<<nobr>><<set $GentleFrog to false>>\n<<set $Mama_Rat to false>>\n<<set $Pirate to false>>\n<<endnobr>>The next day, we loaded up all the Milky Moon on the //Rhodentia// and set off. With our boat of beetle-lacquer and four fine masts of lateen sails, we were a fine sight out on the open sea.\n\nLet it not be said that our journey went off without a hitch, however! The first we ran into was Humphrey Crumblton's new-found anxiety about the voyage once we had started it.\n\n"Oh-oh," he said, pacing back and forth on the deck, "we should have never have done this, never! I'm getting sea sick, we could run into sea serpents, we'll never make in time--"\n\n"Relax, Humphrey," I said. "We'll make it in time, you'll get used to the movement of the ship in time, and in all my years on the sea I've never seen a single sea serpent."\n\nBut Humphrey was too anxious to really hear. "Oh, what'll we do if the ship sinks, or pirates come after us, or--or--?"\n\nI could reassure Humphrey with some [[talk about the ship|Ship Talk]], or some [[talk about my experience|Me Talk]].

"This ship has been sailing these waters for a long time," said I, "and she's been through a lot. But no matter what, she and her crew have always managed to pull through, and I doubt this trip will be any different."\n\n"Not to say we won't have //any// trouble, of course," I continued, "but with her stalwart crew and sturdy design, she'll do fine, and so will we."\n\n<<display "Complaint">>

"When is the shipment due, exactly?" I asked.\n\nHumphrey got up from his chair in indignation. "Carnival! That's two weeks from today!"\n\n"Alright, alright, I was just making sure," said I. "Please calm down."\n\nHumphrey sat down again. "Sorry about that. I'm just on edge today, for //obvious// reasons. Anything else you want to talk about?"\n\n<<display "Questions">>

"As the Wine and Spirits chairman, perhaps you should be more concerned with our beer!" I joked.\n\n"With our town, they're both pretty much the same thing," said Humphrey gravely. "Wine, beer, and other refreshments are the foundation of Beyburg's economy, and if we cannot establish others' trust in our shipments and products, then Beyburg's industry will fall drasticly low."\n\n"Well, if it's all as serious as that, maybe you should tell me what the situation is," I said.\n\n<<Exposition1>>

//(From the letters of Sir Philip Geoffrey Mousekin, captain of the merchant ship// Rhodentia//.)//\n\nTo my dearest daughter Sara,\n\nIt's been a long time since I've come home, hasn't it? I am most truly sorry for this turn of events, and would fall down to my knees before you and beg for your forgiveness could I be there in person. As it is, I shall simply have to relate the following tale to you, based on my latest adventure.\n\nHowever, do not read it like you would any other story, front-to-back, beginning to end. Rather, at points, you may decide between two choices over where to take the story, which may be inconsequential or very important or anywhere in between.\n\nNow, with that preamble out of the way, [[let us begin|Begin]]!

"Well, then," I said, getting up. "Your case seems to be an especially desperate situation, but I've taken on desperater."\n\n"So you'll take it!" cried Humphrey with glee.\n\n"I never turn down an offer I can handle," I answered, "And I'm sure I can handle this one."\n\n"Splendid!" he exclaimed. "How soon can you get ready?"\n\n"By dawn tomorrow, if you're willing."\n\n"Ah yes, very good then!" We [[shook hands.|Ship scene]]

The strange journey you are about to read all started when an agitated mouse-merchant entered my office in a huff.\n\n"What seems to be the problem?" I asked him.\n\nHe made no reply but a gruff //"Harumph!"//, and then doffed his worn overcoat and sat down at the chair before my desk, where he took his glasses off and cleaned them before putting them on again.\n\nAt long last he deigned to speak. "My name is Humphrey Wilson Crumbleton, chairman of the Wine and Spirits committee for Beyburg. I desperately need your help with an important shipment; nothing less than the future of our town's livelihood depends on it!"\n\nWith such a dramatic statement, I could choose to answer it with a [[reassuring tone|Reassure]] or a much-needed [[bit of wit and levity|Witty]].

