Shankman's Outfitters

Wall Market

The gutted husk of a pre-Longest Day supermarket and its vast parking lot have become the sprawling Wall Market, a humming place of barter and commerce where daily bread and stranger things can be bought and sold.

An assortment of trinkets and delicacies is Shankman's Outfitters! A curated display of precious things that blends the ephemeral with the practical. Proprietor the thin-eyed M. Shankman, whose hands are crisscrossed with scars. Rumors abound: that he ran a kibbutz until a stray rocket from the West Bank destroyed his family's dairy; that he served in the Pacific in WW2 and found the Fountain of Youth, or at least the Fountain of Youthfuller. M. Shankman himself is close-lipped. Buy something or move along.

Pinned

Pinned

Thorny Walking Stick

For carrying while walking softly.

+1 Gunslinger when equipped.

            30
            You need 30 x Dollars  (you have 1)

Patented Leather Boots

Built with Doc Roslyn's Patented Insoles. A working man's fashion statement.

+1 Gunslinger when equipped.

A Barman's Best Friend

Kept behind the counter to resolve disputes.

+2 Gunslinger when equipped.

            90
            You need 90 x Dollars  (you have 1)

            90
            Unlocked with 90 x Dollars  - you have 1

Heavy Steel Wristwatch

Charming and imposing all at once.

+1 Gunslinger and +1 Cityslicker when equipped.

Long Hunting Knife

Carried by homesteaders and cowboys from Amarillo to the Wall.

+3 Gunslinger when equipped.

            270
            You need 270 x Dollars  (you have 1)

            270
            Unlocked with 270 x Dollars  - you have 1

Shiny-Spurred Boots

Steel-toed. Thick-soled. Surprisingly fashionable.

+2 Gunslinger and +1 Cityslicker when equipped.

Starched White Shirt

Smells of fresh laundry and respectability.

+1 Cityslicker when equipped.

            30
            You need 30 x Dollars  (you have 1)

            1
            You need Paladin 1 (you have 1)

            30
            Unlocked with 30 x Dollars  - you have 1

            1
            Unlocked with Paladin 1 - you have 1

Black Leather Duster

For gangsters, villains, and other rough types.

+1 Cityslicker when equipped.

            30
            You need 30 x Dollars  (you have 1)

            1
            You need Man in Black 1 (you have 1)

            30
            Unlocked with 30 x Dollars  - you have 1

            1
            Unlocked with Man in Black 1 - you have 1

Natural Linen Suit

A breathable fabric for a miserable climate.

+2 Cityslicker when equipped.

Tweedy Jacket

Yellow tweedy wool. Liable to overheat. Confers an air of knowledge.

+1 Cityslicker and +1 Doc when equipped.

Flowing Silk Longcoat

Imported from Japan. Black silk and white flowers. Also called a "kimono."

+3 Cityslicker when equipped.

Doctor's Overcoat

Crisp medical whites. An air of sophistication and wisdom.

+2 Cityslicker and +1 Doc when equipped.

Horn-Rimmed Spectacles

Perenially in fashion. Nevertheless a little bookish.

+1 Doc when equipped.

Jar of Black Ash

Devotees of Santo Guerrero apply it to their foreheads.

+1 Doc when equipped.

Stainless Steel Stethoscope

For all your doctoring needs.

+2 Doc when equipped.

Colorfully-Banded Stetson

Shankman's Outfitters

Wall Market

The stetson impresses and intimidates. The colorful band implies cleverness.

+1 Doc and +1 Cityslicker when equipped.

The Monkey's Paw

A clenched monkey's fist. Who knows where it came from? Caveat emptor.

+3 Doc when equipped.

Ten Gallon Hat

A tall stetson for a rough-and-tumble dude. Keeps your head cool for advanced thinking.

+2 Doc and +1 Gunslinger when equipped.


Opportunities

Draw cards from here to raise your Styles, meet your Allies, and risk your Antagonists.

Old Fashioned Research

Unlocked with The Harvestmen 2 - you have 2

Keeping an ear to the street about the Harvestmen is good as far as it goes, but there's only so far you can go on rumors alone...

Shankman's Outfitters

An assortment of trinkets and delicacies is Shankman's Outfitters!—

Travel Around Town

Amarillo was once a largeish city; even now it covers a lot of ground...

Absolom the Tinker

Eternally present -- an abstraction in a world of speculation...

The Bazaar

The Wall Market is the noisy sweaty sprawling heart of commerce in Amarillo...

The Amarillo Exchange Commission

A little joke: the Nimble-Fingered Assistant at Traeger's forge on Short Vine will trade anything that folds for anything that shines...

Pinned

Pinned

A Gunslinger in Amarillo

Unlocked with Gunslinger 1 - you have 5; Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening

There are endless opportunities here for you to brush up on all the things a gunslinger needs to know...

A Country Doc

Unlocked with Doc 1 - you have 4; Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening

Amarillo is bracketed by stone, sand and sky...

Small-Town Cityslicker

Unlocked with Cityslicker 1 - you have 3; Unlocked when Date is:

May 21, 2026 - Morning (you have this)

May 21, 2026 - Afternoon

May 21, 2026 - Evening

Compared to the big cities up norte, Amarillo is a smear in the desert...


Compared to the big cities up norte, Amarillo is a smear in the desert. But over the Wall, Amarillo is the center of civilization. Nowhere rivals it in size or style. And being this close to Corpus Christi, Amarillo's social scene always carries an exciting hint of danger.

This is one of Zero Summer's "grind" cards. "Grind" cards can be replayed as often as you like. And most of their branches have a chance to produce a Rare Success, which will significantly increase one of your Styles and yield certain other benefits as well.

High Noon Saloon

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A chancy challenge

One of the largest, best-known saloons in Amarillo is the High Noon. "Padre" Charlie explains it was built before the Longest Day as an old-timey theme restaurant. Now an actual frontier saloon, it boasts Hoffenstader on tap and salty/fried fingerfood and a dim cheerful gloom every hour of the day, plus a real actual pianist and full-time muscle to keep everybody civil.

