Sugarcane

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YOU HEAR THE CLICKS OF SHIFTING MACHINERY WITHIN THE STONE COFFIN. THEN IT FALLS FORWARD ON TOP OF YOU, KILLING YOU INSTANTLY.\n\n''YOU HAVE NOT FOUND THE SECRET!''\n<html>13425</html>\n<html><a href="index.html" target="_self">START OVER?</html>

YOU HAVE COME TO THIS ENIGMATIC HOUSE IN SEARCH OF THE SECRET THAT YOU KNOW IS HERE. YOU SHALL NOT LEAVE UNTIL YOU FIND THE SECRET!\n\n<<display "Entrance Hall">>

THIS ROOM HOUSES A CHILLING BESTIARY! THE HEAD OF AN ELK IS MOUNTED ON THE WALL, ABOVE THE STUFFED BODY OF AN ENTIRE BEAR! WHAT LOOKS TO BE A BABY SHARK FLOATS IN A WATER-FILLED GLOBE ON A PEDESTAL. AS YOU STEP AROUND FOR A BETTER VIEW OF THE MACABRE TROPHIES, YOU REALIZE YOU ARE STANDING ON A TIGER-SKIN RUG!\n<html>13425</html>\nCOULD ANY OF THESE POOR CREATURES HAVE KNOWN THE SECRET? WERE THEY, PERHAPS, KILLED FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE? IT'S TOO TERRIBLE TO THINK ABOUT! YOU FEEL THE URGE TO HURRY DOWN EITHER A MOULDERING PASSAGE TO THE [[LEFT|Portrait Gallery]] OR A POLISHED PASSAGE TO THE [[RIGHT|Entrance Hall]].

WHATEVER WAS IN THIS ROOM ONCE, IT'S ALL ASH AND SOOT NOW. IT WOULD APPEAR AS THOUGH THIS CHAMBER WAS RAVAGED BY A GREAT FIRE - NOTHING REMAINS.\n<html>13425</html>\nAND YET, YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE CERTAIN THAT THE SECRET WAS NEARBY YOU! COULD IT REALLY BE HERE, AMIDST THE ASHES? OR MAYBE DOWN THE CROOKED PATH TO THE [[LEFT|Room of Illusion]]? THE WINDING PATH TO THE [[RIGHT|The Key Room]]?

YOUR EYES MUST BE PLAYING TRICKS ON YOU! A WATERFALL RUNS THROUGH THE CENTER OF THIS ROOM - UPWARDS!! YOU CAN SEE THE STARS TWINKLE IN THE DISTANCE - EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON! FISH SWIM PAST YOU THROUGH THE AIR! AND YOU REALIZE THAT THE EYES OF THE POTTED PLANT IN THE CORNER ARE FOLLOWING YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. BAM! YOU SMACK INTO AN INVISIBLE WALL.\n<html>13425</html>\nFEELING YOUR WAY ALONG THE WALLS, YOU DISCOVER AN ORNATE PASSAGE TO THE [[LEFT|The Gargoyle]] AND A CROOKED PASSAGE TO THE [[RIGHT|Blasted Chamber]]. YOU WONDER WHAT TYPE OF ILLUSION PROTECTS THE SECRET, AND IF YOU WILL RECOGNIZE IT WHEN IT'S IN FRONT OF YOU.

THE ENTRANCE OF THE HOUSE IS A GREAT MARBLE HALL. BUT AS LARGE AS IT IS, IT IS DOMINATED BY THE HUGE STONE [[CASKET|The Stone Casket]] IN FRONT OF YOU. THIS STONE CASKET IS THE REASON FOR YOUR QUEST, BUT IT WILL NOT OPEN WITHOUT THE CORRECT COMBINATION OF FIVE NUMBERS.\n<html>13425</html>\nSOMEWHERE IN THIS HOUSE IS THE SECRET THAT WILL OPEN THIS CASKET. COULD IT BE DOWN THIS POLISHED-LOOKING CORRIDOR TO THE [[LEFT|The Trophy Room]]? OR THIS DUSTY OLD CORRIDOR TO THE [[RIGHT|The Armory]]?

