Summer Night City

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@@#output;<div align='center'><span class="title">Chapter 1</span></div>It won't be long now. At some point they'll leave my side, letting me walk naked and defenceless into my grave. No, not walk: <<linkreplace "sit.">><<include "3 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;For all the pain it has brought — and I say this in purely relative terms — my condition has, up to this point, never <i>truly</i> jeopardised me. I hasten to elaborate. Stripped, systematically, of freedom, vision, colour, bearings, assurance — <i>direction</i> — I became wild. The creature that <<linkappend "howled and tore and screamed">> — this I gathered from the rawness of my throat and hands when they later restrained me —<</linkappend>> left a physical, mental, and emotional scar no time would ever heal. Yet distance myself I did, with that balm of balms for which the most insidious of mortal pains is no match: the knowledge of death, merciful Oblivion, in whose providential arms I would soon find <<linkreplace "relief.">><<include "8 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;There is no room even for thoughts of self-harm. The despair in my chest grows with each passing second, and primal, penetrating fear alone of plunging into the abyss of madness prevents my faculties from willfully overloading themselves, holding me doggedly in a state of frozen panic. In that state I remain for what seem like aeons, the rhythm of my breaths and the pulse of my heart forming my <<linkreplace "only conscious thoughts.">><<include "7 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

relief.\ <<append "#output">><br> But now, confronted anew with air, with <i>life</i> — the implications almost crush me with their gravity, and I am swept promptly and instantly into the sea of despair. Instinctive hope — the barest seed of a doubt that I am not already dead — explodes in my mind like an airbag, cushioning briefly — vitally — the murderous urge to crumble to the floor, inviting the beast I had nearly become. [[Give up->7]] [[Do nothing->7A]]<</append>>

@@#output;<div align='center'><span class="title">Chapter 2</span></div>My role as a bartender takes on increasing plausibility — and <<linkreplace "increasing significance">><<include "20 Line 1">><</linkreplace>> — with each passing day. I'd serve between twenty and thirty customers before returning to the halfway house, whose name, I've learnt, is Queen Scott Dam.

I am not completely helpless in this pursuit. Unsure though I was of the reality in which I existed, I made it a point to inscribe in my memory things that I felt might be useful one day. I focus now on these things. [[Raff->21A]] [[Mildred->21 Line 1]] [[The guards->21B]]

increasing significance\ <<append "#output">><br> There is no single incident that banishes every ounce of doubt from my mind, no epiphany that establishes the reality of the bar once and for all. Through the days I wrestle with this uncertainty, which decreases with each new customer I encounter, and with each new drink I prepare, yet lingers always in the background, marking itself on <<linkreplace "every observation">><<include "20 Line 2">><</linkreplace>> I am inclined to call real.<</append>>

@@#output;I am still considering the idea when Mildred shows up, Raff at her heels. Raff doesn't come frequently enough that I'd consider him a regular, as he claimed he is, though his drink choices are certainly consistent. As far as I'm concerned, he's never ordered <<linkreplace "anything besides a Negroni.">><<include "22 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

"I'll drop by tomorrow evening," Raff promises. He takes his leave. It's just Mildred and me now. Some time after Raff's departure, Mildred gets up and offers to help me with the next few orders. [[Accept->33]] [[Refuse->32]]

@@#output;Just as I open my mouth, however, he <<linkreplace "interrupts me once more.">><<include "26 Line 1">><</linkreplace>> "I think I'd just like some rum."

Mildred doesn't order anything. Raff takes his drink and they sit together at the nearest table. There is someone else waiting in line. "What's the most popular drink here?" <a data-passage="25A">"Manhattan."</a> <a data-passage="25">"All my drinks are popular."</a> <a data-passage="25">"All my drinks are unpopular."</a>

Long after he is gone, I am still puzzling over his words. Raff shows up to thank me for the drink. <a data-passage="28">"Come again next time."</a> <a data-passage="29">"If someone gives you a hard time, what would you do?"</a> <a data-passage="30">"Can I get you another drink?"</a>

<i>~ Negroni ~</i> [[1 part Campari->23 Line 1]] [[1 part gin->23 Line 2]] [[1 part vermouth->23 Line 3]]

@@#output;The abrupt question doesn't seem to deter Raff. "Well, I'd try to ask myself if they're giving me a hard time on purpose," he says. "And if they are, I'd try to understand why. <<linkreplace "Everything happens for a reason.">><<include "29 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>"

"I can't stay any longer," Raff says. I wait for an explanation, but none comes. Instead he says, "I'll drop by tomorrow evening." I realise he must have interpreted my silence as a plea for him to stay. It's just Mildred and me now. Some time after Raff's departure, Mildred gets up and offers to help me with the next few orders. [[Accept->33]] [[Refuse->32]]

@@#output;For the rest of my shift, Mildred is beside me, promising to intervene only if I need the extra help. I <<linkreplace "nod my thanks wordlessly.">><<include "31 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

I tell her that I can manage on my own, but she insists on helping me. The concern in her voice is plain. [[Relent->31]] [[Firmly refuse->34]]

I am not completely helpless in this pursuit. Unsure though I was of the reality in which I existed, I took note of things that captured my attention and that I felt might be useful one day. I focus now on these things. Mildred is, if not the first to enter, always the second or the third, and, to my knowledge at least, always the last to leave. Her early entrance I can confirm, since I recognise her voice when she orders a drink. As for the timing of her departure, it's only a conjecture — all I hear is the click-clack of high heels, which may not necessarily be her. If it is, though, it's strange that she remains in the bar for [[six whole hours->22]] each day without fail.

<<set $campari to 1>><i>~ Negroni ~</i> ==1 part Campari== <<if $gin isnot 1>>[[1 part gin->23 Line 2]]<<else>>==1 part gin==<</if>> <<if $vermouth isnot 1>>[[1 part vermouth->23 Line 3]]<<else>>==1 part vermouth==<</if>> <<if $campari is 1 and $gin is 1 and $vermouth is 1>>[[Shake->23 Line 4]]<</if>>

<<set $vermouth to 1>><i>~ Negroni ~</i> <<if $campari isnot 1>>[[1 part Campari->23 Line 1]]<<else>>==1 part Campari==<</if>> <<if $gin isnot 1>>[[1 part gin->23 Line 2]]<<else>>==1 part gin==<</if>> ==1 part vermouth== <<if $campari is 1 and $gin is 1 and $vermouth is 1>>[[Shake->23 Line 4]]<</if>>

<<set $gin to 1>><i>~ Negroni ~</i> <<if $campari isnot 1>>[[1 part Campari->23 Line 1]]<<else>>==1 part Campari==<</if>> ==1 part gin== <<if $vermouth isnot 1>>[[1 part vermouth->23 Line 3]]<<else>>==1 part vermouth==<</if>> <<if $campari is 1 and $gin is 1 and $vermouth is 1>>[[Shake->23 Line 4]]<</if>>

anything besides a Negroni.\ <<append "#output">><br> Bringing my mind to the present, I retrieve the ingredients from the shelves. Thanks to Raff and Mildred, I am practised enough by now to know the location of each of the alcohols I need, but I sniff each bottle's contents anyway — an irrational habit, considering there are no consequences that I am aware of. It can't hurt, though, to play the part of the [[dutiful prisoner.->23]]<</append>>

<i>~ Negroni ~</i> ==1 part Campari== ==1 part gin== ==1 part vermouth== [[Serve->24]]

<<silently>> <<if not $choices>> <<set $choicesCount to -1>> <<set $choices to ["The Riddler", "The Sage", "The Hermit"]>> <</if>> <<set $choicesCount to $choicesCount + 1>> <<if $choicesCount >= $choices.length>> <<set $choicesCount to 0>> <</if>> <<set $cyclingResult to $choices[$choicesCount]>> <</silently>> \<<linkreplace $choices[$choicesCount]>><<include "24 Cycle">><</linkreplace>>

"All—" "Don't mind me asking. I wouldn't want you making a mess, that's all. I'm comfortable with whatever you're comfortable with." I am grateful for his thoughtfulness, and tell him so. "Most cocktails aren't in my repertoire to be honest," I say. "So you may as well order as you like." At this the customer pauses for such a long while that I'm tempted to prompt him. <a data-passage="26">"Are you there?"</a> <a data-passage="26">"I'd recommend a screwdriver."</a> <a data-passage="26">"Could you hurry, please?"</a>

interrupts me once more.\ <<append "#output">><br> I feel a stab of annoyance at his apparent exploitation of my blindness — it feels very much as though he is staring at my lips to determine the precise moment I start talking, just so he can seize the floor from me at that instant, making use of the fact that I can't catch him doing so. Nonetheless, aware that it could be a coincidence, I resist this sentiment. <a data-passage="26 Line 2">"Just rum?"</a><</append>>

@@#output;Just as I open my mouth, however, he interrupts me for the second time. "I think I'd just like some rum." I feel a stab of annoyance at his apparent exploitation of my blindness — it feels very much as though he is staring at my lips to determine the precise moment I start talking, just so he can seize the floor from me at that instant, making use of the fact that I can't catch him doing so. Nonetheless, aware that it could be a coincidence, I resist this sentiment. "Just rum?" "Yes, just rum." I serve it to him, expecting the conversation to be over. <<linkreplace "It isn't.">><<include "26 Line 3">><</linkreplace>>

It isn't.\ <<append "#output">><br> "No offense. It's not a lack of confidence in you, but in myself." Before I can ask him what he means, he has paid for his drink and [[left.->27]]<</append>>

<i>~ Mojito ~</i> [[1 part club soda->Ice Line 1]] [[2 parts rum->Ice Line 2]] [[1 part lime juice->Ice Line 3]] [[12 mint leaves->Ice Line 4]]

<<set $mojitoone to 1>><i>~ Mojito ~</i> ==1 part club soda== <<if $mojitotwo isnot 1>>[[2 parts rum->Ice Line 2]]<<else>>==2 parts rum==<</if>> <<if $mojitothree isnot 1>>[[1 part lime juice->Ice Line 3]]<<else>>==1 part lime juice==<</if>> <<if $mojitofour isnot 1>>[[12 mint leaves->Ice Line 4]]<<else>>==12 mint leaves==<</if>> <<if $mojitoone is 1 and $mojitotwo is 1 and $mojitothree is 1 and $mojitofour is 1>>[[Shake->Ice Line 5]]<</if>>

<<set $mojitotwo to 1>><i>~ Mojito ~</i> <<if $mojitoone isnot 1>>[[1 part club soda->Ice Line 1]]<<else>>==1 part club soda==<</if>> ==2 parts rum== <<if $mojitothree isnot 1>>[[1 part lime juice->Ice Line 3]]<<else>>==1 part lime juice==<</if>> <<if $mojitofour isnot 1>>[[12 mint leaves->Ice Line 4]]<<else>>==12 mint leaves==<</if>> <<if $mojitoone is 1 and $mojitotwo is 1 and $mojitothree is 1 and $mojitofour is 1>>[[Shake->Ice Line 5]]<</if>>

<<set $mojitothree to 1>><i>~ Mojito ~</i> <<if $mojitoone isnot 1>>[[1 part club soda->Ice Line 1]]<<else>>==1 part club soda==<</if>> <<if $mojitotwo isnot 1>>[[2 parts rum->Ice Line 2]]<<else>>==2 parts rum==<</if>> ==1 part lime juice== <<if $mojitofour isnot 1>>[[12 mint leaves->Ice Line 4]]<<else>>==12 mint leaves==<</if>> <<if $mojitoone is 1 and $mojitotwo is 1 and $mojitothree is 1 and $mojitofour is 1>>[[Shake->Ice Line 5]]<</if>>

<<set $mojitofour to 1>><i>~ Mojito ~</i> <<if $mojitoone isnot 1>>[[1 part club soda->Ice Line 1]]<<else>>==1 part club soda==<</if>> <<if $mojitotwo isnot 1>>[[2 parts rum->Ice Line 2]]<<else>>==2 parts rum==<</if>> <<if $mojitothree isnot 1>>[[1 part lime juice->Ice Line 3]]<<else>>==1 part lime juice==<</if>> ==12 mint leaves== <<if $mojitoone is 1 and $mojitotwo is 1 and $mojitothree is 1 and $mojitofour is 1>>[[Shake->Ice Line 5]]<</if>>

<i>~ Mojito ~</i> ==1 part club soda== ==2 parts rum== ==1 part lime juice== ==12 mint leaves== <span class="red">[[1 fake ice cube->Ice Line 6]]</span> [[Serve->Ice Line 7]]

<<set $mojitoice to 1>><i>~ Mojito ~</i> ==1 part club soda== ==2 parts rum== ==1 part lime juice== ==12 mint leaves== ==1 fake ice cube== [[Serve->Ice Line 7]]

<i>~ Mojito ~</i>                <i>~ Jungle Bird ~</i> ==1 part club soda==        [[1 1/2 parts rum->Ice Line 8]] ==2 parts rum==               [[3/4 parts Campari->Ice Line 9]] ==1 part lime juice==       [[1/2 parts syrup->Ice Line 10]] ==12 mint leaves==          [[1 1/2 parts pineapple juice->Ice Line 11]] <<if $mojitoice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==         [[1/2 parts lime juice->Ice Line 12]]<<else>>                                 [[1/2 parts lime juice->Ice Line 12]]<</if>>

