two around here.|inside0]]<</if>>//The British Navy in the Seven Years' War//: Bishops Court (1760), Cap-Français (1757), Cape Finisterre (1761), Cartagena (1758), Lagos (1759), Minorca (1756), Quiberon Bay (1759), Restigouche (1760), Windward Passage (1760)<br><br> //Battles of the Third Coalition//: Amstetten (Nov. 1805), Austerlitz (Dec. 1805), Campo Tenese (Mar. 1806), Cape Ortegal (Nov. 1805), Diamond Rock (May--Jun. 1805), Dürenstein (Nov. 1805)<br><br> //The Iberian Theatre in the War of the Grand Coalition//: Almenar (1710), Brihuega (1710), Cádiz (1702), El Albujón (1706), La Gudiña (1709), Villaviciosa (1710)<br><br> <<return>><<set $messy += 1>> <<scoreTracker 1 3>> It hurts you a little to damage a perfectly lovely, if ostentatious, piece of furniture, but it's sturdy enough that whatever you do shouldn't wreck it permanently. And despite your antics last spring, the Satterthwaites are still rich enough to foot the repair bill. You take your pry-bar off your belt and get to work. <br><br> Once the wood around the lock has splintered into nothing, you pull the drawer open and [[examine the contents|deskPuzzleEnd]].<<set $slow += 1>> <<scoreTracker 1 3>> Four dials means a lot of potential combinations to sort through, but in your experience the type of people who leave notes about their codes around are also not the most creative at picking them. Four digits usually means a year, and for a legacy-obsessed family like the Satterthwaites you'd bet your mask it's not a terribly recent one. You set the first two dials to "1-7-" and start working through the remaining possibilities. <br><br> After an uncomfortably high number of tries, the lock pops open on "1-8-0-5". <br><br> [[You examine the drawer's contents.|deskPuzzleEnd]]Inside the drawer is a set of keys. You snatch them up and go in search of a locked door to use them on.<br><br> The door in question turns out to be just down the hall--and a good thing, too, because you hear footsteps approaching. You unlock the door and [[slip inside|escape0]].With a start, you realise the room is already occupied. Have you run from one guard straight into the arms of two more? No, wait -- you've seen these men before. Quite recently, in fact. The men gawping at you are wearing masks, indicating that they're not guards, but more importantly one of them is wearing a sweater that you //know// belongs to Oscar. Which means the other one must be Yorkie. Of course.<br><br> Well, you did suspect that they'd be here; that part isn't so surprising. But it //is// somewhat surprising that they got into this room without the keys, and more surprising yet that they've somehow got the safe open. Indeed, Oscar is holding the cards protectively, while Yorkie brandishes a crowbar in a surprisingly competent manner.<br><br> As it's dark and you are also wearing a mask, they don't appear to recognise you. "Ah, hello," Oscar says (keeping his voice low, at least, thank goodness). "Are you here to steal something too? I hope it isn't these cards. That would be rather awkward."<br><br> [['"This is no time for polite conversation! There are guards outside this door."'|escape1]]"Yes, I was aware of that," Oscar says. "We've been in here for the last five minutes--ten minutes?--for some time, anyway, waiting to see if they'd leave, but they haven't. We had been planning to go out the window, but as it turns out, it doesn't open, so we're rather at a loss." You can't see his expression properly in these conditions, but you just //know// he looks sheepish. <br><br> His ability to think on his feet seems to be lacking tonight, which is unfortunate, but this isn't the time to take it up with him. You tell Oscar and Yorkie to stay quiet and follow you, promising to get them out of here safely as long as they don't do anything foolish. They nod in unison, and move to follow you. <br><br> First, you discreetly drop a calling card. (All right, technically this isn't //your// theft, but you're doing Oscar a favour, really. There would be ample reason to suspect him if you didn't take the credit.) Then you consider your exit options.<br><br> [[Sneak past the guards.|escapeSlow]]<br> [[Break the window.|escapeMessy]]<br><<set $slow += 1>> <<set $escapeRoute = "sneak">> You wait for the footsteps to get as far away from you as possible, then usher Oscar and Yorkie out into the hall, where you lead them through a slow and careful series of movements, moving only when no guards are facing your way and then ducking into whatever niche or closet is handy in order to wait them out. It takes quite a while, but eventually you make it back to the kitchen and then out the door. The three of you make a run for the outer wall and [[scramble over|night0End]].<<set $messy += 1>> <<set $escapeRoute = "window">> You wait for the sound of footsteps to recede as far into the distance as possible, then give the window a good whack with your crowbar (a multi-use tool, if you're creative about it). Fortunately, the glass isn't too thick, so it shatters on the first hit. The noise will certainly draw the guards, but with any luck the three of you won't be easily visible from the window by the time they get here.<br><br> You tell your companions to mind the broken glass, then hop out the window. Oscar follows a bit less gracefully--he's a lanky fellow, and the window is rather small--and then Yorkie, with an agility you wouldn't have expected of him. The three of you make a run for the outer wall and [[scramble over|night0End]].<<scoreTracker 1 1>> Once you've put some distance between yourself and the Satterthwaite residence, the three of you all pause to catch your respective breaths. You also take off your mask so you can wipe the sweat from your eyes.<br><br> "I say!" Oscar exclaims. "//Theo//?" Yorkie does a double take at this and swears. <br><br> It looks like you'll have to explain some things to both of them. But then, they have some things to explain to you, as well. You hope that Herbert didn't drink all your brandy, because you'll certainly need some for the conversation ahead.<br><br> [[The three of you head for home.|interlude0Start]] <<finesseCalc>> <<if $debugMode>> <<print "Current finesse is " + $totalFinesse + " out of " + $maxTotalFinesse >> <</if>>/*relationship values with Mel*/ <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <<set $totalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $nice = 0>> <<set $mean = 0>> <<set $melDelta = 0>> /*relationship values with Oscar*/ <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $totalOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Yorkie*/ <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Gwen*/ <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $totalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $finesse = 6>> <<set $maxFinesse = 6>> <<set $escapeRoute = "window">> [[Interlude 1|interlude0Start]]Well, just because you have to have some difficult conversations doesn't mean you have to have them //right away//, does it? You promise Oscar and Yorkie that you'll discuss it in the morning and retire to your room.<br><br> When you get up the next morning, you enjoy a particularly leisurely breakfast and begin perusing the newspaper. You do so enjoy reading their reports of your exploits, after all. You're not the top story this time, but you did make the front page. "Thalia Strikes Satterthwaites Again! Lady Thief Returns to Scene of Previous Triumphs!" Ooh, //triumphs//. That's quite nice. <<if $finesse === 6>> They call it a "flawless job," and you preen a little. <<elseif $finesse === 4 or $finesse === 5>> They call it "almost flawless." You think you deserve better than "almost," but ah well, you can never please every critic. <<else>> They call it "rather a sloppy job," but what do they know, anyway? You'd bet none of those newspapermen has any first-hand experience with housebreaking. <</if>><br><br> As you leaf through, another, smaller article catches your eye: [['"British Museum About to Unveil Recently Restored Moldavian Fresco."'|newspaper]]In your explorations of art, you've heard of the painted churches of Moldavia, covered both inside and out with elaborate frescos. Once an independent principality, Moldavia is now part of Roumania; the region has spent most of its history being batted about by the greater powers surrounding it and generally not had the money or inclination for art preservation efforts. The museum's solution to this was apparently to liberate a section of the wall from a particularly neglected church. There is no mention of whether they had permission to do this, whether anyone was compensated for it, or whether they made any effort to preserve the parts of the church that they didn't take back to London with them, but you can guess the answers.<br><br> The article repeatedly refers to the thing as the "Masterpiece of Moldavia," as if it were the best or only one of its kind, but you're fairly certain it's just because it sounds good.<br><br> You have been idly wondering what it would be like to steal a fresco--an exciting new challenge, you're sure--but there //are// many other things on your to-steal list, and it would be quite a large undertaking. Maybe someday.<br><br> Ah, look at the time. Gwen should be arriving [[any minute now|gwen1]].Gwen turns up exactly on time. She's always been terribly punctual, which you admire, although you yourself are not. You make tea for the both of you and usher her into the parlour, where you await her judgement of your escapades last night.<br><br> As is tradition, you hand her the newspaper article, and then recount the full events to her without //too// much self-aggrandisement. (If you made yourself sound too perfect, you suspect she'd start knocking points off just to keep your ego in check, anyway.)<br><br> Gwen listens intently, sipping her tea. When you are finished, she says, "Let's see. <<if $escapeRoute === "window">>Breaking that window <<else>>Taking the long way out--with three people, no less!--<</if>>was risky, but<<if $finesse > 3>> it seems to have come out right in the end<<else>>, well, let's hope it won't catch up to you later<</if>>. <<if $gwenComplaint === "slow">> Overall, it sounds like you took your time--it pays to be careful, of course, but remember, the more you linger, the more likely someone'll spot you. <<elseif $gwenComplaint === "messy">> It does sound like you were a bit slapdash about it all--it wouldn't hurt to take a little more time. <<else>> You seem to have struck a reasonable balance between haste and care. <</if>> I give it... a $finesse out of $maxFinesse."<br><br> <<if $finesse === 6>><<link [['"A perfect score! How delightful."'|gwen2]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 1 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><<else>><<link [['"You don\'t think I deserve full marks?"'|gwen2]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 1 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><</if>><br> <<if $finesse === 6>><<link [['"For such a high score, that\'s hardly a glowing review, is it?"'|gwen2]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><<else>><<link [['"That\'s hardly a glowing review."'|gwen2]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><</if>><br> <<link [['"Really, I don\'t know what I\'d do without your honest opinions on these things."'|gwen2]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 3 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> <<if $finesse === 6>> "Yes, well, I have to acknowledge a job well done when I see it, but don't let it go to your head," Gwen says, sounding a bit annoyed.<br><br> <<else>> "//You// always think you deserve full marks, but //I'm// here to give an objective assessment of your performance," Gwen says, looking amused. "You're lucky I'm not as harsh as most theatre critics." She takes a sip of tea.<br><br> <</if>> <<case 2>> "I'm here to give an objective assessment of your performance," Gwen says, looking amused. "You're lucky I'm not as harsh as most theatre critics." She takes a sip of tea.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Your head would get so big it could be seen from miles away and wouldn't fit through windows and air vents any more, and that would be an end to your life of crime," Gwen says, but she's smiling and her tone is light. You think she might actually be flattered.<br><br> <</switch>> <<link [['"I wish you wouldn\'t be so secretive about your scoring system."'|gwen3]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 2 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Well, I appreciate you indulging me in this silly tradition."'|gwen3]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 3 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Still, I do think you\'re rather hard on me."'|gwen3]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 1 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "As I've told you before and will no doubt tell you again, I don't want you totting up points in your head while you're on a job," she says. "It would be a distraction. Anyway, it's all in good fun, isn't it?"<br><br> <<case 2>> "Sometimes I think that if I didn't, you would never tell me what you were up to," Gwen says, then quickly adds, "Anyway, I have to keep you humble, don't I?"<br><br> Your first instinct is to assure her that of course you would tell her what you were doing regardless, but... when //was// the last time you talked to her outside of one of these little sessions?<br><br> <<case 3>> Gwen snorts. "Well, //someone// has to be, since you won't do it yourself. Nor will the newspapers, most of the time."<br><br> <</switch>> <<link '"Well, enough about me--how have //you// been?"' "gwen4">><<relation "GwenPoints" 3 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Do you really think I\'m so conceited as all that?"'|gwen4]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 1 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Never mind all this. Would you like some more tea?"'|gwen4]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 2 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Can't complain," she says. "Well, mostly. The rent's gone up again, and the theatre isn't paying any better."<br><br> You have offered Gwen money many times, but she has never been willing to take a hand-out, and what she will accept as payment for services is, you suspect, less than her efforts are worth. Although you can't say you know what the market rate is for creating odd gadgets to facilitate theft.<br><br> "I am working on quite an interesting play, though," she goes on. "I'm trying to figure out how to make one stage look like six different drawing rooms, using only two flats, and..."<br><br> The two of you proceed to pass some time chatting about the theatre--well, mostly Gwen talks and you listen. It's rather relaxing, honestly.<br><br> <<case 2>> You mean to say it lightly, but it comes out a little sharper than intended.<br><br> Gwen presses her lips together and spends a long moment considering her answer. You may have put her in a bit of an awkward position, but you can't take it back now.<br><br> "I think you're often over-confident," she says at last. "And I don't want to see you get into trouble you can't get yourself out of."<br><br> It's admirably tactful of her, really.<br><br> <<case 3>> Gwen seems to hesitate for a moment, but then she says, "Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you."<br><br> You dutifully refill her cup.<br><br> "Anyway," she says, "let me tell you about this play I'm working on..."<br><br> The two of you chat a while longer; Gwen talks about the theatre, and you share some more anecdotes from your time in France.<br><br> <</switch>> Gwen stands up. "Well, I should be going."<br><br> You see her to the door, then wonder [[what to do now|interstice]].<br><br> <<if $debugMode is true>> Current Gwen points: $GwenPoints out of $maxGwenPoints <</if>>You've just had tea, but you think perhaps more tea would help you think of things to do that don't involve talking to Oscar and Yorkie about the events of last night. With this in mind, you head toward the kitchen.<br><br> However, when you enter the sitting room, you find the two of them standing there.<br><br> "Theo!" says Oscar, cheerily. "We were just looking for you!"<br><br> You suppose you have no choice now but to [[talk to them|yorkieoscar1]].The three of you all sit down, and you explain that you are Lady Thalia, the thief who has been bedevilling high society for the past several years.<br><br> "I say," says Oscar, "well done! I've read about some of her-- er, your-- exploits in the papers. I particularly liked the one at old Fanshaw's dinner party. Foolish of him to have a priceless vase as a centrepiece anyway, I thought. What if someone had knocked it over?"<br><br> He's off on a tangent--as usual--but it //is// rather flattering to know he was paying attention.<br><br> <<link '"Never mind what I\'ve done. What on earth did you think //you// were doing?"' 'yorkieoscar2'>><<relation "OscarPoints" 2 3>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 2 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"These things require a good deal of finesse. Not everyone can do it."'|yorkieoscar2]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 1 3>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 1 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"You\'ve had an interest in thievery for a while, then?"'|yorkieoscar2]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 3 3>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 3 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "I would think that should be obvious," Yorkie says drily, "especially to you."<br><br> You inform him that that isn't what you meant and you know he knows it.<br><br> <<case 2>> "I admit we made some mistakes last night, but I wish you wouldn't be so snide about it," says Oscar, which is about as close to a reproof as he ever gets.<br><br> All right, that was unnecessarily back-handed. You apologise.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Only as a spectator, as it were," Oscar says. "I didn't think of doing it myself until quite recently."<br><br> You invite him to elaborate.<br><br> <</switch>> "It's just that while I was in America I realised that I had been devoting most of my time to my work and it had gotten rather stale," Oscar says. "And I'd always enjoyed the stories, and, well... it seemed like a lark." He begins to fidget with something in his pocket, clearly embarrassed to be put on the spot. <br><br> "And I went along to keep him out of trouble," Yorkie puts in.<br><br> <<link '"A //lark//? It\'s an art! A calling!"' 'yorkieoscar3'>><<relation "OscarPoints" 2 3>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 2 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I do find it quite stimulating."'|yorkieoscar3]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 3 3>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 3 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"That doesn\'t seem like sufficient reason to commit crimes."'|yorkieoscar3]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 1 3>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 1 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Well, just because you see it as a calling doesn't mean we all have to, does it?" says Oscar, sounding very reasonable. "All arts have amateurs along with the professionals."<br><br> That's true, of course, but there is an important difference between this and many other forms of art, which is that it's illegal.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Precisely!" Oscar says, beaming.<br><br> Yorkie pinches the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache coming on. "I can't believe you're just as bad as he is."<br><br> Still, you can't help noting, you do feel Oscar should take this a little more seriously.<br><br> Oscar looks doubtful. "I may be just a dabbler compared to your artistry, but what's wrong with that?"<br><br> <<case 3>> "And I suppose you have a better one?" Oscar says.<br><br> You inform him that you consider causing trouble for rich people to be an end in itself. Besides, you take it seriously as an art, rather than an idle pastime.<br><br> Oscar looks unconvinced. "There's nothing wrong with being an amateur artist, is there?"<br><br> <</switch>> <<link [['"If you blunder about and get caught, you\'ll drag me down with you."'|yorkieoscar4]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 1 3>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 1 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"You\'re putting yourselves in danger."'|yorkieoscar4]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 2 3>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Just so long as you\'re careful."'|yorkieoscar4]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 3 3>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 3 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> You haven't done all this work to build your reputation only for Oscar to ruin the whole thing for you by drawing police attention to the both of you.<br><br> "Ah," says Oscar, hanging his head. "I didn't think of that."<br><br> He looks so mournful that you feel a bit sorry for him and grudgingly allow that there's nothing wrong with the two of them continuing their amateur cracksmanship as long as they're a bit more careful about it than they were last night. <<case 2>> "Yes, but surely that's our own choice to make, isn't it?" Oscar says.<br><br> "It is a choice that affects Mrs Knight as well," Yorkie tells him. "If we get caught, she'll be under scrutiny."<br><br> That's rather perceptive of him--and considerate. You're almost grateful.<br><br> "Ah," says Oscar, hanging his head. "I didn't think of that."<br><br> He looks so mournful that you feel a bit sorry for him and grudgingly allow that there's nothing wrong with the two of them continuing their amateur cracksmanship as long as they're a bit more careful about it than they were last night. <<case 3>> Somewhat reluctantly, you agree that there's nothing wrong with the two of them continuing their amateur cracksmanship as long as they're a bit more careful about it than they were last night. <</switch>> You emphasise the importance of reconnaissance and backup plans. (You yourself rarely have backup plans, but that's because you are exceptionally good at thinking on your feet, and the two of them seem to still have some things to learn in that regard.)<br><br> "I'll take that under advisement," says Yorkie thoughtfully.<br><br> "So will I," Oscar adds quickly, though you suspect that Yorkie will end up doing most of it regardless.<br><br> [[Well, that could have been worse.|interlude0End]]Even though you've had your awkward conversation now and it wasn't too disastrous, you still have a restless, discontented feeling. It gnaws at you all day, but you can't put your finger on the problem. You need a project, you decide, a goal of some sort. Which is to say, you need to steal something.<br><br> Unbidden, the article about the Moldavian fresco returns to your mind. It //would// be an exciting challenge. And very impressive, if you can pull it off--if that doesn't make headlines, you don't know what will. You don't know exactly how one could go about stealing an entire wall (even if it has already been removed from its original building), but you're sure you can figure it out. You always do.<br><br> <<if $debugMode === true>> Yorkie: $YorkiePoints out of $maxYorkiePoints<br> Oscar: $OscarPoints out of $maxOscarPoints<br> <</if>> <<actEnd>> Tomorrow, you decide, will be a lovely day to [[visit the museum|day1Start]]./*relationship values with Mel*/ <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <<set $totalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $nice = 0>> <<set $mean = 0>> <<set $melDelta = 0>> /*relationship values with Oscar*/ <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $totalOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Yorkie*/ <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Gwen*/ <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $totalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalFinesse = 6>> Set current finesse: * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 2 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 4 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 6 autocheck>> high<br><br> [[Day 2 start|day1Start]]<br><<set $guardConv = false>> <<set $guardKnowledge = false>> <<set $artistConv = false>> <<set $artistKnowledge = false>> <<set $explored = false>> <<set $actions = 0>> <<set $time = 0>> <<set $backrooms = []>> <<set $timeLimit = 17>> <<set $backroomMap = false>> <<set $stationsSeen = []>> <center><b>@@font-size:x-large;ACT II@@</b></center><br> The British Museum is neither particularly empty nor particularly crowded, which is perfect--you don't want too many people getting in your way, but neither do you want all eyes on you (particularly when the eyes belong to guards). You head for the Northern Egyptian Gallery (which is the part of the Egyptian gallery at the northern end of the museum; nothing to do with the geography of the country itself). The fresco won't be there, of course, but it is close to the museum's back rooms, which you are hoping to get a look at.<br><br> You wish you had time to take in (or perhaps just take) the many finely wrought statues and sarcophagi (the Rosetta Stone is also here, but not of interest to you due to its lack of artistry), but you have work to do, and you had better [[get on with it|day1Hub]].You are standing amid the antiquities in the Northern Egyptian Gallery.<br><br> <<if $guardConv>> The guard is avoiding your gaze. He must feel guilty about being so easily distracted.<br><br> <<else>> There's a security guard standing by a closed-off exit. He's shifting from one foot to another, cleaning his nails, and otherwise doing everything except his job. Perhaps he'd be amenable to a [[quick conversation.|securityGuard1]]<br><br> <</if>> <<if $artistConv>> The student has left to go back to his work.<br><br> <<else>> A young man wearing what looks like an artist's smock is sitting on a bench. You're curious about [[what he's doing here|artist1]].<br><br> <</if>> <<if $explored>> You've done as much exploring as you can likely get away with.<br><br> <<else>> You should explore [[the areas of the museum that aren't open to the public|exploreStart]]. <</if>> <<if $guardConv && $artistConv && $explored>> [[There's nothing more to do here.|endOfDay1]] <</if>>/*friendly */ <<set $strikes = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $guardConv = true>> You approach the distractible guard and greet him.<br><br> "Good afternoon, miss," he says. "Nice weather we're having, isn't it? Not that I can appreciate it much, being stuck inside and all." He looks unprofessionally glum about this. <br><br> <<link [["Not the most thrilling job, is it, being a guard?" (F)|securityGuard2]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["That is rather a pity." (L)|securityGuard2]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["What do you do here?" (D)|securityGuard2]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Dull as dirt," he agrees. "Pay's good, but sometimes I wonder if it's worth it. I could be out living my life instead of getting after people for looking funny at old dead Egyptians."<br><br> You express your sympathy.<br><br> <<case 2>> (Personally you prefer museums to the outdoors, but you are trying to build a rapport here.)<br><br> "I'll say," he grouses. "The things I could be doing if I didn't have to stand here all day telling people not to get too close to the bloody statuary! Begging your pardon, miss," he hastily adds.<br><br> You graciously offer forgiveness.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Not bloody much," he says, then hastily adds, "begging your pardon, miss."<br><br> You graciously offer forgiveness.<br><br> "I just stand here and if anyone looks funny at any of the statues or the dead pharaohs, I tell 'em to back off. That's all the excitement I get."<br><br> Much as you enjoy museums, you must admit that it does sound dull.<br><br> <</switch>> "Suppose I shouldn't complain too much about being out in the gallery, though," he says. "It's better than some of the jobs here. When you're at one of the stations where you're meant to serve as emergency backup--that's the worst of it. There's never been an emergency the whole time I've been here."<br><br> <<link [["It must be hard to have a job that only becomes interesting when something has gone terribly wrong." (F)|securityGuard3]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["That does sound worse." (L)|securityGuard3]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["What are these backup stations?" (D)|securityGuard3]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "You can say that again," he says, with feeling. "But like I said--the gallery isn't so bad. At least there's a bit of excitement now and then, even if it's only children trying to put their grubby little hands on the artefacts."<br><br> <<case 2>> "'S what I just said, isn't it?" he says, with some asperity. "At least in the gallery you get a bit of excitement now and then, even if it's only children trying to put their grubby little hands on the artefacts."<br><br> <<case 3>> "Oh, never mind the backup stations," he says, sounding a bit irritated. "Like I said--they're not interesting. At least in the gallery you get a bit of excitement now and then, even if it's only children trying to put their grubby little hands on the artefacts."<br><br> <</switch>> You nod attentively.<br><br> "The stations are just so out of the way," he goes on. "And they only ever put one man on 'em, so you can't even have a chat to pass the time."<br><br> <<link [["And there's really nothing to see at any of them?" (F)|securityGuard4]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["How inconsiderate of them." (L)|securityGuard4]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Where are they?" (D)|securityGuard4]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<if $strikes === 3>> "I really ought to get back to work," says the guard. You suppose you must have annoyed him very thoroughly if he'd rather do that than talk to you. But ah well, no matter. You'll get by without whatever security information he has to offer.<br><br> <<else>> <<set $guardKnowledge = true>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Well," says the guard, "some are better than others, if I'm honest."<br><br> You ask which are the better ones.<br><br> <<case 2>> The guard shrugs. "Well, I suppose they don't want us getting distracted."<br><br> You ask whether the guard stations are really all so devoid of interesting scenery.<br><br> "Well," he says, "some are better than others, if I'm honest."<br><br> You ask which are the better ones.<br><br> <<case 3>> The guard frowns. "Why d'you want to know?"<br><br> You may have gotten a bit over-eager; that was rather an odd question for a guest. You hastily explain that you were just wondering whether they were really all so dull, scenery-wise.<br><br> "Well," he says, "some are better than others, if I'm honest."<br><br> Suppressing a sigh of relief at his acceptance of your less-than-convincing explanation, you ask which are the better ones.<br><br> <</switch>> "My favourite is the library, because you've got this little platform where you can see everything. Of course, not much interesting goes on in there--just a load of people looking at dusty old books--but it's the best of a bad lot, you know. Hardly anyone ever goes in the catalogue room, but even that one's better than being stationed in the storage room. Can't see nothing in there--they only keep someone there as backup in case something happens with the Egyptian Gallery or the Whatsit Marbles."<br><br> You start to say something, but he interrupts. (Just as well; you were running out of things to say that weren't terribly inane.)<br><br> "I'm sorry, miss," he says, "but I really ought to get back to work. 'S been lovely talking to you, though." He nods at you politely and returns his gaze to the room at large. <br><br> <</if>> [[You consider what to do next.|day1Hub]]/*Leading */ <<set $strikes = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $artistConv = true>> You sit down on the bench, a modest distance away from the young man, who takes no notice of you.<br><br> You greet him and he looks up, momentarily startled, then puts on a polite smile. "Good afternoon, madam," he says, with a trace of a foreign accent that you can't identify.<br><br> <<link [["Are they cutting out the middleman and having painters paint in the museum now?" (F)|artist2]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Taking a break?" (L)|artist2]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["What do you do here?" (D)|artist2]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> He looks at you blankly, and you gesture at his smock.<br><br> "Oh!" he says. "No, I'm working on some restorations."<br><br> You say that that sounds like fascinating work.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Yes," he says, "finally. It's a nice change to breathe air that isn't full of glue fumes. Even with the windows open, it gets a bit unpleasant. But that's how it is with restoration work, I suppose."<br><br> Such was his desire to let off steam that he doesn't seem to have registered the oddness of the question or the fact that you could not have known what it was that he was taking a break from. You say that it sounds like fascinating work nevertheless.<br><br> <<case 3>> He looks wary. "What do you mean?"<br><br> You explain that, given his smock, you're guessing he must be up to something interesting at the museum, and are wondering what it is.<br><br> "Ah," he says. "I'm working on some restorations."<br><br> You say that that sounds like fascinating work.<br><br> <</switch>> "It has its charms," he says. "But old Glastonbury has been working us half to death--and of course he gets all the credit." Then, abruptly realising that he hasn't introduced himself, he adds, "I'm Salim Hassan, by the way."<br><br> You introduce yourself by the perfectly forgettable name of Molly Robertson.<br><br> <<link [["It's a pleasure to meet you." (F)|artist3]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["I'm sorry you're being overworked." (L)|artist3]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["Who is Glastonbury?" (D)|artist3]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Likewise," says Mr Hassan.<br><br> An awkward silence falls, neither of you quite sure how to continue the conversation. After a moment, you say that you are sorry to hear that he has been overworked.<br><br> "Thank you," he says. "But I suppose that's how it is when you're a student. The professor may be a tyrant, and you may toil for days on end without rest, but who are you to complain? Especially if you are a foreigner, and everyone thinks it was terribly generous of the university to allow you to attend in the first place."<br><br> You inquire as to which university he is attending.<br><br> "Oh!" he says, looking a bit sheepish. "University College, London."<br><br> <<case 2>> "Thank you," he says. "I suppose it is the lot of the student to labour in obscurity, while the professor reaps the rewards of their efforts, but one might think he could let us have a day off every now and then. But I can hardly complain, can I? He'd just tell me I should feel fortunate to have been admitted at all."<br><br> You inquire as to which university he is attending.<br><br> "Oh!" he says, looking a bit sheepish. "University College, London."<br><br> <<case 3>> "Who indeed," says Mr Hassan. "Who does he think he is, that's the question. He's convinced his genius will revolutionise the field, and I--"<br><br> Holding up a hand, you point out that, although you're sorry to interrupt, your question was entirely literal.<br><br> "He's a professor of archaeology at University College, London, and I, unfortunately, am one of his students. All this work I'm doing is for a project of his. I haven't had a day off in weeks."<br><br> <</switch>> <<link [["That seems a terribly hard lot." (F)|artist4]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["You're not even allowed a day off? That hardly seems fair." (L)|artist4]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["What if you simply refused to work?" (D)|artist4]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<if $strikes === 3>> Mr Hassan stands up abruptly. "Well," he says, "I had better be getting back to work."<br><br> You bid him farewell--there's more that you'd like to ask him, but you can tell when someone is making their excuses because they are annoyed with you, and it's never worthwhile to press in such situations.<br><br> <<else>> <<set $artistKnowledge = true>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "It is," he says. Mr Hassan gazes pensively into the distance, apparently contemplating the unfairness of it all.