There's nowhere better to make new friends -- this also from "Padre" Charlie, whose nose is red and veiny from a lifetime of dedicated social drinking. He slips a quarter into your breast pocket and pats your hand with fatherly affection. For a warm mug, he says. Can't get any other kind out here.

            3
            You need Cityslicker 3 (you have 3)

            3
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 3 - you have 3

What The Boys Said

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

The sand and crowds and sweat of Amarillo are new to you, but to the children born here after the Longest Day it's all they've ever known. And to the animals -- cats and dogs and rats and every conceivable urban creature, constantly barking and hissing and underfoot.

A romping yipping puppy streaks past you on the street with a throng of stick-thin boys close behind. If you collar one of the boys, you might be able to talk a little local flavor out of him.

            1
            You need Cityslicker 1 (you have 3)

            1
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 1 - you have 3


Yes It's Warm

High Noon Saloon

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A very modest challenge

            3
            You need Cityslicker 3 (you have 4)

            3
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 3 - you have 4

Is it warm today? Yes it's warm. Not warmer than last year. O yes it is. O yes the heat is sweltering. Even the cows lie down and pant. Like dogs with their tongues out, panting. With their fur can you imagine? Have you seen my arms? Yes I can imagine very well! Bet the wife likes it though. She does. And the chest as well. Though she's lately been after me for a shave. Not there but on the face. And I said to her but who would recognize me? You'll look chinless. Yes chinless. From beard to beardless that's how it ends. For a week nobody recognizing me. Yes it's hot. I'd be better-ventilated. In the face you would. Yes that would be swell.

...and so on for over your head and around you and even eventually with you included. The morning barflies and the farmhands and weavers and bootmakers and layabouts and all the other regulars make this a morning routine, this banter, and while you're not included you aren't excluded, either. One of them slaps you on the back on his way out, at least.

2 change points, 3 more needed to reach level 5.

Cityslicker has increased to 4!

You succeeded in a Cityslicker challenge! (Risky challenges mean you learn more.)

You've gained 1 x Reputation (new total 9).


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Dollars

NorteAmericano dollars. Not the only currency in Amarillo, but certainly the preferred one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


The Amarillo Exchange Commission

Wall Market

The gutted husk of a pre-Longest Day supermarket and its vast parking lot have become the sprawling Wall Market, a humming place of barter and commerce where daily bread and stranger things can be bought and sold.

A little joke: the Nimble-Fingered Assistant at Traeger's forge on Short Vine will trade anything that folds for anything that shines. The Amarillo Exchange Commission. Bullets for dollars? Nothing to it. The other way round? Easy as winking. H. Traeger turns a blind eye; his bottom line is unaffected and even illicit browsing leads to buying.

Pinned

Pinned

A Bullet for a Dollar

A thumb on the scale during a quiet moment and the deed is done.

This will trade 1 Dollar for 1 Revolver Bullet at a cost of 5 Reputation.

            1
            You need 1 x Dollars  (you have 1)

            5
            You need 5 x Reputation  (you have 9)

            1
            Unlocked with 1 x Dollars  - you have 1

            5
            Unlocked with 5 x Reputation  - you have 9

A Dollar for a Bullet

Strapped for cash? Rich on ammo but poor on valoota? The Nimble-Fingered Assistant is happy to oblige. Only place the bullet on the counter and he'll be with you in a moment.

This will trade 1 Revolver Bullet for 1 Dollar at a cost of 5 Reputation.

            1
            You need 1 x Revolver Bullet  (you have 0)

            5
            You need 5 x Reputation  (you have 9)

            1
            Unlocked with 1 x Revolver Bullet

            5
            Unlocked with 5 x Reputation  - you have 9

Ten Bullets for Ten Dollars

A big spender? A man wealthy in dollars but poor in ammunition? The Nimble-Fingered Assistant can assist! At this he giggles, surprisingly high and pleasant. It cuts straight through the grime on his throat. Even Traeger glances over, one sooty eyebrow cocked.

This will trade 10 Dollars for 10 Revolver Bullets at a cost of 25 Reputation.

            10
            You need 10 x Dollars  (you have 1)

            25
            You need 25 x Reputation  (you have 9)

            10
            Unlocked with 10 x Dollars  - you have 1

            25
            Unlocked with 25 x Reputation  - you have 9

Ten Dollars for Ten Bullets

A man with too much ammunition is a dangerous thing. The Nimble-Fingered Assistant with take your surplus of bullets and in exchange ensure your wallet is well-padded.

This will trade 10 Revolver Bullets for 10 Dollars at a cost of 25 Reputation.

            10
            You need 10 x Revolver Bullet  (you have 0)

            25
            You need 25 x Reputation  (you have 9)

            10
            Unlocked with 10 x Revolver Bullet

            25
            Unlocked with 25 x Reputation  - you have 9


A Done Deal

A Bullet for a Dollar

            1
            You need 1 x Dollars  (you have 0)

            5
            You need 5 x Reputation  (you have 4)

            1
            Unlocked with 1 x Dollars

            5
            Unlocked with 5 x Reputation  - you have 4

The Nimble-Fingered Assistant folds your dollar into his pocket and slips a hand-warmed bullet into your palm.

Good luck with it, he whispers hoarsely. Aim for the eyes. Delicate tissues, easy to pick out for scrap lead.

He doesn't specify, but presumably he's talking about monsters.

You've lost 1 x Dollars (new total 0).

You've lost 5 x Reputation (new total 4).

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

You now have 1 x Revolver Bullet.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Small-Town Cityslicker

Compared to the big cities up norte, Amarillo is a smear in the desert. But over the Wall, Amarillo is the center of civilization. Nowhere rivals it in size or style. And being this close to Corpus Christi, Amarillo's social scene always carries an exciting hint of danger.

This is one of Zero Summer's "grind" cards. "Grind" cards can be replayed as often as you like. And most of their branches have a chance to produce a Rare Success, which will significantly increase one of your Styles and yield certain other benefits as well.

Opportunities

Draw cards from here to raise your Styles, meet your Allies, and risk your Antagonists.