<<set $frenchone to 1>><i>~ French 75 ~</i> ==1 1/2 parts gin== <<if $frenchtwo isnot 1>>[[3/4 parts lemon juice->Ice Line 17]]<<else>>==3/4 parts lemon juice==<</if>> <<if $frenchthree isnot 1>>[[1/2 part syrup->Ice Line 18]]<<else>>==1/2 part syrup==<</if>> <<if $frenchfour isnot 1>>[[2 parts champagne->Ice Line 19]]<<else>>==2 parts champagne==<</if>> <<if $frenchone is 1 and $frenchtwo is 1 and $frenchthree is 1 and $frenchfour is 1>>[[Shake->Ice Line 20]]<</if>>

<<set $jungleone to 1>><i>~ Mojito ~</i>                <i>~ Jungle Bird ~</i> ==1 part club soda==        ==1 1/2 parts rum== ==2 parts rum==               <<if $jungletwo isnot 1>>[[3/4 parts Campari->Ice Line 9]]<<else>>==3/4 parts Campari==<</if>> ==1 part lime juice==       <<if $junglethree isnot 1>>[[1/2 parts syrup->Ice Line 10]]<<else>>==1/2 parts syrup==<</if>> ==12 mint leaves==          <<if $junglefour isnot 1>>[[1 1/2 parts pineapple juice->Ice Line 11]]<<else>>==1 1/2 parts pineapple juice==<</if>> <<if $mojitoice is 1 and $junglefive isnot 1>>==1 fake ice cube==         [[1/2 parts lime juice->Ice Line 12]]<<elseif $mojitoice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==         ==1/2 parts lime juice==<<elseif $mojitoice isnot 1 and $junglefive is 1>>                                 ==1/2 parts lime juice==<<else>>                                 [[1/2 parts lime juice->Ice Line 12]]<</if>> <<if $jungleone is 1 and $jungletwo is 1 and $junglethree is 1 and $junglefour is 1 and $junglefive is 1>>                                 [[Shake->Ice Line 13]]<</if>>

<<set $jungletwo to 1>><i>~ Mojito ~</i>                <i>~ Jungle Bird ~</i> ==1 part club soda==        <<if $jungleone isnot 1>>[[1 1/2 parts rum->Ice Line 8]]<<else>>==1 1/2 parts rum==<</if>> ==2 parts rum==               ==3/4 parts Campari== ==1 part lime juice==       <<if $junglethree isnot 1>>[[1/2 parts syrup->Ice Line 10]]<<else>>==1/2 parts syrup==<</if>> ==12 mint leaves==          <<if $junglefour isnot 1>>[[1 1/2 parts pineapple juice->Ice Line 11]]<<else>>==1 1/2 parts pineapple juice==<</if>> <<if $mojitoice is 1 and $junglefive isnot 1>>==1 fake ice cube==         [[1/2 parts lime juice->Ice Line 12]]<<elseif $mojitoice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==         ==1/2 parts lime juice==<<elseif $mojitoice isnot 1 and $junglefive is 1>>                                 ==1/2 parts lime juice==<<else>>                                 [[1/2 parts lime juice->Ice Line 12]]<</if>> <<if $jungleone is 1 and $jungletwo is 1 and $junglethree is 1 and $junglefour is 1 and $junglefive is 1>>                                 [[Shake->Ice Line 13]]<</if>>

<<set $junglethree to 1>><i>~ Mojito ~</i>                <i>~ Jungle Bird ~</i> ==1 part club soda==        <<if $jungleone isnot 1>>[[1 1/2 parts rum->Ice Line 8]]<<else>>==1 1/2 parts rum==<</if>> ==2 parts rum==               <<if $jungletwo isnot 1>>[[3/4 parts Campari->Ice Line 9]]<<else>>==3/4 parts Campari==<</if>> ==1 part lime juice==       ==1/2 parts syrup== ==12 mint leaves==          <<if $junglefour isnot 1>>[[1 1/2 parts pineapple juice->Ice Line 11]]<<else>>==1 1/2 parts pineapple juice==<</if>> <<if $mojitoice is 1 and $junglefive isnot 1>>==1 fake ice cube==         [[1/2 parts lime juice->Ice Line 12]]<<elseif $mojitoice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==         ==1/2 parts lime juice==<<elseif $mojitoice isnot 1 and $junglefive is 1>>                                 ==1/2 parts lime juice==<<else>>                                 [[1/2 parts lime juice->Ice Line 12]]<</if>> <<if $jungleone is 1 and $jungletwo is 1 and $junglethree is 1 and $junglefour is 1 and $junglefive is 1>>                                 [[Shake->Ice Line 13]]<</if>>

<<set $junglefour to 1>><i>~ Mojito ~</i>                <i>~ Jungle Bird ~</i> ==1 part club soda==        <<if $jungleone isnot 1>>[[1 1/2 parts rum->Ice Line 8]]<<else>>==1 1/2 parts rum==<</if>> ==2 parts rum==               <<if $jungletwo isnot 1>>[[3/4 parts Campari->Ice Line 9]]<<else>>==3/4 parts Campari==<</if>> ==1 part lime juice==       <<if $junglethree isnot 1>>[[1/2 parts syrup->Ice Line 10]]<<else>>==1/2 parts syrup==<</if>> ==12 mint leaves==          ==1 1/2 parts pineapple juice== <<if $mojitoice is 1 and $junglefive isnot 1>>==1 fake ice cube==         [[1/2 parts lime juice->Ice Line 12]]<<elseif $mojitoice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==         ==1/2 parts lime juice==<<elseif $mojitoice isnot 1 and $junglefive is 1>>                                 ==1/2 parts lime juice==<<else>>                                 [[1/2 parts lime juice->Ice Line 12]]<</if>> <<if $jungleone is 1 and $jungletwo is 1 and $junglethree is 1 and $junglefour is 1 and $junglefive is 1>>                                 [[Shake->Ice Line 13]]<</if>>

<<set $junglefive to 1>><i>~ Mojito ~</i>                <i>~ Jungle Bird ~</i> ==1 part club soda==        <<if $jungleone isnot 1>>[[1 1/2 parts rum->Ice Line 8]]<<else>>==1 1/2 parts rum==<</if>> ==2 parts rum==               <<if $jungletwo isnot 1>>[[3/4 parts Campari->Ice Line 9]]<<else>>==3/4 parts Campari==<</if>> ==1 part lime juice==       <<if $junglethree isnot 1>>[[1/2 parts syrup->Ice Line 10]]<<else>>==1/2 parts syrup==<</if>> ==12 mint leaves==          <<if $junglefour isnot 1>>[[1 1/2 parts pineapple juice->Ice Line 11]]<<else>>==1 1/2 parts pineapple juice==<</if>> <<if $mojitoice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==         ==1/2 parts lime juice==<<else>>                                 ==1/2 parts lime juice==<</if>> <<if $jungleone is 1 and $jungletwo is 1 and $junglethree is 1 and $junglefour is 1 and $junglefive is 1>>                                 [[Shake->Ice Line 13]]<</if>>

<i>~ Mojito ~</i>                <i>~ Jungle Bird ~</i> ==1 part club soda==        ==1 1/2 parts rum== ==2 parts rum==               ==3/4 parts Campari== ==1 part lime juice==       ==1/2 parts syrup== ==12 mint leaves==          ==1 1/2 parts pineapple juice== <<if $mojitoice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==         ==1/2 parts lime juice==                                  [[Serve->Ice Line 14]]<<else>>                                 ==1/2 parts lime juice==                                  <span class="red">[[1 fake ice cube->Ice Line 15]]</span>                                  [[Serve->Ice Line 14]]<</if>>

<i>~ French 75 ~</i> [[1 1/2 parts gin->Ice Line 16]] [[3/4 parts lemon juice->Ice Line 17]] [[1/2 part syrup->Ice Line 18]] [[2 parts champagne->Ice Line 19]]

<<set $jungleice to 1>><i>~ Mojito ~</i>                <i>~ Jungle Bird ~</i> ==1 part club soda==        ==1 1/2 parts rum== ==2 parts rum==               ==3/4 parts Campari== ==1 part lime juice==       ==1/2 parts syrup== ==12 mint leaves==          ==1 1/2 parts pineapple juice==                                  ==1/2 parts lime juice==                                  ==1 fake ice cube==                                  [[Serve->Ice Line 14]]

<<set $frenchtwo to 1>><i>~ French 75 ~</i> <<if $frenchone isnot 1>>[[1 1/2 parts gin->Ice Line 16]]<<else>>==1 1/2 parts gin==<</if>> ==3/4 parts lemon juice== <<if $frenchthree isnot 1>>[[1/2 part syrup->Ice Line 18]]<<else>>==1/2 part syrup==<</if>> <<if $frenchfour isnot 1>>[[2 parts champagne->Ice Line 19]]<<else>>==2 parts champagne==<</if>> <<if $frenchone is 1 and $frenchtwo is 1 and $frenchthree is 1 and $frenchfour is 1>>[[Shake->Ice Line 20]]<</if>>

<<set $frenchthree to 1>><i>~ French 75 ~</i> <<if $frenchone isnot 1>>[[1 1/2 parts gin->Ice Line 16]]<<else>>==1 1/2 parts gin==<</if>> <<if $frenchtwo isnot 1>>[[3/4 parts lemon juice->Ice Line 17]]<<else>>==3/4 parts lemon juice==<</if>> ==1/2 part syrup== <<if $frenchfour isnot 1>>[[2 parts champagne->Ice Line 19]]<<else>>==2 parts champagne==<</if>> <<if $frenchone is 1 and $frenchtwo is 1 and $frenchthree is 1 and $frenchfour is 1>>[[Shake->Ice Line 20]]<</if>>

<<set $frenchfour to 1>><i>~ French 75 ~</i> <<if $frenchone isnot 1>>[[1 1/2 parts gin->Ice Line 16]]<<else>>==1 1/2 parts gin==<</if>> <<if $frenchtwo isnot 1>>[[3/4 parts lemon juice->Ice Line 17]]<<else>>==3/4 parts lemon juice==<</if>> <<if $frenchthree isnot 1>>[[1/2 part syrup->Ice Line 18]]<<else>>==1/2 part syrup==<</if>> ==2 parts champagne== <<if $frenchone is 1 and $frenchtwo is 1 and $frenchthree is 1 and $frenchfour is 1>>[[Shake->Ice Line 20]]<</if>>

<i>~ French 75 ~</i> ==1 1/2 parts gin== ==3/4 parts lemon juice== ==1/2 part syrup== ==2 parts champagne== <<if $mojitoice isnot 1 and $jungleice isnot 1>><span class="red">[[1 fake ice cube->Ice Line 21]]</span> [[Serve->Ice Line 22]]<<else>>[[Serve->Ice Line 22]]<</if>>

<<set $frenchice to 1>><i>~ French 75 ~</i> ==1 1/2 parts gin== ==3/4 parts lemon juice== ==1/2 part syrup== ==2 parts champagne== ==1 fake ice cube== [[Serve->Ice Line 22]]

<i>~ French 75 ~</i>                  <i>~ Strawberry Daiquiri ~</i> ==1 1/2 parts gin==                  [[2 parts rum->Ice Line 23]] ==3/4 parts lemon juice==       [[1/2 part triple sec->Ice Line 24]] ==1/2 part syrup==                   [[1 part lime juice->Ice Line 25]] ==2 parts champagne==           [[4 strawberries->Ice Line 26]] <<if $frenchice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==<</if>>

<<set $strawberryone to 1>><i>~ French 75 ~</i>                  <i>~ Strawberry Daiquiri ~</i> ==1 1/2 parts gin==                  ==2 parts rum== ==3/4 parts lemon juice==       <<if $strawberrytwo isnot 1>>[[1/2 part triple sec->Ice Line 24]]<<else>>==1/2 part triple sec==<</if>> ==1/2 part syrup==                   <<if $strawberrythree isnot 1>>[[1 part lime juice->Ice Line 25]]<<else>>==1 part lime juice==<</if>> ==2 parts champagne==           <<if $strawberryfour isnot 1>>[[4 strawberries->Ice Line 26]]<<else>>==4 strawberries==<</if>> <<if $frenchice is 1 and $strawberryone is 1 and $strawberrytwo is 1 and $strawberrythree is 1 and $strawberryfour is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==                 [[Shake->Ice Line 27]]<<elseif $frenchice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==<<elseif $frenchice isnot 1 and $strawberryone is 1 and $strawberrytwo is 1 and $strawberrythree is 1 and $strawberryfour is 1>>                                         [[Shake->Ice Line 27]]<</if>>

<<set $strawberrytwo to 1>><i>~ French 75 ~</i>                  <i>~ Strawberry Daiquiri ~</i> ==1 1/2 parts gin==                  <<if $strawberryone isnot 1>>[[2 parts rum->Ice Line 23]]<<else>>==2 parts rum==<</if>> ==3/4 parts lemon juice==       ==1/2 part triple sec== ==1/2 part syrup==                   <<if $strawberrythree isnot 1>>[[1 part lime juice->Ice Line 25]]<<else>>==1 part lime juice==<</if>> ==2 parts champagne==           <<if $strawberryfour isnot 1>>[[4 strawberries->Ice Line 26]]<<else>>==4 strawberries==<</if>> <<if $frenchice is 1 and $strawberryone is 1 and $strawberrytwo is 1 and $strawberrythree is 1 and $strawberryfour is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==                 [[Shake->Ice Line 27]]<<elseif $frenchice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==<<elseif $frenchice isnot 1 and $strawberryone is 1 and $strawberrytwo is 1 and $strawberrythree is 1 and $strawberryfour is 1>>                                         [[Shake->Ice Line 27]]<</if>>