<br><br> You add that it seems cruel of the professor not to give them any time to themselves.<br><br> He sighs. "Sometimes I dream of simply ignoring his demands and spending the evening at the pub. Then again--" his eyes light up-- "why //shouldn't// I? As long as I can convince the rest of the boys to come too, anyway. He can hardly expel all of us--he'd lose his army of servants."<br><br> You make some encouraging noises.<br><br> <<case 2>> "It isn't," Mr Hassan says. "Sometimes I dream of simply ignoring his demands and spending the evening at the pub. Then again--" his eyes light up-- "why //shouldn't// I? As long as I can convince the rest of the boys to come too, anyway. He can hardly expel all of us--he'd lose his army of servants."<br><br> You make some encouraging noises.<br><br> <<case 3>> "What do you think?" Mr Hassan says, darkly. "I'd be expelled."<br><br> You apologise for the thoughtless suggestion.<br><br> "Then again," he says, tilting his head, "if I could convince the other boys to come along... I doubt he'd expel all of us. Who would do his work for him then?"<br><br> You make some encouraging noises.<br><br> <</switch>> "Then again, maybe if I were expelled it would be for the best," he goes on. "Even leaving Glastonbury aside, sometimes it galls me to think that I'm cleaning and repairing these artefacts for the benefit of a museum that they don't properly belong to. Half of these things--" he gestures at the gallery around you-- "were stolen from us. In recent years the British archaeologists have had permission from the governor, but...." He shrugs expressively.<br><br> You're fairly sure you understand the implication; the British government has been running the show in Egypt for years, whatever the country's official status may be.<br><br> "Ah, I'm so sorry," he says. "I shouldn't be ranting like this--and to someone I just met, no less! I hope you can forgive me, Miss Robertson."<br><br> You assure the put-upon student that there is nothing to forgive.<br><br> "Well, anyway," he says, "I ought to return to my work."<br><br> You bid him farewell. This conversation has gone in some rather unexpected directions, but regardless, it seems there will now be fewer people in the museum after hours tonight, which will be useful to you. You also make a mental note of which direction he heads off in.<br><br> <</if>> [[You consider what to do next.|day1Hub]]/*historical maps of the British museum: https://www.etsy.com/listing/150282996/1907-british-museum-floor-plan-original?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details (I cannot believe this is the best one I found so far and it's on goddamn Etsy) Will anyone notice if the layout is fake? No. Will it bother me anyway? Yes */ <<set $backroomsCopy = $backrooms>> <<set $time = 0>> It's time to start exploring.<br><br> Luckily you have a general map of the museum, so you can use that to navigate by cardinal directions this time. //And// you'll be the one following the directions later. (You shudder at the memory of trying to decipher Mel's handwritten directions in the dark last summer. No more of that, thank you very much!)<br><br> /*This should make coding the map much, much easier */ You begin by making your way to the [[Central Northern Library|cnLibraryDay]].<<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("cnLibrary")>> You are in the Central Northern Library. It's tempting to stop and peruse the books, but your time is limited and you have things to do. Luckily for you, the guard on the observation platform in the centre of the room also has better things to do, as he's dozed off on the job. <br><br> There are doors to the east, west, and north. The doors to the west and the north are blocked off, but the west door's lock looks eminently pickable. The east door is propped open, and according to your map leads to the Music Room.<br><br> <<run $stationsSeen.push("Central North Library")>> <<else>> You're back in the Central Northern Library.<br><br> <</if>> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Take the east door.|musicRoomDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Take the west door.|supplyRoomEastDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("supplyRoomEast")>> The lock on the door looks to be original to the building, which means it would be better off on display than keeping you from anything. You barely even need to touch it before the door swings open into what looks like a supply room. <<else>> You're back in the eastern supply room. <</if>> Two paths sneak through the precariously balanced crates: one to the west, and one to the north.<br><br> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Take the east door.|cnLibraryDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|supplyRoomWestDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go north.|breakRoomDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("supplyRoomWest")>> You stumble into another supply room. This one is full of all manner of paints, glues, varnishes, and other art supplies. That explains the distinctive smell that permeates the back rooms. <<else>> You're back in the western supply room. <</if>> Doors lead to the west, east, and north.<br><br> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go west.|workshopDay]]>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go east.|supplyRoomEastDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go north.|egyptStorageDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("workshop")>> You open the door a crack and immediately hear voices. (Someone is swearing loudly about a statue.) From what you can see, this looks like a workshop to repair and maintain the museum's collection. Good to know, but since it's occupied you shouldn't enter.<br><br> <<time 1>> /*not penalizing people for trying to go in it multiple times */ <<else>> There's voices behind the door--people must still be in the workshop. Best not push it.<br><br> /*would like to add special message for finding the second door, will come back */ <</if>> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<return>> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("storageWorkshop")>> This room is filled with all manner of art and artefacts, although on closer inspection most of them look a bit worn. This must be where the museum keeps items needing repair. <<if $guardConv>> You can see that there's a guard station here, but at least the guard seems to be elsewhere for now. Given how thankless a job this is, it's not a surprise that he's skiving off. <<else>> There's an empty chair in the corner, as well as someone's dropped handkerchief. Someone must be here regularly, although for what purpose you can't discern.<</if>> <<run $stationsSeen.push("workshop storage area")>> <<else>> You're back in the room with the damaged artefacts. <</if>> You can take the east door back to the storage area, or you can head south through a stained door.<br><br> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go east.|egyptStorageDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go south.|workshopDay]]>><</link>><br> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("breakRoom")>> This looks to be set up as a break room for museum employees to relax. There's some chairs and a small table with a half-finished game of cards still laid out. (There are also some artefacts around the edge of the room--the museum must be running out of storage space. Surely they wouldn't miss anything...? But no, you'd get the dressing-down of the century from Gwen if you lifted anything unexpected today.) <<else>> You've returned to the break room. <</if>> As befits its central location, there are doors to the north, south, and west.<br><br> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go north.|corridorDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go south.|supplyRoomEastDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|egyptStorageDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("storageWriting")>> This storage room is piled high with books, binders, and all other forms of written material known to mankind. If one of these stacks were to topple over you'd probably end up trapped. <<else>> You've returned to writing storage. <</if>> Doors open to the west and south--one flimsy door must lead further into the backrooms, and one more solid door leads back into approved territory.<br><br> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go south.|catalogueDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|storageMusicDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("catalog")>> A small plaque on the wall indicates that this is the Catalogue Room. You could look up the location of just about anything here, if you were so inclined. (You doubt the guard office is listed, however.)<br><br> A guard stands in the corner, looking bored. You put on your best concerned face and approach him, making up something on the fly about a shady character you saw lurking in the Roman Gallery. The guard is off and out of the room before you can blink, leaving you blissfully alone.<br><br> You quickly look up the location of the Masterpiece of Moldavia, and find that it's only a room or two south of your current location. Good to know, although you should avoid it for now lest someone discover what you're up to. <br><br> <<run $stationsSeen.push("Catalogue Room")>> <<else>> You've made it back to the Catalogue Room. You can't think of anything else to look up, though. <</if>> The public area of the museum is back to the west, and there's a door to the north that seems to lead to a back room.<br><br> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go north.|storageWritingDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|musicRoomDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("egyptStorage")>> You enter a room filled with all things Egyptian that aren't currently out on display. Most of the items are boxed up, but you can spot some canopic jars and sheets of papyrus lying about. You resist the urge to tuck them away properly (whether in a crate or under your arm) and survey the exits. <<else>> You're back in the Egyptian storage room, and are still resisting the urge to tidy up a bit. You'd think the experts at the museum would have a little more care with the artefacts. <</if>> There are doors leading out in all four directions.<br><br> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go north. |corridorDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west. |storageWorkshopDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go south. |supplyRoomWestDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go east. |breakRoomDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("storageMusic")>> This room is full of instrument cases and the occasional collection of sheet music. You assume the instrument cases are full, but for all you know the cases themselves might be rare. Music isn't exactly your forte--perhaps Mel would know?<br><br> You quash that thought and look for the exits. <<else>> You've returned to music storage. <</if>> There's a sturdy door to the south, with other doors leading east and west to the rest of the backrooms.<br><br> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go east.|storageWritingDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|officeDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go south.|musicRoomDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("musicRoom")>> This room's sign proclaims it to be the Music Room, and the glass cases are filled with fine sheet music and rare instruments. You've never been the musical type but they look quite expensive. <<else>> It's the Music Room. <</if>> There's a door to the north. You can go east or west to explore the public parts of the museum.<br><br> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go east.|catalogueDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|cnLibraryDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go north.|storageMusicDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("corridor")>> You enter a narrow corridor filled with lockers. These must be where the guards (and perhaps other museum employees?) keep their things during the day. <<else>> You're back in the corridor with the lockers. <</if>> A door at the end of the corridor leads east. There are also two doors on the south wall, one at each end of the corridor. <br><br> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go east.|officeDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go southeast.|breakRoomDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go southwest.|egyptStorageDay]]>><<time 1>><</link>> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("office")>> There's a dingy plaque near the door that reads //SECURITY//. This must be the main guard office! You feel pleased to have found it.<br><br> You could consider your job here done, but you could still keep exploring the back rooms. You're going to need a practically encyclopaedic knowledge of this place if you want to pull off the theft of the decade, after all.<br><br> <<else>> You're back at the office. There's nothing more to find this way so you'd better turn around. <br><br> <</if>> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> [[Stop exploring.|exploreEnd]]<br> <<else>> <<goto "exploreEnd">> <</if>> <<return>>You hear footsteps and voices nearby--it must be museum employees, or possibly guards. Either way you should get out of here before they spot you. <<set $explored = true>> <<if $time <= $timeLimit>> <<set $backroomMap = true>> <<else>> You don't have as much information as you wanted, but you'll have to make do. <</if>><br><br> [[You hurry back to the Egyptian Gallery.|day1Hub]]You've acquired a reasonable amount of information, and a plan is beginning to take shape. You don't think you're going to be able to do this in one night as you typically do. But you can spend the next few days gathering information, while by night you can prepare the museum for your escapade: disable some alarms, steal some keys, hide some tools. You're confident you can pull it off in the end--you just need a little more preparation.<br><br> [[You'll start tonight.|night1Start]]/*relationship values with Mel*/ <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <<set $totalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $nice = 0>> <<set $mean = 0>> <<set $melDelta = 0>> /*relationship values with Oscar*/ <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $totalOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Yorkie*/ <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Gwen*/ <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $totalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints = 0>> Set current finesse:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 2 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 4 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 6 autocheck>> high<br><br> Guard Knowledge?<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$guardKnowledge" true autocheck>> true * <<radiobutton "$guardKnowledge" false autocheck>> false<br><br> Artist Knowledge?<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$artistKnowledge" true autocheck>> true * <<radiobutton "$artistKnowledge" false autocheck>> false<br><br> <<set $backroomMap = false>> <<set $stationsSeen = []>> <<set $backroomsCopy = []>> [[Night 2|night1Start]]/*variables from day 1 $guardKnowledge $artistKnowledge $backroomMap $stationsSeen*/ <<set $time = 0>> <<set $count = 0>> <<set $slowcount = 0>> <<set $messycount = 0>> <<set $slow = 0>> <<set $messy = 0>> <<set $finesse = 0>> <<set $maxFinesse = 0>> <<set $mistakes = 0>> <<set $timeLimit = 12>> <<set $alarmsLeft = 3>> <<set $hintCounter = 0>> <<set $spicy = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $desk1 = false>> <<set $desk2 = false>> <<set $desk3 = false>> <<set $guardStation1 = false>> <<set $guardStation2 = false>> <<set $guardStation3 = false>> <<set $seenline = false>> <<set $melRescue = false>> <<set $gwenAdvice = false>> You arrive at the museum with two main goals. One is to continue to familiarise yourself with the layout of the back rooms. The other is to disable a few alarms, hopefully in such a way that no one will notice they've been disabled. <<if $guardKnowledge>>If you can remember where those stations for backup guards are, maybe you can ensure that they won't be alerted when the guards in the gallery try to call for help.<</if>><br><br> Gwen, with her motorcycle, is waiting nearby. She has pressed upon you a portable radio device of her own invention. It allows you to both send and receive messages and is small enough that you can wear it in a sort of holster on your belt. It's rather an impressive technological accomplishment, from what you can understand--you imagine she could make a lot of money selling things like this, if she were so inclined. She told you to radio her if you need any help or advice (although privately you think you probably won't).<br><br> <<if $artistKnowledge>> You enter the restoration workshop through a window, but most of the other doors prove to be locked; they're fairly new locks, and it will take you too long to pick them all. Hoping one of the students might have a master key, you return to the [[workshop|artists]]. <<else>> The doors are unlocked and you slip inside. It's quite dark in here--it will be even harder to navigate tonight than it was earlier. Still, [[you'd best get cracking|cnLibraryNight]]. <</if>>There are several workbenches in here. Some are tidy, with nowhere a key could be hiding, but three of them are cluttered enough to warrant further investigation.<br><br> <<if $desk1 === false>>[[Investigate the first.|desk1]]<br><</if>> <<if $desk2 === false>>[[Investigate the second.|desk2]]<br><</if>> <<if $desk3 === false>>[[Investigate the third.|desk3]]<</if>>There is a nameplate on this workbench that says "Lloyd." Along with the various cleaning and repair tools, there is evidence of several meals having been eaten here, which strikes you as a bit careless.<br><br> You can [[return to the main workshop|artists]], <<link[[search this desk methodically|desk1Search]]>><<set $count = 1>><</link>>, or <<link[[ransack it|desk1Search]]>><<set $count = 2>><</link>>.<<set $desk1 = true>> <<if $count === 1>> <<set $slowcount += 1>> You carefully search the desk, trying not to disturb anything, or at least to put everything back where you found it.<br><br> <<else>> <<set $messycount += 1>> You conduct a hasty search of the desk, tipping over containers with abandon.<br><br> <</if>> <<set $count = 0>> [[Nothing.|artists]]There is a nameplate on this workbench that says "Hassan." He seems to be working on several projects at once.<br><br> You can [[return to the main workshop|artists]], <<link[[search this desk methodically|desk2Search]]>><<set $count = 1>><</link>>, or <<link[[ransack it|desk2Search]]>><<set $count = 2>><</link>>.<<set $desk2 = true>> <<if $count === 1>> <<set $slowcount += 1>> You search carefully through the containers on the desk. You're almost hoping not to find the key; you don't want to get the young man in trouble for losing it.<br><br> <<else>> <<set $messycount += 1>> Though you feel a little bad about making a mess of this desk, you can't afford to waste time, so you do it anyway.<br><br> <</if>> <<set $count = 0>> [[Nothing.|artists]]This workbench has a nameplate that reads "Fletcher." He seems to have forgotten his hat here.<br><br> You can [[return to the main workshop|artists]], <<link[[search this desk methodically|desk3Search]]>><<set $count = 1>><</link>>, or <<link[[ransack it|desk3Search]]>><<set $count = 2>><</link>>.<<set $desk3 = true>> <<if $count === 1>> <<set $slowcount += 1>> You search the desk thoroughly, but neatly.<br><br> <<else>> <<set $messycount += 1>> You quickly search the desk, tipping over a glue pot in the process. Well, it doesn't seem to have spilled on anything important.<br><br> <</if>> <<set $count = 0>> [[Aha! A key.|artistsEnd]]<<if $slowcount >= 2>> <<set $slow += 1>> <</if>> <<if $messycount >= 2>> <<set $messy += 1>> <</if>> <<scoreTracker 1 1>> Now you should be able to explore the museum freely. Key in hand, you head for the [[exit.|workshopNight]]<<if visited() === 1>> After checking for guards, you tap what you think is the "talk" button on your radio and whisper into it. Seconds later you hear Gwen's crackly voice. "You know, I didn't expect you to actually //use// this. Is everything alright?" <br><br> You swear under your breath (this will definitely impact your score tomorrow) and tell her no, everything is fine, but you wanted to ask her for some advice on finding the guard stations. <br><br> <<scoreTracker 1 1>> <<set $gwenAdvice = true>> <<else>> You pick up your radio again and call Gwen for more advice. <br><br> <</if>> <<if $stationsSeen.length > 0>> <<set _var = $stationsSeen.pop()>> "Have you tried looking in the _var? I thought you mentioned seeing something there. Also, if I may say something..."<br><br> With a sense of resignation, you tell her to go ahead.<br><br> <</if>> <<if $slow > $messy>> Gwen tsks at you through the radio. "I'm all for being careful, but I think you're taking it to excess. Can you please move faster?" <<elseif $messy > $slow>> Gwen tsks at you through the radio. "Aren't you going a bit fast? Slow down, or else you'll do something silly and then where will you be?" <<else>> Gwen sighs. "I can hardly believe I'm saying this, but I think you're right on schedule. Whatever you're doing, keep at it." <</if>><br><br> <<return>><<if visited() === 1 and $backroomsCopy.includes("cnLibrary")>> You are in the Central Northern Library. The shelves are large and intimidating in the dark, but at least the windows let in some daylight.<br><br> <<elseif visited() === 1>> /*I know this isn't technically possible but whatever */ <<run $backroomsCopy.push("cnLibrary")>> You're in a shadowy room that looks like a library. Based on what you remember of the official museum map, it's probably the Central Northern Library. <<else>> You've returned to the Central Northern Library. <</if>> <<if $guardStation1 === false>>On a raised platform, you can see a [[guard station|guardStation1]].<br><br> <</if>> There are exits to the east and west. There's one to the south too, but you know that's the wrong way.<br><br> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link[[Take the west door.|supplyRoomEastNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link[[Take the east door.|musicRoomNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>><<set $guardStation1 = true>> <<run $stationsSeen.delete("Central North Library")>> <<set $alarmsLeft -= 1>> You locate the cable that goes to the alarm and sever it in an inconspicuous spot. Job done, [[you hop off the platform|cnLibraryNight]].<<if visited() === 1 and $backroomsCopy.includes("supplyRoomEast")>> You enter a room full of precariously stacked crates. Based on what you remember, this should be the eastern supply room. <<elseif visited() === 1>> <<run $backroomsCopy.push("supplyRoomEast")>> You enter a room full of precariously stacked crates that must be used for storage of some kind. The haphazard layout tells you the crates probably don't contain any art, so they must be holding something else integral to the operation of the museum. <<else>> You're back in the eastern supply room. <</if>> If you strain your eyes in the darkness you can see doors leading east, west, and north. <br><br> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go east.|cnLibraryNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|supplyRoomWestNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go north.|breakRoomNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1 and $backroomsCopy.push("supplyRoomWest")>> The smell of solvent tells you this is the western supply room. Someone must have had a spill in the hours since you've last been here.<br><br> <<elseif visited() === 1>> <<run $backroomsCopy.push("supplyRoomWest")>> You're in a pungent-smelling supply room. Bottles and brushes line the shelves, indicating that this must be some kind of supply room for art supplies.<br><br> <<else>> You're back in the western supply room.<br><br> <</if>> <<if visited() === 1 and ($artistKnowledge === false)>> You hear footsteps approaching! You hide yourself just in time to see a [[student wander into the room|artistEncounter1a]]. <<else>> <<if $artistKnowledge === false>>The restoration workshop is to the west, but it's occupied, so you'd best not go in.<br><br><</if>> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<if $artistKnowledge === true>><<link [[Go west.|workshopNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link [[Go east.|supplyRoomEastNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go north.|egyptStorageNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>> <</if>><<set $count = 0>> The student appears to be in search of supplies, based on the shouted conversation he's having with someone in the room he just left. They're having an argument over the correct primer to use on something-or-other and your unwelcome visitor probably won't leave until they agree on what he should get. Knowing art students, this could take anywhere from minutes to days. <br><br> <<link [[Try to sneak away.|artistEncounter1b]]>><<set $count = 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Create a distraction.|artistEncounter1b]]>><<set $count = 2>><</link>><<if $count === 1>> The argument between the students is getting surprisingly heated for a discussion over paint. Once they've progressed to yelling you decide it's not worth sticking around to see where this goes, as funny as it would be. One of them lets loose a truly appalling shower of profanity and you use the opportunity to dash into another room. [[(You hope it doesn't come to blows, since the last thing your plan needs is a homicide investigation.)|egyptStorageNight]]<br><br> <<set $slow += 1>> <<else>> Luckily for you, this room has plenty of glass to smash. You grab a bottle off a nearby shelf and, once the student has his back to the door, lob it so that it smashes loudly just outside the doorway. The student whirls around in surprise and is promptly yelled at by his companion, at which point he yells back and charges out of the room. The sound of the ensuing brawl is loud enough to cover you closing the door he left through.<br><br> <<set $messy += 1>> [[Take another look around.|supplyRoomWestNight]] <</if>><<if visited() === 1 and $backroomsCopy.includes("workshop")>> You've found the workshop again. It is currently a true mess.<br><br> A pair of large double doors is present on the east side of the room. Based on your mental map of the museum, these must lead outside. Good to know for later. <br><br> <<elseif visited() === 1>> <<run $backroomsCopy.push("workshop")>> You enter an extremely messy room strewn about with tools, buckets, and half-repaired art. This must be the workshop. <br><br> A pair of large double doors is present on the east side of the room. Based on your mental map of the museum, these must lead outside. Good to know for later. <br><br> <<else>> You're back in the workshop.<br><br> <</if>> You can exit to the east or to the north.<br><br> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go east.|supplyRoomWestNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go north.|storageWorkshopNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1 and $backroomsCopy.includes("storageWorkshop")>> The door you've gone through leads to the workshop storage area. The broken statuary and half-visible paintings are eerie without the lights on, and you can't shake the feeling that you're being watched. (You suppose that's as good an excuse as any for why you don't usually deal with statues.)<br><br> <<elseif visited() === 1>> <<run $backroomsCopy.push("storageWorkshop")>> You enter a room crowded with art and artefacts, which upon closer inspection all seem to have some form of damage. This must be where they keep objects waiting for repair. You wish they'd have been faster about repairing one particular statue that seems to be looking at you.<br><br> <<else>> You're back in the room with the damaged artefacts. Your torch casts eerie shadows across the room. <br><br> <</if>> <<if $guardStation2 === false>>In the corner, you can see a [[guard station|guardStation2]].<</if>> <<if $artistKnowledge === true>>You can leave via the east or south doors.<<else>>There's a door to the east; to the south is the restoration workshop, but you can hear voices in there, so you'd better avoid it.<</if>><br><br> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go east.|egyptStorageNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<if $artistKnowledge === true>><<link [[Go south.|workshopNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><</if>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>><<set $guardStation2 = true>> <<set $alarmsLeft -= 1>> <<run $stationsSeen.delete("workshop storage area")>> You discreetly sever the alarm cable--there will be no backup coming from this quarter now.<br><br> <<return>><<if visited() === 1 and $backroomsCopy.includes("breakRoom")>> You enter the break room. The card game from earlier has been cleaned up, but several dirty mugs have been left on the table in its place.<br><br> <<elseif visited() === 1>> You enter a small room, mostly filled by a table and some chairs. This must be a break room of some sort.<br><br> One of the chairs hasn't been pushed in, and you nearly break your neck tripping over it. Luckily, nobody seems to have heard anything.<br><br> <<else>> You've returned to the break room.<br><br> <</if>> You can leave via the north, south, or west doors. <br><br> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go north.|corridorNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go south.|supplyRoomEastNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|egyptStorageNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1 and $backroomsCopy.includes("storageWriting")>> You've found the writing storage room again. The stacks of material loom over you in the darkness, and you desperately try not to sneeze. <br><br> <<elseif visited() === 1>> <<run $backroomsCopy.push("storageWriting")>> This room is full of towering stacks of //something// that threaten to collapse at any minute. A closer inspection reveals that the stacks are made of books, loose paper, and who knows what else. Surely the great British Museum has heard of boxes?<br><br> <<else>> You're back in the writing storage area. <br><br> <</if>> <<if visited() === 1 and ($artistKnowledge === false)>> You hear footsteps approaching! You hide yourself just in time to see an [[another bloody student|artistEncounter2a]]. <<else>> There are exits to the south and west.<br><br> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go south.|catalogueNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|storageMusicNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>> <</if>><<set $count = 0>> You duck behind one of the many piles of paper before the student can catch a glimpse of you. Unfortunately, he seems to be searching for something in this room and doesn't seem to be in any particular hurry. You can't move on until he's left, although you could take a risk and try to move him along. <br><br> <<link [[Wait for him to leave.|artistEncounter2b]]>><<set $count = 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Show him out.|artistEncounter2b]]>><<set $count = 2>><</link>><<if $count === 1>> Waiting is agonizing, but you decide it's better to do that than risk knocking over a stack and sending both of you to an extremely dusty death. Luckily, he isn't checking your corner of the room so all you have to do is bide your time. It takes what feels like an hour, but eventually the student finds his prize and leaves. <br><br> <<set $slow += 1>> <<else>> Every minute you spend in this scrubby man's company raises your risk of detection. You'd better get him out of here, and fast. His back is towards you right now, which is convenient. You quickly identify the shortest paper stack in the room, take a deep breath, and give it a shove. <br><br> The student is startled enough to give a shout at the commotion, but his noises quickly devolve into coughing when he encounters your newly-created cloud of dust. With tears streaming down his face he flees the room, and once his wheezes have faded into the distance you release your own breath in a sigh of relief. <br><br> <<set $messy += 1>> <</if>> [[Now that the coast is clear, you take a look around.|storageWritingNight]]<<if visited() === 1 and $backroomsCopy.includes("catalogue")>> You enter the catalogue room. While it's technically part of the museum proper (which you're still not allowed to be in right now) it's so secluded it may as well be a back room. <br><br> <<elseif visited () === 1>> <<run $backroomsCopy.push("catalogue")>> You enter a small, shabby room that smells of paper and dust. You risk a quick inspection with your torch and see that it's full of catalogues, presumably to record the location of everything in the museum. You, of course, don't need such a thing--except maybe you do. You quickly look up the location of the Masterpiece of Moldavia, and find that it's only a room or two south of your current location. Good to know, although you should avoid it for now lest someone discover what you're up to. <br><br> <<else>> You're back in the catalogue room. <br><br> <</if>> <<if $guardStation3 === false>>There's a [[guard station|guardStation3]] here.<br><br><</if>> You could leave to the north, or go west back towards the main museum. There's a door to the south that leads in the direction of the Masterpiece, but you aren't going to risk going there tonight.<br><br> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go north.|storageWritingNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|musicRoomNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>><<set $guardStation3 = true>> <<set $alarmsLeft -= 1>> <<run $stationsSeen.delete("Catalogue Room")>> You snip the alarm cable. Really, you should do this sort of thing more often. It's astoundingly easy.<br><br> <<return>><<if visited() === 1 and $backroomsCopy.includes("egyptStorage")>> You slip through the door and nearly trip over a sarcophagus, which means you're back in the Egyptian storage room. Your opinion of the museum staff drops further. <br><br> <<elseif visited () === 1>> <<run $backroomsCopy.push("egyptStorage")>> You slip through the door and nearly trip over a sarcophagus. A quick examination of the room reveals a wealth of Egyptian artefacts, although they are all mercifully off the floor. This must be where they store Egyptian items that aren't currently on display. <br><br> <<else>> You re-enter the Egyptian storage room. <</if>> Doors lead in all four cardinal directions, so you can go wherever you like.<br><br> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go north. |corridorNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west. |storageWorkshopNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go south. |supplyRoomWestNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go east. |breakRoomNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1 and $backroomsCopy.includes("storageMusic")>> The music storage area is no tidier than when you last saw it, although it's harder to tell in the dark. <br><br> <<elseif visited () === 1>> <<run $backroomsCopy.push("storageMusic")>> This room is filled with both binders of paper and racks of oddly shaped boxes. It leaves you quite confused until you recognize what is clearly a tuba in a case. They have to store the musical instruments somewhere, you suppose.<br><br> <<else>> You're back in the music storage room. <</if>> There are exits to the east, west, and south. <br><br> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go east.|storageWritingNight]]>><<set $prev = "storageMusicNight">><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|officeNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go south.|musicRoomNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1 and $backroomsCopy.includes("musicRoom")>> You've entered the Music Room again--even in the dark, the instruments are unmistakeable.<br><br> <<elseif visited () === 1>> <<run $backroomsCopy.push("musicRoom")>> You step into the room and your heart catches at the large, bizarre shapes you see at first glance. You relax when you realize it's only a cello behind glass. This must be the Music Room. <br><br> <<else>> <</if>> From here, you can go east, west, or north. <br><br> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go east.|catalogueNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go west.|cnLibraryNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go north.|storageMusicNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<run $backroomsCopy.push("corridor")>> A row of lockers lines the north wall of the guard corridor, which you've just entered. It feels strange to see this room quiet--you suspect that's rarely the case. <br><br> <<elseif visited () === 1>> <<run $backroomsCopy.push("corridor")>> You step into a corridor with a row of lockers lining the north wall. This must be where museum employees (probably guards) store their things. <br><br> <<else>> You've made it back to the guard corridor. <</if>> You can go east from here, or you can take either of the two doors on the south wall. <br><br> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <<elseif $time <= $timeLimit>> <<link [[Go east.|officeNight]]>><<time 1>><<set $prev = "corridorNight">><</link>><br> <<link [[Go southeast.|breakRoomNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go southwest.|egyptStorageNight]]>><<time 1>><</link>><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]] <<else>> <<goto "nightExploreEnd">> <</if>><<if visited() === 1 and not $backroomsCopy.contains("office")>> <<run $backroomsCopy.push("office")>> You're in a small vestibule in front of a door. There's a plaque next to it that reads //SECURITY//: this must be the main guard office. It will be useful for your plans to know where the guards will most likely be lurking. But even at this time of night there's probably someone on duty, so you shouldn't go in.<br><br> <<else>> You're back in the vestibule in front of the guard office. <</if>> From here you can only go back the way you came.<br><br> [[Ask Gwen for advice.|gwenRadio]]<br> [[Head back.|$prev]]<<if $time >= $timeLimit>> <<set $slow += 1>> <</if>> <<if $alarmsLeft === 0>> <<scoreTracker 3 3>> You've disabled the alarms for all the guard stations on this floor. A job well done, you think--now you can head home. <<else>> <<scoreTracker 1 3>> You're sure there must be more guard stations on this floor that you haven't found yet, but you've taken long enough--you can't dawdle here forever. You'll have to call it good enough. <</if>><br><br> Gwen will be waiting for you [[outside|holmesIntro]].As soon as you step into the Third Graeco-Roman Room, you can tell that something is wrong. It takes a moment for your conscious mind to catch up with your instinct and recognise that there is someone else here--a shadowy figure you can just barely make out.<br><br> You freeze immediately, thinking that perhaps you won't be noticed in the dark. But a voice calls out:<br><br> "Don't bother hiding, Thalia. I know you're there."<br><br> It isn't Mel's voice, as you were half-expecting (hoping? Surely not) that it would be. It is in fact quite unfamiliar.<br><br> Since the stranger is already aware of your presence, you decide that it can't hurt to get some more information on whom you are dealing with, so you switch on your electric torch and cast its beam on [[the figure|holmes0]].<br><br>The stranger is a woman, somewhere in her mid- to late forties, you would estimate. Her hair is pulled back into a severe bun, which accentuates the hawklike quality of her face, and she is dressed in a rather old-fashioned blouse and long skirt. Her boots are sturdy and practical, but the skirt will make it harder for her to keep up with you if you run, so that's good.<br><br> There is a window not too far away; if you can keep her talking, maybe you can inch towards it without her realising what you're about. It's a strategy that has served you well in the past, in any case.<br><br> <<link [['"Who are you?"'|holmes1]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Why are you here?"'|holmes1]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"The museum is closed, you know."'|holmes1]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><br><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Why should I tell you that?" she says. "You see, the fact that //I// know who //you// are, but the reverse is not true, gives me the upper hand, which--as I am sure you understand--I am loath to concede."<br><br> <<case 2>> "Is it not obvious?" she says. "I must say, I expected better of you."<br><br> <<case 3>> "You think you're a great wit, I see," she says. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."<br><br> <</switch>> Ugh, what an irritating individual.<br><br> "I think," she goes on, "that the most important question is what //you// are doing here."<br><br> <<link [['"Crime, obviously."'|holmes2]]>><<conv 1>><<set $spicy += 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Why should I answer your questions if you won't answer mine?!"'|holmes2]]>><<conv 2>><<set $spicy += 3>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Nothing."'|holmes2]]>><<conv 3>><<set $spicy += 1>><</link>><br><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Your opponent snorts. "Obviously," she echoes.<br><br> <<case 2>> "It's your choice, of course," she says. "I just thought I should give you the chance to explain yourself."<br><br> <<case 3>> Your opponent clicks her tongue disapprovingly. "Is that really the best you can do?"<br><br> <</switch>> She really is frustratingly resistant to being drawn out.<br><br> "You see," she says, "I know that you are the great thief Lady Thalia--" she says this with obvious irony, which is very rude of her-- "and I know that you are undertaking some sort of preparation for a theft, but have taken nothing yet. I don't know what your true identity is or what you're currently after. But I //will// find out. So I thought it would be polite to offer you an opportunity to forfeit before things become messy."<br><br> <<link [['"Well done, but I don\'t think things are quite that dire yet."'|holmes3]]>><<conv 1>><<set $spicy += 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Is that all you know? That\'s pathetic!"'|holmes3]]>><<conv 2>><<set $spicy += 3>><</link>><br> <<link [['"No, thank you."'|holmes3]]>><<conv 3>><<set $spicy += 1>><</link>><br>/*so on and so forth */ <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "I'm glad you acknowledge the significance of my efforts, at least," she says. "Those who dismiss them often end up wishing that they hadn't."<br><br> <<case 2>> "It wouldn't be much of a deduction to guess at who you were and why you were here if I had just so happened to stumble across you, certainly," she says. "But my being here tonight is no accident, and if you are as intelligent as you've been credited with being, that should worry you."<br><br> <<case 3>> "Well, never say I didn't give you the chance. If you were as intelligent as they say you are, I'd think you'd be more worried about how I knew you'd be here tonight, but no matter."<br><br> <</switch>> <<if $spicy <= 3>> You can tell what you're saying isn't quite catching her attention. You may have to be a bit bolder.<br><br> <<elseif $spicy <= 6>> Good: she's engaged enough in the conversation not to be paying close attention to what else you're doing. But you must be careful not to lose your temper and do something you'll regret before you have the chance to make your escape. Perhaps you should try to disengage yourself a little.<br><br> <<else>> You may be getting a bit too heated: you've been completely forgetting to move towards the window! You must try to wind yourself back in.<br><br> <</if>> "I could," she continues, "have the police here in a minute, if I thought it would help. But between you and me, I haven't much faith in their competence."<br><br> <<link [['"Are you sure it\'s wise not to involve them?"'|holmes4]]>><<conv 1>><<set $spicy += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"That\'s because you\'re an arrogant fool."'|holmes4]]>><<conv 2>><<set $spicy += 3>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Nor have I."'|holmes4]]>><<conv 3>><<set $spicy -= 1>><</link>><br><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Well, that depends," she says, "on what exactly one is trying to accomplish."<br><br> Must she be so frustratingly elliptical about everything?<br><br> <<case 2>> Of course, there's little love lost between you and Scotland Yard, so it's not that you're defending them (not even Mel), but you are sick to the back teeth of this woman's air of superiority.<br><br> "You're one to talk," she says dryly. Which only infuriates you further.<br><br> <<case 3>> She may be your enemy, but she does have a point here. Your own opinion of Scotland Yard's competence is none too high.<br><br> "I'm glad you agree," she says. She really does sound pleased, oddly enough.<br><br> <</switch>> <<if $spicy <= 3>> The noncommittal answers aren't giving her enough to chew on, you think.<br><br> "I am not the most skilled at chasing down and tackling criminals, or anything of that nature," she says. "If I did call in the police, doubtless they would have an easier time collaring you. But you've slipped from their grasp before, and you might do it again. And they would rather interfere with my collection of data."<br><br> <<link [['"What on earth are you talking about?"'|holmes5]]>><<conv 1>><<set $spicy += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I didn\'t ask you to elaborate."'|holmes5]]>><<conv 2>><<set $spicy += 3>><</link>><br> <<link [['"What data is this?"'|holmes5]]>><<conv 3>><<set $spicy -= 1>><</link>><br> <<elseif $spicy <= 6>> This is going well, but you must be careful not to lose your temper and do something you'll regret before you have the chance to make your escape. <<if $spicy >=5>>You are getting rather close to that point.<</if>><br><br> "I am not the most skilled at chasing down and tackling criminals, or anything of that nature," she says. "If I did call in the police, doubtless they would have an easier time collaring you. But you've slipped from their grasp before, and you might do it again. And they would rather interfere with my collection of data."<br><br> <<link [['"What on earth are you talking about?"'|holmes5]]>><<conv 1>><<set $spicy += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I didn\'t ask you to elaborate."'|holmes5]]>><<conv 2>><<set $spicy += 3>><</link>><br> <<link [['"What data is this?"'|holmes5]]>><<conv 3>><<set $spicy -= 1>><</link>><br> <<else>> <<set $seenline = true>> You realise suddenly that, in your outrage, not only have you not been moving towards the window, you have in fact been moving closer to your opponent. [[Oh dear.|holmesEnd]] <</if>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Of course, you wouldn't understand," she says, unbearably patronising. "You see, the more we talk, and the more information I can gather from the scene once you're gone, the closer I'll get to finding out who you really are. The police might muck that all up."<br><br> <<case 2>> "Too bad," she says mildly. "You see, the more we talk, and the more information I can gather from the scene once you're gone, the closer I'll get to finding out who you really are. The police might muck that all up."<br><br> <<case 3>> "Data about you, of course. The more we talk, and the more information I can gather from the scene once you're gone, the closer I'll get to finding out who you really are. The police might muck that all up."<br><br> <</switch>> <<if $spicy <= 3>> You're almost there. If you can just drag this conversation out for another moment or two, you can make it to the window.<br><br> <<link [['"Then it sounds like I win either way."'|holmesEnd]]>><<conv 1>><<set $spicy += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"That sounds like nonsense to me."'|holmesEnd]]>><<conv 2>><<set $spicy += 3>><</link>><br> <<link [['"They do tend to muck things up, don\'t they?"'|holmesEnd]]>><<conv 3>><<set $spicy -= 1>><</link>><br> <<elseif $spicy <= 6>> This is going well, but you must be careful not to lose your temper and do something you'll regret before you have the chance to make your escape. <<if $spicy >=5>>You are getting rather close to that point.<</if>><br><br> <<link [['"Then it sounds like I win either way."'|holmesEnd]]>><<conv 1>><<set $spicy += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"That sounds like nonsense to me."'|holmesEnd]]>><<conv 2>><<set $spicy += 3>><</link>><br> <<link [['"They do tend to muck things up, don\'t they?"'|holmesEnd]]>><<conv 3>><<set $spicy -= 1>><</link>><br> <<else>> <<set $seenline = true>> You realise suddenly that, in your outrage, not only have you not been moving towards the window, you have in fact been moving closer to your opponent. [[Oh dear.|holmesEnd]] <</if>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "You may think that if you like," she says graciously.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Yes," she says, "most people don't seem to grasp it. But the method has served me well so far."<br><br> <<case 3>> "Ah, I see what you're doing," she says. "If you think you can win me over this way, you are sorely mistaken."<br><br> <</switch>> <<if $spicy >= 6>> <<scoreTracker 1 3>> <<messy 1>> <<set $melRescue = true>> <<if $seenline === false>>You realise suddenly that, in your outrage, not only have you not been moving towards the window, you have in fact been moving closer to your opponent. <</if>> Your opponent, too, has realised your mistake, and she lunges for you. You dodge. For a brief moment you have some hope that she'll stumble after failing to connect, but she stays on her feet.<br><br> You start to run--and then a door slams open, and a second figure comes barrelling at you. This one you recognize instantly as Mel. Lovely. Now you're really in trouble.<br><br> But as the two women converge on you, Mel crashes into the other woman, who loses her balance and ends up sprawled on the floor.<br><br> Could Mel have done that on purpose? Well, now is not the time to contemplate that question. You sprint for the window, vault over the sill, and [[take off running|night1End]]. <<else>> <<scoreTracker 3 3>> You reach the window, unlatch it, and open it.<br><br> As soon as your opponent sees what you're doing, she starts running towards you--but just then, a door slams open elsewhere in the room and a voice calls, "Miss Marshall!"<br><br> //That's// Mel. You'd know her anywhere. All the more reason, then, for you to make a hasty exit. You vault over the sill and [[take off running|night1End]]. <</if>>As usual, Gwen and her motorcycle are waiting for you on a side street nearby. You collapse, breathless, into the sidecar.<br><br> "I'm guessing things didn't go to plan?" she says.<br><br> You open your mouth to respond, but don't quite have the air to do so.<br><br> "It was a rhetorical question," Gwen assures you. "Let's get you home."<br><br> <<if $gwenRadio === false>> <<scoreTracker 0 1>> <</if>> <<finesseCalc>> [[The motorcycle speeds off into the night.|interlude1Start]]/*relationship values with Mel*/ <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <<set $totalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $nice = 0>> <<set $mean = 0>> <<set $melDelta = 0>> /*relationship values with Oscar*/ <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $totalOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Yorkie*/ <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Gwen*/ <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $totalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints = 0>> Set current finesse:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 2 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 4 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 6 autocheck>> high<br><br> <<set $gwenAdvice = false>> <<set $maxFinesse = 13>> [[Interlude 2|interlude1Start]]<<if $debugMode === true>>Finesse is $finesse out of $maxFinesse<</if>> You have invited Gwen over for your typical next-day chat, although it feels a little odd to be doing this when you haven't actually stolen anything. You suppose it's less newsworthy as well; there's no article this time, front-page or otherwise. But at least Gwen was present last night, so she can more accurately assess how you did. <<if $finesse === $maxFinesse>> (You are, of course, confident that you gave an excellent performance.) <<elseif $finesse >= ($maxFinesse - 2)>> (You are confident that you gave an excellent performance--although perhaps not a perfect one.) <<else>> (You must admit it was not your best work). <</if>><br><br> When she arrives, the two of you sit down with tea and muffins, and she [[begins her review|day1Gwen1]].<<if $finesse === $maxFinesse>> "Well," she begins, "I admit I can't find many faults with this one--although it was less complex than usual, so perhaps that's why."<br><br> <<elseif $finesse >= ($maxFinesse - 2)>> "You did quite well overall," she says, "although there are one or two things I think you might have done differently."<br><br> <<else>> "I'm sorry to say I think that was a bit sloppy," she says. "You'll have to be more careful, or you'll get yourself caught before you can even get your hands on that fresco."<br><br> <</if>> That stings a bit, but it does seem fair enough.<<if $finesse < 7>> Mostly.<</if>><br><br> <<if $gwenAdvice === true>> <<relation "GwenPoints" 1 1>> "I still can't believe you actually used the radio," she adds. "I mean, I hoped you would, but I really thought you'd just ignore it."<br><br> You can hardly believe it yourself, to be honest. But she seems pleased.<br><br> <</if>> <<if $gwenComplaint is "slow">> "It wouldn't hurt to speed things up a little," she goes on. "I know you don't like to cut corners, but you have to cut //some// or you'll be there all night." <<elseif $gwenComplaint is "messy">> "You could stand to be a little more careful," she goes on. "I understand you don't want to waste time, but the more you rush, the more evidence you leave." <<else>> "You got in and out efficiently," she goes on, "but without making too much of a mess. That's good." <</if>> She takes a bite of her muffin and chews contemplatively.<br><br> <<if $melRescue === true>> "Most importantly, though," Gwen concludes, "it was careless of you to get into a situation where you had to be rescued by that Williams woman. If she did let you get away on purpose, I'm sure she had some ulterior motive." <<else>> "I don't like that strange woman showing up, and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of her," Gwen concludes. "As if that Williams woman wasn't enough to worry about--and I don't think you worry about her nearly enough, if I'm honest. But you got yourself out of there all right, at least." <</if>><br><br> <<link [['"Really, there\'s no need to be so disparaging about Mel all the time."'|day1Gwen2]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 1 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"You don\'t have to worry about Mel. I have that whole situation under control."'|day1Gwen2]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Don\'t worry, I won\'t underestimate Mel."'|day1Gwen2]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 3 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "So you've said," Gwen says darkly, "but I don't see why. She's a police officer, for Christ's sake."<br><br> <<case 2>> "I wouldn't be so sure," Gwen says darkly. "You do remember she's a police officer, don't you?"<br><br> <<case 3>> "I'm glad you're taking this seriously," Gwen says. "Sometimes I think you forget she's a police officer."<br><br> <</switch>> This isn't strictly true; the Yard, not seeing fit to allow women into their brotherhood at this time, retains Mel as a "special consultant on art crimes." But you know that if you were to mention this, Gwen would only say you were being pedantic, and, well, she wouldn't be wrong.<br><br> "Anyway," Gwen adds, "this new detective--I assume she's a detective--worries me as well."<br><br> <<link [['"She was rather annoying."'|day1Gwen3]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 2 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I\'ll try to find out more about her."'|day1Gwen3]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 3 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"She didn\'t seem that impressive."'|day1Gwen3]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 1 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "'Annoying'?" Gwen snaps. "If she was able to figure out that you'd be at the museum tonight, she isn't just annoying, she's //dangerous//."<br><br> <<case 2>> "I think that would be prudent," Gwen agrees. "She seems a potentially dangerous opponent. And one that lacks whatever strange fondness Williams has for you."<br><br> You decide to let this last comment pass.<br><br> <<case 3>> Gwen sighs heavily. "I know you think you're invincible, but please, be careful. For my peace of mind, if nothing else."<br><br> <</switch>> <<link [['"This will be a stimulating challenge."'|day1Gwen4]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 2 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I know I try your nerves sometimes, but I really do appreciate your help."'|day1Gwen4]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 3 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I wish you wouldn\'t fuss so much. I\'ll be fine."'|day1Gwen4]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 1 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Gwen focuses intently on buttering a muffin, looking very tired. "As long as you remember that it isn't a game," she says finally.<br><br> <<case 2>> Gwen smiles. "I'm glad to hear you say so. Sometimes I feel like I'm just ruining your fun."<br><br> <<case 3>> Gwen is silent for a moment, studying her teacup as if its depths hold the mysteries of the universe. "I hope you're right," she says, finally.<br><br> <</switch>> Gwen stays a little while longer; having run out of business to discuss, you let her fill you in on the latest news (or gossip) about your old friends from your theatrical days. But soon enough you have to see her off--you have [[other business to attend to|melIntro]].Going to Mel to ask about the detective you encountered yesterday is a risky move: you are enemies, after all. Rivals, at least. But the two of you did work together this past summer to take down the odious Baron d'Acanthe during your holiday in France. And you have the sneaking suspicion that you might be able to convince her to look the other way when it comes to your latest target, which you have decided that you will send back to Roumania. (You can hardly keep it in your house, can you?) Mel //has//, in the past, been receptive to the idea that the rightful owner of an artwork in a legal sense may not be its rightful owner in a moral sense.<br><br> She agrees to meet you in a park after nightfall (just like old times, if a few months ago can be called "old times"), and promises not to try anything funny, though of course you will be on alert regardless.<br><br> She arrives at the appointed time; the two of you sit down on a park bench, and you get directly to business, asking what she knows about the woman you met at the museum. You try to ignore how close the two of you are on the bench--simply because Gwen would be cross if she heard you let Mel within grabbing distance, of course. <br><br> Mel sighs and looks down at her hands, which are folded in her lap. "Have you heard of Letitia Marshall?" she asks.<br><br> [['"Of course I\'ve heard of Letitia Marshall."'|day1Mel0]]Marshall has, against all odds and quite a bit of opposition, made a name for herself as a private detective. She's been at it for twenty years or so and solved a number of cases that stymied the Yard. The newspapers seem to enjoy writing about her exploits almost as much as they do yours. She is known for employing a style of detection that involves putting together various tiny clues left at the scene--not just the standard footprints and cigarette ends, but hairs and grains of dirt and signs of objects being touched or moved. It's always sounded rather unlikely to you, but clearly she does well enough with it.<br><br> "The Yard has brought her on because they're unsatisfied with my work lately," Mel says, miserably. "Especially when it comes to--well, you."<br><br> <<link [['"I\'m sorry I\'ve caused you such trouble."'|day1Mel1]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 2 3>><<set $nice += 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"She seems like an irritating person."'|day1Mel1]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 3 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"You must admit, they have a point there."'|day1Mel1]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 1 3>><<set $mean += 1>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "No, you're not," Mel says bitterly.<br><br> True, you can't say you're sorry you're not rotting in gaol right now. And yet somehow it does feel unpleasant to think that you're the ultimate cause of the misery she is clearly feeling at the moment.<br><br> <<case 2>> A smile briefly crosses Mel's face. "She is, rather."<br><br> You may be the ultimate cause of her current misery, but at least you've also cheered her up a little.<br><br> <<case 3>> Mel's face goes a bit red. "I could unmask you right now, you know."<br><br> You doubt she would, since she promised not to and she is assiduously, almost idiotically, honourable. But maybe you should try not to anger her, just in case.<br><br> <</switch>> "We're working together now, at least in theory," Mel says. "She doesn't seem to like to collaborate. Not with me, anyway." She sounds more dejected than you've ever heard before.<br><br> <<link [['"Well, you can be rather difficult."'|day1Mel2]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 2 3>><<set $mean += 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"No, she didn\'t seem the collaborative type."'|day1Mel2]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 3 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Who wouldn\'t want to collaborate with you?"'|day1Mel2]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 1 3>><<set $nice += 1>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "When was I difficult?" Mel demands, although you think you detect a faint note of amusement in the outrage. You decide not to press your luck by actually answering the question.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Well spotted," says Mel. She slumps forward a little and sighs. "She thinks I'm an idiot, although I suppose it's better that she believe that than deduce that I've been actively enabling a criminal."<br><br> <<case 3>> Mel hunches her shoulders. "There's no need to make fun," she says. "I'm having a bad enough time as it is."<br><br> You weren't intending to make fun, but you suppose it's understandable that she's a bit on edge at the moment.<br><br> <</switch>> <<link [['"Well, I doubt she\'ll be able to figure out anything you don\'t already know."'|day1Mel3]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 2 3>><<set $nice += 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"How much does she know about me?"'|day1Mel3]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 3 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Did you tell her anything about me?"'|day1Mel3]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 1 3>><<set $mean += 1>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mel sighs. "I have no idea whether that's true or not," she says. "She'll tell me she's figured something out, but then she refuses to explain what that 'something' is. As I said, she's not much for collaboration. All I know is that she said something to the effect that she didn't know yet which bored society lady you were."<br><br> Your stomach drops at this news, but you try not to let it show. No point letting Mel know that Miss Marshall is on the right track. <br><br> <<case 2>> "I don't know, honestly," says Mel. "I haven't told her more than I'd told the Yard already, but as to what she's deduced... well, she'll claim she's figured something out and then refuse to tell me what it actually is. She did say something to the effect that she didn't know yet which bored society lady you were, if that helps."<br><br> Your stomach drops at this news, but you try not to let it show. No point letting Mel know that Miss Marshall is on the right track. <br><br> <<case 3>> "Of course not!" Mel snaps. "Well, no more than the Yard knew already. I could hardly tell her much about what we did in Paris without incriminating myself, anyway. Whatever else she knows, she's deduced through her damned inscrutable methods. Every now and then she tells me she's figured something out, but she refuses to elaborate."<br><br> <</switch>> <<link [['"Perhaps she\'s suspicious of you."'|day1Mel4]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 2 3>><<set $mean += 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I suppose that makes sense for someone who wishes she were working alone."'|day1Mel4]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 3 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Maybe she\'s a sham."'|day1Mel4]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 1 3>><<set $nice += 1>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mel grimaces. "I hope not. But I'm not sure her keeping her deductions from me means anything in that regard. I think she just wishes I weren't involved."<br><br> <<case 2>> "Yes--if she never tells me anything, then I can't interfere in her investigation. She does send me on various errands, but I'm not at all sure it's not just busywork."<br><br> <<case 3>> "Don't be daft," says Mel, sharply. "She's solved dozens of cases--hundreds, maybe. And... well, do you really think a woman detective would be able to gain any respect at all if she hadn't got real skill?"<br><br> That's a fair point--and Mel would know, after all.<br><br> <</switch>> Now comes the riskiest part of your plan. If you're wrong about her receptivity to the idea, laying out your plan (at least the broad strokes of it) for her will be all but handing her your head on a platter. You're sure it would still be possible to elude her grasp, but it would take a lot more effort. But having an ally against Marshall--one who can tell you what Marshall is doing, if not necessarily everything she's discovered--would be invaluable, so it's worth a try.<br><br> Mel listens, then sits there in silence for a long moment--trying to make her mind up, presumably. At last she says, "I can hardly believe I'm doing this, but... all right. I'll help. Since you're returning it, after all."<br><br> [[Excellent.|interlude1End]]<<set $melDelta = $nice - $mean>> <<if Math.abs($melDelta) <= 1>> <<relation "MelPoints" 1 1>> <<else>> <<relation "MelPoints" 0 1>> <</if>> Mel informs you that Miss Marshall has asked her to pay a visit to University College, London tomorrow to gather some resources on art; Marshall says she knows nothing about the subject, which makes it harder for her to determine what you're after. You ask whether, while she's at it, she might try to find out what tools would be required to move a fresco--you're sure you could figure it out, but you do worry about damaging it, so you would appreciate some expert advice. Mel says she'll do her best, although she can't promise anything.<br><br> <<actEnd>> [[That went surprisingly well.|day2Start]]/*relationship values with Mel*/ <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <<set $totalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $nice = 0>> <<set $mean = 0>> <<set $melDelta = 0>> /*relationship values with Oscar*/ <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $totalOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Yorkie*/ <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Gwen*/ <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $totalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints = 0>> Set current finesse:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 7 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 10 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 13 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Gwen points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 10 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 15 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 19 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Mel points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 8 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 10 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 13 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Oscar points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 5 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 7 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 9 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Yorkie points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 5 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 7 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 9 autocheck>> high<br><br> <<set $maxFinesse = 13>> [[Day 3|day2Start]]<<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $artExpert = false>> <<set $watson = false>> <<set $books = false>> <<set $toolInfo = false>> <<set $booksRead = 0>> <<set $bookChosen = 0>> <<set $distractionInfo = false>> <center><b>@@font-size:x-large;ACT III@@</b></center><br><br> You are Margaret Williams (not "Mel," thank you very much), and you arrive at University College, London the next morning hoping that you haven't made a terrible mistake. How are you going to help Lady Thalia without Letitia Marshall finding out what you're up to? You don't even know how Marshall figures out half the things that she does. And even if the British Museum's claim to the fresco is dubious, is it really right to commit a crime in order to return it?<br><br> But you've committed to this now, and you make a point of always keeping your promises, even when it is not, perhaps, wise to do so. So you have no choice but to [[get on with things|day2Hub]].<<if $artExpert>> You've learned all you can from the archaeology professor. <<else>> As Thalia requested, you are going to [[talk to a member of the university's highly regarded archaeology faculty|artExpert1]] to learn about how to move frescos without damaging them. (She has warned you to avoid a fellow called Glastonbury.) <</if>><br><br> <<if $books>> You've picked out the one book you're allowed, so there's no point going back to the library.<br><br> <<else>> Miss Marshall has asked you to gather her some books about art, so you'll have to [[visit the library|libraryStart]].<br><br> <</if>> <<if $watson>> You've taken up enough of the good doctor's time already. Best let him be. <br><br> <<else>> On your own initiative, you have decided to [[talk to one Dr Bishop|watson1]], a member of the university's medical faculty. He was once Miss Marshall's partner in crime-solving, and you are hoping that learning more about her might be useful.<br><br> <</if>> <<if $artExpert and $watson and $books>> [[You've done everything you came here to do.|day2End]] <</if>>/*leading, could be friendly if that flows better */ <<set $strikes = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $artExpert = true>> After a bit of discreet enquiry, you settle upon a Professor Crenshaw as the person to ask about fresco preservation. As you have no legitimate reason to ask about the topic, you dust off the play-acting skills you learnt (more or less) last summer and introduce yourself as Mary Granard, an art history student pursuing a side interest in archaeology. This is a bit of a gamble; though the university has, unlike most, been admitting women for decades now, the number of female students remains fairly small, so you'll stand out more than you would like to.<br><br> Having caught Crenshaw in the middle of cataloguing artefacts, you apologise for interrupting him.<br><br> "Oh, no need to apologise!" he says. "It's the most tedious part of the job, cataloguing. I'm just as happy to have a reason to take a break."<br><br> <<link [["It does seem like a bore." (F)|artExpert2]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["You prefer field work, then?" (L)|artExpert2]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["I'd like to ask you some questions about field work." (D)|artExpert2]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><br><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "I much prefer to be out in the field," he says, half to himself. Then he turns to you. "Well, let's not waste our time with small talk. You had questions?"<br><br> <<case 2>> "Of course!" he says. "Out in the fresh air, getting one's hands dirty, always the possibility of experiencing the thrill of discovery... it is still slow and painstaking work, but //this//--" he gestures at his box of artefacts and pile of papers-- "is something else entirely."<br><br> <<case 3>> "Well, there's no need to be so peremptory about it," Crenshaw says, sounding cross.<br><br> You really must learn not to interrogate people when you're pretending not to be a detective.It's an unfortunate habit.<br><br> "But I'm happy to answer your questions about field work," he goes on.