You can't look inside that.You can't put anything in that.You can't put anything on that.It's closed.You can't look inside that.A few moments pass.Taken.You don't need that.Dropped.But you're not carrying it!Done.You're not carrying any $1.You can't put things in that.You can't put the $1 inside itself.Opened.That's not something you can open.It's already open.Closed.That's not something you can close.It's already closed.Done.You're not carrying any $1.You can't put things on that.That doesn't look very appetising.You'll have to take it first.That's hardly potable.You'll have to take it first.There's nowhere to rest here.You dismount.You're not mounted.You don't have the proper equipment.inventoryYou haveYou are not carrying anything.On the bed there isThere is nothing on the bed.On the chair isThere is nothing on the chair.The suitcase containsThe suitcase is empty.In the back of the journal there isThere is nothing hidden in the journal.The depression in the tablet holdsThe depression in the tablet is empty.On the chips there isThere is nothing on the chips.Threewaterskins are here.three waterskinsthree things that you would call waterskins if you could remember the wordThey're$$.You take a mouthful.There isn't a drop left in them.fullemptywaterskins_state$p Your horse is here, waiting placidly.horsePale grey, placid and sturdy. It doesn't seem familiar; you must have hired it for the journey.It's the same pale grey mare that you hired the first time. She seems indifferent to seeing you again.You mount your horse.You're already mounted.Sand stretches in all directions as far as the eye can see. To you, one way looks as good as any other, but the horse seems to have a direction in mind.desert_descriptionEven if you could remember which way that is, you wouldn't know if it was the right direction to go in.dunno_which_wayfox and cartwheel innThe inn looks inviting. Perhaps you'll find something to drink if you enter it.No doubt it's been left open to look welcoming. Best leave it that way.desertLooking back from where you came, sand seems to stretch away forever.Going back out there wouldn't be a good idea at all.doorYes, it's definitely a door. You can tell by the small sign saying DOOR that's hanging on it.Just say LEAVE if you want to go outside.'Leave the door open,' says the innkeeper. 'It gets too hot in here otherwise.'inntablesraised flat thingsOne of theseems to have a label attached with the word TABLE written on it.peopleThey're busy talking and drinking, and don't take any notice of you.glassfull of aleIt's full to the brim with cool, foaming ale.It's empty.You drain the glass eagerly and put it down again.It's already empty.picture bookIt's entitled 'Aunt Hilda's Book of Things'. It does a good job of reminding you of the names of sundry household items and domestic animals.roomIt's the second one on the left, just like the innkeeper said.Just say ENTER if you want to enter the room.roomdoorLike everything else in the inn, the door to the room is plain, sturdy and functional.Just say LEAVE if you want to leave the room.simple bedThere's nothing remarkable about the bed; it looks passably comfortable.Your thoughts are in too much turmoil for sleep right now.use_inn_bedwooden chairIt's just an ordinary wooden chair.You sit down for a moment, but are too agitated to stay still and get up again.windowBright desert sunlight streams in through the window, filling the room with warmth.suitcaseThe suitcase is closed.jumble of clothesYou've made rather a mess of Filipo's neat packing since you've been here.You don't need a change of clothing right now.leather bound bookThere's little chance of fitting that into the journal.Your hands quiver as you hold the journal. Maybe somewhere in it is a clue to what made you come here. But dare you open it? Whatever it was, if you wanted to forget it that badly, it's clearly something best left forgotten. $p But curiosity is a perilous thing. It takes hold of us and prods and niggles and nags until we give in and do what we know we will regret. You open the journal.You open the journal.