AH! If that's what I'm thinking of then that is a VERY sad ending and I completely agree with your decision.
Thank you! I love achievements as guidelines for play.
I replayed your game because I wanted to talk to Oorlag again--he's so creepy and stylish and I love the detail that he paints. He'd make Laurent SO nervous. Laurent would be like: "There's going to be a book with a mysterious message that I don't understand that's also a reference that I also don't understand. And when he talks to me and *realizes* I didn't solve the puzzle or get the reference he's going to be disappointed, and disappointed elders are terrifying. Maybe I can run to Martin and get them to explain it to me."