Belboz, leader of the Enchanters' Guild, has vanished. He's evidently under the spell of an evil demon, Jeearr, and it's up to you and your Spell Book to rescue him. Exploring the Guild Hall turns up a few scrolls with more spells, and a copy of the Encyclopedia Frobizzica sheds new light on the mythology of the Great Underground Empire, its curious history, oddball kings and other characters. The first real problem involves leaving the Hall to look for Belboz- a "warning nymph refuses to let you exit through the only door.


Outside, a world of weirdness awaits beyond the Twisted Forest. The terrain is a combination of above-ground and subterranean locations, including snake filled pits, caves, a castle, an amusement park and Fort Griffspotter. Magic remains the key to solving most puzzles, as in Enchanter, but some new spells come in handy: "izyuk" allows you to fly, and "meef" will turn a Caesar salad into dust. The former is essential when you reach the Glass Maze, whose clear walls, ceilings and floors can lead to sudden death if you stride boldly into a room that has no floor. Magic potions are handy in other tight spots.


It's a vast world, full of puzzles that are more difficult than those in Planetfall and Enchanter-but nowhere as tough as Zork or Infidel. The new 1,000word vocabulary, made possible by breakthroughs in programming techniques, will serve you well. Meretzky's inimitable sense of humor romps throughout the story, and his flair for conjuring up a convincing alternative universe is unparalleled.