$p Most of the entries concern your day-to-day research activities at the College over the last six months, and are unremarkable; there's nothing in them that you don't remember anyway. $p Then you come across reference to an archaeological find, a buried chamber containing unusual Aztemian artifacts. As far as your memory goes, you heard something about that, although you never found out any details. Yet according to these entries, you were much more closely involved. In fact, you were one of the principal researchers who excavated the site! $p The notes you took make fascinating reading, until you come to a place where some of the words have been heavily blacked out. You hold the page up to the light, but can make nothing out. Further on, the blacked-out areas include whole sentences, and then paragraphs. Then there's a place where entire pages have been ripped from the book. $p Finally you close the journal again, knowing more in some ways, but not really any further ahead. Perhaps it's for the best.You'll have to open it first.Hand-written on the cover is: R. Corrinas, Daily Journal, Vol. 47, 18 Juo. 5486 -.journal_coverfireplaceIt looks like something has been burnt here recently. There are some ashes in the fireplace.some ashesThe ashes seem to be the remains of some pieces of paper.Most of them are completely destroyed, but one piece at the bottom is only singed around the edges.The ashes crumble to dust at your touch, but you might be able to pick up the piece of paper at the bottom.singed piece of paperYou fish the piece of paper out of the ashes and dust it off. $pTaken.It's covered in ashes. You'll have to take it out of the fireplace first.singed_paper_is_buriedIt's a page from your journal, listing transliterations for some symbols from an archaic alphabet. You have no memory of having seen them before.examine_singed_paperThe symbols bear some resemblance to the Aztemian syllabary for words of power, but there are significant differences. You can't imagine what they might be used for.read_singed_paperletter addressed to Mag. R. CorrinasletterYou hurriedly break the wax seal and read the contents. $n $i Rafael: I pray to the gods this reaches you $i before you go into the Desert. It is imperative $i you return immediately. Your assistance is $i urgently required. I am sending this messenger $i by coach so that you may return with him. -- Marbrand $p The words fill you with alarm. You've known Marbrand long enough to be aware that he's not given to exaggeration. He wouldn't use such strong words unless the situation was dire indeed. $p 'Filipo!' $p He appears instantaneously. 'Yes, Master?' $p 'Begin packing. We leave for the College immediately.' $p As Filipo sets to work, you consider what to do with the piece of paper. Until a few moments ago, the wisest course of action would have been to discard it, but now... $p You tuck the paper into the back of the journal. Moments later, Filipo takes the journal from you and packs it in the suitcase.$n $i **********separatorFilipoHe's sitting motionless, staring straight ahead, with no sign of emotion on his face. You feel a twinge of sympathy for the poor fellow. Events have been strange and confusing enough for you of late; how much worse must it be for him?windowYou haven't got time for that now.quartz crystalIt's a large defect-free quartz crystal, cut at the optimum resonance for scrying and highly polished.scryingYou use the True Name of the quartz to excite it into resonance with the morphic field of the planet. Linked through the crystal, your mind expands outwards in search of Roberto's life-signature. $p 'I can't sense him,' you report. 'No, wait... yes, I can.' $p 'Can you tell where he is?' Marbrand asks hopefully. $p 'Yes, he's... he's at the excavation site. No... no, he _was_ there. His morphic trail leads there and then... stops.' $p 'What do you mean, stops?' $p You open your eyes and let go of the scrying trance. 'He went to the excavation site, and he didn't leave, but he's not there now.' $p 'A hyperdimensional rift?' $p 'Perhaps, but it doesn't feel that way. I really don't have an explanation.' $p 'I think,' muses Marbrand, 'that we had better take a closer look at that site. And that tablet.' $p 'Agreed. Give me a moment. There are some items I need to get from my rooms...'scrying_at_studysomepowder of affinityYou're not sure why you brought this with you. Somehow you had a hunch it might be useful.stone tabletThe precious surroundings have long since been taken away for safekeeping, but the slab of stone remains, rooted firmly in the floor of the chamber. Or what's left of it, anyway. Someone has taken to it with a hammer and chisel and gouged a great depression in its surface, obliterating all trace of what was inscribed there.The chips of stone from that endeavour still litter the floor.