Chapter_Three

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Sam and Clare weren't the least bit concerned about being thrown back in the hole. This time it was different. This time they had a plan. A couple of bricks toppled loose and Shu Fang wiggled through, followed by a large round fluffy creature. "Koko," said Shu Fang as she gestured toward the creature. It smiled and bowed low, just as she had taught it. Sam and Clare [[bowed back]].

The four of them waited until night fell and the cicadas began to sing. Clare lit her oil lamp and Sam climbed the stairs to [[pick the lock]].

[[The Study]] [[The Library]] [[The Nephew's Bedroom]] [[The Staircase]]

Sam approached the door and knocked quietly. There came a boy's voice. "Hello? Can I help you" <<display "nephew dialogue tree">>

Harold Cromwell’s study was filled with taxidermied animals. On the desk sat a lopsided koala. From the wall, a large pair of shark jaws hung. A sad lumpy-looking kangaroo leaned against a set of [[filing cabinets]]. [[Back|family quarters]]

The library was vast and austere. Ceramic busts of old men frowned from their podiums. One [[corner]] of the library was particularly shadowy. [[Back|family quarters]]

The staircase wound all the way up to The Spike. Sam tried using his lockpick on the door, but this one had a different design. [[Back|family quarters]]

[[A]] [[B]] [[C]] [[D]] [[E]] [[F]] [[G]] [[H]] [[I]] [[J]] [[K]] [[L]] [[M]] [[N]] [[O]] [[P]] [[Q]] [[R]] [[S]] [[T]] [[U]] [[V]] [[W]] [[X]] [[Y]] [[Z]] <<back>>

[[A]] [[B]] [[C]] [[D]] [[E]] [[F]] [[G]] [[H]] [[I]] [[J]] [[K]] [[L]] [[M]] [[N]] [[O]] [[P]] [[Q]] [[R]] [[S]] [[T]] [[U]] [[V]] [[W]] [[X]] [[Y]] [[Z|papers]] <<back>>

[[A]] [[B]] [[C]] [[D]] [[E]] [[F]] [[G]] [[H]] [[I]] [[J]] [[K]] [[L]] [[M]] [[N]] [[O]] [[P]] [[Q]] [[R]] [[S]] [[T]] [[U]] [[V]] [[W]] [[X]] [[Y]] [[Z]] <<back>>

<<set $random to random(1)>>\ <<if $random is 0>>\ The folder contained a boring-looking document.\ <<else>>\ The folder was empty.\ <<endif>> \ <<back>>

<<if $papers is true>>\ The children had already taken what documents they had. <<back>> <<else>>\ The children opened the file to discover a set of adoption papers. As soon as Sam and Clare took theirs, they realised there was no document for Shu Fang at all. "How deliciously gloomy," said the voice from the library. "It appears you don't exist at all, little girl." [[Koko growled.]]\ <<set $papers to true>>\ <<endif>>

The trio crept up the stairs and put the key in the lock, turning it ever so slowly. There was a muffled click and the door to <<link "Harold's bedroom">>\ <<goto "bedroom">>\ <</link>> swung open.

[[Harold Cromwell|https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d422e_f037d4821be741a3b035fb10341441c0~mv2.jpg]] snored loudly from his ostentatious four-poster bed. The bed was covered with used plates and half-eaten meals. \ <<if $bedroomseen neq true>>Clare approached the master's coat rack as Shu Fang hooked her end of the rope to a bedpost. <<set $bedroomseen to true>><<endif>>\ <<if $device is true>>There was a [[device]] on the wall.<<else>>The [[bedroom window]] rattled in the wind.<<endif>>

Sam uncoiled his end of the rope and approached the window. Just as he prepared to open it, he noticed a wire running from the seam of the window to a [[device]] attached to the wall.<<set $device to true>>

It was a strange device covered in bells. It had a message engraved on it, but Sam couldn't quite make it out. <<textbox "$book_search" "ENTER PASSWORD">> \ <<click "Flip switch">>\ <<if $book_search is "STAR" or $book_search is "star" or $book_search is "Star">><<replace "#search_results">>"Yes, that must be it," whispered Sam. "Is everyone ready?" [[Continue|caught]]<</replace>>\ \ <<else>><<replace "#search_results">>Sam tried the switch but it would not budge.<</replace>><<endif>><</click>>\ \ [[Back|bedroom]]

The trio switched off the alarm, gingerly pulled open the window and began climbing down the rope. As Harold Cromwell let out a loud snore and turned in his bed, a plate fell from the blanket and [[shattered]] on the floor.

As the rope broke, Sam reached out one hand to catch Shu Fang, and another to grab hold of Clare's arm. Harold Cromwell's footsteps creaked from inside the bedroom. The children swung helpless in the howling wind, preparing themselves for [[the worst]].