Fires in the Desert

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A chancy challenge

Even here in the desert in ninety degree weather under a cloudless sky that promises an afternoon heat so thick you could chew it, people keep the drumfires lit outside the Highrise Hotel. Partly it's practical; the smoke keeps the flies away, and they're hard to get started once they go out, and anyway how else are you going to make breakfast? And then again it's partly emotional. One woman in a patchwork coat -- clearly a resident -- tells you that the Deacon of St. Francis's told her that fire is purely human, and monsters hate the sight of it, and if she kept it lit all the time they wouldn't ever get near her, even the ones that swarm and boil overhead most nights.

And then suddenly the dozen-ish people around the Highrise drumfires are looking at you, thinking -- surely they're thinking! -- that you're an outsider, and a stranger, and why shouldn't we hustle him out of here right now? All it could take is a word either way. Figuring out which word is the trick.

            4
            You need Cityslicker 4 (you have 4)

            4
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 4 - you have 4

High Noon Saloon

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A very modest challenge

One of the largest, best-known saloons in Amarillo is the High Noon. "Padre" Charlie explains it was built before the Longest Day as an old-timey theme restaurant. Now an actual frontier saloon, it boasts Hoffenstader on tap and salty/fried fingerfood and a dim cheerful gloom every hour of the day, plus a real actual pianist and full-time muscle to keep everybody civil.

There's nowhere better to make new friends -- this also from "Padre" Charlie, whose nose is red and veiny from a lifetime of dedicated social drinking. He slips a quarter into your breast pocket and pats your hand with fatherly affection. For a warm mug, he says. Can't get any other kind out here.

What The Boys Said

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

The sand and crowds and sweat of Amarillo are new to you, but to the children born here after the Longest Day it's all they've ever known. And to the animals -- cats and dogs and rats and every conceivable urban creature, constantly barking and hissing and underfoot.

A romping yipping puppy streaks past you on the street with a throng of stick-thin boys close behind. If you collar one of the boys, you might be able to talk a little local flavor out of him.

            1
            You need Cityslicker 1 (you have 4)

            1
            Unlocked with Cityslicker 1 - you have 4


Loneliness, Solidarity

What The Boys Said

Cityslicker

Social Style.

A straightforward challenge

Most of boys shrug you off when you try to catch their sleeves and attention, shouting back that their mothers said not to talk to strangers, and look at the scars on his hands, and there on his forehead a spreading purple bruise! But one boy slaps your palm on his way past, an act maybe of pity for the stranger, or maybe one of solidarity with the weird rejected outcast. It's a dominant feeling here, that sense of aloneness. It seems carried on the hot dry frontier wind.

3 change points, 2 more needed to reach level 5.

Cityslicker is increasing...

You succeeded in a Cityslicker challenge! (Simple challenges mean you don't learn so much.)

You've gained 1 x Reputation (new total 5).


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


A Country Doc

Amarillo is bracketed by stone, sand and sky. There are things to see and explore beyond the Roughriders' barricades. And unexpected dangers. Which nearly anyone will tell you can add spice to an otherwise humdrum life.

This is one of Zero Summer's "grind" cards. "Grind" cards can be replayed as often as you like. And most of their branches have a chance to produce a Rare Success, which will significantly increase one of your Styles and yield certain other benefits as well.

Opportunities

Draw cards from here to raise your Styles, meet your Allies, and risk your Antagonists.

Bird-Watching

Doc

Mental Style.

A chancy challenge

Out in the Scrublands you find yourself under an unmistakable human shadow. You look up and shade your eyes: there in the dry scraggly tree just off to your side is a small woman in khakis with binoculars in hand. "A burrowing owl!" she calls quietly to you. Her binoculars are pointed at an unremarkable patch of ground. What's this, then?

            4
            You need Doc 4 (you have 4)

            4
            Unlocked with Doc 4 - you have 4

A Walled Garden

Doc

Mental Style.

A very modest challenge

Sometimes nature is best seen from a distance. On the east side of Amarillo is a quiet wealthy neighborhood full of two-story houses with front porches and sweeping views of the desert. The Heywoods' porch is a notorious hang-out/salon for retirees, mostly old men and the widow Heywood herself; they spend their days playing rubbers of bridge, smoking cigars and emptying bottle after bottle of Cornskunk's best.

Rumor has it that the widow Heywood is also a first-class birdwatcher and liberal with her binoculars. If you can talk your way onto her porch, you could get all the nature you want without risking an unfriendly few moments with a rattlesnake.

            3
            You need Doc 3 (you have 4)

            3
            Unlocked with Doc 3 - you have 4

A Walk in the Scrublands

Doc

Mental Style.

A straightforward challenge

Miz Nils turns out to be the Jackrabbits' resident naturalist. She recommends a walk through the Scrublands north of Amarillo to get a feel for what grows around here. It might look hot and dry and dead, she says, but keep an eye: the scrub is teeming, alive, and way better at surviving in the desert than any person.

            1
            You need Doc 1 (you have 4)

            1
            Unlocked with Doc 1 - you have 4


Yes, an Owl!

Bird-Watching

Doc

Mental Style.

A very modest challenge

            4
            You need Doc 4 (you have 5)

            4
            Unlocked with Doc 4 - you have 5

The woman in the tree points with all the certainty of a hunting hound. And there it is!  What a tiny fellow! A little larger than a robin, feathers brown with white speckles. Other than the oddness of it being an owl on the ground during the day, you're unsure why the woman in the tree sounds so excited.

0 change points, 6 more needed to reach level 6.

Doc has increased to 5!

You succeeded in a Doc challenge! (Risky challenges mean you learn more.)

You've gained 1 x Reputation (new total 6).


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Warren Castillo

The first friendly face you saw in Amarillo, Warren's. A Jackrabbit of some authority, although really who can tell. His door, he said, is always open.

Opportunities

Draw cards from here to raise your Styles, meet your Allies, and risk your Antagonists.

The Mercurial Jackrabbit

Luck

Watch for the fall of a card.

A matter of luck: it could go either way.

His door may always be open, but whether Warren's inside is another story. When he can be found, he's solicitous and curious if also slightly withdrawn; at other times his absence is a strange ache, as from some small familiar thing suddenly gone from your bedside table.