<br><br> <</switch>> You can relate--you don't mind the desk work quite as much, but you do think you'd get bored if you had long stretches without doing anything more active than that. But of course, you're supposed to be an art history student, so you can't say that.<br><br> <<link [["I was just wondering what it's like." (F)|artExpert3]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["What have you been working on lately?" (L)|artExpert3]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["I'm interested in wall paintings." (D)|artExpert3]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><br><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Well, that's rather a broad question," he says. "Er... there's a lot of travel involved?"<br><br> You ask what places he's travelled to lately.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Lately it's just the paperwork, really," he says. "Or did you want to know about my most recent dig?"<br><br> You confirm that this is in fact what you were wondering about.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Why wall paintings, specifically?" Crenshaw asks. "Are you writing a paper? If so, I would advise focussing on a particular kind of wall painting. Egyptian is one thing, Roman another..."<br><br> Looked at from an artistic perspective, it //is// a bit of an odd question, and you expect it will leave an impression, which is not ideal. Oh well. You change the subject and ask where he's travelled to lately.<br><br> <</switch>> "Well, I've been doing some work in Greece--that's where all this is from." He indicates the box of artefacts he was sorting through when you came in. "The weather there is lovely--I miss it, rather."<br><br> <<link [["That sounds exciting!" (F)|artExpert4]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["What did you find there?" (L)|artExpert4]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["Did you come across any frescoes there?" (D)|artExpert4]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<if $strikes >= 2>> "I'm sorry," he says, rather coldly, "I really must get back to my cataloguing. Good day, Miss Granard."<br><br> Well, that was unfortunate. Thalia will likely either be disappointed in you or make fun of you for botching this conversation, and you're not sure which is worse. You'll have to hope you have better luck [[elsewhere|day2Hub]]. <<else>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "I did quite enjoy it," he says. "But did you have any particular questions about it? I didn't think you were here just to chat."<br><br> Suitably chastened, you ask what he found there.<br><br> "Well, most of it isn't art," he says. "Just the detritus of everyday life, you know--fascinating to us, but not to you, I imagine. We did find a lovely fresco, though--quite a find, since not many have survived, as far as we know. We brought it back with us, since the building was in poor shape--you can see it if you like."<br><br> <<case 2>> "Oh, all sorts of things," Crenshaw says, "but many of them wouldn't be of interest to you, I imagine. The detritus of everyday life, you know. We did find a lovely fresco, though--quite a find, since not many have survived, as far as we know. We brought it back with us, since the building was in poor shape--you can see it if you like."<br><br> <<case 3>> "That's hardly a common occurrence--not many Greek frescoes have survived. But as it happens, we did. We brought it back with us, since the building was in poor shape--you can see it if you like."<br><br> <</switch>> <<set $toolInfo = true>> Doing your best to conceal your excitement--or perhaps "relief" would be more accurate--at finally hitting upon the thing you came here to find out, you say you've always wondered how it's possible to transport something like that.<br><br> "Most often we remove just the outermost layer of the wall and apply a backing to it. The backing provides reinforcement while in transit, and it can also be glued to the wall of the gallery, which provides structural support, but also allows the fresco to be moved again if necessary by dissolving the glue. Although we try not to -- it's quite a delicate affair to get it off again, although having a good prying tool handy can help a bit."<br><br> You nod, taking notes.<br><br> "From that point, they're not much more difficult to transport than any other large artefact. Generally we cover them with a cloth for protection, and some people prefer to wear gloves when handling them, but it's really removing them from the wall that's the tricky part of the business."<br><br> You thank the professor for satisfying your curiosity and [[go on your way|day2Hub]]. <</if>>/*direct */ <<set $strikes = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $watson = true>> You find Dr Bishop in his office, which is neater and more orderly than you tend to expect of academics. The man himself cuts a more conventional figure; he is middle-aged, with greying hair, a nondescript suit, and a moustache several decades out of fashion.<br><br> You explain that you are working with Miss Marshall and were curious about his experiences doing the same, if he wouldn't mind sharing.<br><br> "Of course, of course!" he says. "What would you like to know?"<br><br> <<link [["Did you enjoy working with her?" (F)|watson2]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Oh, anything you feel like sharing, really." (L)|watson2]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["What was she like when you knew her?" (D)|watson2]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "It was very exciting," Bishop says, "which is what I was after in my youth. But there comes a time when a person wants a little more stability."<br><br> It's a reasonable enough answer, but you'd been hoping for a response more focused on Marshall herself. You ask what she was like back then.<br><br> "She was a bit of an odd duck," he says. "I imagine she still is."<br><br> You confirm that this is indeed the case.<br><br> <<case 2>> Bishop frowns. "She and I worked together for many years," he says. "I hardly know where to start."<br><br> Wondering whether she's changed much, you ask what she was like back then.<br><br> "She was a bit of an odd duck," he says. "I imagine she still is."<br><br> You confirm that this is indeed the case.<br><br> <<case 3>> "She was a bit of an odd duck," he says. "I imagine she still is."<br><br> You confirm that this is indeed the case.<br><br> <</switch>> "But brilliant, of course," he goes on. "Even as a medical man, I often felt a fool next to her. Often we'd be discussing the facts of a case and suddenly she'd come to some conclusion and spring to her feet and drag me off to look for some piece of evidence that she was now sure must exist, or something of that nature--and she'd never even think to explain unless I asked. She would forget, I think, that not everyone is capable of such deductive leaps."<br><br> That sounds a bit different from her active refusal to tell you anything, confirming that she simply doesn't like you. Or doesn't trust you, perhaps.<br><br> <<link [["That does sound rather impressive." (F)|watson3]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Is there anything else I should know about her?" (L)|watson3]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Do you know why she became a detective?" (D)|watson3]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Bishop's brow furrows. "Does she not do that any more?"<br><br> Sheepishly, you explain that she seems to have no interest in dragging //you// anywhere.<br><br> "Ah, well, I wouldn't take it personally," he says. "She's very particular about whom she likes."<br><br> To get off this awkward subject, you ask whether he knows why she became a detective.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Plenty of things, I'm sure," he says, with a shrug. "You'll have to be more specific."<br><br> You ask whether he knows why she became a detective.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Do you mean how she got into it, or what motivates her?"<br><br> You say that you are equally happy to hear about either.<br><br> <</switch>> "Well, there's no dramatic incident behind it," Bishop says. "She solved a few little problems for friends in her university days--she was a student here, you know--and found she had a talent for it. I think she mainly enjoys the intellectual puzzle of it all. She mentioned once or twice that if she hadn't been a detective, she would have become a thief."<br><br> <<link [["Did that bother you?" (F)|watson4]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["How interesting!" (L)|watson4]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["She isn't particularly concerned about the law?" (D)|watson4]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><<if $strikes >= 2>> Bishop glances at his watch. "I've an anatomy lecture to get to, I'm afraid," he says. "It's been nice meeting you, Miss Williams."<br><br> <<else>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Perhaps I shouldn't admit as much to a police officer, but no, not particularly," he says. "She had--has, I expect--her own sense of justice, even if it was not always aligned with the law."<br><br> <<case 2>> "Yes, I suppose it's not what most would expect," he says. "But she did have--still has, I expect--her own sense of justice, even if it was not always aligned with the law."<br><br> <<case 3>> "Not the law, no," he says. "Justice, certainly, but that isn't always the same thing."<br><br> <</switch>> <<set $distractionInfo = true>> You ask if they were ever on the wrong side of the law in their investigations.<br><br> "Occasionally she let a culprit go--for example, if she felt someone had acted in self-defence but thought the courts unlikely to agree. And she did engage in a spot of housebreaking now and then to search for evidence--oh, don't look so shocked!" he says, chuckling. "She didn't steal or destroy anything; she just sometimes needed a look at a place she wasn't allowed into. It can be difficult to convince people when you don't have the imprimatur of the police.<br><br> "People did call the police on us while we were at it a few times," he goes on, with an air of fond reminiscence. "But she was always good at avoiding them. I remember once she hid behind a door and screamed, and when the policemen came piling into the room, she nipped out, shut the door, and locked it behind her. She was well away by the time they got out."<br><br> In a voice that is, despite your best efforts, somewhat strangled, you thank him for his time. This certainly went in some unexpected directions. You consider sharing that last anecdote with Thalia--it seems the kind of thing that would interest her. On the other hand, though, perhaps she doesn't need any new tricks.<br><br> Bishop glances at his watch. "I've an anatomy lecture to get to, I'm afraid," he says. "It's been nice meeting you, Miss Williams."<br><br> <</if>> [[You take your leave.|day2Hub]]<br>You explain your mission to the librarian, but he informs you that people who are not affiliated with the university are only allowed to take one book out at a time, so you won't be able to put together a comprehensive art history reading list.<br><br> You are not really certain what you are looking for, anyway. You suspect that Marshall doesn't quite understand how broad of a category "art" is, and expects to be able to understand the entire field after a few days reading. You could tell her that that's unlikely to work, but you're sure she wouldn't listen to you. You'll have to find a decent overview and hope it mollifies her. (It also occurs to you that perhaps you should find one that doesn't have too much to say about Moldavian frescoes.)<br><br> <<if $debugMode>> You have read $booksRead books.<br><br> <</if>> <<if $booksRead < 3>> Looking at the shelves, you find three books of interest:<br> [[The History of Christian Art|day2Book1]]<br> [[The Art of Ancient Egypt|day2Book2]]<br> [[A Brief History of Art|day2Book3]] <<else>> <<set $books = true>> Which book will you take back with you?<br><br> <<link [[The History of Christian Art|day2Hub]]>><<set $bookChosen = 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[The Art of Ancient Egypt|day2Hub]]>><<set $bookChosen = 2>><</link>><br> <<link [[A Brief History of Art|day2Hub]]>><<set $bookChosen = 3>><</link>><br> <</if>><<if visited() === 1>><<set $booksRead += 1>><</if>> As its title suggests, this hefty tome covers the development of Christian religious art, starting from its origins in the days of the Roman Empire. After the Byzantine era, it largely focuses on Western Europe, but it touches occasionally on Eastern Europe as well.<br><br> <<return>><<if visited() === 1>><<set $booksRead += 1>><</if>> This is... well, a history of the art of ancient Egypt. It's perhaps the most narrowly focused of the volumes you're considering--all right, not //that// narrowly focused, given that "ancient Egypt" refers to a whole collection of different periods that span millennia, but it is geographically limited.<br><br> <<return>><<if visited() === 1>><<set $booksRead += 1>><</if>> This book, with impressive ambition, sets out to cover artistic movements and major figures from Ancient Greece through the present day (well, the present day at the time of writing, which was about twenty years ago). Of necessity, it doesn't go into great depth on anything, but it's a reasonable survey for someone who knows nothing about the subject.<br><br> <<return>>Well, that's that for your university explorations. <<if $toolInfo>>You've got some solid information for Thalia on the logistics of moving a fresco with minimal chance of damage. And you've<<else>>You've<</if>> also satisfied some personal curiosity regarding Miss Marshall<<if $distractionInfo>>--and learned some rather surprising things about her<<else>>, although you're not certain how useful the information might be<</if>>.<br><br> You write up some notes for Thalia and leave them in a concealed spot near the entrance to the museum (it's awfully convenient that it's only a stone's throw from the university; you don't have to explain your presence in the vicinity, should Miss Marshall somehow hear of it, and the detour doesn't take much time). Now, unfortunately, you must go see Miss Marshall and [[hand off that library book|holmesConv1]].Miss Marshall examines the book. <<switch $bookChosen>> <<case 1>> "This seems a bit specific," she says. "There's quite a lot of pre-Christian art in the museum, after all. But if you think that's what she's most likely to focus on, I suppose you are the expert." (She says this last bit with noticeable distaste.)<br><br> This may have been a mistake--it //is// what Thalia is focusing on, after all, and the limited amount of Christian art in the museum may allow Marshall to narrow things down a bit too much. But it's too late to take it back now.<br><br> <<case 2>> "This seems a bit specific," Marshall says disapprovingly. "The Egyptian Gallery is impressive, but it's only one part of the museum, so if her target is Graeco-Roman, say, or Chinese, this will be quite useless. Although there //were// signs of disturbance in the back rooms near the Egyptian Gallery, so perhaps you're right to focus on that."<br><br> Well, she doesn't seem as happy with this volume as she might be, but at least you might have set her on the wrong path. If she wants a greater variety of art history books, she can get them herself, anyway. In fact, you're not entirely sure why she didn't. You suspect it was largely an excuse to get you out of her way for a bit.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Ah, a general overview," she says. "That should do well enough, at least for a start. I do see that it doesn't include Egypt, but I suppose one can't have everything."<br><br> That's probably the most positive comment you're likely to get out of her. Really, if she wants a broader array of books, she can get them herself. You're not entirely sure why she didn't do so in the first place, although you suspect she might have sent you on this errand to get you out of her way for a while.<br><br> <</switch>> /*I will come back and add a more extensive conversation here if I have time */ Well, at least that's over with now. You can get Thalia the information she asked for and then, you hope, [[stop worrying about this for a little while|night2Start]]./*relationship values with Mel*/ <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <<set $totalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $nice = 0>> <<set $mean = 0>> <<set $melDelta = 0>> /*relationship values with Oscar*/ <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $totalOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Yorkie*/ <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Gwen*/ <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $totalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints = 0>> Tool info:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$toolInfo" true autocheck>> true * <<radiobutton "$toolInfo" false autocheck>> false<br><br> Distraction Info:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$distractionInfo" true autocheck>> true * <<radiobutton "$distractionInfo" false autocheck>> false<br><br> Set current finesse:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 7 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 10 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 13 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Gwen points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 10 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 15 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 19 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Mel points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 8 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 10 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 13 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Oscar points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 5 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 7 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 9 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Yorkie points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 5 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 7 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 9 autocheck>> high<br><br> <<set $maxFinesse = 13>> [[Night 3|night2Start]]/*variables from day 2 affecting night 2: toolInfo distractionInfo*/ <<set $time = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $slow = 0>> <<set $messy = 0>> <<set $finesse = 0>> <<set $maxFinesse = 0>> <<set $toolList = ["pair of gloves", "solvent", "pry bar", "fabric", "tie strap", "paint scraper"]>> <<set $distractionsUsed = []>> <<set $toolLocs = []>> <<set $goBack = "">> <<set $currentItem = "">> <<set $radio = false>> You are Lady Thalia, and you are once more at the British Museum. Your goal for tonight is to stash the tools you will be using to transport the fresco, so that you don't have to carry too much around with you when you come back for it. Oscar and Yorkie have also come along to assist you with your deviously clever (if you do say so yourself) plan to throw Miss Marshall off the scent: planting red herrings. If she so loves her little clues, you'll give her a surfeit of them, scattered throughout the museum.<br><br> For the purposes of coordination, Gwen has lent Oscar and Yorkie her radio (she only has three radios, since you gather they're rather difficult and expensive to make, and she wants to keep one herself, so they have to share one between them). Oscar is delighted by it, and suggests that he and Yorkie come up with aliases by which you can refer to them to avoid giving away their identities.<br><br> Yorkie decides on "M.B." Distantly recalling that his name is Matthew Barker, you question the wisdom of using his actual initials, but he assures you hardly anyone remembers what his real name is.<br><br> Oscar, meanwhile, calls himself "Wicket". "It was my nickname at school," he explains.<br><br> You comment that you didn't know he had been an avid cricketer in his school days.<br><br> "I wasn't," he says, without further elaboration.<br><br> Well, that's enough chatter. It's time to [[get to work|distract1]].<<if visited() === 1>> You press the "talk" button and hail Oscar on your radio. It gives a few squawks, as if he's fumbling to work the buttons, and then Oscar responds. "Everything alright, Theo?"<br><br> You tell him that it is, and that you wanted to check in on his and Yorkie's progress. You also remind him that he should be calling you Thalia right now. (Wasn't he the one who suggested using aliases?)<br><br> After Oscar's hurried apology (and Yorkie's background snort) he launches into a status update. It sounds like they're about where they're supposed to be, which is excellent. You report back your status in kind.<br><br> <<set $radio = true>> <<scoreTracker 1 1>> <<else>> You exchange status reports with Oscar. He and Yorkie are a bit behind after getting lost, but they'll catch up soon enough.<br><br> /*good candidate for randomized text here */ <</if>> You hear a fumbling noise through the radio, and then Yorkie's voice crackles into being. <<if $slow > $messy>> "Can you hurry it up a bit? This blasted place gives me the willies." He sounds anxious. You sigh and tell him you'll do your best. <<elseif $messy > $slow>> "Aren't you going a bit fast? I'd hate for you to speed through it all and miss something." His voice is light, but you can tell he's nervous. You let him know you'll be careful. <<elseif $slow === 0 and $messy === 0>> "One request--it's still early, so can you check in on us in a bit? I'd hate to think we had the wrong idea, or went off in the wrong direction, or some such." Despite whatever they got up to in America, your discussion the other day seems to have given Yorkie a bit of stage fright. (You find that surprisingly endearing.) You promise to check in again soon. <<else>> "Sounds like you've got everything in hand, eh? Well, keep us posted and we'll meet up with you once we're done." Yorkie sounds relieved that everything is going smoothly. You wish him luck and put down your radio. <</if>> <br><br> <<return>><<set $convVar = 0>> The first set of guards are in the break area, and are having a chat instead of patrolling.<br><br> You survey the pair and consider your options to get them out of the way for the evening. <br><br> <<link [[Lure them out with a noise.|distract2]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><br> <<link [[Set up a trap for them.|distract2]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Sneak in and incapacitate them.|distract2]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<if $distractionInfo>><<link [[Bishop's suggestion seems a bit dramatic, but why not give it a try?|distract2]]>><<conv 4>><</link>><br><</if>> [[Check in on Oscar and Yorkie.|n2Radio]]<<run $distractionsUsed.push($convVar)>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 3>> You sneak next door and topple over a stack of papyrus. Unfortunately for you, the central location of this break room means that it has several next doors, and the guards fail to correctly identify which one you're in. You have to break a few more objects than you intended to lure them in the correct direction, but at least this should keep them occupied for a while. <br><br> <<scoreTracker 1 3>> <<case 1>> You're close to the workshop, and that gives you an idea. You sneak over a few rooms to the workshop supply and, after a bit of searching, find a large pot of glue. There's a note scribbled on it that says "STRONGEST HOLD--USE SPARINGLY!" Exactly what you need.<br><br> There are several exits out of the break room, but since these guards aren't on duty, you have time to place a generous layer of glue on the floor outside each exit using a brush you have also stolen. Anyone who tries to leave, well, won't.<br><br> <<slow 1>> <<scoreTracker 3 3>> <<case 2>> Subduing two guards at once is a tough order, but you think you can manage it. You didn't bring your chloroform for nothing, after all. You sneak up behind one of the guards and shove the chloroform-soaked rag in his face. He clutches his head and rolls out of his chair, too woozy to do anything else.<br><br> The second guard is caught by surprise but is certainly not going to take this lying down. A quick scuffle ensues in which the table is knocked over and cards fly everywhere, but you manage to shove the rag in his face as well and he loses consciousness before he can do you any real harm. From there it's a simple matter to tie them both up and make your exit.<br><br> <<messy 1>> <<scoreTracker 2 3>> <<case 4>> Well, here goes nothing. You find a suitably small room nearby and then scream at the top of your voice. The guards from the break room come running and pile into the room without a second thought, the idea of a person in distress having completely overridden their common sense. You then lock the door behind them and pull a crate in front of it for good measure. <br><br> Goodness, that was fun. No wonder Miss Marshall likes that particular trick. <br><br> <<scoreTracker 3 3>> <</switch>> <<set $convVar = 0>> That dealt with, it's time to find more guards to neutralise. You hear voices and follow them to the central library, where two guards are having an argument with a third who won't come down off the observation platform.<br><br> Out of an abundance of caution, you don't want to repeat your previous trick--if word gets round, people will get wise to it and it'll be out of your repertoire permanently. What else can you do?<br><br> <<if $distractionsUsed.includes(1) is false>><<link [[Set up a trap.|distract3]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $distractionsUsed.includes(2) is false>><<link [[Try to incapacitate the three of them.|distract3]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $distractionsUsed.includes(3) is false>><<link [[Lure them away with a distraction.|distract3]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $distractionInfo and ($distractionsUsed.includes(4) is false)>><<link [[You can still try Bishop's suggestion. Surely he wouldn't steer you wrong.|distract3]]>><<conv 4>><</link>><br><</if>> [[Check in on Oscar and Yorkie.|n2Radio]]<<run $distractionsUsed.push($convVar)>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> You have some rope in your bag, and you fashion it into a set of discreet tripwires. It takes you a bit of sneaking to properly trap all the exits, but it should be very effective at stopping them should they try to leave.<br><br> <<slow 1>> <<scoreTracker 2 3>> <<case 2>> Trying to subdue three guards at once is complete madness, but lately you've been feeling as if you have something to prove. Why not try?<br><br> Fortune smiles upon you when one of the guards hits his breaking point with the man on the plinth and goes to storm off. You collar him right outside the door and give him a face-full of chloroform, and then let him drop so that the thump of his body attracts the second guard. Luckily, a second distressing thump is enough to finally get the third guard out of position, and you take him down too.<br><br> Leaving three men tied up in such a central location is risky, but even if you were capable of moving them (which you are not sure you are), there are no good hiding spots to move them to. You hope that your luck holds and that Gwen doesn't find out you did this.<br><br> <<scoreTracker 1 3>> <<case 3>> The nice thing about the back rooms of this place is that there's no shortage of objects with which you can make noise. The adjacent storage room is full of crates, which make a satisfying splintering sound when you knock them off a shelf. The guards come running, but you're a good two rooms away by the time they even open the door.<br><br> <<messy 1>> <<scoreTracker 3 3>> <<case 4>> Well, here goes nothing. You find a suitably small room nearby and then scream at the top of your voice. The guards from the library come running and pile into the room without a second thought, the idea of a person in distress having completely overridden their common sense. You then lock the door behind them and pull a crate in front of it for good measure.<br><br> Goodness, that was fun. No wonder Miss Marshall likes that particular trick.<br><br> <<scoreTracker 3 3>> <</switch>> <<set $convVar = 0>> Two down, on to the third. Your intuition takes you to the Catalogue Room, where it appears the guards have set up a base of sorts. There's only one of them present at the moment, which is rather unwise.<br><br> <<if $distractionsUsed.includes(2) is false>><<link [[Sneak in and incapacitate him.|distractEnd]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $distractionsUsed.includes(1) is false>><<link [[Set a trap.|distractEnd]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $distractionsUsed.includes(3) is false>><<link [[Create a distraction in the next room.|distractEnd]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $distractionInfo and ($distractionsUsed.includes(4) is false)>><<link [[You still have the opportunity to try Bishop's trick. It's very tempting, in fact.|distractEnd]]>><<conv 4>><</link>><br><</if>> [[Check in on Oscar and Yorkie.|n2Radio]]<<run $distractionsUsed.push($convVar)>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Incapacitating a single guard is practically child's play. You could do it in your sleep. (Well, he'll be the one sleeping, but you can't think of a better turn of phrase right now.) He even has his back to the entrance. You creep in and take him down.<br><br> Honestly, that was almost //too// easy. It's enough to make one nervous. <br><br> <<scoreTracker 3 3>> <<case 2>> This room is a tricky one to trap, since the other of its two entrances is off-limits to visitors and thus harder to get to from your current position. You'll have to make two traps, really, but that's not about to stop you.<br><br> Since the door to the rest of the museum is open, it only takes you a little while to carefully balance an instrument case on top of the door. You then sneak over to writing storage and rearrange the stacks of paper to fall on whoever enters next. And with that, your work is done.<br><br> <<scoreTracker 1 3>> <<case 3>> You sneak into writing storage and push over a stack of paper, creating enough of a sound to attract the guard. Given the room is now hip-deep in paper he'll be searching that room all night. (Unless the dust gets him first, that is.)<br><br> <<scoreTracker 2 3>> <<case 4>> Well, here goes nothing. You find a suitably small room nearby and then scream at the top of your voice. The guard from the Catalogue Room comes running and sprints into the room without a second thought, the idea of a person in distress having completely overridden his common sense. You then lock the door behind him and pull a crate in front of it for good measure. <br><br> Goodness, that was fun. No wonder Miss Marshall likes that particular trick. <br><br> <<scoreTracker 3 3>> <</switch>> That should be all the guards dealt with. On to your [[next task.|toolsIntro]]/*<<set $toolList = ["pair of gloves", "solvent", "pry bar", "fabric", "tie strap", "paint scraper"]>> */ <<if $toolInfo>> <<run $toolList.delete("paint scraper", "tie strap")>>/*update based on day 2 */ <</if>> You've taken care of any possible interference, and you've got your bag of tricks ready. <<if $toolInfo>>The information you got from Mel was a great help in narrowing down what you needed.<<else>>You're still not sure exactly what tools will be necessary to detach and transport a fresco, so you've brought everything you think might possibly come in handy.<</if>> Now comes the hard part of your night: hiding them well enough that they will not be noticed until you need them again. You've identified a few rooms that you think would make good hiding spots, so you should investigate and see what you can stow.<br><br> [[Go to the workshop.|tools1]]<br> [[Go to the western supply room.|tools2]]<br> [[Go to the Egyptian storage room.|tools3]]<br> [[Go to the guard locker room.|tools4]]<br> [[Check in on Oscar and Yorkie.|n2Radio]]<<time 1>> <<if visited() === 1>> The workshop is blissfully deserted tonight. Between the workstations and the shelves full of tools you have your pick of locations to hide your gear. Still, people will be in and out of here quite a bit before you come back--best see if you can stow something here that looks like it belongs.<br><br> <<else>> You've returned to the workshop. <br><br> <</if>> <<if $backroomsCopy.includes("workshop") === false>> A pair of large double doors is present on the east side of the room. Based on your mental map of the museum, these must lead outside. Good to know for later. <<run $backroomsCopy.push("workshop")>> <<else>> The doors to the outside catch your eye again. These will definitely come in handy tomorrow. <</if>><br><br> <<if $toolLocs.includes("tools1")>> You've already hidden something here. <br><br> <<else>> [[Stash something here?|gearDrop1]]<br><br> <</if>> [[Go to the western supply room.|tools2]]<br> [[Go to the Egyptian storage room.|tools3]]<br> [[Go to the guard locker room.|tools4]]<br> [[Check in on Oscar and Yorkie.|n2Radio]]<<time 1>> <<if visited() === 1>> The supply room is overflowing with paints, brushes, glues, and all manner of tools of the art restoration trade. You have ample room to hide something here, assuming it blends in well enough.<br><br> <<else>> You've returned to the supply room, which today smells of glue. <br><br> <</if>> <<if $toolLocs.includes("tools2")>> You've already hidden something here.<br><br> <<else>> [[Stash something here?|gearDrop1]]<br><br> <</if>> [[Go to the workshop.|tools1]]<br> [[Go to the Egyptian storage room.|tools3]]<br> [[Go to the guard locker room.|tools4]]<br> [[Check in on Oscar and Yorkie.|n2Radio]]<<time 1>> <<if visited() === 1>> The Egyptian storage room is as full as ever of haphazardly piled artefacts. Someone has put a sheet over the worst of the messes, as if that's fooling anyone. <<else>> You're in the Egyptian storage room, where a sarcophagus under a canvas tarp definitely did //not// just give you a terrible fright. <</if>><br><br> <<if $toolLocs.includes("tools3")>> You've already hidden something here.<br><br> <<else>> [[Stash something here?|gearDrop1]]<br><br> <</if>> [[Go to the workshop.|tools1]]<br> [[Go to the western supply room.|tools2]]<br> [[Go to the guard locker room.|tools4]]<br> [[Check in on Oscar and Yorkie.|n2Radio]]<<time 1>> <<if visited() === 1>> The guard corridor is long, silent, and slightly spooky. It's also filled with lockers, which gives you an idea--where better to store something than a locker? You don't have a spare lock, though, so the contents need to look innocuous in case someone opens it. <<else>> You're back in the guard corridor, which is luckily still deserted. <</if>><br><br> <<if $toolLocs.includes("tools4")>> You've already hidden something here.<br><br> <<else>> [[Stash something here?|gearDrop1]]<br><br> <</if>> [[Go to the workshop.|tools1]]<br> [[Go to the western supply room.|tools2]]<br> [[Go to the Egyptian storage room.|tools3]]<br> [[Check in on Oscar and Yorkie.|n2Radio]]/*reminder: ["pair of gloves", "solvent", "pry bar", "fabric", "tie strap", "paint scraper"] */ <<set $goBack = previous()>> What would you like to stow here?<br><br> <<if $toolList.includes("pair of gloves")>><<link [[The gloves.|gearDrop2]]>> <<gearDrop "pair of gloves">><</link>> <br><</if>> <<if $toolList.includes("solvent")>><<link [[The solvent.|gearDrop2]]>> <<gearDrop "solvent">><</link>> <br><</if>> <<if $toolList.includes("pry bar")>><<link [[The pry bar.|gearDrop2]]>> <<gearDrop "pry bar">><</link>> <br><</if>> <<if $toolList.includes("fabric")>><<link [[The fabric.|gearDrop2]]>> <<gearDrop "fabric">><</link>> <br><</if>> <<if $toolList.includes("tie strap")>><<link [[The tie strap.|gearDrop2]]>> <<gearDrop "tie strap">><</link>> <br><</if>> <<if $toolList.includes("paint scraper")>><<link [[The paint scraper.|gearDrop2]]>> <<gearDrop "paint scraper">><</link>> <br><</if>> [[Actually, you need to think about this for a minute.|previous()]]<<set $workshopTools = ["pair of gloves", "solvent", "pry bar", "paint scraper"]>> <<set $supplyTools = ["solvent", "paint scraper", "tie strap", "fabric"]>> <<set $egyptTools = ["fabric", "tie strap"]>> <<set $guardTools = ["pry bar", "pair of gloves"]>> <<switch $goBack>> <<case "tools1">> /*workshop */ <<if $workshopTools.includes($currentItem)>> You leave the $currentItem on a shelf in the corner of the room. Your only danger here is that someone might use it for their work.<br><br> <<scoreTracker 2 2>> <<else>> You stash the $currentItem under a shelf in the corner of the room. You don't think anyone will notice it there. <br><br> <<scoreTracker 1 2>> <</if>> <<case "tools2">> /*western supply room */ <<if $supplyTools.includes($currentItem)>> You tuck the $currentItem in among the other items on the shelf. Hopefully you'll remember which one is yours when you come back.