$p You have no need to wonder who was responsible for this desecration. You know who it was. It was you.You gather up the chips and dump themYou dump the stone chipsinto the depression in the tablet.You're getting ahead of yourself.It's hard to see how that would do any good.There are some stone chips on the floor.somestone chipsYou gather up the chips.You study the chips wistfully. If only they could be reassembled, the mystery of the stone's significance might be solved.There are hundreds of them; it could take years to solve such a fiendish jigsaw puzzle by hand. A faster way will have to be found.That doesn't make any sense.You'll have to put the chips in a container of some kind before adding the powder.You stir the chips around a few times, but nothing happens. Without any powder added, what did you expect?You begin gently stirring the chips. As they bump and jostle, by chance one happens upon another that was once its neighbour, and, encouraged by the powder, they cling together. Soon, small clumps of the original arrangement begin to appear, and then larger ones. When the pieces are large enough, you finish the final assembly by hand. $p The stone tablet once again bears an inscription. A word, written in arcane symbols.They would need to be in a suitable container before you could do that.You sprinkle the powder of affinity over the chips. Then, you... um... $p Damn memory loss. $p 'Be so kind as to remind me of the Name of stone, would you, Marbrand?' $p He tells you. Using the True Name of the stone, you activate the powder and begin the process of rebinding. All that remains is to stir the chips.powder_chips$p The inscription on the stone tablet has been re-assembled.inscriptionYou have seen those symbols before. You wrote them down, once, on a page in your journal. You worked hard to decipher them, fool that you were. $p Marbrand looks over your shoulder. 'Do you remember any more, Rafael?' $p 'Yes,' you reply, with a quaver in your voice. Your palms are clammy and sweat is breaking out on your forehead. 'I know what it is, now.' $p Marbrand waits patiently for you to go on. $p 'It's a Name,' you manage finally. 'It's the True Name of the entire universe.'You close your eyes and enter the scrying trance once more. 'I can see where he went now. He must have come down here and seen the Name, just before I destroyed it, and used it to go... elsewhere. Slip behind the scenes, as it were.' You reach a decision. 'I'm going after him.' $p 'Rafael, are you sure...' $p 'No, I'm not, but someone has to do something. Take the crystal and hold it here as an anchor. It may be the only way I have of getting back.'$p 'Be careful,' Marbrand says earnestly. $p 'Believe me, I will!' Then, before you can change your mind, you use the Name to propel yourself out of this reality and into another.scrying_at_excavationhammer and chiselIt's a sturdy metal stonemason's chisel, with matching hammer.farmerBack in the realm of solidity, you look down on a farmer tending to parched fields.sapphireThe principal properties of the sapphire are concerned with power over the mind. A skilled magister can use it to enhance his own mental ability, or, in desperate circumstances, to exert his will over another.With great reluctance, you use the sapphire to reach out to Roberto's mind and bind his will to yours.The need is not dire enough yet, and you hope it will not become so.NowhereYou shouldn't be here.In the DesertSand stretches in all directions as far as the eye can see. To you, one way looks as good as any other, but the horse seems to have a direction in mind.$p You're starting to get that feeling, the one that says you need to drink. There's a name for it, but it's gone.The horse plods on.The horse waits patiently for you to mount it again.In the DesertSigns of habitation can be seen far in the distance. The horse seems to be headed towards them.$p The feeling is getting stronger.The horse plods on, and you come upon a... place. The sort of place where people live in things and do things.The horse waits patiently for you to mount it again.Outside the InnThis is one of those long narrow places where people walk and ride. You're right in front of what, according to the thing for reading that's hung on it, is the 'Fox and Cartwheel Inn'.