Like any sensible adult, Harold knew that what he was seeing was completely and utterly impossible. Even so, he couldn't help but gasp as Koko ran sideways along the wall of the mill, down into the [[yard]].

The voice chuckled in the darkness. "What are you doing with these children Koko? Are you actually trying to escape? You know that's a bad idea." Koko's expression became fearful as the voice continued, "Do you really think it's any less nasty out there? If you leave this place, you'll end up just like Ruko." Koko let out a wail of sorrow and ran from the family quarters, hiding his face. Shu Fang shouted after him but Koko did not listen. Sam turned angrily toward the [[shadows|corner]].

<<textbox "$book_search" "WHAT DID SAM SAY?">> \ <<click "Speak">> <<set $book_search to $book_search.toUpperCase()>>\ <<if $book_search is "CRUMPETS">><<replace "#search_results">> "We should all say it together", Sam thought. [[Ready?|ready]] <</replace>>\ <<else>><<replace "#search_results">> The voice just chuckled coldly. <</replace>><<endif>><</click>>\ [[Back|corner]]

"Crumpets!" shouted the trio in unison. The gloom spirit shrieked and exploded into wisps of ectoplasm. A set of [[keys|the spike]] dropped to the floor.

The children rejoiced as they arrived safely on the grass. Looking up at Koko, Sam had an idea. He took the clothes from Clare and dressed Koko in their Harold costume. "Our very own Master Cromwell!" he declared. Koko grinned confidently from under his top hat. At that moment, the children heard a [[noise]] that made their hearts sink...

Inside the security booth, the guard had left a [[note|snote]] on his desk. There was a machine in the corner, covered with dials and gauges. The machine had a small [[opening|sopening]] on one side, and a [[peephole|speephole]] on the other. A large iron door blocked the children's path to the city street beyond. On this large iron door was a [[combination lock|ccombination lock]].

All the letters seemed to jumble together. Try as he might, Sam couldn't read it. "That guard always liked wordplay," Sam thought. "He's always going on about homophones." [[Continue|security booth]]

"I don't think I can fit through there," Sam thought to himself. [[Continue|security booth]]

Through the peephole, Sam saw a panel which displayed the numbers one to eight, each with a different colour: One - Blue Two - Red Three - Yellow Four - Green Five - Purple Six - Orange Seven - Brown Eight - Pink [[Continue|security booth]]

<<textbox "$book_search" "ENTER FOUR-DIGIT COMBINATION">> \ <<click "Turn handle">>\ <<if $book_search is "1325">><<replace "#search_results">>The door clicked open. "Are we all ready?" Sam asked the gang. [[Continue|end]]<</replace>>\ \ <<elseif $book_search is "8421">><<replace "#search_results">>The door remained locked. "I thought that would work," Sam sighed.<</replace>>\ \ <<else>><<replace "#search_results">>The combination didn't seem to work.<</replace>><<endif>><</click>>\ \ [[Back|security booth]]

[[The door swung open...|https://www.thefloatingworld.com.au/chapter3loom]] <<audio "ambience" fadeout>>\

<<textbox "$book_search" "ENTER FOUR-DIGIT COMBINATION">> \ <<click "Turn handle">>\ <<if $book_search is "1325">><<replace "#search_results">>The door clicked open. "Is everyone ready?", Sam asked the gang. [[Continue|end]]<</replace>>\ \ <<elseif $book_search is "8421">><<replace "#search_results">>The door remained locked. "Drat!" Sam exclaimed. "I was certain that would work."<</replace>>\ \ <<else>><<replace "#search_results">>The combination didn't seem to work.<</replace>><<endif>><</click>>\ \ [[Back|security booth]]

The door clicked open and they all made their way past the factory floor, up the winding staircase to the [[family quarters]].

<<audio "dog" play>>\ It was the unmistakable frenzied bark of Remus. Harold's attack dog burst from a nearby thicket and charged toward the children at breakneck speed. [[RUN!]]

Sam sprinted in the direction of the security booth. Under the dim moonlight he saw that he was heading for a patch of tall thick grass. [[Go through grass]] [[Go wide]]

Remus snarled and curved around to the left as Sam barrelled through the tall grass. Suddenly, THWACK! Sam felt a rope coil around his leg. He was caught in one of Harold Cromwell's snares! Remus turned and began making a beeline toward Sam. [[PANIC!]]