<br><br> <<scoreTracker 2 2>> <<else>> You tuck the $currentItem into a corner behind a crate of art supplies, where it shouldn't be seen unless someone really goes looking for it. (With any luck, that someone will be you and you alone.)<br><br> <<scoreTracker 1 2>> <</if>> <<case "tools3">>/*Egyptian storage */ <<if $egyptTools.includes($currentItem)>> You drape the $currentItem over a sarcophagus. It looks like it has every reason to be there.<br><br> <<scoreTracker 2 2>> <<else>> You pry open a (mercifully empty) sarcophagus and drop the $currentItem inside. It might be a bit awkward to retrieve, but nobody will ever check here for contraband.<br><br> <<scoreTracker 1 2>> <</if>> <<case "tools4">> /*guard lockers */ <<if $guardTools.includes($currentItem)>> You find an open locker at the end of the corridor, and put the $currentItem inside. It's a reasonable thing for a guard to have, more or less.<br><br> <<scoreTracker 2 2>> <<else>> You find an open locker and put the $currentItem inside, and then scrounge around the room for other items to throw in with it. Hopefully it will look as if someone has been using this locker as an impromptu lost and found.<br><br> <<scoreTracker 1 2>> <</if>> <</switch>> <<if $toolLocs.length >= 8>> [[Suddenly, your radio crackles to life.|n2gauntletStart]] <<else>> [[On to the next one.|$goBack]] <</if>><<set $convVar = 0>> Oscar's panicked voice suddenly fills your ears. "The-- Thalia!" he sputters. "We've been had! I just glanced out the window and there are police positively //swarming// the building!" Your blood runs cold. You should have known this wasn't going to be so easy with Miss Marshall involved.<br><br> You'll somehow have to get yourself and your co-conspirators out of here in one piece. Hopefully the pair will be more flexible on their own this time, but you can give them a bit of direction before you scarper off yourself.<br><br> <<link[['"They don\'t know where any of us are yet, so don\'t rush. Meet me at the rendezvous point, and don\'t let anyone see you two if you can help it!"'|n2gauntlet1]]>><<conv 1>><<slow 1>><</link>><br><br> <<link[['"Drop everything and get out of there! I\'ll meet you at the rendezvous point, and if we hurry we can leave before they catch up."'|n2gauntlet1]]>><<conv 2>><<messy 1>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "I say, shouldn't we try to be quick about it?" Oscar objects. In the background, you can hear Yorkie snap "We don't have time to argue! Just do as she says, and let's go!" You can hear Oscar begin to say something indignant, but then the radio goes silent. <<case 2>> "Yes, of course, right away," Oscar agrees hastily, and is accompanied by a thud that implies he has indeed dropped something. In the background you can hear Yorkie saying, "Shouldn't we try to be careful?" He starts to say more, but Oscar cuts him off and then the radio goes silent. <</switch>><br><br> You hope you haven't started an argument between them, but that's a problem for later. Right now you need to get yourself to the exit. You're practically on the other side of the museum, so time is of the essence, but you should avoid giving your position away until you absolutely have to. This will be tricky.<br><br> <<link[[Get out of the room fast.|n2gauntlet2]]>><<conv 2>><<messy 1>><</link>><br> <<link[[Take time to clean up first.|n2gauntlet2]]>><<conv 1>><<slow 1>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> You take a minute to remove any evidence that you were here--you're not optimistic, but you hope that this tool at least will survive the police search undetected. Cold comfort if you yourself don't, of course, but you like to plan ahead. Once this is complete, you step through the nearest door and close it behind you. <<case 2>> You bolt through the nearest door as fast as possible, and in your panic you shut it more loudly than intended. You hope the noise doesn't attract any attention, but for now you'll just have to keep moving and trust your luck. <</switch>><br><br> There's no sign of any guards here yet, and you hope to be gone before any show up. Consulting your mental map of the museum, you decide the quickest way to the rendezvous point is through the door to your left. Unfortunately, you apparently haven't been through it yet and so it's locked.<br><br> <<link[[You have the time to pick it properly. Best not leave a trail.|n2gauntlet3]]>><<conv 1>><<slow 1>><</link>><br> <<link "Force the lock--every second counts here." "n2gauntlet3">><<conv 2>><<messy 1>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> This lock isn't any harder to pick than the others in the museum, but under the circumstances it feels like an eternity before the door opens. You're not certain how much time you actually spent--you're not in the habit of checking your watch before beginning such an endeavour--but you hope that you can gain it back by not having left an easy trail to follow. <<case 2>> You don't like using this trick, and to be fair these locks aren't even good enough to deserve it, but needs must. You jam your tools into the lock and turn with all your might. Something audibly snaps, but the door opens. <</switch>><br><br> You're halfway across the next room before you hear footsteps approaching, and your heart sinks. You don't know if it's a guard or a policeman, not that there's a difference right now--you're caught either way unless you deal with him.<br><br> <<link[[Hide, and see if you can wait him out.|n2Gauntlet4]]>><<conv 1>><<slow 1>><</link>><br> <<link[[Get the drop on him.|n2Gauntlet4]]>><<conv 2>><<messy 1>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> You wedge yourself in the shadow of a sarcophagus and crouch down, making yourself as small as possible. Your best bet is to hide until he leaves in some direction. Unfortunately, it turns out there is one important difference between a security guard and a policeman: a policeman knows how to properly search a room. You can see the beam of his torch methodically scan each nook and cranny of the other exhibits, and you know deep in your heart he's going to find you. <br><br> Suddenly, you hear a thunder of footsteps, and the door bursts open again. The policeman whirls around, his attention diverted for the moment, and catches--who else--Oscar and Yorkie in the beam of his torch. Grateful for the distraction, you grab a canopic jar off a nearby plinth and prepare to brain the copper from behind--but Yorkie quite literally beats you to the punch. Before you have a solid grip on your improvised weapon he's already dashed across the room, blocked a blow from the torch with one hand, and with the other delivered a beautiful uppercut to the policeman's jaw. The policeman collapses to the floor, and you breathe a sigh of relief.<br><br> <<case 2>> You crouch down next to the doorway, and once the mystery man is through, you launch yourself straight at his midsection. You both fall down in a tangle of limbs, and the horrible wheezing sound he makes tells you that you've knocked the air straight out of his lungs. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop him from grabbing your trouser leg as you try to flee. You're hardly up again before you crash back to the floor, and although he's gasping for air he still manages to pin you with his body. He feels like he's twice your size, and you begin to panic as his weight crushes the breath from your lungs. Unless you can escape now, you're done for.<br><br> Suddenly, the weight on your chest is gone. In your current state and with only the light of the man's dropped torch, it takes you a moment to figure out what happened, but it looks as if a second man has appeared from nowhere and dragged the intruder off you by the collar. The policeman catches his breath enough to stagger away and break your saviour's grip, only to be punched in the temple by yet a third man. He drops to the floor with an unpleasant thud. The fight has taken the men into the path of the torch beam, and with great relief you recognise the two newcomers as Oscar and Yorkie.<br><br> <</switch>> You try to compose yourself as Oscar strips the policeman of his belt and begins to bind his hands. While he's working on the restraints, you catch Yorkie's eye. "You're quite the pugilist," you say, inanely. He seems flattered, though, and tosses his head as if to deflect the compliment.<br><br> "Boarding school was good for something, I suppose. I was the welterweight champion two years running, not that it taught me the important stuff." He shrugs, and you remind yourself to ask later where he //did// learn the important stuff.<br><br> At that point Oscar stands up, having finished his task with the veteran flourish of a handkerchief shoved in the policeman's mouth. The two men turn to you, and you realize that you need to make a decision as to how to get to the exit.<br><br> <<link[[Try to fake out your pursuers.|n2Gauntlet5]]>><<conv 1>><<slow 1>><</link>><br> <<link[[Run straight to the exit. Hopefully the police can't keep up.|n2Gauntlet5]]>><<conv 2>><<messy 1>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> You provide Oscar and Yorkie the briefest explanation of what you're about to do, and then take off through the open doorway. The three of you zigzag through the museum, throwing doors open at random and in general trying to make your path as inscrutable as possible. You're glad of the men's faith in you, because even with your experience at navigating unfamiliar buildings, you can barely keep track of your position. Eventually you get close enough to the maintenance exit you've set as the rendezvous point, and break straight towards it.<br><br> <<case 2>> You gesture for Oscar and Yorkie to follow you, and then beat hell for leather towards the maintenance entrance to the building. If the three of you can get out of here and onto the getaway vehicles you've stashed in the alleyway then you may still wiggle out of this one yet. You can hear guards closing in, but none have caught up to you yet, and Oscar is surprisingly adept at shouldering straight through locked doors. (Though it must be rather hard on the shoulder--you'll have to remind him to put a compress on it when you get home.)<br><br> <</switch>> Your heart swells with relief as your group reaches the maintenance exit fully unaccosted, although you know your pursuers aren't far behind. That relief turns icy cold, however, once you make it outside and are confronted with the worst sight imaginable: in defiance of the heavy police presence, a group of urchins have decided this is the perfect opportunity to strip your two motorbikes for parts.<br><br> The sight of you three is enough to scare them off, but the damage has already been done. One of the bikes is intact enough to ride, at least, but the other lies in pieces all about the alley. There's no way you can fit the three of you on just one motorbike (Gwen having been rather protective about her sidecar), and you can now hear the footsteps of the police. You only have a few seconds to react, and before you can think twice you're running back towards the museum. Oscar (or maybe Yorkie?) yells something after you, but brooks no further argument after you yell at them to leave.<br><br> You hear the motorcycle engine fade into the distance as the sound of boots grows louder and louder.<br><br> <<link[[Try and hide.|n2GauntletEnd]]>><<conv 1>><<slow 1>><</link>><br> <<link[[Get as far as you can before they get you.|n2GauntletEnd]]>><<conv 2>><<messy 1>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Like all alleyways, this one is full of nooks and crannies to hide in. You don't think any of them will truly keep you safe from the police, but you're desperate and something is better than nothing. You fold yourself into the shadow behind a rubbish bin seconds before the police enter the alley. <br><br> <<case 2>> The alley isn't blind, so there's a small but extant chance that if you run fast enough you can still escape. You're exhausted after your pell-mell sprint through the museum, but fear and adrenaline provide just enough strength to drive you onward. Unfortunately the police are fresher than you are, and you can hear them gaining. <br><br> <</switch>> Suddenly, a loud whistle splits the night, and everyone stops in surprise. You look around to find the source and see, to your complete and utter shock, a masked figure standing on a roof a little ways down the alley. The figure whistles again and then drops a rope down into the alley. You're not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so you <<if $convVar === 1>>break your cover<<else>>make one final push<</if>>, sprint to the rope, and begin to climb. One policeman manages to get hold of you, clawing at your face and hair in an attempt to restrain you, but you're at a good height to elbow him in the throat and shake him off.<br><br> Once you've made it near the top, the mystery person (who, you can now see, is a woman) gives you a hand and hoists you up onto the roof. (She's surprisingly strong, even if you are on the lighter side.) She then drops the rope over the side and flees across the London rooftops. Unsure what else to do, you follow her across the town until you can't run any more, and manage to wheeze out a [[request for a break|night2End]].You collapse against someone's chimney and try to catch your breath. Once you can speak properly again, you turn to your new companion and try to make sense of your situation. She's tall for a woman, and has familiar curly hair pulled back into a tight bun. She is also staring at you with a very odd expression on what you can see of her face. You wonder if you took an injury in the fray and reach up to check your face, but instead of blood you find nothing, not even your mask. Your face, and your identity, are on display for all to see.<br><br> "Good evening, Mrs Knight," Mel says shakily. She begins to move towards you, reaching one hand out towards your face.<br><br> <<if $radio === false>> <<scoreTracker 0 1>><</if>> <<finesseCalc>> [[Oh, hell.|night2Coda]]You lower yourself from the edge of the roof and scramble down the side of the building as fast as you can--at least Mel didn't keep her rope, and you're more adept at these acrobatics than she is, so it gives you a decent head start. From there, you head for home on foot. Of course, that's the first place she'll look for you, but where else can you go? You'd hate to draw attention to Gwen by going to her house, and, well, you don't have any other friends any more. You can hardly go to a hotel dressed like this--your thieving outfit is unusual enough that they'd certainly remember it--and in any case you don't have any money on you. So, home it is.<br><br> It's not a short walk, and you'd already exerted yourself quite a bit beforehand. By the time you reach your doorstep, you're exhausted. Just as well, really--otherwise, you'd probably be up the whole night (well, what's left of it) waiting for the police to knock on your door. But as it is, you barely have the strength to reassure Oscar and Yorkie that you're fine before you crawl to your bed and [[fall asleep|interlude2Start]]./*relationship values with Mel*/ <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <<set $totalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $nice = 0>> <<set $mean = 0>> <<set $melDelta = 0>> /*relationship values with Oscar*/ <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $totalOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Yorkie*/ <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Gwen*/ <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $totalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints = 0>> Set current finesse:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 15 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 23 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 30 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Gwen points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 10 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 15 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 19 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Mel points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 8 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 10 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 13 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Oscar points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 5 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 7 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 9 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Yorkie points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 5 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 7 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 9 autocheck>> high<br><br> <<set $maxFinesse = 30>> <<set $toolLocs =["gloves","tools1","solvent","tools2","fabric","tools3","pry bar","tools4"]>> [[Interlude 3|interlude2Start]]<<set $gwenTalk = false>> <<set $yorkieTalk = false>> <<set $oscarTalk = false>> Mel knocks at your door early the next morning. (Not //too// early; it was awfully considerate of her to let you get some sleep before arresting you.)<br><br> You consider pretending not to be home, perhaps trying to sneak out a window--but no, she's probably expecting that. Better to face your fate with dignity. You'd got too comfortable with her; you'd got complacent. You should have known better, but you were inexplicably stupid, and here you are now.<br><br> You take a deep breath and [[open the door|day2Mel1]].Mel holds up her hands, palms outward. "Don't worry," she says, "I'm not here to arrest you. I just want to talk."<br><br> You stare at her.<br><br> "Can I come in?" she asks.<br><br> You're still not sure this isn't a trap, and probably you //should// shut the door in her face, lock it, and begin preparations to change your name and flee the country. But somehow you find yourself inviting her in anyway.<br><br> The two of you sit down in the parlour. You wonder if you should make tea. Then the absurdity of the thought--of the whole situation, really--hits you, and you struggle against the urge to start laughing.<br><br> You're sure you must have a rather odd look on your face, but Mel doesn't react, probably because she is stringently avoiding your gaze.<br><br> <<link [['"If this is a trick, I\'d much prefer you to call the police in now and get it over with."'|day2Mel2]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 1 3>><<set $mean += 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"It\'s terribly kind of you to not arrest me. I always knew you had a soft spot for me."'|day2Mel2]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><<set $nice += 1>><</link>><br> <<link '"So... why //aren\'t// you arresting me?"' 'day2Mel2'>><<relation "MelPoints" 3 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mel lets out a frustrated sigh. "I just said that it wasn't!"<br><br> You point out that of course she would say that.<br><br> "Look. If I wanted the police here, they'd be here. I'd have nothing to gain by having a chat with you first."<br><br> Well. You suppose that's true.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Could you stop being glib for one moment, please," Mel says. "I am trying to have a serious conversation with you."<br><br> You suppose you should be careful not to make her regret not arresting you.<br><br> <<case 3>> "I... I don't know," she says. "That is, I..." She sighs, frustrated--with herself, you think, not you.<br><br> You sit there silently; you can't think of anything to say that would be helpful. (Maybe you should have made tea after all, to give her time to compose herself.)<br><br> <</switch>> "It's just... I thought about it last night and I realised I didn't //want// to arrest you." She huffs out something resembling a laugh. "That sounds daft, doesn't it? But, I mean, I could have caught you last spring. I could have caught you in France. <<if $melRescue>>I could have caught you when Miss Marshall found you at the museum a few days ago. <</if>>I could, in fact, have turned you down when you asked me to help you steal the fresco and arrested you on the spot. You must have noticed I was letting an awful lot of opportunities slip by. Scotland Yard certainly noticed. So in the end I had to admit to myself that, well, my heart just wasn't in it."<br><br> You had indeed noticed this, but you were not entirely sure what it meant. You still aren't, in fact.<br><br> <<link [['"Because I\'m just too charming?"'|day2Mel3]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 1 3>><<set $nice += 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Why on earth not? Isn\'t it supposed to be your job?"'|day2Mel3]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><<set $mean += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"You\'re not happy with your work with the police?"'|day2Mel3]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 3 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "You're not quite that charming, I'm sorry to say." Mel sighs. "Really, I wish you would take this more seriously."<br><br> You apologise. You //do// feel a little bad for being flippant when Mel is clearly struggling to open up to you. Just a little.<br><br> "It's not because of you. Well, not exactly. I've just... started to question some things."<br><br> <<case 2>> "I thought you'd be pleased to hear that I was no longer interested in arresting you," she says dryly. "But if you're really so put out about it, I can call Scotland Yard immediately. You do have a telephone, don't you?"<br><br> You apologise and assure her that that won't be necessary.<br><br> "Anyway, yes, as you have astutely noted, it is supposed to be my job. It's just... I've found I'm not sure whether it's a job worth doing."<br><br> <<case 3>> She looks a bit surprised--either she didn't expect you to have figured that out, or she wasn't expecting an earnest answer (not that you could blame her for that). "Yes, exactly," she says. "Of course, it's been difficult since they hired Miss Marshall, but even before that..." She trails off for a moment, apparently trying to sort out her thoughts.<br><br> <</switch>> You wait for her to continue.<br><br> "Well, really what it is, is--I'm tired of having to constantly prove myself at the Yard, without any support or even any //respect//," she says. "They won't even give me a proper job! I'm still a 'consultant', because God forbid a woman should be an inspector. I suppose I always thought they'd change their minds some day--if I did well enough--but if they were going to, I think they'd have done it by now." She pauses, and a strange look comes over her face. "You know what's funny? I realised that when we were working together, last summer, that was the closest I'd ever come to an actual partnership--to actually working together with someone, rather than being tolerated by people who wish my skills came without //me// attached to them."<br><br> <<link [['"I suppose you made a tolerable partner in crime."'|day2Mel4]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 1 3>><<conv 1>><<set $mean += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I\'m glad to hear I\'m so delightful to work with."'|day2Mel4]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><<set $nice += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Well then. What now?"'|day2Mel4]]>><<relation "MelPoints" 3 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "I know you're only saying that to annoy me and I'm not going to fall for it," Mel says, although she does sound a little annoyed.<br><br> You ask her what she plans to do now.<br><br> <<case 2>> "I wouldn't say //delightful//," Mel says. "You're better than the police, but that isn't a very high bar to clear." But she doesn't look as annoyed as you would have expected. You'll take that as a victory.<br><br> You ask her what she plans to do now.<br><br> <<case 3>> "I don't know," Mel admits. "I've been working towards this one thing all my life, really. It's hard to imagine what else I could do."<br><br> You point out, as delicately as possible, that she will have to try to imagine it regardless.<br><br> <</switch>> "Look," says Mel, "let's just finish this business with the fresco. I don't have time to start reconsidering my entire life in the midst of all this."<br><br> You admit that this is eminently reasonable.<br><br> "Well, I should be going," she says. "Thank you for listening to all that."<br><br> You see her to the door in awkward silence, then consider [[what you should do next|interlude2Hub]].<<if visited()===1>> Now that you know you aren't going to be standing in the dock any time soon (at least, not because of Mel), you can invite Gwen over for your traditional après-crime tea--although it feels rather silly now. You could also check in on Oscar and Yorkie.<br><br> <<elseif $gwenTalk === false or $oscarTalk === false or $yorkieTalk === false>> You've still got time to socialise this morning. <br><br> <<else>> Well, it's been lovely chatting with everyone, but morning is shading into afternoon, and if you want to get anything else done before tonight, you should get to it quickly. [[You consider your next move.|interlude2End]] <</if>> <<if $gwenTalk === false>>[[Talk to Gwen.|day2Gwen1]]<br><</if>> <<if $oscarTalk === false>>[[Talk to Oscar.|day2Oscar1]]<br><</if>> <<if $yorkieTalk === false>>[[Talk to Yorkie.|day2Yorkie1]]<br><</if>><<set $gwenTalk = true>> When you greet Gwen at the door, she takes a long look at you and says, "You look like hell."<br><br> You fill her in on everything that has happened since the two of you were separated last night. She listens--without any editorialising comments, for once.<br><br> Once you've finished your account, she says, "Well, that's... certainly a lot to take in. But I'm glad you're not in gaol."<br><br> You ask for her assessment of how you did.<br><br> "I would give it, hmmm... $finesse out of $maxFinesse. For everything up until the point where you lost your mask, anyway. That wasn't your greatest moment, but I understand that there were circumstances. <<if $gwenComplaint is "slow">> I deducted some points for taking too long. <<elseif $gwenComplaint is "messy">> I deducted some points for making too much of a mess. <</if>> <<if $finesse === $maxFinesse>> All in all, it went swimmingly, until it didn't." <<elseif $finesse >= ($maxFinesse * 0.8)>> It really did seem like it was going well. Too bad it all fell apart at the end." <<else>> Most of what happened wasn't your fault, but I do feel you could have done better overall." <</if>><br><br> You thank her for her evaluation.<br><br> Gwen shakes her head. "I don't understand why you're so attached to this little game that you insist on playing it even when you've just narrowly avoided death or arrest."<br><br> <<link [['"That\'s because you have no sense of whimsy."'|day2Gwen2]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 1 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I don\'t know, I just enjoy it. Isn\'t that reason enough?"'|day2Gwen2]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I suppose I find the familiarity of it comforting."'|day2Gwen2]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 3 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "I don't," Gwen agrees. "You have enough for both of us. And I don't mean that as a compliment."<br><br> That's harsh, but fair.<br><br> <<case 2>> Gwen shrugs. "I suppose so. I was just curious about what it is you get out of it."<br><br> Unfortunately you're not sure enough of that yourself to have a good answer.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Really?" says Gwen, cocking her head. "Well, it's all a bit mystifying to me still, but I'm glad to be of help."<br><br> You offer your thanks for this.<br><br> <</switch>> "Anyway," says Gwen, "leaving that aside, what do you think about this business with Miss Williams?"<br><br> <<link [['"I don\'t know what to think, exactly. But I\'ve decided to trust her for now."'|day2Gwen3]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 3 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Well, I\'ve hardly had time to think about it."'|day2Gwen3]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link '"Really! Are you //still// suspicious of her?"' 'day2Gwen3'>><<relation "GwenPoints" 1 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Well, I'm glad to hear you at least seem to have considered things thoroughly," says Gwen, sounding like she hadn't been expecting as much. "But do be careful. She knows who you are now; that's dangerous, even if you don't think she would reveal it to anyone on purpose."<br><br> <<case 2>> "Well, yes, you've had a rather eventful day, so I suppose I can't blame you," Gwen concedes. "But do be careful. She knows who you are now; that's dangerous, even if you don't think she would reveal it to anyone on purpose."<br><br> <<case 3>> "I'm only worrying about your safety, which is something I wish //you// would do more often," Gwen says irritably. "Just be careful, all right? She knows who you are now; that's dangerous, even if you don't think she would reveal it to anyone on purpose."<br><br> <</switch>> <<link [['"I can take care of myself, you know."'|day2Gwen4]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 1 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I\'ll keep that in mind."'|day2Gwen4]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 3 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I have other things to worry about at the moment."'|day2Gwen4]]>><<relation "GwenPoints" 2 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Well, then, what do you need me for?" Gwen asks, tartly. "If you've got it all in hand, perhaps I'll just go home and have a nice evening in while you steal that fresco."<br><br> You apologise and tell her that you really do appreciate her help.<br><br> <<case 2>> "That's all I ask, really," says Gwen. "I'm sorry--I know I can be overbearing and a nag, I just want to make sure you're taking the dangers seriously." With slightly forced levity, she adds, "What would I do with all the devices I invent if you were in prison and couldn't use them?"<br><br> You assure her that you understand and appreciate that she is just trying to keep you out of trouble.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Frankly I think this should be high on your list of worries," Gwen says, "but suit yourself."<br><br> You feel you would know better than she would about the relative priorities of your problems, but it doesn't seem worth your while to argue.<br><br> <</switch>> Neither of you really has time for small talk today, so, this conversation being finished, Gwen goes home, and you think about [[what to do next|interlude2Hub]].<<set $oscarTalk = true>> You track Oscar down for a chat. While this isn't exactly an urgent topic, you've been terribly curious about what he got up to in America. Maybe it will help you to figure out how best he can assist you tonight--at least, that's your justification.<br><br> When you ask, he says, "Oh, of course! It's only fair, really--I know about your past exploits, since they were in the papers, but I'm not sure mine made it to the press over here."<br><br> You begin by asking what he stole--you haven't seen any unfamiliar artworks around the house, although he could have fenced them all, or returned them.<br><br> "Oh, we did bank jobs, mostly," he says. "Breaking into the vaults, and whatnot."<br><br> <<link [['"Why banks?"'|day2Oscar2]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 3 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"I see. Well, if that\'s what you enjoy..."'|day2Oscar2]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["'Really? How dull.'"|day2Oscar2]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 1 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Why not banks?" he says. "I know you find art more interesting than money, but banks are just as challenging as museums, if not more so."<br><br> You have to concede that point.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Yes, I rather suspected you'd find it unexciting," he says. "But not everyone is you, you know."<br><br> You're well aware of that (the world would be a //much// more exciting place if everyone were you, but you'd hate to be competing with yourself all the time), but, you remark, you suppose you just expected that he and you would be more similar in this regard.<br><br> <<case 3>> "I know it's not what you would do," he says stiffly, "but that doesn't mean it's //objectively// dull."<br><br> That was a little unnecessarily harsh of you, you suppose.<br><br> <</switch>> You ask how he got started as a bank robber. (He's already mentioned that he did it as a lark, but surely he didn't just wake up one morning and decide to start stealing?) "Well, we started with safes before moving on to vaults," he says. "Actually, what started it was that I got swindled out of some money--that's a whole story of its own, but never mind that for now--and when I realised I'd been had, Yorkie and I went to steal it back. A bit like what happened with Satterthwaite the other day, in fact. I'm sure we made something of a mess of it, but we weren't caught, and it was really rather thrilling. So we kept at it.<br><br> "Although the first time I stole money that wasn't mine to begin with, I realised I didn't really //need// it, so I donated it to a hospital. I haven't been keeping any of it."<br><br> That's nauseatingly good of him. You might have known he'd fancy himself a Robin Hood type.<br><br> <<link [['"If you don\'t need money, why not steal something else?"'|day2Oscar3]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 1 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"It\'s impressive that you pulled that off."'|day2Oscar3]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 3 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Still, isn\'t it rather risky to go after banks?"'|day2Oscar3]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 2 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Well, I don't need anything else either," he says. "Really, I wish you would stop criticising me for not being you."<br><br> You were just curious, and you rather think there was no need for him to be so rude about it, but you refrain from saying so.<br><br> <<case 2>> His eyes light up. "Do you think so?"<br><br> You say that, given the relatively high security of banks, breaking into multiple banks and getting out unscathed is not an accomplishment to sneeze at. (On the other hand, you get the impression that banks are rather more consistent in their general setup and types of security than the mélange of buildings you deal with, which might account for his relative weakness in flexibility and improvisation, but he looks so pleased by the compliment that you withhold this caveat.)<br><br> <<case 3>> "It's not as if what //you're// doing isn't risky," he says. "Need I remind you, you almost got arrested just this morning."<br><br> You were just trying to make a point about the relatively high security of banks, and you think it was rather unfair of him to bring that up, but you refrain from saying so.<br><br> <</switch>> "Anyway," he says, "is there anything I need to know about for tonight?"<br><br> <<link [['"Just try not to get into any more trouble."'|day2Oscar4]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 1 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Just remember that you have to adapt if unforeseen complications arise."'|day2Oscar4]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"No; I\'ve told you the plan and I trust you to handle your part of it."'|day2Oscar4]]>><<relation "OscarPoints" 3 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "You know, I did get through last night without mishap," he says. "In fact, it was //you// who got into trouble.<<if $totalOscarPoints >= ($maxTotalOscarPoints * 0.8)>><<else>>If you're going to be so condescending I've half a mind not to come along tonight at all.<</if>>"<br><br> You apologise, even though you feel he's being rather oversensitive about this, because you do want his help, but you're not sure he believes you're sincere. The conversation then grinds to a halt, and you [[excuse yourself|interlude2Hub]].<br><br> <<case 2>> "I know," he says, "but that's not exactly something I can prepare for is it? By definition, in fact."<br><br> You have to admit that this is true. In the end, the main way that one can get better at handling things going awry is through bitter experience, and you suppose he just hasn't had enough of it.<br><br> At this point the conversation seems to have run its course, and you do have preparations to get to, so you [[excuse yourself|interlude2Hub]]. <<case 3>> "Thank you!" he says, fairly bursting with pride. "I shall try not to let you down."<br><br> After last night, you're reasonably confident that he won't, despite your initial concerns about him, and you tell him so.