Perhaps Not

Your plate is already full.


Opportunities

Your plate is already full.

Opportunities always come around again.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.


Absolom the Tinker

Wall Market

The gutted husk of a pre-Longest Day supermarket and its vast parking lot have become the sprawling Wall Market, a humming place of barter and commerce where daily bread and stranger things can be bought and sold.

Eternally present -- an abstraction in a world of speculation. A perpetual possibility! Unredeemable is Absolom the Tinker; dignified, invisible, moving without pressure; hidden, birdlike, quick; undisturbing of the dead leaves that bury the path in front and the path behind. He cannot bear much reality and so is always moving. His everchanging pack contains many things. For a price he may share them with you.

Pinned

Pinned

"November in New England" and "Fifty Miles South of Lexington"

A certain thing was found, says Absolom the Tinker. Will he say where? There is a hint of vicinity. A little light mimework: the broad-tongued licking of an envelope. The implication is not unclear.

And this certain thing? A few pages. Typewritten. Numbered but undated. A sampling from a greater set. This the first installment. Perhaps more to be discovered. Details sparse but include a young lady's monologue and a much longer Beowulfish thing.

And what for compensation? A rude broad-tongued noise. Donkeylike snorting. Call it a forgivable loan. Only come back for the rest. He would see it reassembled, would Absolom the Tinker. Would see the set reset.

This branch unlocks "New England in November" and "Fifty Miles South of Lexington." This content totals more than 20 unique Storylets and will take dozens of Actions to play through.

This content is currently Pay What You Want.

When you click this branch, you'll be given the opportunity to pay.


A Reader!

[Thanks for your interest in this content! We're trying out a new pricing model: Pay What You Want.

We believe "November in New England" and "Fifty Miles South of Lexington" is worth your dime to play -- it's some of our most beautiful, compelling, and challenging work, and it'll go a long way to help you understand the world of Zero Summer.

If you choose not to pay, that's fine! You'll have the chance to reconsider when you've finished.

And if you choose to pay? You'll be supporting a team of indie devs and writers who live in part on your contributions. We thank you.

NOTE: this content originally cost 45 Nex.]

Absolom the Tinker presses the pages into your hand, and with them a second little thing. A toothsome morsel? Is it a cake, or something more substantial? He is silent on the matter. But it must not be opened until you're through reading. On this he is insistent. And that your reading begin immediately.


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Open Your Eyes; Breathe in the Past

Toll Road!

Thanks for your interest in this content! We're trying out a new pricing model: Pay What You Want.

We believe "November in New England" and "Fifty Miles South of Lexington" is worth your dime to play -- it's some of our most beautiful, compelling, and challenging work, and it'll go a long way to help you understand the world of Zero Summer.

If you choose not to pay, that's fine! You'll have the chance to reconsider when you've finished.

And if you choose to pay? You'll be supporting a team of indie devs and writers who live in part on your contributions. We thank you.

NOTE: this content originally cost 45 Nex.

Pay about the cost of one toll on the road from Chicago to anywhere. Bonus included at no charge: no toll worker.

And thanks so much for your contribution!

You have moved to a new area: New England in November

You moved to a new setting: Reading the Past.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

You've received a Wrapped Package from Absolom the Tinker!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

1 x A Wrapped Package from Absolom the Tinker

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Page 8

New England in November

A colder place, a different time.

Once upon a time when trees were taller and for climbing and when their leaves changed colors it was for you -- like: that elm is turning red this year because red is your favorite -- and when if you acted sick enough you could stay home and watch your Papa rake the leaves into a pile and jump into it when he went to the store because you'll absolutely die if there's no orange juice --

Once upon a time my Papa took me into his study and told me my Salad Days Were Over. That starting that very night I'd be helping out around the house instead of quote "hiding in a book in whatever corner you get off to."

This was on the order of dishes and sweeping and yardwork but right then it was like my free time was a Thanksgiving turkey and chores were the buzzing electric knife from Macy's my Papa had just bought.

We were standing in front of the book shelf with the Ws. I was looking right at To The Lighthouse and a dog-eared paperback of Brief Interviews With Hideous Men.

The window was open and the air smelled like woodsmoke.

Pinned

Pinned

Turn the Page

Page 8

New England in November

A colder place, a different time.


The Next Page

Turn the Page

Page 8

New England in November

A colder place, a different time.

The paper is fragile and fine; it feels like it could break at any moment.

You're reading New England in November!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading New England in November

You're reading New England in November.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Page 9

New England in November

A colder place, a different time.

That night we went down to the garage where my Papa had his woodshop and got into the woodpile for a length of cedar he thought he'd put there for something about the deck, which we found -- the length of cedar -- and got it set up and ready on the workbench where he kept his tools in a line like soldiers on parade.

And he let me work the band saw, did my Papa, which was a first; and he set me to turning the corners while he got the big drill ready; and he drilled two orderly rows of holes into the cedar while I fetched some leather for the handle; and we sanded it and sanded it, and when we were through he hung it from a peg by its handle right by the hood of his Mercedes, but not over the hood of his Mercedes because he reminded me safety first.

Pinned

Pinned

Turn the Page

Page 9

New England in November

A colder place, a different time.


The Next Page

Turn the Page

Page 9

New England in November

A colder place, a different time.

The paper is fragile and fine; it feels like it could break at any moment.

New England in November is increasing!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading New England in November

You're reading New England in November.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Page 10

New England in November

A colder place, a different time.

And do you know what my Papa said to me then?

He knelt down so we were face to face and I could see his old St. Bernard eyes peering sadly out from under his great gray eyebrows and said that if I ever talked back again about the dishes or the raking or how all these chores were cutting into my Lizbeth Time, he'd send me out to the garage and have me take down the hard cedar paddle we'd just made together, and he'd have me take down my jeans and lay myself across his lap, and he'd tell me to pray to whatever God I still knew that I could sit down a week later when he was done.

Pinned

Pinned

Turn the Page

Page 10

New England in November

A colder place, a different time.


Onto Fifty Miles South of Lexington

Turn the Page

Page 10

New England in November

A colder place, a different time.

