Amby, at the computer, when you examine the dials you see a slot. You need to put money in it. Then I just typed in stuff, HELP got me that there is a pain in the diodes, HELLO got me another message, then I tried REPLACE COIN and it gave me a longer message about what to say - though I haven't figured out what this has allowed me to do. (see above)
I only got as far as I have by using the "SAY ZOOTLE WURDLE" hint. I would have NEVER gotten to "replace coin". part let alone the zootle portion...
Tinsel can be found to the south upstairs in the Workroom of Tinsel, this is near the bedroom the princess is in.
Uh-oh - I seem to have missed as entire area or entrance to an area...
Dave - can you send me the hints you receive when you type in SAY CLUES? While I got this before, I didn't write them down. On replaying in order to check the solution, I couldn't get that screen to come up, despite trying several things. I'd like to add this to the Hints section.
Things are not random in this game, at least I don't think so, but they do depend on some things. The score appears to be the same regardless of what you do, so I think score: 42, is just another, quite specific message and the game doesn't really "keep" score.
I managed to get the solution to turn out logically (as best as that can be managed in this game).
Apparently you can SAY/TYPE CLUES if things are done in the correct order. Otherwise not. For example, if you give the medallion to Tinsel first, you don't/can't get the clues. Though I kinda figured since his shirt was open to the navel, etc. that that was where the medallion should go. Who was it with the hairy chest that wore medallions way back when? I have this picture of a man who looked liked Luciano Pavarotti, but likely it wasn't him. I guess the authors didn't count of people having memories or associations for that sort of thing.
Though I am still hard pressed to determine how it can be solved otherwise. There is not a lot of leeway here.
OK - one more runthrough (if I have botched it yet again) and we will be done.