Groove Billygoat
by Hanon Ondricek (as Efrain Finnell) (2014)
Genres: Humor
Noir

The commissioner usually takes a blind eye to the burnouts who writhe at the feet of Muse Terpsichore, but when something happens it's always you. You are the one who knows your way around the parquet floors strewn with broken heels and broken glass.

action: %
response: Call came after midnight. So it's Sunday--what a black day.

"I need you to head down to the bad part of town and check out a StepEasy squattin' in the industrial quarter. Dame across the street said she saw a lady, she thought it shady somehow. A man came through the window and she was struck down (I mean the lady) old dame thinks, to her doom. But listen, can you do this? I mean with all that happened before--"

You shook your head as you pushed out of the diner in the quicksilver rain. Hurled the paper to the garbage where it pattered, closed yourself in the car.

Ah, the peace in your automobile before the tension of a case. You enjoy a puff on a cigar and smooth sax on the radio as you drive to clear your head. No even remotely-danceable beats. The captain always said before the prohibition three years ago, "If dancing is a crime, then only criminals will have dance moves." Or something like that.

No suprise they come together in these places in the city. Every other kind of trouble, irrespective, follows quickly. The commissioner usually takes a blind eye to the burnouts who writhe at the feet of Muse Terpsichore, but when something happens it's always you. You are the one who knows your the way around the parquet floors strewn with broken heels and broken glass.

Most of these dancing fools are non-violent and out for a good time only, but you know how exertion and adrenaline get out of hand. If someone has hurt that lady, you'll definitely collar the perp. You know the exact type of people these madmen are.

A ShuffleComp Entry by Efrain Finnell

Grey and white rain streams down over hard concrete edifices, where it goes swirling and shining, reflecting the dingy streetlights as it pours into the gutters and then down into the black sewers. Nobody decent comes here, not at this time of night.

A beat up old trash can with a lid leans against the brownstone steps that are gray in the gloom of night.

You've parked your vehicle to the side of the road. Not like there's any traffic anyway.

A haggard figure huddles on some steps out of the rain.

A sign bolted near a gap in a cement wall declares "Outway Only".
action: You examine figure
response: He's likely one of these StepEasy burnouts. He's got a tin cup that he brandishes hopefully at you.

The bum shakes his tin cup meaningfully.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying:
a dark gray suit (being worn)
a soaking wet black trenchcoat (being worn)
your fedora (being worn)
a chest holster (being worn)
your gun
a working knowledge of CPR

The bum jingles his tin cup meaningfully.
action: You give the cpr to the bum
response: The bum blinks and looks up, not realizing at first you're talking directly to him.

"I don't know about that." he replies.

The bum rattles his tin cup meaningfully.
action: You examine the cup
response: In the tin cup are some meager coppers.
action: Look
response: Grey and white rain streams down over hard concrete edifices, where it goes swirling and shining, reflecting the dingy streetlights as it pours into the gutters and then down into the black sewers.

A beat up old trash can with a lid leans against the brownstone steps that are gray in the gloom of night.

You've parked your vehicle to the side of the road.

A haggard figure huddles on some steps out of the rain.

A sign bolted near a gap in a cement wall declares "Outway Only".
action: You examine the gap
response: It's an outway leading from an even darker and seedier part of the neighborhood. One would assume that an Outway would have a corresponding Inway, but in these parts of town, sometimes even the laws of physics don't apply.
action: You look under the lid
response: Nothing under that.
action: You open can
response: You open the banged-up trash can, revealing a weird coin.
action: You examine the coin
response: It's a weirdly large coin, not of any denomination that spends in civilized society. You wonder if it's some kind of bus token.
action: You take it
response: You confiscate the weird coin.

The bum indicates his tin cup meaningfully.
action: You put coin in the cup
response: You put the weird coin into the tin cup.

"Thank you, Sir," the old coot says.

He then stands up and after a quick stretch does a tight series of chaine-turns down the sidewalk away from you. This is followed by a perfectly limber grande battement kick that nearly reaches his face, and then an intricate sequence of alternating grande jetes, stag leaps, and barrel-turns before you lose sight of him down the block.

Poor old geezer's got it bad, you think to yourself.
action: Dance
response: Yeah, as if it were that easy. And besides, it's illegal unless it comes about as part of the line of duty in an undercover operation.
action: Describe the surroundings
response: Grey and white rain streams down over hard concrete edifices, where it goes swirling and shining, reflecting the dingy streetlights as it pours into the gutters and then down into the black sewers.

A beat up old trash can with a lid leans against the brownstone steps that are gray in the gloom of night.

You've parked your vehicle to the side of the road.

A sign bolted near a gap in a cement wall declares "Outway Only".

The ground shudders as some explosions occur a block or two away. You shake your head for the old fool--the only thing more dangerous than dancing inside is dancing outside.
action: You enter the gap
response: Inside the outway, removed from the normal public streets, is a vast complex of warehouses and industrial buildings. Milky gray rain smacks down harder, splashing on the sidewalk. There are paths in almost every direction, although  none looks any more promising than the other.
action: Go east
response: You search a ways to the east. There's nothing here to spark your interest. You could always go back out to the somewhat less-bad part of town if you wanted.

You really feel awkward carrying around this trash can, and set it down out of the way to continue its pitiful gray life here.
action: You kick the the can
response: Hand to hand combat is never a good idea.
action: You go west
response: You continue further to the west. Nothing here worthy of your attention. You could always go back out to the somewhat less-bad part of town if you wanted.
action: You go to the north
response: You walk along the buildings to the north. You encounter nothing here seemingly related to your investigation. You could always go back out to the somewhat less-bad part of town if you wanted.
action: You go to the south
response: You continue in the rainy street to the south. The search is fruitless, as nothing stands out here that catches you in a noteworthy fashion. You could always go back out to the somewhat less-bad part of town if you wanted.
action: Go outside
response: Grey and white rain streams down over hard concrete edifices, where it goes swirling and shining, reflecting the dingy streetlights as it pours into the gutters and then down into the black sewers.

You've parked your vehicle to the side of the road.

A sign bolted near a gap in a cement wall declares "Outway Only".

Your attention is diverted after a storefront second-story window screeches open and a rope spirals down almost to the wet pavement--no not a rope. Bedsheets tied together. You hear young voices inside "C'mon Rufus! Hurry before she hears!"

"I'm goin' as fast as I can, shut UP Lenny!"

And then a higher female, "Don't forget about me! I'm Betsy!"

And with that, three tiny gray youngsters shimmy down in the rain to the pavement, pull down the rope of bedsheets, and sprint across the street, stopping only when they nearly collide with you. Two boys and a girl, all stare up at you, shocked that there is someone on the street at this hour during pouring rain.

The little girl looks up at you with her wiry braids standing up, defying the rain. "Hey Mister, are you a cop?"

"Well, no...I..." you stammer, hoping to keep your cover, but then...

You hear some strange jazzy music coming from somewhere...you don't know. The little girl orphan toddles up to you and effortlessly climbs you like that ape on the Empire State Building and settles into your arms. The music vamps for a few measures, and she opens her mouth...to sing?
action: You drop the girl
response: Dropped.

"Now, come on, little girl, I'm very busy! You stop that you hear! I don't have time for an entire song!" you say, setting the girl down to shut her up. She humphs up at you puffing her cheeks and making a face, turning away to consider what will likely be her future life of crime now that you've fostered a hatred of law enforcement in her.
action: You look at the girl
response: This poor bedraggled orphan girl wears a battered denim jumper with striped long underwear. Her wiry braids are askew as if she's caught an errant blast of wind to the face.

Betsy sings:
Hey, Mister, you came along and now I'm not so blue!

I'm singin' a song and now I am here with you!

I'm tellin' ya, Mister, I'm so glad! I'm stickin' with you!
action: Sing
response: You can't think of anything to sing right now except songs you learned in the precinct, and those would clearly give away your
identity as law enforcement.

Betsy sings:
Hey, Mister, I need a dad, and wished upon a star!

Climbed down a rope and zowie here you are!
action: You describe your surroundings
response: Grey and white rain streams down over hard concrete edifices, where it goes swirling and shining, reflecting the dingy streetlights as it pours into the gutters and then down into the black sewers.

The dreary gray edifice the orphans climbed down out of is barely visible in the opaque gray rain.

You've parked your vehicle to the side of the road.

A sign bolted near a gap in a cement wall declares "Outway Only".

You can also see Lenny and Rufus here.

Betsy sings:
Mister, we make a perfect team! Your eyes got that special
gleam!

Hey, Mister, I...am...stickin' with yoooooouuu!
action: You look at Lenny
response: Lenny's blond hair is either greased back or perhaps rain-stuck to his head, with one long tuft hanging in his face. You wish you had a pair of scissors to snip it off for him. Otherwise, he's dressed in denim overalls and a checked shirt.

Betsy sings:
My mom and dad, Mister, they left me flat!

And here you come, in your coat and a hat!

I wished on a star, Mister! And here you are, Mister!