Here the pages skip numbers. Here starts what Absolom the Tinker called "Fifty Miles South of Lexington."

You have moved to a new area: Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You've finished reading New England in November!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Page 114

It gets colder in the Midwest when it rains in late September than it ought to. And even on the interstate you get these long Kentucky earthworms. It's a fiction that they come out when it rains. They come out before. Are hip to the weather. Make their long thirsty crawls early. And so are smeared across the road by unimaginable forces. Every time it rains is earthworm D-Day.

But we're long past seeing any earthworms out the windows of the truck. The rain is coming down so hard the windows look glazed. The soundscape is mostly truck-noise.

Up front the driver has a tape in the deck. It's only got one song recorded on it, which the driver's been playing over and over since like Charleston. Sometimes the wheels sync up and we can hear a little music over them.

The song is Come Thou Font of Every Blessing. The driver is whistling along through a missing front tooth. And he clicks with his tongue -- loudly, once -- between when the music stops and when it starts up again.

Pinned

Pinned


The Next Page

The paper is fragile and fine; it feels like it could break at any moment.

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington 1

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Page 115

We were sitting in two rows on fold-out benches with our knees pointed inward. Facing me from left to right were:

Peter John Paul from Boston MA. Our back-up wheelman and de facto chaplain. When he was a plebe his nickname was Mulcahy, as in from M*A*S*H. Which lasted about two weeks until he put a certain firsty's best front teeth down his throat. Otherwise PJP is peaceable, unfussable. And he can quote from Scripture, which isn't nothing.

Marcel Cooper, also from Boston MA. Transferred when he was a sophomore at Amherst. Majored in English. Can't recite Proust despite much prodding from Robert. Blond-haired, blue-eyed, complexion like raw milk. Sweet but undependable. Not a great mixer.

And Robert Lee from New Haven CT. About whom see much prev. Now somnolent. This a feature of certain coastal New Englanders: the tendency to nod off in bad weather. Little boys from CT must be dreams on long car trips.

We were maybe an hour south of Lexington on I-75...

Pinned

Pinned


The Next Page

The paper is fragile and fine; it feels like it could break at any moment.

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Fifty Miles South of Lexington is increasing!

0 change points, 22 more needed to reach level 22.

An occurrence! Your 'Lizbeth's Cityslicker' Quality is now 21!

An occurrence! Your 'Lizbeth's Doc' Quality is now 21!

An occurrence! Your 'Lizbeth's Gunslinger' Quality is now 21!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington 2

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Conversations in the Rain

Play through the dialogue branches below to learn more about Lizbeth's companions.

You won't have time to play through them all, so choose carefully!

Pinned

Pinned

Talk to the Driver

"How's the road look?" I asked the driver.

Talk to Marcel Cooper

Marcel was drumming his nails on his knees. We hit a bump and leaned so heavily to the side it looked for a second like he was floating backwards headfirst into the window.

Talk to Peter John Paul

"I don't know if I'm looking forward to being back," PJP said reflectively. "But I don't know if I'm <i>not,</i> either. You know?"

Talk to Robert Lee

Robert was sitting with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. I imagined I could see what he was thinking, that it hovered in a speech-bubble there over his head.


"Robert?" I said.

"Fnuff."

"Robert?"

His chin raised slightly.

"I was somewhere else," he said.

"Where were you?"

"Somewhere warm. There was a beach. I was thinking how when I was younger, like nine, we went to Jamaica and I spent the whole time on the beach drinking these drinks made I think of grenadine and coconut milk. Out of coconut halves. With these paper umbrellas."

"You're there on a Jamaican beach drinking coconut drinks with paper umbrellas."

"I'm there," Robert said, "enbeached, with drink, reflecting on two things."

Silence from me. Robert's chin comes up a little further; his forehead wrinkles.

"What?" he said. "What is it?"

"Just waiting," I said. "Trying not to encourage. Over-encourage."

You're now Talking to Robert Lee!

You're having conversations in the rain.

You're having Conversations in the Rain!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Conversations in the Rain

You're having conversations in the rain.

Talking to Robert Lee

You're talking to Robert Lee.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Conversations in the Rain

Play through the dialogue branches below to learn more about Lizbeth's companions.

You won't have time to play through them all, so choose carefully!

Pinned

Pinned

Talk to the Driver

"How's the road look?" I asked the driver.

Talk to Marcel Cooper

Marcel was drumming his nails on his knees. We hit a bump and leaned so heavily to the side it looked for a second like he was floating backwards headfirst into the window.

Talk to Peter John Paul

"I don't know if I'm looking forward to being back," PJP said reflectively. "But I don't know if I'm <i>not,</i> either. You know?"

Talk to Robert Lee

There was this delicate balance with Robert. He wanted to be heard. He wanted you to listen. But he wanted to be pulled into it, speaking -- discoursing. And but he also didn't want to feel like he was being pulled into it, or that he wanted/needed to be pulled.

The only thing for it was to stop, sometimes, and wait for his self-consciousness to catch up, for him to restart under his own power.

            1
            You need 1 x Talking to Robert Lee  and  no more than 1 x Talking to Robert Lee (you have 1)

            1
            Unlocked with 1 x Talking to Robert Lee  - you have 1


            1
            You need 1 x Talking to Robert Lee  and  no more than 1 x Talking to Robert Lee (you have 2)

            1
            Unlocked with 1 x Talking to Robert Lee  - you have 2

"I was reflecting," Robert said, "on how at age nine it must not have been remarkable that everyone I met was black. The coconut drinks were way more incredible -- that that was the big difference between Conneticut and Jamaica, the drinks."

"And not the --"

Robert was nodding. "Not the totally-strange-to-nine-year-old-me landscape. Not that everybody was black and talked with an accent. Because they weren't strange to Robert, age nine."

"And that was --?"

"Very, very good," Robert said, with finality.

Talking to Robert Lee is increasing!

Conversations in the Rain is increasing!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Conversations in the Rain

You're having conversations in the rain.

Talking to Robert Lee

You're talking to Robert Lee.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Conversations in the Rain

Play through the dialogue branches below to learn more about Lizbeth's companions.

You won't have time to play through them all, so choose carefully!