<br><br> At this point the conversation seems to have run its course, and you do have preparations to get to, so you [[excuse yourself|interlude2Hub]]. <</switch>><<set $yorkieTalk = true>> You decide to have a chat with Yorkie. You haven't talked to him much without Oscar present, so you're not quite sure what to expect.<br><br> Fortunately, you are saved from the necessity of coming up with a topic, because he apparently has one in mind already. "I'm sorry to pester you about this," he says, "but I was wondering how you would say we did yesterday? With the red herrings and all."<br><br> <<link [['"Honestly, I wasn\'t paying that much attention."'|day2Yorkie2]]>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 2 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link '"You did well--I appreciate the help."' 'day2Yorkie2'>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 3 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link '"Well, there\'s room for improvement, but you //are// new at this, after all."' 'day2Yorkie2'>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 1 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Ah," Yorkie says, clearly disappointed. "Well, that is understandable--you were quite busy. And I wouldn't be surprised if the night you had drove most of the details out of your mind."<br><br> <<if visited("n2Radio") === 0>>You appreciate his generosity in attributing you motives other than simply not caring enough, which might be closer to the truth. <</if>>You apologise for not having anything particularly useful to say on the topic.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Thank you!" he says, looking not so much flattered as relieved. "I'm glad it was all right."<br><br> Goodness, you really did put him on edge, didn't you? You're starting to feel a bit bad.<br><br> <<case 3>> "We're not //that// new," he snaps, then, softening a little, adds, "Er, sorry. But, you know, we //have// been at it for a while. Not as long as you, I know, but still..."<br><br> You apologise, though really, his criminal career //is// in its infancy compared to yours.<br><br> <</switch>> "At any rate," he says, "I do admit I've still got things to learn. If you've got any particular suggestions on improving as a thief, I would be happy to hear them."<br><br> <<link [['"I wish you\'d just stop bothering me about this."'|day2Yorkie3]]>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 1 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Advice isn\'t really my strong suit. I\'m not Gwen."'|day2Yorkie3]]>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link '"Not besides what I told you the other day--I hope that was helpful?"' 'day2Yorkie3'>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 3 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "All right, then, I will," he says, haughtily. "Oscar and I can get by perfectly well on our own anyway. We accomplished quite a lot before you started poking your nose in."<br><br> You apologise for your brusque tone and attempt to soften the blow by explaining that you simply have too much else to think about right now, but you are not sure he's mollified.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Sorry?" says Yorkie, his brow furrowing.<br><br> You'd forgotten he wouldn't know anything about Gwen's reviews of your performances (as it were). As briefly as you can, you explain.<br><br> "I see!" he says. "Maybe I should ask her to do that for me, as well."<br><br> You hope Gwen won't be annoyed with you for putting the idea in his head. Then again, maybe she'd enjoy it--he'd probably listen to her more often than you do.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Yes, I've been bearing it in mind--though of course you've been doing most of the planning and reconnaissance for this job, so I'll have to wait until Oscar and I are out on our own again to really test my skills."<br><br> The idea of them going off and doing their own thefts here in London bothers you, but you try to tamp the feeling down for the moment. At least Yorkie seems fairly happy with your answer.<br><br> <</switch>> <<link [['"Are you prepared for tomorrow?"'|day2Yorkie4]]>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 3 3>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"'|day2Yorkie4]]>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 2 3>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [['"Anyway, I\'m quite busy right now, so I don\'t have time to discuss this further."'|day2Yorkie4]]>><<relation "YorkiePoints" 1 3>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "I think so," he says. "<<if $totalYorkiePoints >= ($maxTotalYorkiePoints * 0.8)>>Of course, you'll be doing most of the exciting parts, but I'll be there to whisk the fresco away once you've got it, don't worry.<<else>>I've found someone who can lend us a lorry, anyway. I'm not sure I'm up to driving it.<</if>>"<br><br> Well, everything seems in order there. You thank him for the work he's been doing and [[take your leave|interlude2Hub]]. <<case 2>> "Oh, no, not particularly," he says. "It's just that I'd been feeling a bit self-conscious since we bungled the business with the cards the other night, so I wanted your expert opinion. <<if $yorkiePoints >= ($totalYorkiePoints * 0.8)>>I feel much better now.<<else>>And, well, now I have it. More or less.<</if>>"<br><br> You suggest that, in that case, you should both start preparing for tonight, to which he readily agrees. [[You take your leave.|interlude2Hub]] <<case 3>> "Well, you were the one who started this conversation," he says irritably. "But all right, if you're so terribly busy, far be it from me to keep you. I have plenty of other things to do, anyway."<br><br> He turns and stalks off down the hall. Perhaps you shouldn't have been so abrupt. Perhaps you can make it up to him somehow later, but for now [[this conversation is over|interlude2Hub]]. <</switch>>Now you have to consider what else you might need to do to prepare to nab the fresco tonight. In terms of tools and reconnaissance and whatnot, you're sure you've done all you can, but there is still one significant obstacle: Letitia Marshall. You need some sort of leverage over her, or an opportunity to sabotage her efforts in advance (or both, better yet).<br><br> But how to go about getting it? You don't know of any associates of hers other than Scotland Yard (ugh) and Dr Bishop, who, from what you could tell from Mel's notes, didn't seem to have been in touch with Marshall recently. You don't know if she has any other friends, or where she goes in her spare time.<br><br> Then it occurs to you: Miss Marshall is a private detective who sees clients at her home, which means that her address is publicly available information, and you could simply pay her a call. Of course, you would have to pretend to be a client. And you suspect you will need Mel to come with you, which is slightly awkward right now. But all in all, it's fairly simple.<br><br> <<actEnd>> [[You begin making your plans.|day3Start]]/*relationship values with Mel*/ <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <<set $totalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $nice = 0>> <<set $mean = 0>> <<set $melDelta = 0>> /*relationship values with Oscar*/ <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $totalOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Yorkie*/ <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Gwen*/ <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $totalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints = 0>> Set current finesse:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 15 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 23 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 30 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Gwen points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 17 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 22 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 28 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Mel points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 12 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 17 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 22 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Oscar points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 10 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 14 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 18 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Yorkie points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 10 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 14 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 18 autocheck>> high<br><br> <<set $maxFinesse = 30>> <<set $toolLocs =[,"gloves","tools1","solvent","tools2","fabric","tools3","pry bar","tools4"]>> [[Day 4|day3Start]]<<set $whichSabotage = 0>> <<set $barton = false>> <<set $sabotage = false>> <<set $suspicion = 0>> <<set $convFailed = false>> <center><b>@@font-size:x-large;ACT IV@@</b></center><br> Several hours later, you and Mel are standing outside Miss Marshall's building. You have decided, with Oscar's permission, to claim to want Miss Marshall to look into his shady dealings in America. (Between jurisdictional issues and the difficulty of obtaining any concrete evidence--Miss Marshall has never gone anywhere for a case that she couldn't reach by train from London--Oscar is confident that this won't come to anything.)<br><br> While you're occupying the great detective's attention, Mel has volunteered to go nosing around her flat and see what she can do to give the two of you the upper hand in tonight's inevitable confrontation.<br><br> You ring the bell, and an older woman--a housekeeper, perhaps?--answers the door and ushers the two of you upstairs to [[Miss Marshall's sitting room|marshallConv11]]./*friendly */ <<set $strikes = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> Miss Marshall's sitting room is full of things--it's not exactly untidy, but there isn't quite enough space for all of her belongings, most of which are various sorts of books and papers and reference materials. (Some of the books look as though they might be antique, and you are tempted to take a closer look, but that's not what you're here for.)<br><br> Miss Marshall herself is seated in a chair and does not stand up when you enter. "Good afternoon, Miss Williams," she says. "You have brought a friend, I see. A... prospective client, if I'm not mistaken?"<br><br> "This is Mrs Theodora Knight," Mel says. "Not so much a friend as an acquaintance--we've met at social functions a few times, and she came to me to ask me to look into something, but as I don't take private cases, I thought I'd refer her to you."<br><br> That wasn't quite an ideal lie--Mel is still prone to the common beginner error of volunteering more information than necessary--but she is improving. You're rather proud.<br><br> "I see," says Miss Marshall. "What can I do for you, Mrs Knight?"<br><br> <<link [["Miss Williams told me that you were the best in the business." (F)|marshallConv12]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["Well, I have a concern..." (L)|marshallConv12]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["It's about my husband." (D)|marshallConv12]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Well, some would say that and some wouldn't. I prefer to let my results speak for themselves," Miss Marshall says briskly--but she does look pleased. So she isn't above flattery, after all.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Yes," she says drily, "that usually is why people come to me. Do you want to tell me what exactly it is? Or would you prefer me to guess?"<br><br> Adopting a sheepish expression, you tell her that that won't be necessary.<br><br> <<case 3>> Miss Marshall narrows her eyes. "I hope you're not going to ask me to find out if he has a mistress," she says. "That is by far the dullest type of case. And I can't abide dull cases."<br><br> You assure her quite earnestly that this is not something you are worried about. She nods in response, her expression inscrutable.<br><br> <</switch>> (Out of the corner of your eye, you see Mel slip out into the hall.)<br><br> You explain that your husband recently returned from a months-long sojourn in America, and that you feel like something has been different about him since he returned. You're concerned, you claim, that he got mixed up in some sort of bad business while abroad. (America is just full of different types of bad business to get mixed up in, from what you've read.)<br><br> /*I would love to put a specific Sherlock Holmes reference here, but upon consideration all the kinds of bad American business in those stories have the potential to sound really "yikes" in a throwaway line, so oh well*/ Miss Marshall leans forward in her chair. "And what makes you think that?"<br><br> <<link [["Oh... you'll think it's silly, I'm sure, but..." (F)|marshallConv13]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["It's hard to explain. Can't you just deduce it?" (L)|marshallConv13]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["He's seemed rather distant and distracted lately." (D)|marshallConv13]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Yes?" Miss Marshall says eagerly.<br><br> You explain, sounding as apologetic about this as you can, that it's a matter of intuition--you can just //tell// that something is off, due to the rapport between you. (In the interest of not overdoing the flattery, you've now decided to play the "vulnerable" angle.)<br><br> "Don't discount intuition--it can be a valuable tool," she says. "Still, have you got anything a bit more... concrete?"<br><br> <<case 2>> "Mrs Knight, I can deduce a great many things about //you//, if you would like. For example, from your diction alone I can tell that you were not born into wealth and that you spent some time in the theatre. Shall I go on?"<br><br> You shake your head. Those aspects of your past are fairly common knowledge, so it's possible she's bluffing by repeating things she's heard elsewhere, but why risk it?<br><br> "About your husband, however," she continues, "I can say relatively little, because he is not here."<br><br> A fair point. Perhaps you'll have to be a little more forthcoming.<br><br> <<case 3>> "That could mean any number of things," Miss Marshall says, with a dismissive wave of the hand. "And it doesn't rule out the tedious possibility of a mistress, sadly."<br><br> You say that you are //very// certain that Oscar does not have a mistress, but she just says, "Many women have been equally certain on this point and have been wrong."<br><br> You are not certain whether to be annoyed or reassured that she's got the wrong end of the stick here.<br><br> <</switch>> You don't want to give too much away yet; you have to keep her talking for quite a while for Mel to have time to complete her explorations. But you're going to have to say //something// that will catch her interest.<br><br> <<link [["I can tell he's hiding things from me. He never used to do that." (F)|marshallConv14]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["He's said some things that seemed... strange." (L)|marshallConv14]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["He won't talk about the trip at all. I've asked questions, but he won't answer." (D)|marshallConv14]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<if $strikes >= 2>> "Mrs Knight," Miss Marshall says sternly, "I must ask you to stop wasting my time. Either give me something I can use instead of all these vague sentiments, or leave."<br><br> Oh dear. This isn't off to a good start.<br><br> <<set $suspicion += 1>> <<set $convFailed = true>> <<else>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "I see," says Miss Marshall. "If he has suddenly become secretive, it's understandable that that would worry you. Are there particular topics he seems to be avoiding?"<br><br> You say that he has been very vague on the details of what he did in America in general, particularly when you ask about his business dealings. You add that you know it's somewhat unusual for a woman to be interested in the specifics of what contracts were signed and so on, but it //is// your livelihood too, in a sense, and you like to know what's going on with it. Miss Marshall nods approvingly.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Such as?" Miss Marshall says.<br><br> You hadn't thought of any specifics, unfortunately--though you should have known she would ask for them. Slightly dodging the question, you say that he claimed to be there on business, but has been vague about what he actually did, and when you ask questions about where he went and who he met with, he simply says he doesn't remember the details.<br><br> <<case 3>> "At all?" says Miss Marshall. "That's rather irregular. Most people who are hiding something would at least attempt to make up some sort of story. Perhaps something upsetting happened to him and he prefers not to think about it?"<br><br> Hastily revising your lie, you explain that what you actually meant was not that he refuses to say //anything//, but that he has been awfully vague about the details, especially when you ask about his business dealings.<br><br> <</switch>> <</if>> <<set $nextPassage = "marshallConv21">> [[Meanwhile...|day3Hub]]<<if visited()===1>> You are Margaret Williams, and you are taking the opportunity to explore Miss Marshall's flat while she is engaged in conversation with Thalia. (Should you be thinking of her as Thalia? Or Mrs Knight? Theodora, even? Well, now is not the time to worry about that.) <<else>> You are Margaret Williams, and you think you have time for a bit more exploring before Thalia's worn out her welcome. <</if>><br><br> <<if $barton === false>>Miss Marshall's landlady, Mrs Barton, should be around here somewhere. [[She might know something useful.|bartonConv1]]<br><br><</if>> <<if $sabotage === false>>You might be able to find something to [[sabotage|sabotageHub]].<</if>> <<if $barton and $sabotage>>You've done everything you can risk doing here. Time to find a [[good way to leave|endOfDay3]]. <</if>>/*I know that this shouldn't ever be visible, but it's here just in case. *//*leading */ <<set $strikes = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> In the sitting room, Miss Marshall leans forward in her chair, fixing you with a piercing gaze.<br><br> "You've been concealing something from me," she says. "If you really want my help you'll have to do better than that."<br><br> You get the sense that she's had enough of your friendly façade.<br><br> <<link [["I'm so sorry; this is just a bit embarrassing for me." (F)|marshallConv22]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["I think my husband might have a... a problem." (L)|marshallConv22]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["I believe he was in considerable debt before he left for America." (D)|marshallConv22]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Come now, Mrs Knight," Miss Marshall says. "I know the girlishly flustered air is a put-on. Although I suppose some amount of play-acting is to be expected from you, with your background."<br><br> This approach was working before, but it seems she's seen through it now. You'll have to change tacks, quickly.<br><br> You confess that you think your husband might have money troubles, perhaps gambling debts. (Here you have moved from bending the truth into the realm of pure invention; hopefully Miss Marshall won't see through it.)<br><br> <<case 2>> "Hmm," Miss Marshall says, peering at you. "Drinking? No, I think you really are uncertain and not just embarrassed, and usually a wife knows all too well if her husband is overindulging in alcohol. More exotic drugs are a possibility, since their effects might be harder for you to recognise. Or there's gambling, which men often do conceal from their wives successfully until their creditors come calling. Considering the relative quality of your wedding ring and your current outfit, I had the impression that you two had come up in the world since your marriage rather than down, but if he were living beyond his means and it hadn't caught up with him yet, it would be possible."<br><br> You confess that, although you are not entirely sure about the gambling, you do think your husband has accumulated considerable debts. (Here you have moved from bending the truth into the realm of pure invention; hopefully Miss Marshall won't see through it.)<br><br> <<case 3>> "I see," says Miss Marshall. "Are you implying that he has been neglecting his work? Rather than travelling for business, he simply went on holiday and spent more money that he didn't have? That's very unfortunate for you, but it doesn't seem like much of a mystery."<br><br> It's a reasonable enough conclusion, but not the one you were attempting to lead up to. You say that Oscar isn't a very good liar, and if he had been off having fun you do think he would have told you some stories about what he'd got up to (under the premise that these were things he had done in his off time), rather than being vague about //everything//.<br><br> <</switch>> <<link [["I don't really know what it all means, but since you're so brilliant..." (F)|marshallConv23]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Could the two things be connected, do you think?" (L)|marshallConv23]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["I think he did something untoward to get the money." (D)|marshallConv23]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Please, Mrs Knight," Miss Marshall says, "don't bother feigning simpering admiration. It's embarrassing."<br><br> That stings, but it's true that you were laying it on a bit thick.<br><br> "I assume you believe that the debts and the trip to America are related," Miss Marshall goes on. "Why?"<br><br> <<case 2>> "The debt and the terribly vague trip to America?" Miss Marshall says. "Certainly they could. There are all sorts of shady things one could get up to there, or so I am given to understand. But what makes you think the two are connected?"<br><br> <<case 3>> "Perhaps," says Miss Marshall. "But why go all the way to America? There are plenty of untoward things one can do here in London. Do you have particular reason to believe the two are connected?"<br><br> <</switch>> <<link [["I have my reasons, if you can just trust me for the moment." (F)|marshallConv24]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Well, he seems much more carefree since he returned." (L)|marshallConv24]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [["He paid off all the debts when he returned." (D)|marshallConv24]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<if $strikes >= 3>> "Mrs Knight," says Miss Marshall, "you are making this rather difficult for me. If you really want my help, I suggest you stop doing so."<br><br> Goodness, she really is difficult. It's been a long time since you encountered anyone this resistant to your methods of information-gathering.<br><br> <<set $suspicion += 1>> <<set $convFailed = false>> <<else>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "I trust very few people, Mrs Knight," Miss Marshall says, "and never those I have just met. If you know something, please, tell me."<br><br> You say that since Oscar came back, he seems much less worried, in general, and you suspect that means his money troubles are resolved.<br><br> <<case 2>> "Ah," she says, "you think his money troubles are now at an end. That could certainly be the case. I would feel more confident if you had something more solid, but we can proceed on this assumption for now."<br><br> Good--she's on the track you want her to be on, and she doesn't seem particularly cross with you at the moment. This is going about as well as can be expected.<br><br> <<case 3>> Miss Marshall's eyes narrow. "A moment ago you only //suspected// he had debts," she says, "and now you know for a fact that he paid them?"<br><br> Ugh! You're usually much better at keeping track of your own falsehoods than this. It's been a while since an opponent had you this off-balance. You attempt to cover your slip by explaining that you did know for certain about the debts, but were embarrassed to admit to it. Miss Marshall accepts this without further question, but you're not sure that means she believes you.<br><br> <</switch>> Miss Marshall steeples her fingers. "So you believe he went to America with debts and came back without," she says, "and that seems plausible enough, if what you have told me so far is true. But why bother to journey so far just to obtain illicit funds? And what method of obtaining them could take up so much of one's time as to be the primary activity of a months-long trip?"<br><br> She seems to be musing aloud, rather than actually asking you. You leave her to her thoughts for the moment.<br><br> <</if>> <<set $nextPassage = "marshallConv31">> [[Meanwhile...|day3Hub]]/*direct */ <<set $strikes = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> In the sitting room, you, Theodora Knight, are still being grilled by Miss Marshall.<br><br> <<if $convFailed === true>> "Mrs Knight," she says, "I am finding your evasions increasingly tiresome. I will have the facts, or I will have Mrs Barton show you out."<br><br> You're finding this conversation a bit tiresome yourself, or at least tiring. But Mel isn't back in the sitting room yet, so you will have to hold on a little longer.<br><br> <<else>> "Well, this has certainly been intriguing so far," she says, "but I do get the sense that you are still holding something back. Would you care to tell me what it is?"<br><br> This woman's perspicacity is exhausting, but Mel isn't back yet, so you'll have to hold on a little longer.<br><br> <</if>> <<link [["I should have known I couldn't hide anything from such a great detective." (F)|marshallConv32]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["There are other things, besides the money..." (L)|marshallConv32]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["He's brought back several valuable items." (D)|marshallConv32]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Don't think flattery will convince me to overlook the fact that you are wasting my time," Miss Marshall says. "Tell me what you know, or leave. It's your choice."<br><br> All right, no good reverting to this approach, then. You tell her that in addition to money, Oscar also brought back some valuable items of mysterious provenance--jewellery and the like.<br><br> <<case 2>> "What things?" Miss Marshall says sharply. "I asked for facts, not vague intimations."<br><br> Wonderful--now the leading approach isn't working either. It's difficult dealing with someone this shrewd.<br><br> You tell Miss Marshall that in addition to money, Oscar also brought back some valuable items of mysterious provenance--jewellery and the like.<br><br> <<case 3>> "Ah," says Miss Marshall, a glint in her eye, "//now// things are becoming interesting."<br><br> You suppress a sigh of relief.<br><br> <</switch>> "So you think he's a thief," she says. "That certainly seems possible. Although one would think he'd fence the items rather than bringing them back with him. It seems unnecessarily risky."<br><br> <<link [["I'm sorry, I'm being terribly silly, aren't I?" (F)|marshallConv33]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["Is there a reason a thief might do that?" (L)|marshallConv33]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["He isn't the most practical person." (D)|marshallConv33]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Stop that," Miss Marshall snaps. "I cannot abide this little act of yours."<br><br> You apologise, and explain that Oscar doesn't always make the most practical plans, so you felt it was possible he hadn't thought about that.<br><br> <<case 2>> Miss Marshall shrugs. "There are all sorts of reasons. Perhaps he's overconfident. Perhaps he became attached to the pieces. Perhaps he made the mistake of thinking it would be better to sell them off further from their origin. But it's also possible that the items are perfectly legitimate."<br><br> You explain that Oscar doesn't always think through his actions, so any of those reasons would be plausible.<br><br> <<case 3>> You're back on the firmer ground of telling misleading truths rather than outright lies, at least for the moment. It's a relief.<br><br> "Hmm," says Miss Marshall. "Yes, if he has been known not to think through the consequences of his actions, then perhaps he's kept some pieces that he's fond of, or perhaps he didn't think about the risks involved in transporting them and in keeping them longer, or something of that nature."<br><br> You agree that this would not be out of character for Oscar.<br><br> <</switch>> "All right," says Miss Marshall. "Is there anything else pertinent that I should know about?"<br><br> <<link [["Oh, no, I think that's all." (F)|marshallConv34]]>><<conv 1>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["There was one other thing..." (L)|marshallConv34]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["I found some newspaper articles about a masked thief in America." (D)|marshallConv34]]>><<conv 3>><</link>><<if $strikes >= 2>> Miss Marshall sighs. "You are trying my patience, Mrs Knight," she says wearily.<br><br> She doesn't seem to have all that much patience to try, but it seems unwise to say so. You hold your tongue.<br><br> <<set $suspicion += 1>> <<else>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Miss Marshall frowns. "You're still concealing something from me, I think," she says. "But never mind. I have no more patience for trying to get information out of you."<br><br> You don't think she had that much patience to begin with, but you refrain from saying so.<br><br> <<case 2>> Miss Marshall sighs. "You are trying my patience, Mrs Knight. Tell me what it is or don't, but stop dragging it out."<br><br> You mention that you found some newspaper articles about a masked thief operating in America, and that while they don't provide very much information, you suspect they might be about Oscar.<br><br> "Really?" She sounds rather amused. "That seems a bit fanciful, but I suppose anything's possible. If you could provide copies of those articles, that would be very helpful."<br><br> You promise to do so (although in fact you have no such articles--if necessary, you'll just claim you lost them).<br><br> <<case 3>> You explain that, although the articles are short and lacking in information, you suspect Oscar might be the thief described in them.<br><br> "Really?" She sounds rather amused. "That seems a bit fanciful, but I suppose anything's possible. If you could provide copies of those articles, that would be very helpful."<br><br> You promise to do so (although in fact you have no such articles--if necessary, you'll just claim you lost them).<br><br> <</switch>> <</if>> You see that Mel is back in the sitting room. She must be done with whatever she was doing.<br><br> <<if $suspicion >= 2>> "I'm sorry, Mrs Knight," Miss Marshall says firmly, "but I don't believe I can help you."<br><br> You seem to have made rather a mess of this, but at least you bought enough time for Mel to go about her business. That will have to be good enough.<br><br> <<else>> "Well, then," Miss Marshall says, "this is all rather nebulous, but I find it intriguing enough to be worth looking into. I'll let you know if I find anything."<br><br> <</if>> [[It's time to go.|endOfDay3]]/*friendly? */ <<set $strikes = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $barton = true>> While wandering around you manage to bump into Miss Marshall's landlady, Mrs Barton. She luckily mistakes your wandering for discomfort and offers to make you some tea, which you accept so as to not seem rude. (To be fair, Miss Marshall probably makes quite a lot of people uncomfortable and usually does it on purpose.)<br><br> It occurs to you that with Dr Bishop gone from their partnership, Mrs Barton is probably the only other person who knows Letitia Marshall in any significant capacity. Perhaps you can use this as an opportunity to strike up a conversation and learn something about the woman. <br><br> <<link [["This is a lovely setup the two of you have here." (F)|bartonConv2]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["Do you do much entertaining for Miss Marshall?" (L)|bartonConv2]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["What's it like to have a famous detective as your tenant?" (D)|bartonConv2]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mrs Barton flushes in pleasure. "Why thank you!" she says. "I didn't know what to think of her when she first moved in, but we've gotten on famously. And she's quite meticulous about keeping the place tidy, unlike some of my previous lodgers." Her face darkens for a second at the thought of these previous lodgers, but it passes and she's soon back to her cheery self. <<case 2>> "Oh, I do all of it," she says. "And the cooking and the cleaning, of course. She's quite tidy, but once her head is in a case she won't remember what day of the week it is!" It's clear that Mrs Barton is quite fond of her lodger, and it is quite an interesting anecdote, but otherwise this doesn't seem to be steering the conversation in a useful direction. <<case 3>> Mrs Barton goes stiff at the question and her demeanour notably cools. "Oh, it's passable," she says. "Having the reporters come round at all hours can tire a body out though, I'm not afraid to say." She must be used to getting swept up in Miss Marshall's business by now, and surely you're not the first person to try and gain access to the detective via her landlady. Perhaps this isn't the right approach. <</switch>><br><br> "I do have to say it's been much easier to keep up with things here ever since she stopped working with Dr Bishop," she says. "He used to show up at all hours, and quite without warning. Nothing untoward, mind you, but the hours they kept while working on cases tended to be odd. It's a real pity, though--she'll never admit it, but I think she's been out of sorts ever since he left." She looks morose at the thought. <br><br> <<link [["I'm so sorry to hear that. It must be difficult for the both of you." (F)|bartonConv3]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["Really? What makes you say that?" (L)|bartonConv3]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["How do you know that?" (D)|bartonConv3]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mrs Barton seems cheered by your sympathy. "Oh yes, I've had to have some words with her. I know you don't like change, I told her, but that's no reason to be up all night playing the viola and throwing knives at the wallpaper! I'm an old woman and I need my rest, and if I don't get it then who will bring her tea and remind her to eat supper when she's lost in a case?" <<case 2>> She sighs. "Oh, the usual--stomping around at all hours, sleeping the day away, and forgetting to eat her luncheon." She pauses at the mention of the meal. "Speaking of, do you think the two of you will be staying for luncheon? I have just enough time to fix up something extra if you'd like." You suppose that once you get her thinking about household tasks it reminds her of all she's yet to do today, and politely decline. <<case 3>> "Well, she's not all that inscrutable once you get to know her." Mrs Barton has gone all protective, and doesn't elaborate further. <</switch>> <br><br> Mrs Barton appears to have a thought, and pauses for a moment. "She's also been quite snappish lately with her clients. Well, more snappish than usual, at least! She's always been a bit prickly, especially with Scotland Yard, but lately she seems to take it as a personal affront if someone needs her help with something boring by her standards. She's gotten quite picky ever since she got famous, I suppose."<br><br> <<link [["I suppose fame isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it?"(F)|bartonConv4]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["Does she get on well with being famous?"(L)|bartonConv4]]>><<conv 2>><<strikes>><</link>><br> <<link [["And what does she consider boring?"(D)|bartonConv4]]>><<conv 3>><<strikes>><</link>><<if $strikes >= 2>> Mrs Barton glances down at her pocketwatch. "Oh my, look at the time!" she exclaims. "I must go take my scones out of the oven--if you'll excuse me, Miss Williams?"