Emily Short

Section 5 - Higgate's Arrest

[Because we need to stop you so so that you see the scene if you're just passing through:]

After going to University Oval when seeking invite has ended and higgate-arrested has not happened :

let N be the number of entries in the path so far of the player;

if N is greater than 1:

say "[path-walked so far][paragraph break]";

otherwise:

clear the path-walked for the player;

now approach-destination is Samuel Johnson Hall. [Tricks the approaching verb into stopping here even if you're trying to reach someplace really far away.]

[pause the game. ]

Higgate-arrested is a scene. Higgate-arrested begins when the location is University Oval and seeking invite has ended.

When Higgate-arrested begins:

now officers are in the location;

now Professor Higgate is not alert;

now Professor Brown is not alert;

move Professor Brown to the location;

move Professor Higgate to the location;

say "There are a couple of officers lounging by the university gate. We won't be able to go by without being seen.

As I'm taking this in, you notice hubbub behind us. We move out of the way as more officers escort Professor Higgate from the building.";

Some officers are a man. The description of the officers is "I don't see anyone I recognize. There are two escorting Higgate and two more at the oval gate, as backup [--] presumably in case she decided to make a run for it."

A dangerous destruction rule for the officers:

say "The moment the officers change, two more come running through the gate. Might have known they wouldn't be operating without backup.

One of them fires a restoration gel rifle into the group, restoring the officers to their original form. The other has an authentication scope and sweeps the grounds for signs of anything suspicious. We're noticed and arrested almost at once.

'What is going on?' Higgate demands. Her glance skates over us. There's a look in her eyes that says she has a guess who we are and she's not at all eager to have that guess confirmed.";

end the story saying "That was not the best moment to intervene"

Instead of saying hello to Higgate during Higgate-arrested:

if we are forewarned:

say "We approach Higgate, heart hammering. 'Professor Higgate, is everything all right?'

The officer nearest us turns on us, looking more startled than anything else [--] startled that anyone would be fool enough to intervene in a Bureau matter.

'She's a student,' Higgate says. 'I was just speaking with her earlier. I don't think she's close with Alex. I've never seen you two together, have I?' she concludes, looking at us.

This well-meant speech doesn't seem to clear suspicion as effectively as Higgate might have hoped, however, and soon we find ourselves being scooped up for questioning in the same van they sent for Higgate. It doesn't go well.";

end the story saying "Perhaps silence would've been better"

Instead of saying hello to officers during Higgate-arrested:

if we are forewarned:

say "'Sir,' we begin.

'Back off, lady,' says the officer. [getting-caught]";

end the story saying "That was not the most successful approach"

To say getting-caught:

say "'Unless you know where to find Alex Rosehip. You a friend of his?'

We shake our head, but something about our appearance and demean[our] has the officer's attention. 'I see a little bit of a family resemblance, come to think of it,' he remarks.

'Everyone's related to everyone,' Higgate says. 'If you check into DNA studies of the island you'll find that it's extremely inbr[--]'

'Thank you, Professor Higgate, you can save the rest of your lecture for inside the van,' says the escorting officer. 'And you come too,' he adds, to us.";

higgate-arrest-warning is a truth state that varies.

To decide whether we are forewarned:

if higgate-arrest-warning is true:

decide yes;

say "We might not want to attract attention if we can help it.";

now higgate-arrest-warning is true;

decide no.

Instead of approaching somewhere during Higgate-arrested:

if we are forewarned:

say "We start to stroll off. The officer nearest us notices. 'I'm going to have to ask you to stay where you are until we've completed our sweep of the area,' he says. [getting-caught]";

end the story saying "Maybe standing still would have been better".

Instead of going somewhere during Higgate-arrested:

if we are forewarned:

say "We start to stroll off. The officer nearest us notices. 'I'm going to have to ask you to stay where you are until we've completed our sweep of the area,' he says. [getting-caught]";

end the story saying "Maybe standing still would have been better".

Instead of examining Professor Brown during Higgate-arrested:

say "He's standing some feet away but not actually walking off. It's not clear whether he expects the officers to ask him other questions, or whether he's lurking [--] guiltily? gleefully? [--] to discover the outcome of his little tip.

When we try to meet his eye, he stares away at a tree."

Instead of examining Professor Higgate during Higgate-arrested:

if the number of filled rows in the Table of Arrest Events is 1:

say "There's an empty look in her eyes, as though she'd just been diagnosed with an inoperable cancer. She's thinking about Cold Storage. Anyone would be.";

otherwise:

say "She mostly looks irritated, as though she thinks the Bureau has made an awkward mistake that will soon be set right. There's a bit of a flush in her cheeks."

Every turn during Higgate-arrested:

repeat through the Table of Arrest Events:

if there is a description entry:

say "[description entry][paragraph break]";

blank out the whole row;

break;

Table of Arrest Events

description

"'There's been a mistake,' Higgate is saying coolly. 'That conversation was conducted under a special lic[ense] for research in constructed languages. I can produce a copy [--]'

The officer leading her says, 'We're acting on information.' He gives a quick, revealing glance in the direction of Professor Brown, who is also coming out of the building."

"'Alex Rosehip,' says the officer with Higgate. The back of my neck prickles. 'What can you tell me about his constructed language?'

Higgate stops moving forward and the officers stop with her. 'It really is a masterpiece [--] the root words are all based on resources common in the tropics. Dirt and mud are highly productive terms, as are many common pests. The syllables are consonant-dense but still relatively easy to pronounce. In my view, it's the most credible proposal ever put forward in utopian linguistics.'

The officer smiles faintly. 'Isn't that a bit like [']the world's most credible proposal for a perpetual motion engine[']?'"

"'Whether it works or not, I [i]am[/i] sure it's not intended as an attack on the Anglophone efficacy,' Higgate says. 'Alex has a fine mind but very little gumption. And he loves Atlantis.'

'As far as you're aware,' the officer replies.

'Obviously,' Higgate snaps. 'I can only tell you what I know of Alex from five years of close supervision.'

The officers look at one another, then back at her. 'We're going to need to continue this conversation in depth.'

A stricken expression crosses Higgate's face."

"'I'd like to make a call,' Higgate says.

'Not possible,' says the man at her elbow.

'I assert my right to a friendly witness,' she says firmly. They ignore her."

Instead of waiting during Higgate-arrested:

say "Time crawls by[one of]. We're looking as harmless and inattentive as humanly possible[or][stopping]."

Higgate-arrested ends when the number of filled rows in the Table of Arrest Events is 0.

When Higgate-arrested ends:

remove the officers from play;

remove Professor Higgate from play;

remove Professor Brown from play;

say "The officers sweep Higgate away into a windowless van. 'Mobile Conversation Unit,' says the side of the van in bright cheery letters. 'The Bureau Is Listening to YOU!'

The van pulls away into traffic. Brown strolls away in the other direction, not meeting anyone's eye. It's not easy getting tenure around here."

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