Pinned

Pinned

Talk to the Driver

"How's the road look?" I asked the driver.

Talk to Marcel Cooper

Marcel was drumming his nails on his knees. We hit a bump and leaned so heavily to the side it looked for a second like he was floating backwards headfirst into the window.

Talk to Peter John Paul

"I don't know if I'm looking forward to being back," PJP said reflectively. "But I don't know if I'm <i>not,</i> either. You know?"

Talk to Robert Lee

"And the crippling poverty," Robert added.

"Was what to your nine-year-old self?" I asked. "Was upsetting?"

            2
            You need 2 x Talking to Robert Lee  and  no more than 2 x Talking to Robert Lee (you have 2)

            2
            Unlocked with 2 x Talking to Robert Lee  - you have 2


            2
            You need 2 x Talking to Robert Lee  and  no more than 2 x Talking to Robert Lee (you have 3)

            2
            Unlocked with 2 x Talking to Robert Lee  - you have 3

"Was invisible," Robert said. "I wonder if my parents saw it? Or if I'd see it if I went back now. I hope I would. I hope --"

"What?" I said finally, when it seemed like this time he might not self-start.

"That we're not who we were," he said, sinking back into his hands. One eye tilted up at me. "Or who our parents were."

Talking to Robert Lee is increasing!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Conversations in the Rain

You're having conversations in the rain.

Talking to Robert Lee

You're talking to Robert Lee.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Conversations in the Rain

Play through the dialogue branches below to learn more about Lizbeth's companions.

You won't have time to play through them all, so choose carefully!

Pinned

Pinned

Talk to the Driver

"How's the road look?" I asked the driver.

Talk to Marcel Cooper

Marcel was drumming his nails on his knees. We hit a bump and leaned so heavily to the side it looked for a second like he was floating backwards headfirst into the window.

Talk to Peter John Paul

"I don't know if I'm looking forward to being back," PJP said reflectively. "But I don't know if I'm <i>not,</i> either. You know?"

Talk to Robert Lee

"And this is brought on by," said Robert.

"What?" I said.

"Is what I'm waiting for you to say."

"And this is brought on by?"

"What we saw over the Wall," he said.

            3
            You need 3 x Talking to Robert Lee  and  no more than 3 x Talking to Robert Lee (you have 3)

            3
            Unlocked with 3 x Talking to Robert Lee  - you have 3


            3
            You need 3 x Talking to Robert Lee  and  no more than 3 x Talking to Robert Lee (you have 4)

            3
            Unlocked with 3 x Talking to Robert Lee  - you have 4

And that sucked all the air out of the truck. Marcel pretended to examine his nails. PJP rummaged in his bag. But all of us were watching Robert.

What he was talking about: early on, like just after the Longest Day, he and PJP were sent to Texas. They were human test balloons. Their job was to get anybody out they could find. PJP came back quieter, Robert more intense. Neither talked much about it.

"What you saw," I said.

"On the other side of the Wall," Robert said. "Which we didn't have yet, but there it is. What we saw over there, except minus the World War One-ishness."

He was talking faster, more flip, eyes all over the place -- on my face, on PJP's, on the window over my shoulder.

"Except not minus it exactly. Except let's maybe go with it. How it was a dead hot salted plain dotted with hostile flora. The dry spinal cactuses. The gasping succulents.

"It made me think about all the tourists and the Alamo and the Cowboys and how it took years for the crab shacks in Baton Rouge to come back after Katrina -- just the sawdusty seafood joints, not even the tourists, not even the locals -- and how much worse is it going to be for Texas when this is over? And how easy to get pissed off, and how easy to sit down in the dust and cry?"

Robert's chin was up off his hands now, and his elbows off his knees, and Marcel and PJP weren't even pretending not to listen anymore, were listening with their eyes jumbled and full.

"But I think there's more to it," Robert said, and paused.

"Than?" I asked, unable to stop myself.

"That. More to it than."

"This would include --?" asked Marcel.

But that was all Robert would say about it.

"It just made me think of Jamaica," he said, which you could see even he knew sounded like bullshit. "How it was too awful to mean anything."

Bullshit.

Talking to Robert Lee is increasing!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Conversations in the Rain

You're having conversations in the rain.

Talking to Robert Lee

You're talking to Robert Lee.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Conversations in the Rain

Play through the dialogue branches below to learn more about Lizbeth's companions.

You won't have time to play through them all, so choose carefully!

Pinned

Pinned

Talk to the Driver

"How's the road look?" I asked the driver.

Talk to Marcel Cooper

Marcel was drumming his nails on his knees. We hit a bump and leaned so heavily to the side it looked for a second like he was floating backwards headfirst into the window.

Talk to Peter John Paul

"I don't know if I'm looking forward to being back," PJP said reflectively. "But I don't know if I'm <i>not,</i> either. You know?"


Peter John Paul had been over the Wall before. He and Robert had taken an eighteen-wheeler out to Dallas and picked up whoever they could find -- women, children, even pets. Both of them were delicate about it when they got back. Quiet, withdrawn.

PJP leaned back against the wall with his legs spread wide.

"There's things out there you can't un-see, you know? But what's the point of staying up north? Makes you feel about as useful as tap-shoes on a centipede."

Marcel raised his head briefly. "Is that a thing?"

"Sure is," PJP said, meaning: it is now.

You're now Talking to Peter John Paul!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Talking to Peter John Paul

You're talking to Peter John Paul.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Conversations in the Rain

You're having conversations in the rain.

Talking to Robert Lee

You're talking to Robert Lee.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Conversations in the Rain

Play through the dialogue branches below to learn more about Lizbeth's companions.

You won't have time to play through them all, so choose carefully!

Pinned

Pinned

Talk to the Driver

"How's the road look?" I asked the driver.

Talk to Marcel Cooper

Marcel was drumming his nails on his knees. We hit a bump and leaned so heavily to the side it looked for a second like he was floating backwards headfirst into the window.

Talk to Peter John Paul

There was a click from up front; the driver had thumbed the Stop button on the tape deck.

"What're they like?" the driver called back. "Monsters?"

We all looked to PJP.