<<set $strawberrythree to 1>><i>~ French 75 ~</i>                  <i>~ Strawberry Daiquiri ~</i> ==1 1/2 parts gin==                  <<if $strawberryone isnot 1>>[[2 parts rum->Ice Line 23]]<<else>>==2 parts rum==<</if>> ==3/4 parts lemon juice==       <<if $strawberrytwo isnot 1>>[[1/2 part triple sec->Ice Line 24]]<<else>>==1/2 part triple sec==<</if>> ==1/2 part syrup==                   ==1 part lime juice== ==2 parts champagne==           <<if $strawberryfour isnot 1>>[[4 strawberries->Ice Line 26]]<<else>>==4 strawberries==<</if>> <<if $frenchice is 1 and $strawberryone is 1 and $strawberrytwo is 1 and $strawberrythree is 1 and $strawberryfour is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==                 [[Shake->Ice Line 27]]<<elseif $frenchice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==<<elseif $frenchice isnot 1 and $strawberryone is 1 and $strawberrytwo is 1 and $strawberrythree is 1 and $strawberryfour is 1>>                                         [[Shake->Ice Line 27]]<</if>>

<<set $strawberryfour to 1>><i>~ French 75 ~</i>                  <i>~ Strawberry Daiquiri ~</i> ==1 1/2 parts gin==                  <<if $strawberryone isnot 1>>[[2 parts rum->Ice Line 23]]<<else>>==2 parts rum==<</if>> ==3/4 parts lemon juice==       <<if $strawberrytwo isnot 1>>[[1/2 part triple sec->Ice Line 24]]<<else>>==1/2 part triple sec==<</if>> ==1/2 part syrup==                   <<if $strawberrythree isnot 1>>[[1 part lime juice->Ice Line 25]]<<else>>==1 part lime juice==<</if>> ==2 parts champagne==           ==4 strawberries== <<if $frenchice is 1 and $strawberryone is 1 and $strawberrytwo is 1 and $strawberrythree is 1 and $strawberryfour is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==                 [[Shake->Ice Line 27]]<<elseif $frenchice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==<<elseif $frenchice isnot 1 and $strawberryone is 1 and $strawberrytwo is 1 and $strawberrythree is 1 and $strawberryfour is 1>>                                         [[Shake->Ice Line 27]]<</if>>

<i>~ French 75 ~</i>                  <i>~ Strawberry Daiquiri ~</i> ==1 1/2 parts gin==                  ==2 parts rum== ==3/4 parts lemon juice==       ==1/2 part triple sec== ==1/2 part syrup==                   ==1 part lime juice== ==2 parts champagne==           ==4 strawberries== <<if $frenchice is 1>>==1 fake ice cube==                 [[Serve->Ice Line 29]]<<elseif $mojitoice is 1 or $jungleice is 1>>                                         [[Serve->Ice Line 29]]<<else>>                                         <span class="red">[[1 fake ice cube->Ice Line 28]]</span>                                          [[Serve->Ice Line 29]]<</if>>

<<set $strawberryice to 1>><i>~ French 75 ~</i>                  <i>~ Strawberry Daiquiri ~</i> ==1 1/2 parts gin==                  ==2 parts rum== ==3/4 parts lemon juice==       ==1/2 part triple sec== ==1/2 part syrup==                   ==1 part lime juice== ==2 parts champagne==           ==4 strawberries==                                          ==1 fake ice cube==                                          [[Serve->Ice Line 29]]

<<if $strawberryice is 1>>Decision made, I call out to $cyclingResult, who thanks me and says nothing more. The deed is done. All that's left is [[waiting for the day to end.->116]]<<elseif $mojitoice is 1 or $jungleice is 1 or $frenchice is 1>>Decision made, I call out to $cyclingResult, who thanks me and says nothing more. The deed is done. All that's left is [[waiting for the day to end.->144]]<<else>>At the last moment I hesitate, for what reason or combination of reasons I am not sure. Maybe a certain premonition alerted me to Mildred's scrutinising gaze, or maybe it was the excitement of the past few hours that aroused a precautionary instinct. Whatever the cause, some last shred of doubt must have remained. And then it is [[too late.->146]]<</if>>

For the rest of my shift, Mildred is beside me, wordlessly handing me the alcohols I need for each order. I am reminded of my first day in the bar, in which I was completely dependent on the help of Raff and Mildred. With the two of us working in tandem, the evening quickly draws to a close. I return to Queen Scott Dam with [[more energy than I've had for a while.->36]]

Thanking Mildred for her generosity, I explain that I'd really like a chance to practise making cocktails without external aid. At this she concedes. If there's any irritation in her voice, I don't notice it. Customers are lining up, and I hurry to take their orders. At the same time, I hear the unmistakable click-clack of high heels approach the bar. <a data-passage="35">"Mildred, I don't need your help, okay?"</a> <a data-passage="35">"Mildred, I don't need your help."</a> <a data-passage="35">"I don't need your help."</a>

@@#output;"Oh, no, I was just getting myself a drink," Mildred assures me. Before I can protest, she has <<linkreplace "taken her place beside me.">><<include "35 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

<div align='center'><span class="title">Chapter 3</span></div>Raff is the first to show up the next day. Mildred follows shortly after. "The usual?" I ask Raff. "Yup." I open the bottle of vermouth and sniff its contents. I stop. Something smells off, just barely. It's undoubtedly vermouth, but there is something wrong with it in a way that I can't put my finger on. [[Sniff the gin->37]] [[Sniff the Campari->38]] [[Make the cocktail->40]]

<<set $sniffgin to 1>>I breathe in deeply through my nose. The foreign scent is there, but only because I'm looking for it. Am I imagining things? <<nobr>><<if $sniffcampari isnot 1>>[[Sniff the Campari->38]]<</if>> <<if $sniffcampari is 1 and $sniffgin is 1>>[[Sniff another alcohol->39]]<</if>><</nobr>> [[Make the cocktail->40]]

The door closes behind him.\ <<append "#output">><br> It's just Mildred and me now. Some time after Raff's departure, Mildred gets up and offers to help me with the next few orders. [[Accept->33]] [[Refuse->32]]<</append>>

nod my thanks wordlessly.\ <<append "#output">><br> At no point throughout my shift do I feel as though I'm struggling to keep up with the influx of orders, but Mildred steps in after a while anyway. Not wanting to make a fuss, I let her be. With the two of us working together, the evening quickly draws to a close. Apart from Mildred's insistence on helping, I [[don't detect anything amiss.->36]]<</append>>

<<set $sniffcampari to 1>>I can tell immediately that something is wrong with the Campari. Or maybe it's my nose that has something wrong with it. <<nobr>><<if $sniffgin isnot 1>>[[Sniff the gin->37]]<</if>> <<if $sniffcampari is 1 and $sniffgin is 1>>[[Sniff another alcohol->39]]<</if>><</nobr>> [[Make the cocktail->40]]

@@#output;Unsure if I'm functioning properly today, I grab the nearest alcohol — whiskey — and give it a sniff. <<linkreplace "It smells fine.">><<include "39 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

<i>~ Negroni ~</i> [[1 part Campari->40 Line 1]] [[1 part gin->40 Line 2]] [[1 part vermouth->40 Line 3]]

"Alright." He doesn't sound convinced. I don't blame him. [[Make the cocktail->40]]

@@#output;A significant silence passes between us. When Raff speaks next, his voice sounds strangely altered. "Are you sure you took the right alcohols? <<linkreplace "Here, let me show you.">><<include "42 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>"

@@#output;"Not at all," he responds. His voice has returned to normal. He takes the glass he made and <<linkreplace "returns to his seat.">><<include "43 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;Raff answers in the negative. His voice has returned to normal. He takes the glass he made and <<linkreplace "returns to his seat.">><<include "44 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;At one point a customer orders a drink that contains vermouth. When I open the bottle, it smells perfectly normal. The foreign scent is gone. Not wanting to call attention to myself, I wait for orders of drinks that contain the other two components of Negroni before making a move to sniff the contents of those bottles. It doesn't matter how many times I do this. There is <<linkreplace "no trace of the scent ever having been there.">><<include "45 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

<<set $camparipoison to 1>><i>~ Negroni ~</i> ==1 part Campari== <<if $ginpoison isnot 1>>[[1 part gin->40 Line 2]]<<else>>==1 part gin==<</if>> <<if $vermouthpoison isnot 1>>[[1 part vermouth->40 Line 3]]<<else>>==1 part vermouth==<</if>> <<if $camparipoison is 1 and $ginpoison is 1 and $vermouthpoison is 1>>[[Shake->40 Line 4]]<</if>>

<<set $ginpoison to 1>><i>~ Negroni ~</i> <<if $camparipoison isnot 1>>[[1 part Campari->40 Line 1]]<<else>>==1 part Campari==<</if>> ==1 part gin== <<if $vermouthpoison isnot 1>>[[1 part vermouth->40 Line 3]]<<else>>==1 part vermouth==<</if>> <<if $camparipoison is 1 and $ginpoison is 1 and $vermouthpoison is 1>>[[Shake->40 Line 4]]<</if>>

<<set $vermouthpoison to 1>><i>~ Negroni ~</i> <<if $camparipoison isnot 1>>[[1 part Campari->40 Line 1]]<<else>>==1 part Campari==<</if>> <<if $ginpoison isnot 1>>[[1 part gin->40 Line 2]]<<else>>==1 part gin==<</if>> ==1 part vermouth== <<if $camparipoison is 1 and $ginpoison is 1 and $vermouthpoison is 1>>[[Shake->40 Line 4]]<</if>>

<i>~ Negroni ~</i> ==1 part Campari== ==1 part gin== ==1 part vermouth== [[Serve->46]] [[Serve with more ice->47]]

@@#output;I serve the cocktail as per usual. The foreign scent is now so potent that only those unfamiliar with Negroni would be oblivious to it, thinking it to be a normal part of the drink. If this were my first day in the bar, I'd disregard it for sure. Now, though, with weeks of experience, the difference is unmistakable. Raff says nothing, but takes the drink and <<linkreplace "returns to his seat.">><<include "46 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

In a smooth motion, I grab the glass, open the ice maker, and fill the glass to the brim with ice. My intention is to pour out the Negroni and leave the glass on the table for a few moments, but I hear Mildred walking over and have no choice but to serve the undiluted drink as it is. Raff takes it and <<linkappend "returns to his seat.">> More customers are streaming in. The one who ordered rum yesterday — I decide to call him <span class="redlink"><<include "24 Cycle">></span>, on account of his strange words — returns, again ordering rum and uttering the same peculiar line about confidence. I pay him only vague attention. My focus is on [[Raff.->45]]<</linkappend>>

<div align='center'><span class="title">Chapter 4</span></div>Or had they? My mind was awhirl the whole night, bent on identifying the killer. Not once did I stop to consider how quickly I'd detected the foreign substance, let alone how certain I'd been that it was a poison. Even if I did, the very idea would have been ludicrous. Of course it was a poison. The only question was [[who.->48 Line 1]]

No. I am overthinking. For all I know, Raff isn't even dead. "Good evening." It is the voice of $cyclingResult. I am grateful for the diversion. <a data-passage="51">"Any confidence yet?"</a> <a data-passage="50A">"What drink would you like?"</a>

To my surprise, he answers in the affirmative. <a data-passage="51 Line 1">"I'd like a daiquiri."</a>

Mildred walks along the length of the bar and returns, presumably with said tree. Then she takes my hand and brings it to a small spherical object. I force a smile. "Ah." "They look ripe," she says. "I'd love some lime garnish on my margarita." <a data-passage="54">"Right away."</a> <a data-passage="54">"I'll try."</a>

She laughs. "No, it wasn't from me." There is an awkward silence. At last she says, "I'd love some lime garnish on my margarita." <a data-passage="54">"Right away."</a> <a data-passage="54">"I'll try."</a>

It smells fine.\ <<append "#output">><br> In my hesitation, I hear Raff's concerned voice behind me. "Is there a problem?" I think quickly. My back is to him and Mildred, so I still have a chance of feigning ignorance. <a data-passage="41">"No."</a> <a data-passage="42">"Something smells off."</a><</append>>

Here, let me show you.\ <<append "#output">><br> I hear him taking his place beside me. I reasoned last night that my present position is safe, but still I feel a tinge of discomfort at the prospect of being in the vicinity of another, possibly hostile, human. When he is done — as I take in with no small measure of relief — some effort is required to speak. <a data-passage="43">"Pardon."</a> <a data-passage="44">"Do you want me to make you another glass?"</a><</append>>

returns to his seat.\ <<append "#output">><br> More customers are streaming in. The one who ordered rum yesterday — I decide to call him <span class="redlink"><<include "24 Cycle">></span>, on account of his strange words — returns, again ordering rum and uttering the same peculiar line about confidence. I pay him only vague attention. My focus is on [[Raff.->45]]<</append>>

no trace of the scent ever having been there.\ <<append "#output">><br> I think about the unwavering frequency at which Raff orders Negroni and shudder. Someone had tried to poison Raff and [[frame me as the killer.->48]]<</append>>