Bridges and Balloons

"What other delivery teams did you try, if you don't mind my asking?"\n\nHumphrey sighed. "Oh, let's see... First we tried the sparrows, but they said the load would be too big for them. We asked if they could fly it in tandem like the canaries, but they pooh-poohed that. Next we tried the cockatoos. They were receptive to the idea, but said there were too few of them to make the trip over. Pigeons seemed promising, but whenever I spoke with them they just had this permenant look of confusion on their faces."\n\n"Next you'll be telling me you tried the eagles next," I replied.\n\nHumphrey pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lord, I can't //stand// the eagles."\n\n"Remember the time they were caught eating their safety inspector?"\n\n"Can't we talk about //anything// else?" he asked.\n\n<<display "Questions">>

So Humphrey Crumbleton (who insisted that he be taken, in case a monster attacked the ship), the first mate, and I rowed our way to the shore. We heard a voice call out of the shadows.\n\n"Hoy! Sirs! Would you be so kind as to help out an old rat woman who's down on her luck? O' course, if you're in a hurry, I don't mind, but I need a ride to Woodsley!" The voice seemed rough, but hearty.\n\n"Ooo, rats, you can never trust them," Humphrey whispered to me. "I don't think trusting her would be a good idea, do you?"\n\nThe first mate rolled his eyes at Humphrey's sudden racist outburst. "Speaking more seriously, Captain, there's a chance that stopping to pick her up could delay our shipment."\n\nI could [[pick her up and risk getting the shipment late|Pick Up Ratta]] or [[leave her be and let a poor old woman down|Straight to Woodsley]].

I hated to let the old woman down, but I would hate sending in a late shipment even more. So I shouted an apology to her before I gave the order to head straight to Woodsley.\n\nBesides that, it was an uneventful trip, and we [[sailed into Woodsley Port|Port Encounter]] by nightfall.

But alas! not all was as well at port! For when we rolled in, it was as quiet as the grave, and an ominous fog lay across it.\n\nWe wondered what grim fate must have befallen the port, until the first mate let out a loud gasp and pointed to the Skull and Crossbones flag unfurled on a nearby ship.\n\n"//Pirates,//" he said.\n\n''To Be Continued...''

"Oh, fiddlesticks!" shouted Humphrey. "Ships are fallible, says I, and you can't trust any of these nautical types. No, what you need is a more stable form of transit, like trains, or wagons, or birds, or dirigibles, or-or..."\n\nHumphrey Crumbleton went on like that for a few more minutes before he ran completely out of breath.\n\n"I just don't like it!" he admitted finally.\n\n"Mr. Crumblton, please calm down," I said firmly. "We are going to our destination as fast as we can."\n\nJust then, there was a huge //bump!// felt all over the boat.\n\n"What was that?" [[screamed|Bump]] Humphrey.

"Over the course of my long career on the sea, I've seen my fair share of troubles. Shipwrecks, pirates, late shipments... And yet I've managed to pull through. I have a fine crew and ship behind me, and years of experience to boot."\n\n"Not to say, of course, that this will necessarily be a pleasure cruise!" I added. "But I am confident in my ability to steer us out of any scrap. You just need to have a little more faith, Mr. Crumblton."\n\n<<display "Complaint">>

We rowed our way to shore and finally caught sight of our rescuee. She was a large rat, not unhandsome in appearence, but looking rather worn-out. She had a tattered apron on over a sun-worn dress, and looked underfed in her face despite her size.\n\n"Hallo, gents," she said, waving; "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important!"\n\n"Nothing that couldn't be put aside to help out an old lady," said I, helping her into our boat.\n\nThe old lady filled us in on some of the details as we rowed back to our ship. She told us her name was Ratta Starkey, and she was going down to Woodsley to meet her son Rockswell when her boat sunk. "He's a fine man," she said, "I'd very much like for you to get to meet him sometime."\n\nWe didn't come across another hitch as we [[sailed into Woodsley Port|Port Encounter]].

The forest was almost dark as pitch as we sailed up the river to Woodsley. Not a sound could be heard besides the wind rustling the leaves.\n\n"Oh, I don't like this place," whispered Humphrey. "It's much, much too quiet. Don't you think so, too?"\n\n"Shh," I said. I was trying to concentrate on not hitting anything else.\n\nAs we slowly passed a river bend, we could hear some shuffling and swearing behind a tree on the shore.\n\n"Sounds mighty bad!" said the first mate. "Captain, I think we should investigate."\n\n"Right!" I answered, and [[prepared a boat for an away team|Woodsley2]].