            1
            You need Talking to Peter John Paul 1 and Talking to Peter John Paul no more than 1 (you have 1)

            1
            Unlocked with Talking to Peter John Paul 1 - you have 1


            1
            You need Talking to Peter John Paul 1 and Talking to Peter John Paul no more than 1 (you have 2)

            1
            Unlocked with Talking to Peter John Paul 1 - you have 2

PJP considered. He chewed his lip. He fidgeted in his breast pocket for smokes. Came back with an empty pack, repocketed it carefully.

"Hope springs," he explained to Robert, who was giving PJP that mild look of his that said you were a crazy person but he wasn't one to judge.

Then PJP scooted down the bench and stuck his head into the cab.

"The neighborhood I grew up in was lousy with dogs. As in wild packs of them. At night they were like big dumb coyotes barking at trash cans and each other and the moon and whatever.

"One night my dad was walking home from the grocery with a bag full of fruit and veg and like spaghetti and tinned tomato sauce and chickpeas and on top of all of it, as in like sitting on top of the other groceries, he had an open half-eaten pack of beef jerky.

"The dogs got straight on him. He lost the bag, lost the jerky, got his jacket ripped up, had to get a rabies shot. He called mom and she was sobbing, like you could hear the tears on the other end of the line -- I was listening on the upstairs phone; I don't think either of them knew -- and she said she'd come over right away and bring some iodine and gauze or Xanax or whatever, just saying whatever medical words came into her head, and they hadn't even spoken for eight months, I was counting, and for what? Two dogs got maybe a mouthful. It was just mean. It was hateful and mean and just way too human. Like if they'd been muggers, how would it have been different?"

PJP leaned back. "That's what monsters are like," he said.

 We could hear the driver shifting uncomfortably in his seat. A moment later the tape deck came back on.

Talking to Peter John Paul is increasing!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Talking to Peter John Paul

You're talking to Peter John Paul.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Conversations in the Rain

You're having conversations in the rain.

Talking to Robert Lee

You're talking to Robert Lee.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Conversations in the Rain

Play through the dialogue branches below to learn more about Lizbeth's companions.

You won't have time to play through them all, so choose carefully!

Pinned

Pinned

Talk to the Driver

"How's the road look?" I asked the driver.

Talk to Marcel Cooper

Marcel was drumming his nails on his knees. We hit a bump and leaned so heavily to the side it looked for a second like he was floating backwards headfirst into the window.

Talk to Peter John Paul

PJP tapped on the window with his knuckle.

"Days like this, it's like I'm back in Boston," he said. "The sky pissing down. Can't see the road. Too hot inside, too cold outside. No way to get comfortable. These are days I'm glad I didn't go to seminary."

            2
            You need Talking to Peter John Paul 2 and Talking to Peter John Paul no more than 2 (you have 2)

            2
            Unlocked with Talking to Peter John Paul 2 - you have 2


            2
            You need Talking to Peter John Paul 2 and Talking to Peter John Paul no more than 2 (you have 3)

            2
            Unlocked with Talking to Peter John Paul 2 - you have 3

"Oh? Why days like this?" I asked.

PJP smeared his palm down the window; it left a streak through the condensation on the glass.

"They usually keep the actual sanctuary and pews pretty warm -- what you might call the client-side part of the building -- but I don't know any seminary that turns on the furnace before Thanksgiving. And rectories aren't any better. Early fall is just miserable. And don't get me started on the long john budget."


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Talking to Peter John Paul

You're talking to Peter John Paul.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Conversations in the Rain

You're having conversations in the rain.

Talking to Robert Lee

You're talking to Robert Lee.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Conversations in the Rain

Play through the dialogue branches below to learn more about Lizbeth's companions.

You won't have time to play through them all, so choose carefully!

Pinned

Pinned

Talk to the Driver

"How's the road look?" I asked the driver.

Talk to Marcel Cooper

Marcel was drumming his nails on his knees. We hit a bump and leaned so heavily to the side it looked for a second like he was floating backwards headfirst into the window.

Talk to Peter John Paul

"Do you think if we looked hard enough out there that we might find God?" Marcel asked PJP. This again prompted the tape deck to click off. Everyone's attention was on Peter.

            3
            You need Talking to Peter John Paul 3 and Talking to Peter John Paul no more than 3 (you have 3)

            3
            Unlocked with Talking to Peter John Paul 3 - you have 3


            3
            You need Talking to Peter John Paul 3 and Talking to Peter John Paul no more than 3 (you have 4)

            3
            Unlocked with Talking to Peter John Paul 3 - you have 4

Without looking at Marcel but with no hesitation at all, not even the littlest hitch, PJP stuck his hands in his pockets and nodded.

"I think," PJP said, staring out the window behind me, "if there is a God, then He better be out there. And if we do run into Him, you better get out of my way -- because I'm gonna be the first guy to shake His hand, and the first guy to lay Him out flat for what he let happen to those poor people in Texas."


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Talking to Peter John Paul

You're talking to Peter John Paul.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Conversations in the Rain

You're having conversations in the rain.

Talking to Robert Lee

You're talking to Robert Lee.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Conversations in the Rain

Play through the dialogue branches below to learn more about Lizbeth's companions.

You won't have time to play through them all, so choose carefully!

Pinned

Pinned

Talk to the Driver

"How's the road look?" I asked the driver.

Talk to Marcel Cooper

Marcel was drumming his nails on his knees. We hit a bump and leaned so heavily to the side it looked for a second like he was floating backwards headfirst into the window.


The driver hit Stop on the tape deck.

"Looks wet," he called back. "I can see maybe three feet past the bumper. There was this Accord ahead of me right outside Lexington. Maybe he's still up there, maybe not."

You're Talking to the Driver!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Talking to Peter John Paul

You're talking to Peter John Paul.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Conversations in the Rain

You're having conversations in the rain.

Talking to Robert Lee

You're talking to Robert Lee.

Talking to the Driver

You're talking to the driver.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Conversations in the Rain

Play through the dialogue branches below to learn more about Lizbeth's companions.

You won't have time to play through them all, so choose carefully!