Just like that! I'm stickin' with youuuuuuuuuuUUUU!
action: You talk to Lenny
response: "Hey, Mister," says Rufus.

Betsy sings:
The orphanage sure did give me the blues!

Sweating all day, sewin' ladies high heel shoes!
action: You talk to RUFUS
response: "Hey, Mister," says Rufus.

Betsy sings:
But now you're here to (maybe) adopt me-

LENNY: And me!

RUFUS: And me!

I'm telling you Mister, we're stickin' with youuuuuuuu!!!!

RUFUS AND LENNY: Doo doo doo-doo dooooooo!
action: You check your inventory
response: You are carrying:
Betsy
a dark gray suit (being worn)
a soaking wet black trenchcoat (being worn)
your fedora (being worn)
a chest holster (being worn)
your gun
a working knowledge of CPR

Betsy sings:
Yesterday was an awful day, I can surely confide!

But today is grand, here with you by my siiiiiiiide, Mistah!

You can call me glue-ooh-ooh OOH! Cause Mister I am stickin' here withyah!

No need to scrub the orphanage caf-uh-ter-i-a!

I'm here...and stickin' with who?

RUFUS AND LENNY: With who?

With him!

Toodle-oo Olivia, you aging cow...

Cause I've! Got! A new Dad now!

And holy wow! You're stuck with me now!

Out of nowhere, you hear violins swelling, and out-of-place triumphant orchestral brass building anticipatorily. What the hell?

"It's him!" shouts Rufus, pointing down the block, where an unearthly light as if from a hundred garbage truck headlights grows around the corner, casting the shadow of a thin man against the wall. He emerges around the corner, his white suit blinding in the golden light, surrounded by clouds of mist from a curb grate.

The sidewalk slab lights up as the man steps, and then the
next one as he steps onto it, only fading after it his shoes have left the surface. This can't be... you think, trying to blink the
mirage from your eyes.

The man's clothing is immaculately blinding, and his body twitches angularly as he makes his way down the block toward you.

The boys  scamper toward him and receive big hugs in turn, then the man spins on his heels and pulls up his trousers at the knee, displaying gleaming black shoes topped with white spats.

He is clearly ill in some way, and you resolve to get him proper help in a hospital if he's not your perp.

Betsy squirms in your grasp. "IT'S HIM, IT'S HIM!" screams the little girl, fighting her way out of your arms, unintentionally planting a solid size-two patent leather sole in your jaw as she scrambles down, the song forgotten, at least for now as she runs to get a hug from the thin man in white.
action: You examine thin man
response: He's tall and thin, wearing a glowing white suit and matching black-banded fedora that shadows his eyes. His body is always seeming both frozen in an angular position and in constant motion with part of his physique still and the rest moving subtly.

The mysterious man turns away, and now is walking in the opposite direction of his travel. You shake your head, wondering what was
in that coffee you drank. He's clearly walking away, but moving backwards into the outway.
action: Look around
response: Grey and white rain streams down over hard concrete edifices, where it goes swirling and shining, reflecting the dingy streetlights as it pours into the gutters and then down into the black sewers.

You hear unexpected strains of orchestral music warmups and rehearsal pouring out some slightly lit windows from an edifice on the other side of the street.

The dreary gray edifice the orphans climbed down out of is barely visible in the opaque gray rain.

You've parked your vehicle to the side of the road.

A sign bolted near a gap in a cement wall declares "Outway Only".

You can also see Betsy, Lenny and Rufus here.
action: You enter the gap
response: The three young ragamuffins scramble after you and assemble again in an attentive line.

Inside the outway, removed from the normal public streets, is a vast complex of warehouses and industrial buildings.

The oddly-thin man in white stands aloofly, on a sidewalk tile that seems to glow with luminous heat under his shoes. He does a strangely twitchy little kick with his knee bent and repositions his feet. Obviously he's one of these people who rolls deep the StepEasy scene and can't manage to keep his body from writhing in such a manner. You vaguely wonder if he's the smooth criminal you're looking for.

A broad security door seems to be the main entrance into the lighted warehouse.

You blink, as you're sure this wasn't here before. A low, two-story warehouse now has hazy golden light streaming out of it. It appears to take up half of the entire block.

A street sign leans near the entrance, marking the location of the StepEasy.

You can also see Betsy, Lenny, Rufus and a banged-up trash can (empty) here.

The thin man seems to slide to the door of the now active warehouse without moving his feet in the correct directions somehow
then pounds on the metal-clad portal. The slat is thrown open, and the man in white seems to hiccup before shouting something, that you can only suppose is the word JAMON!

At this, the door is thrown open and the strange man holds his hat on as windy golden light blows out the door, surrounding him in a
smoky halo. And you've only had one drink today, seriously.

As quickly as it started, the windy light stops and the man proceeds into the StepEasy, the door slamming securely shut behind him.
"He's so dreamy!" intones young Betsy, swooning.
action: You enter StepEasy
response: You'll need to find a way in somehow. The first floor windows are a bit too high to climb into and have bars over them.
action: You knock on the door
response: (the security door)
You pound on the door. After a second the slat scratches aside.

"You gots the passwoid? Then you say it out loud likea good boy. Unkay?" rumbles a deep voice, probably belonging to a very large and deadly someone. After a moment, the slat closes as if it were never there.
action: Jamon
response: You pound on the door and intone JAMON! as accurately as you
can.

There is a pause, and someone says "Waitaminnit..." The slat closes and you hear some back and forth arguing. Then a longer pause before the slat opens again, and a ham sandwich is shoved through the opening at you.
action: You take the sandwich
response: You already got it.
action: You look at it
response: Yeah, it is a ham sandwich.
action: You eat it
response: You scarf down the nicely-toasted sandwich hungrily.

The orphans look sad.
action: You give the sandwich to Rufus
response: "Hey, Mister," says Rufus.

The orphans quickly accept your sandwich, divide it in thirds with mathematical precision, then each hungrily wolfs their portion down. "FANKS MIFTER," Betsy says, chewing and swallowing.

Rufus explains, "Miss Olivia hasn't been feeding us because we've been displaying an overabundance of vigour for orphans of our stature."

"And she spells vigour with a U somehow," adds Lenny."
action: JAMON
response: You pound on the door and intone JAMON! as accurately as you
can.

There is a pause, and someone says "Waitaminnit..." The slat closes and you hear some back and forth arguing. Then a longer pause before the slat opens again, and a ham sandwich is shoved through the opening at you.

"Hey, Mister," Rufus chirps. "Are you gonna eat that sandwich?"
action: You give the sandwich to Rufus
response: The orphans tear the sandwich into chunks and eat it, much less ferociously than before.
action: JAMON
response: You pound on the door and intone JAMON! as accurately as you
can.

There is a pause, and someone says "Waitaminnit..." The slat closes and you hear some back and forth arguing. Then a longer pause before the slat opens again, and a ham sandwich is shoved through the opening at you.
action: Shamone
response: You shout "SHAMONE!" at the door ferociously, and it flies open, buffetting you suddenly with a gale force of golden light that explodes out at you. You lean forward to keep your footing and hold your hat as your clothing and trenchcoat whip around in the uncanny breeze. Finally it stops and you blink. "Sorry," says a deep voice, "we been having some A/C problems all week here..."

You nod somewhat encouragingly to yourself as you step into the warehouse.

The entire warehouse is cleared of its normal furnishings except for some support beams, and indigo light arcs in from high semicircular barred windows. The entire place is packed with StepEasy denizens, all spastically writhing to the bits of discordant music played by the band, dancing and yet pretending not to dance by writhing, remaining away from the legal limits of the choreography laws. It looks like you could move through the crowd west and northwest. The north part of the dancefloor from here is really packed and it would probably take a molotov cocktail to get in amongst the throng.

A narrow window in the corner seems to be where clubgoers can check their coats.
action: You check the coat
response: (the soaking wet black trenchcoat)
Black, like the recesses of your inner soul. It's also comfy and rain-resistant.
action: You examine the window
response: It's a narrow hole in the wall, staffed by a bored-looking young lady.

In the coat check window is a coat check girl.
action: You give the coat to the lady
response: (the soaking wet black trenchcoat to the coat check girl)
"You got something you need checked in?" she says unenthusiastically.

(first taking the soaking wet black trenchcoat off)
The girl smartly hangs your coat in the back room and hands you the marker for it. You tip her, and she says "Enjoy yourself."

A severe looking couple tangos past you, arms interlocked holding martini glasses.
action: You look at the marker
response: An ebony tag with a hole in it from the coat check. Number 116.

A man in a dark suit does a dance solo and is cheered on by the crowd around him.
action: Go west
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

A hush falls over the crowd as they all catch sight of the thin man in a spotlight. He pulls a large coin out of his pocket and flicks it in the air, declaring "HOO!"

The coin hovers, flipping end over end for a second, suspended. The thin man shrieks "EEHEE!" and the coin resumes its path straight into the slot of the jukebox.New-fangled, almost unearthly music with a heavy, unrelenting beat begins as the needle drops on the record.