Now I am not so sure. Poison or not, under no circumstances would it have escaped my notice. <<linkreplace "A few weeks ago, maybe.">>A few weeks ago, maybe <<replace "#fewweeks-replace">>— I'd been a stranger to alcohols, and would likely have dismissed the scent as part of the drink.<</replace>><</linkreplace>>@@#fewweeks-replace;@@ Even then I think I would have hesitated. It was far too obvious. But then — <<linkappend "why?">> I am struck by a scary thought. Maybe all is according to plan. Maybe the Republic intended all along for me to clean up their mess. That would explain the crude murder attempt — they needed me to think it was real, to go mad with the belief that I'd been an accomplice and come to the conclusion that a quick death would be best for not just myself but my "customers". The means were available and always had been. I was [[left alone->50]] on the first day.<</linkappend>>

"Ralph left a message," one of the guards says suddenly. We are on the way to the car. "Who's Ra—" I cut myself short. "What's that?" <a data-passage="56 Line 1">"Uh, nothing."</a>

@@#output;There is a pause. "We can't drink and drive." I capitalise on his evident reluctance. "One of you can drink today while the other drives. <<linkreplace "Tomorrow I'll make a drink for today's driver.">><<include "59 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>"

@@#output;"You can do that tomorrow." The guard's voice is firm. "Keep moving." "But the wines would go bad," I protest. I am desperate. "I need to store them properly. <<linkreplace "It'll only take a few minutes.">><<include "58 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>"

@@#output;"If I'm not mistaken he also instructed me to water it every day," I say. "He said it'd die otherwise. <<linkreplace "Can I go water it now?">><<include "60 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>"

@@#output;I waste no time locating the tree and running my fingers through its leaves. The guard said that they'd searched the tree, and I don't doubt that they'd done an admirable job. But if Raff had fled the city, leaving this as a parting gift, he must have known his life was in danger. And if that were the case, he might have left behind a warning in the form of something <<linkreplace "only I, as a blind bartender, could find.">><<include "61 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

Are there any other possibilities? What other clues do I have? [[Review this evening's events->64]] [[Sniff some alcohols->65]] [[Search the lime tree further->66]]

@@#output;After making one of the guards his drink, I locate the tree and run my fingers through its leaves. The guard said that they'd searched the tree, and I don't doubt that they'd done an admirable job. But if Raff had fled the city, leaving this as a parting gift, he must have known his life was in danger. And if that were the case, he might have left behind a warning in the form of something <<linkreplace "only I, as a blind bartender, could find.">><<include "63 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

<<set $reviewlime to 1>>Mildred talked about the lime tree, which I hadn't noticed. What had been the events surrounding that conversation? A few regulars showed up later to order the usual. Before that, $cyclingResult ordered a daiquiri, even though he usually orders rum. Daiquiri is rum with lime juice. I just got a lime tree today. But how would $cyclingResult have known that? <<nobr>><<if $snifflime isnot 1>>[[Sniff some alcohols->65]]<br><</if>> [[Search the lime tree further->66]]<</nobr>>

<<set $snifflime to 1>>I select a few arbitrary bottles and sniff their contents. I think I detect the foreign scent in the bottle of cointreau, but when I sniff it again it smells fine. I must have imagined it. <<nobr>><<if $reviewlime isnot 1>>[[Review this evening's events->64]]<br><</if>> [[Search the lime tree further->66]]<</nobr>>

"Ralph left a message," one of the guards says suddenly. We are on the way to the car. "Who's Ra—" I cut myself short. "What's that?" "Uh, nothing." There is a pause. Finally the guard says, "He said to tell you that the tree is a gift." "What?" I freeze in my tracks. He shoves me. "Don't get your hopes up. We've searched it." The tree is from Raff. Raff is alive. There's only one thing on my mind now. <a data-passage="58">"I forgot to cap the bottles."</a> <a data-passage="59">"Could I get you both a drink?"</a> <a data-passage="60">"Come to think of it, Raff did say he'd get me a lime tree."</a>

It'll only take a few minutes.\ <<append "#output">><br> "This better not happen again." I can almost feel his glare. "It won't, I promise." <a data-passage="61">"Hurry up."</a><</append>>

Tomorrow I'll make a drink for today's driver.\ <<append "#output">><br> The guards say nothing, though I can tell they're weighing their options. Finally they give in. [[I knew they would.->63]]<</append>>

only I, as a blind bartender, could find.\ <<append "#output">><br> Unfortunately, my search is in vain. Maybe the tree really is nothing more than an expression of thanks, as the guard claimed. That, or whatever he meant for me to find has already been [[seized.->62]]<</append>>

I run my fingers through the leaves a second time. I am about to overturn the pot and sift through the soil when it occurs to me that the limes themselves are intact. Could Raff have scraped out the contents of a lime and hidden something, a small penknife perhaps, inside its empty shell before artificially attaching it back to the tree? My finding the object would hinge on <<linkreplace "many things">>many things<<replace "#manythings-replace">> — not least the specific outcome of having his intentions go unnoticed by the Republic but not by me —<</replace>><</linkreplace>>@@#manythings-replace;,@@ but it <<linkappend "could be done.">> As I start to pluck a lime, however, I hesitate. If Mildred shows up the next day and notices that all the limes are missing, she'd know for sure that something is up. And as much as luck plays a role, would Raff really have left to chance the crucial step of choosing the right lime on my part? It hardly sounds plausible. If he did hide his secret in a lime, the position of the lime must be unique somehow. Nestled in a bed of leaves at the top of the tree, for example. <<linkappend "Or at its base.">> There it is. A single lime resting against the stem. I tell myself not to hold my breath, but as my fingers close around the lime, I feel a burst of adrenaline course through my veins. I could very well be grasping the [[key to freedom.->67]]<</linkappend>><</linkappend>>

@@#output;Aware that its contents might be fragile, I slice the edge of the lime ever so carefully. Then I invert the lime onto the palm of my hand. Nothing appears, so I repeat the manoeuvre again and again, each time shaving off a <<linkreplace "slightly larger fraction of the lime peel.">><<include "67 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;<div align='center'><span class="title">Chapter 5</span></div>I don't understand. I've searched everywhere. If it'd fallen out, I'd have <<linkreplace "found it by now.">><<include "68 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

"I don't have confidence today," $cyclingResult says that evening. He is one of the few customers who have remained. "Just rum please." <a data-passage="71">"I don't have confidence either."</a> <a data-passage="72">"Why not?"</a> <a data-passage="73">"I couldn't care less whether or not you have confidence, you son of a bitch."</a>

@@#output;"Maybe, but you sure have more confidence than I do." He takes his rum and <<linkreplace "walks away.">><<include "71 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;"It's not safe," he says simply. He takes his rum and <<linkreplace "walks away.">><<include "72 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;$cyclingResult says nothing. I pour him a rum and <<linkreplace "turn away.">><<include "73 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

A new prisoner takes the mat next to mine. She chatters away, introducing herself as Hazel of 590 Road. I pay her no heed. At the bar, $cyclingResult says he has confidence. <a data-passage="80">"Oh, you do?"</a> <a data-passage="80">"That's nice."</a> [[Say nothing->79]]

Can I go water it now?\ <<append "#output">><br> "No." It is clear from the tone of his voice that he is not about to compromise. "You should have done that just now." "I forgot. I'm sorry." "Too bad," he snaps. "Now let's go." "Wait!" <a data-passage="58">"I forgot to cap the bottles."</a> <a data-passage="59">"Could I get you both a drink?"</a><</append>>

last night\ <<append "#output">><br> But then, with a mounting sense of dread, I realise I've sliced through the lime completely. <<linkreplace "Nothing has turned up.">><<include "67 Line 3">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

Nothing has turned up.\ <<append "#output">><br> At that instant, I hear the guards call for me. I quickly shove the pieces of cut lime into a corner and make a mental note to [[do an extensive search->68]] the next day.<</append>>

found it by now.\ <<append "#output">><br> So where could it be? Somewhere else in the bar? In the hands of a stranger? In the hands of the Republic? I do not know. I am tired of asking questions and never finding the answers; of swelling up with hope, only to plunge into the pits of [[despair.->70]]<</append>>

walks away.\ <<append "#output">><br> The next day the same thing happens — he greets me with the statement that he doesn't have confidence before ordering rum. The same thing happens the following day, and the day after that. It [[stops being a focal point.->74]]<</append>>

turn away.\ <<append "#output">><br> The next day the same thing happens — he greets me with the statement that he doesn't have confidence before ordering rum. The same thing happens the following day, and the day after that. It [[stops being a focal point.->74]]<</append>>

@@#output;He ignores the question. "I am so confident today, in fact, that I plan to <<linkreplace "bring three friends with me tomorrow">><<include "78 Line 1">><</linkreplace>> to revel in that confidence."

@@#output;He ignores me. "And what's more, I'm <<linkreplace "bringing three friends with me tomorrow">><<include "80 Line 1">><</linkreplace>> to revel in that confidence."

I feel the cogs in my mind begin to turn for the first time in aeons — but I jam them violently. There is to be no thinking. All wanderings of the mind must be banished. [[So->81B]] [[But?->81A]]

There's only one way to find out. And if I want to do so without testing the guards' patience, I'll have to act quickly. As soon as the next customer approaches the bar, I put my dignity on the line. I have nothing to lose. <a data-passage="83">"Good evening! Would you like a cocktail? With lime garnish?"</a> <a data-passage="84">"What say you to a cold drink topped with a little lime garnish?"</a> <a data-passage="85">"See those limes over there? They look lonely, don't they?"</a>

@@#output;The customer laughs. "Why, Gabriel, aren't you a ball of energy today!" It is Mildred. "You're, um, <<linkreplace "not wearing high heels today?">><<include "83 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>"

@@#output;The customer laughs. "I'm not really in the mood for lime today." I'm about to launch into a speech about the health benefits of limes when I realise who I am speaking to. "You're, um, <<linkreplace "not wearing high heels today?">><<include "84 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>"

@@#output;"Don't they?" I echo. Then, without waiting for the customer to respond, I declare, "Of course they are. They need a cocktail to dispel their loneliness!" The customer laughs. "Why, Gabriel, aren't you a ball of energy today!" It is Mildred. "You're, um, <<linkreplace "not wearing high heels today?">><<include "85 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>"

"Well, I'm sure you'll make a good salesperson one day." She sounds genuinely amused. I am eager to change the subject. "So, can I get you a drink?" "I'll have a beer, please." I give it to her, then turn away. She [[gets the message.->89]]

She obliges me. "Yes, a race. Possibly a marathon. It's not confirmed yet." She stops talking as though to let me speak, and I quickly fill the silence. "That's nice. So, what drink would you like?" "I'll have a beer." She says nothing else. I [[take the money and run.->89]]

bring three friends with me tomorrow\ <<append "#output">><br> Nothing stirs. I am dead, uninterested. "A daiquiri for me today," he continues. <<linkreplace "Here.">><<include "80 Line 2">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

bringing three friends with me tomorrow\ <<append "#output">><br> Nothing stirs. I am dead, uninterested. "A daiquiri for me today," he continues. <<linkreplace "Here.">><<include "80 Line 2">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

Here.\ <<append "#output">><br> <a data-passage="81">"And be prepared for tomorrow."</a><</append>>

Fact #1:\ <<append "#output">> $cyclingResult ordered daiquiri twice. <<linkreplace "Fact #2:">><<include "81 Line 3">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

Fact #2:\ <<append "#output">> The first time he ordered daiquiri, he made it a point of telling me he had confidence that day. <<linkreplace "Fact #3:">><<include "81 Line 4">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

Fact #3:\ <<append "#output">> The first time he ordered daiquiri, I found an intact lime shell containing only air. <<linkreplace "Fact #4:">><<include "81 Line 5">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

Fact #4:\ <<append "#output">> The second time he ordered daiquiri, he made it a point of telling me he had confidence that day. <<linkreplace "Conclusion:">><<include "81 Line 6">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

Conclusion:\ <<append "#output">> The second time he ordered daiquiri, I would find an <<linkreplace "intact lime shell containing only air.">>[[item at the base of the lime tree.->82]]<</linkreplace>><</append>>

not wearing high heels today?\ <<append "#output">><br> "Not today, no," says Mildred. "Today I'm wearing running shoes to practise for a race." There is a pause. "What's this about limes?" <a data-passage="86">"No, just... practising my sales pitch."</a> <a data-passage="87">"A race? That sounds interesting."</a><</append>>

As for the empty lime shell, that, too, begins to make sense. I am, after all, a nobody. If for whatever reason <<linkreplace "Discrepancy">>Discrepancy<<replace "#ther-replace">>, as a clandestine organisation,<</replace>><</linkreplace>> takes an interest in me, they@@#ther-replace;@@ would never risk revealing their identity so easily, counting on me not to give them away. By sending an empty lime shell, they were asserting their presence — a lime devoid of contents yet perfectly unblemished is hardly easy to come by, after all, and could only have been the product of <<linkappend "unorthodox forces.">> At the same time, unable to trust me fully at present, they were hedging this attempt at communication. If, against all odds, I were to report their presence to the Republic, I would have a hard time producing evidence with only the dissected shell of a lime, which, for all anyone knew, might simply have come from an ordinary fruit. In fact, by mentioning Discrepancy and concocting such a <<linkreplace "far-fetched story">>far-fetched story<<replace "#farfetched-replace">> — an intact lime shell containing only air? Who has heard of that? —<</replace>><</linkreplace>>@@#farfetched-replace;,@@ I'd only be implicating myself. I have to hand it to them — for all I'd heard about their violence, this was an [[impressive act of subtlety.->92]]<</linkappend>>

@@#output;I feel my hand close around some kind of cube. My heart leaps as the significance of this <<linkreplace "dawns on me.">><<include "90 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;As soon as I sense her departure, I make my way to the lime tree. My anxiety forbids me from dismissing the suspicion that she may be walking backwards, observing me without being observed herself, so I <<linkreplace "play it safe.">><<include "89 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;What is equally clear is the reason behind their interest in me. The Republic had captured me and made me blind. I <<linkreplace "must know something.">><<include "92 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;<div align='center'><span class="title">Chapter 6</span></div>To bounce between despair and hope in so sudden and thorough a manner is not good for the heart; there would have been scarce a difference if I'd leaped off a frozen cliff and entered a boiling sea. That I'd known all along the implications of my decision is undeniable — the risks it carried had been plain even in my muddled, dejected state. But I could hardly have foreseen the overwhelming fear of failure that has pervaded my frame and possessed my thoughts. It is all or nothing. In [[no other context->94]] has this been clearer.