$p You dismount. A boy comes out to tend to the horse, and relieves you of the empty skins. He leads the horse away around the back of the inn.Edge of the DesertYou sit your horse at the edge of the town of San Renomi, looking south upon the Nameless Desert.You haven't bothered to ask the horse's name; it would be gone soon enough anyway.No time for second thoughts. You know what you must do.You'll need to be mounted before departing.You flap the reins, and the horse begins to move. As the town recedes into the distance behind, your thoughts drift and blow away on the breeze. Names begin to go, falling out of your mind like pebbles through a sieve. The name of your sister. The name of the animal you're sitting on. The name of those things you're carrying water in. Your own name. $p In the Desert, you can't remember your name... $pFox and Cartwheel InnThe inn is rather quiet at the moment. There are two people sitting at one of the$$; the rest are empty.Top Floor of the InnOne of the doors here has a note pinned to it, in your handwriting, saying THIS ONE HERE.Room at the InnThe room is clean and tidy. There's a bed, a chair, a window and a fireplace, and not much else.$pRiding in the CoachYou sit in silence as the coach speeds away from the desert town. Filipo is beside you, equally silent; the messenger is riding on the roof with the driver.Marbrand's StudyThe office of the Archmagister of Mantarino College is high in a tower, with windows overlooking the courtyard. His desk is piled high with papers, his bookshelves are filled with obscure texts, and his workbench is covered with arcane equipment.Excavation SiteThis chamber, found buried deep underground, might have been a tomb, or a temple, or something else entirely. Nobody knows, for although it's clearly Aztemian, it's unlike anything else of theirs that's ever been found.$p More memories are coming back. The efforts, not very successful, to decipher the inscriptions on the walls. The utter puzzlement over the chamber's centrepiece, a stone tablet set amidst a breathtakingly elaborate carved plinth, inlaid with a fortune of gold and jewels.VoidThe place you are in is not so much a place as a state of being, a state in which the very underpinnings of reality are exposed. You could do anything you wanted here; create anything, change anything, destroy anything. If you dared.Me$p 'Greetings, friend,' says the innkeeper. You know that's what he's called, because of the badge he's wearing. 'Welcome back to the town of San Renomi. Can I get you anything?' $p 'Yes,' you reply, a little hoarsely. 'Drink...' $p 'One glass,' he says, holding one up and pointing to it, 'of ale,' starting to pour, 'coming up.' He finishes filling the glass and puts it down in front of you.$p 'That'll be three coppers,' the innkeeper says. 'They're coins,' he adds. 'A form of money.' $p It takes you a few moments to realise that he's not trying to mock you, but being genuinely helpful. $p 'You've seen this sort of thing before,' you remark as you pay for the ale, 'haven't you?' $p 'More times than I care to think about,' he reflects. 'You'd be surprised how many folks choose to go into the Nameless Desert. I do my best to help them when they come out.' He studies your face for a few moments. 'I take it you're aware of what's happened. Do I need to remind you of the story?' $p 'No.' You remember it well enough. A wizard (whose name, ironically, has been forgotten) lost the love of his life in tragic circumstances, and went out into the desert to be alone in his grief. There, he cast a spell to make himself forget everything about her, even her name. But he made the spell too strong, and he forgot not only _her_ name, but every other name, whether of person or thing, that he had ever known. Worse, the spell was so strong that it seeped into the very sands of the desert, where it remains to this day and causes the same fate to befall anyone who ventures there. $p It's clear what has happened, but not why. What could possibly have possessed you to... $p Suddenly you're gripped by a terrible thought. 'Gods above! It's not...' Surely not dear, sweet... what's her name... $p 'Hey, take it easy,' says the innkeeper, gripping you by the shoulders and looking you in the eyes. 'Katrina is alive and well. You told me to tell you that.' $p He waits a few moments while the pounding of your heart subsides. 'You'd better drink your ale,' he suggests. 'You need it in more ways than one.'$p 'The other thing you wanted me to tell you is that you're Rafael Corrinas, Lecturer in Ancient Thaumaturgical Texts at the Mantarino College of Wizardry.' $p 'Thank you. I was wondering about that. And thank you for the ale, too. It has done a great deal for my... ah...' $p 'Thirst,' he supplies, taking the glass.$p 'Thirst. Yes. That's the word.' $p 'It's pretty disconcerting, I know,' the innkeeper says sympathetically, 'but the main thing is not to worry. Most of the everyday words will come back once you're reminded of them. Here's something that might help.' $p He hands you a small book. Flicking through the pages reveals that it's a child's picture book. You chuckle as you realise that it's just what you need right now.