The oddly-thin man in white stands disinterestedly. His hands move furitively over the brim of his white hat and his belt as if repositioning them with bird-like speed.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.

You hear the Thin Man shout hoo and oddly enough, small
objects seem to levitate off tables and hover in the air a moment before falling down again.

The intro counts off, and a group of suited men run to the southwest corner of the warehouse near the jukebox and line up, ready to dance. The Thin Man is in the lead of the formation, singing lyrics that go by so fast you can barely understand them.
action: Dance
response: You groove a little self-consciously for a moment even though your attempts feel quite foolish.

The Thin Man tosses another coin in the air, then shouts hoo
at it, making it hover. Then he says eehee a little louder,
and the coin goes flying directly into the slot of the jukebox.

The dancers HEELPIVOT, POINTPOINT and HEADPOP.
action: HEADPOP
response: You try to make it into the dance formation, but you miss your chance. You need to get in right at the beginning to have any chance of keeping up.

The dancers simultaneously JUMPSHRUG, SHOULDERROLL, and HEADPOP, then they turn to the southwest, while crossing the floor NORTHEAST, penetrating the crowded right dance floor where everyone makes room for them.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

The dancers LEAN over, hovering at an unnatural angle with their feet still on the floor, seemingly defying gravity. The crowd goes wild, and everyone on the dancefloor joins in, somehow knowing what move comes next at rapid-fire high speed.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

All the dancers JUMPSHRUG and bring their KNEES IN, and they NOD NOD, and they HEELPIVOT, POINT POINT. Then they all do a HEADPOP, and they JUMPSHRUG, and they SHOULDERROLL, KNEES IN. Everyone does a HEELPIVOT, POINT POINT and finally STEPSLIDE out of it.
Solo dances continue excitedly as the formation breaks up.
action: You look around
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

The oddly-thin man in white stands at a weird angle. He points a finger up into the sky while looking away from it in the opposite direction for seemingly no reason.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.

You hear whooping, and a floozy dancer is launched into the air, does a high flip, and is caught and carried along by the crowd.
action: HEADPOP
response: You can't go that way.

A man and woman jive relentlessly near you before disappearing into the crowd.
action: Dance
response: You step-touch to no particular beat whatsoever, feeling suddenly very caucasian.

surprisingly long time, almost as if gravity has no effect.
action: You go to the northeast
response: That corner of the dance floor is jam-packed. You'll need to find a a more clever way in there.

A woman is thrown around her partner's back jitterbug style.
action: Go north
response: Spotlights operated by mysterious figures overhead pick out the most risque dancers on this parquet square of premium dance space that continues to the east. The band is south, and the warehouse exit is southeast. The even better dancers pack the floor to the east, and you're unsure if you could get through there to where that staircase leading up is.

You notice a dim passage also to the west.

A gray-suited thug comes up behind the Thin Man taps him, and swings a roundhouse punch when he turns. The Thin Man easily deflects it, then shouts aaow. The thug is hurled back by unseen hands...like
the Thin Man punched him with his mind!...
action: Go west
response: This dim, slickly light green-painted corridor leads south and east back to the dancefloor. There is some lettering stencilled on the wall.

A large man wearing thick glasses and sitting on what must be the worlds most tiny, uncomfortable stool glares dimly at you with his arms folded.
action: You look at the wall
response: It says "Employees Only".
action: You talk to Man
response: You say hello to the dim bouncer.
action: You examine man
response: He looks very likely like he could squeeze your neck until you pop like a grape that is having its neck squeezed by a very large, person.
action: You go south
response: The bouncer says "Wisten bub. I'm watching that office, and I see you headed in that diwection. Beat it."
action: Go east
response: "Enjoy your evening in the cwub!" exclaims the dim bouncer, waving.

Spotlights operated by mysterious figures overhead pick out the most risque dancers on this parquet square of premium dance space that continues to the east. The band is south, and the warehouse exit is southeast. The even better dancers pack the floor to the east, and you're unsure if you could get through there to where that staircase leading up is.

You notice a dim passage also to the west.
action: Go east
response: That corner of the dance floor is jam-packed. You'll need to find a a more clever way in there.
action: Go south
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

The oddly-thin man in white stands aloofly. He adjusts his trousers near his crotch seemingly oblivious to the fact that he is in public whilst pointing the thumb, index finger and pinky of his free hand off to the side.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.

The Thin Man does this crazy thing with his feet - it appears he walks in one direction, but his direction of travel is usually opposite. Like he's walking somewhere with no gravity. Like the moon for example.
action: You examine the jukebox
response: You can see records trundling inside, but all the selector keys have been broken off, so it looks like you get pot-luck for putting your coin in the slot. The plastic dome has a few dents, almost as if it has sustained several good hard thumps in its lifetime.
action: You hit the jukebox
response: You thump hard on the jukebox dome. Heyyyyy.... Surprisingly, this works, and the contraption lights up and selects a record.

The music from the jukebox is otherworldly and incredibly pulse-pounding.

The intro counts off, and a group of suited men run to the southwest corner of the warehouse near the jukebox and line up, ready to dance. The Thin Man is in the lead of the formation, singing lyrics that go by so fast you can barely understand them.
action: Pirouette
response: Here goes nothing. You whirl around with the dancers and land right in the middle of the dance formation. Without even thinking, you pull your

Wow, you're really doing this?
action: Knees in
action: Nod nod
response: You all hold the pose for an instant, and then immediately
action: Heelpivot
action: Point point
response: You get both directional points in, and instantly remember to
action: HEADPOP
response: The headpops are ridiculously sharp and you apologize to your chiropractor silently as you and the other dancers line yourself up in a diagonal with the right dancefloor. While starting the traveling cross you have to
action: Jumpshrug
response: You all jumpshrug in tight formation. The direction changes are ridiculous, but you continue to
action: Shoulderroll
response: You roll your shoulders best you can while traveling in one direction without tripping and remembering to look in the opposite correct direciton with everyone else. The dance phrase ends with
action: HEADPOP
response: Everyone pops their head and freezes for a moment, before sharply turning their bodies southwest.
action: Go northeast
response: A huge round of applause greets the crossing formation. Somehow everyone in your dance formation meshes with the people on the dancefloor to form a much larger and complicated arrangement.
The thin man is singing the lead vocal to the song. You don't know what the words blazing by actually are, but you try to sing along anyway-"...betty crocker took a car-load...to the drive-in...where they ate spumoni..."
The dancefloor clears a space as you and the group of suited dancers
action: Lean
response: You hold your breath and close your eyes and lean forward. Unbelieveably when you open your eyes, you are staring straight down at the floor! Your feet haven't moved, and you're leaning at the same impossible angle as everyone else is!
The Thin Man:"...timmy grable did a favor...for the flavor...of
rice a roni..."
Everyone on the dancefloor joins in and dances in ridiculous speedy precision. Once again you
action: Jumpshrug
response: The entire dancefloor jumpshrugs in unison ...greta garbo was unstable, threw a table, at her friend mabel...as you bring your
knees in automatically and then nod-nod, and
action: Knees in
response: Whoops, that's not right...OW OUCH!

You are bludgeoned by flying arms and legs as you fall out of sync with the rest of the dancers and end up having to crawl out of the formation...

The entire warehouse is cleared of its normal furnishings except for some support beams, and indigo light arcs in from high semicircular barred windows. The entire place is packed with StepEasy denizens, all spastically writhing to the bits of discordant music played by the band, dancing and yet pretending not to dance by writhing, remaining away from the legal limits of the choreography laws. It looks like you could move through the crowd west and northwest. The north part of the dancefloor from here is really packed and it would probably take a molotov cocktail to get in amongst the throng.

A narrow window in the corner seems to be where clubgoers can check their coats.

The coat check girl looks at you disdainfully. "This your first time honey? We all been there" she remarks.

Everybody grooves down low to the floor as the music gets a little softer now.
action: Heelpivot
response: Everyone tightly heelpivots penny ante poker...ante poker...poker penny ante!...point points, headpops and jumpshrugs, which chains
into
action: Shoulderroll
response: ...knees in sharp...yuban coffee! ...and
action: Heelpivot
response: ...shoulder roll...knees in...butter toffee! ...then
action: Heelpivot
response: ...point point...and finally "...some groove billygoat!"
...there's only one move left!
action: Stepslide
response: You lean against a pillar, panting, unbelievably proud of yourself that you made it through the entire dance number. The surge of adrenaline is intoxicating. You understand how easy it could be to fall into the lowlife scene of back-alley dancehalls and bathtub sarsaparilla. You can barely think in the hot, sweaty crush of writhing dancers. You are forced into some gymnastic positions and movements just to keep your feet on the floor. You could climb up a metal fire escape staircase that leads to the second floor walkway. The warehouse exit is south, the band platform is southwest, and the less-crowded section of dancefloor is east.
action: Up
response: You leap onto the fire escape stairs and climb up to the walkway, where there is a door that leads out of the sweltering humidity of the nightclub into the cool blue-gray night. As you are making your way through, you hear a guttural shout from below--the lights change, and all the dancers move in slow motion. They writhe in a tight knot around the Thin Man, exclaiming random words and syllables and sounds in either wracking pain, desperation, or delirious ecstacy as the downside of Muse Terpsichore takes them out of their heads.