Pinned

Pinned

Talk to the Driver

There was a lull in the tire-noise. I asked the driver why he was playing just one song over and over.

            1
            You need 1 x Talking to the Driver  and  no more than 1 x Talking to the Driver (you have 1)

            1
            Unlocked with 1 x Talking to the Driver  - you have 1

Talk to Marcel Cooper

Marcel was drumming his nails on his knees. We hit a bump and leaned so heavily to the side it looked for a second like he was floating backwards headfirst into the window.


Even after the truck righted itself, Marcel looked sunk down into his seat like so much loose change.

"This is not," Marcel said, "how I was led to believe. It would be."

"How was that?" Robert asked, stifling a yawn.

Marcel considered. When in deep thought he looked like a puppy: head tilted, mouth slightly open. His breathing shallow and deliberate.

"More like wind whipping through a dead land," he said. "Great forces compelling us. The shredding of trees. Hostile fauna. Motion and counter-motion. Not" -- here gesturing out the window -- "a cold fall drizzle. Not motion sickness on a shabby interstate."

You're now Talking to Marcel Cooper!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Talking to Peter John Paul

You're talking to Peter John Paul.

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Conversations in the Rain

You're having conversations in the rain.

Talking to Marcel Cooper

You're talking to Marcel Cooper.

Talking to Robert Lee

You're talking to Robert Lee.

Talking to the Driver

You're talking to the driver.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Impact

Do you know the sound of metal tearing? Like a sheet of paper in calloused hands? The high rising scream like nails on a chalkboard but sharper and louder?

It took us so long to react. It felt like minutes. Long enough for a reel of impressions.

All of us went sideways, more shifted than thrown. The side of the truck crumpled like newspaper. There was a dent like a giant's fist. A crunching sound. A blast of heat. The air jumped thirty degrees. Suddenly we were weightless, in freefall.

I have separate memories of all of us calmly unbuckling our seatbelts. We were operating at a level below consciousness. In a strange moment between the light and the sound.

Pinned

Pinned

And Then

We hit the ground.


Aftermath

We hit the ground.

The truck was on its side. We were soaked in adrenaline, too focused to know whether we were hurt. I knocked out a window and crawled over the cracked and jagged pane onto the wet blacktop with the earthworms there drowning by my face. Robert, Marcel and PJP followed. The heavy ordnance was stuck under the shattered truck. We were holding our pistols. We had eased off our safeties. We looked up.

There in the sopping orange firelight cast by the smoldering truck and asphalt, there mostly behind the cold white sheet of rain that obliterated all vision past a few feet out, nevertheless still looming, impossibly large, dull green, above all -- this from Robert -- above all snakelike, though seen only in that moment by its long thick neck and blunt snout and bottomless hungry eyes --

There was a dragon.

You are no longer having Conversations in the Rain!

You are no longer Talking to Marcel Cooper!

You are no longer Talking to Peter John Paul!

You are no longer Talking to Robert Lee!

You are no longer Talking to the Driver!


Gunslinger Gear

Guns, gloves, boots.

Cityslicker Duds

Coats and clothes for every occasion.

Doc Toppers

Bowlers, stetsons, the occasional eyewear.

Talismans

Relics, charms, tokens of authority.

Currency

Spendables of all sorts.

Reputation

Your standing in the community.

Revolver Bullet

Useful for many things. Shooting monsters is only one.

Usables

Treasures, mementos, relics.

Not to be opened until you've finished reading New England in November and Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

Consumables

Nostrums, drinkables, tobaccos and other treatlets.

Ally: Warren Castillo

Warren Castillo of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

A Grim Bargain

You and "Padre" Charlie understand each other all too well.

Ally: Jack Ishiguro

Jack Ishiguro of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Ally: Miz Nils

Miz Nils of the Amarillo Jackrabbits.

Version

Game version number.

Game version number.
Thanks for playing Zero Summer!

Paladin

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are mercy, compassion and justice.

Man in Black

Your ethical Orientation. Your concerns are self-empowerment and getting things done.

Seer of Rabbits

You have seen rabbits and struggle to un-see them.

Hallowed Ground

You've been taken in by the strange beautiful kindnesses of the Mission.

The Harvestmen

You're following the trail of the Harvestmen

Time of Day

The time of day.

Date

Today's date.

White Noise

The unnatural world is becoming all too real.

Cityslicker

Social Style.

Doc

Mental Style.

Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Gunslinger

Physical Style.

Lizbeth's Doc

Mental Style.

Lizbeth's Cityslicker

Social Style.

The Ministry of Black Powder

You're helping "Padre" Charlie with his good works.

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington

Reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington 3

You're reading Fifty Miles South of Lexington.

20th Century Penny

An old but well-polished US penny. Minted in 1960. Just the thing to throw into the fountain at St. Francis's.

The Door

A Tarot card. It shows a door in a meadow and a man in front doing a handstand, one leg crossed over the other.


Cover

In that weird calm lull -- while we regarded the dragon and it regarded us -- I clearly heard Robert say, in a narcotized voice, "I think I had this dream before."

The dragon's head snaked out of the rain. A pouch or membrane bulged on the underside of its neck. Its jaw distended. A gout of sullen orange fire spewed out and over the truck.

We scattered. What was cover? A built-up cement railing; a low bridge not twenty feet ahead. Behind us was a sharp incline leading to what through the rain looked like a dense forest swell. No good just then. Cement was safer.

Pinned

Pinned

We Dove Behind the Cement Railing

It was closer, and while it had scorched under the dragonfire, it had neither caught nor melted.

We Ran for the Overpass

It was further away, but it looked better-protected and had a stream underneath -- "in case," Marcel said, "of fire."


More Than a Little Singed

Robert hauled Marcel up while I grabbed PJP and all of us half ran, half stumbled to the underpass. More dragonfire chased us across the asphalt; by the time we were safely hunkered down beneath the embankment, we were all a little singed.

The dragon followed -- more waddled than walked. It was standing upright on two hind legs with two arm-wings held out for balance. The toadlike pouch under its neck bulged and puffed.

0 change points, 2 more needed to reach level 2.

An occurrence! Your 'Lizbeth's Ailments' Quality is now 1!