<br><br> You thank her for her time only somewhat begrudgingly, and stop to consider what you've learned. It's not as much as you wanted, but there's surely something there. <<else>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mrs Barton smiles warmly. "Yes, I suppose you'd know," she says. "Despite how unflappable she seems I think she struggles with the attention. Back when Dr Bishop was here he helped shield her from it some, especially since he was the one who worked with the papers. I don't think there's a journalist in the world she gets on with, and the press has been quite vicious to her lately as a result." <<case 2>> "Oh, not in the slightest!" Barton sighs. "Journalists keep showing up at all hours and disrupting her schedule. Dr Bishop used to handle them when he was here, but now that he's gone she doesn't have the patience for them. And then once she's chased them out she's cross the whole day and I have to leave off my cleaning to go sit with her." She frowns at the mention of cleaning, and doesn't continue further. <<case 3>> "Oh, anything Scotland Yard should be handling, really," she says evasively. "Typical crimes with straightforward solutions. She says they shouldn't rely on her just because they don't have enough smarts between them to catch a child who's stolen a biscuit." You crack a smile at that--ordinarily you'd be a bit defensive about the barb, but you can't muster much sympathy for the Yard right now. (Besides, you can admit there's some truth to it.) <</switch>><br><br> You've almost finished your tea, and Mrs Barton turns to leave the room to fetch another pot. Before she exits, however, she turns back to you with one final thought.<br><br> "I think in the end she misses the days when it was just her and Charles against the world, and when the job provided her with more excitement," she says. "Nowadays all the really fiendish criminals either have left London to avoid her or turn tail and run once they hear she's involved, and she spends all her time catching dog thieves for Scotland Yard instead. And she can't even go out to the market without being recognised, so now she hardly leaves the house unless she's on a case. I feel quite bad for her, I really do." You smile in sympathy, and then tell her that you think whatever's in the oven has been in there a bit too long. She rushes out.<br><br> Mrs Barton seemed to have some agenda in telling you that, but you're not quite sure what. Perhaps she thinks that as another female detective you might be some kind of kindred spirit? Well, even if Miss Marshall //did// like you (which she doesn't), and if you didn't need to keep secrets from her (which you do), Dr Bishop has left shoes that are far too big for you to fill. <</if>><br><br> [[Meanwhile...|$nextPassage]]You need to find a way to keep Miss Marshall away from the museum tonight, or at least cause her some kind of delay. At Thalia's urging you have brought along a handful of items that might help: a knife, some chewing gum, and a small bottle of acid disguised as perfume. (Mrs Knight insisted that you take the last item. You thought it best not to ask where she got it.)<br><br> You decide to covertly explore and see what you can find.<br><br> [[Look at the front hallway.|sabotage1]]<br> [[Sneak around in the closets.|sabotage2]]<br> [[Check Miss Marshall's workroom.|sabotage3]]<br> [[Roam aimlessly.|sabotage4]]<br>In the front hallway you find a pair of Miss Marshall's boots. And by //a// pair, you mean //the// pair--it looks like she only has the one. She must be very particular about her footwear, which gives you an opportunity.<br><br> <<link [[Sabotage the shoes.|sabotageEnd]]>><<set $whichSabotage = 1>><</link>><br> [[Try looking in the closets instead.|sabotage2]]<br> [[Maybe Miss Marshall's workroom will give you some inspiration?|sabotage3]]<br> [[Take a look around.|sabotage4]]<br>In the hall closet you find Miss Marshall's coat. It's old and worn, and has been hung up sloppily enough that you can tell it sees frequent use. Miss Marshall certainly doesn't strike you as the type of person to leave without it, even discounting her age and the brisk weather you've been getting lately.<br><br> <<link [[Sabotage the coat.|sabotageEnd]]>><<set $whichSabotage = 2>><</link>><br> [[Go back to the entryway.|sabotage1]]<br> <<link '"The workroom is close--you can nip in there to see what you can find instead."' 'sabotage3'>><</link>><br> [[If all else fails, you can walk about and look for ideas.|sabotage4]]<br>On Miss Marshall's desk you find a pair of spectacles next to a sheet of coded notes. Upon closer inspection, the focus isn't right for reading glasses, which means she must use them only for distance tasks when she's out of the house. She'll certainly need them if she's running around in the dark tonight.<br><br> <<link [[Sabotage the spectacles.|sabotageEnd]]>><<set $whichSabotage = 3>><</link>><br> [[Perhaps the entryway has something better?|sabotage1]]<br> [[You could always check the closets?|sabotage2]]<br> [[Wander around some more.|sabotage4]]<br>You wander aimlessly around the flat, hoping that you seem appropriately restless and not suspicious at all. As you pass through one of the many doors, an idea strikes you. Surely Miss Marshall can't bother you tonight if she can't leave, can she?<br><br> <<link [[Sabotage the door to the flat.|sabotageEnd]]>><<set $whichSabotage = 4>><</link>><br> [[You can try the entryway, if you're quick about it.|sabotage1]]<br> [[There's always the closets.|sabotage2]]<br> [[The workroom is still an option. Everyone keeps important stuff at their desk, after all.|sabotage3]]<br><<switch $whichSabotage>> <<case 1>> You take the "perfume" bottle and quickly apply a coating of acid to each boot sole. You're not quite sure how strong the acid is, but it's probably strong enough to render these useless. (You feel more than a little guilty, knowing how hard good shoes are to come by.) <<case 2>> You take out your knife and start picking at the stitching on the coat. It's clumsy work, but after some minutes you've picked out enough stitches for the garment to collapse if anyone tries to put it on. There's supposed to be a chill tonight--hopefully she won't be determined enough to brave it without a coat. <<case 3>> You take the spectacles and slip them into your coat pocket. Stealing them is risky, since she may well miss them before tonight, but you can't bear to break them. This way you can anonymously return them to her in a few days, assuming you're not sitting in a gaol cell by then. <<case 4>> You take the gum out of your pocket and put it into your mouth, quickly chewing it into a sticky wad which you then shove into the keyhole of the flat door. It shouldn't harden until after you've left, but once it does the door will be impassable. <</switch>><br><br> <<set $sabotage = true>> [[You're done here.|$nextPassage]]<<goto "night3Start">>/*relationship values with Mel*/ <<set $MelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxMelPoints = 0>> <<set $totalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalMelPoints = 0>> <<set $nice = 0>> <<set $mean = 0>> <<set $melDelta = 0>> /*relationship values with Oscar*/ <<set $OscarPoints = 0 >> <<set $maxOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $totalOscarPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalOscarPoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Yorkie*/ <<set $YorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $totalYorkiePoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalYorkiePoints = 0>> /*relationship values with Gwen*/ <<set $GwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $totalGwenPoints = 0>> <<set $maxTotalGwenPoints = 0>> Set current finesse:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 15 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 23 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$totalFinesse" 30 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Gwen points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 17 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 22 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$GwenPoints" 28 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Mel points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 12 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 17 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$MelPoints" 22 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Oscar points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 10 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 14 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$OscarPoints" 18 autocheck>> high<br><br> Set current Yorkie points:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 10 autocheck>> low * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 14 autocheck>> medium * <<radiobutton "$YorkiePoints" 18 autocheck>> high<br><br> What did Mel do to slow Miss Marshall down?:<br><br> * <<radiobutton "$whichSabotage" 1 autocheck>> Put acid on her shoes<br> * <<radiobutton "$whichSabotage" 2 autocheck>> Destroyed her coat<br> * <<radiobutton "$whichSabotage" 3 autocheck>> Stole her glasses<br> * <<radiobutton "$whichSabotage" 4 autocheck>> Jammed the door with gum<br><br> <<set $maxFinesse = 30>> <<set $toolLocs =["pair of gloves","tools1","solvent","tools2","fabric","tools3","pry bar","tools4"]>> <<set $prevChoice = "">> <<set $seenHint = false>> [[Night 4|night3Start]]<br> [[Jump to Marshall confrontation|n3GauntletEnd]]/*relevant variables from previous acts: $toolLocs relevant variables from day 3: $whichSabotage*/ <<set $yorkieHere = false>> <<set $oscarHere = false>> <<set $gwenHere = false>> <<set $time = 0>> <<set $convVar = 0>> <<set $slow = 0>> <<set $messy = 0>> <<set $finesse = 0>> <<set $maxFinesse = 0>> <<set $obs1 = false>> <<set $obs2 = false>> <<set $obs3 = false>> <<set $obs4 = false>> <<set $obsCount = 0>> <<set $prev = ''>> <<set $conv = 0>> <<set $roomName = ''>> <<set $index = 0>> <<set $tool = ''>> <<set $toolbag = []>> <<set $melCount = 0>> <<set $friendly = 0>> <<set $direct = 0>> <<set $leading = 0>> <<set $obs1 = false>> <<set $obs2 = false>> <<set $obs3 = false>> <<set $obs4 = false>> <<set $prevChoice = "">> <<set $seenHint = false>> You've been a bundle of nerves ever since you left Miss Marshall's flat, so once the sun sets you get ready for the heist with no small amount of relief. Going back to the museum so soon after last night's incident is probably quite stupid, but you have it on good authority (from Mel) that the police think that means you won't do it and will therefore be unprepared. You wish you'd had more time to rest up beforehand, but you'll have to make do with extra tea instead. <br><br> Once you get to the vicinity of the museum, you proceed to your predetermined rendezvous spot and take stock of your associates. <br><br> <<if $totalYorkiePoints >= ($maxTotalYorkiePoints * 0.8)>> <<set $yorkieHere = true>> Yorkie has agreed to drive the lorry that will whisk the fresco away from the crime scene, since you can't exactly carry it on a motorcycle. He'll be waiting with the engine running to make the escape as smooth as possible. <<else>> Yorkie has used his connections to procure a lorry for tonight, since you can't exactly carry the fresco away on a motorcycle, but has otherwise declined to participate. (You're not quite sure what put him off, other than it was probably something you said.) <</if>><br><br> <<if $totalOscarPoints >= ($maxTotalOscarPoints * 0.8)>> <<set $oscarHere = true>> Oscar will stay with the lorry and act as the muscle, both to ensure quick loading of the fresco and to prevent any more urchin-related mishaps. At first he was unhappy about being stuck outside (and made some rather good points about how important he was the last time), so you conceded he should also act as backup and go in to rescue you if you take too long. He's also brought a sword-cane for defence, which you are both surprised and unsurprised (and a little jealous) that he owns. <<else>> Oscar has <<if $yorkieHere === false>>also<</if>> declined to participate tonight, but has provided a very bright torch and a sword-cane for <<if $yorkieHere>>Yorkie<<else>>Gwen<</if>> to fend off any more urchins that choose to show up. You're sad that you've upset him enough to have him stay home, but you hope you're still on good enough terms to borrow the sword-cane in the future. <</if>><br><br> <<if $totalGwenPoints >= ($maxTotalGwenPoints * 0.8)>> <<set $gwenHere = true>> Gwen has agreed to provide radio support and to facilitate the handing-off of the fresco once it's been successfully stolen. <<if $yorkieHere === false>> Since Yorkie has declined to come tonight she'll be be driving the lorry to <<else>> She's waiting at <</if>> a warehouse not too far away and has found some associates who are willing to take it the rest of the way to Roumania. (You don't know who they are, but they don't know who you are either, which is just the way you like it.) <<elseif $yorkieHere === false>> Gwen has reluctantly agreed to drive the lorry to a nearby warehouse and hand the fresco off to some associates you've hired to take it the rest of the way to Roumania. She isn't very happy about it though, and as such she's declined to provide support over the radio this time. You're grateful that she's decided to help at all, but she's clearly just doing the bare minimum to keep her conscience clear. <<else>> Gwen has reluctantly agreed to facilitate the handoff of the fresco to some associates (who will take it the rest of the way to Roumania) but has drawn the line at anything further than that (and maybe lending a hand with the lorry). You're grateful that she's decided to help at all, but she's clearly just doing the bare minimum to keep her conscience clear. <</if>><br><br> <<if $gwenHere === false and $oscarHere === false and $yorkieHere === false>> Otherwise it's just you and Mel tonight. How the tables have turned. <br><br> <<else>> Mel, meanwhile, will be accompanying you into the museum. You don't quite know how to feel about this, especially about how... happy?... you are to have her there. But she'll be a great help, regardless. If nothing else, you can't handle the cart you're using to transport the fresco on your own. <</if>><br><br> You launch into a quick pep talk, and then [[go over what you need to do.|night3HeistStart]]<br>You in fact have quite a lot to do tonight. Firstly, you need to retrieve all your tools from their hiding spots (assuming they haven't been discovered and removed.) Next, you need to clear an escape route. You've brought a wheeled cart to carry the fresco on, but the general state of the museum means that you won't have the space to manoeuvre it without taking some steps ahead of time. Mel has the cart with her and will be clearing her own backup route to the fresco, but as she's less experienced at this kind of thing you'll be providing her support over the radio. <<if $gwenHere === false>> You're surprised that Gwen allowed you to use the radios at all given her current mood, but you're grateful all the same. Hopefully you can make it up to her someday.<</if>><br><br> Once you've finished giving your talk, you enter the museum through the workshop entrance (which is your primary exit for tonight.) You give Mel some time to get in position at the south entrance (your backup exit), and then call her to confirm that she's in position. She confirms that she is, so it's time for you to [[get started.|n3Workshop]]/*workshop */ <<time 1>> <<set $roomName = 'tools1'>>/*equivalent name of room from night 2 to make object finding work */ <<melCall>> /*mel radio code in its own widget bc it repeats a lot*/ <<if visited() === 1>> The workshop is unusually clean and blissfully devoid of people. The students have probably been told to clear out until the threat of--well, you--has been dealt with. No matter how this turns out, at least you've given Mr. Hassan a few nights' break.<br><br> <<else>> The workshop is unusually clean. The students must have been asked to tidy up after yesterday's excitement.<br><br> <</if>> /*reminding player what they're doing */ Your task list is as follows:<br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]] <br> <<else>> <<if $toolLocs.includes($roomName)>>You hid something here yesterday. You should go [[get it.|n3Obj1]]<br><br><</if>> [[Go east to the West Supply Room.|n3WestSupply]]<br> [[Go north to the workshop storage area.|n3WorkshopStorage]]<br> /*Gwen radio code */ <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]]<br> <</if>> <</if>><<time 1>> <<set $roomName = 'workshop storage'>> <<melCall>> <<if visited() === 1>> You enter the workshop storage area, which appears to have been tidied up quite a bit. They must have taken an inventory to make sure you didn't steal anything in yesterday's chaos, or possibly because they don't know what you're trying to steal tonight. You're glad to be ahead of Miss Marshall on //something//. <<else>> The workshop storage area has been tidied up, but nobody's thought to throw a sheet over some of the more realistic statues. Statues in the dark //always// give you the creeps--it's like these museums do it on purpose. <</if>><br><br> Your task list is as follows: <br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]] <br> <<else>> [[Go east to the Egyptian storage area.|n3EgyptStorage]]<br> [[Go south to the workshop.|n3Workshop]]<br> /*Gwen radio code */ <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]] <</if>> <</if>><<time 1>> <<melCall>> <<set $roomName = 'tools2'>> <<if visited() === 1>> The supply room has also been cleaned up, despite the fact that nothing in here is of interest to you (or so they should think.) Perhaps the higher-ups were unaware of the general state of the backrooms and are now trying to restore order? In which case, your attention to the museum should be considered a public service. <<else>> The supply room is rather less pungent than the last time you visited, although the smell hasn't gone away entirely. (You suspect nothing short of demolishing the building would do that.) <</if>> <br><br> Your task list is as follows: <br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]] <br> <<else>> <<if $toolLocs.includes($roomName)>>[[There's another tool in here somewhere.|n3Obj2]]<br><br><</if>> <<if $obs4 is false>>You could stand to clear yourself [[a path for later.|obstacle4a]] <br><br> <</if>> [[Go north to the Egyptian storage area.|n3EgyptStorage]]<br> [[Go west to the workshop.|n3Workshop]]<br> [[Go east to the eastern supply room.|n3EastSupply]]<br> <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]] <</if>> <</if>><<time 1>> <<melCall>> <<set $roomName = 'tools3'>> <<if visited() === 1>> The Egyptian storage area looks the same as ever--well, some things have been rearranged, and the crates are stacked a bit more neatly, but there are still more artefacts around than boxes to keep them in. You hope some more are on order, or you'll have to have a stern talk with the curators. (What kind of disguise would be best for that? Something to think about later.) <<else>> The Egyptian storage area is silent. Oddly shaped artefacts loom around you in the dark. <</if>><br><br> Your task list is as follows: <br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]]<br> <<else>> <<if $toolLocs.includes($roomName)>>You hid something here yesterday. You should go [[get it.|n3Obj3]]<br><br><</if>> [[Go east to the break room.|n3BreakRoom]]<br> [[Go south to the workshop.|n3Workshop]]<br> [[Go north to the guard corridor.|n3GuardCorridor]]<br> [[Go west to the workshop storage room.|n3WorkshopStorage]]<br> <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]] <</if>> <</if>><<time 1>> <<melCall>> <<set $roomName = 'tools4'>> <<if visited() === 1>> The guard corridor is, as usual, devoid of anything particularly interesting (fortunately, also devoid of guards). The lockers loom over you in the darkness.<br><br> <<else>> You're back in the guard corridor. The lockers loom over you in the darkness.<br><br> <</if>> Your task list is as follows: <br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]] <<else>> <<if $toolLocs.includes($roomName)>>You hid something here yesterday. You should go [[get it.|n3Obj4]]<br><br><</if>> [[Go southwest to the Egyptian storage area.|n3EgyptStorage]]<br> [[Go southeast to the break room.|n3BreakRoom]]<br> <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]]<br> <</if>> <</if>><<time 1>> <<set $roomName = 'break room'>> <<melCall>> <<if visited() === 1>> Whoever is in charge of cleaning up around here doesn't appear to be prioritising the guard areas, if this room is anything to go by. The chairs are in disarray, and there's a large tea stain on the floor that's been allowed to dry. There are some tea-soaked playing cards on the floor as well, which is oddly sad. <<else>> The break room is still a mess. You tiptoe around the large stain on the floor so as not to leave footprints. <</if>> <br><br> Your task list is as follows: <br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]] <br> <<else>> [[Go west to the Egyptian storage area.|n3EgyptStorage]]<br> [[Go south to the eastern supply room.|n3EastSupply]]<br> [[Go north to the guard corridor.|n3GuardCorridor]]<br> <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]]<br> <</if>> <</if>><<time 1>> <<set $roomName = 'east supply'>> <<melCall>> <<if visited() === 1>> The eastern supply room is mostly unchanged from your last visits, minus one crate in the corner that's clearly seen better days (the most recent of which was yesterday). You've been back here enough that you're starting to form opinions of the various rooms, and this one is probably the most boring. <<else>> You're back in the very predictable eastern supply room. <</if>><br><br> Your task list is as follows: <br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]] <br> <<else>> <<if $obs3 is false>>You could stand to clear yourself [[a path for later.|obstacle3a]] <br><br> <</if>> [[Go east to the Central Northern Library.|n3Library]]<br> [[Go west to the western supply room.|n3WestSupply]]<br> [[Go north to the break room.|n3BreakRoom]]<br> <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]]<br> <</if>> <</if>><<time 1>> <<set $roomName = 'library'>> <<melCall>> <<if visited() === 1>> The Library is as grand and silent as ever, as the museum is clearly invested in making sure the guests think everything is completely fine. You promise yourself that if you're good now, you can steal a book on the way out--at least, assuming things go smoothly. <<else>> The Library is as silent tonight as it must be during the day. Your quiet footsteps are immediately lost among the shelves. <</if>><br><br> Your task list is as follows: <br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]] <br> <<else>> <<if $obs2 is false>>You could stand to clear yourself [[a path for later.|obstacle2a]] <br><br> <</if>> [[Go east to the Music Room.|n3MusicRoom]]<br> [[Go west to the eastern supply room.|n3EastSupply]]<br> <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]]<br> <</if>> <</if>><<time 1>> <<set $roomName = 'music room'>> <<melCall>> <<if visited() === 1>> The Music Room appears to have been spared the effects of last night's chaos. You're thankful for that, at least; musical instruments aren't particularly high on your list of favourite types of art, but you'd still feel awful if they had been damaged because of you. <<else>> You catch sight of your reflection in the glass of a case in the Music Room, and reflexively double-check your mask in it. You're not going to make //that// mistake again, thank you very much. <</if>><br><br> Your task list is as follows: <br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]] <br> <<else>> <<if $obs1 is false>>This room is on your path out. You should do some work to [[facilitate a clean exit.|obstacle1a]]<br><br><</if>> [[Go east to the Catalogue Room.|n3CatalogueRoom]]<br> [[Go west to the Central Northern Library.|n3Library]]<br> [[Go north to the music storage room.|n3MusicStorage]]<br> <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]]<br> <</if>> <</if>><<time 1>> <<set $roomName = 'catalogue room'>> <<melCall>> <<if visited() === 1>> The Catalogue Room still bears signs of having been last night's makeshift guard post. If nothing else, that must have been the most foot traffic this room has gotten in months. <<else>> You're back in the Catalogue Room. At this point you think you know as much about the museum as the catalogues do (at least about the northern rooms). <</if>> <br><br> Your task list is as follows: <br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]] <br> <<else>> [[Go west to the Music Room.|n3MusicRoom]]<br> [[Go north to the writing storage room.|n3WritingStorage]]<br> <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]]<br> <</if>> <</if>><<time 1>> <<set $roomName = 'music storage'>> <<melCall>> <<if visited() === 1>> You enter the music storage room. It looks much like it did yesterday. You've really come to feel at home in this section of the museum; you regard the instruments in their cases fondly, as if they were old friends. <<else>> You are in the music storage room. The stored instruments look on silently as you go about your business. <</if>><br><br> Your task list is as follows: <br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]] <br> <<else>> [[Go south to the Music Room.|n3MusicRoom]]<br> [[Go east to the writing storage room.|n3WritingStorage]]<br> <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]]<br> <</if>> <</if>><<time 1>> <<set $roomName = 'writing storage'>> <<melCall>> <<if visited() === 1>> Unlike the other rooms, the writing storage room has fared rather badly since yesterday. All of the precarious piles have toppled over, leaving the room knee-deep in paper. There's been some token effort to clean up, but whoever it was barely made a dent before giving up for the day. You hope this has taught the museum a lesson about the necessity of proper storage. <<else>> The writing storage room is a mess of paper several inches deep. You gingerly pick your way across the floor and try not to think about what masterpieces you could be stepping on. <</if>><br><br> Your task list is as follows: <br> <ul> <<if $toolbag.length < 4>> <li>You need to find your tools. You currently have <<print $toolbag.length>> out of 4.</li> <<else>> <li>You've collected all your tools.</li> <</if>> <br> <<if $obsCount < 4>> <li>You need to clear the way for your escape.</li> <<else>> <li>You've cleared a path to the best of your ability</li>. <</if>></ul><br><br> <<if $obsCount >= 4 && $toolbag.length >= 4>> You've completed all your preparations. Time to [[steal the Masterpiece.|frescoRoom]] <br> <<else>> [[Go west to the music storage area.|n3MusicStorage]]<br> [[Go south to the Catalogue Room.|n3CatalogueRoom]]<br> <<if $gwenHere>> [[Check in with Gwen.|n3GwenRadio]]<br> <</if>> <</if>> /*Found object code. Use with toolLocs instead of ToolLocs please*/<<set $index = $toolLocs.indexOf($roomName)>> <<if $index === -1>> ERROR - you should not see this. Time to debug! <<else>> <<set $tool = $toolLocs[$index-1]>> <<run $toolbag.push($tool)>> <<run $toolLocs.deleteAt($index)>> <<run $toolLocs.deleteAt($index-1)>> <</if>> You pick up the <<print $tool>> from its place in the workshop and stow it safely in your pack, feeling some satisfaction that it's still here despite yesterday's excitement. Having Oscar and Yorkie place red herrings everywhere worked better than you could have hoped.<br><br> <<return>><<set $index = $toolLocs.indexOf($roomName)>> <<if $index === -1>> ERROR - you should not see this. Time to debug! <<else>> <<set $tool = $toolLocs[$index-1]>> <<run $toolbag.push($tool)>> <<run $toolLocs.deleteAt($index)>> <<run $toolLocs.deleteAt($index-1)>> <</if>> The <<print $tool>> is still exactly where you left it on the shelves. You take it and put it in your pack //very// smugly.<br><br> <<return>><<set $index = $toolLocs.indexOf($roomName)>> <<if $index === -1>> ERROR - you should not see this. Time to debug! <<else>> <<set $tool = $toolLocs[$index-1]>> <<run $toolbag.push($tool)>> <<run $toolLocs.deleteAt($index)>> <<run $toolLocs.deleteAt($index-1)>> <</if>> The sarcophagus looks untouched--thank goodness for small victories. You retrieve your <<print $tool>> and move on. <br><br> <<return>><<set $index = $toolLocs.indexOf($roomName)>> <<if $index === -1>> ERROR - you should not see this. Time to debug! <<else>> <<set $tool = $toolLocs[$index-1]>> <<run $toolbag.push($tool)>> <<run $toolLocs.deleteAt($index)>> <<run $toolLocs.deleteAt($index-1)>> <</if>> You are unhappy to find that someone has put a lock on the formerly empty locker you co-opted yesterday. You pick it anyway, just in case, and find that your <<print $tool>> is still there under someone's unwashed uniform trousers. You make a face and take it regardless. <br><br> <<return>> /*obstacle code, can use at relevant rooms *//*music room */ <<set $prev = previous()>> The Music Room is on your path out of the building, so you'll want to be able to get through here as fast as possible the next time you pass through. Looking around, it appears the biggest impediment to that is the closed doors. You open them, but one of them just swings shut again the second you let go. Well, that won't do.<br><br> You need to find something with which to prop this door open.<br><br> <<link [[Search around for a suitable doorstop.|obstacle1b]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Make your own doorstop by whatever means necessary.|obstacle1b]]>><<messy 1>><<conv 2>><</link>><<set $obs1 = true>> <<set $obsCount += 1>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> You start searching the museum for something you can use to keep this door open. You end up having to search several rooms, but eventually you find a heavy statuette that you think should work nicely. You take it back to the Music Room and install it into its new role. (You also make a mental note to be careful coming through here, lest you trip over it.) <<case 2>> You look around the room for something that can be used as a doorstop. In one of the display cases is a sheaf of rare sheet music on top of an ornate but heavy-looking music stand. Before you can second guess yourself, you pick the lock and grab the stand, letting the music fall to the floor within the case. As long as nobody can step on it then it's not worth cleaning up further, you suppose. <</switch>><br><br> [[Back to the rest of your business.|$prev]]/*library */ <<set $prev = previous()>> The Library may be tidy, but it won't be easy to get through with the Masterpiece later. Tables and chairs are scattered all about to allow patrons to sit and read at their leisure, and they conveniently prevent anyone from barrelling through here with a cart full of delicate fresco. To add insult to injury, the tables are screwed directly to the floor.<br><br> <<link [[Remove the screws and move some tables. |obstacle2b]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Forget the screws and use your strength instead.|obstacle2b]]>><<messy 1>><<conv 2>><</link>><<set $obs2 = true>> <<set $obsCount += 1>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Using your tools, you very carefully remove the screws from the table feet. The light is bad and your tools keep slipping, but eventually you get three tables fully unstuck. You move them and the chairs to the side of the room, giving yourself an uninterrupted passage back through the library. <<case 2>> The tables are just wide enough for you to get your arms around, so you grasp the top firmly and wrench your weight to the side. The legs splinter under the load and don't come away cleanly from the floor, but it'll have to do. At least it's quick. You repeat the process until you've freed up three tables, which you then drag to the side of the room. Really, they should have invested in higher quality tables--you didn't expect that to actually work. <</switch>><br><br> [[Back to business.|$prev]]<br>/*east supply */ <<set $prev = previous()>> The eastern supply room is absolutely lousy with crates. This has been helpful to you in the past (they're excellent to hide behind) but now you need to do something about them or else you'll never get the Masterpiece through here.<br><br> <<link [[Re-stack the crates nicely.|obstacle3b]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Push them messily. |obstacle3b]]>><<messy 1>><<conv 2>><</link>><<set $obs3 = true>> <<set $obsCount += 1>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> You carefully rearrange the crates to give you a clear path through the room. They look tidier than they did before you moved them. The museum ought to hire you, really. <<case 2>> Not wanting to waste any more time, you rearrange the crates as quickly as possible. Some of the smaller ones topple off the pile and break open, but luckily the noise doesn't attract any attention. You also give yourself a splinter shoving the wreckage into the corner, but at least the path is clear. <</switch>><br><br> [[Back to business.|$prev]]/*west supply */ <<set $prev = previous()>> The western supply room has been cleaned up quite a bit, but still not enough for your needs tonight. In particular, at some point someone spilled glue in the middle of the floor and then dropped a dustpan in the middle of it. Now it's stuck fast, and you definitely can't roll your cart over it without causing an accident. <br><br> <<link [[Use a solvent to free the dustpan.|obstacle4b]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Find something to pry it up with.|obstacle4b]]>><<messy 1>><<conv 2>><</link>><<set $obs4 = true>> <<set $obsCount += 1>> <<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> You grab one of the many solvent bottles from the shelves and pour a generous amount over the glue puddle. You immediately have to step out because of the fumes, but by the time they've dispersed enough to come back the dustpan is free. You nudge it to the side of the room with your boot. <<case 2>> A dustpan might be the least dignified thing you've ever had to pry up, but needs must. You find a hammer and chisel on a nearby shelf and get to work. <br><br> It takes nearly all your strength to free the dustpan, and once it comes loose it does so all at once and flies across the room with a clang. You make your exit before anyone can come investigate the noise. <</switch>> <br><br> [[Back to business.|$prev]]You push the "talk" button on your radio and ask Gwen how she thinks you are doing. <<if visited() === 1>> (And, belatedly, how she's doing.)<br><br> "Well I haven't seen any children around, if that's what you're asking," she says with a laugh. (Of course she found that whole incident hilarious once she got over the shock of the consequences.)<br><br> <<scoreTracker 1 1>> <</if>> <<if $slow > $messy>> "I think you ought to pick up the pace a bit," Gwen says. "It's good that you're being careful, but you don't want to give the police time to catch up, do you?" <<elseif $messy > $slow>> "You can take a little more time," Gwen says. "I can tell you're rushing, and that always leads to mistakes." <<else>> "You're doing well," Gwen says. "Just keep it up and everything should go smoothly--well, barring any unforeseen obstacles, anyway. There always do seem to be unforeseen obstacles." <</if>><br><br> <<return>><<set $prev = previous()>> The radio crackles to life and you hear Mel's voice.<br><br> "Thalia!" she hisses. "Someone's left an expensive-looking statue in front of the door I need. What should I do about it?"<br><br> What will you have her do?<br><br> <<link [[Tell her to find a detour.|melRadio1b]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Tell her to try and move it to the best of her ability.|melRadio1b]]>><<conv 2>><<messy 1>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mel gives her assent and heads off. You wait a minute to confirm that she's got the issue in hand, and indeed she radios you shortly to confirm she's found an alternate route. <<case 2>> Mel gives her assent and ends your conversation. You wait a minute to confirm that she's got the issue in hand, and indeed she radios you shortly to tell you that the statue has been moved. In the process she apparently tipped it and now it's lying against a wall, but it's not broken so you tell her to move on. <</switch>><br><br> [[Get back to your own business.|$prev]]<<set $prev = previous()>> Mel hails you on the radio again. This time she doesn't bother with an introduction, and immediately launches into a description of her problem.<br><br> "There's a guard asleep in the Assyrian Saloon. What should I do?" She sounds more annoyed about this than anything, which must be the policewoman in her. You suppose she must see sleeping guard as an impediment rather than an opportunity.<br><br> What advice will you give her?<br><br> <<link [[Sneak past him carefully.|melRadio2b]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Wake him up with a distraction to lure him off.|melRadio2b]]>><<messy 1>><<conv 2>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mel gives you a quick affirmation and the line goes silent. A few minutes later, she calls briefly to confirm that she managed to get past without waking him. She sounds a bit frustrated at the time it took, but you assure her that it's an expected part of burgling. <<case 2>> Mel gives you a quick affirmation and the line goes silent. A minute or so later she calls briefly to confirm that she broke a case in the next room and successfully lured him away. (She sounds a bit distressed about that, which you politely don't mention.) <</switch>><br><br> [[Now, what were you doing again?