A [ReMixed] City of Dreaming Books

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<center>[img[https://66.media.tumblr.com/22f39360210758c92a5d1a27eb292f87/tumblr_ox9eu3z5MG1tpgzjyo1_500.png][https://magspy.tumblr.com/post/166012773285/03-drawing-for-inktoberbased-on-the-city-of]] This adventure is adapted from Walter Moers' novel The City of Dreaming Books. Some passages are quotations that have been remixed together, and others are additions by yours truly. Our story follows a young dinosaur, aspiring author, and avid book-reader named Optimus Yarnspinner. It picks up upon his arrival in Bookholm, a Mecca to literary enthusiasts. He is on a quest to find a mysterious author whose masterful manuscript was left to Optimus by his late authorial godfather. [[Onward!|Start]] </center>

<<set $money to 100>> <<set $hunger to 10>> <<set $thirst to 10>> <<set $drunk to 0>> <<set $vendors to false>> <<set $shops to false>> <<set $hotel to false>> <<set $hotelGR to false>> <<set $hotelQP to false>> <<set $hotelGQ to 0>> <<set $street to 0>> <<set $bookhunter to false>>

<<if $shops is true>>[[Bookshops]]<</if>> <<if $vendors is true>>[[Food Vendors]]<</if>> <<if $hotel is true>>[[Hotels]]<</if>> <<if $street eq 1>>[[Street|Keep Walking]]<</if>> <<if $street is 2>>[[Street|Walk Further]]<</if>>

<div class="smoishltext">By Walter Moers & Laura Ulrich</div>

"Once I had grown accustomed to the overpowering smell of mildewed paper that arose from the bowels of Bookholm and survived some allergic sneezing fits occasioned by the ubiquitous clouds of book dost, and once my eyes had stopped watering in the acrid smoke from a thousand chimneys, I could at last begin to take stock of the city's countless marvels." (p. 30) <center><img src="http://blogs.ubc.ca/lauraulrich/files/2020/05/CoDB_cityMap-scaled.jpg" width="75%" alt="Map of Bookholm, Walter Moers City of Dreaming Books p. 31" </></center> What did I do first? [[See where the streets take us!|Street]] [[Found a hotel!|Hotels]] [[Bought something to eat!|Food Vendors]] [[Head straight for THE BOOKSHOPS!|Bookshops]]

"Some cute little Hackonian dwarfs on a school outing were toddling shyly along hand in hand, big saucer eyes on the lookout for their favourite poets. 'There! That's Mostyn Rapido!' they would cry, excitedly pointing someone out with their tiny fingers, or: 'Look! That's Namb the Senitive having coffee!' - whereupon at least one of the part would faint. <center><img src="http://blogs.ubc.ca/lauraulrich/files/2020/05/CoDB_dwarfs.jpg" width="75%" alt="Hackonian Dwarfs, Walter Moers City of Dreaming Books p. 40" /></center> "On and on I roamed, and I'm bound to confess that my powers of recall are overtaxed by the all the marvels that met my eyes. I felt as if I were walking through the pages of a lavishly illustrated book in which each flash of inspiration was surpassed by the next: walking letters advertising modern printing presses; murals portraying characters from popular novels; antiquarian bookshops whose old tomes literally overflowed into the street; multifarious life forms rummaging in bookcases and vying for their contents; huge Midgard Serpents hauling wagons full of second-hand rubbish driven by uncouth Turnipheads who pelted the crowd with trashy old volumes." (p. 40) [[Keep Walking]] [[Turn Back|Return]] <<set $street to 1>>

"I had to resist the impulse to dash into the nearest bookshop and root around in its stock, for I would not have emerged before nightfall and first I had to find somewhere to stay. So I strolled past the windows with shining eyes, endeavouring to make a note of the shops whose wares seemed especially promising." (p. 32) I spied a few hotels along the street. Did I enter... *<<if $hotelGR is false>>the [[Ghostwriter's Rest]]?<</if>><<if $hotelGR is true>>==the Ghostwriter's Rest==<</if>> *the [[Golden Quill]]? *<<if $hotelQP is false>>or the [[Quotidian Pandiculation]]?<</if>><<if $hotelQP is true>>==or the Quotidian Pandiculation==<</if>> <<set $hotel to true>>

"I strolled through the streets. . . I was delighted to note that I would not have to go hungry in Bookholm. In addition to the coffee houses and taverns there were many stalls selling inexpensive fare of all kinds". (p. 43) In my search for sustenance, I ventured towards... A nearby [[coffee house]]. A boisterous [[tavern]]. One of the [[street vendors]]. <<set $vendors to true>>

"I paused at an intersection. Turning on the spot, I counted the bookshops in the streets running off it: there were no less than sixty-one of them. My heart beat wildly. Here, life and literature seemed to be identical: everything centered on the printed word." (p. 41) A few nearby bookshops caught my eye... [[The Chamber of Hazardous Books]] [[A small, specialized establishment|Typographical Lab]] [[An Ugglian bookshop]] <<set $shops to true>>

"The hubbub was such that I caught only snatches of what was being said, but every conversation seemed to revolve around books in one way or another: <center>'. . . he's giving a reading at the Gilt-Edged Book Emporium at timber-time tonight. . .' '. . . a first edition of Aurora Janus's second novel, the one with the two typos in the foreword, for only three pyras . . .' '. . . typographically speaking, a disgrace to the entire printing industry. . .' '. . . someone ought to write a footnote novel - just footnotes on footnotes, that would be the thing . . .' (p. 41) </center> [[Walk Further]] [[Turn Back|Return]] <<set $street to 2>>

"'Interested in books from the Golden List?' I was asked by a Bookhunter, a death's head, a belt with a dozen knives in it and two axes in his boots. 'Come done that dark alley with me and I'll show you some books you've never dreamed of.' (p. 39) [[The Golden List you say?|Murdered]] [[Get out of here!|Leave Street]] <<set $street to 4>>

