(set: $animal to (either: "cat","dog","snake","horse")) (set: $village to (either: "Ulthar","Santa Cruz","Mos Eisley")) ###**The (if: $animal is "cat")[Cats](if: $animal is "dog")[Dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[Snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[Horses] of $village** An adaptation of *The Cats of Ulthar* by H.P. Lovecraft created by Joyce Scalettar. <u>_________________________________________________________</u> In this adaptation, every pass through *The (if: $animal is "cat")[Cats](if: $animal is "dog")[Dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[Snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[Horses] of $village* yields a different variation of the story. In order to achieve this, I have selected several words that I deemed were used often enough in the original story to justify making them constant variables throughout the duration of *The (if: $animal is "cat")[Cats](if: $animal is "dog")[Dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[Snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[Horses] of $village* until you reenter the title page. Then, within each subsequent passage, I made as many words as possible randomly chosen each time a passage is initialized or reframed not only to add even more variability, but also so that the overall flow of the story is not disrupted. [[START THE VARIABLE STORY|Passage1]] | [[Reframe|Title]] (set: $man to (either: "man","elf","child","tiefling","jedi","wizard")) (set: $trap to (either: "trap","cage","bait","seduce","lure")) (set: $kill to (either: "kill","pet","buy","feed","cuss out")) (set: $sphinx to (either: "Sphinx","Unicorn","Cathulu","Basilisk")) (set: $leaders to (either: "burgesses","leaders","aliens","Wizard's Council","Jedi High Council")) (set: $meanie to (either: "the old cotter","Lord Voldemort","Dracula","Emperor Palpatine")) (set: $wife to (either: "wife","Death Eaters","minions","side-kick")) (set: $villagers to (either: "villagers","Rebel Alliance","cultists","taxpayers")) (set: $yard to (either: "yard","swamp","field","enclosure")) (set: $caravan to (either: "caravan","circus","fellowship","convoy")) (set: $wanderers to (either: "wanderers","nomads","hobos","missionaries")) (set: $dark to (either: "dark","colorful","mystical","magical","lonely")) (set: $kid to (either: "Menes","Harry Potter","Doctor Who","Oliver","Anikin")) (set: $color to (either: "black","blue","ginger","chocolate","white")) (set: $Kranon to (either: "Kranon","Umbridge","Cornelius Fudge")) (set: $burgomaster to (either: "burgomaster","official","jedi master")) (set: $Nith to (either: "Nith","Hagrid","Rita Seeker")) (set: $notary to (either: "notary","journalist","bookkeeper","secretary","Keeper of Keys and Grounds","Professor")) (set: $Atal to (either: "Atal","Blaise","Neville","Teddy")) (set: $innkeeper to (either: "innkeeper","golddigger","auror","werewolf")) (set: $Shang to (either: "Shang","Hepheastus","Leo","Vulcan")) (set: $Thul to (either: "Thul","Gary","Bill","Borin"))It is (either: "said","told","alleged","rumored") that in $village, which (either: "lies","exists","stretches") (either: "beyond","near","adjacent to") the (either:"river","lake","divide","plain","mountain","hills","forest") (either:"Skai","Rhun","Angmar","Iron","of Evendim","Lorien"), no $man may $kill a $animal; and this I can (either: "verily","absolutely","assuredly","easily","truly") (either: "believe","accept","feel","grasp") as I (either: "gaze","look","peek","peer") upon him who (either: "sitteth","relaxes","rests","lies","perches") (either: "purring","neighing","barking","hissing") (either: "before","near","beside","close to") the (either: "fire","fence","kitchen counter","window"). For the $animal is (either: "cryptic","obscure","receptive","knowing"), and close to (either: "strange","astonishing","bizarre","curious","odd","outlandish","unusual") things which men cannot (either: "see","understand","perceive","ascertain"). He is the (either: "soul","heart","center","spirit") of (either: "antique","ancient","age-old","timeworn") (either: "Aegyptus","Hades","Hephaestus","Artemis"), and (either: "bearer","carrier","teller","conveyor","courier") of (either: "tales","fables","legends","myths") from (either: "forgotten","abandoned","lost","unrecalled") cities in (either: "Meroë","California","Italy","Texas") and (either: "Ophir","New York","France","Germany"). He is (either: "the kin of","related to", "connected with") the (either: "jungle’s","plain's","forest's","moutain's") lords, and