@@#output;The new prisoner Hazel, lying on her mat next to mine, says, "<<linkreplace "Slept well">><<include "94 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>, didn't you?"

"An interesting object, this is," Hazel says. "Question is, what do you intend to do with it?" Just a minor obstacle. <<linkappend "Nothing to worry about.">> "I'll make you a deal. Tell me what this cube is for, and I'll give it back to you." I take in her words without emotion. I speak with controlled measurement. <a data-passage="99">"No."</a> <a data-passage="100">"Give it back first."</a><</linkappend>>

@@#output;I'd planned not to say too much, of course, but as I talk about where I'd found the cube I realise I'd have to bring in the lime tree, which in turn necessitates the introduction of Raff, along with the episode in which he'd been the target of a murder attempt — plus the conclusions I had drawn. Without realising it, I'd revealed everything I know. From the occasional prompt Hazel gives me, I can tell she is attentive. Pouring my secrets out to a stranger feels <<linkreplace "both dangerous and therapeutic.">><<include "98 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

not wearing high heels today?\ <<append "#output">><br> "Not today, no," she says. "Today I'm wearing running shoes to practise for a race." There is a pause. "What's this about limes?" <a data-passage="86">"No, just... practising my sales pitch."</a> <a data-passage="87">"A race? That sounds interesting."</a><</append>>

play it safe.\ <<append "#output">><br> After plucking several limes from the tree, I let one slip from the palm of my hand onto the soil below, establishing pretext for grabbing the lime from $cyclingResult. Then, retrieving a cocktail shaker, I slice the authentic lime in half and make a show of squeezing both halves. I could very well be putting on an unobserved act, but if there's even a small chance that Mildred is watching, my efforts would be [[wholly worthwhile.->90]]<</append>>

dawns on me.\ <<append "#output">><br> I was right: $cyclingResult was the one behind the limes, as he'd consistently signalled through his orders of daiquiri and his statements about confidence. And having just experienced it myself, I <<linkreplace "comprehend perfectly">>comprehend perfectly<<replace "#comprehend-replace">> — with no way of knowing if Mildred, or any of the customers, is a spy for the Republic, he had no choice but to disguise himself as a regular customer while communicating with me in code through drink orders alone.<</replace>><</linkreplace>> his caution now@@#comprehend-replace;.@@ That would mean that $cyclingResult's identity is secret somehow, and that in turn can only mean one thing. $cyclingResult is <<linkreplace "part of Discrepancy.">><<include "90 Line 2">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

part of Discrepancy.\ <<append "#output">><br> At once, a great many pieces fit into place. What $cyclingResult must have meant by confidence is now clear: when he said he'd had confidence on a day, he'd meant confidence as in conviction in his ability to hide an object in the lime tree, when he could be sure that he [[would be unseen.->91]]<</append>>

must know something.\ <<append "#output">><br> Except I don't. I hadn't gotten a good view of the men that night, and the wave of time has all but buried the memory. But I keep that to myself. It's my biggest asset, and unlike my sense of sight, the Republic is [[not->93]] going to take it away from me.<</append>>

@@#output;"Suit yourself." I hear her <<linkreplace "getting under the covers.">><<include "99 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;"No," she says. "I have the protection of the guards, but if they're in the picture I might never get to find out what <<linkreplace "this object">><<include "100 Line 1">><</linkreplace>> is. And you obviously want it bad enough to take that risk."

"I already said I would," comes her response. It [[will have to do.->98]]

@@#output;Deep breaths. It's over. You have <<linkreplace "other things">><<include "103 Line 1">><</linkreplace>> to think about.

getting under the covers.\ <<append "#output">><br> I note, without haste, that Hazel's schedule may not be as consistent as mine, and that the guards could come for her any second. I also note, again without hurry, that $cyclingResult had gone to great lengths to pass me this thing. I need it now. It is as simple as that. <a data-passage="98">"I'll talk."</a> <a data-passage="102">"Promise you'll give it back."</a><</append>>

both dangerous and therapeutic.\ <<append "#output">><br> Just as I wrap up my account, I hear the guards come for Hazel, who grabs me by the collar. "<i>It's a fake ice cube. There are four halfway houses in the city.</i> I'm quite sure what you're supposed to do is..." She doesn't get the chance to finish, but before the guards can seize her away she [[seizes my hand first.->103]]<</append>>

other things\ <<append "#output">><br> The joy at having overcome an obstacle persists, however, like music in the background. I still don't know what the point of the cube is, but I can feel the answer on the [[tip of my tongue.->107]]<</append>>

@@#output;One thing is certain: Discrepancy seeks possession of my secret, and by extension me. For that it'd have to remove me from the Republic's grasp. For that it'd have to rescue me from my place of imprisonment, and for that it'd have to know where I was imprisoned. For that I'd have to communicate my place of imprisonment to them. That is, which of the four halfway houses — The Gypsy, Kingfisher Bay, 590 Road, and Queen Scott Dam, where I reside — is to be <<linkreplace "the target of their next operation.">><<include "115 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;<div align='center'><span class="title">Chapter 7</span></div>Hazel says nothing to me when I return, which I approve of. No reason to risk being overheard when — God — I've <<linkreplace "come so far.">><<include "116 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;A thump outside, barely audible over my heartbeat, is followed closely by a second. Then there is <<linkreplace "silence.">><<include "117 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

Too late. Silence engulfs the room once more. My hand flies to the body beside me. It is cold. Without uttering a word, he wraps an arm around me and hoists me to my feet. <a data-passage="120">"Let me go."</a> <a data-passage="121">"You're hurting me."</a> <a data-passage="120">"How could you?"</a>

@@#output;He says nothing. I shrug him off and <<linkreplace "kneel.">><<include "120 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

the target of their next operation.\ <<append "#output">><br> Hence the cube: $cyclingResult had communicated to me through drink orders, and I'd have to <<linkreplace "do the same.">><<include "115 Line 2">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

do the same.\ <<append "#output">><br> Four halfway houses and four drinks to make. A fake ice cube to differentiate one from the rest. [[Return->112 after hint]]<</append>>

<<if $strawberryice is 1>>strawberry<<elseif $mojitoice is 1>>mojito<<elseif $frenchice is 1>>french<<elseif $jungleice is 1>>jungle<<else>>0<</if>>

Questions: How did you know I'd get a lime tree? What is your name? Why was I made a bartender?

come so far.\ <<append "#output">><br> I am unworried. When I'd released the fake ice cube it'd felt dangerous and exciting, but I knew Mildred hadn't seen me. My heart races out of anticipation, not fear. I can hardly wait to leave this [[house of horrors.->117]]<</append>>

silence.\ <<append "#output">><br> I start violently when, out of nowhere, I feel a hand on my shoulder, and then another on my mouth, stifling my cry. "Relax," whispers a voice I've never heard before. I force myself to stop struggling. "Put these socks on. Stay silent." The intruder removes his hand from my shoulder, keeping the other on my mouth while he lays the socks on my chest. Only then does he remove his hand, allowing me to sit up. Shivering, I <<linkreplace "obey.">><<include "117 Line 2">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

obey.\ <<append "#output">><br> "Good. Now c—" He cuts himself off as though having just noticed something. I realise what it is just as a [[muffled cry->119]] emits from the mat on my left.<</append>>

@@#output;He loosens his grip. I slip out of his grasp and <<linkreplace "kneel.">><<include "121 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;I am furious, but there is nothing I can do. I am not foolish enough to cause a ruckus, however irrational I may be. In any case my fury is <<linkreplace "short-lived.">><<include "123 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;"Nothing at all?" "Nothing." My voice is firm. "I bumped into a man in black by <<linkreplace "sheer accident.">><<include "122 Line 1">><</linkreplace>> I don't even know why I went out at that time."

"I already have," he says, curtly. But his voice is soft, not harsh, and his tone is one of sadness, not spite. "What—" <a data-passage="126 Line 1">"She didn't give you away."</a>

@@#output;He may have saved my life — twice now — but if anything I am more indignant that he did all of this to further his own purposes. I shouldn't have needed the incident at the halfway house to know that I am, as always, alone. "I'm sorry we couldn't get her out this time," he says, his voice betraying the first hint of emotion. "She'll be fine. <<linkreplace "I've seen worse.">><<include "125 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>"

"I won't explain who we are or what we want. I believe you know that already." I start. I'd forgotten. "Let me address the elephant in the room. If you choose to tell us what you know, we will not leave you for dead. And if you choose not to, we will not subject you to torture. Quite the opposite. We will protect you without reservation no matter what you choose." <a data-passage="125">"Like you protected Hazel?"</a> <a data-passage="127">"I'm not really in a position to bargain, am I?"</a> <a data-passage="130">"Are there others like me?"</a>

@@#output;"No, but that's not something we'll use against you. If you choose not to talk, that's all it'll be — a choice and nothing but." <i>And if I don't have anything to say?</i> The question manifests itself in my mind. I can only pray that it <<linkreplace "doesn't manifest in my expression.">><<include "127 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;"Thank you. Tell me everything, please. Take as much time as you need." I am silently panicking over what to do next when it strikes me that I could make something up. He'd have no way of verifying my words. <<linkreplace "Or could he?">><<include "128 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

Requesting for more time has the added advantage of verifying his promises, which seem too good to be true. I cannot of course discount the possibility that I am <<linkreplace "abandoned">>abandoned — left for dead, as he puts it — <</linkreplace>> after being taken care of for a few days, but if they do have the resources to sustain me for a while, there is a chance that I won't be left to fend for myself after revealing that I know nothing of value. And having that chance, I reason, is better than <<linkappend "having no chance at all.">> Over the next few days I rest in a <<linkreplace "room">>room<<replace "#room-replace">> — a small but cozy chamber with a bed and a desk.<</replace>><</linkreplace>> adjacent to the one I was first brought in@@#room-replace;.@@ Throughout this period he remains with me, attending to my every need. Not once does he prompt me to hurry, and not once do I sense any impatience on his part, even as I remain obstinate in my unwillingness to speak. At length, content with the results of my experiment, I [[summon him.->122]]<</linkappend>>

He continues to press me for <<linkreplace "details">>details<<replace "#detailss-replace">> — what street I was in, what my impressions of the men were.<</replace>><</linkreplace>>@@#detailss-replace;.@@ I provide these as best I can, growing more dejected with each question. At length he appears convinced of my uselessness, and thanks me with an all-too-cheery tone that belies just how grave of a concern my ignorance is. On the brink of despair, I <<linkappend "almost miss his next few words.">> "No matter," he is saying. I feel my hand being taken in his. "[[Welcome to Discrepancy.->132]]" He gives my hand a shake.<</linkappend>>

@@#output;"You're the first to escape from the Republic with our aid," he says. "But again I must emphasise that you're safe in our hands. Right now we're in a cavern by the edge of a reservoir. The nearest civilisation is easily five miles away." I think quickly. I have two options: reveal my lack of knowledge or disguise it for as long as possible, feigning unwillingness to cooperate. I'd have to take a chance either way. <a data-passage="128">"I'll do it."</a> <a data-passage="129">"I need more time."</a>

kneel.\ <<append "#output">><br> I am hoisted to my feet almost immediately, but not before I feel the touch of her cheek in my palm. It is [[stained.->123]]<</append>>

fail.\ <<append "#output">><br> He brings me to a stop and mumbles something I do not hear. And then I find myself falling down a flight of stairs, and the world loses its surrealness. I am acutely aware of being pulled back just in time. We enter some sort of cellar, where he eases me into a chair. "[[Gabriel->124]]," he begins.<</append>>