'You have books from the Golden List?' I asked excitedly, stepping towards the alley as the Bookhunter grandiosely gestured towards it and the covered wagon therein. The shadows had hardly crossed over my eyes when I heard a slight sound behind me and felt a cord cinch across my throat. I scrabbled at it with my claws, and sparks flew as they struck metal. The alley grew dimmer and dimmer...<center> <div class="fade">the wagon with its precious cargo fading... fading...</div></center> [[Oops|The End]]

"'Many thanks!' I cried, beating a hasty retreat. 'Not interested!' The Bookhunter uttered a demonic laugh. 'I don't have any books anyway!' he yelled at my retreating figure. 'I only wanted to wring your neck and cut off your paws, then pickle them in vinegar and flog them. Lindworm Castle relics are much in demand here!' . . . I shuddered at the thought that mummified portions of a Lindworm's anatomy possessed a certain market value in Bookholm. (p. 39-40) [[Head back to a safer avenue!|Return]] <<set $bookhunter to true>>

<center> I hope you enjoyed this flight of whimsy. If you want Moers, I whole-heartedly recommend you find a copy of The City of Dreaming Books. You can also play again (there are [[7 possible endings|endingswarning]] to this adventure...) <img src="http://blogs.ubc.ca/lauraulrich/files/2020/05/81W86DEMYmL.jpg" width="50%" alt="The bookcover" /> Would you like to look [[behind the curtain]]? </center>

!<center>Behind the Curtain</center> !!!Facts: *SugarCube Format *53310 Characters *8456 Words *70 Passages *148 Links (0 Broken) *1 line of JavaScript *133 lines of CSS !!!New Things I Learned *How to use SugarCube! (I used Harlowe 3.0 before, so I couldn't just copy over my bits of code) *How to use variables to trigger events *How to show new information in the sidebar (e.g. authors, currency count, and shortcut buttons) *How to use SPECIAL PASSAGES (they're just regular passages with very specific names) !!!Things I Wish I Had Known *if you find a glitch while working on something else, tag the passage and then COLOUR CODE that tag (just click the triangle on the tag) as a marker to come back later !!!A Bit About My Process Normally, I would have sketched out a web in my notebook with key passages ahead of time, but I had a pretty solid vision of what I wanted to make for this game. I wanted to remix one of my favourite novels, which is a book about books, into a digital choose-your-adventure for my course on text technology (does that make your head spin? Because it sure does for mine!). I am currently rereading this book, and in the last few weeks I have had several giggles at little bits that lined up beautifully with our course, and I wanted to share a taste of that with my fellows. My vision was a *short* exploration of Bookholm (I may have overdone it, I admit). In Yarnspinner's first days in the City of Dreaming Books, there are four major locations: bookshops, hotels, food-vendors, and the streets themselves. I started with these four nodes in Twine and built it from there, flipping through the pages to cherry-pick quotations that fit the condensed version. All artwork is by Walter Moers, with the exception of the piece in the Prologue.

"I came to a black building with a wooden sign over the entrance stating that it was the Chamber of Hazardous Books. Slinking up and down outside was a Vulphead who addressed passers-by in a low growl, baring his fearsome teeth. 'You enter the Chamber of Hazardous Books at your own peril!' he rasped. 'No children or senior citizens admitted! Be prepared for the worst! We have books that can bite! Books with designs on your life! Toxicotomes, poisonous books that can strangle and fly! Genuine, every last one! This is no ghost train, ladies and gentlemen, this is for real! Make your wills and kiss your nearest and dearest goodbye before you enter the Chamber of Hazardous Books!'" (p. 38) [[Go Inside|Inside CHB]] [[On second thought...|Return]]

"On the door of one establishment, which had gruesome faces carved on the half-timbering above its blackened window, I noticed 'a peculiar symbol: a circle divided into three by three curving lines inside it.' The miniscule sign below it read: <center><div class="smoltext">INAZIA ANAZAZI Ugglian Literature * Curses * Spells</div></center> Wow! An Ugglian bookshop, probably run by a genuine Uggly! It had been a long-standing childhood wish of mine to encounter a real live Uggly. The creatures abounded in the children's books and old fairy tales Dancelot had read me at bedtime - and, of course, in my subsequent nightmares." (p. 44, 88) [[Go Inside|Inside UBS]] Nope. You know what they say - [[never meet your bedtime horrors!|Return]]

"A small, specialized establishment? . . . what should its specialty be? Poetry? Thrillers? Ugglian horror stories? Grailsundian philosophy? Florinthian Baroque? With their candlelit windows full of literary tidbits, all the shops looked equally tempting. For simplicity's sake, I plumped for the one I happened to be standing outside. The lighting was so subdued that I couldn't decipher the titles displayed in the window, but that only made it seem the most mysterious and alluring establishment on the street. [[In I went!|Into TL]]" (p. 44-45)

I passed the Vulphead, who gave me a ferocious grin, and went inside the bookshop. Towering stacks of bookshelves receded into the darkness, their contents eerily lit in a pale green glow from by jars of jellyfish suspended from the ceiling. Some shelves were sealed behind panes of glass, others criss-crossed with chains as thick as my finger. The place seemed completely devoid of any other Zamonian life, and yet I could hear the other occupants: shocked gasps, ragged breathing, intermittent screams, and the occasional *thump* of something heavy hitting the floor. [[Pick up a book|333]] [[On second thought...|Leave CHB]]

"I opened the book at random. Page 123. It was blank except for the page number. . . . I turned over some more pages. Page 245. No text, no illustration. The opposite page was just as blank. Page 299. Blank. 'There's nothing here at all,' I said. . . . I went on turning. Page 312. Blank. Page 330. Blank. Page 333. . . This time the page really did bear some text in very small type. Resting my paw on the paper, I screwed up my eyes and peered more closely. My fingertips felt strangely cold. Printed on this page and the once facing it was the [[same short sentence repeated ad infinium:|poison]]" (p. 146-147)