EEAUGH!! A HUGE STONE GARGOYLE STANDS IN THIS CHAMBER, MAKING AN OBSCENE FACE AT YOU!\n<html>13425</html>\nDOES THIS GARGOYLE KNOW OF THE SECRET? THE INDEX FINGER OF ITS [[RIGHT|Room of Illusion]] HAND POINTS TO AN ORNATE PASSAGEWAY, WHILE THE PALM OF ITS [[LEFT|The Key Room]] IS UPRAISED TOWARD A STOOPED PASSAGE. A LADDER LEADS UP THROUGH A [[TRAPDOOR|Portrait Gallery]] IN THE CEILING.

AFTERNOON IN THE HOUSE OF SECRETS

ENTERING THIS ROOM, YOU ARE SUDDENLY OVERCOME WITH THE FEELING OF EYES ON YOU FROM ALL SIDES! YOU BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF AS YOU REALIZE THE EYES BELONG TO PORTRAITS MOUNTED ON THE WALL: J.S. BACH, W.A. MOZART, E.A.L SATIE, L.V. BEETHOVEN, AND ONE OF A SUSPICIOUS LOOKING CHARACTER LABELLED SIMPLY "MANNY."\n<html>13425</html>\nA LADDER LEADS DOWN THROUGH A [[TRAPDOOR|The Gargoyle]] INTO A DEEPER PART OF THE HOUSE. A DARK PASSAGE LEADS TO THE [[LEFT|The Armory]] AND A MOULDERING PASSAGE LEADS TO THE [[RIGHT|The Trophy Room]]. AS YOU LEAVE THE ROOM, THOUGH, YOU CAN'T SHAKE THE FEELING THAT THE SECRET IS IN HERE WITH YOU SOMEWHERE.

WHAT A MESS! ON THE FLOOR OF THIS DINGY ROOM ARE PILED ALL MANNER OF WEAPONS: BLADES, POLE-ARMS, AXES. BUT EXACTLY ONE OF EACH MAKE OF WEAPON. THERE ARE NO DUPLICATES! EVEN SO, CROSSING THE ROOM IS PRETTY TRICKY.\n<html>13425</html>\nCOULD THE SECRET BE HERE WITH YOU, IN THIS ROOM? OR COULD IT BE DOWN THE DUSTY PASSAGE TO THE [[LEFT|Entrance Hall]] OR THE DARK PASSAGE TO THE [[RIGHT|Portrait Gallery]]?

UPON ENTERING THE FINAL NUMBER, YOU HEAR A CLICK FROM WITHIN THE CASKET. THEN ANOTHER CLICK. THEN ANOTHER, FAINTER CLICK. THEN NOTHING. THEN ONE MORE CLICK.\n\nTHEN THE CASKET BURSTS OPEN TO SHOWER YOU WITH TREASURE! NOT GOLD, JEWELS, OR ANYTHING SO CRUDE - YOU HAVE FOUND THE ULTIMATE TREASURE, THE TREASURE OF DISCOVERY! GOOD JOB!\n\n''YOU FOUND THE SECRET!''\n<html>13425</html>\n<html><a href="index.html" target="_self">START OVER?</html>

THE STONE CASKET REQUIRES A COMBINATION OF FIVE NUMBERS. ENTER IT, AND UNTOLD RICHES WILL BE YOURS. BUT ENTER AN INCORRECT NUMBER, AND YOU SHALL FACE IMMEDIATE DEATH!!\n\nDARE YOU ENTER A NUMBER?\n\n[[YES, ENTER A NUMBER!|First Number]]\n\n[[NO, I AM NOT READY!|Entrance Hall]]

KEYS! YALE KEYS OF ALL COLORS, LAID ATOP CUSHIONS IN THIS ROOM! WELL, NOT ALL COLORS: YOU CAN SEE RED, BLUE, ORANGE, CHARTREUSE, GOLD, BURGUNDY, AND BLACK KEYS. A QUICK LOOK AT EACH KEY'S TEETH REVEALS WHAT YOU'D EXPECTED: EACH KEY IS TO AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LOCK! THERE ARE NONE ALIKE.\n<html>13425</html>\nBUT NONE OF THESE KEYS WILL UNLOCK THE SECRET FOR YOU! OR WILL THEY?? RIDDLED BY DOUBT, YOU DELIBERATE BETWEEN THE TWISTING PASSAGE TO THE [[LEFT|Blasted Chamber]] AND THE WINDING PASSAGE TO THE [[RIGHT|The Gargoyle]].

by dessgeega