heir to the (either: "secrets","unknown","mystery","past") of (either: "hoary","ancient","timeworn","old") and (either: "sinister","menacing","dire","ominous") (either: "Africa","Spain","Death Star","Mordor"). The $sphinx is his (either: "cousin","roommate","sister-in-law","bestfriend"), and he (either: "speaks","converses in","whispers","yammers") her (either: "language","jargon","prose","words","voice"); but he is more (either: "antique","ancient","age-old","timeworn") than the $sphinx, and (either: "remembers","recalls","recognizes","recollects","treasures") that which she hath (either: "forgotten","buried","erased","surpressed"). [[Title Page|Title]] | [[Reframe|Passage1]] | [[Continue|Passage2]] In $village, (either: "before","preceding","prior") ever the $leaders (either: "forbade","banned","outlawed","prohibitted") the (if: $kill is "kill")[killing](if: $kill is "pet")[petting](if: $kill is "buy")[buying](if: $kill is "feed")[feeding](if: $kill is "cuss out")[cussing out] of (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses], there (either: "dwelt","resided","lived","inhabited","squatted") $meanie and his $wife who (either: "delighted to","loved to") $trap and $kill the (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] of the $villagers. Why they did this I (either: "know","appreciate","see","fathom") not; (either: "save","except","bar","besides") that (either: "many","gobs","heaps","oodles","hordes") (either: "hate","loath","resent","despise","bear a grudge agaisnt","are disgusted with") the (either: "voice","call","company","disruption","flight","rapping","chanting","nervous prostration") of the $animal (either: "in the night","at bedtime","after nightfall","in the gloom","after hours","during witching hour"), and take it (either: "ill","badly","poorly","crudely","unfavorably","awkwardly") that (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] should (either: "run","eat","deficate","do karaoke","get drunk","plant snapdragons","dance","party","spar") (either: "stealthily","clumsily","briskly","enthusiastically","diligently","nimbly") about (if: $yard is "yard")[yards](if: $yard is "swamp")[swamps](if: $yard is "field")[fields](if: $yard is "enclosure")[enclosures] and (either: "gardens","streets","clubs","alleys") at (either: "twilight","2AM","dawn","nightfall"). But whatever the (either: "reason","logic","basis","justification","rationale"), $meanie and $wife (either: "took pleasure in","loved to","relished in","savored","freaked out over","gave thanks for","treasured") (if: $trap is "trap")[trapping](if: $trap is "cage")[caging](if: $trap is "bait")[baiting](if: $trap is "seduce")[seducing](if: $trap is "lure")[luring] and (if: $kill is "kill")[killing](if: $kill is "pet")[petting](if: $kill is "buy")[buying](if: $kill is "feed")[feeding] every $animal which (either: "came near","approached","creeped up","drew near") to their (either: "hovel","hut","hobbit house","cottage","shanty","lean-to"); and from some of the (either: "sounds","noises","voices","racket") heard after (either: "dark","witching hour","nightfall","curfew"), many (if: $villagers is "villagers")[villagers](if: $villagers is "Rebel Alliance")[Alliance members](if: $villagers is "cultists")[cultists](if: $villagers is "taxpayers")[taxpayers] (either: "fancied","believed","considered","felt","declared") that the (either: "manner","practice","procedure","technique","process") of (if: $kill is "kill")[killing](if: $kill is "pet")[petting](if: $kill is "buy")[buying](if: $kill is "feed")[feeding] was (either: "exceedingly","awfully","enormously","vastly","totally") (either: "peculiar","distinct","unusual","bizarre"). But the $villagers did not (either: "discuss","consider","confer","ponder") such things with $meanie and his $wife; because of the (either: "habitual","hardened","creepy","instinctive","manic","happy") expression on the (either: "withered","hidden","dark","evil","sullen") faces of the two, and because their (either: "hovel","hut","hobbit house","cottage","shanty","lean-to") was so (either: "small","cramped","minuscule","puny") and so (either: "darkly","covertly","thickly","gloomily") (either: "hidden","concealed","secluded","cloaked","shrouded") under (either: "spreading","metal","womping","billowing") (either: "oaks","willows","pines","aspens") at the back of a (either: "neglected","deserted","desolate","bare") $yard. In (either: "truth","fact","all honesty"), much as the (either: "owners","masters","overlords","servants") of (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] (either: "hated","abhorred","envied","detested","loathed") these (either: "odd","evil","strange","unpleasant","no good") (either: "folk","chaps","whippersnappers","sith lords","wizards"), they (either: "feared","mistrusted","alarmed") them more; and instead of (either: "berating","reprimanding","apprehending","scolding","castigating") them as (either: "brutal","unforgiving","remorseless","ruthless","cruel","savage","barbarous") (either: "assassins","murderers","sith lords","wizards"), merely took care that no (either: "cherished","beloved","adored","precious") pet or mouser should (either: "stray","wander","venture","meander","roam") toward the (either: "remote","isolated","desolate","neglected","rundown") (either: "hovel","hut","hobbit house","cottage","shanty","lean-to") under the (either: "dark","sinister","ominous","bleak") trees. When through some (either: "unavoidable","inevitable","fated") oversight a $animal was missed, and (either: "sounds","yowels","screeching") (either: "heard","resonated") after (either: "dark","witching hour","nightfall","curfew"), the (either: "loser","griever","mourner") would (either: "lament","cry","weep") (either: "impotently","helplessly","ineptly","feebly","weakly"); or (either: "console","assuage","soothe","comfort") himself by thanking (either: "Fate","karma","God") that it was not one of his (either: "children who","gaming consoles","tv remotes","socks") had thus (either: "vanished","disappeared","gotten lost"). For the people of $village were (either: "simple","basic","innocent","bald"), and knew not whence it is all (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] first (either: "came","arrived","migrated","appeared"). [[Title Page|Title]] | [[Reframe|Passage2]] | [[Continue|Passage3]] One (either: "day","night","fall") a $caravan of (either: "strange","bizzarre","curious","outlandish") $wanderers from the (either: "South","East","mountains","nether") (either: "entered","walked upon","neared") the (either: "narrow","uneven","busy","bustling") (either: "cobbled","paved") streets of $village. (if: $dark is "dark")[Dark](if: $dark is "colorful")[Colorful](if: $dark is "mystical")[Mystical](if: $dark is "magical")[Magical](if: $dark is "lonely")[Lonely] $wanderers they were, and unlike the other (either: "roving","roaming","nomadic") (either: "folk","travelers","wizards","merchants") who passed through $village (either: "twice","many times","five times") every (either: "year","season","summer","decade"). In the (either: "market-place","downtown","boardwalk") they told fortunes for (either: "silver","credits","sickles","free oranges","ice cream"), and bought (either: "gay","holographic","sweet") (either: "beads","chocolate frogs","books") from the (either: "merchants","shopkeepers","vendors","dealers"). What was the (either: "land","home","origin","favorite colors") of these $wanderers none could (either: "tell","deduce","figure"); but it was (either: "seen","observable","noticed") that they were given to (either: "strange","bizzarre","curious","outlandish") (either: "prayers","chants","impulses"), and that they had (either: "painted","etched","burned") on the sides of their (either: "wagons","flying cars","space ships","boats","hoover boards") strange figures with (either: "human","elf","tiefling","dwarf","orc") bodies and the heads of (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses], (either: "hawks","owls","penguins","platupi"), (either: "rams","sheep","goats","shrimp"), and (either: "lions","elephants","slugs","turtles"). And the (either: "leader","chief","overlord","skipperp") of the $caravan wore a (either: "head-dress ","crown","top hat","fedora","baseball cap","hair band") with two horns and a (either: "curious","shiny","sparkly","rainbow") (either: "disc","rubber duck","sphere","stone","flower") betwixt the horns. There was in this (either: "singular","particular","unique","bizarre") $caravan a little boy with no father or mother, but only a (either: "tiny","fat","quite","scruffy") $color $animal to (either: "cherish","love","adore","care for"). The (either: "plague","wizarding war","epidemic","solitude") had not been (either: "kind","forgiving","considerate","courteous") to him, yet had left him this (either: "small","fat","quite","scruffy") (either: "furry","scaly","shaggy"), thing to (either: "mitigate","alleviate","assuage","dull","pacify") his (either: "sorrow","grief","heartache","hardship"); and when one is very (either: "young","lonely","unhappy"), one can find great (either: "relief","comfort","consolation","solace") in the lively (either: "antics","shenanigans","naughtiness") of a $color $animal. So the boy whom the $dark people called $kid (either: "smiled","laughed","beamed","grinned") more often than he (either: "wept","grieved","mourned","shed tears") as he sate (either: "playing","frolicing","romping") with his (either: "graceful","nimble","beautiful","spirited","impish") $animal on the steps of an oddly (either: "painted","etched","colored","designed") (either: "wagon","flying car","space ship","boat","plane"). [[Title Page|Title]] | [[Reframe|Passage3]] | [[Continue|Passage4]] On the third (either: "morning","daybreak","day","dawn") of the (if: $wanderers is "wanderers")[wanderers'](if: $wanderers is "nomads")[nomads'](if: $wanderers is "hobos")[hobos'](if: $wanderers is "missionaries")[missionaries'] stay in $village, $kid could not find his $animal; and as he (either: "sobbed","wept","panicked","whimpered") aloud in the (either: "market-place","downtown","boardwalk") certain (if: $villagers is "villagers")[villagers](if: $villagers is "Rebel Alliance")[Alliance members](if: $villagers is "cultists")[cultists](if: $villagers is "taxpayers")[taxpayers] told him of $meanie and his $wife, and of (either: "sounds","noises","voices","racket") heard in the night. And when he heard these things his (either: "sobbing","weeping","panicking","whimpering") gave place to (either: "meditation","contemplation","consideration","deep thought"), and finally to (either: "prayer","chanting","wand waving"). He (either: "stretched","threw","spread") out his arms toward the sun and (either: "prayed","chanted","spoke","sang","rasped") in a (either: "tongue","language","dialect","vernacular") no (if: $villagers is "villagers")[villager](if: $villagers is "Rebel Alliance")[Alliance member](if: $villagers is "cultists")[cultist](if: $villagers is "taxpayers")[taxpayer] could (either: "understand","comprehend","deduce","discern","identify"); though indeed the $villagers did not try very hard to (either: "understand","comprehend","deduce","discern","identify"), since their attention was mostly taken up by the (either: "sky","heavens") and the (either: "odd","unusual","strange") shapes the clouds were (either: "assuming","forming","gathering in"). It was very peculiar, but as the little boy uttered his (either: "petition","spell","curse","prayer") there seemed to form (either: "overhead","above") the (either: "shadowy","murky","dark","dreary"), nebulous figures of (either: "exotic","bizarre","unfamiliar","peculiar") things; of hybrid creatures crowned with horn-flanked (either: "discs","rubber ducks","spheres","stones","flowers"). Nature is full of such (either: "illusions","images","formations","hallucinations","fabrications") to impress the (either: "imaginative","creative","fanciful"). [[Title Page|Title]] | [[Reframe|Passage4]] | [[Continue|Passage5]] That (either: "night","dusk","evening","afternoon") the $wanderers left $village, and were never seen again. And the $villagers were (either: "troubled","concerned","anxious","distressed","flustered") when they noticed that in all $village there was not a $animal to be found. From each (either: "hearth","fence","kitchen","window") the familiar $animal had (either: "vanished","disappeared","dematerialized","gone"); (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] large and small, $color, (either: "grey","pink"), (either: "striped","spotted"), (either: "yellow","orange"), and (either: "silver","chestnut"). Old $Kranon, the $burgomaster, (either: "swore","asserted","affirmed","attested","maintained") that the $dark (either: "folk","travelers","wizards","merchants") had taken the (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] away in (either: "revenge","retaliation","retribution","vengeance") for the (if: $kill is "kill")[killing](if: $kill is "pet")[petting](if: $kill is "buy")[buying](if: $kill is "feed")[feeding](if: $kill is "cuss out")[cussing out] of (if: $kid is "Menes")[Menes'](if: $kid is "Harry Potter")[Harry Potter's](if: $kid is "Doctor Who")[Doctor Who's](if: $kid is "Oliver")[Oliver's](if: $kid is "Hagrid")[Hagrid's](if: $kid is "Anikin")[Anikin's] $animal; and (either: "cursed","confounded","condemned") the $caravan and the little boy. But $Nith, the (either: "lean","large","brisk","blundering","pushy") $notary, (either: "declared","asserted","announced","stated") that $meanie and his $wife were more (either: "likely","probable","feasible","reasonable") persons to (either: "suspect","consider","presume","mistrust"); for their (either: "hatred","animosity","bitterness","contempt","loathing") of (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] was (either: "notorious","blatant","infamous","well-known") and increasingly (either: "bold","brazen","gutsy","cheeky"). Still, no one durst (either: "complain","accuse","bitch","yammer") to the (either: "sinister","evil","creepy","suspicious","dangerous") pair; even when (either: "little","young","innocent") $Atal, the (if: $innkeeper is "innkeeper")[innkeeper's](if: $inkeeper is "golddigger")[golddigger's](if: $innkeeper is "auror")[auror's](if: $innkeeper is "werewolf")[werewolf's] son, (either: "vowed","sweared","asserted","testified") that he had at (either: "twilight","nightfall","dusk","curfew") seen all the (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] of $village in that (either: "accursed","bedeviled","condemned","damned") $yard under the trees, (either: "pacing","cantering","treading","tramping") very (either: "slowly","calmly","casually","deliberately") and (either: "solemnly","soberly","seriously","earnestly") in a (either: "circle","square","triangle","line") around the (either: "hovel","hut","hobbit house","cottage","shanty","lean-to"), two (either: "abreast","side by side","alongside"), as if in (either: "performance","act","execution","rehearsal","display") of some (either: "unheard-of","exceptional","unusual") (either: "rite","ceremony","communion","practice") of (either: "beasts","animals","creatures","critter"). The $villagers did not know how much to (either: "believe","accept","rely on") from so small a boy; and though they (either: "feared","dreaded") that the (either: "odd","evil","strange","unpleasant","no good") pair had (either: "charmed","lured","attracted","trapped","enticed") the (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] to their (either: "death","demise","end","destruction"), they preferred not to (either: "chide","admonish","berate","reprimand") $meanie till they met him outside his (either: "dark","sinister","ominous","bleak") and (either: "repellent","foul","loathsome","abhorrent") $yard. [[Title Page|Title]] | [[Reframe|Passage5]] | [[Continue|Passage6]] So $village went to (either: "sleep","slumber","rest","catch a few z's") in (either: "vain","futile","forlorn") (either: "anger","annoyance","distress","discontent"); and when the people (either: "awaked","woke up","roused","reanimated") at (either: "dawn","daybreak","sunrise")—behold! every $animal (either: "was back","had reappeared","was reinstated") at his (either: "accustomed","familiar","usual","regular") (either: "hearth","fence","kitchen counter","window")! (either: "Large","Broad","Voluminous") and (either: "small","petite","slight"), $color, (either: "grey","pink"), (either: "striped","spotted"), (either: "yellow","orange"), and (either: "silver","chestnut"), none was (either: "missing","absent","gone","not present"). Very (either: "sleek","smooth","soft") and (either: "fat","plump","heavy","hefty","portly") did the (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] appear, and (either: "sonorous","resounding","reverberating") with (either: "purring","slobbering","neighing","hissing") (either: "content","happy","peaceful","satisfied","comfort"). The $villagers talked with one another of the (either: "affair","incident","happenings","phenomenon","proceedings"), and (either: "marvelled","stared","goggled","puzzled","mused","pondeed") not a little. (either: "Old","Portly","Haughty") $Kranon again (either: "insisted","asserted","swore","attested","maintained") that it was the $dark (either: "folk","travelers","wizards","merchants") who had (either: "taken","abducted","seized","captured") them, since (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] did not (either: "return","reappear") (either: "alive","breathing") from the (either: "hovel","hut","hobbit house","cottage","shanty","lean-to") of $meanie and his $wife. But all (either: "agreed","concurred") on one thing: that the (either: "refusal","rejection","repulsion") of all the (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] to eat their (either: "portions","meal","helping","ration") of (either: "meat","rice","gummy bears","grass","pet food") or drink their (either: "saucers","bowl","trough") of (either: "milk","blood","water","soda") was exceedingly (either: "strange","bizzarre","curious","outlandish"). And for two whole days the (either: "sleek","smooth","soft"), (either: "lazy","apathetic","careles","lethargic","torpid") (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] of $village would (either: "touch","eat","consume") no (either: "food","cuisine","mice","chow"), but only (either: "doze","sleep","rest","nap") by the (either: "fire","fence","kitchen","window") or in the sun. [[Title Page|Title]] | [[Reframe|Passage6]] | [[Continue|Passage7]] It was (either: "fully a","a whole","almost","over") week before the $villagers (either: "noticed","realized","observed","ascertained") that no (either: "lights","figures","shadows") were (either: "appearing","materializing","arising","looming") at (either: "dusk","nightfall","sundown","twilight") in the windows of the (either: "hovel","hut","hobbit house","cottage","shanty","lean-to") under the trees. Then the (either: "lean","large","brisk","blundering","pushy") $Nith (either: "remarked","declared","asserted","mentioned","observed") that no one had (either: "seen","noticed") $meanie or his $wife since the (either: "night","evening","hours") the (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] were away. In another week the $burgomaster decided to (either: "overcome","conquer","disreguard","rise above","master") his (either: "fears","dread","apprehension","trepidation") and (either: "call","contact","swing by","pop in","drop in") at the (either: "strangely","curiously","creepily","uncommonly","unnaturally") (either: "silent","quiet","soundless","noiseless") (either: "dwelling","hovel","hut","hobbit house","cottage","shanty","lean-to") as (either: "a matter of duty","an obligation","a chore","an obligation"), though in so doing he was careful to take with him $Shang the (either: "blacksmith","shoemaker","bouncer") and $Thul the (either: "cutter of stone","butcher","baker") as (either: "witnesses","backup","aid"). And when they had (either: "broken down","unlocked","smashed down","burned down","pulveriszed") the (either: "frail","graham cracker","cardboard","weak") door they found only this: two (either: "cleanly","meticulously","spotlessly","precisely","scrupulously") (either: "picked","bare") human skeletons on the (either: "earthen","metal","dusty","dirty","stone") floor, and a number of singular (either: "beetles","mice","pygmy puffs","tribbles") (either: "crawling","partying","sitting") in the (either: "shadowy","dank","creepy","obscure") corners. [[Title Page|Title]] | [[Reframe|Passage7]] | [[Continue|Passage8]] There was subsequently much (either: "talk","discussion","gossip","deliberation") among the $leaders of $village. (either: "Zath","Bubbles","Stacy","Thomas"), the coroner, (either: "disputed","argued","contended") at length with $Nith, the (either: "lean","large","brisk","blundering","pushy") $notary; and $Kranon and $Shang and $Thul were overwhelmed with (either: "questions","inquiries","queries"). Even little $Atal, the (if: $innkeeper is "innkeeper")[innkeeper's](if: $innkeeper is "golddigger")[golddigger's](if: $innkeeper is "auror")[auror's](if: $innkeeper is "werewolf")[werewolf's] son, was closely (either: "questioned","examined","grilled","pried") and given a (either: "sweetmeat","lightsaber","chocolate frog","broomstick","droid","credit","sickle") as reward. They (either: "talked","gossiped","chatted","babbled") of $meanie and his $wife, of the $caravan of $dark $wanderers, of small $kid and his $color $animal, of the (either: "prayer","chanting","wand waving") of $kid and of the (either: "sky","heavens") during that (either: "prayer","chanting","wand waving"), of the (either: "doings","actions") of the (if: $animal is "cat")[cats](if: $animal is "dog")[dogs](if: $animal is "snake")[snakes](if: $animal is "horse")[horses] on the (either: "night","dusk","evening","afternoon") the $caravan left, and of what was later (either: "found","discovered","unearthed") in the (either: "hovel","hut","hobbit house","cottage","shanty","lean-to") under the (either: "dark","sinister","ominous","bleak") trees in the (either: "repellent","foul","loathsome","abhorrent") $yard. And (either: "in the end","eventually","finally","ultimately") the $leaders passed that (either: "remarkable","expected","wise","logical") law which is told of by (either: "traders","jedis","elves","tieflings","wizards","house elves") in (either: "Hatheg","Hogsmead","Little Hangleton") and (either: "discussed","talked about","gossiped about") by (either: "travellers","shoppers","villagers","pet owners") in (either: "Nir","Gordric's Hollow","Little Winging"); namely, that in $village no $man may $kill a $animal. [[Title Page|Title]] | [[Reframe|Passage8]]