Grimrock

Why do you need a key? If you have the blue gem you can leave the mine if you want.

Don't worry about my question about the monsters. They are gone for no obvious gain. i can't find any switches in any of the alcoves I dug out. I'm out of food and don't know where to go now.

What switches in what alcoves???

Okay Thom,
I've taken the hint with some reservations. The key looks essential to me, but I guess you wrote this story.
I'm up in the harsh mountains, on the level with the lightning firing wyverns. I can't get up to the next layer. The bunch of rocks that you can move through in one direction seems to be where the access has to be, but I have not found a way to climb on them or pass through to the top. help again?
Terry

The alcoves I referred to are the places where I dug away the rubble to reveal a room, with (in some cases) a second room to one side. I was expecting some switch or button in these to lead to the key for the teleport to the laboratory. As I said in the last message, I've moved on without finding this.

Ah, yes - the mountain steps: The rocks are lying in an ascending row. Just walk toward that line, starting with the lowest rock.

And now I know which alcoves you mean. Yes, it is possible to open up another room with them. You have to make a donation (more than one) to do that.

That worked for the first level, but I'm a couple of layers up from there. When I tried that I just walked into the pile or if I came from the side I walked through them. It's OK. I see. It's a variation on the approach. I don't know how one might make a donation back in the lower mine.

Mountains: In the upper levels the rocks are not in a straight line anymore. So you have to walk a bit in serpentine lines...

Mine: You always have to pay the Teleport Company. Usually with a blue gem. This time with something else. Something also precious...

i've stopped here for a while and gone back to redo a lot of the game. Mostly because I don't have enough food to maintain health, but also from reading your hints to others, I'm concerned that I haven't prepared for the end properly. I'm not sure that I have done what is necessary in Plunder Village. I have spoken to the rat in the alley and the shopkeeper, but neither of these seem mention anything that would relate to the identity of the spy. So there must be someone who speaks that I missed. Is this so, or did i just fail to recognize the significant words when i read them?

Have you been at the pub? Have you opened all doors there?