@@#output;<div align='center'><span class="title">Chapter 8</span></div>I am not sure I heard him correctly. He releases my hand, and it hangs from my shoulder. "You've done well, Gabriel. No one has managed to escape from the Republic the way you did. That in itself justifies a place in Discrepancy." I say nothing. I am <<linkreplace "unable to.">><<include "132 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;Gradually do I become conscious of my physical position. Groggy awareness gives swift way to alertness as adrenaline courses through my body. I am <<linkreplace "on a bed.">><<include "136 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;I am stunned. So this was why I'd been made a bartender. It wasn't merely that they wanted me gone, as I had suspected. It was far worse: the Republic wanted me as an operational scapegoat, as an unconscious killing machine. And I had, even by preventing Raff's death, contributed to their goal, precisely because the odour of the poison had been too strong, and because I'd unknowingly betrayed this fact by keeping Raff alive. Images of mask-wearing figures hunched over petri dishes in their renewed attempt to concoct a better, subtler poison invade my mind. All of a sudden I am no longer Gabriel the bartender, but Gabriel the <<linkreplace "brewer.">><<include "135 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

"Think hard. Was anything amiss while you were a bartender?" "One of my customers was almost poisoned," I say after some thought. "Someone tried to frame me as the killer." He leaves the question unasked. I leave the answer [[unspoken.->134 Line 1]]

@@#output;"And in any case," he continues, "what information we might have salvaged from your account would have been unreliable. The sheer length of the mission made sure of that. Time would have distorted your memory of the incident, and what you <i>think</i> you saw and what <i>actually</i> happened would have been two different things altogether. Your reaction when questioned — that was more important by far. We intended it, in fact, as a test, and I'm pleased to say you passed. Your ability to think on your feet and assess a situation quickly will serve us well, <<linkreplace "I'm sure.">><<include "133 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>"

My mind flashes back to the conversation we had hours, possibly days ago. I must have fainted upon hearing what had happened to Hazel, and he must have brought me into this room. On impulse I try to speak — to ask about my current whereabouts, about anything at all. Instead I succeed only in breaking into a fit of coughs. "Don't speak," he warns. "You can tell me what you want [[later.->138]]"

@@#output;Over the next few days I rest here, spending long hours pacing around as I attempt in vain to overcome my horror at the Republic's actions. Throughout this period he remains with me, <<linkreplace "attending to my every need.">><<include "138 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;It's true that I have not forgiven him for what he did to Hazel. Firsthand knowledge of the Republic's crimes has made the notion of abandoning a fellow victim utterly unthinkable. At the same time, I owe him my <<linkreplace "life.">>life — or, more accurately, <i>lives</i>.<</linkreplace>> If not for him, I would not even be alive to consider the possibility of refusal. And if he were to kill me afterwards, he would merely be bestowing on me a status that should have been mine <<linkreplace "a long time ago.">><<include "139 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;"Of course," he says. "You needn't feel pressured to decide now." He starts to say something else — a word of consolation, perhaps — but cuts himself short, settling into the role of a <<linkreplace "listener.">><<include "140 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

<<nobr>><div align='center'><span class="title">The End</span></div><div align='center'>(ending 5 of 6)</div><br> <div align='center'><<link "Play again">><<run Engine.restart()>><</link>></div><</nobr>>

Or could he?\ <<append "#output">><br> I make a split-second decision. "Look, I have nothing to offer. I saw nothing that night." "Nothing at all?" "Nothing." My voice is firm. "I bumped into a man in black by sheer accident. I don't even know why I went out at that time." As I speak I feel the reassuring weight of my only bargaining chip disappear like sand through my fingers. [[Nothing remains.->131]]<</append>>

I'm sure.\ <<append "#output">><br> Only part of me takes in his words; the rest is in denial. Denial not just of having been spared, but of the offer that has followed. "I understand this is a lot to take in," he says, gently. "I hope you'll give me a chance, <<linkreplace "and yourself, as well.">><<include "133 Line 2">><</linkreplace>>"<</append>>

@@#output;"We've been aware for some time now of a certain biological weapon aimed at individuals deemed troublesome. The concept of direct removal isn't new, as you yourself know. So why the change of strategy? There is only one explanation: the Republic is worried. Fewer are buying into their stories, which are increasingly removed from reality. Discrepancy is not the only organisation that has arisen in protest. A <<linkreplace "heartening number of people">><<include "134 Line 2">><</linkreplace>> are becoming enlightened each day.

kneel.\ <<append "#output">><br> I am hoisted to my feet almost immediately, but not before I feel the touch of her cheek in my palm. It is [[stained.->123]]<</append>>

"I already have," he says, curtly. Yet his voice is soft, not harsh, and his tone is one of sadness, not spite. "What—" "She didn't give you away." It comes suddenly: one moment I don't understand, the next I do. Why Hazel hadn't said anything this evening. Why he asked about Hazel's involvement with the cube. What he meant when he said he'd seen worse. He'd been referring to me. I'd seen too much, and Hazel had refused to talk. The Republic had [[dealt with each of us accordingly.->136]]

attending to my every need.\ <<append "#output">><br> When he is satisfied with my recovery, he tries again. <a data-passage="139">"I'll talk."</a> <a data-passage="138A">"Go to hell."</a><</append>>

on a bed.\ <<append "#output">><br> "Gabriel," says a voice, "are you alright?" Footsteps; hands on my shoulders helping me sit up. The nausea in my stomach is amplified by my disorientation. My head rings painfully. "Breathe," he orders. [[I do.->137]]<</append>>

heartening number of people\ <<append "#output">><br> "All this means that the Republic is in urgent need of a reliable disposal method, without which the truth will eventually dawn. This is where the poison comes in. We haven't been able to obtain a sample, but of its potency there is no doubt. The very chemicals that make it up are such that they can deny <i>any</i> affiliation with the target, who would appear on all levels to be the victim of a third party. Convicting a second opponent is merely a matter of pointing fingers. Just like that, <<linkreplace "two birds">><<include "134 Line 3">><</linkreplace>> are killed with one stone."<</append>>

two birds\ <<append "#output">><br> "And I'm the first to handle the poison?" My voice is a whisper. "You're the first to <i>detect</i> the poison," he says, letting his words be followed by a few seconds of silence. "You ask how you are of use, making the assumption that your blindness is, necessarily, a limitation. Yet it was this very condition, Gabriel, that led you to become much more reliant on your other senses, [[sharpening them greatly->135]] in the process."<</append>>

unable to.\ <<append "#output">><br> "Hypocritical as this sounds, obtaining valuable information is just icing on the cake. It was what first brought you to our attention, yes, but as the mission grew in complexity, it was you, not your knowledge, that became the focus of our efforts." He lets his point sink in. I continue to [[gawk.->133]]<</append>>

doesn't manifest in my expression.\ <<append "#output">><br> I think quickly. I have two options: reveal my lack of knowledge or disguise it for as long as possible, feigning unwillingness to cooperate. I'd have to take a chance either way. <a data-passage="128">"I'll do it."</a> <a data-passage="129">"I need more time."</a><</append>>

sheer accident.\ <<append "#output">><br> I brace myself for an interminable silence as he decides what to do with me. Instead, I feel my hand being taken in his. "No matter," he says. "[[Welcome to Discrepancy.->132]]" He gives my hand a shake.<</append>>

brewer.\ <<append "#output">><br> "You realise now the full extent of their wickedness," he continues, as though I weren't about to faint. "No doubt you realise, too, that they must be stopped. And so I implore you once again to join us. We need you." I take in his words numbly. Every breath is a shudder. <a data-passage="140">"Can I have more time?"</a> <a data-passage="141">"No."</a><</append>>

<<nobr>><div align='center'><span class="title">The End</span></div><div align='center'>(ending 6 of 6)</div><br> <div align='center'><<link "Play again">><<run Engine.restart()>><</link>></div><</nobr>>

@@#output;I lie awake that night, listening intently. Far off in the distance I think I hear a crash, as of furniture toppling over. Apart from that I detect <<linkreplace "nothing unusual.">><<include "144 Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

<<nobr>><div align='center'><span class="title">The End</span></div><div align='center'>(ending 2 of 6)</div><br> <div align='center'>[[Retry from Chapter 6->93]]</div> <div align='center'><<link "Restart">><<run Engine.restart()>><</link>></div><<unset $stallalcohol, $stalllime, $stallshaker, $mojitoone, $mojitotwo, $mojitothree, $mojitofour, $mojitoice, $jungleone, $jungletwo, $junglethree, $junglefour, $junglefive, $jungleice, $frenchone, $frenchtwo, $frenchthree, $frenchfour, $frenchice, $strawberryone, $strawberrytwo, $strawberrythree, $strawberryfour, $strawberryice>><<set $hint to 1>><</nobr>>

nothing unusual.\ <<append "#output">><br> No one comes that night, or the night after that. Some time after the incident, I overhear a passing comment by one of the guards about a break-in at <<if $mojitoice is 1>>The Gypsy<<elseif $frenchice is 1>>590 Road<<elseif $jungleice is 1>>Kingfisher Bay<</if>>. I don't see $cyclingResult [[ever again.->145]]<</append>>

<<print variableList>>

Everything happens for a reason.\ <<append "#output">><br> I think about that customer's words and nod. There'd been a deeper meaning to his words, no doubt about it. But what? "If that's all, I'll take my leave," Raff says. "I look forward to my Negroni tomorrow." <<linkreplace "The door closes behind him.">><<include "29 Line 2">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

slightly larger fraction of the lime peel.\ <<append "#output">><br> At first I am encouraged by the fact that my hand is perfectly dry. Whether it was really a lime, or some sort of rubber sphere, Raff had indeed tampered with this object and meant for me to find it. I really am making progress. Tonight might just be the <<linkreplace "last night">><<include "67 Line 2">><</linkreplace>> I spend at Queen Scott Dam, the last night I'm subject to this black, unholy madness.<</append>>

I've seen worse.\ <<append "#output">><br> "What do you mean?" There is a long pause. Then he asks, "How did you know that what we gave you was a synthetic ice cube?" "Hazel told me." My voice is bitter. "[[Are you or are you not going to answer my question?->126]]"<</append>>

At the last moment I hesitate, for what reason or combination of reasons I am not sure. Maybe a certain premonition alerted me to Mildred's scrutinising gaze, or maybe it was the excitement of the past few hours that aroused a precautionary instinct. Whatever the cause, some last shred of doubt must have remained. And then it is too late. The next few days bleed into one another as I am kept lifelessly awake by the dilemma of whether to confess my interaction with Discrepancy, or attempt the sisyphean task of seeking out temporary hiding places for the cube. It doesn't take long for me to realise the futility of my situation. Either way, I am [[doomed.->147]]

<<nobr>><div align='center'><span class="title">The End</span></div><div align='center'>(ending 3 of 6)</div><br> <div align='center'>[[Retry from Chapter 6->93]]</div> <div align='center'><<link "Restart">><<run Engine.restart()>><</link>></div><<unset $stallalcohol, $stalllime, $stallshaker, $mojitoone, $mojitotwo, $mojitothree, $mojitofour, $mojitoice, $jungleone, $jungletwo, $junglethree, $junglefour, $junglefive, $jungleice, $frenchone, $frenchtwo, $frenchthree, $frenchfour, $frenchice, $strawberryone, $strawberrytwo, $strawberrythree, $strawberryfour, $strawberryice>><<set $hint to 1>><</nobr>>

@@#output;No amount of words can do justice to the instability of those first few days. Or nights, I can't remember; all was red and black, always. Nor were my other senses spared. Horrible, ululating shrieks split the air as far as the ear could see, and echoes rang that were not of this earth. A faint miasma of decay clung to every available surface of my cramped, claustrophobic cell, heralding the <<linkreplace "fate">><<include "Line 2A">><</linkreplace>> that lurked just beyond.

But even the most potent of prayers are prone to overuse, and my life, I'm sure, would sooner or later have been extinguished by my own hand. That the timing of their arrival precluded this fate came strictly as a relief. Wretched is he who must decide between painless extinction and tormented, protracted existence, and I was glad the choice was not mine. <<linkreplace "Look around">>==Look== [[Grope around->8]]<</linkreplace>>

fate\ <<append "#output">><br> Call it schadenfreude, but when a person is suddenly plunged into such chaos and confusion as is unspeakable save in fancy, it is only fitting that he does everything in his power to survive, no matter how self-serving his actions may be. Accordingly I clung to the twisted tales of my former friends, reciting their dark depictions like an accursed prayer, not once tiring of the reminder that I was, unlike the protagonists of these tales, still [[alive and breathing.->2B]]<</append>>

sit.\ <<append "#output">><br> The chair is unaccountably comfortable, and in the darkness my imagination wanders frightfully, piecing together the warped truths of my adrenaline-distorted senses to form the most absurd of bizarreries. Nightmare visions of stained knives and hideous grinning faces abound with [[startling clarity.->4]]<</append>>

A voice, positively and blessedly human, banishes the mirthful demons for the nonce. "You'll work the evening shift every day, starting today. Everything you need is on the shelves behind you. At the end of your shift, someone will escort you back to the halfway house." <a data-passage="5">"Shift?"</a> <a data-passage="5">"Halfway house?"</a> <a data-passage="6">"Just get it over with."</a>

My voice, shrill with fear, is answered with silence. I hear footsteps leading away followed by the sound of a door being slammed. I am alone, or [[so it would seem.->5 Line 1]]