Such are the results of a continuous life of dance-crime, you reckon sadly to yourself.

You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.
action: You go west
response: A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

With a commotion, the trio of orphans attempt to invade the crime scene, jibberjabbering about candy and jump ropes and other orphan things.

"Kids, stay, back, there's nothing to see here! Nothing at all!" you insist, pushing them towards the door.

"Hey, wait," Lenny says, peering around you. "Are those bloodstains? On the carpet?"

"We need to check on Miss Annie," Rufus proclaims. "She's our friend who was trying to help us get out of the orphanage!"

"ANNIE? ARE YOU OKAY?" bellows Betsy as you push them finally out the door again.

An oddly narrow aquarium sits on a side table.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: You examine the aquarium
response: Wait, it's not an aquarium, rather it's an ant farm. But you find it to be surprisingly out of place in the apartment of a young woman.
action: Dance
response: Yeah, as if it were that easy.
action: You look at the blood
response: Apparently the victim was struck down, as aforementioned, likely to her doom. The stains lead west into the bedroom where the victim likely attempted to evade her attacker.
action: Go west
response: A tiny bedroom, filled with one tiny twin bed and a rack with some ladies clothing hung up to dry.

A small, barred window prevents people from breaking in, too bad there weren't bars on the other living room window.

The body of a woman lies on the floor at the end of a few blood spatters on the carpet. It appears she was attempting to crawl under the bed to protect herself when she was struck down.

You hear some climbing noises and the orphans climb monkey-like at the bars of the window, staring in. "Listen, kids, this is a crime scene, you need to get away from there this instant!" Of course they don't pay attention.

"That's Miss Annie, is she all right?" Rufus asks.

"She doesn't look good," Lenny observes.

"ARE YOU OKAY MISS ANNIE?" Betsy hollers loud enough to be audible in heaven.

"Annie, are you okay?" Rufus says.
action: You examine annie
response: Annie is petite, and well put together, wearing a prim blue dress. It's obvious if she is into the StepEasy scene, she hasn't been there long. You'd almost bet she's fresh off the bus from Idaho or Nebraska or Kentucky. One of those kinds of places..You're not sure there's much you can do for her. You don't feel a pulse and her pupils are unresponsive.

"Are you okay?" Lenny says.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
your marker
a ham sandwich
a dark gray suit (being worn)
your fedora (being worn)
a chest holster (being worn)
your gun
a working knowledge of CPR

"ARE YOU OKAY, ANNIE???" hollers Betsy.
action: You perform the cpr
response: What do you want to perform cpr on?
action: You perform the cpr on Annie
response: Feeling rather foolish you move your mouth to the lifeless woman's. mouth-to-mouth resuscitation...
you think as you press your lips to her cold flesh.

Then you feel the very breath from your body illuminate and exhale into her. From below there are roiling violins and hopeful trumpets as wind...now magic and golden...surrounds you both in a violent vortex or a full orchestral score that stands Annie up on her feet. And she is alive again, blinking curiously.

"YAAAAAAAY!" shout the orphans, seeing Annie conscious again.

"Miss Annie," you say, not knowing what else to ask, "are you...okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine!" she says, wobbling a bit stiffly. "And the children are here, so everything is perfect! Now if I can just make us a cup of tea-"

She doesn't get to make that cup of tea because she is interrupted by the thin screams of the orphans as black-gloved hands pull them away from the bars of the window and make off with them.

"Oh no!" Annie exclaims. "They've taken the orphans! Mister! You've got to help them!"

Outside the apartment you hear shoes on cement and the definite clatter of steel weaponry. Annie grabs your arm, "Don't go out there!"

"Don't worry," you say calmly reaching for your .38. "I can handle this." You glance out the window as your fingers close around air. Your gun is gone. Oh, nuts.

Annie races to the front room of the apartment and you hear her shriek. A thug in an indigo suit has grabbed both her wrists. You run out and grapple with the thug for two seconds before Annie brings him down with a solid smash to the head with a ceramic emu from her collection.

"That was my grandmother's you creep!" she hisses. You hear
more commotion outside.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

You can see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) and an alien ant farm here.

"Get out of my sight you exceedingly mean people!" Annie growls, grabbing a china saucer and hurling out the door at the thugs outside.

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: Go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying:
your marker
a ham sandwich
a dark gray suit (being worn)
your fedora (being worn)
a chest holster (being worn)
a working knowledge of CPR

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: You hit red Thug
response: Hand to hand combat is never a good idea.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.

You can hear the orphans screaming from the rooftop just to the north, adjacent to the one  you are on. Their voices echo from behind a red and gray door set in a rooftop building with a smokestack that pours dark coal dust.
action: Go north
response: Suicide isn't a really valid strategy to defeat the thugs!

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: Dance
response: Seriously, you haven't heard any drones overhead, but it's best not to risk it.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.

"Help us, Mister!" you hear Rufus yell from the north.
action: You go to the west
response: A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) and an alien ant farm here.

"Scram you two bit thugs!" Annie yells, grabbing a silver saucer and chucking out the window at the thugs outside.

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: You take the farm
response: You could look at the ant farm all day, but you've got work to do.

You take the alien ant farm into evidence even though you don't have any little baggies.

"Get out of here you mean people!" Annie shouts at the thugs.
"What are we going to do?" Annie asks, crouching low.
Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: Go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see some flying bullets, a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: You ask Annie about the ants
response: "I'm sorry, Sir," she says modestly. "I'm afraid I don't completely understand your big-city fast talk. Shouldn't you go help the children?"

"How do we stop them?" Annie asks, crouching low.
Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: You go to the east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.

"Mister! They're cooking brussels sprouts and they're going
to make us eat them!!!" Lenny cries from the north.

You could go for some brussels sprouts right now.
action: You throw the ant farm at the bullets
response: Futile.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: You examine the farm
response: You could look at the ant farm all day, but you've got work to do.

"Get lost you mama's boy!" Annie shouts, grabbing a crystal serving tray and throwing out the door at the thugs outside.

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: Open farm
response: That's not something you can open.

"Get out of here you strong-arm mutants!" Annie bellows, grabbing a china cherub statue and hurling out the window at the thugs outside.

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: Go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: Dance
response: Yeah, as if it were that easy.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: Break farm
response: Hand to hand combat is never a good idea.

"Do you have any ideas?" Annie asks, crouching low.
Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
an alien ant farm
your marker
a ham sandwich
a dark gray suit (being worn)
your fedora (being worn)
a chest holster (being worn)
a working knowledge of CPR

"Are they still out there?" Annie asks, crouching low.
Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: You look outside
response: Yeah, there are four of them on the roof.

"What are we going to do?" Annie asks, crouching low.
Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: You examine the marker
response: An ebony tag with a hole in it from the coat check. Number 116.

"Get out of here you freaks of nature!" Annie calls, grabbing a antique cherub statue and chucking out the door at the thugs outside.

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: You look at the holster
response: It holds your piece at the ready just inside your jacket, and isn't visible under normal outerwear.

"Get out of here you mama's boy!" Annie screams, grabbing a crystal napkin ring and hurling out the window at the thugs outside.

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: Go west
response: A tiny bedroom, filled with one tiny twin bed and a rack with some ladies clothing hung up to dry.

A small, barred window prevents people from breaking in.

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: You look at the window
response: In the barred window are Betsy, Lenny and Rufus.

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: You look at Lenny
response: Lenny's blond hair is either greased back or perhaps rain-stuck to his head, with one long tuft hanging in his face. Otherwise, he's dressed in denim overalls and a checked shirt.

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: You go east
response: A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.

"How do we stop them?" Annie asks, crouching low.
Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: Go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.

"MISTER YOU NEED TO FIGHT OFF THE THUGS AND GET OVER HERE TO THE NORTH AS SOON AS YOU CAN! THEY'RE HOLDING US PRISONER TO THE NORTH OF WHERE YOU ARE NOW. AND OH, THIS IS BETSY BY THE WAY IN CASE YOU CAN'T TELL" she belts clearly from the other rooftop.
action: You take the bullets
response: You confiscate the flying bullets.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: You take the bullets
response: You take the flying bullets into evidence even though you don't have any little baggies.

The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.

"Mister help! They're strapping us into some big machine and I can't tell what it does...only it's got a lot of hooks and chains and it lights up green! HEEEEELP!" Rufus hollers.
action: You take the bullets
response: You confiscate the flying bullets.

The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: You take the bullets
response: You take the flying bullets into evidence even though you don't have any little baggies.

The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: You take the bullets
response: You confiscate the flying bullets.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.

