Chapter 20: Theme from Shaft (Isaac Hayes, 1971)

>south

Shaft Room

Okay, time for a leap of faith. The basket goes down to the bottom of the shaft. If that is where the very long narrow passageway goes, then we can send a light source down the shaft so we can see (and not be eaten by a grue). Might as well put some other things in the basket.

>put torch in basket, put coal in basket, all screwdriver in basket

That leaves you with the lamp, the jade figurine and maybe the egg. Check twice that everything is in its proper place.

>turn on lamp

The lamp is now on.

>lower basket

The basket is lowered to the bottom of the shaft.

>north

Wooden Tunnel

Last time we were here we didn't go west, so let's try that direction.

>west

[Smelly Room] You are in a small non-descript room. However, from the direction of a small descending staircase a foul odor can be detected. To the east is a narrow path.

Foul odor...like what, body odor? Bad breath? A little more of a description would be helpful.

>down

[Gas Room] This is a small room which smells strongly of coal gas. There is a sapphire-encrusted bracelet here.

When coal beds are formed through the compression and heating of organic materials over geologic time spans, the generation of methane entrapped in the coal is an integral part of the process. As the coal beds are mined, this entrapped, or adsorbed, methane is released. The problem here is that methane is an odorless gas. No smell. At all. But I digress. Since the room contains a quantity of methane, lighting a match or entering with the torch or lit candles all result in the same thing. First, the game chastises you for entering a room that reeks of coal gas (which of course isn't possible, since it doesn't smell) and carrying an ignition source. Second, you die what it considers a justifiable death via a large BOOOOOOOOOOOM. The game is a harsh mistress.

Just take the bracelet and move on.

>take bracelet

Taken.

>up

Smelly Room

>east

Wooden Tunnel

Okey dokey, back to the Coal Mine Maze.

>ne

Coal Mine #1

>north

Coal Mine #2

>ne

Coal Mine #3

>nw

Coal Mine #4

>down

Ladder Top

>down

Ladder Bottom

>south

Timber Room

>drop all

>save

Saved.