My voice, shrill with fear, is answered with silence. I hear footsteps leading away followed by the sound of a door being slammed. I am alone, or so it would seem. Something in the tone of his voice had signalled at once to me that he was being truthful, albeit in the loosest sense of the word — that somehow he was sincere about what he said, and was not merely making a superficial attempt to amplify my confusion and fill me with false hopes, for such a reason as I can hardly conceive. No, his voice had been <<linkreplace "deliberate">>deliberate <<replace "#deliberate-replace">>—<i> purposeful</i> —<</replace>><</linkreplace>>@@#deliberate-replace;,@@ and of the significance of his words there is <<linkappend "no question whatsoever.">> The realisation brings a sense of relief utterly foreign as the fear hitherto gripping my mind turns hollow; the next instant sees its submission to the much stronger sway of reason. I still am in danger, of course, and to let my guard down would not be prudent in the least, but I am certain now that the threat is not an immediate peril but a lurking menace, one whose exact nature remains to be seen. And if, as the earnest magnitude of his voice seems to suggest, there is even the slightest chance of survival, it is absolutely critical that I pay religious attention to my surroundings at all times. [[Reflect on recent events->2A]] <<linkreplace "Look around">>==Look== [[Grope around->8]]<</linkreplace>><</linkappend>>

only conscious thoughts.\ <<append "#output">><br> A fresh gnawing in my stomach awakens me to the passage of time, and I struggle to sit up. The moment I do, nauseous awareness of my current state and the preceding chaos overwhelms me. My attempts to regain control are pitiful at best. I splash in and out of the sea of despair, fluctuating dangerously between fragile, short-lived composure and absolute, unadulterated hysteria. At length, nerve-tortured and restive from sheer emotional exhaustion, I give vent to an inhuman bellow. [[Faint->9A]] [[Try to recover->9A]]<</append>>

@@#output;The despair in my chest grows with each passing second, and primal, penetrating fear alone of plunging into the abyss of madness prevents my faculties from willfully overloading themselves, holding me doggedly in a state of frozen panic. In that state I remain for what seem like aeons, the rhythm of my breaths and the pulse of my heart forming my <<linkreplace "only conscious thoughts.">><<include "7A Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;As I sway in my seat, the door swings suddenly open. A single vein of terror whips my heart. Yet under the enduring strain my body, already pushed far beyond sane limits, rejects the imminent adrenaline with singular violence, and I feel, but do not see, the remains of my last meal surging up my gullet and <<linkreplace "onto the floor.">><<include "9A Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;I find myself lying on a hard, flat surface. The pain in my head is almost unendurable. The sound of a nearby chair being pushed back filters hazily into my consciousness. Hands on my back and shoulder support me as I try to sit up. "Take it easy. Here, <<linkreplace "have some water.">><<include "9B Line 1">><</linkreplace>>"

onto the floor.\ <<append "#output">><br> A cry in the distance — footsteps, increasing in volume — a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?" My head is light and my mouth is sour. Fatigue strikes, and I [[don't resist.->9B]]<</append>>

have some water.\ <<append "#output">><br> I drink thirstily, purging the residual acid from my mouth. When I am done I hear the voice asking if I want more, and I nod without a second thought, receiving the glass that it presently offers. Only after finishing this second glass does it occur to me that I just consumed two glasses' worth of <<linkreplace "drinks">>drinks<<replace "#drinks-replace">> That even as I think these thoughts, the poison could be working its way into my bloodstream.<</replace>><</linkreplace>> from a stranger.@@#drinks-replace;@@ <a data-passage="9C">"Thank you."</a> <a data-passage="9D">"Who are you?"</a><</append>>

<<set $introraff to 1>>I strain to speak, and my voice comes out dry and raspy. Thankfully, I am understood. "Don't worry about it. You just sit there and I'll pour myself a Negroni." "A what?" "A Negroni. I'll be right back." He turns and walks away. <a data-passage="9E">"What are you talking about?"</a> <a data-passage="9E">"What Negroni?"</a>

@@#output;I strain to speak, and my voice comes out dry and raspy. I think it is clear even then that I do not trust this man. He appears unintimidated, however. "I'm Raff. And you are?" "Gabriel." "Pleasure to meet you. I've never seen a <<linkreplace "blind bartender">><<include "9D Line 1">><</linkreplace>> before."

fearful of death (even if he doesn't admit it) hopeful that he is not going to die, because of the sincerity of the guard's voice despair because he realises that he is completely helpless panicking and struggling to control his emotions emotional exhaustion from the alternating successes and failures that arise from this struggle final shock when the door opens collapses because the accumulated stress is too much for his body to handle awakens with a headache no disbelief, just indifference, when he hears that he's a bartender, because he's too tired

@@#output;He pauses. "You're the new bartender, right?" "<i>Bartender</i>?" I make a feeble move to pinch myself, but the pain in my head is evidence enough. The by now all-too-familiar feeling of not knowing what to believe — not knowing what to <i>think</i> — confronts me once again, though this time I am simply <<linkreplace "too numb to care.">><<include "9E Line 1">><</linkreplace>>

too numb to care.\ <<append "#output">><br> It was this layer of indifference, I think, that proved instrumental to my final recovery. If not for it, I would have had neither the strength nor the willingness to commit to the outrageous notion this seemingly otherworldly stranger proposed, taking that crucial first step towards <<linkreplace "solid, reassuring reality.">><<include "9E Line 2">><</linkreplace>> Instead I would have continued to exist in that terrible, unpredictable dream state in which there are no laws, drifting further and further out to sea until I lost all touch with the physical realm. I shudder to think what might have happened then.<</append>>

solid, reassuring reality.\ <<append "#output">><br> As it was, I took his words with a pinch of salt, maintaining a degree of distance between his words and the reality they described which ultimately approached rather than accosted me. If it turned out to be <<linkreplace "true">>true<<replace "#true-replace">> — that for some mad, inconceivable reason, I really am a bartender working the evening shift —<</replace>><</linkreplace>>@@#true-replace;,@@ then I would have long since gotten used to the idea, and would not be startled if it struck me later. And if it was a lie all along, I [[wouldn't have been too invested in the idea anyway.->9F]]<</append>>

too numb to care.\ <<append "#output">><br> It was this layer of indifference, I think, that proved instrumental to my final recovery. If not for it, I would have had neither the strength nor the willingness to commit to the outrageous notion this seemingly otherworldly stranger proposed, taking that crucial first step towards <<linkreplace "solid, reassuring reality.">><<include "9D Line 3">><</linkreplace>> Instead I would have continued to exist in that terrible, unpredictable dream state in which there are no laws, drifting further and further out to sea until I lost all touch with the physical realm. I shudder to think what might have happened then.<</append>>

blind bartender\ <<append "#output">><br> "<i>Bartender?</i>" I make a feeble move to pinch myself, but the pain in my head is evidence enough. The by now all-too-familiar feeling of not knowing what to believe — not knowing what to <i>think</i> — confronts me once again, though this time I am simply <<linkreplace "too numb to care.">><<include "9D Line 2">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

@@#output;To claim that I didn't have a creeping suspicion of the truthfulness of his words — that from the outset I was destined to be a bartender — would not be faithful to the narrative. <<linkappend "Certain hints">>, the most prominent being the intoxicating smell of alcohol,<</linkappend>> had registered themselves in my subconscious mind. But it would likewise be inaccurate to discount the role of fatigue, since the risk of an emotional relapse was far too great, which fatigue alone prevented. Regardless, the reader would doubtless have suspected the <<linkreplace "truth">><<include "9F Line 1">><</linkreplace>> by now, even if, as was the case for me, getting used to it takes some time.

truth\ <<append "#output">><br> <<if $introraff is 1>>The stranger, whose name I learn is Raff,<<else>>Raff<</if>> is kind enough to accompany me through the night, showing me where each of the alcohols are and helping me with the orders that stream in. Most of the customers are regulars like Raff, and he talks to them while assisting me. Then another customer, one Raff doesn't recognise, volunteers to help. I learn that her name is Mildred. <a data-passage="9G">"Do you come here often?"</a> <a data-passage="9H">"Where are you from?"</a> <a data-passage="9I">"What brings you here?"</a><</append>>

@@#output;She hesitates. "No, I don't. I came today because, well, I had something on my mind." She says nothing more. Raff coughs. "Well, I should get going." I thank him, and he takes his leave. Mildred helps me with the remaining orders, then sets up the <<linkreplace "record player.">><<include "9G Line 2">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;"Oh, you know, nearby," she says vaguely. Raff coughs. "Well, I should get going." I thank him, and he takes his leave. Mildred helps me with the remaining orders, then sets up the <<linkreplace "record player.">><<include "9G Line 2">><</linkreplace>>

@@#output;"I was thinking of getting a drink, but I'm not really in the mood for one now." She says nothing more. Raff coughs. "Well, I should get going." I thank him, and he takes his leave. Mildred helps me with the remaining orders, then sets up the <<linkreplace "record player.">><<include "9G Line 2">><</linkreplace>>

record player.\ <<append "#output">> <i>Waiting for the sunrise, soul dancing in the dark Summer night city Walking in the moonlight, love-making in a park <<linkreplace "Summer night city">><<include "9G Line 3">><</linkreplace>></i><</append>>

Summer night city\ <<append "#output">><br> It would be reasonably safe to assert at this point that I am confident of the reality I'm in, insofar as the concept of reality is meaningful. To be sure, I am not fully convinced of my complete consciousness — not fully sure if I have already fallen victim to the clutches of madness, and if all this is an elaborate construct of my delirious, raving mind. But the other, arguably more rational part of me is already contemplating such questions as why the Republic could possibly want me to work as a bartender, and why my blindness seems to be part of the equation. These questions persist as I am taken — fancifully or otherwise — out of the bar and into the halfway house where I would, conceivably, spend [[the rest of my life.->20]]<</append>>

What was I doing on the streets at midnight on the fifth of May, 1978? Nevermind their interrogation; it is [[a question I ask myself.->1A]]

My voice, shrill with fear, is answered with a cold, unfeeling laugh. "If I were you, I'd wish I were dead too." I hear footsteps leading away followed by the sound of a door being slammed. I am alone, or so it would seem. Something in the tone of his voice had signalled at once to me that he was being truthful, albeit in the loosest sense of the word — that somehow he was sincere about what he said, and was not merely making a superficial attempt to amplify my confusion and fill me with false hopes, for such a reason as I can hardly conceive. No, his voice had been <<linkreplace "deliberate">>deliberate<<replace "#deliberate-replace">> —<i> purposeful</i> —<</replace>><</linkreplace>>@@#deliberate-replace;,@@ and of the significance of his words there is <<linkappend "no question whatsoever.">> The realisation brings a sense of relief utterly foreign as the fear hitherto gripping my mind turns hollow; the next instant sees its submission to the much stronger sway of reason. I still am in danger, of course, and to let my guard down would not be prudent in the least, but I am certain now that the threat is not an immediate peril but a lurking menace, one whose exact nature remains to be seen. And if, as the earnest magnitude of his voice seems to suggest, there is even the slightest chance of survival, it is absolutely critical that I pay religious attention to my surroundings at all times. [[Reflect on recent events->2A]] <<linkreplace "Look around">>==Look== [[Grope around->8]]<</linkreplace>><</linkappend>>

every observation\ <<append "#output">><br> It occurs to me, however, that I am only resistant to this reality because it <<linkreplace "seems unrealistic.">> seems unrealistic — because I cannot, even after weeks of contemplation, come up with a single plausible reason for the Republic to want me here.<</linkreplace>> And if that is the case, my plan should be to put aside my doubts for the moment and make the bold assumption that everything I observe is real, gathering as much information as possible. Only this way, I reason, can I stumble upon the truth and attain [[peace of mind.->21]]<</append>>

I am not completely helpless in this pursuit. Unsure though I was of the reality in which I existed, I took note of things that captured my attention and that I felt might be useful one day. I focus now on these things. Raff's act — indeed, <i>acts</i> — of kindness boggles me still. He was also my first customer. What had been his motive, if he had any, for helping me that day? Could he be allied with the Republic, and could his goal be to extract information from me after gaining my trust? I had denied all affiliation with Discrepancy when questioned, and they hadn't believed me. Could Raff be some kind of [[secret agent->22]] tasked with scrutinising my speech and catching me off guard?

I am not completely helpless in this pursuit. Unsure though I was of the reality in which I existed, I took note of things that captured my attention and that I felt might be useful one day. I focus now on these things. The guards who accompany me to and from the bar every day are the same guards who issued that gruff, enigmatic line about working the evening shift, offering no aid as I struggled to find my bearings. Yet, although they still don't say a word, they now treat me more than decently, guiding me to my seat and making sure I am comfortable before taking their leave — quietly, without slamming the door. Why this abrupt change in attitude? Is my position somehow [[important->22]] to the Republic?