I spun on my heal and dashed back outside into the glorious daylight. The Vulphead let loose a thin laugh when he spotted me. 'Wise choice,' he rasped. 'Few who venture in make it out alive!' He then returned to his provocative warnings. As I turned the corned to leave, I saw a ominous sight. "Stretchers laden with bodies draped in sheets were being carried out of a side entrance. Despite this and the muffled screams that issued from the boarded-up windows, however, crowds of spectators were streaming inside." (p. 38) [[Woo, that was a close one!|Return]]

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"I now had the opportunity to see one in the flesh and was old enough not o run off screaming at the sigh, so why wait? With a pleasurable shudder, I turned the door handle. My presence was announced by the metallic screech of hinges left unoiled for an eternity. The interior of the shop was dimly illuminated by one or two little oil lamps. The book dust stirred up by my abrupt entrance danced round me and infiltrated my nostrils. I sneezed despite myself. A tall, thin figure attired in black shot up from behind a stack of books like a jack-in-the-box. 'What do you want?' it shrieked. (p. 88) 'Er, to [[browse a bit|Browse UBS]]?' 'To [[get out of here|Leave UBS]]!'

The Uggly surveyed me with narrowed eyes as I stepped further into the establishment "and made my way along the shelves. 'Oh, Ugglian literature!' I crooned. 'I'm passionately interested in predictions based on toads' entrails. I must root around your treasures' . . . I removed one of the books from a bookcase. 'Hm, Looba Gordag's How to Foretell the Future by Interpreting Nightmares. That's my kind of book!' 'Kindly replace it on the shelf. It's reserved.' 'For whom?' I asked sharply. 'For er... I don't know the customer's name.' . . . I flung the book at the bookcase. It sailed past and landed on the floor, losing its back in the process. 'Whoops!' I said. . . .'Get out!' screeched the Uggly. 'Get out or I'll summon the Book Police!' She dived behind the counter and grabbed a cord connected to a large bell suspended from the ceiling. <center>'Out!' she snarled again."</center> <center>(p. 88-91)</center> [[Time to leave!|Leave UBS]]

I nearly tripped on my own tail as I turned to leave the establishment. The Uggly was so much worse than I had imagined! It was awful! Horrible! Terrible! [[I doubted I would sleep a wink any time soon...|Return]]

"I was now admitted into a world of letters, a room completely given over to writing and its exploration. Hexagonal in shape, it had a ceiling that tapered to a point. The large window was obscured by red velvet curtains. The other five walls were lined with shelves on which reposed stacks of paper in a wide variety of formats and colours, retorts, flasks, alembics and vessels of all kinds containing liquids and powders; hundreds of goose quills neatly arrayed in small wooden racks; an assortment of metal-nibbed pens in little mother-of-pearl boxes; inks of every conceivable colour, including black, blue, red, green, violet, yellow, brown, and even gold and silver; rubber stamps and ink pads, sealing wax, magnifying glasses of various sizes, and microscopes and chemical apparatus of a kind I'd never seen before. All these things were bathed in mellow, fitful light of flickering candles standing here and there on the shelves." (p. 100) This is [[wonderful|More TL]]... [[This isn't what I was looking for!|Return]]

"'I call this my typographical laboratory,' [the owner] said with touch of pride. [They, a Shark Grub, emerged from behind a massive bell jar full of what looked like bark soaking in murky liquid]. 'I conduct research into words.' . . . There was writing everywhere. The velvet curtains over the window were printed with the Zamonian alphabet. Hanging between the bookcases were opticians' charts in various typefaces and framed diplomas and slates inscribed with jottings in chalk, and pinned to the wall were tiny memos. A huge, free-standing lectern was cluttered with manuscripts, inkwells, and magnifying glasses. Printers type of all sizes, either of wood or cast in lead, lay around on small tables beside bottles of printer's ink, each of which was labelled - like a vintage wine - with its year and place of origin. Suspended from the ceiling were strings in various forms of quipu, or knot-writing, from which dangled small plaster tablets engraved with hieroglyphs. Standing here and there were strange mechanical contraptions whose purpose utterly defeated me. The floor was tiled with slabs of grey marble skilfully engraved with various alphabets: Druidical Runic, Ugglian Gothic, Old Atlantean, Paleo-Zamonian and so on" (p. 100). I toured the laboratory with its owner, learning about the different contraptions and writing technology across history. The Shark Grub, noting my keen interest in their work, turned to me and asked that fateful question: 'Would you like to be my assistant?' [[YES!|The End]] Thank you, but I still have a [[quest|Leave Lab]] to fill for my authorial grandfather...

The Shark Grub looked disappointed, but nodded. 'I understand. Should you ever wish to learn more about the greatest tools in Zamonia, please don't hesitate to return.' He lead me back to the exit. 'My name is Smyke, by the way. Until we meet again.' And with that he shut the door with a definitive click. I sighed, and [[returned to my quest|Return]].