"I don't know any information you want," shouts Lenny from the north.
action: You take gun
response: That seems to belong to the Chartreuse Thug.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: You check your inventory
response: You are carrying:
an alien ant farm
your marker
a ham sandwich
a dark gray suit (being worn)
your fedora (being worn)
a chest holster (being worn)
a working knowledge of CPR

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: You climb the bullets
response: Climbing is not one of your best skills.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: You take the carpet
response: That's fixed in place.

"Do you have any ideas?" Annie asks, crouching low.
Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: You look at the window
response: The pane is smashed, likely creating quite a crescendo as the criminal entered her apartment. Yes, there are shards of glass on the inside. You disregard this, knowing that touching any of this will ruit it for the lab guys once they get here.

"Are they still out there?" Annie asks, crouching low.
Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: Pirouette
response: You probably don't have a chance unless you start at the beginning of a song.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: You go downward
response: You can barely think in the hot, sweaty crush of writhing dancers.
You are forced into some gymnastic positions and movements just to keep your feet on the floor. You could climb up a metal fire escape staircase that leads to the second floor walkway. The warehouse exit is south, the band platform is southwest, and the less-crowded section of dancefloor is east.
action: Up
response: You leap onto the fire escape stairs and climb up to the walkway, where there is a door that leads out of the sweltering humidity of the nightclub into the cool blue-gray night. As you are making your way through, you hear a guttural shout from below--the lights change, and all the dancers move in slow motion. They writhe in a tight knot around the Thin Man, exclaiming random words and syllables and sounds in either wracking pain, desperation, or delirious ecstacy as the downside of Muse Terpsichore takes them out of their heads.

Such are the results of a continuous life of dance-crime, you reckon sadly to yourself.

You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see some flying bullets, a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: Go downwards
response: You can't go that way.

"What are we going to do?" Annie asks, crouching low.
Annie frowns, "Don't you have some kind of secret weapon?"

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: Go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: Go south
response: The entire warehouse is cleared of its normal furnishings except for some support beams, and indigo light arcs in from high semicircular barred windows. The entire place is packed with StepEasy denizens, all spastically writhing to the bits of discordant music played by the band, dancing and yet pretending not to dance by writhing, remaining away from the legal limits of the choreography laws. It looks like you could move through the crowd west and northwest. The north part of the dancefloor from here is really packed and it would probably take a molotov cocktail to get in amongst the throng.

A narrow window in the corner seems to be where clubgoers can check their coats.

Everybody grooves down low to the floor as the music gets a little softer now.
action: You give the marker to the girl
response: "You got something you need checked in?" she says unenthusiastically.

"Ah, yes, I'll get that for you right away, Sir," the girl says, disappearing into the plush collection.
The girl returns with your trenchcoat, which is still disappointingly damp.
action: You look at the coat
response: (the soaking wet black trenchcoat)
Black, like the recesses of your inner soul.
action: Wear coat
response: (the soaking wet black trenchcoat)
You put on the soaking wet black trenchcoat.

Everyone grooves back up to their feet as the music gets a little louder now.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying:
a soaking wet black trenchcoat (being worn)
an alien ant farm
a ham sandwich
a dark gray suit (being worn)
your fedora (being worn)
a chest holster (being worn)
a working knowledge of CPR
action: You go to the north
response: That corner of the dance floor is jam-packed. You'll need to find a a more clever way in there.
action: You throw the farm at the dancers
response: Futile.

A group electric slides around you as you try to avoid getting kicked.

The Thin Man moonwalks past in the background, pointing with his one right glove.
action: You ask Thin Man about the billy jean
response: "Evening," you say, as the Thin Man turns his birdlike attention to you.

You will need to move further to the outside to reach that.

Two athletic dancers whirl and dip impressively.
action: Look around
response: The entire warehouse is cleared of its normal furnishings except for some support beams, and indigo light arcs in from high semicircular barred windows. The entire place is packed with StepEasy denizens, all spastically writhing to the bits of discordant music played by the band, dancing and yet pretending not to dance by writhing, remaining away from the legal limits of the choreography laws. It looks like you could move through the crowd west and northwest. The north part of the dancefloor from here is really packed and it would probably take a molotov cocktail to get in amongst the throng.

A narrow window in the corner seems to be where clubgoers can check their coats.
action: You go west
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

The oddly-thin man in white stands disinterestedly. He does a strangely twitchy little kick with his knee bent and repositions his feet.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.

A brown-suited man backflips across the dancefloor as people move out of the way.
action: You turn off the jukebox
response: That's not something you can switch.

You hear the Thin Man shout hoo and oddly enough, small
objects seem to levitate off tables and hover in the air a moment before falling down again.
action: Pirouette
response: Hold up tippytoes. Your fancy-stepping isn't going to be appreciated while you're wearing this heavy coat.

The Thin Man tosses another coin in the air, then shouts hoo
at it, making it hover. Then he says eehee a little louder,
and the coin goes flying directly into the slot of the jukebox.
action: Pirouette
response: Hold up tippytoes. Your fancy-stepping isn't going to be appreciated while you're wearing this heavy coat.

The dancers PIROUETTE, pull their KNEES IN and they NOD NOD.
action: You examine thin man
response: He's tall and thin, wearing a glowing white suit and matching black-banded fedora that shadows his eyes. His body is always seeming both frozen in an angular position and in constant motion with part of his physique still and the rest moving subtly.

surprisingly long time, almost as if gravity has no effect.

The dancers HEELPIVOT, POINTPOINT and HEADPOP.
action: Go west
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

The oddly-thin man in white stands at a weird angle. His hands move furitively over the brim of his white hat and his belt as if repositioning them with bird-like speed.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall pounding out extremely dense, complicated, bass-heavy music that makes your joints twitch involuntarily and, disturbingly, your rear-end tingle. You don't recognize the song, but the lyrics are too fast and don't make a lot of sense. It seems to be perfectly tailor-made for mindless dancing. You'd prefer some orchestral Brahms or, if feeling frisky, nothing more wild than a slightly up-tempo polka if you please.

The dancers simultaneously JUMPSHRUG, SHOULDERROLL, and HEADPOP, then they turn to the southwest, while crossing the floor NORTHEAST, penetrating the crowded right dance floor where everyone makes room for them.
action: You examine the band
response: (the band equipment)
Some very sluggish musicians occasionally play an atonal phrase on a saxophone or a clarinet, but the music doesn't make sense.

The dancers LEAN over, hovering at an unnatural angle with their feet still on the floor, seemingly defying gravity. The crowd goes wild, and everyone on the dancefloor joins in, somehow knowing what move comes next at rapid-fire high speed.
action: Go north
response: Spotlights operated by mysterious figures overhead pick out the most risque dancers on this parquet square of premium dance space that continues to the east. The band is south, and the warehouse exit is southeast. The even better dancers pack the floor to the east, and you're unsure if you could get through there to where that staircase leading up is.

You notice a dim passage also to the west.

All the dancers JUMPSHRUG and bring their KNEES IN, and they NOD NOD, and they HEELPIVOT, POINT POINT. Then they all do a HEADPOP, and they JUMPSHRUG, and they SHOULDERROLL, KNEES IN. Everyone does a HEELPIVOT, POINT POINT and finally STEPSLIDE out of it.
Solo dances continue excitedly as the formation breaks up.
action: Go west
response: This dim, slickly light green-painted corridor leads south and east back to the dancefloor. There is some lettering stencilled on the wall.

A large man wearing thick glasses and sitting on what must be the worlds most tiny, uncomfortable stool glares dimly at you with his arms folded.
action: You go to the south
response: The bouncer says "Wisten bub. I'm watching that office, and I see you headed in that diwection. Just beat it."
action: Go east
response: "Enjoy your evening in the cwub!" exclaims the dim bouncer, waving.

Spotlights operated by mysterious figures overhead pick out the most risque dancers on this parquet square of premium dance space that continues to the east. The band is south, and the warehouse exit is southeast. The even better dancers pack the floor to the east, and you're unsure if you could get through there to where that staircase leading up is.

You notice a dim passage also to the west.

Everyone does a jump to the left.

A gray-suited thug comes up behind the Thin Man taps him, and swings a roundhouse punch when he turns. The Thin Man easily deflects it, then shouts aaow. The thug is hurled back by unseen hands...like
the Thin Man punched him with his mind!...
action: Go south
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

The oddly-thin man in white stands aloofly. He points a finger up into the sky while looking away from it in the opposite direction for seemingly no reason.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.
action: You go east
response: The entire warehouse is cleared of its normal furnishings except for some support beams, and indigo light arcs in from high semicircular barred windows. The entire place is packed with StepEasy denizens, all spastically writhing to the bits of discordant music played by the band, dancing and yet pretending not to dance by writhing, remaining away from the legal limits of the choreography laws. It looks like you could move through the crowd west and northwest. The north part of the dancefloor from here is really packed and it would probably take a molotov cocktail to get in amongst the throng.

