I don't recall that a non-Comprehend version of Transylvania II/Crimson Crown was ever released. As I remember it, Crimson Crown was the first "Comprehend" adventure we did. I think Antonio drafted the first half using the software we used for the original Transylvania, but JJ and I were already coding the Comprehend language and interpreter. Crimson Crown was always designed as a 2-part game, and the second half might have been the first thing written solely in Comprehend, along with the finished version of the first half.
My guess is that the version mentioned above in the discussion is indeed an early unpublished draft of part 1, especially if you are finding embedded BASIC code and if it just uses a verb-noun parser. The only one I know who might remember more details is Antonio.
Yes, thanks for the inside information. I had been thinking about trying to contact you, but I didn't know if you'd appreciate unsolicited emails from strangers asking about pirated copies of your company's software. If it's any consolation, the Penguin titles I played and loved in those days were all honestly purchased.