I have decided to have another punt at this mind boggler after three year's hiatus and starting again I have ground to a halt at the same place; 190 points out of 300 and the same sticking points. I still can't work out how to retrieve the gold key from the "adjoining room" or discern what the hamster wants. This is a real toughie.

After twenty years on and off I have finally finished this. The old saw that you should never presume anything finally stood me in good stead and once I snaffled the flaky gold key I made my escape from the castle. A very good and very challenging text adventure.

I uploaded the completed map of this diabolically difficult game about two thousand years ago. It is still in cryogenic slumber.