King's Quest

CHAPTER 2: THE FIRST KEY

Despite the perplexity of the puzzle Graham has time to dwell on the matter, but little information. So he chooses to continue on and crosses the bridge once more. Terrified out of his wits, his thoughts turn to that of light things.

Soon, though a seeming eternity, he finds himself on the other side, upon solid ground and he heaves a sigh of relief. Now safely across the bridge, he has no set goal and has to think of what he should be about next.

King Graham runs the puzzling phrase around in his head focusing on the key words, "make a splash?" he continually questions. "A splash must mean water but there are so many bodies of water around, it'll be hard to single one out."

Graham rolls the idea around in his head, but despite his brooding upon it, he still had no solution. His head is aching, "I must clear my head," he speaks aloud. "Perhaps the ocean breeze will help me think," so reasoning he starts toward the beach.

Upon his approach he comes across a very large tree with a stove pipe sticking out of it.

"Could this be someone's dwelling?" he asks as he rounds the tree to its front, where he finds a rather large door.

He tries the latch and finds it unlocked. Slowly, he pushes open the door and enters the hollowed out tree. It's mostly dark inside, the only light comes from the outside, or from a muted source within, toward the bottom. Graham looks to the lower light and decides to venture towards it.

The only way down save for a steep drop to a much lower level, is a rickety ladder that looks none to safe. Slowly, King Graham climbs down the ladder, careful not to fall.

After what seems an eternity, he places his boots on the solid floor below. In the next room is a pleasant light emanating from a cheery fireplace. The intrepid adventurer is enticed and he crosses the floor so that he can stand and warm himself at the fire, atop of which is a pot of boiling soup, chicken soup from the smell of it.

Graham is not particularly hungry, but thinks of the poor old woman who needs just this kind of medicine. He looks about and finds perched on top of the fireplace a small wooden bowl which will serve his needs. He takes hold of it and ladles a hearty portion of soup into it.

"I hope the owner does not mind if a little is missing," he states aloud.

Graham scans the rest of the small room. There's a large table that seems carved from a tree stump along with smaller chairs, a trunk and another table that hold some stocking caps.

"This is perfect!" he exclaims, as he uses one of the stocking caps to cover the soup and keep it warm, before placing it in his pack making sure to keep it upright.

Before leaving, he decides to check the trunk. It's empty save for a small glinting at the bottom, He retrieved it, and finds a pair of earrings. They're composed of a single sapphire surrounded by diamonds much like the brooch he'd discovered before. So, he decides to keep it as a set. How he's going to explain this away to the owner, should he ever chance upon them, he doesn't know.

All the same, Graham places the earrings in his pack and slings it carefully on his back. Finished, he carries on back to the entrance. Once outside he decides to forgo the ocean and head north to grandma's house.

King Graham's immediate path is blocked by a very large castle completely surrounded by a wide moat. He couldn't help but stop and observe it closely. The water, if it could be called that, is grey and nothing is growing in or around it, nor are there any creatures near it. So, he decides not to tempt fate and skirts the grey moat in a westerly direction.

Carefully, he carries on and soon finds himself at grandma's house once again. He knocks upon the door and hears the familiar raspy greeting, which he responds to by opening the door. There she lay just as weak as before. Gingerly, our hero removes his pack and lays the bowl of soup out for her.