|$prev]]<<set $prev = previous()>> Your radio squawks again, and Mel's voice comes through. She sounds frustrated.<br><br> "The wheel of the cart's jammed up, and I can't see what the problem is. Any advice?" This seems to have really rattled her. She's had a run of bad luck so far tonight so you can't say that's unreasonable. Hopefully if you help her one last time it will per her nerves at ease, which is the opposite of what you've usually done to her in the past. <br><br> What do you think she should do?<br><br> <<link [[Take a close look at it with a torch.|melRadio3b]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Smack it a few times.|melRadio3b]]>><<messy 1>><<conv 2>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mel agrees, although she's clearly nervous about turning on her torch. Several minutes later she calls back and confirms that a patron's lost earring had jammed it up and that she was able to remove it. You note she sounds much calmer now. <<case 2>> Mel sighs and says she'll try it. Somehow she's forgotten to close the line, because you hear an extremely loud crash before she speaks again and confirms that it worked. She sounds rather put out about it though. <</switch>><br><br> [[Get back to your other tasks.|$prev]]With everything prepared appropriately, you finally enter the fresco room. On previous nights you've stayed out of it to avoid tipping off the police (and particularly Miss Marshall, with her eye for minuscule clues) about where your interests truly lie, so you haven't yet seen this masterpiece that you've been working so hard to obtain. And it is //truly// a masterpiece. You're so enraptured that for a second you forget to breathe.<br><br> The fresco isn't as big as you thought it might be (which is probably a good thing), but it's no less beautiful for it. A man with a crown stands on a hill, arms raised to the sky. He's surrounded by several saints (judging by their halos), who are watching him approvingly. Below the hill lies an army of men lying on the ground, either defeated or in awe of his power. A pair of many-winged angels look down on the battlefield from the sky, completing the tableau. The fresco shows signs of age, but the colours are still impossibly vivid even in the dark. The blues, reds, and golds are so vibrant they practically have a life of their own.<br><br> /*This depicts Steven III's miraculous victory over the Ottoman Empire, which he refused to take credit for and insisted it was divine provenance. There's some (limited) precedent for real events to be shown in the Moldavian frescoes, and since this was considered to have great religious significance I think it's fair game. https://rachelsruminations.com/painted-churches-moldavia/ */ [[Mel coughs politely behind you.|frescoRoom2]]You whirl around with a start--you've been so wrapped up in the fresco that you didn't notice her enter. (Frankly, she may have even been there before you.) But instead of looking either smug or annoyed, she gives you a genuine smile. "It is quite something, isn't it?" she says, with a note of amusement in her voice. Have you ever seen her smile like that before?<br><br> You shake off that thought and agree with her that it is //quite// stunning, which means it's far too good for the museum and the two of you should get it off the wall post-haste. You empty out your toolbag so she can see what you've got, and the two of you <<if $toolbag.includes("pair of gloves")>>don your gloves and <<scoreTracker 1 1>><<else>><<scoreTracker 0 1>><</if>> get to work. <<if $toolbag.includes("solvent")>> The first step is to weaken the glue holding the fresco to the wall. You apply as much solvent as you can to the edges of the fresco, and then hand the bottle off to Mel to get all the spots you couldn't reach (which is quite a lot of them.) <<if $toolbag.includes("pry bar")>> While she's doing that you get out the pry bar and start working to loosen the fresco from the wall at the points where you've softened the glue. The two of you swap back and forth several times and in no time you have the fresco completely removed from the wall. It's all quite efficient, really. <<scoreTracker 3 3>> <<elseif $toolbag.includes("paint scraper")>> While she's doing that you get out the paint scraper and start working to loosen the fresco from the wall at the points where you've softened the glue. The paint scraper isn't //quite// the right tool for this and large chunks of backing end up coming away, but you've avoided damage to the fresco itself and that's the important thing. You and Mel trade the solvent and scraper back and forth quite efficiently and before long you have the fresco off the wall and onto the floor. <<messy 1>> <<scoreTracker 2 3>> <<else>> Lacking any good prying tools, you're forced to repurpose your general-use thievery tools to pry the fresco off the wall. It's not the worst job in the world, but it's slow going, and you don't want to think about what this is doing to your lockpick set. You and Mel trade off dissolving and prying and eventually the fresco is free. <<messy 1>> <<slow 1>> <<scoreTracker 1 3>> <</if>> <<else>> <<if $toolbag.includes("pry bar")>> The fresco is firmly glued to the wall, which is unfortunate as you haven't brought any solvent with you. You do have the pry bar though, so can still remove it with enough elbow grease. You and Mel trade the pry bar back and forth (it's //quite// tiring work), and eventually the fresco is free. <<slow 1>> <<scoreTracker 2 3>> <<elseif $toolbag.includes("paint scraper")>> The fresco is firmly glued to the wall, which is unfortunate as you haven't brought any solvent with you. You do have the paint scraper though, so can still remove it with enough elbow grease. Unfortunately the paint scraper isn't quite the right tool for the job and it's extremely slow going. Eventually you hand the scraper off to Mel and sprint back to the western supply room, returning with an armful of different solvent bottles to hopefully speed the effort up. That does the trick, but you'll have to leave them behind when you flee. <<slow 1>> <<messy 1>> <<scoreTracker 1 3>> <<else>> The fresco is firmly glued to the wall, and thanks to the interruptions yesterday you have neither solvent to dissolve the glue nor a tool to pry the fresco up with. You leave Mel standing guard and sprint back to the workshop to grab as many solvents and prying tools as you can carry, your face flushed with embarrassment. They do the trick but you'll have to leave an awful mess behind when you leave. (Mel doesn't say anything, but you still feel incredibly stupid that you've made such a mistake in front of her. You suppose it's only natural that you want to impress.) <<slow 1>> <<messy 1>> <<scoreTracker 0 3>> <</if>> <</if>><br><br> Now that the fresco is free, you and Mel carefully load it onto the cart <<if $toolbag.includes("fabric")>><<scoreTracker 1 1>>after carefully wrapping it in the protective fabric<<else>><<messy 1>><<scoreTracker 0 1>><</if>>. <<if $toolbag.includes("tie strap")>>The two of you attempt to secure the fresco with the tie strap, but it's finicky work trying to find a balance of tension that will keep it secure but won't cause damage. It takes the two of you a little time and no small amount of whispered arguing, but eventually you're both happy with it.<<scoreTracker 0 1>><<slow 1>><<else>>Mel notes that the fresco is a bit wobbly, and you agree that one of you should try to keep a hand on it at all times just in case.<<scoreTracker 1 1>><</if>> [[Suddenly, an alarm sounds.|n3Gauntlet1]]<br>Drat! You've evaded the guards so far tonight by having successfully concealed what your target was, but that's over. Now you've got their attention, and it's time to get out. <br><br> Mel looks at you with a panicked expression. Of course she isn't used to situations like this, so you'll have to take the lead in getting out unscathed.<br><br> <<link [[Rush out now and get a head start.|n3Gauntlet2]]>><<messy 1>><<conv 2>><</link>><br> <<link [[Do something to slow down your pursuers.|n3Gauntlet2]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> You manage to sputter out some instructions to Mel to try and delay anyone who pursues you. She nods and gets to work surveying one half of the room while you take the other. Once you're done wedging a chair under a doorknob, you look around to see that Mel has taken the velvet ropes from the fresco and used them to create a kind of tripwire across another door. You give her a nod and then grab the cart and get moving. <<case 2>> You grab Mel by the shoulder and gesture vaguely towards the cart, before grabbing the back end of it and hurrying towards the nearest door. Mel catches on to your intentions and opens the door, then grabs the other end of the cart to help steer. You don't have a free hand to close the door after you, but it will have to do. <</switch>><br><br> You're only a few steps into the next room when one of your cart wheels locks up and the cart goes sideways. (You're lucky that Mel managed to keep a hand on the fresco--you shudder at the thought of what could have happened to it otherwise.) You try to move the cart again but it's quickly apparent that something is stuck in the wheel. You can hear footsteps and shouting in the distance, so one way or another you need to deal with this quickly.<br><br> <<link [[Stop and fix the jam.|n3Gauntlet3]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[No time--get out of here now by whatever means necessary.|n3Gauntlet3]]>><<messy 1>><<conv 2>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mel moves to push the cart onward, but you stop her and shake your head. She looks confused, but drops back and covers you while you kneel down to inspect the wheel. There's a nail wedged in it, which you work out with your tools before moving on. Hopefully the guards haven't gained on you too much. <<case 2>> Mel moves to inspect the wheel, but you shake your head and move to push the cart onward. (It of course goes nowhere.) In response, Mel kicks open the next door and then picks up her end of the cart. You pick up yours and together you carry the useless cart through the door. Something falls out of the wheel with a "ping!" when you drop the cart back down on the floor, and then the cart moves freely again. <</switch>><br><br> Now that your cart is working again, you need to pick up the pace. You point at the next door you want to go through and hand the cart off to Mel while you try to open it, but you may as well be trying to open a brick wall. It's not locked, but some genius (and you suspect you know //which// genius) has had the guards barricade it from the other side. You'll need to find another way out of here. There are a few other doors out of this room, but which one is best?<br><br> <<link [[Consult your mental map.|n3Gauntlet4]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Pick a door and go!|n3Gauntlet4]]>><<messy 1>><<conv 2>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mel is clearly spooked by this development and wants to run, but you hold up a hand and tell her to give you a minute to think. Once you've taken a few deep breaths and calmed down, you identify the door that should give you the best new path to the outside. Once you tell her which door it is, she opens it and the two of you shove your cargo through at speed. <<case 2>> This time, you and Mel are in complete agreement about what to do--i.e. point the fresco-laden cart at another door and go. She takes the lead this time and forces the door open with some effort (the frame having apparently been damaged at some point, perhaps during your activities last night), and the two of you hurtle into parts unknown. <</switch>><br><br> The next room is familiar to you, but it takes you a split second to realise that the door you want to go through will require a ninety-degree turn to the right. Unfortunately you and Mel are in a hurry, and as such the cart is going far too fast to make the turn without intervention. You shout the new direction to Mel and hope she can react in time. <br><br> <<link [[Stop the cart and make the turn.|n3Gauntlet5]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Go for the turn anyway.|n3Gauntlet5]]>><<messy 1>><<conv 2>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> You can tell that trying to make the turn at this speed will probably result in you running Mel over with the cart, which is absolutely not what you came here to do tonight. So while Mel tries valiantly to make the turn, you dig your heels in and drag the cart to a stop. She looks back at you incredulously, but then sees how close you've come to smashing a display case and abandons whatever she was about to say. Instead she helps to align the cart with the next door and the two of you start running again. <<case 2>> Luckily, Mel has very good reflexes and immediately throws herself hard to the right, dragging the nose of the cart towards the door. You barely manage to keep a hand on the fresco as the cart tips slightly and the back end clips a glass display case with a loud CRACK! But the fresco and the cart are both intact and that's what matters. Mel kicks open the next door a split second before the cart sails through. <</switch>> <br><br> You've emerged back into the western supply room, which means you're almost to your destination. Unfortunately the guards have caught on to your plan and have beaten you here. They form an ominous line blocking the exit to the workshop beyond.<br><br> <<link [[Take another detour.|n3Gauntlet6]]>><<slow 1>><<conv 1>><</link>><br> <<link [[Barrel straight through them.|n3Gauntlet6]]>><<messy 1>><<conv 2>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> Mel screams out for you to go left, and before the word is half out you're wrenching the cart to the side as hard as you can. The guards try to stop you, but frankly you took them a bit by surprise and are going much faster than is entirely reasonable, so you blow right past them through the door they have stupidly left propped open. You cross into a small hallway and then out into the grand Egyptian gallery. Your feet skitter on the floor as you try to steer the cart back towards your destination, but after a panic-fuelled eternity you're back in the workshop. <<case 2>> Mel screams out for you to go left, but there's no time to react before the cart ploughs straight into the line of guards, knocking several of them to the floor. Mel had made an admirable last-ditch effort to steer away and also went down in the fray, but you pull her up by the collar before the guards can recover and half-drag her behind you into the workshop. <</switch>><br><br> The workshop has a door to the outside that's used for moving particularly large pieces in and out, such as the miraculously-still-intact fresco you and Mel are pushing. You pass through it and then the two of you are blissfully, wonderfully outside. (You think you might cry at the sight of the idling lorry ahead of you.) Before you know it you've made it there and are helping load the fresco into the rear. It's surreal, to have finally made it after all you've been through to get here.<br><br> <<link [[And then a woman steps out from the museum.|n3GauntletEnd]]>><</link>><br>You know exactly who this is even before you get a good look at her. At least Miss Marshall is unaccompanied by police. She can't be two places at once, and you're fairly sure she's more interested in nabbing you than retrieving the fresco, so if you stay here instead of hopping into the lorry as planned, you can buy time for the fresco to make its way to the docks.<br><br> Mel seems to have the same idea. The two of you stand there and allow <<if $oscarHere && $yorkieHere>>Oscar and Yorkie<<elseif $oscarHere>>Oscar<<elseif $yorkieHere>>Yorkie<<else>>Gwen<</if>> to drive off with the Masterpiece.<br><br> Miss Marshall looks from you to Mel<<if $whichSabotage === 3>> (squinting near-sightedly, since she is missing her spectacles)<</if>>. "Ah," she says, "so you //were// working together. What a scandal for Scotland Yard." She doesn't sound as surprised as you'd like her to be, frankly.<br><br> At this point, you should run, but you become abruptly aware that, after your exertions last night, you simply don't have it in you.<br><br> [[You'll have to try to talk your way out of this one.|n3Marshall1]]"Very obliging of you not to go anywhere," Miss Marshall says. "The police will be here soon. The guards are nearby, of course, if restraint is required, but I admit I would prefer a civilised conversation. I am //very// curious about you."<br><br> You say that you are likewise curious about her. (Mel, meanwhile, hangs back, watching you--evidently she's content to let you handle this one.)<br><br> "Why did you want to steal the fresco?" Miss Marshall asks.<br><br> <<if $whichSabotage === 1>>(You notice that she is, incongruously, wearing a pair of rather ancient-looking house-slippers.)<br><br><<elseif $whichSabotage === 2>>(You notice that, in lieu of a coat, she has a wool blanket draped around her shoulders; she is holding it shut awkwardly with one hand.)<br><br><<elseif $whichSabotage===4>>(You notice that she looks rather rumpled, as if she's had to climb out a window--a look with which you are well familiar.)<br><br><</if>> <<link [["I just thought it was lovely." (F)|n3Marshall2]]>><<conv 1>><<set $friendly += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["I didn't think the British Museum deserved to have it." (D)|n3Marshall2]]>><<conv 2>><<set $direct += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["Does it matter?" (L)|n3Marshall2]]>><<conv 3>><<set $leading += 1>><</link>><br><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> <<set $prevChoice = "f">> "It is, but there must be many lovely things that are more portable."<br><br> You admit that this was, in fact, a positive rather than a negative--the challenge of it appealed to you.<br><br> <<case 2>> <<set $prevChoice = "d">> "Surely that's true of many other things in the museum as well," she says. "Including things that are more portable."<br><br> You admit that part of the appeal was the difficulty of the task. If you don't keep challenging yourself, things get boring, and you get complacent.<br><br> <<case 3>> <<set $prevChoice = "l">> Miss Marshall shrugs. "Not especially. But I hoped you would humour me."<br><br> You admit that, although its aesthetic qualities and the dubiousness of the museum's right to display it figured into the decision, you were largely in it for the challenge.<br><br> <</switch>> Miss Marshall actually looks a bit impressed.<br><br> "Then, I suppose," she says, "there is the question of why you steal at all."<br><br> <<link [["For much the same reasons that you detect, I think." (F)|n3Marshall3]]>><<conv 1>><<set $friendly += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["Because life would be boring otherwise." (D)|n3Marshall3]]>><<conv 2>><<set $direct += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["Can't you figure that out yourself?" (L)|n3Marshall3]]>><<conv 3>><<set $leading += 1>><</link>><br>Continuing in the vein you were in previously isn't doing you any good. It looks like you'll have to change approaches more frequently to keep her off-balance.<br><br> <<set $seenHint = true>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> <<if $prevChoice === "f">> "Don't presume to understand what my reasons are," she snaps.<br><br> <<if $seenHint === false>> <<include "marshallHint">> <</if>> <<else>> "Fascinating," she says, half to herself. "And what do you think my reasons are?"<br><br> <</if>> You suggest that it's because she needs puzzles to solve to keep life interesting. (You also suspect that she, like you, enjoys the praise, but that's a less flattering thing to say.)<br><br> "I see," she says, without any comment on whether or not you've hit the mark. But you rather think that if you hadn't, she'd be more annoyed.<br><br> <<set $prevChoice === "f">> <<case 2>> <<if $prevChoice === "d">> "That doesn't seem like a particularly compelling reason to commit crimes," she says.<br><br> Well, that's quite hypocritical of her, from what you've heard, but pointing this out seems like it would only annoy her further.<br><br> <<if $seenHint === false>> <<include "marshallHint">> <</if>> <<else>> "It's all an intellectual puzzle to you, is it?" she says. "Fascinating."<br><br> <</if>> <<set $prevChoice === "d">> <<case 3>> <<if $prevChoice === "l">> "I could, but I was asking you, because I hoped you would tell me," she says, irritated.<br><br> <<if $seenHint === false>> <<include "marshallHint">> <</if>> You tell her that you do it to keep life interesting, because it becomes intolerably dull otherwise.<br><br> "Fascinating," she says dryly.<br><br> <<else>> "Well, if you insist that I do, I would say you're largely doing it to entertain yourself," Miss Marshall says. She sounds fairly disdainful, but well, she isn't wrong.<br><br> <</if>> <<set $prevChoice = "l">> <</switch>> You remark that you would have thought she would be more understanding of your motivations.<br><br> "What is that supposed to mean?" she snaps.<br><br> <<link [["I get the sense that we're kindred spirits, you and I." (F)|n3Marshall4]]>><<conv 1>><<set $friendly += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["Didn't you say that if you hadn't been a detective, you would have been a thief?" (D)|n3Marshall4]]>><<conv 2>><<set $direct += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["You know very well what it means." (L)|n3Marshall4]]>><<conv 3>><<set $leading += 1>><</link>><br><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> <<if $prevChoice === "f">> "I have met few if any people I would consider kindred spirits," Miss Marshall says flatly. "You are certainly not one of them."<br><br> <<if $seenHint === false>> <<include "marshallHint">> <</if>> You say that, since you've heard she said she could have been a thief herself, you'd have thought she'd have //some// sympathy for you.<br><br> "Well, that's where you're mistaken," she says. But she looks uneasy.<br><br> <<else>> "That's rather presumptuous of you," she says, but she does look a bit amused.<br><br> You say that, since you've heard she considered becoming a thief, she must have //some// understanding of why it interests you.<br><br> An expression passes across her face that you can't quite identify. "Perhaps," she says.<br><br> <</if>> <<set $prevChoice = "f">> <<case 2>> <<if $prevChoice === "d">> "I don't know what you're talking about," Miss Marshall says briskly, although you are quite sure she is lying.<br><br> <<if $seenHint === false>> <<include "marshallHint">> <</if>> You say that you've heard that information from //quite// a reliable source--so surely she should be able to understand the appeal?<br><br> "Of course not," she says. But she looks uneasy.<br><br> <<else>> Miss Marshall frowns. "How did you know that?"<br><br> You say, airily, that you can't reveal your sources.<br><br> "Very well," she says. "I'm sure I could find out if I tried."<br><br> <</if>> <<set $prevChoice = "d">> <<case 3>> <<if $prevChoice === "l">> "Don't play coy," she says. "It's tiresome. If you have something you want to say, then say it."<br><br> <<if $seenHint === false>> <<include "marshallHint">> <</if>> You say that you've heard she claimed that if she hadn't been a detective, she would have been a thief--so surely she should be able to understand the appeal?<br><br> <<else>> "I suppose I do," she says, "although I do wonder what exactly you know about me, and how you know it."<br><br> You say, airily, that you can't reveal your sources.<br><br> "Very well," she says. "I'm sure I could find out if I tried."<br><br> <</if>> <<set $prevChoice = "l">> <</switch>> <<link [["I think we could help each other." (F)|n3Marshall5]]>><<conv 1>><<set $friendly += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["I heard you've been finding life especially dull lately." (D)|n3Marshall5]]>><<conv 2>><<set $direct += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["Are you satisfied with your life at the moment?" (L)|n3Marshall5]]>><<conv 3>><<set $leading += 1>><</link>><br><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> <<if $prevChoice === "f">> "I see how I could help you, of course," Miss Marshall says, "but the reverse? I doubt it."<br><br> <<if $seenHint === false>> <<include "marshallHint">> <</if>> <<else>> Her mouth quirks up at the corner. "Is that so?"<br><br> <</if>> You say that you are given to understand that she's been bored lately--a victim of her own success, perhaps, having caught all of the more interesting criminals.<br><br> "And what of it?" she says.<br><br> <<set $prevChoice = "f">> <<case 2>> <<if $prevChoice === "d">> "I don't think that's any of your business," she says.<br><br> <<if $seenHint === false>> <<include "marshallHint">> <</if>> Undaunted, you go on to say that you've heard that she complains of a lack of intellectual stimulation in her work--there's a shortage of interesting crimes, apparently.<br><br> <<else>> "Really!" she says. "And why would that be?"<br><br> You say that you've heard she's complained about a lack of challenge in her work--having perhaps caught all of the more interesting criminals.<br><br> <</if>> She regards you levelly. "And what of it?"<br><br> <<set $prevChoice = "d">> <<case 3>> <<if $prevChoice === "l">> "What kind of question is that?" Miss Marshall says. "You sound like you're trying to convert me or sell me something."<br><br> <<if $seenHint === false>> <<include "marshallHint">> <</if>> You explain that you are asking because you've heard she's been complaining lately of a lack of intellectual stimulation--there's nobody in London, criminal or detective, who can really challenge her.<br><br> <<else>> "To be perfectly honest, no," she says, "but what concern is it of yours?"<br><br> You say that you are given to understand that the problem is that there is nobody left, at least around here, who can truly challenge her.<br><br> <</if>> "And what are you proposing to do about it?" she says. "I assume you do have some angle here."<br><br> <<set $prevChoice = "l">> <</switch>> <<link [["I'm offering to keep you entertained, if you'll let me." (F)|n3MarshallEnd]]>><<conv 1>><<set $friendly += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["I think you should let me go because your life will be more interesting if I'm not in prison." (D)|n3MarshallEnd]]>><<conv 2>><<set $direct += 1>><</link>><br> <<link [["Wouldn't it be nice to have someone to keep you on your toes?" (L)|n3MarshallEnd]]>><<conv 3>><<set $leading += 1>><</link>><br><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "In other words, I should let you go so that you can create more intriguing problems for me to solve?"<br><br> You affirm that this was, in fact, the idea.<br><br> "That's a very daring proposition," she says. "And yet... why not? Your antics don't tend to do anyone serious harm, from what I've seen, and they //are// quite inventive."<br><br> You don't like having your work described as "antics," but of course now is not the time to quibble over things like that.<br><br> <<if $suspicion >= 2>> "Mind you," she adds, "I do already have a suspicion of your identity--but I haven't got proof yet, so that will still be a challenge."<br><br> Well, that's not promising--perhaps it was a mistake to call on her earlier today. Then again, if you hadn't made such a mess of things, it might have been fine.<br><br> <</if>> <<case 2>> This surprises a laugh out of her, which in turn surprises you. You weren't sure she was capable of it.<br><br> "That's incredibly bold of you," she says. "But to be quite honest, it //would// be nice to have someone out there creating interesting problems.<<if $suspicion >= 2>> Mind you, I //do// already have a suspicion of your identity--but I haven't got proof yet, so that will still be a challenge.<</if>>"<br><br> <<if $suspicion >= 2>>Well, that's not promising--perhaps it was a mistake to call on her earlier today. Then again, if you hadn't made such a mess of things, it might have been fine.<</if>><br><br> <<case 3>> "'Someone' meaning you, I take it," Miss Marshall says. "That's a bold offer."<br><br> You ask her whether she knows of anyone else who would fit the bill.<br><br> "Well, no," she admits. "And it's true that your antics are quite creative, and it would be entertaining to unravel them."<br><br> You don't like having your work described as "antics," but of course now is not the time to quibble over things like that.<br><br> <<if $suspicion >= 2>> "Mind you," she adds, "I do already have a suspicion of your identity--but I haven't got proof yet, so that will still be a challenge."<br><br> Well, that's not promising--perhaps it was a mistake to call on her earlier today. Then again, if you hadn't made such a mess of things, it might have been fine.<br><br> <</if>> <</switch>> <<finesseCalc>> She is silent for a moment, apparently thinking the matter over.<br><br> "All right," she says, finally. "I almost can't believe I'm doing this, but I accept your offer."<br><br> "Er," says Mel. "Am I free to go as well?"<br><br> "You're not going back to Scotland Yard after this, are you?"<br><br> Mel ducks her head. "No, I'm not."<br><br> "Then I don't see any reason to tell them about this," Miss Marshall says. With that, she turns and walks back into the building.<br><br> "The police are probably still on their way," Mel points out. "We should go."<br><br> At least now you can do it at a pace that won't kill you. You turn away from the museum and [[head for home|epilogue1]].<center><b>@@font-size:x-large;EPILOGUE@@</b></center><br><br> It is the day after your theft of the Masterpiece of Moldavia, which is now safely en route back to Roumania. You've discreetly notified some authorities of its return; hopefully they'll be able to handle it from there. Hopefully, also, they won't make too much noise about it. You don't want to cause a diplomatic incident.<br><br> <<if $gwenHere === false>> Though Gwen was willing to play her part in the theft yesterday, she refused your invitation to come over today. She says that she feels like you're using her, and that she's tired of trying to keep you out of trouble when you seem determined to throw caution to the wind and disregard everything she ever says to you. Surely you haven't treated her //that// badly. Have you?<br><br> <</if>> <<if $oscarHere === false && $yorkieHere === false>> Both Oscar and Yorkie seem to be cross with you. Oscar is just giving you the cold shoulder, but Yorkie deigned to tell you that he was tired of your condescension; you've been at this game for longer, he conceded, but the two of them did do well enough for themselves in America, and they're not idiots. Perhaps you should have given them a bit more credit for knowing what they were doing, after all. <<elseif $oscarHere === false>> Yorkie is in good enough spirits today, but Oscar seems to be cross with you. He isn't speaking to you, but Yorkie told you, apologetically, that Oscar feels you've been talking down to him about the art of thieving. "I know you're the expert," Yorkie said, "but he and I did get by well enough in America, you know."<br><br> This is true enough, but their efforts are still considerably less polished than yours, and surely it's not //that// rude to say so? Then again, you do always feel particularly bad for hurting Oscar's feelings.<br><br> <<elseif $yorkieHere === false>> Oscar is in good enough spirits today, but Yorkie seems to be cross with you. Well, all right, you know that he's cross with you, because he told you so. He said that he was tired of your condescension; he conceded that you'd been at this game for longer, but pointed out that he and Oscar weren't exactly new to it themselves, and that you'd no excuse for treating them like idiots. This seems a bit harsh to you, but perhaps you should have given them more credit for knowing what they were doing, after all. <</if>><br><br> <<if $oscarHere && $yorkieHere && $gwenHere>> Oscar, Yorkie, and Gwen are all in good spirits after last night's success, but they are quite exhausted after running all over the city with a painted section of wall. Gwen has asked to postpone meeting to talk over the crime until she's had some time to recover. You're fairly tired yourself, to be honest.<br><br> <</if>> After the frantic activity of the past several days, you sleep in a bit, and take your time going through your morning routine. But you can't dally forever--you've agreed to [[meet with Mel|epilogue2]].It feels odd to be meeting Mel at a café, in broad daylight and without a disguise. It feels odd to have nothing to hide any more. But here you are.<br><br> She seems to feel equally awkward, and the conversation you make is stilted at first. Finally, unable to withstand your curiosity any longer, you ask the question that has been on your mind for the past several days.<br><br> [['"So, you\'re really leaving Scotland Yard?"'|epilogue3]]"Yes," she says. "As strange as that is to think about."<br><br> You ask if she's come to any further conclusions about what she might do next.<br><br> "I have, actually," she says. "It's sort of funny to be giving Miss Marshall credit for this, since she and I don't get on, but it really is because of her that I realised I don't need the Yard in order to do what I want to do. She works with them sometimes, but most of her work is private, and she seems to get by all right that way. So, well, why couldn't I?"<br><br> You agree that this seems sensible.<br><br> "Besides, this will allow me to act in accordance with my conscience rather than the law, when the two conflict. And..." She hesitates briefly. "Well, there's one other thing."<br><br> You look at her expectantly.<br><br> "<<if $distractionInfo>>When I was talking to Dr Bishop, he said that, because Miss Marshall doesn't have the access that the police have to crime scenes and such, she would often break into buildings to get at evidence. And even if it's not necessary to go quite that far, the ability to talk your way into places you're not supposed to be and get information out of people would be quite useful.<<else>>It's occurred to me that without the access the police have to crime scenes and such, I might have to resort to... alternate methods to get at evidence. If not housebreaking, at least sweet-talking.<</if>> And that all seems more your area than mine, so, er..." She looks down at her hands, folded in front of her on the table. "I know it's an odd question but... would you like to join me?"<br><br> <<if $totalMelPoints >= ($maxTotalMelPoints * 0.7)>><<link [['"I would love to, actually."'|epilogue4]]>><<conv 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link [['"I\'m not sure."'|epilogue4]]>><<conv 2>><</link>><<switch $convVar>> <<case 1>> "Excellent!" she says, grinning. She reaches across the table to take your hand, which you allow, deciding not to think too hard about the implications of the gesture. It feels nice, though.<br><br> "There's just one condition," she adds.<br><br> You ask what that might be.<br><br> "You have to start calling me Margaret."<br><br> Grudgingly, you accept this stipulation.<br><br> It's a bit intimidating, honestly, to think about this change in direction. Unlike Mel--that is, Margaret--you hadn't gotten up this morning planning to make major alterations to your life. (And you do feel a little bad for what amounts to reneging on your promise to Miss Marshall to make her life interesting, if you'll be solving mysteries rather than creating them--though you //could// still be a rival to her, in a way.)<br><br> But in the moment that she asked you, you were sure it was the right thing to do, and you'll have to trust that instinct. And after all, aren't you always in search of new adventures?<br><br> <<case 2>> Your relationship with Mel has been a bit too volatile for you to feel entirely comfortable with the prospect of working together. Besides, you're not sure you're ready to even partially give up on your life of crime. And didn't you promise Miss Marshall you'd create more problems for her to solve?<br><br> "I understand," says Mel, looking down at the table rather than meeting your eyes. "I just... thought I'd ask. The offer stands, if you ever change your mind." <br><br> You promise her you'll consider it. Maybe you will, and maybe you won't. But because (for reasons you won't examine too closely) you hate to see her looking so sad, you reach out across the table and offer her your hand, which she takes. One way or another, it doesn't seem like her change of jobs will mean that you see any less of each other.<br><br> <</switch>> <p style="font-family: 'Passions Conflict', cursive;text-align: center;">@@font-size:400%;<<link "//Fin//" "end">><</link>>@@</p>Thank you for playing //Lady Thalia and the Masterpiece of Moldavia//!<br><br> Your final Finesse score, demonstrating your ability to pull off thefts with panache, was $totalFinesse out of a total of $maxTotalFinesse.<br><br> We hope you have enjoyed the show!<br><br> <center><<button "Play again">> <<run Engine.restart()>> <</button>></center>