,Whilst harsh critics might stigmatize you as a vagabond, a footloose wanderer, or even a mountebank, in your own eyes you are a gentleman of quality traveling for adventure, or a free spirit seeking what little excitement and pleasure you can squeeze from the last hours of old Earth. Forced, by calumny and false accusation, to leave Kaiin mere minutes ahead of your creditors, you have arrived in Azenomei armed only with your wits, your trusty rapier, and a letter of introduction to one Derdolcelme, a person of some learning, who may be needing a private secretary. This latter post you feel ideally suited to fill, in as much as it would ideally provide you with an adequacy of terces, bed, and board, yet be an indoor job with no heavy lifting.
Leaving the pier you find your way to his house: a large residence in a pleasant street of modest prosperity. Knocking firmly on the front door elicits no response but you notice an alley running down the side of the house to a back yard. You determine to explore the rear of the house to see if any of the household are working in the yard. Half-way down the alley you notice a window ajar at head height.
[[Do you attempt to climb in through the window?->07]]
[[Do you continue down the alley and into the yard?->35]]To someone as dextrous and practiced as yourself, climbing in through the window is no problem. Admittedly you would not have worn your pink taffeta jacket with the lime silk trimmings had you known, but doubtless it will wash.
The room you are in seems to be some sort of scullery; you have to move cautiously to avoid stacked bottles and crates. A nearby door is slightly ajar, giving you a view of the kitchen. Someone is obviously working outside in the yard, and there appears to be another open door to the rest of the house.
[[Do you go through the kitchen to meet the individual in the yard?->35]]
[[Do you go through the door to the rest of the house to see if your host is at home?->14]]Working in the yard is a burly individual wearing an elaborate apron which was once probably white. He has his back to you, so has not noticed how you arrived. You cough politely and he turns, surprised. When you announce yourself he explains that he is the cook, and his master, Derdolcelme, has a private visitor in his parlour, but you would be welcome to await him in the library.
He leads you to the library and promises to return with some refreshment.
[[Do you sit decorously and await his return?->23]]
[[Do you immediately start to search the library, in case anything of interest has been inadvertently left on display?->39]]You find yourself in a short corridor with a couple of closed doors leading off it. The corridor ends in a staircase and from upstairs you think you can hear voices.
[[Do you decide to go back to the yard to see if anyone is there?->35]]
[[Do you decide to go up the stairs?->01]]In the silence you become aware of low voices and movement in the room above you. As you listen the voices become angry and there is the sound of furniture being knocked over and then a brief cry. At this point the cook returns with some pasties on a platter and a glass of wine.
[[Do you mention what you heard to the cook?->25]]
[[Do you merely thank him for the repast?->40]]Open on the reading lectern is a heavy volume bound in a fawn-coloured hide. It is by Branshagus and Lai; //Controlling the Beast Within: Demon taint and miscegenation.// The pages displayed discuss the difficulties that arise in succeeding generations after mating with demons has occurred. At this point you hear movement in the corridor and resume your seat. The cook enters with some pasties on a platter, and a glass of wine.
When he leaves, you savour the pasties (devilled squid with a creamy dressing and salad herbs), but soon grow bored.
[[Do you seek out the cook to discover how long he expects his master to be?->25]]
[[Do you decide to search for the elusive gentleman in person?->01]]The cook seems perturbed and suggests you accompany him as he investigates. He picks up a heavy poker from by the fire and leads you along the short corridor to the stairs. At the top of the stairs there is a corridor to match the one below, with doors on either side. The cook beckons you to follow, indicates the first door on the left. He suggests you merely knock and enter: as a guest your presence would cause no offense.
[[Do you agree with him and knock?->19]]
[[Do you disagree and insist on him entering first?->34]]When the cook leaves you savour the pasties (devilled squid with a creamy dressing and salad herbs), but are intrigued by the silence from the room above.
[[Do you wait near the door, listening carefully to see what might happen?->06]]
[[Do you decide to go upstairs and investigate?->01]]The first thing you see is the body of an elderly man lying on the floor amid broken chairs. A disgusting, wattled thing is bent over the body, ripping the flesh from its torso with jutting teeth. It notices you and, wiping its dripping mouth on a napkin held fastidiously in one claw, it lurches toward you.
[[Do you draw your rapier and attack it now while the chance offers?->20]]
[[Do you shut the door and flee?->27]]While admitting the justice of his argument, you pose your own counter argument: that the master will be rendered instantly more at ease if he gazes upon the honest countenance of his cook and trusted general factotum, than if he is disturbed by some unknown wayfarer. The cook opens the door, peers round, and slams it shut. He mutters that he must seek the Physician Boosnave. He asks you to stay and keep the door shut. He then runs down the stairs.
Inside the room you can hear a strange slobbering sound.
[[Do you heed the cook's instructions?->04]]
[[Do you peer around the door?->19]]It is a bitter contest: the creature is of aberrant ferocity. You fight for what seems an age, giving and taking bitter blows. Your left arm hangs useless, torn by a blow that almost hurled you across the room. Finally you spot an opening and slide the blade home. The creature collapses and sprawls onto the floor, blood forming small puddles from a dozen wounds.
You look around to see the cook staring at you with horror in his eyes. Finally, grasping his poker more firmly, he advances towards you shouting, "You have slain Master Derdolcelme!"
[[Do you attempt to reason with him?->12]]
[[Do you attack him, as he is obviously mad?->18]]In stark terror you run for your life, bursting past any who get in your way, and not stopping until you reach the pier. A river boat is preparing to leave and without questioning which direction it is heading you fumble with your purse and then press coins into the captains hand. You sit under the awning, watching Azenomei slip behind and shudder at the closeness of your escape.