I returned to the street and decided on what to do next. <<if $shops is false or $vendors is false or $hotel is false or $street eq 0>>There were still places I had not explored...<</if>> <<if $hotel is false>> I still needed to find a [[Hotel|Hotels]].<</if>><<if $vendors is false>> I was feeling pretty famished from my journey, and would need to search for [[food|Food Vendors]] soon.<</if>><<if $shops is false>> I had noticed some interesting [[Bookshops]].<</if>><<if $street eq 0>> I could wander the [[streets|Street]] and see where they took me.<</if>> <center><img src="http://blogs.ubc.ca/lauraulrich/files/2020/05/CoDB_cityMap-scaled.jpg" width="75%" alt="Map of Bookholm, Walter Moers City of Dreaming Books p. 31" </></center> <<if $shops is true or $vendors is true or $hotel is true or $street gte 1>>I could also see if I missed anything (use the buttons on the left sidebar to travel to hubs you have been to before)<</if>>

"I discovered a small hotel called the Golden Quill, an inviting and agreeably old-fashioned name suggestive of sound literary craftsmanship and a restful night's sleep in a feather bed. I made my optimistic way into the gloomy lobby and across a strip of musty carpet to the reception desk, where, when no one appeared, I rang a copper bell. It was cracked and its discordant clangour filled the air. I turned, hoping to see some member of the staff hurrying towards me along one of the shadowy corridors that led off the lobby, but nobody came. Turning back to the counter, I was startled to find that the receptionist had materialized behind it like magic." (p. 41) This place is a dive! [[Get out of here!|Return]] <<if $money gte 20>>I'm [[looking for a room|GQ2]]. <<else>>I didn't have enough for even a room in this place! [[Leave|Return]] <<if $bookhunter is true>> I wonder if that [[bookhunter]] would pay me for just one of my paws... does a writer really need two?<</if>> <<set $hotelGQ to 2>>. <</if>>

I spotted a large silver sign hanging above the sidewalk, with the spindly words Ghostwriter's Rest painted in white upon it. I envisioned comfortable furniture, ready to support the collapsing bodies of the hard-working and underrecognized writers. I pushed the heavy grey doors and made my way into the candlelit interior. The curtains were all drawn, and sure enough, limp bodies could be seen slumped on the sedans in the shadowy corners. I navigated my way around a softly unharmoniously snoring Duodwarf, its untucked shirt fluttering from breathing of its second mouth, to the reception desk. The receptionist peered up at me from behind a book, a copy of Wengin Oriry's Restoration With A Goat. [[On second thought, maybe this isn't the place for me.|Return]] [[I'd like a room, please...|GR2]]

'Certainly, Ser.' They looked in their guest book. 'We do have some fine rooms available, Ser. Would you prefer to overlook the Publisher's Promenade, or perhaps you would like to see the sun set over the Bookbinder's Boulevard?' [[Publisher's Pramanad|QP3]] [[Bookbinder's Boulevard|QP3]]

I hadn't even finished getting the words out when the receptionist piped, 'No vacancies!' [[Well, so much for this place.|Return]] <<set $hotelGR to true>>

Coin Pouch: <<if $money eq 1>>1 pyra left<</if>><<if $money isnot 1>><<print $money>> pyras<</if>>

'I fine choice, Ser! That will be 300 pyras.' 'For the month?' 'For the night, Ser.' [[Well drat, I don't have that kind of money...|Return]] <<set $hotelQP to true>>

"My room, for which I had paid for in advance at the receptionist's insistence, turned out to be a lumber room of the most appalling kind. . . Not a sign of a feather bed, just a coarse, prickly blanket on a mildewed mattress with something rustling inside it. To judge by the noise coming from the room next door, which was occupied by a family of Bluddums, their children were using the furniture as xylophones. The paper was peeling off the walls, and some creature was scampering around beneath the floorboards with a series of high-pitched squeaks. Dangling from the ceiling in an inaccessible corner, a white, one-eyed vampire bat seemed to be waiting". (p. 42) I... *[[Got some rest.|GQSleep]] *[[Left my bag to go back out and explore|Return]] <<set $money to $money - 20>>

I returned to the seedy part of town and found the bookhunter who tried to lure me with books from the Golden List. 'Oh ho! I didn't expect to see you again!' he chortled. 'Did you want to buy some rare books, after all?' 'Actually, I was hoping you would buy... uh... something off my paws,' I said, failing miserably to bring some bravado into my voice. The bookhunters eyes widened, but before he could say anything I quickly added. 'For a fee, of course! No less than 1000 pyras!' He frowned. '500.' '700.' '400.' I winced. But badly needed a place to stay and felt completely out of options. 'Fine. 400. For ONE paw!' The Bookhunter grandiosely gestured down the alley to a covered wagon. The shadows had hardly crossed over my eyes when I heard a slight sound behind me and felt a cord cinch across my throat. I scrabbled at it with my claws, and sparks flew as they struck metal. The alley grew dimmer and dimmer...<center> <div class="fade">the wagon with its precious cargo fading... fading...</div></center> [[It really was a terrible plan, to be honest.|The End]]

"I lay down on the bed, intending to put my feet up and grab a few minutes' repose. I stared at the bat in the corner and it stared back. Then I fell asleep". (p. 78) [[And I dreamed...|Dream]]

I am back in Lindworm Castle. My authorial godfather, Dancelot, presses a folded sheath of manuscript into my paws. The cupboard doors burst open, and I narrowly ducked as teacups and saucers fly out as the city of Bookholm rushes forward to fill the room... [[Well, that was weird.|The End]]

I chose a nearby coffeeshop at random. A "reading was in progress, which meant that every half-hour some wretched poet would mount a table and deliver a recitation for which he would, at Lindworm Castle, have been tarred, feathered and hurled from the battlements. I stood marvelling for a long time in front of a blackboard on which all the delicious fare one could order was listed in chalk. I was bewildered by the abundance of food and drink: *<<if $money gte 15>>[[Printers Ink Wine|Wine]] (15 pyras). <<else>>==Printers Ink Wine (15 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>[[Blood and Thunder Coffee|Coffee]] (3 pyras). <<else>>==Blood and Thunder Coffee (3 pyras)==<</if>> *=="Sweetpaper Sandwiches (they could be not only eaten but written on)" (5 pyras)== SOLD OUT *==Muse's Kiss Cocoa (5 pyras)== SOLD OUT *<<if $money gte 15>>[[Liquid Inspiration]] (. . . a brutally high-proof spirit, 15 pyras) <<else>>==Liquid Inspiration (15 pyras)==<</if>> *==Pring Sangroid Pie (8 pyras)== SOLD OUT *<<if $money gte 6>>[[Syllabic Salad]] (6 pyras). <<else>>==Syllabic Salad (6 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 10>>[[Bee-Bread]] (10 pyras). <<else>>==Bee-Bread (10 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>[[Bookling]] (2 pyras). <<else>>==Bookling (2 pyras)==<</if>> [[Decided I would go somewhere else|Return]] (p. 52-53, 71, 79)