A narrow window in the corner seems to be where clubgoers can check their coats.
action: You give the coat to the girl
response: (the soaking wet black trenchcoat to the coat check girl)
"You got something you need checked in?" she says unenthusiastically.

(first taking the soaking wet black trenchcoat off)
The girl smartly hangs your coat in the back room and hands you the marker for it. You tip her, and she says "Enjoy yourself."
action: Aaow
response: "Aaow!" you say, sounding as if you've stubbed your toe.

Everyone takes a step to the right.

The Thin Man does this crazy thing with his feet - it appears he walks in one direction, but his direction of travel is usually opposite. Like he's walking somewhere with no gravity. Like the moon for example.
action: You go to the west
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

The oddly-thin man in white stands disinterestedly. He adjusts his trousers near his crotch seemingly oblivious to the fact that he is in public whilst pointing the thumb, index finger and pinky of his free hand off to the side.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.

The Thin Man moonwalks past in the background, pointing with his one right glove.
action: You hit the jukebox
response: You thump hard on the jukebox dome. Heyyyyy.... Surprisingly, this works, and the contraption lights up and selects a record.

The music from the jukebox is otherworldly and incredibly pulse-pounding.

The intro counts off, and a group of suited men run to the southwest corner of the warehouse near the jukebox and line up, ready to dance. The Thin Man is in the lead of the formation, singing lyrics that go by so fast you can barely understand them.
action: You go to the north
response: Spotlights operated by mysterious figures overhead pick out the most risque dancers on this parquet square of premium dance space that continues to the east. The band is south, and the warehouse exit is southeast. The even better dancers pack the floor to the east, and you're unsure if you could get through there to where that staircase leading up is.

You notice a dim passage also to the west.
action: Aaow
response: "Aaow!" you say, sounding as if you've stubbed your toe.
action: You say aaow to bouncer
response: "Nevew you mind that. I'm busy gawding the office! And I've got both my weft and my wight eyes on you! I'm watching you!" he assures.
action: Go south
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

The oddly-thin man in white stands at a weird angle. He does a strangely twitchy little kick with his knee bent and repositions his feet.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.

You hear the Thin Man shout hoo and oddly enough, small
objects seem to levitate off tables and hover in the air a moment before falling down again.
action: You hit the jukebox
response: You thump hard on the jukebox dome. Heyyyyy.... Surprisingly, this works, and the contraption lights up and selects a record.

The music from the jukebox is otherworldly and incredibly pulse-pounding.

The intro counts off, and a group of suited men run to the southwest corner of the warehouse near the jukebox and line up, ready to dance. The Thin Man is in the lead of the formation, singing lyrics that go by so fast you can barely understand them.
action: Knees in
action: Nod nod
response: You all hold the pose for an instant, and then immediately
action: HEELPIVOT
action: Point point
response: You get both directional points in, and instantly remember to
action: HEADPOP
response: The headpops are ridiculously sharp and you apologize to your chiropractor silently as you and the other dancers line yourself up in a diagonal with the right dancefloor. While starting the traveling cross you have to
action: Jumpshrug
response: You all jumpshrug in tight formation. The direction changes are ridiculous, but you continue to
action: Shoulderroll
response: You roll your shoulders best you can while traveling in one direction without tripping and remembering to look in the opposite correct direciton with everyone else. The dance phrase ends with
action: Stepslide
response: You can barely think in the hot, sweaty crush of writhing dancers.
You are forced into some gymnastic positions and movements just to keep your feet on the floor. You could climb up a metal fire escape staircase that leads to the second floor walkway. The warehouse exit is south, the band platform is southwest, and the less-crowded section of dancefloor is east.

Everyone puts their hands on their hips and pulls their knees in tight.
action: Up
response: You leap onto the fire escape stairs and climb up to the walkway, where there is a door that leads out of the sweltering humidity of the nightclub into the cool blue-gray night. As you are making your way through, you hear a guttural shout from below--the lights change, and all the dancers move in slow motion. They writhe in a tight knot around the Thin Man, exclaiming random words and syllables and sounds in either wracking pain, desperation, or delirious ecstacy as the downside of Muse Terpsichore takes them out of their heads.

Such are the results of a continuous life of dance-crime, you reckon sadly to yourself.

You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see some flying bullets, a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: You go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: Aaow
response: "Aaow!" you say, sounding as if you've stubbed your toe.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: You go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.

"No! That needle is too big!" Rufus screams from the north. "AAAAAAAAAAAA!"
action: Shamone
response: You shout "SHAMONE!" clearly although you don't quite have any reason to yet.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: Lean
response: You can't go that way.

"Go away you freaks of nature!" Annie calls, grabbing a china dinner bell and chucking out the door at the thugs outside.

You hear grumbling and random bursts of machine-gun fire from the thugs on the rooftop.
action: Go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: Lean
response: You lean unaturally forward, defying gravity with your feet on the floor.
The thugs have a brief conversation about how dealing with sorcery
was not in their contract.

The bullets whiz right over you.
The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: Eehee
response: Wow, that takes a lot of stomach muscle.

"Eehee!" you exclaim, just not feeling it.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: Go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.

"MISTER, JUST SO YOU KNOW I'VE WRIGGLED OUT OF THE ROPES THEY TIED ME UP WITH! I'M TRYING TO GET OVER TO THE BIG RED BUTTON ON THE MACHINE THAT--what? Oh. All right. NEVER MIND, MISTER!"
action: Hoo
response: "Hoo!" you say, without much conviction.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: You go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
action: Lean
response: You lean unaturally forward, defying gravity with your feet on the floor.

The bullets whiz right over you.
The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
action: Lean
response: Wow, that takes a lot of stomach muscle.

You lean unaturally forward, defying gravity with your feet on the floor.

The bullets whiz right over you.
The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.

"No! No! Not prune juice!" wails Lenny from the north.
action: Lean
response: Wow, that takes a lot of stomach muscle.

You lean unaturally forward, defying gravity with your feet on the floor.

The bullets whiz right over you.
The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: Lean
response: Wow, that takes a lot of stomach muscle.

You lean unaturally forward, defying gravity with your feet on the floor.

The bullets whiz right over you.
The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: You drop the farm
response: Wow, that takes a lot of stomach muscle.

Dropped.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: Go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see an alien ant farm, a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
action: Hoo
response: "Hoo!" you say, without much conviction.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: Go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see an alien ant farm, a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
action: You go downward
response: You can barely think in the hot, sweaty crush of writhing dancers.
You are forced into some gymnastic positions and movements just to keep your feet on the floor. You could climb up a metal fire escape staircase that leads to the second floor walkway. The warehouse exit is south, the band platform is southwest, and the less-crowded section of dancefloor is east.
action: Go southwest
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

The oddly-thin man in white stands aloofly. His hands move furitively over the brim of his white hat and his belt as if repositioning them with bird-like speed.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.

The Thin Man tosses another coin in the air, then shouts hoo
at it, making it hover. Then he says eehee a little louder,
and the coin goes flying directly into the slot of the jukebox.
action: You look at Man
response: (thin man)
He's tall and thin, wearing a glowing white suit and matching black-banded fedora that shadows his eyes. His body is always seeming both frozen in an angular position and in constant motion with part of his physique still and the rest moving subtly.

The dancers PIROUETTE, pull their KNEES IN and they NOD NOD.
action: You look at the suit
response: (the dark gray suit)
It's dark gray, so as to be inconspicuous without being so dark as to cause panic in people you interact with. It's also a size or two larger than you need, in case you need to become a man of action at any given moment.

The dancers HEELPIVOT, POINTPOINT and HEADPOP.
action: You examine the white suit
response: It's spotless, despite him being in the rain without a coat.

The dancers simultaneously JUMPSHRUG, SHOULDERROLL, and HEADPOP, then they turn to the southwest, while crossing the floor NORTHEAST, penetrating the crowded right dance floor where everyone makes room for them.
action: You examine the jukebox
response: You can see records trundling inside, but all the selector keys have been broken off, so it looks like you get pot-luck for putting your coin in the slot. The plastic dome has a few dents, almost as if it has sustained several good hard thumps in its lifetime.

The dancers LEAN over, hovering at an unnatural angle with their feet still on the floor, seemingly defying gravity. The crowd goes wild, and everyone on the dancefloor joins in, somehow knowing what move comes next at rapid-fire high speed.
action: You get the jukebox
response: That's fixed in place.

All the dancers JUMPSHRUG and bring their KNEES IN, and they NOD NOD, and they HEELPIVOT, POINT POINT. Then they all do a HEADPOP, and they JUMPSHRUG, and they SHOULDERROLL, KNEES IN. Everyone does a HEELPIVOT, POINT POINT and finally STEPSLIDE out of it.
Solo dances continue excitedly as the formation breaks up.
action: Look around
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

The oddly-thin man in white stands disinterestedly. He points a finger up into the sky while looking away from it in the opposite direction for seemingly no reason.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.