//THE END//He will not be easily pacified, but you keep him at swords' length, and eventually you manage to make out the full story. Apparently Master Derdolcelme has been experimenting with various of the thaumaturgical arts and in doing so has weakened his own matrix. This means that the demon taint within him can, at times, gain control. This is easily treated with a medicinal draught and there is only the occasional unfortunate incident. With this the cook lunges at you again, and in defending yourself you are forced to kill him.
[[Do you ransack the house carefully, checking for anything of value?->13]]
[[Do you merely search the library quickly before getting away?->02]]The cook, in his madness, lacks all sense and leaves himself open to your cunning thrust. He lies dead at your feet.
[[Do you ransack the house carefully, checking for anything of value?->13]]
[[Do you merely search the library quickly before getting away?->02]]As you fill the second sack with small but valuable articles you hear a hammering on the front door. As you peer out a window you can see several watchmen gathered there. Perhaps someone has noticed something unusual in the house.
[[Do you flee out the back door?->38]]
[[Do you put on a bold face and open the front door?->22]]A swift search of the bookshelves produces several rare volumes, a bestiary, a gazetteer of the Scaum Valley, and another of Kaiin. In a desk drawer there is a handful of coins and some small pieces of jewellery. These you pocket and, opening the window, you slip out into the street. From here the road runs north to Cuirnif where you are sure your fortune awaits you.
//THE END//You run straight into the arms of several burly watchmen who knock you down and keep you pinioned. Once their fellows have found the cook's body, and signs of an obvious burglary, they have no hesitation. You are taken down to the river bank and the new gallows. Still protesting your innocence, you are hanged.
//THE END//You have a choice. You can tell the truth, or you can come up with a really imaginative lie. The choice is entirely yours.
[[The truth.->05]]
[[The lie.->29]]The watchmen search the house from one end to another. A city magistrate is summoned and he, irritated at dealing with you when he should be sitting down with friends for an early evening drink, is determined to deal with the matter hastily. Finally, he fines you the contents of the two sacks you had filled for your burglary and exiles you from the city, having the watchmen put you on the next boat that calls at the pier.
//THE END//You tell a tale of valour and confidence betrayed. You show where you slew the demon summoned by the cook, you show the two bags of loot the cook was obviously preparing for his getaway.
The watchmen search the house from one end to another. A city magistrate is summoned and he, irritated at dealing with you when he should be sitting down with friends for an early evening drink, is determined to deal with the matter hastily. Finally he fines you the contents of the two sacks you had filled for your burglary and exiles you from the city, having the watchmen put you on the next boat that calls at the pier.
//THE END//You stand silently by the door for what must be over half an hour. The slobbering sound is interspersed by ripping and tearing sounds.
[[Do you continue to wait?->26]]
[[Do you look in the room?->19]]The cook returns with Physician Boosnave. They open the door a little and sidle into the room, closing the door behind them. You can hear the cook's voice, gentle and soothing. After twenty minutes the cook opens the door, looking most relieved, and asks if you would be so kind as to return with him to the library. Master Derdolcelme has been taken briefly ill by a bilious attack, but will be down shortly.
In the library the cook pours you another glass of wine and returns with some most pasties. He thanks you for your forbearance and leaves you alone.
[[Do you shake your head in perplexity, and sit sipping your wine?->28]]
[[Dearch the library for items of obvious interest?->02]]After perhaps an hour, Master Derdolcelme comes into the room, leaning on the doctor's arm. He apologies for keeping you and confesses that he does not have an opening for a private secretary. He looks obviously tired and the doctor advises that he retire to bed. As you leave, somewhat disconsolate, the cook hands you a bundle. He explains that it contains a game pie and various other things which will keep you on the road. He also mentions that there is normally a river boat heading downriver at about this time of day. A gold piece in the bundle will pay your ticket to Taun Tassel.
Thanking him, you walk down to the pier, determined to seek your fortune in Taun Tassel.
//THE END//There is a long silence, broken only by the cries of the vendor of sweetmeats selling her wares in the street. She moves down the street and a sleepy afternoon silence falls. It is finally broken by the sound of someone slowly, and heavily, walking down the stairs.
[[Do you open the door to see if it is your host, Derdolcelme?->24]]
[[Do you sit and wait until you are summoned?->28]]Outside the library there is a short corridor which leads to the stairs. At the top of the stairs there is a corridor to match the one below with doors on either side. You would guess that sounds of activity are coming from the room behind the first door on the left.
[[Do you decide to merely enter the room?->37]]
[[Do you decide to knock first?->03]]A hunched, wattled creature of horrible aspect is standing at the foot of the stairs. It is chewing, in a distracted manner, on what may once have been a human leg . By opening the door you have attracted its attention and it moves toward you with obvious malice.
[[Do you flee?->27]]
[[Do you draw your rapier and attack?->20]]The first thing you see is the body of an elderly man lying on the floor amid broken chairs. A disgusting, wattled thing is bent over the body, ripping the flesh from its torso with jutting teeth. It notices you and, wiping its dripping mouth on a napkin held fastidiously in one claw, it lurches toward you.
[[Do you draw your rapier and attack it now while the chance offers?->20]]
[[Do you shut the door and flee?->27]]You open the door to see a hunched, wattled creature, fresh blood smeared across its face, barely two strides from you. With a growing sense of unreality you note it has a bloody serviette in one taloned hand.
[[Do you shut the door and flee?->27]]
[[Do you attack the brute with your rapier?->20]]The following pick-a-path adventure originally appeared on DyingEarth.com in November 2005. It was written by Jim Webster and Peter Freeman.
Adapted to Twine by Noah Lloyd, July 2020.
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