Chapter_One

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Clare was desperately hungry. A song kept going around and around in her head. It was something her father always used to sing when she was little. //In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone...// Clare shook her head and tried to [[focus|chamber]].

There was a [[vent]] at floor level, and a [[grate]] higher up in the wall. Clare's used [[food tray]] sat on the floor. A set of stairs led up to the chamber door, which was bolted shut. A [[shadow]] loomed in the chamber's top corner.

<<set $song to 1>> <<cacheaudio "ambience" "https://static.wixstatic.com/mp3/0d422e_4fdc2e64e50749c1bd6b3b8a809e7200.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "dustigans" "https://static.wixstatic.com/mp3/0d422e_4fdea8271495415a93450d25486e6fc1.mp3">>

<<if not tags().includes("noheader")>>\ <<if $song is 0>>\ //In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone...// \ <<set $song to $song + 1>>\ <<elseif $song is 1>>\ //As she wheeled her wheel-barrow, through streets broad and narrow, Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"// \ <<set $song to $song + 1>>\ <<elseif $song is 2>>\ //"Alive, alive, oh, alive, alive, oh," Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"// \ <<set $song to $song + 1>>\ <<elseif $song is 3>>\ //She was a fishmonger, but sure 'twas no wonder For so were her father and mother before...// \ <<set $song to $song + 1>>\ <<elseif $song is 4>>\ //And they each wheel'd their barrow through streets broad and narrow Crying "Cockles and mussels alive, alive oh!"// \ <<set $song to $song + 1>>\ <<elseif $song is 5>>\ //"Alive, alive, oh, alive, alive, oh," Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"// \ <<set $song to $song + 1>>\ <<elseif $song is 6>>\ //She died of a fever, and no one could save her, And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.// \ <<set $song to $song + 1>>\ <<elseif $song is 7>>\ //But her ghost wheels her barrow, through streets broad and narrow, Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"// \ <<set $song to $song + 1>>\ <<elseif $song is 8>>\ //"Alive, alive, oh, alive, alive, oh," Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"// \ <<set $song to 0>>\ <<endif>>\ <<endif>>\

The vent was too small for Clare to squeeze through. [[Leave the vent|chamber]]

<<audio "dustigans" play>>\ <<if $dustiganseen neq true>>\ Through the grate, Clare saw two dustigans! One of the dustigans handed the other a breadcrumb and said: YEE HIP CHA The other dustigan left, and then moments later returned with more breadcrumbs. \ <<set $grate to "recruit">><<set $dustiganseen to true>>\ <<else>>\ <<if $grate is "gather">>\ Through the grate, Clare saw two dustigans chattering to each other. One of the dustigans handed the other a breadcrumb and said: YEE HIP CHA The other dustigan left, and then moments later returned with more breadcrumbs. \ <<set $grate to "recruit">>\ <<else>>\ Through the grate, Clare saw two dustigans chattering to each other. One of the dustigans pointed to the other and said: HIP NIN CHU The other dustigan left, and then moments later returned with several more dustigans in tow. \ <<set $grate to "gather">>\ <<endif>>\ <<endif>>\ [[Leave the grate|chamber]]

Nothing left but breadcrumbs. [[Leave the tray|chamber]]

Athough it was too dark to see anything, Clare couldn't help but feel that she was being watched. Was there [[something]] Clare wanted to say? [[Leave the corner|chamber]]

<<textbox "$book_search" "WHAT DID CLARE SAY?">> \ <<click "Speak">> <<set $book_search to $book_search.toUpperCase()>>\ <<if $book_search is "DARK BLUE">><<replace "#search_results">> "Let's all say it together", Clare announced. [[Ready?|ready]] <</replace>>\ <<else>><<replace "#search_results">> Clare's words disappeared into the darkness, as if she'd never said them at all. <</replace>><<endif>><</click>>\ [[Leave the corner|chamber]]

"Dark blue," said the trio in unison. "Drat!" cried a voice from the shadows. "I thought that riddle would be much harder." A loaf of bread flew out of the darkness. Clare caught the loaf and tore off a big piece. She handed the rest to Sam and Shu Fang. [[Continue|https://www.thefloatingworld.com.au/chapter2loom]] <<audio "ambience" fadeout>>\

<<link "BEGIN">>\ <<audio "ambience" loop play>>\ <<goto "Untitled Passage">>\ <</link>>\