Everyone pelvic thrusts suggestively around you, and the crowd goes insane.

surprisingly long time, almost as if gravity has no effect.
action: You take the glove
response: That seems to belong to thin man.
action: You take fedora
response: (your fedora)
You already got it.
action: Go south
response: The bouncer says "Wisten bub. I'm watching that office, and I see you headed in that diwection. Just beat it, beat it hoo."
action: Moonwalk
response: What do you want to moonwalk?
action: Moonwalk south
response: You should try moonwalking the opposite of the direction you intend to travel.
action: Moonwalk north
response: You shiftily transfer your weight and push with your toes so that it appears you are walking north while moving south.

You afford the dim bouncer a friendly nod as you scrape your way backward, southward...into the office while facing north the entire time.

This makeshift office appears to be where the club payroll and work schedule are figured. The only exit is north.

A blue beam of light shines down on the desk.

You can also see a bulletin board here.
action: You examine the light
response: In the blue beam of light is a different marker.
action: You take the marker
response: (the different marker)
You take the different marker into evidence even though you don't have any little baggies.

Your feet suddenly leave the ground as the dim bouncer picks you up by the neck and squeezes. "Wissen pow," he growls. "I told you to beat it! And despite my extweme neawsightedness, I can see the mawker is gone. So now I'm gonna beat you!" Which he then proceeds to do, in grand and professional fashion.

The entire warehouse is cleared of its normal furnishings except for some support beams, and indigo light arcs in from high semicircular barred windows. The entire place is packed with StepEasy denizens, all spastically writhing to the bits of discordant music played by the band, dancing and yet pretending not to dance by writhing, remaining away from the legal limits of the choreography laws. It looks like you could move through the crowd west and northwest. The north part of the dancefloor from here is really packed and it would probably take a molotov cocktail to get in amongst the throng.

A narrow window in the corner seems to be where clubgoers can check their coats.
action: You put the marker in the light
response: (your marker in the blue beam of light)
You put your marker into the blue beam of light.
action: South
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

The oddly-thin man in white stands at a weird angle. He adjusts his trousers near his crotch seemingly oblivious to the fact that he is in public whilst pointing the thumb, index finger and pinky of his free hand off to the side.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.
action: East
response: The entire warehouse is cleared of its normal furnishings except for some support beams, and indigo light arcs in from high semicircular barred windows. The entire place is packed with StepEasy denizens, all spastically writhing to the bits of discordant music played by the band, dancing and yet pretending not to dance by writhing, remaining away from the legal limits of the choreography laws. It looks like you could move through the crowd west and northwest. The north part of the dancefloor from here is really packed and it would probably take a molotov cocktail to get in amongst the throng.

A narrow window in the corner seems to be where clubgoers can check their coats.

Some dancers writhe on the catwalk above, silhouetted in the flashing lights.
action: You give the marker to the girl
response: "You got something you need checked in?" she says unenthusiastically.

"Ah, yes, I'll get that for you right away, Sir," the girl says, disappearing into the plush collection.
The girl returns holding out a white glove between two fingers. "I've got to apologize that I don't have your coat sir, but instead it seems to have gone missing somewhere, but I'm happy to return to you this. This glove," she says, dropping it on the sill. "Personally that's the reason I don't check anything but coats, because who's
the first person they're gonna come lookin' for once somethin' turns up missing?..." She continues talking but you can't hear the rest as she organizes some boxes of shoes out of your view.

A thug in a maroon suit stage-dives from the catwalk and is caught and carried on the crowd below.

A gray-suited thug comes up behind the Thin Man taps him, and swings a roundhouse punch when he turns. The Thin Man easily deflects it, then shouts aaow. The thug is hurled back by unseen hands...like
the Thin Man punched him with his mind!...
action: Wear glove
response: (the left white glove)
You put on the left white glove.
action: Aaow
response: "AAOW!" you scream as a wave of energy thunders around you, rattling things that aren't nailed down.

You hear whooping, and a floozy dancer is launched into the air, does a high flip, and is caught and carried along by the crowd.

The Thin Man does this crazy thing with his feet - it appears he walks in one direction, but his direction of travel is usually opposite. Like he's walking somewhere with no gravity. Like the moon for example.
action: Northwest
response: Spotlights operated by mysterious figures overhead pick out the most risque dancers on this parquet square of premium dance space that continues to the east. The band is south, and the warehouse exit is southeast. The even better dancers pack the floor to the east, and you're unsure if you could get through there to where that staircase leading up is.

You notice a dim passage also to the west.

Everyone pelvic thrusts suggestively around you, and the crowd goes insane.
action: Go south
response: A combo band and a microphone is set up in the opposite corner from the warehouse entrance. From here, you notice that there is a second floor walkway that would seem to lead to an upstairs apartment, but the fire-escape-like stairs are right in the middle of that violent throng of dancers in the northeast corner of the building. The warehouse entrance is to the east, there's a less-crowded section of dancefloor to the north, and a jam-packed throng of dancers to the northeast.

The oddly-thin man in white stands aloofly. He does a strangely twitchy little kick with his knee bent and repositions his feet.

A new-fangled music machine you've heard called a "jukebox" sits here against the wall.

A woman is thrown around her partner's back jitterbug style.
action: You hit the jukebox
response: You thump hard on the jukebox dome. Heyyyyy.... Surprisingly, this works, and the contraption lights up and selects a record.

The music from the jukebox is otherworldly and incredibly pulse-pounding.

The Thin Man moonwalks past in the background, pointing with his one right glove.

The intro counts off, and a group of suited men run to the southwest corner of the warehouse near the jukebox and line up, ready to dance. The Thin Man is in the lead of the formation, singing lyrics that go by so fast you can barely understand them.
action: Pirouette
response: Here goes nothing. You whirl around with the dancers and land right in the middle of the dance formation. Without even thinking, you pull your

Wow, you're really doing this?
action: Knees in
action: Nod nod
response: You all hold the pose for an instant, and then immediately
action: HEELPIVOT
action: Point point
response: You get both directional points in, and instantly remember to
action: Point point
response: Whoops, that's not right...OW OUCH!

You are bludgeoned by flying arms and legs as you fall out of sync with the rest of the dancers and end up having to crawl out of the formation...

The entire warehouse is cleared of its normal furnishings except for some support beams, and indigo light arcs in from high semicircular barred windows. The entire place is packed with StepEasy denizens, all spastically writhing to the bits of discordant music played by the band, dancing and yet pretending not to dance by writhing, remaining away from the legal limits of the choreography laws. It looks like you could move through the crowd west and northwest. The north part of the dancefloor from here is really packed and it would probably take a molotov cocktail to get in amongst the throng.

A narrow window in the corner seems to be where clubgoers can check their coats.

The coat check girl looks at you disdainfully. "This your first time honey? We all been there" she remarks.
action: Stepslide
response: You can barely think in the hot, sweaty crush of writhing dancers.
You are forced into some gymnastic positions and movements just to keep your feet on the floor. You could climb up a metal fire escape staircase that leads to the second floor walkway. The warehouse exit is south, the band platform is southwest, and the less-crowded section of dancefloor is east.

You hear the Thin Man shout hoo and oddly enough, small
objects seem to levitate off tables and hover in the air a moment before falling down again.
action: Up
response: You leap onto the fire escape stairs and climb up to the walkway, where there is a door that leads out of the sweltering humidity of the nightclub into the cool blue-gray night. As you are making your way through, you hear a guttural shout from below--the lights change, and all the dancers move in slow motion. They writhe in a tight knot around the Thin Man, exclaiming random words and syllables and sounds in either wracking pain, desperation, or delirious ecstacy as the downside of Muse Terpsichore takes them out of their heads.

Such are the results of a continuous life of dance-crime, you reckon sadly to yourself.

You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see some flying bullets, an alien ant farm, a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: Go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see an alien ant farm, a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: Hoo
response: "HOO!" you shout, feeling warm air causing an updraft around you.
The bullets miraculously stop dead in midair and remain hovering there, turning end over end.

The Red Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
action: Eehee
response: "EEHEE!" you squeal waving your arm.

You have to duck into the apartment to avoid getting filled with hot lead. You hurl yourself back inside as shrapnel clatters into the apartment wall.

A standard tiny two-room flat, much tidier on the inside than out.
The furnishings are spare, if neatly kept. There is minimal damage except to the window where the perp likely entered, and the carpet which is painted with darkening red bloodstains. The bedroom is west from here, and you can exit to the east.

Miss Annie wrings her hands concernedly.

You can also see a carpet (on which are some bloodstains) here.
action: You go east
response: You're on top of the warehouse where it has stopped raining, but a cool breeze ripples the puddles of rain that have accumulated. To your left, (the west that is) is the entrance to a shabby rooftop flat. To the north there is barely a step up onto the wide, low wall that surrounds the edge of the building. Between that and the gravel rooftop of the other building to the north is a sickening, likely fatal, plunge.