"Man—" "Don't mind me asking. I wouldn't want you making a mess, that's all. I'm comfortable with whatever you're comfortable with." I am grateful for his thoughtfulness, and tell him so. "Most cocktails aren't in my repertoire to be honest," I say. "So you may as well order as you like." At this the customer pauses for such a long while that I'm tempted to prompt him. <a data-passage="26">"Are you there?"</a> <a data-passage="26">"I'd recommend a screwdriver."</a> <a data-passage="26">"Could you hurry, please?"</a>

taken her place beside me.\ <<append "#output">><br> My blood turns to ice. The sound of Mildred's footsteps is blurred by the pounding in my ears. Is this the moment of truth? Am I about to lose what I should have lost weeks ago? Disturbingly reminiscent are the agonising seconds in which I wait in darkness. Perhaps worse because of that damned record player blaring songs of someone else's choosing, keeping from me the secret of which is to be [[my last.->35 Line 2]]<</append>>

Only later that night does it occur to me that the Republic would have killed me upon capture if their intention was to do so, and that there is little logic in first establishing me as a bartender and <i>then</i> killing me when they might have done so in a much less costly setting. But to expect my transfixed mind to arrive even at these basic conclusions would be unreasonable. So engaged was I with my emotions that nothing could hope to register, least of all thoughts running counter to the certainty of <<linkappend "doom.">> For the moment, there is only giddying relief when Mildred walks away, and happy awareness of the line of impatient customers in front of me. I realise I am [[trembling.->36]]<</linkappend>>

I feel the cogs in my mind begin to turn for the first time in aeons — but I jam them violently. There is to be no thinking. All wanderings of the mind must be banished. So I shall not. The mind, not the Republic, is the greatest enemy; this I know now. If only I'd known sooner! I would have been spared so much grief, averted so much misery. Instead I suffered a horror of my own fabrication, and endured what no man should endure. But as I have lived to tell the tale, so will I live to spread the word. Critical thinking, baseless imagination — these must be rooted out and destroyed. Blind acceptance and active resignation — [[these we should all strive for.->ENDING 5]]

@@#output;"And what's more, I'm <<linkreplace "bringing three friends with me tomorrow">><<include "80 Line 1">><</linkreplace>> to revel in that confidence."

<<nobr>><div align='center'><span class="title">The End</span></div><div align='center'>(ending 1 of 6)</div><br> <div align='center'><<link "Play again">><<run Engine.restart()>><</link>></div><</nobr>>

I feel the cogs in my mind begin to turn for the first time in aeons — but I jam them violently. There is to be no thinking. All wanderings of the mind must be banished. <i>But?</i> I want nothing more than to dismiss the thought, and I know I could — <i>should</i> — and never look back. There is no reason whatsoever to hesitate. [[And yet.->Line 81A]]

@@#output;The idea is this: <i>But maybe, just maybe, the situation is not as bad as I originally conceived it to be. Maybe my despair is gratuitous.</i> What then? For a start, I can think of a few facts. Innocent ones, or so I assume. <<linkreplace "Fact #1:">><<include "81 Line 2">><</linkreplace>>

Slept well\ <<append "#output">><br> I understand at once. I turn to her calmly. <a data-passage="95">"Give it back."</a> <a data-passage="95">"Where is it?"</a><</append>>

this object\ <<append "#output">><br> I note, without haste, that Hazel's schedule may not be as consistent as mine, and that the guards could come for her any second. I also note, again without hurry, that $cyclingResult had gone to great lengths to pass me this thing. I need it now. It is as simple as that. <a data-passage="98">"I'll talk."</a> <a data-passage="102">"Promise you'll give it back."</a><</append>>

@@#output;I reach only seconds before a group of customers. Mildred is among them. "Good evening." It is the voice of $cyclingResult. <<linkreplace "Another">><<include "107 Line 1">><</linkreplace>> takes its place.

@@#output;Life was <<linkappend "good.">> Crime was low; few, if any, went hungry.<</linkappend>> Critics who voiced their dissatisfaction — not many on account of the high standards of living — were simply outcasts who were found to have committed some other crime and who thus deserved to be taken into custody. It <<linkreplace "made sense">><<include "Line 1A">><</linkreplace>>: there was little to complain about the Republic, and those who did were often victims of childhood trauma, rebels at heart who thought they were against the world.

things to show/tell the reader: - the protagonist is blind - the name of the rebel group is Discrepancy, AND they are a tight-knit brotherhood of members sworn to secrecy - the corruption of the Republic things that are NOT necessary: - the protagonist's name is Gabriel things to settle: - exactly how corrupt the Republic is: on one hand, society is rich and well-off enough for a bar (which does not simply exist in the middle of nowhere), and also people have financial and individual autonomy to visit it and spend money there (and choose whatever drinks they want, as though it were a normal bar). this shows that the rule of the Republic doesn't seem to affect the day-to-day lifestyle of ordinary citizens. on the other hand, the Republic seizes people whom it deems troublesome and deals with them brutally. possible solution that fits both these criteria is to have a party that on the surface takes good care of its citizens but has an extremely well-hidden "dark side".

@@#output;Here are the facts: May 3 was the day the Republic officially recognised the underground organisation Discrepancy in a press release. May 5 was the day I was <<linkreplace "not alone">><<include "Line 1B">><</linkreplace>> on the streets.

not alone\ <<append "#output">><br> The Republic — as was only logical — punished me for <<linkreplace "seeing too much.">><<include "Line 1B 2">><</linkreplace>> I won't detail what they did, but I will say that the rumours are true.<</append>>

made sense\ <<append "#output">><br> But there is no such thing as dictatorship without resistance, even when the dictators in question give the semblance of providing for their citizens. Or, put another way: there is no such thing as benevolent dictatorship. Discontent may have been nonexistent, but not [[distrust.->1B]]<</append>>

seeing too much.\ <<append "#output">><br> My name is Gabriel, and I am <<link "          " "3">><</link>>.<</append>>

Another\ <<append "#output">><br> "My friend would like the French 75?" says a voice heavily accented. "Also a Jungle Bird and a strawberry daiquiri. And for myself, a mo-jee-to." I pause. <a data-passage="110">"You mean a mojito?"</a> <a data-passage="111">"Will that be all?"</a><</append>>

"Ah yes, of course." The relief in her voice is plain. Since my conversation with Hazel, two suggestions for the cube's purpose have been brewing in my mind. Customers are arriving, however. I have to hurry. One idea is that the cube contains a toxin which I am meant to slip into the drink of one of my customers — Mildred's almost certainly. That way I could exact revenge on the Republic without getting caught. But [[how would Discrepancy benefit from this?->112]]

"Ah yes, of course." The relief in her voice is plain. Since my conversation with Hazel, two suggestions for the cube's purpose have been brewing in my mind. Customers are arriving, however. I have to hurry. One idea is that the cube has some kind of distinguishing feature which cannot be seen by the naked eye, and which only $cyclingResult can identify. I would therefore have to slip the cube into his drink — or that of one of his companions — as a way of signalling something to him. [[But what?->112]]

"Yes, that is all." She and $cyclingResult take their leave. Since my conversation with Hazel, two suggestions for the cube's purpose have been brewing in my mind. Customers are arriving, however. I have to hurry. One idea is that the cube contains a toxin which I am meant to slip into the drink of one of my customers — Mildred's almost certainly. That way I could exact revenge on the Republic without getting caught. But [[how would Discrepancy benefit from this?->112]]

"Yes, that is all." She and $cyclingResult take their leave. Since my conversation with Hazel, two suggestions for the cube's purpose have been brewing in my mind. Customers are arriving, however. I have to hurry. One idea is that the cube has some kind of distinguishing feature which cannot be seen by the naked eye, and which only $cyclingResult can identify. I would therefore have to slip the cube into his drink — or that of one of his companions — as a way of signalling something to him. [[But what?->112]]

@@#output;Amidst the voices competing to be heard, Hazel's makes one final plea. <i>It's a fake ice cube. There are four halfway houses in the city.</i> I am suddenly aware of the <<linkreplace "significance">><<include "112 Line 1">><</linkreplace>> her words have acquired in the light of $cyclingResult's order. As a customer clears his throat, I pray that this was what she meant all along.

significance\ <<append "#output">><br> Drink names:                                             House names: <b>Strawberry Daiquiri                                590 Road French 75                                                  The Gypsy Jungle Bird                                               <span style="color:red">Queen Scott Dam</span> Mojito                                                        Kingfisher Bay</b> (Note: the order of drink and house names is arbitrary) [[Make the drinks->Ice cube passage]] <<if $hint is 1>>[[Give the matter a little more thought->115]]<</if>><</append>>

Amidst the voices competing to be heard, Hazel's makes one final plea. <i>It's a fake ice cube. There are four halfway houses in the city.</i> I am suddenly aware of the significance her words have acquired in the light of $cyclingResult's order. As a customer clears his throat, I pray that this was what she meant all along. Drink names:                                             House names: <b>Strawberry Daiquiri                                590 Road French 75                                                  The Gypsy Jungle Bird                                               <span style="color:red">Queen Scott Dam</span> Mojito                                                        Kingfisher Bay</b> (Note: the order of drink and house names is arbitrary) [[Make the drinks->Ice cube passage]] <<if $hint is 1>>[[Give the matter a little more thought->115]]<</if>>

short-lived.\ <<append "#output">><br> There is something about dusk that transcends the senses — something about the atmosphere of sacred still that does not require sight to feel and experience. Wholesome are my breaths of night air, and the scent of moonflowers, and the chirping of cicadas no longer muted by bloodstained walls. What annoyance I might have felt is no longer. Words <<linkreplace "fail.">><<include "123 Line 2">><</linkreplace>><</append>>

The only thing more unthinkable than abandoning a fellow victim is the notion of forgiving this heinous act. I ought not to be any less stern on myself. Hazel, too, had desired minimal collective suffering — but unlike me, she had stayed true to her values. I had betrayed her. In so doing, I had [[betrayed myself.->ENDING 4]]

sheer accident.\ <<append "#output">><br> I brace myself for an interminable silence as he decides what to do with me. Instead, I feel him take my hand in his. "No matter," he is saying. "[[Welcome to Discrepancy.->132]]" He gives my hand a shake.<</append>>

<<nobr>><div align='center'><span class="title">The End</span></div><div align='center'>(ending 4 of 6)</div><br> <div align='center'><<link "Play again">><<run Engine.restart()>><</link>></div><</nobr>>

a long time ago.\ <<append "#output">><br> "Nothing at all?" "Nothing." My voice is firm. "I bumped into a man in black by <<linkreplace "sheer accident.">><<include "139 Line 2">><</linkreplace>> I don't even know why I went out at that time."<</append>>

and yourself, as well.\ <<append "#output">><br> It is the first time my bewilderment — indeed, any of my feelings — is validated by someone other than myself. I soften. "But how am I of use now?" "Gabriel, do you know why the Republic made you a bartender?" <a data-passage="134">"No."</a> <a data-passage="134">"Why?"</a> <a data-passage="134">"That question has been haunting me since day one."</a><</append>>

(for beta-testers:) [[Prologue->1]] [[Chapter 1->3]] [[Chapter 2->20]] [[Chapter 3->36]] [[Chapter 4->48]] [[Chapter 5->68]] [[Chapter 6->93]] [[Chapter 7->116]] [[Chapter 8->132]]

Beta testing version is just the "FOR BETA TESTERS" page + chapter titles being linked to "FOR BETA TESTERS" page Passage titled ENDING 5 is actually ending 1

I am, again, grateful for the tree as a distraction, though I find my mind wandering stubbornly back to the incident. It occurs to me that the tree itself could be a clue; then again, I could be reading too much into it. There is [[no sign->56]] of Raff.

"Daiquiri." "Oh?" <a data-passage="50A Line 1">"You heard me."</a>

To my surprise, he answers in the affirmative. "I'd like a daiquiri." I prepare his drink in silence. It <<linkreplace "isn't that unusual, really.">>isn't that unusual, really<<replace "#unusual-replace">> — it still is rum, only mixed with lime juice and a tablespoon of syrup.<</replace>><</linkreplace>>@@#unusual-replace;@@ I serve $cyclingResult his drink and <<linkappend "think nothing more of it.">> Mildred is next in line. "You got a new tree?" "Tree?" "That lime tree on the bar. No one told you about it?" <a data-passage="52">"Lime tree?"</a> <a data-passage="53">"Did you get it for me?"</a><</linkappend>>

I prepare his drink in silence. It <<linkreplace "isn't that unusual, really.">>isn't that unusual, really<<replace "#unusual-replace">> — it still is rum, only mixed with lime juice and a tablespoon of syrup.<</replace>><</linkreplace>>@@#unusual-replace;@@ I serve $cyclingResult his drink and <<linkappend "think nothing more of it.">> Mildred is next in line. "You got a new tree?" "Tree?" "That lime tree on the bar. No one told you about it?" <a data-passage="52">"Lime tree?"</a> <a data-passage="53">"Did you get it for me?"</a><</linkappend>>

He places a hand on my shoulder and says nothing; two of us against the world. Then he lets go. The non-hand hurts — a plaster ripped off too soon, too quickly. [[Dull glass spheres->143]] swell and shimmer. But nothing is left to distort.

<<nobr>><div align='center'><img src="https://i.imgur.com/EMnGGJi.jpg"></div><br><div align='center'>[[Start->1]]</div> <div align='center'>[[About->About]]</div> <div align='center'><<link "Song">><<script>>window.open('https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d5dPYHi17k')<</script>><</link>></div><</nobr>>

Summer Night City is a Twine game written by ghoti for IFComp 2019. I would like to thank Jack Welch, Brian Rushton, Hanon Ondricek and Phela Orm for their feedback and criticism. I would also like to thank <<link "Teagan Dadich">><<script>>window.open('https://www.instagram.com/patchypillow/?hl=en')<</script>><</link>> for designing the art for my entry. Comments are welcome at summernightcities@gmail.com. Thank you for playing! [[Back->Title]]

listener.\ <<append "#output">><br> But I have known the answer since his proposal, and it is not so much a question of changing my mind as it is of mustering the courage to say it. There are things that scar too deeply to permit of healing. Such things are best accepted and [[endured.->142]]<</append>>