I picked a tavern that looked promising, music and coloured light streaming from its stained-glass windows. It was crammed inside, but I managed to snag a seat at the bar. 'What'll yah have?' asked a Semielephant, who was using their multiple hands and trunk to simultaneously polish glasses, wipe the bar, tend to a bubbling cauldron of stew, and mix a cocktail. *<<if $money gte 5>>'I'll have the [[stew]], please!' (5 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 5>>==stew (5 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 10>>'Can I get a [[bookworm burger]]?' (10 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 10>>==burger (10 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 5>>'I'll take an [[ale|tavernale]], thank you!' (5 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 5>>==ale (5 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 20>>'Can I have one of whatever it is you're [[mixing|cocktail]]?' (20 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 20>>==cocktail (20 pyras)==<</if>> [['Uhh... actually I just wanted to sit down for a moment...'|Return]]

There were "grilled sausages and stuffed poussins, bookworms baked in clay, fried mouse bladders, mulled ale, flying pancakes, roasted peanuts, cold lemonade. Every few steps I came to stalls where, for a small charge, you dip a piece of bread in a cast-iron cauldron of melted cheese bubbling over a small brazier." (p. 43) I decided to get some... *<<if $money gte 5>>[[saussages]] (5 pyras). <<else>>==sausages== (I don't have enough pyras)<</if>> *<<if $money gte 12>>[[poussins]] (12 pyras). <<else>>==poussins== (I don't have enough pyras)<</if>> *<<if $money gte 4>>[[bookworms]] (4 pyras). <<else>> ==bookworms== (I don't have enough pyras)<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>[[mouse bladders]] (2 pyras). <<else>> ==mouse bladders== (I don't have enough pyras)<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>[[ale]] (3 pyras). <<else>> ==ale== (I don't have enough pyras)<</if>> *<<if $money gte 6>>[[pancakes]] (6 pyras). <<else>> ==pancakes== (I don't have enough pyras)<</if>> *<<if $money gte 1>>[[peanuts]] (1 pyra). <<else>> ==peanuts== I reached into my pockets to find nothing but crumbs and dust...<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>[[lemonade]] (2 pyras). <<else>> ==lemonade== (I don't have enough pyras)<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>[[fondue]] (3 pyras). <<else>> ==fondue== (I don't have enough pyras)<</if>> [[Decided I would go somewhere else|Return]]

I passed my pyras to the barkeep in exchange for an earthenware bowl of thick brown stew. Heady steam wafted into my nostrils, with the smells of roast beef, garlic, squash and various root vegetables. It was so delicious, I hardly noticed that I had burned my mouth until after the meal was done. [[Return to Tavern]] <<set $money to $money - 5>> <<set $hunger to $hunger - 7>>

I passed my pyras to the barkeep and waited for my burger. What arrived was a tower construction of a whole wheat bun, greyish patty, tomatoes, roasted corn, and arugula. Surprisingly, it was not as filling as I expected. [[Return to Tavern]] <<set $money to $money - 10>> <<set $hunger to $hunger - 3>>

I passed my pyras to the barkeep in exchange for the brown frothy beverage. Beads of condensation trickled down the glass, a welcome sight in the crowded tavern. I took a sip, and was delighted at the notes of crusty bread, nuts, and toffee. Ah, it was refreshing! [[Return to Tavern]] <<set $money to $money - 5>> <<set $thirst to $thirst - 5>> <<set $drunk to $drunk + 3>>

I set my pyras on the bar. The barkeep set down an empty glass, and immediately began fixing my cocktail - all the while still mixing the first one! I watched in fascination as the I passed my pyras to the barkeep in exchange for the brown frothy beverage. Semielephant muddled herbs on ice, poured in different fluids of various colours, and fierecely shook the whole thing to the point where I was afraid it would fly out of their hands and peg a poor patron in the head, killing them on the spot! However, they kept a tight grip on it, and produced a fine sieve through which they poured an electric blue concoction into a dainty coup glass. They garnished it with a purple orchid and some thimbleberries, and slid it over to me. It tasted like sunshine. Like reading a good book on a summer's day. Like the feeling of dashing down the streets of Lindworm Castle, fueled by a might blast of inspiration, as you raced to find something to write with! I don't know how long I sat there, watching-but-not-seeing the Semielephant as they went about their hypnotic tasks. When at last I shook myself out of my reverie, they smiled at me and asked, 'Well, Orm* you feeling better?' [[Return to Tavern]] *The Orm is a force that inspires creativity. It is the intoxicating feverdream that drives writers to work without stop for days. It is said that the Orm flowed through the greatest poets and writers in Zamonia. <<set $money to $money - 20>> <<set $thirst to $thirst - 5>> <<set $drunk to $drunk + 6>>