Humphrey sighed. "Very well. Our most popular shipment this time of year is typically Milky Moon. It's a traditional wine made from mullberries, very fruity, with a slight nutty aftertaste..."\n\n"Pardon me, but I'd rather you not talk shop right now," I said.\n\nHumphrey nodded. "Yes, well, the point is, it was ordered by a theatre troupe in Spain for their Carnival festivities. Now, the usual way we handle such distant shipments is through air."\n\n"Well, if that's the case, why come to me?" I [[asked.|Exposition2]]

It was hot and muggy as we crossed the marsh to Eswam. Humphrey Crumbleton passed the time by complaining about the weather about once a minute.\n\n"Can't we do something about this bothersome heat-swell?" he asked as he wiped his forehead with his handkerchief for the hundred-and-eleventh time in an hour.\n\n"We have some paper in the Officer's Quarters that you may use to make some fans, if you like," said the First Mate stiffly.\n\n"No, no, that won't be necessary," said Humphrey, slumping down on the deck. "I'm sure it will rain soon. It has to sometime, if it's //this// humid."\n\nJust then, a spout of water flew up from the swamp and fell on Mr. Humphrey.\n\n"It looks like you got your rain sooner than expected," said the First Mate, suppressing a snicker.\n\nI looked down the side of the ship and saw a tackily-dressed frog, floating beside the ship.\n\n"Seems we have company," I said to Humphrey.\n\n''To Be Continued''

"I was just getting to that part," said Humphrey, agitated. "Usually, when we send things through air, we use carrier canaries, specially trained to fly in tandem. Unfortunately, we have never sent a shipment to Spain before at Carnival-time, so we hit an unforseen snag. Namely, it is the habit of many villages in Spain to capture live canaries and sell them all throughout Carnival."\n\n"Really!" I said. "And I suppose the canaries themselves don't care for it?"\n\n"Oh, you shouldn't joke," cried Humphrey, "They hate it! Just the sight of bridges decorated with balloons makes calm canaries irritable. Half our air delivery crew threatened to quit if we sent them over there. Sending shipments by air take less time than by sea, of course, but we cut our deadline pretty close, foolishly thinking we could find another way to ship through air before Carnival. We didn't, of course, which is why we came to you."\n\n<<display "Questions">>

.transition-out { display:none; }

The first mate tripped his way to the deck. "Seems we must've hit something," he said, panting.\n\n"I'll take over from here, thanks," said I. (If I let Humphrey get a word in I'd never hear the end of it.) "Do we know how extensive the damage is?"\n\n"It's not //too// bad, but we're going to need to head for land to do some repairs," said the first mate. "Do you have a preference as to where?"\n\n"What are our options?" I asked.\n\nThe first mate leaned against the deck railing. "Well, there's Woodsley to the south. It's near a river by a dense forest, very dark place. Then there's Eswam, to the east. It's right near a marshland, or so I've heard."\n\nHumphrey tugged my sleeve. "Oh, let's go to Eswam, I don't like dark places," he whispered.\n\n"Personally, I'd rather we not get stuck in a marsh, so my choice is for Woodsley," said the first mate.\n\nWell, what do you think? Should we [[go to Woodsley|Woodsley]], or [[head over to Eswam|Eswam]]?

"I assure you, Mr. Crumblton, my ship is the fastest that sails over mouse territory. Whatever your problem is, we can handle it," I said.\n\nHumphrey made another loud //"Harumph!"// before speaking again. "Yes, I knew all that, that's why I came to //you//, specifically. Only you could ship such a delivery at this late date."\n\n"Right now I don't know what you're trying to deliver, and when the late date //is//, exactly, and knowing both would help immensely," said I.\n\n<<Exposition1>>

body {\n margin: 0;\n padding: 0;\n}\n#passages {\n margin: 0 5% 0 5%;\n padding: 2.5% 0 5% 0;\n border-left: saddlebrown solid 1.5em;\n height:auto;\n background: #3d1d08;\n background: -webkit-radial-gradient(center, ellipse cover, #3d1d08 0%,#000000 80%);\n background: radial-gradient(ellipse at center, #3d1d08 0%,#000000 80%);\n}\n.header {\n width: 25%;\n border-top: saddlebrown solid 0.1em;\n margin: auto;\n padding: 0 0 2.5% 0;\n}\n.passage {\n margin: 2em;\n font-family: "Georgia", serif;\n font-size:2.2em; \n color: peru;\n text-shadow: sienna 0.05em 0.05em 0.05em;\n}\na.internalLink, a.externalLink {\n color: burlywood;\n text-shadow: peru 0.05em 0.05em 0.05em;\n}\na.internalLink:hover, a.externalLink:hover {\n color: cornsilk;\n text-decoration: none;\n text-shadow: peru 0.05em 0.05em 0.05em;\n}\n#sidebar {\n\tdisplay:none;\n}

I stroked my chin. I could ask him about...\n<<actions "What other delivery teams he's tried" "When exactly the shipment is due" "No more questions, I'll take his offer">>

Molly "Healy" G.