Jumping in, I had the exact same bug on the exact same part (although my circumstances were different - I was not there alone). I had a safe save a few screens old, but even that did not help me. I refreshed, reloaded, closed and relaunched a dozen times, still can't make it through this. :/ No matter, this try brought me new info either way, but maybe there's an actual problem there?
I'll be on the lookout, because I got stuck again trying to get to this part another way and now I don't know how I can finish if I can't do this bit. :x (apart from that, this is a WONDERFUL game, I am floored by the endless choices, the minute changes that make even the 10th try feel brand new, the kindness you show to your characters, and the wordcraft in general. Amazing achievement, thank you so much for sharing this with us all!)
Aaaah, I'm so happy!! I was too invested in the game to want to start over (i wanted to see this version of me through!), but I was devastated at not being able to "finish". What a joy it'll be to delve back into this. I'm still floored at what you've achieved here, it's mind-boggling in every single aspect.