<<if $drunk gte 8>> [[I may have drunk too much...|Pass Out]] <<elseif $hunger lte 1 and $thirst gt 2>>At last my belly was full, but I was still parched! The Semielephant looked at me expectantly. I... *<<if $money gte 5>>bought some [[stew]] (5 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 5>>==bought some stew (5 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 10>>bought a [[bookworm burger]] (10 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 10>>==bought a burger (10 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 5>>bought some [[ale|tavernale]] (5 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 5>>==bought some stew (5 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 20>>bought a [[cocktail]] (20 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 20>>==bought a cocktail (20 pyras)==<</if>> [[Decided I would go somewhere else|Return]] <<elseif $thirst lte 1 and $hunger gt 2>>At last my thirst was quenched, but I was still hungry! The Semielephant looked at me expectantly. I... *<<if $money gte 5>>bought some [[stew]] (5 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 5>>==bought some stew (5 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 10>>bought a [[bookworm burger]] (10 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 10>>==bought a burger (10 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 5>>bought some [[ale|tavernale]] (5 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 5>>==bought some stew (5 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 20>>bought a [[cocktail]] (20 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 20>>==bought a cocktail (20 pyras)==<</if>> [[Decided I would go somewhere else|Return]] <<elseif $hunger lte 1 and $thirst lte 1>> [[At last, I felt satiated!|Satiated]] <<elseif $money gte 5>> The Semielephant looked at me expectantly. I... *<<if $money gte 5>>bought some [[stew]] (5 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 5>>==bought some stew (5 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 10>>bought a [[bookworm burger]] (10 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 10>>==bought a burger (10 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 5>>bought some [[ale|tavernale]] (5 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 5>>==bought some stew (5 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 20>>bought a [[cocktail]] (20 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 20>>==bought a cocktail (20 pyras)==<</if>> [[Decided I would go somewhere else|Return]] <<else>> I didn't have enough pyras to buy anything else. [[Return]] <</if>>

I teetered out into the street. Turnipheads bellowed down to me from their overladen carts, veering to avoid running into me. One tipped over, spilling volumes across the cobblestones. I stumbled through the crowds, deeper into the ever narrowing streets towards the centre of Bookholm. A gang of Bluddums spotted me, and moved en masse, waving their flyers in the air. I lurched down a byway to escape them, nearly tripping over a Bookhunter who was just emerging from the sewer grate at my feet. She roared, and I ran as fast as I could, sure that she would pickle my paws if she caught me! "I came to a spacious square - an unusual sight after all those narrow lanes and alleyways. What struck me as more unusual still was that it was unpaved and dotted with gaping holes among which tourists were strolling." Peering down one of these, I saw that it was inhabited... this was the "celebrated or notorious Graveyard of Forgotten Writers!" (p. 84) While staring down at the grimy, forlorn occupant, I lost my balance and tumbled into their pit. [[I'll just take a nap down here...|The End]]

"After many days of deprivation on the road, this massive intake of food and drink assuaged hunger and thirst as I'd hoped but also occasioned an unwholesome feeling of repletion. This rather worried me for a while. I was afraid it might portend some incurable disease - until, after walking off my meal for an hour or so, it vented itself in several ferocious expulsions of wind." (p. 43) [[Return]] <<set $hunger to $hunger - 8>> <<set $thirst to $thirst - 8>>

I had no idea what a 'poussin' was, but it sounded fancy! I paid the vendor and stood on tiptoes, trying to peer into their tall wagon. They had a large oven and were pulling out what looked like tiny roasted chickens. Along the counter were the various stages of production... and a wicker cage, full of fluffy yellow chicks. My stomach churned as the vendor handed me my own, much browner and less fluffy, bird. The vendor stared at me, and my traitorous belly growled as the scent of roasted poultry assaulted my nose. In a panic, I shoved the whole bird in my mouth and gulped it down. It was delicious. [[Return to Street Vendors]] <<set $money to $money - 12>> <<set $hunger to $hunger - 3>>

I bought one of the bookworms, and watched in fascination as the vendor took out a gleaming silver hammer and expertly smashed its clay casing. Inside the worm, still steaming, was swaddled in corn husks. I peeled these back and munched on the fibrous grub... only occasionally coughing on the rogue flake of clay. [[Return to Street Vendors]] <<set $money to $money - 4>> <<set $hunger to $hunger - 4>>

I passed my pyras to the vendor who tossed a handful of the tiny pink organs into a sizzling pan. After a few quick tosses, they put them in a paper packet, added a pinch of salt and spices, and handed it to me. I delicately nibbled on them, delighted to find they had been stuffed with now-gooey cheese. Not bad, actually. [[Return to Street Vendors]] <<set $money to $money - 2>> <<set $hunger to $hunger - 1>>

I passed my pyras to the vendor in exchange for the spiced beverage. The warm notes of cinnamon and nutmeg coat my mouth and burn their way down my throat. It was delicious, but left me thirstier than before. [[Return to Street Vendors]] <<set $money to $money - 3>> <<set $thirst to $thirst + 5>> <<set $drunk to $drunk + 3>>

I passed my pyras to the vendor, and watched as they poured a ladle of batter onto a hot griddle. No sooner had I wondered where the 'flying' part of the name came from, than I stared in horror as they grabbed a live bat! out of a cage and tossed it onto the sizzling disk. They quickly plopped more batter onto the wee beast, careful to leave its wings free, encapsulating it cooking bread. They flipped it over once, and then with a WHOOP, flipped it high into the air! 'You have to catch it!' They yelled at me. I tried, but the fluttering pancake escaped my three-fingered grab, and flew away, blindly careening to and fro until it passed out of sight over the rooftops. I hoped it would be able to eat its way out. [[Return to Street Vendors]] <<set $money to $money - 6>> <<set $bat to true>>

I bought a bag of roasted peanuts for a single pyra. The paperbag crinkled as I opened it, the sweet and salt wafting up. I continued to wander the city, munching on my bounty as I went. [[Return to Street Vendors|Allergy]] <<set $money to $money - 1>> <<set $hunger to $hunger - 1>>

I passed my pyras to the vendor in exchange for the sweet beverage. It was thicker than I expected, the consistency of honey freshly cracked from the comb. With each slurp, I felt the dust, still clinging to my throat from the road, slide away. [[Return to Street Vendors]] <<set $money to $money - 2>> <<set $thirst to $thirst - 5>>

"I bought myself a sizeable hunk of bread, dunked it liberally in melted cheese, wolfed it greedily" down (p. 43). [[Return to Street Vendors]] <<set $money to $money - 3>> <<set $hunger to $hunger - 4>>