As Sam curved around to avoid the long grass, Remus began to close in. He snapped at Sam's heels, missing by mere inches. The courtyard loomed ahead. Sam could see he was approaching a thick mud puddle. The ground beside it appeared to be loose gravel. [[Run through the mud]] [[Run across the gravel]]

Remarkably, Sam did not panic. Several years witnessing nasty workplace accidents had trained him for moments just like this. Sam pulled out the wire snippers and deftly cut himself loose, jumping out of the way as Remus snapped at his heels. The courtyard loomed ahead. Sam could see he was approaching a thick mud puddle. The ground beside it appeared to be loose gravel. [[Run through the mud]] [[Run across the gravel]]

Sam sank down to his knees as he charged through the puddle. He turned to see Remus slipping in the gravel, scrambling to correct his course. The security booth lay in wait just ahead. The door was bolted shut, but Clare thought she could see a hatch on the roof. How to get up? [[Climb the iron fence]] [[Climb the wall of the booth]]

Remus tried to keep up but slipped in the gravel, scrambling to correct his course. The security booth lay in wait just ahead. The door was bolted shut, but Sam remembered there was a hatch on the roof. How to get up? [[Climb the iron fence]] [[Climb the wall of the booth]]

Remus barked in frustration as Sam shimmied up the bars of the fence and jumped onto the roof of the [[security booth|roof]]. Koko was perched here, shaking.

Sam clambered up the brick wall and onto the [[roof]]. Koko was perched here, shaking.

"Is everyone okay?" asked Sam. [[Continue|open hatch]]

Shu Fang unscrewed the hatch and the gang [[dropped down|security booth]] into the security booth.

<<if $papers is true>>\ The voice spoke again, this time accompanied by a jingling noise. "So you decided to ignore my advice. What a shame, now you'll never get the keys to the spike." Was there [[something]] Sam wanted to say? \ <<else>>\ A soft voice spoke in the darkness. "Hello there. What brings you to this library?" "We need to find our adoption papers. Do you know where we might find them?" "I would like to help you if I can. The master never keeps anything important in the red cabinet. I suggest avoiding the bottom drawers. He keeps his bait in there, and it stinks to high heavens."<<set $gloomheard to true>> \ <<endif>>\ [[Back|The Library]]

<<if $nephewkeyquestion neq true>>[[Would you open this door?]] <<endif>>\ <<if $gloomheard is true and $nephewgloomquestion neq true and $papers neq true>>[[I heard a voice in the library, do you know anything about that?]] <<endif>>\ <<if $nephewworkquestion neq true and $nephewkeyquestion eq true>>[[I don't think we've met. What's your job at the mill?]] <<endif>>\ <<if $nephewworkquestion eq true and $samwince neq true>>[[What if you wanted to become a factory worker, and all you'd ever done was read books? You wouldn't be very good, would you?]] <<endif>>\ <<if $nephewstupid eq true>>[[You're stupid.]] <<endif>>\ <<if $papers is true and $nephewridquestion neq true>>[[I was wondering if you could tell me anything more about that gloom spirit?]] <<endif>>\ [[I'm going to keep looking around.|family quarters]] \

"Sorry, my uncle keeps it locked at night," said the boy. "Would you like me to pick the lock?" asked Sam. "No, no. That's all right. I've got my books to keep me company." Sam felt a twinge of jealousy.<<set $nephewkeyquestion to true>> <<display "nephew dialogue tree">>

"Oh, him! He's a gloom spirit, you can't trust anything he says."<<set $nephewgloomquestion to true>> <<display "nephew dialogue tree">>

"I don't have a job. Except for school I suppose," said the boy. "The Master always said hard manual labour is the best education there is," said Sam. "Really? That sounds like a load of bunk to me. What if you want to be a doctor or a lawyer?" Sam wasn't sure how to respond.<<set $nephewworkquestion to true>> <<display "nephew dialogue tree">>

"He turned up around the same time my uncle brought home this big creepy book. I think it was called Urban Ghosts." Sam sighed to himself. He'd tried so hard to learn how to read, but the letters always seemed to move around on the page.<<set $nephewridquestion to true>> <<display "nephew dialogue tree">>

"I suppose not. Do you want to be a factory worker?" Sam winced. No, he most certainly did not.<<set $nephewstupid to true>><<set $samwince to true>> <<display "nephew dialogue tree">>

"I know you are but what am I?"<<set $nephewstupid to false>> [[Stupid|You're stupid.]] <<display "nephew dialogue tree">>

<<cacheaudio "ambience" "https://static.wixstatic.com/mp3/0d422e_faa5ab9c80e0436989d151015aa9dfcb.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "dog" "https://static.wixstatic.com/mp3/0d422e_8443b8fa29474780b8ca2a59c5fb9260.mp3">>

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

Suddenly, a familiar voice growled from above. Koko swung down from the rooftop, swept up the children in his matted furry arms and [[ran]].

Harold sat bolt upright and pulled a kitchen knife from under his pillow, his eyes widening in shock. "Treachery!" he cried, slashing the [[rope]] with his blade.