You can see an alien ant farm, a Chartreuse Thug, a Green Thug, a Blue Thug and a Red Thug here.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug works to reload his gun.
The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug works to reload his gun.
action: Aaow
response: "AAOW!" you scream, hearing it echo off the concrete buildings back to you.
The Chartreuse Thug is knocked backwards off his feet, losing his grip on his gun, which goes clattering over the side of the building!
The Green Thug braces in the wake of your shout, and manages to resist the force of it!
The Blue Thug is knocked backwards off his feet, losing his grip on his gun, which goes clattering over the side of the building!
The Red Thug braces in the wake of your shout, and manages to resist the force of it!

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Blue Thug whips in a circle and hurls a ninja star at you, which seems to slow down for a moment on its approach.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Chartreuse Thug whips in a circle and hurls a ninja star at you, which seems to slow down for a moment on its approach.
action: Lean
response: You lean unaturally forward, defying gravity with your feet on the floor.

The bullets whiz right over you.
A ninja star whizzes right over you, missing by inches.
A ninja star whizzes right over you, missing by inches.
The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Blue Thug glares at you maliciously.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Chartreuse Thug glares at you maliciously.
action: Lean
response: Wow, that takes a lot of stomach muscle.

You lean unaturally forward, defying gravity with your feet on the floor.

The bullets whiz right over you.
The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Blue Thug glares at you maliciously.
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Chartreuse Thug glares at you maliciously.
action: Lean
response: Wow, that takes a lot of stomach muscle.

You lean unaturally forward, defying gravity with your feet on the floor.

The bullets whiz right over you.
The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Blue Thug, deprived of weaponry, lunges at you!
The Green Thug sprays a rattle of machine-gun fire across the rooftop. In your adrenaline rush, the bullets seem to slow down as they approach.
The Chartreuse Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Chartreuse Thug, deprived of weaponry, lunges at you!
action: Hoo
response: Wow, that takes a lot of stomach muscle.

"HOO!" you shout, feeling warm air causing an updraft around you.
The bullets miraculously stop dead in midair and remain hovering there, turning end over end.
The Chartreuse Thug is lifted, cursing and struggling, up in the air where he hovers, turning slow antigravity somersaults.
The Blue Thug is lifted, cursing and struggling, up in the air where he hovers, turning slow antigravity somersaults.

The Red Thug works to reload his gun.
The Blue Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Blue Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Lemme down outta here! "The Green Thug works to reload his gun.
The Chartreuse Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Chartreuse Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Aw come on! "
action: Aaow
response: "AAOW!" you scream, hearing it echo off the concrete buildings back to you.
The Green Thug is knocked backwards off his feet, losing his grip on his gun, which goes clattering over the side of the building!
The Red Thug is knocked backwards off his feet, losing his grip on his gun, which goes clattering over the side of the building!

The Red Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Red Thug whips in a circle and hurls a ninja star at you, which seems to slow down for a moment on its approach.
The Blue Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Blue Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Seriously...gonna...hurl! "The Green Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Green Thug whips in a circle and hurls a ninja star at you, which seems to slow down for a moment on its approach.
The Chartreuse Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Chartreuse Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "WHAT KIND OF DEMON SPAWN ARE YOU?? "
You can hear the children wailing and arguing with their captors to the north.
action: Lean
response: You lean unaturally forward, defying gravity with your feet on the floor.

A ninja star whizzes right over you, missing by inches.
A ninja star whizzes right over you, missing by inches.
The Red Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Red Thug glares at you maliciously.
The Blue Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Blue Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Mister!
This is unnatural! "The Green Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Green Thug, deprived of weaponry, lunges at you!
The Chartreuse Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Chartreuse Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "What are you, the devil?? "
action: Hoo
response: Wow, that takes a lot of stomach muscle.

"HOO!" you shout, feeling warm air causing an updraft around you.
The Green Thug is lifted, cursing and struggling, up in the air where he hovers, turning slow antigravity somersaults.

The Red Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Red Thug glares at you maliciously.
The Blue Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Blue Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygod"The Green Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Green Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Put me down! "The Chartreuse Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Chartreuse Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover.
"Lissen, Mister, it's a long way down, now just please put me down gently! "
action: Aaow
response: "AAOW!" you scream, hearing it echo off the concrete buildings back to you.
The Red Thug is knocked backwards off his feet!

The Red Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Red Thug, deprived of weaponry, lunges at you!
The Blue Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Blue Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Lemme down outta here! "The Green Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Green Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygod"The Chartreuse Thug staggers back to his feet. The Chartreuse Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Lemme down outta here! "
action: Hoo
response: "HOO!" you shout, feeling warm air causing an updraft around you.
The Red Thug is lifted, cursing and struggling, up in the air where he hovers, turning slow antigravity somersaults.

The Red Thug looks a bit dazed.
The Red Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "WHAT KIND OF DEMON SPAWN ARE YOU?? "The Blue Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Blue Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Put me down! "The Green Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Green Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Lemme down outta here! "The Chartreuse Thug staggers back to his feet.
The Chartreuse Thug thrashes a bit in his anti-gravity hover. "Aw come on! "
action: Eehee
response: "EEHEE!" you squeal waving your arm.
The Red Thug, the Green Thug, the Blue Thug, the Chartreuse Thug and the flying bullets hovering above are blasted in different directions where they disappear in nonlethal puff of multicolored smoke.

You catch your breath. They seem to have stopped attacking for now. You hear Betsy yelling "Mister!" from the north still.
action: Go north
response: You leap onto the low wall at the edge of the building thinking you can jump it, but you lose your nerve at the last second, and there is a sickening moment of dread as you pinwheel your arms to keep balance. You finally manage to fall back onto the rooftop, heart pounding.
action: Whoa
response: You stand up on the low wall of the roof, close your eyes and concentrate, thinking "whoa" as intensely as you can,
standing up on your tiptoes. There is a rush of wind and when you open your eyes...you are across the gap!

Inexplicably, the rain has turned to fluffy snow that piles around like drifts of cake frosting. There is a low building here, which must be where the children are being held. Before you can charge in, the door opens up and Annie walks out holding hands with Lenny and Rufus and Betsy.

"Annie, how did you get across--I thought the children were in danger?"

"No danger," Annie says, shaking her hair as her features morph into that of the Thin Man. You stand, jaw agape, not comprehending. "Things aren't always what they seem," says the Thin Man, putting his fingers to his mouth to give a loud whistle.

You hear jingle bells, and a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer alights on the rooftop and skids to a halt. "Come on, children, time to go!" the Thin Man says as they begin piling into the sleigh, giggling.

"Wait," you say, "I don't care how smooth of a criminal you
are, you can't steal these children from the orphanage!

"We want to go!" Betsy says, and Lenny and Rufus nod enthusiastically. "I'm not stealing them," says the Thin Man, climbing onto the front seat of the sleigh, which is loaded with presents. "I'm taking them to live with new families, where they will be loved and appreciated and won't be orphans anymore!"

"YAAAAAAAAY!" the children shout in unison. You can't help but grin a bit as you shake your head in disbelief. "Are you Santa Claus?" you ask.

"Not quite," the man replies, switching out his white fedora for a floppy red cap with a white brim. "Oh," I'll need that other glove back. I don't think the world is quite ready for that kind of power yet," he grins.

The oddly-thin man in white stands disinterestedly. His hands move furitively over the brim of his white hat and his belt as if repositioning them with bird-like speed.

You can also see Betsy, Lenny, Rufus and a large sleigh here.

You realize you are still wearing the man's other glove.
action: Glove
response: SAVEOk.
action: You remove the glove
response: (the left white glove)
You take off the left white glove.

The Thin Man waits expectantly.
action: You give the glove to thin Man
response: (the left white glove to thin man)
"Evening," you say, as the Thin Man turns his birdlike attention to you.

"Thank you," he says, folding the unused garment into his coat pocket. "You've been a big help. More than you know," he says, piling into the sleigh. "Say bye to the nice detective, kids," he suggests, and they all wave and squeal at you happily.

"Oh, I almost forgot. A very special lady asked me to give you this," he says, tossing his white hat with the wide black brim to you. You notice there is a folded card tucked inside.

The Thin Man cracks his whip, and the reindeer heave the sleigh as he lifts off into the night, in the distance you can hear him urging the reindeer on:

"On Randy! On Tito! On Jermaine and Janet...on Marlon and Jackie...KEEP UP LATOYA!"

You shake your head in disbelief, wondering how exactly you're going to change the details when you write this up in your report so you won't be laughed out of the precinct...or worse fired for
being drunk somehow.

Well, you do have this nice hat, you remark, as fluffy snowflakes begin to drift down.
action: You take the hat
response: You already got it.
action: You examine the hat
response: An anniversary present given to you by your late wife. The felt is charcoal black, like your soul. "Doesn't it make me look a little dangerous?" "Oh sweetie, that's not a bad thing. I'm not sure you could pull off a white one just yet," she grinned. "At least until you start saving people like a superhero!
action: You look at white fedora
response: A gleaming white wide fedora hat with a broad black band around it There's a folded card tucked in the band.
action: You read folded
response: You unfold the note and the strength goes out of your legs when you see the handwriting:

"My Love. You always will be my superhero. I'm waiting.
--A.