<<if $drunk gte 8>> [[I may have drunk too much...|Pass Out]] <<elseif $hunger lte 1 and $thirst gt 2>>At last my belly was full, but I was still parched! *<<if $money gte 5>>bought [[saussages]] (5 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 5>>==bought some sausages (5 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 8>>bought a stuffed [[poussins]] (8 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 8>>==bought a stuffed poussin (8 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 4>>bought some baked [[bookworms]] (4 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 4>>==bought some baked bookworms (4 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>bought some [[mouse bladders]] (2 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 2>>==bought a mouse bladders (2 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>bought some mulled [[ale]] (3 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 3>>==bought some mulled ale (3 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 6>>bought some flying <<if $bat is false>>[[pancakes]]<</if>><<if $bat is true>>[[pancakes|pancake2]]<</if>> (6 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 6>>==bought some flying pancakes (6 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 1>>bought some roasted [[peanuts]] (1 pyra)<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>bought some [[lemonade]] (2 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 2>>==bought some lemonade (2 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>bought some [[fondue]] (3 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 3>>==bought some fondue (3 pyras)==<</if>> [[Decided I would go somewhere else|Return]] <<elseif $thirst lte 1 and $hunger gt 2>>At last my thirst was quenched, but I was still hungry! *<<if $money gte 5>>bought [[saussages]] (5 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 5>>==bought some sausages (5 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 8>>bought a stuffed [[poussins]] (8 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 8>>==bought a stuffed poussin (8 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 4>>bought some baked [[bookworms]] (4 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 4>>==bought some baked bookworms (4 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>bought some [[mouse bladders]] (2 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 2>>==bought a mouse bladders (2 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>bought some mulled [[ale]] (3 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 3>>==bought some mulled ale (3 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 6>>bought some flying <<if $bat is false>>[[pancakes]]<</if>><<if $bat is true>>[[pancakes|pancake2]]<</if>> (6 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 6>>==bought some flying pancakes (6 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 1>>bought some roasted [[peanuts]] (1 pyra)<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>bought some [[lemonade]] (2 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 2>>==bought some lemonade (2 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>bought some [[fondue]] (3 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 3>>==bought some fondue (3 pyras)==<</if>> [[Decided I would go somewhere else|Return]] <<elseif $hunger lte 1 and $thirst lte 1>> [[At last, I felt satiated!|Satiated]] <<elseif $money gte 1>> I looked up and down the street at all of the enticing food vendors, my stomach grumbling with anticipation... *<<if $money gte 5>>bought [[saussages]] (5 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 5>>==bought some sausages (5 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 8>>bought a stuffed [[poussins]] (8 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 8>>==bought a stuffed poussin (8 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 4>>bought some baked [[bookworms]] (4 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 4>>==bought some baked bookworms (4 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>bought some [[mouse bladders]] (2 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 2>>==bought a mouse bladders (2 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>bought some mulled [[ale]] (3 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 3>>==bought some mulled ale (3 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 6>>bought some flying <<if $bat is false>>[[pancakes]]<</if>><<if $bat is true>>[[pancakes|pancake2]]<</if>> (6 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 6>>==bought some flying pancakes (6 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 1>>bought some roasted [[peanuts]] (1 pyra)<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>bought some [[lemonade]] (2 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 2>>==bought some lemonade (2 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>bought some [[fondue]] (3 pyras)<</if>><<if $money lt 3>>==bought some fondue (3 pyras)==<</if>> [[Decided I would go somewhere else|Return]] <<else>> I didn't have enough pyras to buy anything else. [[Return]] <</if>>

As I walked and munched on the my juxtaposed-flavoured snack, I began to feel a slight tickle in the back of my throat. That tickle grew, and in short order I was struggling to breath. I dropped my paper packet, clasping at my throat, and collapsed onto the cobblestones. [[How was I to know I was allergic to peanuts? There weren't any in Lindworm Castle!|The End]]

I passed my pyras to the vendor in exchange for two glistening links skewered on old pens. Their meaty fragrance had an undertone of blueberries. In four swifts chomps, they were gone. [[Return to Street Vendors]] <<set $money to $money - 5>> <<set $hunger to $hunger - 5>>

I paid at the counter, and the proprietor told me to find a seat - my order would be right out. I found a table in the corner and was soon brought a beautiful glass of filigree crystal. The stem looked like a series of interlocking pen nibs, and the bowl of the glass, more bell shaped than round, was etched all over with the poetic works of Tuhla Peskopanko. The liquid garnet it contained was sweet as cherries, and left a dry rasp on my tongue. I daydreamed of the great novels I would one day as I sipped it, oblivious to the terrible reading occurring mere steps away. [[Return to Coffee]] <<set $money to $money - 15>> <<set $drunk to $drunk + 5>>

I paid at the counter, and was handed a steaming cup of coffee. I inhaled the vapours, enjoying the rich, earthy perfume with notes of cinnamon. I took a scalding sip of the brew, and immediately felt more alert. [[Return to Coffee]] <<set $money to $money - 3>> <<set $thirst to $thirst - 1>> <<set $drunk to $drunk - 5>>

I paid at the counter and the proprietor took an red-glassed bottle down from a high shelf. They poured of a finger of the amber liquid into a snifter glass and pushed it towards me. Glancing around at the cultured patrons around me, I swirled the aromatic spirit in its vessel before lifting it to my nose. I felt like I was punched right in the sinuses by a peaty fist. Eyes watering, I knocked the spirit back, slapping my hand on the counter and trying not to cough my lungs out. [[That may have been more than I could handle...|Pass Out]]

I paid at the counter, and the proprietor told me to find a seat - my order would be right out. I found a table in the corner, and was soon brought a plate decorated with embossed works of Beatrice Bortusi, and piled with a small hillock of "alphabet spaghetti and trombophone mushrooms" (p. 53) [[Return to Coffee]] <<set $money to $money - 6>> <<set $hunger to $hunger - 2>>

