Fool's Lute

The curtains are purple, the lute is waiting, and the chord is written on the playbill. Three rings of jewels circle the lute. Tap a ruby, sapphire, emerald, or topaz and that ring swings until the jewel rests under the gold needle. Match the inner, middle, and outer stones to the chord, then strike. Every step spends a pluck. A sour strike spends one more. Finish inside the pluck purse for a brighter set of stars. Twelve acts open one by one, from First Bow to Last Bow. Clear Cyan Stair and Encore begins: new chords keep arriving until three nights go sour. The jewel case keeps every chord you have struck. Marks remember perfect paths, a full set of acts, and a long encore. The dressing room tunes the hall song, the chime, and the shake.