$p 'You're room's upstairs,' the innkeeper informs you. 'Second door on the left. You've had a tiring journey; I expect you'll want to get some rest. In the bed.'The InnkeeperHe's a friendly-looking man, slightly rotund, starting to get on in years. He has the eyes of a man who has seen a lot in his life.$p 'Master! You are back!' The face which greets you is filled with joy and relief. It is a familiar face, lacking only a name for the present. $p 'Yes, my dear, faithful one, I'm back, and I'm well. My memory isn't quite what is used to be, is all. I'm afraid you'll have to remind me of your name.' $p 'Filipo.' $p 'Filipo, of course.' Your trusted servant and constant companion for the last dozen years. Only he would be so loyal as to accompany you on a journey as mad as this.$p 'Is there anything you need, Master?' Filipo asks. $p You are silent for a moment. 'I need to know why,' you say. 'Why did I come here? What was it that I was so desperate to forget?' $p 'You made me swear never to tell you, Master. Please don't try to make me. You don't want to remember, Master, really you don't.' $p 'Calm yourself, Filipo. I'm not going to put you on a torture rack.' You manage a weak smile, and Filipo looks a little less nervous, but still not very happy. $p A few more moments pass in silence. 'I think I need to be alone for a little while, Filipo. That will be all for now. Thank you.' $p 'I will be in my room next door if you need me, Master.' With that, he leaves and closes the door behind him.Filipo$p There is a knock at the door. Opening it reveals a man in a messenger's uniform. $p 'Magister Corrinas?' the messenger inquires. $p 'I am he,' you reply. $p 'I have an urgent message from Archmagister Dominencos, and instructions to await with coach your response.' He hands you a sealed letter.MessengerHe's standing there calmly and professionally, waiting for your response to the message.$p The messenger is waiting at the door.$p Marbrand paces back and forth in agitation as he recounts the situation. 'Roberto Silensias has disappeared,' he begins. $p A piece of your memory clicks back into place. Roberto is one of the graduate students who helped excavate the Aztemian site. Very intelligent, but somewhat distant and withdrawn. You never really got to know him, and neither did anyone else, as far as you know.$p 'It happened about the time you succeeded in translating that tablet, and then destroyed it, and then ran off to lose yourself in the Nameless Desert. That took us all by surprise, let me tell you. Anyhow, the next thing we know, hell is breaking loose all over Mantarino. Earthquakes, tornados, flash floods... and they're no natural occurrences. Every thaumic seismometer in the labs has been giving readings clear off the scale for the last two days. The very fabric of reality is coming apart. And I'm sure it has to do with Roberto and this tablet somehow. Can you remember anything about it?' $p 'No, it's completely gone. Some things about the dig are coming back, but nothing about this... tablet. Roberto may know more, if we can find him. You've scried for him, I take it?' $p 'Yes, to no avail. Perhaps you will have more success, since you worked closely with him recently. Use this crystal, it's the most sensitive one we have.' He hands you a quartz crystal.$p It's some time before Marbrand finds a reply. 'That's... interesting,' he says at last. $p 'Interesting? It's terrifying! Can you imagine what someone could do with such a Name? How much havoc they could wreak?' $p 'Yes... I can imagine...' $p 'No, you can't! Nobody can. It's unimaginable!' $p 'All right, Rafael, calm down. Getting into a state isn't going to help at all. We came here to find Roberto, so let's do that. Try the crystal again.'$p 'Roberto was such a promising student. He will be sorely missed,' Marbrand says sadly. After a while, he adds, 'What will you do now?' $p 'Make sure nothing like this ever happens again,' you reply. 'This Name is too dangerous. Even with the best of intentions, it is perilously easy to misuse. It is too much of a temptation for any man to have in his head.' $p With that, you take up the hammer and pulverise the stone chips into such fine powder that it could never be reconstitued, even by magical means. $p That's one thing taken care of. Now for the other.MarbrandMarbrand Dominencos has been your friend and colleague for many years, and you've never seen him like this before. The lines of age and experience on his face have become deep creases of worry, and his hair, normally a dignified grey, looks almost white. Something truly calamitous must have happened to get him this rattled.