I paid at the counter, and the proprietor told me to find a seat - my order would be right out. I found a table in the corner, and was soon brought a "huge doorstep of rye bread liberally daubed with butter and liquid honey in which dead bees were floating. I stared at them in astonishment." A Hoggling at a neighbouring table saw my expression and "grinned. 'A local specialty,' he said. 'It takes a bit of getting used to, but in time you can't have enough of it. Rye bread warm from the oven spread with peppered butter and honey with roasted bees in it. The bees are detoxified and have their stings removed prior to roasting so don't be afraid. They're deliciously crisp and crunchy.' I picked up my slice of bread. 'Take care for all that!' [the Hoggling] warned. 'Once in a blue moon a bee sting hasn't been removed. If the poison gets into your bloodstream you may be in for a few really nasty weeks of lockjaw and delirium. The bees are demonic bees from Honey Valley, an exceptionally aggressive variety. Still, that's one of the attractions of Bookholmian bee-bread: the subliminal danger, the hint of uncertainty - the buzz, so to speak. It helps if you chew slowly and watch out for stings. You get more out of it that way. [I thanked him for his warning]. Gingerly, I bit off a morsel and chewed it with care. (p 71-72) [[Return to Coffee]] <<set $money to $money - 10>> <<set $hunger to $hunger - 3>>

I paid at the counter, and was handed a "book shaped pastry filled with apple purée and topped with almonds and pistachio nuts. Strangely enough, this local speciality bore the same name as the fearsome creatures rumoured to have established a reign of terror [in the labyrinth] beneath the city. Before handing me the oven-warm pastry, the proprietor of the café deposited it on a page torn from some old book and thrust a long skewer into the side. The little ribbon of cinnamon-scented filling that oozed out resembled a liquid bookmark." (p. 79) <center><img src="http://blogs.ubc.ca/lauraulrich/files/2020/05/CoDB_bookPastry.jpg" width="75%" alt="Bookling Pastry, Walter Moers City of Dreaming Books p. 79" </></center> [[Return to Coffee]] <<set $money to $money - 2>> <<set $hunger to $hunger - 4>>

<<if $drunk gte 8>> [[I may have drunk too much...|Pass Out]] <<elseif $hunger lte 1 and $thirst gt 2>>At last my belly was full, but I was still parched! I looked up at the chalkboard menu and considered buying something else... *<<if $money gte 15>>[[Printers Ink Wine|Wine]] (15 pyras). <<else>>==Printers Ink Wine (15 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>[[Blood and Thunder Coffee|Coffee]] (3 pyras). <<else>>==Blood and Thunder Coffee (3 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 15>>[[Liquid Inspiration]] (. . . a brutally high-proof spirit, 15 pyras) <<else>>==Liquid Inspiration (15 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 6>>[[Syllabic Salad]] (6 pyras). <<else>>==Syllabic Salad (6 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 10>>[[Bee-Bread]] (10 pyras). <<else>>==Bee-Bread (10 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>[[Bookling]] (2 pyras). <<else>>==Bookling (2 pyras)==<</if>> [[Decided I would go somewhere else|Return]] <<elseif $thirst lte 1 and $hunger gt 2>>At last my thirst was quenched, but I was still hungry! I looked up at the chalkboard menu and considered buying something else... *<<if $money gte 15>>[[Printers Ink Wine|Wine]] (15 pyras). <<else>>==Printers Ink Wine (15 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>[[Blood and Thunder Coffee|Coffee]] (3 pyras). <<else>>==Blood and Thunder Coffee (3 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 15>>[[Liquid Inspiration]] (. . . a brutally high-proof spirit, 15 pyras) <<else>>==Liquid Inspiration (15 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 6>>[[Syllabic Salad]] (6 pyras). <<else>>==Syllabic Salad (6 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 10>>[[Bee-Bread]] (10 pyras). <<else>>==Bee-Bread (10 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>[[Bookling]] (2 pyras). <<else>>==Bookling (2 pyras)==<</if>> [[Decided I would go somewhere else|Return]] <<elseif $hunger lte 1 and $thirst lte 1>> [[At last, I felt satiated!|Satiated]] <<elseif $money gte 1>> I looked up at the chalkboard menu and considered buying something else... *<<if $money gte 15>>[[Printers Ink Wine|Wine]] (15 pyras). <<else>>==Printers Ink Wine (15 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 3>>[[Blood and Thunder Coffee|Coffee]] (3 pyras). <<else>>==Blood and Thunder Coffee (3 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 15>>[[Liquid Inspiration]] (. . . a brutally high-proof spirit, 15 pyras) <<else>>==Liquid Inspiration (15 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 6>>[[Syllabic Salad]] (6 pyras). <<else>>==Syllabic Salad (6 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 10>>[[Bee-Bread]] (10 pyras). <<else>>==Bee-Bread (10 pyras)==<</if>> *<<if $money gte 2>>[[Bookling]] (2 pyras). <<else>>==Bookling (2 pyras)==<</if>> [[Decided I would go somewhere else|Return]] <<else>> I didn't have enough pyras to buy anything else. [[Return]] <</if>>

I was ready this time. I passed my pyras to the vendor, and watched as they poured a ladle of batter, then the bat, then more batter onto the griddle. They flipped the pancake over, and then with a WHOOP, flipped it high into the air! My hand shot out and snatched the poor beat. The vendor whooped and applauded my athletics. Grinning from ear to ear, I did not notice that the bat had chewed the pancake around its face. It bit me. 'AHHHHGCK' I hollered, frantically waving my hand and letting go of the pancake. The bat flew off over the rooftops. [[Return to Street Vendors]] <<set $money to $money - 6>>

You're sure about this? You really want to reveal all of the endings? It's not too late, you could [[turn back|The End]] But if [[you're sure...|Shortcuts]]