The Citadel of Chaos: 177, 5, 40, 243, 352, 216, 294: Good Help

Ah, there's that Firetop Mountain class writing.     

     No one builds a giant black tower of evil and lives at the bottom of it. I'm not heading downwards.

Choice: Doorway: 5

     The butler seems quite likely to know all the secrets of his master, and be perfect for directions. I pull the bell and wait.

Choice: Ring the Bell: 40

     Wow, three clauses of description. They really want me to think this guy is ugly. Calling him a creature seems a bit uncalled for, though. How bad could he possibly–

     –... be? Oh... there goes my lunch.

     Seriously, though, if you've never seen the Crypt Keeper's Richard III, you are missing out. "A corpse, a corpse, my kingdom for a corpse!"

Talkative man.

     My vision of Dirk remains in line with the details of the book. Hurray!

     "Have you no tongue in your head?" I bark. The creature snivels back away from me. I sigh in exasperation and head swiftly down the hall. "I shall have words with your master about this treatment!"

      If that is his butler, I dread to think how clueless his other servants are.

     I like that the decision here is framed not simply as a direction, like so many in the last book, but as an interaction with a character.

Choice: Left Fork: 243

     A large guard suggests something worth gurading. I must be headed the right way. Let the thing slumber and just get across the way.

Choice: Tiptoe through the Darkness: 352

Uh... I have a lantern not a torch. Check the Equipment page.

     Axes are okay as pillows, but personally I prefer a bag of broken glass. Or a landmine. Nothing like a nice cushy landmine.

     The tension in these lines is pretty good. Atmospheric detail, clear threat, random happenstance that gets that threat up. All nicely executed.

Oh, my back. I gotta stop sleeping on blades.

     That is one buff goblin. I see why he keeps a mirror. Got to keep an eye on the guns!

     A Gark? A Gark? I didn't know there were any of those left. It's fascinating to see one in the flesh, a true crossbreed that could not be possible without magic. I mean, it is of course unethical to forcibly breed sentient creatures, which giants are and goblins... might be. There's a lot of debate in the literature. Not that you can trust the wizards of Yore to not be biased against Goblins and other races.

     Not for the first time, I consider that maybe I should check of Balthus Dire needs an apprentice.

     The Gark is staring at me almost as closely as I am staring at it.

     "I am so sorry to wake you," I say. I put as much disdain as I can into the word 'wake'.

Choice: Apologize: 216

     Well, I have neither Gold nor the Fool's Gold Spell.

     "The layout of these halls is most confusing," I put on the airs of the self-important dignitaries that were always visiting the Grand Wizard. "Where are the guest chambers?"

Choice: Lie: 294

     Have I mentioned how much I love this gamebook? I may not be laughing aloud, but this tickles me so much.

     I stare blankly at the offer to take my tunic. "No," I say, "Your guard duties are too important to waste your time on laundry. I'll find a proper servant." I take one last look at the Gark, longing to make a more proper study.

     But, save the kingdom... or drop off a resume. One of the two.

Choice: Press Onwards: 99