The Sound Of One Hand Clapping
            A Riddle In Subtlety by Erica Sadun
     (Text adventure for the PC, part of Disk Ref 840)

                  Reviewed by Neil Shipman

Think thou subtle thoughts
As does the clever dragon
In quiet circles.

Dragons have been on my mind recently. I had just finished an
exquisitely crafted book entitled 'Quest: In Search for the
Dragontooth' written and illustrated by Michael Green, when I
began to play The Sound Of One Hand Clapping.

In the book a learned friar by the name of Magnalucius seeks out
the Perilous Dragontooth, finding during his investigations that
dragons inhabit the Plain of Two Mists, part of the Timeless Realm
in a world separate from our own. For those who possess the
necessary knowledge, crossing into this other world becomes
possible. A unicorn which often manifests itself to Magnalucius
and the dragons of the Timeless Realm are allegories for good and
evil in the soul of man.

In the adventure you play the part of Ginseng whose task is set by
an aged priestess in a temple not far from your starting point:

'Ginseng,' she greets you, 'we have been waiting for you to
arrive. Black Dragon has returned to the World Beyond. Folk of the
Beyond have been banished and dragons, both kind and cruel, fair
and subtle, have re-entered the World.  They hold the keys which
will aid the folk, the keys that will restore hope.  Still, they
must be dealt with slyly for they do not cooperate eagerly with us
humans.  It is your task, Ginseng, to enter the World Beyond and
to restore the hope which has been lost. Walk gently lest you
mis-step and imperil those who dare not lose their last link to
life.'

What can you do but take up the challenge?

The world dissolves around you...

A voice whispers: 'Be strong and wise.'

A wind hovers near your ear: 'Think subtle thoughts.'

A breeze rests on your shoulder: 'Luck be with you, Ginseng.'"

You are transported into the World Beyond, reminiscent of the
crossing into Michael Green's Timeless Realm, and begin your task
underneath the graceful curve of the Moon Gate. Here you find a
silk headband and your trusty walking staff to help you on your
way. A short distance away you come across the Rainbow Fountain
which, as you will find, plays an important part in the adventure,
requiring certain items - mostly obtained from the dragons which
now inhabit the world - to be placed in the depressions that
surround it. In addition there is a smooth stone here which
assists the owner in contemplation, such quiet, thoughtful moments
bringing forth visions which may be helpful in your task.

In the Imperial Gardens you notice a coin stuck in the branches of
a potted bonsai tree. This cannot be removed without damaging the
tree and such injury to a living organism is something you cannot
consider. But close by is Green Dragon tending a herb garden - not
such a bad old dragon, this one - who holds the key to this
problem. In other locations you will find Blue Dragon in the
depths of a mine, Crimson Dragon playing music in an ornate
tea-house, and Crystal Dragon sitting atop a crystal mountain.
From each of these an item can be obtained if you are successful
in solving the problem(s) associated with each one.

The folk of the World Beyond appear to be conspicuous by their
absence, the populace consisting of the dragons, a young,
imbecilic drake (used in the sense of the obsolete Middle English
word for dragon), a few fish and one of my favourite inhabitants,
the Fire Iguana who would only notice that I existed at certain
times. As we know from The Accumulated Lore of the Wilder Beasts
that Flock to the Hidden Ways, Fire Iguanas are known for their
habit of uttering vague Taoisms, even though it is said they
refuse to believe in their ability to achieve such a harmonious
condition themselves - you knew that didn't you?  So when this
iguana, who would only recognise that I existed at certain times,
comes out with phrases like, 'Yellow. Everything is a suffusion of
yellow,' it seems quite in keeping.

Not always will you find yourself in the guise of Ginseng and you
have the opportunity to become a goldfish, a pondlily and even
water itself. But the most memorable transformation for me was
into Golden Dragon as I winged my way high above the land, filled
with a sense of exhilaration as I stretched my wings to catch the
subtleties of the winds that carried me and gave me the freedom of
the skies. (In a dreamlike sequence during his quest, Magnalucius
takes on dragon form and feels within him the very power of the
creature as he glides and darts about above the heads of men whose
lives are but chaff in the wind.)

In the 'The Sound Of One Hand Clapping' it appears that the
majority of dragons are reasonably friendly and it is only Black
Dragon who represents evil. Having said that, I must admit to
being only just over half way through, so things may yet change!
You will immediately realise from the title of the adventure that
this is a game which draws heavily on Chinese philosophy and very
much embodies the ethos of a non-violent approach to life. This is
superbly conveyed in Erica Sadun's writing which is beautifully
descriptive and quite eloquent throughout. However, though the 40+
(so far!) locations and the various characters are described in
detail, some of the responses are somewhat limited. Many times I
examined something of interest only to be greeted with 'That's
just scenery!' and the number of commands which are understood is
rather small.

The puzzles are reasonably straightforward - at least as far as
I've been able to get (if you've been able to progress beyond 775
points please let me know!) - and you may feel that this, together
with the small number of objects and few locations would hardly
rate the adventure worth a look. However, if you appreciate
writing of the highest standard and enjoy authors who have a
mastery of the English language, you may find a journey into the
World Beyond, where dragons inhabit the Timeless Realm, an
interesting trip to take.

'The Sound Of One Hand Clapping' comes together with a short
playable demo of 'Pirating' which is Erica Sadun's promised next
adventure.















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