$p 'Magister Corrinas!' Roberto says. Or communicates somehow -- sound has no real meaning here. 'Isn't this wonderful?' $p 'Roberto, you must come back. It's too dangerous to be here.' $p 'I can't leave now, there's so much to do, so much to put right! See that farmer down there?'$p 'He hasn't had any rain for months, and his crops are failing. But look what I can do! A nudge to the wind direction here, a little condensation here...' $p Clouds form and darken, and rain begins to fall. The wind picks up speed, becomes a gale, a hurricane. You watch in horror as the storm rages across the countryside, leveling everything in its path. $p 'Roberto! Stop! You're playing with forces you don't understand!' $p 'I pushed a little too hard. I'll get better with practice...' $p 'No, Roberto. The threads of the universe are too finely woven to withstand human meddling. You must come back with me.' $p 'I will not! How can I give this up, now that I've found it? I will learn to be the master of this place. I can and I will! You can't stop me!' $p You realise that the boy is drunk with power, and you don't even blame him for it. What man could resist such temptation? You surely couldn't, not for very long. You must get him out, and yourself. Time to use the sapphire.$p 'No!' Roberto rebels against your use of force, and tries to raise a shield against it. He twists and writhes, and in his panic he disturbs some of the threads of reality, threads carrying unimaginable power. They lash back, and huge arcs of energy discharge through Roberto's frail form. You watch in horror as his essence is vaporised before your eyes. $p There is nothing more you can do for him, and each moment you remain here puts you in danger. It is time to go. Fighting back tears, you reach out for the quartz crystal that Marbrand is still keeping active back in the chamber, and pull yourself back to reality.Roberto$p Roberto is here, too. You can't see him -- you can't really 'see' anything here by the usual meaning of the word -- but you can sense his presence.$p The coach speeds on, and the parched desert's-edge land gives way to the greener countryside of Mantarino. In due time, you arrive at your destination, and the coach pulls up outside the gates of the College. $p You leave Filipo to see about getting your luggage to your quarters, while you proceed directly to see Marbrand.Huh?I don't understand.I don't know what you mean by 'all'.I don't know what you mean by 'it'.I don't know what you mean by 'them'.You can't refer to multiple objects with '$v'.I can't guess what you want to $v.You must supply a noun.You must give an object after 'but'.You can only use 'but' after 'all'.That doesn't leave much to $v!I don't know which $1 you mean.I can't see any $1 here.You can't go that way.You can't do that.You can't $v the $1.There is nothing here that you can $v.There is$$, and here.is here.Thecontains, and $$.Theis empty.You have scoredpoints out ofYou can't remember that word.<More>(again)Enter file name to save inThat file already exists, overwrite (RETURN confirms) ? Sorry, save failed.Sorry, could not open that save file.Sorry, the save file was created by a different version.Sorry, the save file did not contain a save for this adventure.Enter file name to restore fromAre you sure (RETURN confirms) ? Do you want to RESTART, RESTORE or QUIT ? aThe horse plods on wearily across the sand. You can't remember the horse's name, of course, if it ever had one, any more than you can remember your own. That's not surprising. What's just a little surprising is that 'sand' and 'horse' are still there. No doubt they will go, too, in time. $p How much longer it wil take to get to where you're going, wherever that is, it's impossible to tell. Not too much longer, it is to be hoped, since the things of wet stuff you brought are all empty. You must be close, though. You would not have set out on this journey if it were not possible to complete it. Best trust yourself. $p And the horse. It seems to know where it's going. $n $n --------------------------------------------------------------------$n On A Horse With No Name$n --------------------------------------------------------------------$n an entry in the 2001 'TravelComp' IF Mini-Competition$n by Gregory Ewing, greg@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz$n http://www.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz/~greg$n --------------------------------------------------------------------$n Version 1.1