10. The cave mouth and the perfect sapphire (lines 996-1052)
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0996 Place Cave_Mouth "Cave Mouth"
0997 with name "gorse" "footpath" "cave" "mouth",
0998 description
0999 "This is a cave mouth, at one end of a road which winds southeast
1000 over rising ground. The entrance west to the caves is a dark
1001 tunnel, and only a footpath runs further north, into gorse.",
1002 u_to Up_Road, se_to Up_Road, in_to Iron_Door, w_to Iron_Door,
1003 n_to Footpath;
1004
1005 Object -> Iron_Door "iron door"
1006 with name "iron" "door" "heavy",
1007 description "It just looks like an ordinary heavy iron door.",
1008 door_dir
1009 [; if (location==Cave_Mouth) return w_to; return e_to;
1010 ],
1011 door_to
1012 [; if (location==Cave_Mouth) return In_Cave;
1013 return Cave_Mouth;
1014 ],
1015 describe
1016 [; if (self has open) "^The iron door stands open.";
1017 if (self hasnt locked) "^The iron door is unlocked but shut.";
1018 "A heavy iron door bars the cave mouth.";
1019 ],
1020 found_in In_Cave Cave_Mouth
1021 has static door openable locked lockable;
1022
1023 ! Cf. T. S. Eliot, "Burnt Norton" II:
1024 ! (but see also Mallarme's sonnet from which Eliot borrowed the image)
1025
1026 Object -> sapphire "perfect sapphire"
1027 with name "perfect" "sapphire" "gemstone" "gem",
1028 initial "Clotted in the mud beside the door is a perfect sapphire.",
1029 before
1030 [; Examine: remove self; move caskly_spell to memory;
1031 players_book.learn_spell(caskly_spell);
1032 caskly_spell.number=100;
1033 "As you gaze into the perfect blue of the sapphire,
1034 you feel your mind begin to reel. Unable to bear
1035 the naked sight of perfection, you look away, ashamed.
1036 As you do so, the sapphire cracks and wastes away to
1037 thin hot dust. But something remains, something in your
1038 mind...";
1039 ];
1040
1041 Spell caskly_spell
1042 with name "caskly",
1043 purpose "cause perfection",
1044 magic
1045 [; if (second==0) "Trying to make everything perfect was a little
1046 too ambitious.";
1047 if (second==player) "Oh, don't be too hard on yourself.";
1048 if (second==helistars_book)
1049 "Your spell is not powerful enough to restore the lost pages.";
1050 print_ret (The) second, " looks pretty perfect as is.";
1051 ];
1052
Last updated 23 June 2004.
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