Part 20
All right, one more before bed:And I'm outta here! Thanks, you've been a great audience! Be sure to tip your waiter!quote:
>w
Air Shaft
>u
You struggle up the air shaft, and find yourself back above ground.
Landing Strip
This is a bare landing strip surrounded by jungle. An air shaft leads down.
>look at shaft
It's the top end of an air shaft. It's probably impossible to climb back down.
In the distance you hear the sound of Zalagasans having a huge row about whether bearnaise sauce or grated Parmesan is better with boiled visitor.
>d
It was hard enough climbing up. Climbing down is practically impossible.
>look at jungle
It's the usual impenetrable Zalagasan jungle.
>n
The jungle that surrounds the landing strip is impenetrable. You may, quite rightly, ask how there happens to be a landing strip in the midst of it. Well, we aren't sure, but it happened.
>e
The jungle that surrounds the landing strip is impenetrable. You may, quite rightly, ask how there happens to be a landing strip in the midst of it. Well, we aren't sure, but it happened.
>s
The jungle that surrounds the landing strip is impenetrable. You may, quite rightly, ask how there happens to be a landing strip in the midst of it. Well, we aren't sure, but it happened.
>w
The jungle that surrounds the landing strip is impenetrable. You may, quite rightly, ask how there happens to be a landing strip in the midst of it. Well, we aren't sure, but it happened.
>u
All in due course.
>z
Time passes.
For some reason, the Zalagasans have started droning... or have they? No, it is the sound of an aircraft in the distance. The sound of the engines gets louder and louder until suddenly an ancient DC-3 appears nightmarishly low above the treetops, circles the airfield once, and lands with a cloud of dust and a squeal of brakes.
The door opens and you leap on board to be greeted by a ruggedly handsome flight attendant. "You finally fixed that dreadful nerd," he says. "You wouldn't believe what he was doing, even to our own navigation systems. It was as if he didn't care who he inconvenienced, even himself, as long as he was hacking. Gosh, I'm just so grateful I could die!"
With that, the flight attendant enfolds you in his arms and you begin to realise why people like private aeroplanes.
After an eventful and invigorating flight, you land at your home airport, pass through customs without the least difficulty, and are ushered into a waiting taxi, which drives you straight to the wrong place. Perhaps you thought that the taxi company was being fouled up by the nerd. Wrong. Taxi companies foul up because that's what they like doing.
[Your score just went up.]
Hallway
You're in a dark, dank, drab hallway. Grey, greasy stone stairs lead up, and an exit (the door long ago ripped off by drunken opera critics) leads west. There's an open door in the south wall.
>w
109 35th
>n
The bank is closed.
>s
110 35th
>s
111 35th
>w
The front door is closed.
>open door
You open the front door.
You're beginning to feel normal again.
>w
Front Room
This is the front room of your new house. While you were absent, the removals firm delivered all your belongings and installed them exactly where you had specified. The carpets have been laid, the curtains hang luxuriously in the windows, your books have been arranged in order and the record player is playing your favourite album.
There's a new letter here.
>close door
You close the front door.
>look at letter
"Dear Ms Huxley,
I would like on behalf of Fiduciary to apologize profusely for the problems you have been encountering lately. This was due partly to mysterious computer problems which have suddenly ceased to plague us, but also to the inability of our staff to show any initiative at all when confronted with a systems breakdown.
I have immediately initiated a training program to counteract this ridiculous bureaucracy, and trust that in your future dealings with Fiduciary you will have no cause for complaint.
By way of compensation I have waived all interest and administration charges for this quarter, and would also like you to accept this free first-class ticket to Paris.
I also enclose your check book and a new Gold Beezer card and have raised your credit limit to $10,000.
Sincerely yours,
Joel X. Slartibartfast
PRESIDENT"
Glowing with pleasure at your notable victory, you do not even notice that the bank letter has been redirected from your old address, to which it was originally sent. You have a nice hot drink and turn in for the night, humming a happy little song about how much you are looking forward to your trip to Paris. You are particularly pleased with your impression of the accordion accompaniment and fall asleep with the words "Ooh la la, M'sieu" on your lips.
You have won. Thank you for playing Bureaucracy, and if your future entertainment plans should include interactive fiction, please think of Infocom. Have a nice day.
[Your score just went up.]
[Your blood pressure is 120/80, in 759 moves. Your status is Stable. Your score is 21 out of a possible 21, making you a Bureaucrat.]