King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (1992 Video Game)

Patrick Pinney: Winged One, Diphthong

Quotes 

• Winged One : Hail to thee, great Oracle! Lord Azure sends you this wingless male. It appears that he solved the Cliffs of Logic, and...

  Oracle : Defeated the Minotaur in his lair. So I have seen. So this is the one that haunts my pool of late. Welcome, young seeker. What knowledge do you desire?

  Prince Alexander : Princess Cassima. Whatever you can tell me, great Oracle.

  Oracle : Ah, of course, the princess. That explains my images. Let us see what we can see.

  [the Oracle swirls a finger in her pool and an image of Cassima appears] 

  Oracle : I see a maiden, lovely and pure, but surrounded by evil. She is a rose set amidst bitter thorns. It is her fate to be the pawn of dark powers, and yours to try to redeem her.

  Prince Alexander : How? How do I redeem her?

  Oracle : Fate is not like the cut of a blade, young one, but rather like the myriad of paths formed when a hammer cracks ice. I will tell you what I can, but what will actually come to pass is up to you. I see that any attempt to reach the girl will force you into battle, a struggle against a dark force. If you lose, your life will be forfeit.

  Prince Alexander : Who must I fight?

  Oracle : A great darkness surrounds your adversary, preventing me from seeing clearly. I can only make out the shape of a black cloak. But before this final struggle, I see an infiltration - a dangerous game of hide-and-seek in corridors filled with enemies. The risks are high, but it's the only way to reach the one you seek. There is more than one way into this place. Your choice will dictate much.

  Prince Alexander : What else do you see, mighty Oracle?

  [she swirls her finger in the water again, but this time, a skull flies out] 

  Oracle : Oh! Oh, such pain. I see two restless spirits crying out for revenge. These shades could help you destroy the dark force if they were to be brought back from their spiritual form. Yet this is only one possible path to your destiny. I'm afraid this is getting beyond me. I know very little about the afterlife. I can only advise getting counsel from the Druids. Be warned, the Druids are reclusive and dangerous. They might aid you or they might destroy you. Like their island, the Druids' nature is hidden in the mists. There is nothing more I can do for you except to give you this.

  [she fills a vial with sacred water and gives it to him] 

  Oracle : It is water from the sacred pool. That and my blessing go with you.

  Prince Alexander : Thank you, great Oracle.

• Bookworm : [Alexander grabs one of the books on the ground and the Giant Bookworm appears floating in midair]  What do you think You're doing?

  Prince Alexander : I'm sorry. I didn't realize these books had an owner. I'm in need of a rare book.

  Bookworm : Hmph! No owner! All books have owners, my good man. And This book owner, Bookworm to you wouldn't part with one of his books for anything!

  Prince Alexander : Isn't there something I can do for you to pay for the book?

  Bookworm : Hmm. Let's see. Do you have an itinerant clause?

  Prince Alexander : No. No clauses at all, I'm afraid.

  Oxymoron : [Then Oxymoron pops out of his book]  As an exception, you always should! Ha ha ha ha!

  Diphthong : [Oxymoron goes back into his book and Diphthong pops out of his book]  Aaooouu!

  Bookworm : [Diphthong goes back into his book]  Don't mind Oxymoron and Diphthong. They're fairly limited grammatical principles, you know. Hmm, let's see. A marsh pig that does taxes?

  Prince Alexander : Uh, no. I'm afraid not.

  Bookworm : A dangling participle?

  [a helpful clue for the item you're required to get in the game] 

  Prince Alexander : I'm fresh out.

  Bookworm : A purple fiddlewacker?

  Prince Alexander : No... I don't think so. Sorry.

  Bookworm : An idiosyncrasy, perhaps?

  Prince Alexander : Fraid not.

  Bookworm : Hah! Then what good are you?

  [the giant Bookworm goes back into his book] 

• Prince Alexander : [If the player clicks the Dangling Participle icon on the Giant Bookworm]  I found this little fellow lost on another island.

  Dangling Participle : [Alexander sets the Dangling Participle on the ground]  Coming home, I am TO!

  Bookworm : There you are , you naughty boy! I told you not to leave the island!

  Dangling Participle : Glad I am seeing you too!

  Oxymoron : [Then Oxymoron pops up out of the book]  A most he hae, solemn celebration!

  Diphthong : [Then Diphthong pops up out of the book]  Gooeeeoo!

  Bookworm : So, you found my dangling participle! I suppose I'll have to give you something. Let's see now, was it a rare book you wanted?

  Prince Alexander : Yes sir.

  Bookworm : Well, then none of these will do. They've been sitting in the sun far too long and must be well-cooked by now. This one is far more rare. A delicious little tidbit. Hmm.

  [the giant Bookworm goes into his books and pulls out a rare book and gives it to Alexander. Then he goes back into his books] 

  Prince Alexander : Uh, thanks.

• Narrator : The Winged Ones guards, bored with the pointless waiting, are startled by the sound of rock moving against rock.

  [the rock moves open and out comes Lady Celeste and Alexander] 

  Winged One : Lady Celeste, bide thee well?

  Lady Celeste : I'm quite well, thanks to the bravery of a mere human! So much for your superior intellects!

  Winged One : Yes, mi lady.

  Lady Celeste : Now, bring him along! I'm going home!

  [Lady Celeste flies home, the crow with the golden eyes flies away crowing, the 2 winged guards fly him back to the palace] 

• Winged One : Look! An intruder!

  Winged One : Hold! How did you get up here, human?

  Prince Alexander : I climbed the cliffs.

  Winged One : That is not possible! No one has solved the Cliffs of Logic in several centuries- and if the cliffs were to be solved, it would certainly not be by a human!

  Prince Alexander : I... I didn't mean to trespass. I only wanted to visit this beautiful island.

  Winged One : No visitors have been welcome on the Isle of the Sacred Mountain in years! Not since the red and white queens had spies in the guise of friendly visitors steal our island's sacred golden fleece! But we will not display such foolish trust again! You will have to answer to Lord Azure and Lady Aeriel. They will determine what will be done with you! I can assure you, it will not be pleasant!

  [the winged human guards grabs Alexanders arms and flies him up to the palace on a tall pillar] 

• Winged One : Why did you tell Lord Azure you were ready and willing to face the catacombs? No one is ever ready and only a fool could be willing!

  Prince Alexander : And you are far wiser, I suppose, to leave a maiden to die, to not fight this plague on your own people?

  Winged One : Bravery and suicide are two different things, human! You will have a chance to renounce your choice soon enough, when you lay trembling under the Minotaur's hooves!

  Prince Alexander : We shall see! Thanks for the escort.

  Winged One : We only escort you to your death! May the Fates make it quick so that you do not have to scream long!

  [Then the Winged One guards shoves Alexander inside the big wooden door and locks the door behind him] 

  Narrator : The catacombs entrance door is locked from the outside by the Winged Ones guards. It seems that leaving the catacombs by that door is not an option.